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Answerman - Why Is Anime's Animation Style So Hard To Imitate?

Jose Cruz wrote:

I never thought there was an "anime style". Or Spirited Away, Paprika and Ping Pong the Animation are the same style now? Well, the three all display some very impressive animation but each has its own style.

There isn't an anime style, but it's still incredibly easy for medium savvy people to tell if something is drawn in Japan or elsewhere due to things like technique and method. It's a bit like that obscenity law which states "I'll know it when I see it". Likewise, it's easy to tell when a show is trying to copy an anime style aesthetic despite the fact there is no real universal anime style. When it comes to the actual animation, it becomes even easier to tell than just using art alone because animation has its own variances.

And, I don't know, Kiza seemed like they were kind of disappointed with other (Western) adaptations of the "anime" inspired style........well, for myself, I've enjoyed and appreciated a number of those types of works. I personally think that's the best way to go.......not trying to totally "copy" the style, but taking whatever elements and incorporating them into your style to make something new.

But that's just me I guess

I don't know how these guys were able to create these imitations without mentally cringing themselves during and after the process. They must've been so full of themselves that they could be just like Japan. "Turning Japanese" they ain't.

Eh...
American animation makes it a point to be consistent throughout its run, thus maintaining a certain quality all the time. However, that also doesn't allow for the breadth of personality Japanese animators can have.

E-conte (絵コンテ) - if you google that you should find a bunch of examples. I don't know much about the technical side of animation, so I'm not entirely sure how they differ from storyboards in other animation industries.

It doesn't mean American works don't have thumbprints. Oh no, I learned that Hollywood is all about thumbprints and can make or break landing a job as a writer, producer, or director. Rather, the thumbprints are those of the creators and permeate the entire work. That's the core of the auteur theory, a method of making films popularized by the French New Wave back in the black-and-white era and is still the dominant approach to this day.

The other way round has the same effect. Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt tries to look western and while it mimics it well it still has some anime-esque aesthetics to it that just can't escape a Japanese's hands. The big eyes, the limited motion, minimal blinking, the mouths flapping up and down with very little regard to how the mouth would be shaped on certain vowels and syllables and five fingers on each hand. American TV comedy animation has a weird thing for 4-fingers. What's up with that? I don't buy the whole 'bubbly features' excuse.

I never actually understand when people claim something is copying "anime style" either. Like they use to claim with Avatar and Totally Spies. To me it doesn't look its trying to copy the Japanese style at all.

In the past few years, there is also case of role reversal. That is, some anime that looks like it's trying to mimic a Cartoon Network-style of animation, notably "Panty & Stocking" which reminds me of "Powerpuff Girls".

It is annoying when people call stuff that was clearly made in West as "anime style" when it's not. Just because something uses good animation doesn't mean the animators were copying Japan. Reboot has been called anime-style but it was a completely Canadian production and effectively established the CG style that Pixar and other studios now use.

not quite. it was actually attempted by CN Japan when they try to do an anime version of powerpuff girls z, which unfortunately had really mixed results. then there was the 2011 remake of thundercats that was done by madhouse which didn't last as well. its pretty much a one sided conclusion here where there is only one result. companies should stick to what they know cause if its not broken, DONT FIX IT BY TRYING SOMETHING NEW! unfortunately wished hollywood would get that message and scrap the live action ghost in the shell movie before it turns into a massive mess and a half.

Certainly, whenever watching any film you'll always notice certain decisions in directing and framing that are very common and widespread. But it's usually more cumulative work covering personal and individual artistic voice. A lot of times Western animation will stick to "This is how it goes", but it's true that each show does have an unique "consistency", especially so in backgrounds and design, and especially so in the most climatic moments, Gravity Falls and Steven Universe (to cite recent examples) never have the same feel to them.

An episode (or even a scene) of a show looking different from the rest of them is certainly the exception, not the norm, and backwards in most Japanese animation, Dragon Ball Z, due how long it is, it's the perfect example of always changing depending on the animation directors, I think we have like 6 styles of Goku Super Saiyan.

Am suprised no one mentioned Ninja High School creator Ben Dunn who worked o Marvel's Mangaverse. I like his style it reminds me of 80s to early 90s style of anime

I'm curious about these American animators who seem to have a grudge against anime. Why? Is it the frame rate? I certainly can recall lots of anime sequences that "flow" just as smoothly as American ones (though I don't watch much American animation these days). Do they dislike the character designs? The lack of attention to mouth flaps? All these seem rather nit-picky to me as an outsider interested only in the aesthetics of the finished works.