Understanding Malaysian Animation Characteristics: A Structuralist-Semiotic Analysis on Malaysian Animation Series

Abstract

Animation, in general, serves the purpose of entertainment and is widely accepted in societies as part of their media content consumption. In Malaysia, locally produced animation series are still in the process of growth. The development of technology in computing and multimedia has allowed creative content developers the space to be creative and assist in developing the industry towards maturity and global acceptance. This paper attempts to understand the characteristics of Malaysian animation through a structuralist-semiotic analysis of Malaysian animation series. The analysis is used to identify key items defining Malaysian animation by answering the question to ‘what’s Malaysian in Malaysian animation?’ through Inductive Category Development. The findings are categorized to systematically explain the traits of Malaysian animation. This paper also attempts to justify the needs for studying animation as media content and hopefully, directly or indirectly, contribute towards the re-establishment and reinforcement of national identity through animation series and films.