Anime as Magic

Abstract

“Magic” for Collingwood takes on a special meaning and needs to be understood as a correlate to amusement which was treated in the previous chapter. While amusement is the relatively benighted and problematic mode of artistic expression that comes in for some extended analysis in relation to “pathological” instances of pseudo-art and cultural malaise, magic enjoys a status that places it closer to the mode of expression and experience that approximates the character of art proper, while not fulfilling the definition quite as it ought (Collingwood, 1938: 68–69). As with amusement, magic is a craft, a technique which can be honed down and employed to great effect — but Collingwood continues to insist that an artist’s capacity to produce it is not the same as being an artist per se. Some definitions and examples help to clarify why this might be the case.