简体中文
As the largest producer and exporter of animation in the world, Japan is renowned as the "Kingdom of Animation". Together with electronics and cars, the animation industry has been regarded as one of the three pillars in Japan. Nobody can deny the considerable contributions of Japanese animation to the world. And many Japanese cartoon characters are beloved by Chinese Post 80s' and 90's, who grew up with them.
Now, let's take stock of ten of the most influential Japanese animations among Chinese fans. Please note that the chart is based on online public aggregators like the scores on Douban Movie, the Chinese version of the Internet Movie Database.
10. Sailor Moon: 8.4
Broadcasting from 1992 to 1997, Sailor Moon follows the adventures of Usagi Tsukino, a middle school student who is given the power to become the guardian of the moon. Together with other sailor soldiers, Usagi protects the planet against an assortment of evil villains.
The anime parallels the maturation of Usagi from an emotional girl into a responsible young adult. Usagi's catchphrase is, "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" and is widely known among Chinese people.
A still of the cast ofDigimon Adventure.Photo: Weibo.com
9. Digimon Adventure: 8.7
Digimon Adventure is a Japanese anime series created by Akiyoshi Hongo and produced by Toei Animation. Airing in Japan between March 7, 1999 and March 26, 2000, it mainly tells the story of eight children coming to the online world accidently and starting an interesting adventure with their own digimons.
It is notable that the closer the relationship between the human and the digimon, the stronger the digimon will be. Therefore, the importance of friendship is the main theme throughout the story. In honor of the 15th anniversary of the anime, the sequel consisting of six chapters titled Digimon Adventure Tri was released on November 21, 2015.
8. Saint Seiya: 8.8
Saint Seiya, also known as Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese anime series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. The story follows five mystical warriors called the Saints who are empowered by a mystical energy called Cosmo. Brave and smart, the Saints have sworn to defend the reincarnation of the Greek goddess Athena in her battle against other Olympian gods who want to dominate the Earth.
The 114-episode-Saint Seiya had a huge influence on Chinese people born between the 1970s and 1980s. The protagonist has unique skills such as "Pegasus Meteor Fist" and "Diamond Dust" and have been copied by Chinese children at the time.
7. Crayon Shin-chan: 8.9
Written and illustrated by Yoshito Usui, Crayon Shin-chan follows the daily life of a five-year-old Nowara Shinnosuke and his parents, baby sister, dog, neighbors and friends. An anime adaptation of the series began airing on TV Asahi in 1992 and was formally ended on February 5, 2010 due to the death of the author.
As a big-mouth, the protagonist Nowara Shinnosuke always defies logic. Precocious and jealous, he is the so-called mean boy. However, his cheeky character won him many fans across the globe. Even today, his emojis have often appeared in Chinese social media.
The cast ofCrayon Shin-chan.Photo: Weibo.com
6. Detective Conan: 9.0
As the most successful detective manga series in China, Detective Conan, written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama, is an ongoing Japanese detective manga series starting on January 19, 1994. The story follows an amateur detective who was transformed into a child while investigating a mysterious organization, and solves a multitude of cases while impersonating his friend's father and other characters.
Detective Conan has sold over 140 million copies in the world, making it one of the best-selling manga series. The popular manga was also adapted as animated feature films, original video animations, video games, audio disc releases, and live action episodes. Meanwhile, the love story between Kudou Shinichi and Rachel Moore still melts the heart of many viewers.
5. Dragon Ball: 9.3
Dragon Ball is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. Actually, it was initially inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. The series follows the adventures of the protagonist Son Goku, from his childhood through adulthood, as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven orbs known as the Dragon Balls, which summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several friends and battles a wide variety of villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls.
Since its release, Dragon Ball has become one of the most successful manga series of all time. The manga's 42 volumes have sold over 156 million copies in Japan and more than 240 million copies worldwide, making it the third best-selling manga series in history. And it is widely regarded as one of the greatest manga series ever made.
A still ofDoraemon.Photo: Weibo.com
4. Doraemon: 9.4
Doraemon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The series revolves around a robotic cat named Doraemon who travels back in time from the 22nd century to help a pre-teen boy named Nobita Nobi to become a better man.
The Doraemon manga series was first published in December 1969 in six different magazines. On 22 April 2002, on the special issue of "Asian Hero" in Time magazine, Doraemon was selected as one of the 22 Asian Heroes. Being the only anime character selected, Doraemon was described as "The Cuddliest Hero in Asia". Also, the magical pocket of Doraemon has been admired by many kids in their childhood.
3. One Piece: 9.5
One Piece mainly depicts the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a young man whose body gained the properties of rubber after unintentionally eating a devil fruit. With his diverse crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy explores the Grand Line in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as "One Piece" in order to become the next King of the Pirates.
Dreams, friendship, loyalty and family bonds constitute the key themes for the ongoing anime. Its huge fanbase attracted many renowned enterprises in China including China Merchants Bank and MacDonald to launch related products to boost sales.
2. Slam Dunk: 9.5
Slam Dunk is a sports-themed manga series set in a basketball team from Shohoku High School. Centering on the growing story of Hanamichi Sakuragi, the far-reaching manga has many characters including handsome Kaede Rukawa, brave Takenori Akagi, considerate Mitsui Hisashi and lovely Haruko Akagi.
In a survey from Oricon in 2009, it was ranked first as the manga that fans wanted to be turned into a live-action film. Also, the huge success of Slam Dunk is cited as an influence in the increased popularity of basketball among the Chinese youth during the 1990s. And the character Kaede Rukawa is well-received and manages to win the heart of thousands of female students in China.
A still ofGin Tama.Photo: Weibo.com
1. Gin Tama: 9.6
Gin Tama is a Japanese anime that aired on the TV Tokyo Corporation since April 4, 2006. Set in an alternate late Edo period, human beings are attacked by aliens called Amanto. Japanese samurais join the battle against the aliens, but when the Shogun realizes the power of aliens, he betrays the samurai and surrenders to the aliens. The Shogun writes an unequal contract with aliens allowing the aliens to enter the country and places a ban on carrying swords in public. The swords of samurai are taken away so they can no longer resist the aliens. After that the Shogunate becomes a puppet government. Against this backdrop, viewers follow Gintoki Sakata, who works as a freelancer alongside his friends Shinpachi Shimura and Kagura in order to pay the monthly rent.
The Gin Tama manga has sold 50 million units in Japan as of May 2016. Also, the animated adaptation of Gin Tama is the highest rated Japanese anime series on Douban Movie for its ironic yet moving plots. Its derivative mobile games have been released only in China due to their enormous popularity.
(CHINA DAILY)
