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This paper referenced the ongoing popularity of Japanese animation and provided some insights and benefits for animators, entrepreneurs and government organizations based on historical and cultural perspectives as well as their impact on Thai culture and society. This study examined and identified the factors affecting the popularity of Japanese animation by tracing the historical development from the late 1960s until the present. Through analyzing characteristics of Japanese animation, data was collected from related research, articles, websites and interviews of some Thai fans ranging from young children to adults. The global success of Japanese animation includes diverse art styles, methods of animation and its production and processes such as character design, comic books, story-telling and 2D techniques. More key factors adding to the success of Japanese animation include marketability, moral messages or knowledge latency, cultural proximity, partnership and government support.
Keywords: Anime, Characters, Japanese Animation, Manga.
Introduction
The size of the global animation industry was about USD 222 billion in 2013, where major animation markets were the United States, Canada, Japan, China, France, Britain, Korea and Germany growing around 7% year on year. The animation production market is increasingly being outsourced by North American and European film and television program producers.
Animation history in Asia embarked upon its journey in the 1940s which was remarkably influenced by Western studios, Disney in particular. Exposure to foreign production, training abroad, and foreign assistance were pivotal factors for such countries as China, Japan, Korea, and India. Since the 1960s, production in Asia was attractive for foreign investors due to low cost labor, Western studios started establishing and maintaining production facilities outside their own territories, first in Japan, then in South Korea and Taiwan, later in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Indonesia and China. At present about 90% of all American television animation is produced in Asia but pre-production and post production is produced by the American project head office. As a result, this has led to the emerging and nurturing of a local industry, such as local animation content, infrastructure, tools and equipment, skill transfers and even intellectual property attentions.
Most American animation titles predominantly influenced Asian countries including Mickey Mouse, Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Popeye, Garfield,...