Let me state for the record that I am not an anime fan.  Actually, I don’t really care about the art form one way, or the other.  I’m much more intrigued that globalization is causing the Japanese anime industry to perceive itself as being “in danger.” Asahi reports that:

“Yet, for all its success, the world of Japanese animation is in danger. One reason is that it is a labor-intensive process. Because of this, there is a growing trend to outsource production to Asian countries.

Concerned that Japan’s animation industry is hollowing out, possibly leading to a dry spell of human resources, the central government is working on a project to educate and train a new generation of animators.”

The article goes on to explain that:

‘… much animation production work being outsourced to South Korea and China. Some say that, today, as much as 90 percent of “Japanese anime” is actually produced overseas.’

While one never wants to underestimate the creativity of the new media Chinese artists (check out the portfolio of Symbio Digital Entertainment), it’s hard not to chuckle a bit about Japanese anime actually being “made in China.”

Technorati Tags:  China, China Outsourcing, Anime, Globalization, Japan