[on anime art]

I replied just now to Kubi's comment on [teh fool], a previous article about well, fools. As well as observation about how anime seems to have been going to shit lately.

My reply to her comment reminded me of an issue I've been wanting to talk about for a long time now. It's an issue I've been debating with myself and many of my fellow artists (especially with Da Toilets) ever since.. ever since. It's this issue I've always had about the standard anime-style or the general anime format and all its implications to an artist, especially originality. And identity.

Take note that the standard anime-style art or general anime format I'm talking about here is defined as the style that uses oversimplified facial features and expressions such as "big buggy eyes", colorful hair, a pointy nose, a line for a mouth, as well as the use of a popping vein on either side of the temple (to signify anger) or a large sweatdrop (for embarassment) to signify human emotional reactions. Also, the style uses a form of shading that shows distinct separations between color highlights, shadows and flats much similar to vector art. There.

I should also note that I think this particular issue started with my older brother Xian, or "Kuya" among us siblings - who is ultimately my "sensei" in almost everything (especially drawing and art in general), warning me about the 'dangerous effects' of adapting an anime-style of drawing to my artstyle's originality during the early days of my development as an artist. And also like the typical student, I never really understood what he meant and went on to adapt this unique but unpopular form of art.

I think I was just 10 or 11 when he told me that. I think this age range also marked the beginnings of my addiction to anime (the good ol' days of Macross/Robotech, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Dragonball and Ranma 1/2).

To explain the issue further (and please be patient, because reason is something that comes long and hard for me), Because of the recent upgrade of anime and manga from a sort of obscure underground form of animation and comicbook art (repectively) to UBER mainstream-ness through GMA 7's "anime r us" campaign which I think is also the cause of the recent MMORPG boom in the country (those half-assed abominations that call themselves RPGs. Oh how I hate you Ragnarok - but not now... perhaps I shall flame you another time), almost EVERY youngblood artist today has become an anime artist.

It's very easy to notice. Everywhere you look you see anime posters and art (Ragnarok to be specific). Everything is anime these days. And so to make things short and direct, as well as to avoid me having an endless rant about how far and low anime has fallen, my point here is that mainstream's corruption of anime is slowly creeping its way into the youngblood pop-artist.

I've already outgrown the argument that only Japanese animators and mangakas can draw in the style of "anime". (Besides, anime has already developed a culture that is no longer exclusively Japanese - Korea also has its own anime). It's not the issue of Japanese culture or anything like that that concerns me and in fact, I actually like this sudden boom of Asian culture across the world. It's the issue of originality and identity I'm really after. Creativity and innovation is slowly being lost.

Simply put, all these pinoy youngblood artists are starting to lose themselves in the crowd of anime artists. And two or three years ago I know I almost lost myself in that same crowd. I realized that the soul of my art was slowly being choked and smothered by anime. For the past three or four years I've been trying to create my own style. I've been trying to break free of the crowd. I realized that anime-art was like this box that I couldn't think out of. My artstyle was confined and was prevented from growing by a limited set of rules I eventually found that I could break. I was free and I was ready to begin. Again.

I started by making my art look different from the rest. I started with that and learned to mix other methods, mediums, and styles of art and then I proceeded to master the pencil (haha. thank you deviantART for showing me the way. and for teaching me my weaknesses and helping me discover my strengths). So I wanted to eventually created a style that people will be able to identify as mine. Right now I'm still trying to create a style that people can really say is "uniquely" mine. But I won't stop there.

If possible, I'd create something entirely different or something that has never been done before. I want current artists to achieve greater things and not be content and SETTLE for an artstyle that looks so "typical anime" or worse, "bastardized anime" (because you have to admit, only Japanese can do that unique anime look.)

It should be every artist's quest to create ART that is uniquely his own. I'm not trying to say that anime artists should stop drawing like that and go back to traditional, or draw something more realistic or move entirely to a different genre of art or something like that. I just want these artists to take the anime style that they grew up on and take it to the next level. Make it more unique, more different, an artstyle that is a true reflection of themselves, more them. I want them to step out of the crowd and stand out.

I'm not saying I'm already there and that my art is already definitely original but I'm working on it. The path of the artist is a long, hard and endless road.

I'll get there someday. I will not settle.