I have been watching some anime from different ages recently. It is amazing how the world of anime changes through the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s. What is simple animation then has become complex, filled with CG and 3D rendering. Let us take a look at some anime and compare.

First, the anime from the 80’s. Let’s take Dragonball.

The artwork is simple, everything is 2D flat. The character design is also very simple and with a few lines. Take a look at the irises of the character. There’s only one colour. Basically, the artwork is rather flat, even with the scene surrounding the charaters.

Next we take a look at an anime from the 90’s - Fushigi Yuugi.

This is the anime where you get tonnes of bishonen. But let’s look deeper. The first difference that I noticed is the eyes. The eyes in the 90’s have more depth, more 3D feel. Even the characters in Dragon Ball that were drawn in the era have the same feel. However, the artwork is still rather flat.

Lastly, we look at a recent anime - Skip Beat.

Hmmm… I was impressed! Although the characters are in 2D, you have to look closer at the scenes surrounding them. The wall, the cabinet, the trees… amazing! The anime world has come a long way since…

Kartun has been reliving her childhood and rewatching Dragon Ball. Watching the series now evoked a different feeling than I had then. Then it was more character-based, sometimes I didn’t really understand the content. Now, I marvel at Akira Toriyama’s creactivity - the way he combined humour with action

As I watch, I can’t help comparing Dragon Ball’s protagonist, Son Go ku to the original  Sun Wu Kong from Journey to the West. Just how similar or different are these two characters?

Let’s examine the similarities first:

1. Both have the same name, whether it’s written in Japanese, Chinese or English.
2. Both can fly and fly fast!
3. Both have a tail that resemble that of a monkey’s.
4. Both uses the Power Pole  - which can extend or shorten according to the owner’s wish.
5. Both follow a few masters - Goku (Muten Roshi, Karin sama, Kami sama & Kaio sama) & Wu Kong (San Zang & a certain fellow who taught him magic)
6. Both are powerful, skilled in fighting.