Tezuka's influence on Japanese animation

[pelida77]

I've been reading a book about Miyazaki's Spirited Away, and his author, Andrew Osmond; first quotes another critic, Mark Schilling speaking about Astroboy:
"Tezuka said he could do it for five hundred thousand yen ($5000) an episode - an unheard of low sum [...] [he] devised a system of limited animation in which only one part of the image- a character's lips or eyes - moved, saving on cels and costs. [...] His innovations became standard practice in the japanese animation industry."

Then he claims that "Miyazaki would later criticise Tezuka for using the same approach that had made him a comics giant, linking still drawings and moving pictures. 'Japanese animation started when we stopped moving,' Miyazaki protested, claiming that japanese animators were pressured to use 'movement as little as possible... The role of moving pictures was limited to emphasising and decorating the extended, skewed time and space (in Japanese Animation)'."

And Finally, Andy the critic, concludes that the influence of Osamu Tezuka over japanese animation was... a Negative one .

Of course I disagree - But, many people seems not.

i found interesting to explain myself the reasons why i think Tezuka's legacy over Japanese Animation was fundamentally positive...

So, what do you think? Would anime be any better without Tezuka?
Or maybe i should put it this way. Without him...

Would anime even exist?

[AprilSeven]

There's an old expression: "Necessity is the Mother of Invention"

Tezuka devised a way to animate with practically no budget at all. From what I've read, he did this purely out of lack of resources. Notice, when he brought Astro Boy back in the 1980's - the series was given full animation and color.

As an artist, designer and communicator, Tezuka took his precious few frames, and put them to extraordinary good use. It was as if he created a "hybrid" medium - somewhere between manga and full animation. I also read he actually felt bad about creating a low-cost form of animation that became the "standard" - as he didn't want to diminish the salaries of artists, but - in fact - that is what happened.

One of the few things I DIDN'T like about the 1960's Astro Boy series was the herky-jerky animation. As an adult, I can appreciate Tezuka's amazing gift and skill, but as a child I preferred Disney's magnificent animated movies which were at once both realistic and magical. I remember wishing Disney would create an Astro Boy movie (and yes, I still wish for that).

I wonder how Tezuka's career would have progressed if he had been able to create the original Astro Boy anime as he would have preferred . . . I have a feeling it might have lasted longer in the US (although there were issues with "violence" - and you know, butt guns are a no-no over here!!)