SPECIAL REPORT The Impact of Japanese Comics and Animation in Asia By Ng Wai-ming Photo : © Fujiko Pro, © Nintendo, © SANRIO CO., LTD. Japan is a manga superpower. It has art) comics are very popular in Chinese replaced the United States as the communities in Asia. In the 1970s and world’s largest exporter of comics and early 1980s, pioneering comic artist animation. In Asia, Japanese comics like Huang Yulang and Ma Yingcheng, and animation have been very popu- forged the Hong Kong-style kung fu lar and influential from the 1980s to comic tradition. Both Huang and Ma the present. Nowadays, almost all incorporated Japanese elements in the Asian nations have their own edi- making of kung fu comics. tions of Japanese comics and their Huang’s Little Rascals (xiao liu- televisions show Japanese animat- mang, 1971-1975) set the precedent in ed series on a daily basis. this genre. Its story is about Different forms of Japanese comic seven Hong Kong martial and animation culture, such as art heroes who fight against comic café (manga kissha), comic gangsters in different dis- rental, dojinshi (amateurish manga) tricts in Hong Kong. Its and cosplay (costume play), have story and drawing style penetrated the consumer culture in were influenced by major Asian cities. Mochizuki Mikiya’s Wild Merchandise of Japanese Seven, a popular comic cartoon characters, such about seven heroes who as Hello Kitty, Doraemon, fight against the evils. The main Chibimaruko-chan, Crayon difference between Little Rascals Shinchan, Sailormoon, and Wild Seven is that the former is Dragonball, Tare Panda, a work of Chinese martial art, Pokemon, and Digimon is very whereas the latter is a James popular among Asian children Bond-like story in which and young people. Asian busi- people use modern weapons. nessmen also make use of Nochizuki’s realistic style, in Japanese cartoon characters to particular, his drawing of vio- promote their products or ser- lent scenes, inspired Huang. In vices. Japanese manga has 1975, Little Rascals was renamed played a role in changing the School of Dragon and Tiger (long- youth culture and the people’s fumen, 1975-present). In School of perception of Japan in Asia. Dragon and Tiger, Hong Kong mar- Youngsters in Asia are crazy about tial art heroes, having destroyed things Japanese. Unlike their grandpar- China, Singapore Hong Kong gangsters, find Japanese ents and parents, they hold a positive and Korea are also discussed briefly for yakuza, right-wing organizations, image of Japan. To them, Japan is the comparison. samurai and ninja, their new enemies. land of Hello Kitty, Pikachau, This “righteous Chinese versus evil Doraemon, Ultraman and Final Japanese Impact on Asian Comic Japanese” scenario has set the formula Fantasy. This article looks into the and Animation Production for Hong Kong kung fu comics. impact of Japanese comics and anima- Ma’s Chinese Hero (zhonghua yingx- tion in Asia, focusing on Asian comic Most Asian comic and animation iong, 1983-present) revolutionized and animation production as well as artists are under very strong Japanese Hong Kong kung fu comics in drawing Asian popular culture and entertain- influence in terms of drawing, format, and story. Ma was indebted to Ikegami ment industry. Hong Kong and atmosphere, perspective, story and plot, Ryoichi and Matsumori Tadashi in Taiwan, two consumption centers of and the production system. drawing and to Koike Kazuo and Japanese comics and animation in Asia, Hong Kong has its own comic tradi- Huang in story. Ikegami is Ma’s are used as main examples for analysis. tion and its kung fu (Chinese martial favorite comic artist and the realistic 1 Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry: July / August 2002 SPECIAL REPORT Figure 1 Photo : Aaaaaa? Photo : © Inoue Takehiko I.T. Planning, Inc. and delicate drawing of Asian faces and Hong Kong artists fighting in Ikegami’s Crying Freeman attempt to create their and Men’s Group (otokogumi) have an own animated films impact on Chinese Hero. Ma also with the help from the learned a lot from Matsumori’s God of Japanese. Campaigned Fist (kenjin) and God of Sword (kenjin) as the first Hong Kong- in drawing of fist and sword fighting. made commercial ani- Koike, the scriptwriter for Ikegami and mated film, Chinese Matsumori, is skillful in controlling the Ghost Story is indeed a pace, creating climaxes and adding product of Hong Kong- humanistic dimensions to fighting Japan collaboration. story. Influenced by Koike, Ma draws Hong Kong provided The comic edition of Music Up which is made in Japanese style. according to the script, adds humanistic the capital, directorship, touch in story, and creates a climax at voice recording, script and ideas, Kuei will be made into a television car- the end of each episode. Adopting the whereas the Japanese did the actual toon series, live-action drama serial and kung fu comic formula set by Huang, production, such as drawing, coloring, animated film. Recently, Taiwanese the main storyline of Chinese Hero is and digitalization. This kind of collab- on-line animators have begun to experi- about Chinese martial art heroes oration will increase. For instance, in ment animated serials and movies. A against Japanese evil organizations. early 2002, Hong Kong and Japanese three-hour on-line animated film, Love Huang and Ma are the founding boss- artists and televisions discussed a pro- 1/2E, has been serialized. Its story is es of the two of the largest comic pro- ject of joint production of television similar to Tokyo Love Story and duction companies in Hong Kong and cartoon series based on Jin Yong’s nov- Beautiful Life and its drawing is very they, together with contracted comic els. In April 2002, a Hong Kong pro- Japanese. Besides, influenced by the artists under them, continue to produce ducer and a Japanese director Japanese, Taiwanese animators pay a large number of kung fu comics. announced their plan to produce an ani- attention to the important role of “voice New-generation comic artists in mated film for the Asian market. actors or actresses.” (seiyu). This is an Hong Kong, such as Situ Jianqiao and Taiwanese comics are the most area that most other Asian nations have Li Zhida, have received a stronger Japanese of all Asian comics. Many overlooked. Japanese influence than pioneering Taiwanese comic artists copy the In China, Japanese comics and ani- artists like Huang and Ma. Situ’s early Japanese style faithfully and one can mation are very popular and influential work, Saint of Gambling (dusheng), hardly find any Taiwanese elements in among young artists and consumers. borrows heavily from Dragonball and their works. However, there are Chinese artists have a mixed feeling Ultraman in character design and ideas. Taiwanese artists who have attempted toward Japanese comics and animation. His recent works like Supergod Z to create something original based on On the one hand, they are learning from (chaoshen Z, 1993) and King of Fist their mastery of Japanese techniques. the Japanese. On the other hand, they Fighters Z (quanhuang Z, 1996) are The most successful example is per- are under pressure from the govern- inspired by Japanese video games, such haps Zheng Wen who has skillfully ment and publishers or production as Street Fighters and King of Fighters. combined Japanese (particularly companies to cut down Japanese influ- Li is a creative artist who experiments Ikegami Ryoichi and Kojima Geseki’s) ence in order to develop Chinese-style different comic styles in short stories. and Western comic styles with Chinese comics and animation. Regardless of His realistic and delicate drawing style painting and calligraphic skills in his official policy to promote Chinese-style is influenced by Otomo Katsuhiro, comics, such as Stories of Assassins works, Japanese influence is getting Mochizuki Minetaro and Maruo (cike liechuan, 1985) and Stories of stronger in Chinese comics and anima- Suehiro and his discursive expression Eastern Zhou Heroes (dong Zhou tion. Works serialized in the two most and plot are inspired by Murakami yingxiong chuan, 1990). popular comic magazines in China, Haruki’s novels. Taiwanese animators have only pro- Beijing Comics (Beijing katong) and Although Hong Kong has a strong duced a few commercial animated King of Comics (katong wang), are comic tradition of its own, it is a new films and television cartoons, but they largely influenced by the Japanese. comer in animation production. Hong are very active in making on-line ani- Music Up (wo wei ge kuang, 2001), a Kong has only produced several ani- mation. The most successful Taiwanese popular television cartoon series, mated movies and it makes no televi- on-line animation is perhaps Ah Kuei, a adopts almost 100% the Japanese-style. sion cartoons. Hong Kong animators satirical and humorous short piece, in Its producer flatly admitted that Music are learning from the Japanese and which character design and visual pre- Up is the “Chinese edition of Slam Americans in making animation. sentation are influenced by Japanese Dunk.” (Figure 1) Chinese Ghost Story (xian qian, 1997) animated works, such as Crayon Chinese animators become familiar directed by Xu Ke is an example that Shinchan and Chibimaruko-chan. Ah with the Japanese style not only by Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry: July / August 2002 2 SPECIAL REPORT Figure 2 Photo : Aaaaaaaaaaaa? Doraemon.” ticular movies and television dramas. Korean comics and ani- Japanese impact is especially strong in mation are very similar to Hong Kong and Taiwan. their Japanese counter- In Hong Kong movies, the most parts in drawing, style salient Japanese impact is the adoption and technique, but they of Japanese manga into Hong Kong differ in the language and live-action movies. These include City story. Korean comic Hunter, Slam Dunk, Prince Peacock, Dr artists and animators are Kumahige, Sign is V, GTO, Black under strong Japanese Jack, Iron Fist (tekken), Street Fighters, influence.