"Astro Boy," however, wasn't the only precursor to the stock footage transformation sequence we enjoy for Sailor Moon and her Sailor Scouts. While the "bank system" is probably the most noticeable of these visual strategies, you can find all of them being used in your favorite '90s anime television. This bank system was the beginning of the stock footage sequence, since it normalized the idea of saving time and labor through reused imagery." "According to Frederick Schodt's book "The Astro Boy Essays," these strategies include things like tome (the use of still shots or "stopped" animation), hiki-seru ("pulling cells" or moving still images in front of the camera to create the illusion of a pan), and using a "bank system" of stock footage for simple actions such as walking. Annett continues, animators were forced to come up with strategies to save time and money. Because he established this precedent, animation productions ever after have unfortunately suffered from low budgets.'"Īs a result of these budget restrictions, Dr.
#Transgender transformation sequences tv#
"Hayao Miyazaki once famously lamented that 'In 1963, Tezuka created Japan's first TV anime series, "Tetsuwan Atom," or "Astro Boy," at the very low price of 500,000 yen per episode. Sandra Annett, an associate professor in the film department of Wilfrid Laurier University who teaches courses in Japanese and animated film explains to me, Astro Boy set the example for anime production practices. The scenes feature a simple, fantasy-like background and the characters aren't drawn with any specific attire which makes it it easy to edit it into every episode.Īlthough most western fans probably first experienced stock transformations in the US anime boom of the late '90s, use of this technique dates back to Osamu Tezuka's 1963 show "Tetsuwan Atomu", or "Astro Boy" as it's known here in the US. Initially, the transformation sequence was conceived as a way for production companies to save money on animation. Shockingly, these iconic sequences weren't originally conceived out of a desire to make twentysomethings nostalgic for after school blocks of anime - although that's probably a big plus.
#Transgender transformation sequences series#
If you look for these sequences online, you'll find multiple compilations of all the transformations in a series on YouTube, some videos having millions of views. For nerdy adults, talking about their favorite transformation sequences from childhood is practically daily conversation - I mean not everyone remembers what happens in the second season of "Digimon," but they can likely remember which transformations they loved because you've seen them around 9,000 times. It's comforting to know that no matter what kind of trouble they're in, your favorite heroes just need to hold out a device, say some magic words and they will transform into a solution. Today these routinized scenes are the cause for much nostalgia they're shiny signifiers for what was often the climax of an episode. Kids like me would be transfixed, chanting the activation words and striking the ritualistic poses alongside the fictional protagonists.Īlthough kindergartner me couldn't have known it at the time, by the early '00s these scenes were a well-worn trope - a film technique popularized in Japanese media known as a transformation sequence. "Sailor Moon," "Digimon," "Power Rangers" and "Beetleborgs" all feature a turning point where their heroes hold up a special device, exclaim a familiar phrase and transform into something different, something more powerful. The magical girl anime "Sailor Moon" was one of the many shows I watched and loved as a kid that, in every episode, have a moment just like this - where the heroes would power-up and defeat the bad guy. Seemingly in another dimension, the 14-year-olds made elegant spins and slowly went from regular middle schoolers to badass superheroes. I didn't have a transformation pen of my own, so I'd raise a spoon from my cereal or pencil, which basically did the same thing anyway. Raising a magic pen into the air, and chanting their activation words, the trio transformed into their magical girl forms: Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus, respectively. The three had just discovered that the teacher of their etiquette seminar was actually a monster and they had to do something about it. On my TV was Usagi Tsukino and two of her friends, Rei and Minako. "Mars power, make up!" I recited while raising my hand into the air and striking a pose, shouting with all the strength I could muster as a 5-year-old.
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