I watched the Korean animation, Sky Blue, at the Odeon Shaftesbury Avenue yesterday; part of my desire to watch all films on general release that have some fantastical or science-fictional element. As the film had acquired US backing and translation, this eased its distribution in the Europe and the United States. It has received indifferent reviews and the simplistic storyline does not stand comparison with the peak of Japanese anime.
The dependence upon duality, class warfare and romance for narrative progression is not saved by the effective backgrounds, which portray an apocalyptic post-industrial landscape, caused by pollution and climate change rather than nuclear warfare or natural catastrophe. Environmental scenarios are not discounted in far Eastern science fiction films and they form an important part of the backdrop, unlike the thematic productions churned out by Hollywood.
Another jarring consequence of watching these post-modern clashes is the references from Western civilisation that are incorporated, often in ways that invert or deviate our cultural expectations. Who would expect Gibraltar to be used as a term for the Blessed Isles, a mythical paradise? Our commonplace Rock is invested with exoticism for the Korean market.
Does this popular culture within the Far East demonstrate their receptiveness to technological change and development, as opposed to the conservative responses in the West? Science fiction scenarios that have remained in literary or speculative forms in the West have permeated Japanese manga and anime, disseminating transhumanist concepts to a wider audience. They form a distinct strand in popular culture, colonising established print media. I suspect that they are more widespread in the Anglosphere than an initial survey indicates, given the increasingly popularity of Japanese cartoons. However, the 'culture of transhumanism' is taking place below the radar, in activities such as gaming which do not attract the attention of cultural critics.
Will this cross-cultural fertilisation result in a move for science fiction in Hollywood away from the catastrophe or licensing models epitomised this summer by 'The War of the Worlds' and 'The Fantastic Four'? In a horror genre that is more diverse and creative, Japanese culture has proved popular and influential in the United States, but not groundbreaking. The Far East may have greater success in visual science fiction and fantasy.