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A Brief History of Anime - The Golden Age II
Mononoke Hime (US: Princess Mononoke)
Founded by Toshio Okada, Gainax brought together a group of creators who were part of the first generation raised on Japanese animation. Driven by their shared enthusiasm for the medium, Gainax produced some of the most significant and popular works of the '80's and 90's. The company's first video Otaku no Video held a mirror up to the bizarre world of anime fandom. This lighthearted, semi-autobiographical romp didn't even hint at the greatness that would suddenly appear in the company's next release, the science fiction masterpiece Oneamitsu No Tsubasa Oritsu Uchu Gun(US: The Wings of Honneamise). The video series Top O Nerae! Gunbuster (US: Gunbuster) and TV show No Umi No Nadia (US: Nadia the Secret of Blue Water) verified the company's skill at presenting exciting adventures, both futuristic and historical. Finally, Gainax established itself as the current leader of episodic science-fiction by producing the beautifully-rendered TV show Shin Seiki Evangelion (US: Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Studio Ghibli grew out of the association of two long-time anime creators, Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. Both worked on various Toei TV and film projects during the 1960's. In 1971, the two men served as directors on the original Lupin Sansei TV show and later collaborated on the children's adventure series Mirai no Shonen Conan (Eng. Trans.: Future Boy Conan). Miyazaki's first significant directing job came with the 1978 theatrical release Cagliostro No Shiro (US: Castle of Cagliostro). Once again delightfully portraying the antics of the Lupin character, this successful feature was followed by a strip of landmark films: Kaze no Tani No Nausicaa (Eng. Trans.: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind), Tenku No Shiro Rapyuta (Eng. Trans.: Laputa: Castle in the Sky), Tonari No Totoro (US: My Neighbor Totoro), Majo No Takkyubin (US: Kiki's Delivery Service), Kurenai No Tuta/Porco Rosso (Eng. Trans.: Crimson Pig), Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko (Eng. Trans.: Present-Day Great Raccoon War Ponpoko), and Mononoke Hime (US: Princess Mononoke). Although Takahata filled various behind-the-scenes roles in Miyazaki's projects, from producer to musical director, he also displayed a considerable gift for direction and screenwriting in his own right. As already mentioned, he was the creative genius behind the gripping Hotaru no Haka. His moving animated film Omoide Poro Poro (Eng. Trans.: Only Yesterday) was the simple story of a woman coming to grips with the memories of her youth. This ability to tell the small, human story against the backdrop of greater events was a hallmark of Takahata and Miyazaki's considerable talents. Coupled with flawless hand-drawn animation, it was a formula that placed Studio Ghibli firmly at the top of the Japanese film industry.
In Japan, Gundam celebrates its 20th anniversary with a whole new TV show, while Akira Toriyama's wacky Dr. Slump returns to the small screen with a new series of his own. Osamu Tezuka's influence is still being felt as two recent films based on his earlier manga works, Black Jack and Jungle Taitei demonstrate. Meanwhile, older audiences have been treated to the imaginative X:The Motion Picture and Katsuhiro Otomo's anthology film Memories.
International audiences are also enjoying a growing influx of popular anime. Pokemon, Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball have delighted children wherever they've been shown. Most significant is the deal that Disney Studios and Studio Ghibli inked to bring all of Miyazaki's filmed masterpieces to American audiences. Entertainment Weekly picked the first release under this agreement, Kiki's Delivery Service, as its 1998 Video of the Year. Mononoke Hime also appeared in theaters across the country.
source http://gwu.edu/~koulikom/history.html
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