Anime and American Anime

[sgfunk]

Hey, guys and girls whats up. I got a question about U.S. and Jap anime--- why does mostly every1 on gaia think that american animes are just stupid and have no real base while others think there ok but cant follow a story line!!!

 

[WiskersThCatfish]

American and Japanese cartoons have always had that difference. Look at Bugs Bunny, all of his adventures were purely episodic, and never ever effected any of his other episodes. Even running American cartoons with a basic storyline are segmented so that they can show them in any order without consequence. The Japanese adopted animation as a conduit for storytelling instead, favoring drama over comedy; so when you watch one episode of an anime, you have to see the ones that came before in order to get the full blast of what happened. While American animation studios have adopted a Japanese style of drawing, they still tend to stick to their single-episode continuities, because networks tend not to buy cartoons that they have to make sense out of.

This all makes sense, because in the end, cartoons are aired solely to children here in the States, and so they lack any kind of dramatic storytelling elements in order to keep the child's attention. On the other hand, it's considered childish to watch cartoons, so adults tend not to do it. That's why you tend not to see dramatic anime aired on US network television, adults won't watch it, and children will be bored by it leaving the network to rely on the sliver of American-otaku, who just aren't big enough a group.

However, all of these things are starting to blend together. American style animation will be a thing that will look old, choppy and unappealing to the masses soon, because all the animation schools are spitting out people who are only entering them as people who want to go to Japan someday and work as animators.  

[Sanzoskitsune]

stressed American animation and cartoons are NOT called anime. Anime is a term that is limited to Japanese animation would you please stop calling American animation anime? It's really starting to get on my nerves.

With that said. I think American animation has its up points. I liked all the cartoons I watched when I was growing up, Scooby Doo, Bugs Bunny, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (from the 90s not the newest one), Smurfs, and a bunch of others I can't remember right now. The problem I think is cartoons have really gone down hill lately. The cartoons for kids I've seen are such utter garbage and crap. They're not really entertaining to me just stupid actions meant to make little kids laugh. Of course there are exceptions. I thought Avatar: The Last Airbender was amazingly done but then that was done in the style of anime. I just think overall American cartoons have gone down hill but certain cartoons give me hope that they'll improve again. Shoot they were still good not that long ago! I loved the Powerpuff Girls (with all their Beatles references) and Dexter's Lab. Every now and then American cartoons surprise me.

As for anime in itself. It's not meant for children usually but for an older audience. Like Jimmy said it has a more complex story line that requires you to watch it in order. There are also so many different kinds of genres and usually an art style I absolutely adore. But then who knows what the future holds, I may be saying this about American animation in 10 or 20 years.  

[Sanzoskitsune]

I'm in your head Kyla, reading your thoughts ooooooooooooh! xd In all seriousness I know what you mean. I was kind of iffy about Avatar when I first saw it but after the first episode I realized how awesome it was! I'm hoping they come out with more good cartoons like that.  

[WiskersThCatfish]

Oh... so many things you just said bother me, Sanzo...

First of all, there is such thing as American-anime. Most new cartoons are borrowing so much of the anime style, that to someone only just looking into the culture it would be impossible to tell which of Teen-Titans and Naruto actually came from Japan.

Speaking of which, Naruto is a good example of a anime that has taken more and more cues from western television in my opinion. I remember a time when anime actually ended, and had it's own distinct style. However, and probably BECAUSE I can remember that time, I notice all the push and pull between American and Japanese television and how they're ripping into one another until soon it'll all just be the same sea of ugly big-headed characters refusing to have sex with each other on-screen when in our minds that's all they do.

Yeah, that was a rant. Also, please try not to use the word "required;" the day that I'm required to watch more then one episode of Naruto, or Bleach is the day I find a sandbox to bury my head in and pretend I'm Gaara.  

[Sanzoskitsune]

I stand by there is no American-anime there is American animation that is influenced by anime but it is NOT anime. I said at the beginning anime is limited to Japanese animation. I know most newcomers don't know better but it STILL annoys me. As for Naruto, meh I never really got into it, its okay. It's actually considered by a lot of people I know to be one of the not so good animes out there, not worst but not great either

And where did I use the word required?

@Kyla ...when did they do that to Bugs and who must I kill for it?

edit: nevermind I see where I used required and some animes ARE like that. Not all but some. Hell if you try to watch Paranoia Agent out of order you'll be confused like hell. Some animes you can watch out of order and only be slightly confused but you'll get the swing of things.  

[WiskersThCatfish]

Sanzoskitsune

complex story line that requires you to watch it in order.

 

[Sanzoskitsune]

Yeah I just noticed that Jimmy, I'd like to point out I never said you had to watch more than one episode of an anime you didn't personally like. Just that you have to watch it in order. There are animes that you pretty much have to if you want to understand what the hell is going on.  

[wakusei]

I'd just like to say something I think I have once loooong ago about the term of "anime" and what it pertains to....
A friend of mine used to have a Japanese penpal, and once the penpal wrote to her that she loved American "anime" and that her favorite "anime" was Rugrats. This gave the impression to me, that at least in general conversation and in Japan, "anime" refers to anything animated. The word comes from "animation" after all.
So really...can it be such a sin to call American cartoons anime? I know it definitly causes for confusion, but if people do ultimately know the show's origins...is it so wrong?

And if anime is defined by how advanced the storyline is, what about shows like Hamtaro? Japan has kid shows, too...what are we supposed to call them?

And as for animation style, while anime can have amazing animation and complex character designs, anime is still kind of known for cutting animation corners and only having to animate a mouth and repeating animation sequences over and over so they don't have to redraw it all, etc. I don't watch a lot of cartoons on TV anymore, but the American ones I watched growing up where still impressive in the way of actual animation, even if the style was simple.
And not all American cartoons are for kids. I mean, South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy, everything on Adult Swim, hellooooo.... And Bugs Bunny, etc were cartoons featured before movies way back when, when only adults ever went to movies. Looney Tunes, Merry Melodies, Silly Symphonies and all them were geared for an adult audience. It was only in the 70's that they started airing those cartoons on TV for children.


And hey Jimbo! I went to animation school without ever having any desire at all to do anime... gonk My teachers constantly encouraged students to NOT draw anime, even.

 

[WiskersThCatfish]

Ha! I was actually thinking about you when I wrote that Waku. More specifically I was thinking about how you would react, and you're about on que. I'm sorry if that was insulting, but I'm of the firm belief that you got there after the bubble of people I was referring to, the people who are saturating our selection of animation with that style. It's that bubble that caused your teachers to frown upon the whole thing.

Also, I only mentioned in my post that Japan adopted animation as a way to express a storyline. But I realized that Astro Boy and Gigantor were out and around before more complex stories like Metropolis and Galaxy Express. But if you look, I think you'll notice that even Hamtaro has more cannon and continuity then Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.

However, I don't like to get elitist about all this. Cartoons are cartoons, if they're here or there, or even pornographic. I'm more likely to get huffy about people getting huffy then I am to get huffy over this or that, and who's the biggest fan.  

[wakusei]

Eeeh, that bubble was still kind of there, I'm sure. Even students who were discouraged from drawing anime still maintained their love of all things Japan. Teachers frowned on it since the students weren't even drawing in their own style. They were always clearly mimicking DBZ or some such thing even without meaning to. Going to an art school is supposed to help develop your OWN styles. And I'm sure the teachers knew the reality of the chances the kids had at actually getting to be an animator in Japan one day were slim to none as well.

WiskersThCatfish

However, I don't like to get elitist about all this. Cartoons are cartoons, if they're here or there, or even pornographic. I'm more likely to get huffy about people getting huffy then I am to get huffy over this or that, and who's the biggest fan.

Ditto. Regardless of where they come from and how advanced it is or isn't, they're all cartoons. And there's nothing wrong with watching cartoons... cool

 

[wakusei]

Kyla_Ewens

Sanzoskitsune

@Kyla ...when did they do that to Bugs and who must I kill for it?

The horror...the horror:

]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvdMz4KJIt8

Holy crap. I'm glad that show remained so low on the radar I never caught it.
How the heck did The Coyote and The Roadrunner fight on the same team...?

At least they're considered "descendants" of the Looney Tunes gang, and not those characters themselves.