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Abstract
Abstract
Japanese anime being an important part of modern and contemporary popular visual culture, its aesthetic merits, its roots in Japanese visual arts as well as its rich symbology derived from Japanese folkloristic, literary and religious themes are worth investigating. This research aims to track the visual links between Edo and Meiji period monster art (yôkai-ga) paintings and modern day anime by concentrating on the works of Edo and Meiji period painters and the post-war period animation and manga series Gegegeno Kitaro, created by Mizuki Shigeru.
Some of the Japanese origins of anime and manga imagery can be traced back to the early 12th century Chôjû Giga animal scrolls, where comic art and narrative pictures first appear. However, more recent sources are found in woodblock prints of the late Edo period. These prints are the forerunners of manga in that dialogues appear with the image, generally no anatomical details are given nor are they in perspective, but often a mood is expressed in a cartoon-like manner.
The visual rendering of yôkai (monsters) is a Japanese cultural phenomenon: yôkai paintings originate in the Muromachi period, and take up part of the visual arts of that era. The distinct monster (yôkai) imagery emerging in the late Edo to early Meiji periods is the focus of this research. Investigating the Gegegeno Kitaro series, the study pinpoints the visual roots of the animation characters in the context of yôkai folklore and Edo and Meiji period monster painting traditions. Being a very popular series consisting of numerous episodes broadcast from the 1960s to the present time, by analyzing the changing images related to the representation of monsters in the series the study documents the changes in the perception of monsters in this time period, while it reflects on the importance of Mizuki’s work in keeping visual traditions alive and educating new audiences about folklore by recasting yôkai imagery in modern day settings in an innovative way.
Additionally, by analyzing and comparing character, set, costume and mask design, plot and storyline of yôkai-themed films, the study attempts to shed light on the roles the representations of yôkai have been assigned in post-war Japanese cinema.