[#Movie] What is the visual expression of a new era? — Through the reality of anime, subculture, and experiential entertainment [#Essay]

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What is the visual expression of a new era?

— Through the reality of anime, subculture, and experiential entertainment

Introduction: What is the "new era" of visual expression? — Vague hype and its reality

In recent years, we have increasingly seen the phrase "visual expression of a new era" on movie theater posters and in trailers. Technologies like 3D movies, 4D theaters, 360-degree video, and even VR and AR are evolving daily, and each time, promotional hype dances around, claiming, "This is the new era." However, when actually experiencing them, many people likely leave the theater scratching their heads, wondering, "What was actually new about that?"

As in this quote by Proust, the "visual expression of a new era" cannot be measured by technological innovation alone. Rather, newness resides in the moments when our "eyes" change. If that is the case, how far can the form of expression known as film essentially change? The purpose of this article is to delve into that question.

Chapter 1: The phenomenon of anime — The path of "subculture" that has become mainstream culture

1.1 The transition of the social status of anime

First, before talking about film, I would like to look at the composition of visual expression and social demand through anime. It becomes quite interesting when looking back at how the medium of anime has transitioned in Japanese society, incorporating historical facts.

• 1963: Osamu Tezuka's "Astro Boy," the first full-scale Japanese TV anime broadcast begins.

• 1970s: Robot anime boom ("Mazinger Z," "Mobile Suit Gundam").

• 1980s: Expansion of the OVA (Original Video Animation) market, establishment of the image that anime equals otaku culture.

• 1990s: "Evangelion" becomes a social phenomenon.

• 2000s: "Spirited Away" becomes a global hit, generalization of anime films.

• 2010s: "Your Name.," "Demon Slayer," etc., break box office records.

Through these trends, in the 2020s, the discourse that "anime equals subculture" has shifted to "anime equals mainstream culture," which is now spoken of as if it were common sense.

However, can we really say that it has become completely 'mainstream'?

1.2 The gap between numbers and reality — Anime in youth culture

The author personally interacts with over 1,000 young people a year for work. My impression is that anime fans certainly exist. However, they can by no means be called the 'majority of society.' Even with national hits like #DemonSlayer or #DetectiveConan, there is always a certain number of young people who say they have 'no interest at all,' and honestly, in my experience, that accounts for more than half.

This phenomenon is consistent with what is known in psychology as the 'availability heuristic' (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974). In other words, if there are many anime fans around you, it is easy to fall under the illusion that 'the whole world is like this.'

As this quote suggests, the reason anime appears to be 'mainstream culture' may simply be a matter of perception. Especially in the SNS era, because anime fans have strong influence in their posts, it is highly likely that they stand out more than their actual ratio suggests.

1.3 Citizenship and lookism — The new wall faced by anime fans

It is true that even if you declare yourself an anime fan, you are no longer persecuted as much as you used to be. However, on the other hand, the wall of lookism within youth culture is still there. The wall that says, 'If you are an anime fan but look good, you are accepted, but if not, you are not,' exists exactly as most otaku have likely experienced.

This is also one aspect of the 'emphasis on surface culture' and 'disregard for inner culture' in modern society. It is related to the theory of 'Impression Management' pointed out by psychologist Erving Goffman. Goffman stated that people perform themselves in social situations and play 'roles' that meet the expectations of others (Goffman, 1959).

The attribute of being an anime fan is also evaluated in a set with appearance and other social conditions. That is also the limit of 'anime as a main culture.'

The mask of being an anime fan may also serve the role of hiding one's true self at times.

Chapter 2: The real image of experiential entertainment — The boundary between movies and attractions

2.1 3D, 4D, VR — The history and evolution of experiential entertainment

The history of experiential entertainment in movie theaters is surprisingly old. As early as the 1920s, technologies such as 'Cinemascope' and 'Sensurround' appeared, and attempts were made to give audiences a sense of immersion.

• 1929: Appearance of the Cinemascope format

• 1952: 'This is Cinerama' released, panorama movie boom

• 1980s: IMAX becomes widespread

• 2000s: 3D movies become full-scale ('Avatar' 2009)

• 2010s: 4D movies and VR theaters introduced

In particular, the 2009 film "Avatar" contributed significantly to the spread of 3D movies, but in the end, although 3D movies became established as one of the "reasons to go to the movie theater," they did not become completely mainstream.

As Adams said, new technology is always a series of trial and error, and whether it takes root as a "culture" is a separate issue.

2.2 Attraction-style entertainment and movies — The blurring of the line

What has been attracting attention in the last few years is "attraction-style movies" as an existence between movie theaters and theme parks.

Formats like 4DX and MX4D have seats that move and generate water splashes, wind, and even scents. The experience is certainly "new," but there remains a question as to whether it aligns with the original way of enjoying movies.

According to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's "flow theory," people feel the most happiness when they are in a state of immersion (flow). However, that flow experience is maximized when one feels that "the act itself is meaningful" (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

In the case of movies, "story" and "visual beauty" should originally be at the center of that flow. It is highly likely that moving seats and smells are far from the original purpose.

Borrowing these words from McLuhan, in movies where seats move, the "moving of the seats" itself becomes the message, and there is a danger that the story and visuals will become secondary.

2.3 The pleasure of voyeurism — Movies and the psychology of Peeping Tom

At the root of the medium of film is the desire for "voyeurism."
This is a phenomenon in psychology called the "Peeping Tom Effect," a psychological effect where one gains pleasure from watching the daily lives and secrets of others from a "safe distance" (Zillmann, 1988).

• Without being seen by others

• Without being involved myself

• Just peeping

The space of a movie theater is a device for exactly that, and the other side of the screen is designed as a "world disconnected from this side."

This definition by Lacan hits the essence of the medium of film.
That is why 360-degree video and VR theaters should be distinguished as experiences different from "movies." This is because an unnecessary element of "I might be seen" enters into them.

Chapter 3: The mainstreaming of subculture and its limits — The current state of anime and movies

3.1 What is subculture? — Historical definition and today's situation

The term "subculture" began to spread in the context of British cultural studies in the 1960s. It was defined by researchers known as the Birmingham School while analyzing working-class and youth cultures.

• Dick Hebdige, "Subculture: The Meaning of Style" (1979)

• Stuart Hall, "Encoding/Decoding" (1973)

Hebdige viewed subculture as a "symbolic resistance to dominant culture." In other words, it refers to groups that possess values and aesthetics different from mainstream society. However, the situation is vastly different now compared to the 1970s.

Nowadays, anime, games, and even hip-hop and street fashion are being treated as "mainstream." However, it might be more accurate to describe this not as "subculture becoming mainstream culture," but rather as "mainstream culture absorbing subculture."

As per this quote by Baudrillard, things that were once subcultural often lose their edge and rebellious nature by being absorbed into mainstream culture.

3.2 The "Citizenship" of Anime and Its Shadow

The background to the claim that anime has gained "citizenship" is largely economic. As of 2020, the Japanese anime industry is worth approximately 2.5 trillion yen (according to The Association of Japanese Animations). This figure surpasses the entire Japanese film industry.
However, I would like you to pause for a moment. This does not necessarily mean that the entire population is watching anime.

As the anime industry expands its scale through merchandise and media mixes, and as the demographic of people who enjoy anime even after becoming adults has widened, the numbers can hold up even if, in the end, the majority is supported by the consumption of a select few.
Ultimately, even if a demographic that "watches it because it's a hot topic" has emerged, it does not mean that the general public is watching anime on a daily basis.

I do not believe the claim that anime has become mainstream culture and everyone is watching it is necessarily accurate.

And above all, as the numbers grow, the content of the works converges toward "things that appeal to a wider audience." Is this the conclusion that former anime fans were aiming for? As a result, the subcultural anime of the past—such as the works of director Mamoru Oshii or "Serial Experiments Lain," which featured complex content—are retreating from the center stage.

A phenomenon similar to the "Scarcity Effect" in psychology is occurring here as well. It is a structure where things that had value precisely because they were rare lose their value by being exposed to mass consumption.

In exchange for anime fans gaining "citizenship," they have lost their former heresy and aloofness. That could be called the shadow of today's anime culture.

3.3 The Relationship Between Film and Subculture

Film also has an aspect of having once been a subculture. Especially during the American New Cinema period of the 1960s and 1970s, many films were born as a counterculture to Hollywood's blockbusterism.

• "Easy Rider" (1969)

• "Taxi Driver" (1976)

However, these too were eventually systematized as "part of film history" and lost their power as subculture.

Movies and anime were also revolutions at first. However, they become institutionalized over time and function as cultural apparatuses. At that point, their "revolutionary nature" disappears.

Chapter 4: What is the visual experience of the new era? — Frames and the God's-eye view

4.1 The essence of film is "peeping"

In recent years, the evolution of visual experience has been discussed primarily using the keyword "immersion."
VR, 360-degree video, and interactive films—these are technologies premised on the audience "entering" the story themselves. But can we truly call that the essential experience of film?

The most primitive desire of the medium of film is "peeping."
Psychologically, this is a phenomenon defined as the "Peeping Tom effect" (Zillmann, 1988), where people derive pleasure from peeping into the daily lives and secrets of others from a "safe distance."

This quote by Lacan succinctly expresses the essence of film.
It could be said that the audience sitting in the darkness of a movie theater possesses a "God's-eye view."
The other side of the screen is a one-way street, and it will never notice the presence of the audience.

4.2 The boundary line called the frame

Crucial to discussing the visual experience of the new era is the concept of the "frame."
Film has a structure where the world is confined within a frame—the screen—and the audience views it through that frame.

In psychologist Erving Goffman's "frame analysis," human behavior and cognition are said to be constantly controlled by "frames" (Goffman, 1974).
Film also creates the recognition that "this is a movie" precisely because there is a frame.

As Chesterton's words suggest, the frame is not merely a limitation but also a "condition for beauty."

4.3 The limits of immersive entertainment — Should film remain film?

Even as immersive entertainment—VR and 360-degree video—evolves, it will not completely replace "film." This is because while they are established by "erasing the frame," doing so simultaneously causes the loss of cinematic pleasure—the pleasure of peeping.

Even in the "Observer Effect" in psychology, people change their behavior when they are observed.
Film is successful precisely because the audience can maintain a "God's-eye view," but that structure is broken in VR.

VR and immersive video cannot hide their "source"—the audience themselves.
That is why it is thought that the current format of film is the optimal solution.

Concluding Chapter: Peeping and Immersion — The essence of the new era's visual experience

5.1 The illusion of the term "new era"

As mentioned at the beginning, the phrase "visual expression of the new era" is often just a commercial catchphrase in reality. Of course, technology continues to evolve. 4D, VR, 360-degree video, experiential theaters. However, they do not fundamentally change the experience of "film" itself.

This quote by Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr applies perfectly to visual expression as well. Since its inception, film has remained a medium for 'peering in,' and it will likely continue to be so.

5.2 The Philosophical Significance of Peering In

As I mentioned in the article on 'Ad Astra,' humans are creatures who confirm their own existence and find a sense of security by 'peering into' others. This holds deep significance not only in psychology but also in philosophy.

In Martin Buber's 'I and Thou' (1923), it is argued that there are two ways of human relating: 'I-Thou' and 'I-It.' By its very nature, the medium of film is grounded in the 'I-It' relationship.

The audience views the world within the screen as an 'It,' confirming that they are in a safe position. That is why, no matter how popular immersive entertainment becomes, it will ultimately return to the 'peering in' format—that is, film.

5.3 Conclusion—The Completed Form of Film

What I have repeatedly stated throughout this article boils down to one simple conclusion.

Film is already a completed form.

New technologies are there to assist it, not to replace it. Even as anime is being absorbed from subculture into mainstream culture, its essential appeal remains unchanged.

In other words—

• The desire to peer in

• The world within the frame

• A safe distance from others

As long as these three conditions are met, the expression of film will continue to remain indispensable to human society.

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