DATE: Friday, May 23, 1997                  TAG: 9705230059

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: F. DANIEL VALENTINI, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:  106 lines

FORGET THE FLINSTONES! JAPANESE ANIMATION HAS VERE, VISION AND VARIETY

YOU'RE AN average guy having an otherwise wonderful day when an icy splash of water hits you. Suddenly, your clothes don't fit quite right. You've just turned into a girl.

Sound strange? It might, but to millions of otaku worldwide, it's just another episode of Rumiko Takahashi's ``Ranma 1/2.''

``Ranma'' is an animated series from Japan about a martial artist who turns into a girl whenever he's doused with cold water. Hot water reverses the effect.

It's called anime (pronounced like ``Annie May''), the Japanese word for ``animation,'' and it's moved from cult status to mainstream in the United States, thanks to last year's release of ``Ghost in the Shell,'' increased marketing and the growing numbers of teen and adult fans.

``There's such great variety and high quality,'' said Harold Campbell, 40, of Ohio. ``This stuff doesn't insult your intelligence once you grow up. Instead it adapts.''

Campbell was one of the hundreds of anime fans who converged on Hampton Roads recently to attend KatsuCon, a three-day anime convention and exhibition.

The gathering included an art show and auction, products from more than a dozen anime retailers and distributors, discussion panels, a home-made music video contest and a costume show. It drew fans from as nearby as Chesapeake to as far away as Alabama.

``More and more people are discovering that it's unique, captivating, and appreciating it,'' said Jamie Godley, a Kempsville High sophomore, who came dressed as Sailor Moon, a popular anime heroine. Jamie felt the need to defend her costume. ``I am not obsessed . . . Well, not as much as I used to be.''

Anime's origins can be traced back to 1933, when the first sound cartoon was made by Kenzo Masaoka. During World War II, animation was used to promote the war effort. In fact, the first animated features were made at the request of the Japanese Navy, according to ``The Complete Kodak Animation Book.''

``They did start making animated films after Hiroshima,'' said Danielle Opyt of Manga Entertainment, which works with PolyGram Video to distribute anime to music and video retailers nationwide. ``A lot of the stories have government and political themes where they try to deal with the good and the bad.''

Since then, anime has evolved and expanded. The genre, along with manga or comic books, commands a sizeable portion of the Japanese mass media. It boasts one of the most diverse audiences in the world, many of whom call themselves otaku, a Japanese word loosely translating to ``die-hard fan.''

``It offers great entertainment for everyone,'' said Renee Starling, a junior at Kempsville High. ``There is always something.''

Unlike the American animation industry, most of which is geared toward toddlers and teens, anime provides stories and series for children, teen-agers and adults.

``Whatever age group or preferences you've got, there's anime for it,'' said Daniel Teraski, 23, a Marine from Camp Lejeune, N.C. ``I'm a Sailor Moon fan myself,'' he added showing off his Sailor Uranus costume. Uranus is a female character from the ``Sailor Moon'' series.

Through the work of distributors and translators, dozens of anime productions make their way to American shores each year. Some folks may be familiar with such anime classics as ``Speed Racer,'' ``Voltron,'' and ``Robotech.'' If you stop there, though, you'll have experienced only a fraction of what anime has to offer. Newer series include: ``Sailor Moon,'' a junior high school girl who is endowed with the power to save the world, and ``Tenchi Muyo!'' an ordinary guy who must try to lead a normal life while two women from outer space fight over him.

Those who prefer traditional American animation, such as Disney and Hanna-Barbera, may find themselves wondering what is the appeal. Common complaints about anime include:

Eyes are drawn too big: True, the characters' eyes in anime are typically large. These eyes, however, were derived from American animation styles, Disney in particular, according to ``The Complete Kodak Animation Book.''

Too much sex: Anime caters to a wide audience. Just as the humor found in ``Seinfeld'' will be different than that of ``Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,'' so will the humor differ between anime for kids and those for teens and adults. Suggestive sexual banter is not uncommon, but it's not the norm either.

Animation isn't very smooth: When compared to American animation, some anime still seems to be rather jerky and rough. But it's changing. ``The Japanese have more technically advanced computer animation and their drawing style is much different. . . features are much stronger,'' said Opyt.

Too many giant robots: Giant robots were big at one time, particularly in the late '70s to mid-'80s. Among the most popular anime today, though, are action-adventure (``Dirty Pair,'' ``Dragon Ball Z,'' ``Slayers''), romantic comedies, (``Ranma 1/2,'' ``Oh My Goddess!,'' ``Tenchi Muyo!''), fantasies in far-off places (``El-Hazard,'' ``Battle Angel Alita,'' ``Final Fantasy''), and science fiction, (``Bubblegum Crisis,'' ``Neon Genesis Evangelion,'' ``Armitage III'').

For the newcomer, it's easy to lump all anime into one category, but Carl Horn, associate editor of Animerica, said that is a mistake.

``Even though anime is a much smaller industry than Hollywood, it displays the same diversity of characters as Hollywood,'' said Horn. ``There are Oscar winners and there is schlock.''

A wide selection of anime videos is available at such retailers as Suncoast Video, Blockbuster and Moovies locations. The Sci-Fi Channel now also broadcasts a different anime movie on Saturday mornings.

``There are more and more people getting hooked on this by the day,'' said Brendon Nelson, an 18-year-old student from Alabama. ``The stories are really elaborate, they enthrall you, and the great artwork's the icing on the cake.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Illustrations]

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