Anime has been a big part of the Japanese culture especially since the beginning of the 20th century. Anime started to be used in the early part of the 20th century by film makers who were trying out new techniques in animation for their own creative work. It was not until the 1960’s when the current format of anime took root in Japan.
In the 1980’s the anime spread to other parts of the world including the western world where it has continued to grow in popularity. Anime has managed to get a lot of audience in Japan over the period it has been in existence. This is especially true of Manga creation.
The Doujin culture involves the artistic life adopted by people with similar interests as they get together and share their creative ideas. From these ideas, they create literature, games, comics or other products. The culture of Doujin has been greatly influenced by anime and in turn the doujin has contributed to anime’s growth.
The earliest formations of doujin were established when a comic society was formed under Shotaro Ishinomori. This society started to publish magazines with contributions coming from the friends within the circle. The activities increased with more exposure and as the Japanese population got interested in the anime.
As the doujin culture increased, the doujin began to shape the face of educational institutions with their increased popularity. Institutions of higher learning began to give financial support to the doujin. Anime began to be part of the Japanese culture and for Japanese culture to be celebrated through it.
During the 1970s the doujins were still closed to many people and talent was limited to those friends who could manage to get together. The Comic Market is credited with getting doujin culture to be acknowledged. This happened in 1975 and opened the way for individual circles to joint together and share ideas as well as marketing opportunities. The creators were also able to share printing costs and methods, like the offset style, which was heavily used during the 1970s and 80s. Through this, anime was able to get even more exposure.
In the mid 80s, due to the increasing availability of PCs, there was a growth and surge in the doujin software. Most of the popular creations at this time were erotic. During the 90s, the creation began to gravitate towards games. As the anime has increasingly become part of the Japanese mass culture, there have been problems with copyrights.
Most of those who continue to create anime do so because of the high demand. As a result some have used established characters as a platform for their creation. However, original creators have not always had the opportunity to control or restrict the use of their work. As a result, the copyright laws have been undergoing changes to ensure there is a set rule for the way the industry is run.
Doujin has greatly impacted the art culture in Japan. Anime has been a venue through which creators have come up with artistic expressions of characters and Japanese traditions have been incorporated into the art of anime. The manga industry has also been increasing with the growth of anime, including importing their products to western countries. This has led to growth of the animation industry as well, including the venues through which the anime is released. These include televisions, magazines and the internet.
The doujin has also contributed to interest in the Japanese culture. As the anime has crossed over, there has been a marked interest in Japanese language, for example, with those who consume the products eager to learn about the country that is the origin of the anime.
In terms of style, anime has continued to contribute to the field of animation. Although the styles used in anime vary with different creators, Japanese anime has had a lot to offer. Some of the styles that have been unique have been incorporated in other animations including the intense and over exaggerated style that has been seen in some genres of the Japanese anime.
These have served to widen the horizons of animation. The robot anime has also been used extensively and has been one of the most popular genres in the 21st century. With the use of the internet and software, much has been shared across from Japan to other markets.
Young people in the Japanese society and elsewhere continue to be the greatest consumers of anime. However, even adults have been consumers depending on the genres offered. With the prevalence of different genres, the Japanese society has been more open as different genres catered to different needs in the society. Erotic anime for example gained popularity and was widely consumed in the 1980s. Other genres have come up to represent the diverse needs in the society.
Conclusion
The doujin culture has impacted the Japanese culture and has drawn interest to Japan and its cultures and traditions. The Japanese anime has influenced the doujin and will continue to do so as the market for anime within Japan and outside Japan increases. The Japanese society continues to celebrate the anime and doujin culture. If the global consumption of anime continues as it currently stands, the Japanese anime and doujin culture will continue to grow.