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NEWS: New York Times on TV Anime

The article focuses on various TV series, and "mini-series" that are or have aired on Adult Swim, such as FLCL, Naruto, Samurai Champloo and Paranoia Agent.

Finally, the boundary between cartoons for children and cartoons for adults isn't nearly as well defined in Japan as it is here, resulting in higher quality across the board.

Shows like "Naruto," "Fullmetal Alchemist" or "Samurai Champloo" put the vast majority of American-made cartoons to shame and can hold their own with most live-action prime-time TV

These are mostly joky, exaggeratedly cartoonish shows like "Ed, Edd n Eddy," "Camp Lazlo" and "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy," heavy on forced laughs and light on story or character.

Otherwise, they lurk in the early morning hours or pop up in the afternoon, and they come and go on the schedule without warning.

Tracking them down is worth the trouble. The typical American cartoon these days - including the good-to-great ones, from "SpongeBob SquarePants" to "The Simpsons" to "South Park" - is about arrested adolescence (with preternaturally wise children sometimes on hand to provide a point of view). The best Japanese cartoons, on the other hand, are about coming of age, with all the traditional narrative arc and character development that implies. In fact, what's most satisfying about them is just how traditional they are, at a time when American children's cartoons seem trapped in some sort of post-Hanna Barbera hipster echo chamber. (Cartoon Network may be thinking along the same lines: one of its newest series, "IGPX," is an anime, a straight-ahead auto-racing tale produced in collaboration with several Japanese animation studios.)

(Naruto) also deploys the sort of visual touches that have migrated from anime into American cartoons: moments of stress or high emotion trigger wild distortions of faces and figures, or throw the whole cartoon out of its semirealistic mode into black and white squiggles. But in American cartoons, such effects are often used strictly for their own sake - in fact, a lot of shows seem to exist as a frame on which to string together a succession of oscillating limbs and telescoping eyeballs. In "Naruto," the effects always serve the story

Its humor may be broad and its story lines simple - it's a cartoon for tweenagers

it also has moments of doubt and reflection, such as Naruto's late-night visit to a noodle shop before his first ninja exam, that would never play in a pumped-up American cartoon.

"Naruto," as inconsequential as it is, has less in common with Cartoon Network's domestic lineup than it does with another portrayal of a rebellious, talented outsider: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Animedude: www.bugmenot.com

This is by far the worst article I've seen in my entire life.

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Finally, the boundary between cartoons for children and cartoons for adults isn't nearly as well defined in Japan as it is here, resulting in higher quality across the board.

What a load of crap. I think everyone here knows that Naruto & FMA are shows mostly for kids. Plus, how would a less well defined line make anime have better quality overall? That just does not make any sense to me.

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Shows like "Naruto," "Fullmetal Alchemist" or "Samurai Champloo" put the vast majority of American-made cartoons to shame and can hold their own with most live-action prime-time TV

What a load of crap! Why the heck is he trying to pass this off as TRUTH when it is only his opinion?! I'm sure there are plenty of people out there, myself included, who think that Naruto or FMA is just as bad as the majority of American cartoons. Now, I wouldn't mind if he stated that this was his opinion, but when he trys to pass it off as fact, it just gets on my nerves.

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These are mostly joky, exaggeratedly cartoonish shows like "Ed, Edd n Eddy," "Camp Lazlo" and "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy," heavy on forced laughs and light on story or character.

And bobobobobo, Naruto, and whatever aren't? You gotta be joking.

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Otherwise, they lurk in the early morning hours or pop up in the afternoon, and they come and go on the schedule without warning.

Uuuuuhhh, doesn't Adult Swim have anime almost every night? Way to contradict yourself.

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Tracking them down is worth the trouble. The typical American cartoon these days - including the good-to-great ones, from "SpongeBob SquarePants" to "The Simpsons" to "South Park" - is about arrested adolescence (with preternaturally wise children sometimes on hand to provide a point of view). The best Japanese cartoons, on the other hand, are about coming of age, with all the traditional narrative arc and character development that implies. In fact, what's most satisfying about them is just how traditional they are, at a time when American children's cartoons seem trapped in some sort of post-Hanna Barbera hipster echo chamber. (Cartoon Network may be thinking along the same lines: one of its newest series, "IGPX," is an anime, a straight-ahead auto-racing tale produced in collaboration with several Japanese animation studios.)

Once again, the author is trying to prove that American cartoons are the devil and that anime is the only way to go. More opinions and more lies.

Quote:

(Naruto) also deploys the sort of visual touches that have migrated from anime into American cartoons: moments of stress or high emotion trigger wild distortions of faces and figures, or throw the whole cartoon out of its semirealistic mode into black and white squiggles. But in American cartoons, such effects are often used strictly for their own sake - in fact, a lot of shows seem to exist as a frame on which to string together a succession of oscillating limbs and telescoping eyeballs. In "Naruto," the effects always serve the story

Yeah, and Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, Inuyasha, Samurai Champloo aren't frame stories for their respective characters to get into fights.

Oh and those chibi deals aren't used to supplement the story at all, ever. They are there merely for cuteness factor and humor, just like in American cartoons.

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Its humor may be broad and its story lines simple - it's a cartoon for tweenagers

Is it me or is this a total contradiction of what he said earlier about anime being smarter than American cartoons?

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it also has moments of doubt and reflection, such as Naruto's late-night visit to a noodle shop before his first ninja exam, that would never play in a pumped-up American cartoon.

How do you know that? More assumptions and generalizations.

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"Naruto," as inconsequential as it is, has less in common with Cartoon Network's domestic lineup than it does with another portrayal of a rebellious, talented outsider: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Most of the shows are CN are about kids who get in trouble doing things. Naruto fits that mold perfectly.

Just because something portrays anime in a positive light does not mean that it is a good article.

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Finally, the boundary between cartoons for children and cartoons for adults isn't nearly as well defined in Japan as it is here, resulting in higher quality across the board.

What a load of crap. I think everyone here knows that Naruto & FMA are shows mostly for kids. Plus, how would a less well defined line make anime have better quality overall? That just does not make any sense to me.

Quote:

These are mostly joky, exaggeratedly cartoonish shows like "Ed, Edd n Eddy," "Camp Lazlo" and "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy," heavy on forced laughs and light on story or character.

And bobobobobo, Naruto, and whatever aren't? You gotta be joking.

Quote:

Tracking them down is worth the trouble. The typical American cartoon these days - including the good-to-great ones, from "SpongeBob SquarePants" to "The Simpsons" to "South Park" - is about arrested adolescence (with preternaturally wise children sometimes on hand to provide a point of view). The best Japanese cartoons, on the other hand, are about coming of age, with all the traditional narrative arc and character development that implies. In fact, what's most satisfying about them is just how traditional they are, at a time when American children's cartoons seem trapped in some sort of post-Hanna Barbera hipster echo chamber. (Cartoon Network may be thinking along the same lines: one of its newest series, "IGPX," is an anime, a straight-ahead auto-racing tale produced in collaboration with several Japanese animation studios.)

Once again, the author is trying to prove that American cartoons are the devil and that anime is the only way to go. More opinions and more lies.

Quote:

"Naruto," as inconsequential as it is, has less in common with Cartoon Network's domestic lineup than it does with another portrayal of a rebellious, talented outsider: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Most of the shows are CN are about kids who get in trouble doing things. Naruto fits that mold perfectly.

Anyhow, the NY Times article (which requires free registration) was described by Toon Zone as "condescending".

Quote:

These are mostly joky, exaggeratedly cartoonish shows like "Ed, Edd n Eddy," "Camp Lazlo" and "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy," heavy on forced laughs and light on story or character.

And bobobobobo, Naruto, and whatever aren't? You gotta be joking.