From Atom to Eva: The development of Japanese animation production from 1963 to 1996

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate the development of Japanese animation production from 1963 to 1996 by examining the relationship between changes in animation content and its industry structure. This research uses the six-facet model of the production nexus to analyze data from the production of culture perspective. This study is based on documentary research and conducted a descriptive analysis focused on industry structure change. The study found that Japanese animation producers were able to evolve in response to changes in production contexts. By the late 20^th century, they successfully produced engaging and diverse animations. Unique characteristics are funny stories and interesting motion pictures. Moreover, since the target audience is wide-ranging—from children to adults—the content is deeper and more diverse than animation from other countries. In addition, the Japanese animation industry is also focusing on selling licensed products, which are the main source of income for the animation industry. As a result of analyzing the relationship between changes in the animation content and industry structure, it was found that the structure of the animation industry can be divided into the following two types: 1) the sponsor and 2) the production committee. The sponsorship structure provided funding for the early stage of production, but the animation producers were under the influence of the sponsor. In contrast, the production committee structure is a joint venture group of companies involved in production activities. The latter structure gives animation producers more freedom to create a wider variety of animations. In summary, changes in the relationships among the actors in different production structures also affect changes in the animation content.