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Forum - View topicInfluence in American animation
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Concandy
Posts: 2 |
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Before anyone here has to say anything, this is not another "Anime/American animation" comparison thread. This is a thread about noticing the influence of anime on American animation, in story and feel, not the art style.
I've noticed that they're have been changes in American animation, such as the Hellboy movie that was back on Toonami on Saturday, which was seemed to be more aimed at a more mature audience, than typical American cartoons. Not to mention, there'll also be some new animated shows coming to the Sci-Fi Channel and BET, and direct-to-DVD movies coming soon, as far as I heard. With all of this happening so quickly, I'm just wondering if anime is influencing more American animation into changing from kids stuff/adult comedies into having more variety and more adult audiences in mind. Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on the subject? |
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bluepita
 Posts: 465 |
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I think American animation is beginning to target both adult and child audiences at the same time. How much is due to anime, I couldn't say. You can see obvious infulence from anime in something like Avatar: The Last Airbender. I've only watched a couple of episodes, but I've heard a lot about it from my daughter's father. It seems that, like many anime, it has more of a series storyline (as opposed to strictly episodic). In addition, I think they have blurred the lines between the good guy and bad guy some, especially in creating sympathy for the major villian. To me, at least the blurred boundaries is something aimed more to interest adults, as that is not the norm for children here. I could be reading too much into it, though.
But American animation is filled with things specifically for adults anymore. If you look at shows like Shrek, they have many jokes for adults that children are clearly not meant to get. In my opinion, it's strictly a marketing ploy. Parents will be more likely to buy tickets and DVD's to movies they enjoy as much as their kids do. It's shame, though. I personally feel that movies for kids lose something that way. I was very uncomfortable with my daughter watching Shrek II after seeing it myself. I don't think these movies are destined to be anything more than funny, unlike the classics such as Snow White. I think I may have gone a bit off topic, as I think you were talking more about producing animation only for adults. But, I haven't seen too much adult animation other than the comedies. Maybe a film or two on IFC. What animated programs have you seen that are adult, yet not comedy? |
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KyuuA4
 Posts: 1371 Location: America, where anime and manga can be made |
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American anime is a very good possibility and inevitable - regardless of the dogmatic claims of those declaring its impossibility. 
By the way, I filled in some of the "MyAnime" thing on the left panel of this site. Well, I'm surprised to see the likes of Aeon Flux and Transformers (for 1980's US TV) listed among "MyAnime". Maybe someone should fix that. 
Actually, in the early days of animation, they were targeted towards adults. I don't think a gay cross-dressing version of Bugs Bunny or Elmer Fudd were considered child appropriate (or maybe it was). Not sure on that.
They actually have to - or else risk losing out in the animation market. I'm willing to guess - (today) at least 75% of animation viewers would prefer to watch an "anime" over a "cartoon". |
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jaybug39
 Posts: 552 Location: Oregon, Is it FOOTBALL yet? |
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And I wonder how much films such as The Triplets of Belleville, a french animated film, have helped to sway american film studios to produce a more mature animation. So that not only anime, but other nations animations are driving America to match or get left behind.
How much have Mike Judge and Bill Plympton elevated the art? And not to forget Matt Groening, and here I call myself a fellow Oregonian, with a girlfriend who lives in Springfield! I am sure much of this trend has to do with aging demographics. Because Hollywood is really putting out a bunch of crap. I just looked at the movies showing at the second run theatre in town, and there is not one film I would even remotely want to see. 12 movies and not a single one! Well, maybe Cars, which I haven't seen. And I bet FMA doesn't run here. Hopefully it will be up in Portland. I ain't driving to Seattle for a movie. I saw an ad for Speedgrapher in Maxim this month. So I guess anime is for adult men. I feel that a good sign that more mature themed animation will be forthcoming. |
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PantsGoblin
 SubscriberEncyclopedia Editor  Posts: 2969 Location: L.A. |
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Aeon Flux is in the encyclopedia because Peter Chung, who has worked on anime, worked on it. Transformers is there because it was animated by Toei Animation. Notice that they're not actually listed under anime either, you can only find them by using the search function or by links from related staff/anime.
Seeing as most of the viewers are children in the US, I highly doubt most of them would care whether or not it's anime, as long as it's entertaining (which actually isn't (and shouldn't be imo) limited to children either, as this is pretty much how I decide what to watch. Kind of ironic, seeing as all of the people I know that don't like to watch anything other than anime are teens/adults... Although, my standards of what is entertaining have risen since I was little. Most American animated works in the US are aimed at children, so I don't always tend to find those as entertaining anymore, and I usually do watch anime now... although there are a few I have found to enjoy... but as I said before, animation in the US is generally a children oriented thing, so they usually don't care and their standards are lower for what they watch. This often reflects in the quality of the cartoons they show too, but not always... Okay, enough being off-topic). |
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Concandy
Posts: 2 |
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I'm talking about there being more action and drama animated shows for adults, not comedies. |
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KyuuA4
Posts: 1371 Location: America, where anime and manga can be made |
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Then start naming a few series. I haven't looked into Avatar just yet - but doubtfully, it isn't a comedy (or is it).
I watched some of Boondocks; and it feels like a comedy anime. |
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Keonyn
Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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In the television world there's some noticeable influence in style, but not much in substance which is the core. In the movie world there is little to no noticeable influence from anime on domestic animated features.
Now, in the end, does it matter? You have to consider that anime itself began largely from a western influence and that art is a global thing these days and as such you're going to find influences from all aspects of it everywhere, regardless of how much anime superiority activists would love to believe they write the law of quality and the earth revolves around anime. When it all comes down to it anime is still a niche market and its growth has slowed down significantly in the last year or two.
Those crappy movies that Hollywood makes draw in a lot of money and people and I bet a lot of those people who see it probably look at the anime you push as crap, it's all a matter of taste. Not to mention summer is the time the lower end movies are put out because there's less of a market at that time of the year so a lack of quality in the first portion of the year really doesn't matter. But even then there's still plenty out there that is far from crap and to be honest, since I saw you mention it, I personally think Speedgrapher is crap. Not to mention an ad in Maxim doesn't mean anything because those ads go to who pays, not because the magazine publisher thinks the readers will watch it. Considering the content of Speedgrapher I'm not surprised they put an ad in Maxim. I find it funny really, even though the OP commented that they weren't looking for a japanese/american animation battle people have found it necessary to make it one, not only make it one but drag in aspects that aren't even animation in the process. |
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suna_suna
 Posts: 550 Location: Ohio |
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there was a 1977 animated movie called Wizards that was almost surely aimed at adults. it just had really crappy visuals. the story was pretty good, if not a little cliched. you know, two brothers, one good, the other evil. a journey to stop evil, but it had a mnice suprise climax. try and find it at a blockbuster or something. oh, and mark hammil(sp?) was in it.
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bluepita
Posts: 465 |
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Right, that's what I am asking. Have you seen action or drama animated shows made in America, and if so, what are they? I don't get to see much, since I watch cartoons with my daughter when she is awake and anime at night when she isn't. Thanks! |
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Hisdon
 Posts: 411 Location: Poquoson, VA |
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agreed; I really can't name one; almost every American animated show aimed at older audiences is a satire (Boondocks, Family Guy, Simpsons, Metalocalyps(jeez sp, that thing is a pain in the rear to spell), Futurama(sp?), Robot Chicken, South Park and King of the Hill come to mind pretty fast. |
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KyuuA4
Posts: 1371 Location: America, where anime and manga can be made |
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Yea, same here. Adult, but not comedy - come to think of it, I doubt there are any. For now, I'll say "Avatar" is the best one to fit the question. Unfortunately, it's difficult for me to justify that answer for all I can do is read about it (for now).
Well, if domestic animation wants to get a share of the piece - they better start taking animation seriously. However, major networks tend to stay away from experimentation and stick with what works.
Thus, this is where animation shall remain. |
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Wolverine Princess
 Posts: 1100 |
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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within immediately came to mind. There was some artsy-fartsy animated movie my parents went to see a while ago that had a similar style to the Final Fantasy movies, but I'm having trouble recalling the name. I think it might have been called "A Scanner Darkly" or something along those lines. I don't know who directed it, but I'm pretty sure it made in America. |
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Hisdon
Posts: 411 Location: Poquoson, VA |
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that was made in Hawaii if I renember correctly, but it's still a Squaresoft thing, which is Japanese based, so not sure. |
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