Anime memories

When people ask me why I came to Japan, I always feel like my answer may strike them as a little odd. Aside from the fact that I came to Tokyo because I needed a change of scenery after ten years in London and 27 spent living around Europe, the real reason why I came to Japan is simple: I came to live in Japan because I was raised on Japanese animation as a kid. I’ve always felt like I’ve known Japan and its people, through years spent watching, absorbing and devouring countless anime series and mangas.

You see between 1975 and 1995, France (alongside most of mainlaind Western Europe) imported a huge portion of its children’s television programmes from Japan. A pretty odd, and little known, fact. After all it’s not like France had no children entertainment of its own – ‘bandes dessines’ (you’ll have to excuse the lack of accents, English keyboard and all that) or the French equivalent to comics has always been incredibly popular both in and out of the country (Tintin or Asterix anyone?). But when it came to cartoons, someone, somewhere decided that the best thing to do was to import them from the other side of the world. And I’m thankful to them for making such a decision, though I know realise that this was a decision more likely influenced by money and other less interesting factors.

Countless anime series, both well known and more obscure ones, were imported and broadcast on French TV at peak times when children would be avidly waiting for the next installment for a period of approximately 20 years. Most famously the majority of these animes and Tokusatsu shows were broadcast as part of the ‘Youpi! L’ecole est finie’ (literally translated as ‘Whoo! School is over), ‘Recre A2′ and the ‘Club Dorothee’ children TV programmes. The latter being possibly the country’s most famous children TV programme, and one which in hindsight was actually slightly disturbing.

And so it was that for the best part of 10/15 years I grew up entirely on a diet of Japanese cartoons and tv shows. The effect of which was to give me a deep fascination of Japan, a huge interest in the culture and the people and more bizzarely a sense that I knew what life in Japan was like, to an extent. All of these anime series were based on manga series published in Japan – some are still running, either in their original or some new form.

Let me explain. Whilst most people in England grew up watching wholesome cartoons and children’s entertainment like Postman Pat, Thomas the Tank Engine or Dangermouse, I was captivated by the likes of Astro Boy, Goldorak (UFO Robo Grendizer), San Goku (Dragon Ball), Shiryu (Saint Seiya), Captain Tsubasa, Ken Shiro (Hokuto No Ken) and Ultraman. All of which were cultural imports from a country far, far away and beared little to no resemblance to traditional heroes or the people I grew up around.

My earliest memories are of Goldorak and Astro Boy, two classic anime series from the 60s and 70s. Both of which featured robots as the main characters: one living in the future and trying to be accepted by society, whilst being incredibly cute for a robot and not at all threatening, and the other depicting the tragic story of the last survivor of an exterminated advanced civilisation who takes refuge on earth and fights for good and the preserve of his heritage in a giant robot, also known as mecha. I can remember the excitement of waking up to watch the latest installments of the series with the kind of enthusiasm you only display as a kid.

Within a few years I was not only watching giant robots (fighting for the most part), but also ‘real world’ people, football and volleyball players, fantastic characters and heroes and futuristic, apocalyptic warriors. All of whom were stylised in the typical Japanese anime style, something which would also have a deep impact on my appreciation of certain forms of drawing and art.

Whilst anime like Fist of the North Star (Hokuto No Ken), Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya depicted the kind of imaginary, fantastic characters and heroes which make any kids’ mind salivate with envy and which were deeply enjoyable for their sheer ‘fantasticness’ and depiction of fights and heroism, there were also plenty of additional anime series shown which depicted much more ‘realistic’ situations and characters.

From the sport based series of Captain Tsubasa and Attacker Yu! (both of which were renamed with wholesome French titles like ‘Olive & Tom’ and ‘Jeanne & Serge’) which depicted kids working hard at becoming the best in the world at things like football and volleyball whilst falling in love and learning about friendships and responsabilities, to the love story plots and comical, every day situations of series like ‘Kimagure Orange Road’ (‘Max & Compagnie’), ‘Aishite Night’ (‘Embrasse moi Lucile’) and ‘Mezon Ikkoku’ (‘Juliette Je T’aime’) which all depicted typical story lines and characters that made the series hugely popular amongst teenagers in France.

And it was those series, the ones based on ‘real life’, featuring a host of Japanese characters, scenes, locations and daily life which gave me this feeling of ‘experiencing’ Japanese life. Seeing typical Japanese buildings, food, houses, furniture and more everyday for years left me with a deep impression of what Japanese life must have been like. An impression which has only really been confirmed since I moved here.

I’m not saying Japan in 2007 is exactly like what I was seeing everyday in the 80s and 90s, but in general a lot of what I saw really prepared me for what Japan, and life in Japan, is like. And so the supposed culture shock which many westerners experience when moving here still hasn’t quite happened for me. Everywhere I go and everywhere I look: in the shrines, at the schools, in the restaurants, in the houses, at the people, I see things which remind me of those cartoons, I see things I saw regularly on TV as a kid (although the ones I saw back then were drawn). It’s a really weird feeling, but one that feels strangely good and comfortable. It’s nice to know that a lot of the things I dreamt about and idealised as a kid are actually true – like the food (what I can say I’m an unrepenting foodie), the streets, buildings and the people (especially high school uniforms). In many ways it feels like I’m somwhere I’ve always known.

There’s a lot to be said about whether or not it was the right thing to broadcast so much imported, and deeply foreign, material for such a long time and aimed at such a young and impressionable audience, but to be honest and as one of the people who was on the receiving end, I think it was a great thing. It not only made me aware from an early age of cultural differences, it also totally prepared me for and made me want to move and discover this culture I’d been exposed to. Since the end of the reign of Japanese anime on terrestrial TV in Europe, the output as become increasingly formatted and sanitised and everytime I’ve found myself looking at the children’s programme I just wonder what kind of things we are really teaching kids about with those dumbed down, overly PC cartoons and series?

Japanese anime may have had a lot of violence, sexual innuendos and fantasy but it also had a lot of depth of characters, focus on things like friendships, respect and love and just a sense of showing what life really is like without trying to be too nice about it. And after all that’s all you can ever do for kids – you can’t protect them forever and you can’t hide the truth from them. With Japanese anime, we were given a sometimes fantastic, sometimes realistic but always balanced view of the world and people. And as I clearly remember, the kids who didn’t like it didn’t watch it. All the talk of brainwashing and influencing is always being spouted without any fair balancing of what a lot of these supposedly ‘evil’ or ‘unhealthy’ media do actually bring to their audience. The debate surrouding Japanese animation raged for years in France, ultimately bringing down the import market on terrestrial TV and the programmes which hosted the series. While there were some fair comments made by the attacking parties, such as the outrage which Fist of the North Star created within months of its broadcast (and let’s face it showing things like decapitation and body mutilation at 9am on a day when most kids aren’t at school isn’t really the best idea now is it?), there was also a lot of non sensical arguments being put forward.

What this demonisation and ultimate censorship of anime did however do was create the perfect situation for smaller, speciliased import specialists to flourish and for a growing generation of kids to become deeply fascinated with Japan and hold a special relationship with the culture which may well never be repeated on such a scale. I clearly remember being around 15 and discovering these small, import shops where I would go and buy mangas (in Japanese which I was unable to read though that never detracted from the enjoyment of the art and media itself) and videos of the series I’d been watching for years, right at the time where a lot of them were being taken off TV. Funnily enough after over 10 years I’ve now stared collecting and buying manga again, with a deeply pleasing, nostalgic feeling, and I’ve also started watching anime thanks to the free channel I’ve got in my flat. It’s a great feeling turning the TV on and seeing all these cartoons I enjoyed as a kid – something I’ve not been able to do since I left France.

I’ll leave this reminiscing post with a comprehensive list of some of the anime I grew up watching and which I heavily recommend to anyone with an interest in Japanese animation and art :grin: .

Hokuto No Ken (Fist Of The North Star): one of the most violent Japanese anime ever broadcast on mainstream TV. Set in a dark, post-apocalyptic world and featuring protagonists who make Mad Max look like a pic nic with the Teletubbies. Not for the faint hearted.
Grendizer (Goldorak): one of the original mecha series, depicting giant robots, transforming and fighting with all sorts of cool, albeit a bit old fashioned, weapons. The story itself is actually pretty deep and engrossing and some of the robot designs were truly ahead of their time.
Astro Boy (Astro Le Petit Robot): the original robot. An absolute classic of animation, in every way. The drawings, the story and the characters. Great for the kids too!
Captain Tsubasa (Olive et Tom): amazing series about a football genius and his rise from local talent to worldwide star, all the way to the 2006 World Cup! The anime series and manga are still running, and while its depiction of football was always incredibly stylised and fantastic, it does have some great storylines and hilarious football matches with things like super moves, and characters running across half the pitch for an entire episode.
Attacker You! (Jeanne et Serge): as with above this series focuses on volleyball, and the tribulations and rise to fame of a female character. As she trains and struggles to qualify for the team which will go to the 88 Olympics, she falls in love with a boy in the opposite team. Interestingly reruns of the series in Europe were edited to remove corporal punishment sections which the coach would inflict on the main character. Another Japanese anime sports classic.
Cat’s Eyes: great series about a trio of sisters who run a cafe in the day and at night become world class art thieves, stealing pieces of art which belonged to their missing father. One of the sister is involved in a ‘will they won’t they’ relationship with the police officer in charge of their capture, though he obviously never finds out who she really is. Great art and storylines.
Maison Ikkoku (Juliette Je T’aime): series depicting the life of a guest house in Tokyo in the 80s and the blossoming relationship between the latest guest, a down on his luck student, and the widowed manager of the house. A classic of the times, and one I will openly admit to having watched with incredible attention for years hopign that the two characters would eventually get together after countless episodes of ‘will they won’t they’. And yes they do get together in the end. Another series with some great art and depiction of every day Japanese life.
Urusei Yatsura (Lamu): this is a series from the same guy who did Ranma 1/2, and the artwork shows that. Focusing on the earthen adventures of extra terrestrial and humans, adventures which are mainly totally ridiculous and hold next to no continuity. A very comedic and tongue in cheek anime, which was most popular for its depictions of the scantily glad extra terrestrial main character, Lum (or Lamu), who follows around a human boy who is more intereted in every other female he encounters (leading to more comical happenings).
Jayce and The Wheeled Warriors: this one is a Franco-American-Japanese collaboration, and one of my earliest memories too. A totally fantastic story of warriors fighting in machines that were incredibly cool for the time. And they were fighting in space against a race of mutated plants. I mean what more could you want as a kid.
Ulysses 31: another collaboration, this time Franco-Japanese, and based on the Roman and Greek mythological characters (no doubt due to the European side of the collaboration). Another early memory for me, and one of the best cartoon series of all time. Incredible story, character depth and interpretation of classic mythos transposed to the future. I loved this because it combined two things I was totally into at the time – Greek and Roman mythology and spaceships. Still referred to this day as a classic of the genre.
High School Kimengumi (Le College Fou, Fou, Fou): quite possibly the most bugged out anime series ever (alongside Muscleman), about a group of high school students with weird faces. The series recounts their often crazy and comic adventures and growing up. One of my favourite series ever, with great artwork. One of the reasons why I’ve always been fascinated with Japanese high schools – the buildings and the uniforms.
Kinnikuman (Muscleman): another classic of the crazy genre of anime series, revolving around wrestling this time. With some pretty funny artwork, ridiculous storylines, even more ridiculous characters and lots and lots of fighting and eating. Again what more could a kid want. Still quite popular in Japan having been ported to various arcades and video game platforms.
Lupin The 3rd: actually this one was never broadcast in France, but in Italy, where I use to watch it all the time. An absolute classic of the genre too, with great artwork, storylines and characters, and even better music. Based around the descendant of Lupin, the famous thief. Womanising, weapons, sneaking, adventuring and more, perfect!
Ranma 1/2: another totally deranged series from Rumiko Takahashi, this time centering on a boy who turns into a girl when splashed with cold water and who is also a martial expert. Cue lots of fighting, surreal characters who turn into various things when splashed with various things, love stories and scantily clad girls. Another firm favourite amongst boys :
Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z: the classic anime series. Created and drawn by Akira Toriyama, a man revered by many as one of the finest anime artists of all time. I sure as hell think so. He’s also responsible for the art of the video game Dragon Quest. Dragon Ball was inspired by a Chinese legend (see the TV series Monkey) and is the long story of San Goku, a boy who will grow into a man and change the face of the universe. Lots and lots of fighting, fantastic characters, intricate and long story arcs which reference each other and more. The series evolved from Dragon Ball to Z when it was transposed to anime. There’s too much to say about this one, but let’s simply say that it was a huge part of my childhood and something I watched with devotion week in and week out. Another must.
Saint Seiya (Les Chevaliers Du Zodiaque): Saint Seiya is amongst my all time favourites, closely tied to Dragon Ball and Ulysses 31. The story of 5 chosen saints against a backdrop of European mythos (the Zodiac signs, Roman and Greek gods and the Nordic pantheon too) it was one of the most popular series in France combining the essential elements of fighting, fantastic characters, long self referencing storylines and in depth characterisation. It’s a classic, and one which I love watching over and over again. It is still ongoing, having been restarted in the 00s, and having been continued in anime form through OVAs. Again this is an absolute classic, with a very unique drawing style which isn’t really seen in many other anime.
Sailor Moon: yes I used to watch Sailor Moon, and I actually really got into it ops: . The story of teenage girls who can transform into heroines based on the planets and moons of the stolar system, and more importantly dressed in the Japanese high school sailor uniform. Not the greatest storylines or characters ever, but some great drawings and style.
Dr Slump: the anime and manga which helped launch Akira Toriyama’s career. Dr Slump is a must see for any Toriyama fans, the art is excellent and the stories are totally hilarious. Dr Slump is a satirical look at both western and Japanese societies based around the adventures of Dr Slump, a ‘failed’ inventor, and his creation Arale. The series is full of gags, rude jokes, nudity, alcohol consumption (though the majority have been removed from more recent western conversions) and satirical jokes weaved into what are already pretty hilarious story lines. It’s easy to see Slump’s influence in the early Dragon Ball storylines and characters, something which the Dragon Ball series’ lost as it ‘grew up’. There’s actually a bunch of cross over episodes of Dragon Ball and Dr Slump, which took place during the General Blue saga in Dragon Ball – a must see for fans.
City Hunter: also known as Nicky Larson in France. City Hunter revolves a duo of ‘crime fighters’ – a man, Ryo Saeba, and his female sidekick who take on bodyguarding and private eye jobs, always from pretty women who Ryo tries it on with. The series mixes seriousness, violence and a certain dose of ‘film noir’ elements (though heavily stylised to suit the anime feel of the series) with an equivalent dose of sexual innuendos and typical japanese jokes. It was quite popular when I was a kid, as it had a certain adult feel to it but still contain a lot of slapstick to it.
Tokusatsu series: these were live action Japanese tv series, featuring fantastic characters, and most famously raped by Americans into the Power Rangers. The original Japanese series were much more fun though, including the legendary Bioman which ran in France for years, and was so popular it had Dorothee, the woman responsible for importing a majority of the anime and series to France, appearing as a side character in one of the series. Cheesy as hell, with poor special effects and totally unrealistic story lines and characters, but oh so enjoyable when you’re a kid!