5 replies to this topic

[shadow_Uzumaki]

I'm starting a feature on the differences and similarities on Japanese animation and Western animation for Journalism class, and since everyone here's seen a bunch of both, I'd like to get your ideas....

[Yondaime's Son]

Well just off the top of my head, if you have Starz I highly reccomend "Anime: Drawing of a Revolution" as it does alot of highlighting of the primary differences - Style of Animation, Themes, Mature Content, and influences both from and on each other.

[Sir Whirly]

lol, for English 101 in college I used this for a paper. If I still had it, I would send it to you. As long as you use the correct format, the subject doesn't really matter. Don't forget your sources.

[True]

Similarities:
Many popular American cartoons are animated by Japanese studios (Sunrise worked on a lot of Warner Bros projects in the 90's) such as Batman the animated series, Teen Titans, Avatar (done by a Korean studio IIRC), Justice League, Thundercats, and a few others.

Share some similar themes and cultures influence one another. The Big O and Cowboy Bepbop were heavily influenced by Batman, Jazz music, NYC life, and numerous American movies. Avatar takes a lot from Asian folklore and mythology along with martial arts.

Differences:
Cartoons are usually seen as generally targeted for younger kids while anime has broader genres that appeals to a vast number of ages. Though "otakus" are frequently looked down upon in Japanese society.

Art styles in American cartoons tend to be consistent and vary little in variety, while Japanese Studios (especially the like of SHAFT and Madhouse) look to differentiate and have a liberal use of animation style that separates from other series.

Cartoons are usually original based creations while many animes tend to be adaptions of manga, light novels, books, and other pieces of literature.

[shadow_Uzumaki]

Cool guys, looking to that paper, Whirly. I won't copy it verbatim, but I might borrow your ideas.....

[roninmedia]

What I like best about anime is the connective structure. Anime to me represents what the power of the mini-series was back in the olden days of American.

Many cartoons are set within a specific time frame that has no true beginning or end. I love 'The Simpsons' but it is an example of it. Bart and Lisa have been in the same grade for the last twenty years with episodic adventures and misadventures. Their personalities neither change or evolve over time. Their personalities and moods changes are intraepisodic (within the episode) and not interepisodic. This allows syndication to occur naturally. Syndication allows a show to reair without much prior knowledge to the preceding episodes as episodes can exists as individual entities. I know what episodes aired chronologically in the timeline of the 'The Simpsons' but I don't really need to as it doesn't particularly influence my understanding of the show I'm watching.

Many anime can't not be taken apart to be syndicated but rather have to reshown in their entirety in their correct chronological order.

Edited by roninmedia, 18 October 2009 - 03:07 AM.