The rapid growth of Chinese animation, soon to overtake Japan! The background and challenges for Japan
The high level of Chinese animation is a hot topic on the internet. The author also tried watching them and found that the level is indeed high. The author was a little concerned about the faces of the characters, but overall, there is little that feels out of place in the drawings or animation. I would like to see more if there is Japanese dubbing to see what daily life in China is like, as the story takes place in China.
Why is the level of Chinese animation so high?
Then it occurred to me. Why is the level of Chinese animation so high? Upon investigation.
- Chinese companies subcontract to Japanese animation production companies.
- Supported by the Chinese Government.
- Economic growth is also expanding the animation market.
There are three main ones.
Chinese companies subcontract to Japanese animation production companies.
This is considered to be the main reason for the increase in the level of Chinese animation. As one animation director said, there is too much Japanese anime. It has destroyed the balance of the industry to the extent that training cannot keep up. Work that cannot be handled in Japan is ordered to Chinese companies with low unit costs, and know-how is accumulated.
The increase in late-night animation led to a steady increase in the number of works, but why did it increase at such a rapid pace? I was thankfully able to ride that first wave (and become a director of original work), but I think that the industry as a whole has lost its ability to cultivate itself in the face of that ridiculous increase: …… the balance has been upset.
Supported by the Chinese Government.
Unbeknown to the author, the Chinese government is supporting its own companies to boost Chinese domestic animation. In the past, the Chinese Government has also restricted TV broadcasts of foreign productions in order to foster homegrown animation, and has since stipulated that the proportion of homegrown productions should not fall below 70 per cent of animation broadcasts. Restricting foreign productions in order to protect its own animation. China is firm in these areas. This is something that the liberal camp has difficulty in doing.
中国、国産アニメ急成長 国が支援 2.6兆円市場に 「多額投資、成功例は一部」｜【西日本新聞me】
Economic growth is also expanding the animation market.
The third is simple: China has a large population. China’s large population will lead to economic growth and an expanding animation market: 1.4 billion people (China) and 120 million people (Japan) – if the populations are different by an order of magnitude, the animation market is also different by an order of magnitude.
中国コンテンツ市場調査 2022年版（2023年3月） | 調査レポート – 国・地域別に見る – ジェトロ
Chinese animation could catch up with and overtake Japanese anime.
Chinese animation is increasingly likely to catch up with and overtake Japanese anime. The Chinese government’s financial power is added to the technical skills gained through subcontracting of Japanese anime. In addition, the 1.4 billion-strong animation market is expanding and has an abundance of human resources (population). This situation reminded the author of Japanese home appliances.
Japan used to earn foreign currency by exporting home appliances. The cheap labour force in China was attracted to these appliances, and they began to be produced in China, where the know-how has been accumulated and Chinese appliance manufacturers are now emerging. （Japanese animation is now selling well around the world, but we must not be complacent.
How can Japanese anime survive?
So how can Japanese anime survive? I think there are three things that can be done about this.
- Keep evolving and adapting to changing times
- Improved working conditions for animators and other workers
- Capitalise on the unique strengths of Japanese anime
Keep evolving and adapting to changing times
Actively introduce new technologies, such as computer graphics and 3DCG technology, to broaden the range of expression. AI is a hot topic these days, and some people are resistant to the idea of AI, but we must accept it and make use of it in animation production, rather than assuming that it is an enemy that takes away people’s jobs. One animation production company has already successfully introduced generative AI to increase work efficiency.
生成AIアニメで時短 撮影した動画をまるごと変換 社員6人、人手不足解消のカギ- 名古屋テレビ【メ～テレ】
Improved working conditions for animators and other workers
Improve the harsh working conditions in the animation industry and create an environment that will attract more talent to the industry. The author wanted to mention human resource development, including animators, as the second issue, but before that, this problem must be improved. This has been mentioned in previous articles.
In addition, Japanese anime may already be crumbling, as Japan has recently become a subcontractor to China in some cases.
｢日本人なら中国人の3分の1で済む｣アニメ制作で進む”日中逆転”の深刻さ 日本が中国の下請けになっている | PRESIDENT Online（プレジデントオンライン）
Capitalise on the unique strengths of Japanese anime
Pursuing the warmth and delicacy that only hand-drawn animation can offer. The Japanese do not cut corners in the smallest details, even in places that cannot be seen, which is also a Japanese strength. It is good to pursue rationalism, eliminate waste and increase efficiency. However, if this is done too far, it can also destroy the good qualities of the animation produced by the Japanese. The detailed depiction, which at first glance does not appear to be rational, is also a good feature of Japanese anime.
日本のアニメは細部の描写が素晴らしい！＝中国ネット「日本人の真面目さは中国人がよく学ぶべき点」「日本の匠の精神には何も言えない」
Summary
Demand for Japanese anime has ballooned, and the animation industry has been supplying an imbalance in order to meet that demand. This is sometimes manifested in the form of collapsed animation, which is visible to consumers. The author hopes that the working environment for animators and others will improve and that the Japanese animation industry will regain a normal balance. Without a normal balance, it is impossible to compete with Chinese animation.
