Anime: Swept across Southeast Asia

by Phing Chee Yuong

Anime: Swept across Southeast Asia

The rise of anime, making more and more people watches the anime. From the early not so popular until nowadays swept the world, is enough to prove the popularity of the anime.

Throughout the global anime industry, mainly in Europe, America and Japan, South Korea, and in their country are one of the pillar industries, which the United States is the oldest and one of the major developed countries. Early, anime only more popular in this particular country, after several years of transition, the anime market can be said that cross-border reach the various country. In recent years, anime trend began sweeping Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Indonesia and other places, and of course our country Malaysia.

According to the Japanese advertisers Hakuhodo for 6,591 people aged 15-54 survey, the Japanese anime swept Asia 10 cities (Taipei, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Shanghai, Jakarta, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai), an average of 4 people there is a person like Japanese animation, watching Europe anime is 10.2% and watching  South Korea anime is 1.7%.

Chuah Yen Wei (23, teacher)

Chuah Yen Wei, who is a 23-year-old teacher, and also an anime fans. She loves to watch Japanese anime, so whenever she has free time, she will watch the anime by online. In addition, she also will buy some of the anime merchandise as a memorial. The anime has brought her more colorful life and make her life more interesting. She is not alone, majority of the anime fans also same like her.

She believes anime swept Southeast Asia the biggest reason is because the network is developed. She said that, in the early the network not developed so when people want to watch anime is difficult but now just need to pressing some button on the computer, you already can watch the anime of the parts of the world, so she believes anime are popular in Southeast Asia the main reason is the networks.

The Benefits

According to the interviewees, watching the anime not only can help them to pass the time, it also brings other benefits to them.

Ph'ng Fook Hing (22, student) said that, it can help him to learn other language. He says that, most of the time he is watching the Japanese anime, so during the prolonged watching, let him unwittingly learned some basic Japanese language. Therefore, he believes that watching the anime can help a person in a relaxed situation to learn more words or language.

Besides that, it does also can ease the pressure. Jarvis Looi, 22-year-old student, said that when he feels stress, he will choose some warm or hilarious anime to watch because it can help him ease his pressure.

Anime VS Cartoons

Anime

Cartoon

 VS  

Many people state that there is no difference between anime and cartoon, while others state these are completely two different categories. This is a very delicate topic as there is no  official demarcation where cartoon ends and anime begins. Hence, these lines are blurred and crossed over multiple times.

Cartoons and anime is same or not, in simple terms, they are the same. But when if seriously explore this issue; actually anime is different from regular cartoons. While both are caricatures that may be animated, anime usually have visually distinct features for characters, and a more "limited animation" style for depicting movement.

For example, anime concentrates mostly on life issues or things tied closer to human emotion however cartoons are generally made to make people laugh and so is more comical. In addition, the painting styles of anime more vivid compare with the cartoons.

Having said that, there are still some pieces are more difficult to distinguish. In other words, how to distinguish between the different anime and cartoons, strictly speaking, can only be a matter of opinion.

See Also:
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Picture: Cosplay
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Audio: Short Interview