The anime authorship criticism. Visions of the "Anti-Disney Ethos"

Abstract

Animation Studies has provided an interesting example of how the concepts of genre and authorship can usually be considered as antithetic, and how these concepts might be discussed for a better understanding of modern Media Industries. In this sense, Walt Disney (1901-1966) is probably one of the most important figures in the history of cinema, and also is one of the most criticized ones. Disney Criticism has been reviewed and discussed through different dimensions, including Political Economy and Ideology, Gender Studies, Historical Revisionism, Narrative, etc. Taking into consideration the case of International Animators –most of them working within the European or Asian film industries– it can be observed how common it is to refer to their work as appreciated forms of authorship. This is particularly the case when one looks at auteurism within animation in relation to the American Majors productions, which, in contrast to European and Asian animation, tend to be seen as “merely” mainstream. This criticism creates an almost “mythic figure” -opposed to Disney in narrative quality but equal in technical achievements- that can be observed, for example, in the Western reception of the work of Japanese animators such as Mamoru Oshii, Mamoru Hosoda, Satoshi Kon and especially Hayao Miyazaki who is the most likely candidate for this anti-Disney label.

Citation

Hernández-Pérez, M. (2014, September). The anime authorship criticism. Visions of the "Anti-Disney Ethos". Paper presented at Discussing Disney

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Discussing Disney
• Start Date: Sep 25, 2014
• End Date: Sep 26, 2014
• Acceptance Date: Jun 17, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Jul 14, 2014
• Publication Date: 2014
• Deposit Date: Dec 10, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 13, 2018
• Print ISSN: 1746-8477
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: http://www2.hull.ac.uk/fass/dramamusicandscreen/conferences/discussingdisney.aspx