<p>Here's the essay that I plan on submitting to the common app. It's long though, about 680 words, but I'm worried about shortening it. I need some critique from somebody besides my mom, and I've still got a week or two before I need to have it done. I do have a portfolio that I need to work on, though, so I'd like to finish this ASAP. </p>
<p>Should I shorten it? What could I leave out? What's good, what's bad, etc...</p>
<p>When I was younger, I would stay up for hours watching cartoons like Pokemon or Sailor Moon. I was a complete addict, and I am proud to proclaim that I still am, thanks to my love of Japanese anime. When I often try to show anime to non-fans, they immediately mention how put-off they are by all the yelling and crying, annoying subtitles, and those huge eyes. It saddens me how quickly they dismiss it, but they arent used to watching cartoons that have actual meat to them; passion and story, exploration of a different culture, and execution of the amazing potential of animation. Whatever others say, anime is more than just weird cartoons to me. </p>
<p>Anime ended up being the catalyst that spurred me into becoming an artist. The first things that appealed to me about it were how exciting the visuals were, and how easily I could relate. I loved the characters, and the expressiveness in how they were drawn really spoke to me. I loved them so much that I started copying screenshots and drawings on tracing paper as a hobby. I wasnt very good at it. I wasnt really a talented artist to begin with; I steadily improved throughout the years simply because I wanted to impress myself. I used all sorts of picture references, How to Draw guides, and inspirations to stimulate myself. I had to work hard and long to develop an understanding of human anatomy, light and color, elements of design, and technical skill before I even considered calling myself an artist. However, I never gave up thanks to the encouragement that watching anime gave me; I knew that if I worked hard enough, I would be able to make something as beautiful as the shows that I loved to watch. </p>
<p>But much as I loved anime, it isnt American its Japanese, and has cultural elements specific to Japan. It frustrated me that I couldnt understand those elements through reading subtitles, so I taught myself the language (and later took classes to gain a level of fluency). I listened to Japanese so often that my ears became accustomed to it, I looked up meanings of words, memorized two alphabets, studied grammar, and did research on the culture. It brought me out of my little American bubble; In Japan, they probably talk more about how culture and tradition are dying than they do about discrimination and minorities. Good anime tend to reflect these issues, and I appreciate how they can make me think so broadly about the world. And they do it with style.</p>
<p>Unlike most American cartoons, anime takes an extremely cinematic approach in its presentation that I always found engaging, not to mention beautiful, and that shows the potential animation has to be far more dramatic than we give it credit for. The Japanese never used animation as just for kids or as something that always had to be funny. I've always loved about about it; its a form of storytelling that emphasizes the visual and emotional elements of the story, and it can tell all manner of stories to all manner of people. Anime always tries its best to suck you in, to make you feel something, and to react to it. When two characters are in love, you can see their eyes sparkle with emotion as they gently allow their hands to intertwine, while theyre surrounded by a halo of light cast by the sun in the distance. Imagine, those are all just drawings.</p>
<p>Im proud to call myself a cartoon addict because I know that not even the sky can limit its potential. Anime and cartoons have moved me, and have the power to move countless more if we just give ourselves higher expectations and look around us for inspiration. I found that by allowing myself to be inspired and making efforts to understand things that are different, I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I am ready and excited to learn more, and I want to apply what I learn to show others that they can, too. </p>
<p>EXTRA STUFF ABOUT ME:</p>
<p>I'm applying to 8 different colleges, not art schools (although Emerson College is very trade-oriented), specifically for their animation programs, and I intend to major in animation. Not all of the schools offer it, but I also would like to Minor in Japanese and possibly take a semester off to study abroad in Japan. </p>
<p>My transcript shows that I got mostly B's and C's freshman year, but Sophomore year and onward I have nearly all A's (I got a B+ in US History). My senior year schedule is 4 AP classes (Calculus, Government/Economics, Studio Art, and English Literature) and 1 extra gut class ('Film Appreciation'...but it's still relevant to my interests!). I'm pretty sure I have 3 A's and 2 B's after my finals a few weeks ago...my GPA before the AP's was about 3.6. It also shows that I took 2 college-level Japanese classes and got A's in both.</p>