American Cartoons versus anime

[hh5]

It it a requirement anime is Japanese??

 

I'll just watch another avatar

 

The last anime I watch was about this old japanese place they run a festival ... you get turned into these creatures

 

somehow anime is not exactly the old Japanese tales ... certanly different that godzilla

[JamesSavik]

sophisticated teens

 

LMAO That's the high class fart jokes right???

[Boy In Doubt]

I do not, at all, see how anime can be considered more sophisticated than american cartoons! I learned everything I'll ever need to know about life from Nickelodeon.

 

I find Anime far more childish and rather dull. All Anime does is show us that the Japanese have surpassed Americans in making every single thing about sex or beauty.

 

I know, right? Makes you think of those private schoolgirls with outrageous hemlines and lots of cleavage. I had a friend who was obsessed with anime when we were growing up. Many are obviously geared towards older viewers, but that doesn't necessarily make them any more sophisticated than, say, Superman or the 8th Season Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics.

 

[John Doe]

If this was a poll on manga and comics then I would be divided as I like the drawings of both. And there are expections to both cases. I like the buff and slender Marvel and DC heroes and the same goes for manga. I dislike the thin or overly muscled (except I enjoy theoverly muscled in manga...called bara.... which are mostly sexual in nature... which I don't tend to like). I'm talking about visual aspect and not plot.

 

Plot wise I do happen to agree that Japanese anime are a bit more hmmm how should I say this... imaginative and outlying. American animation is geared towards the younger age group. Though American art style I dislike. Boxy and weird lined people just looks bad. I can't find many American animation that I liked. I liked the disney stuff when I was younger but now after knowing that some of the disney animations were just retold in a different manner and one that was pretty much "stolen" has created a slight distasteful stigma of my opinion towards Disney. Shows like rugrats and basically anything that can be on nick... where too plain for my tastes. Not fantasical enough. (Mind you by the time I was eight I was reading books by Peirs Anthony and Terry Brooks). I throughly enjoy shows like South Park and Family Guy because of their jokes and unrulyness, and humor like that cannot be found anywhere else.

 

Japanese anime I love because of their vast expansive ideas and storylines. Gods and angels coming down to earth to fall in love or wage wars are always entertaining (example: Ah! My Goddess... though I thought the concept was good.... the overall episodes was a bit redundant.... I greatly enjoyed the movie/ Example #2: Princess Mononoke). I love mythology and japanese anime has that kind of lore. Or the science fiction detail and background of some are just creative, like the advancement of technology (example: Gundam Wing, Bubblegum Crisis, Lain). Though Japanese anime tend to repeat a storyline over and over and over again in different episodes without seemingly going anywhere is kinda annoying. (exapmle: Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, Tenchi) Shows like these just uses the same concept and add in a new baddie in for the next episode... when really it's just the same episode with a different bad guy. Then there are the perverted ones that are absolutely worthless in my opinion, like panning shots of girl's butts or chests (Battle Athletes) or unnesccesary pervertedness when they could have done a great plotline about the characters of their story (Golden Boy and Ranma1/2).

 

*shrugs*

 

watching animation of any sort for me I'd stick with shows like South Park and Family Guy. Japanese anime I watch a vast majority but also skip a massive majority. I can categorize the shows that I like and dislike and can probably figure out how I classify what I like in what anime.

 

Oh oh thought just came to me. I forgot that I like American "3d" animation. Like Shrek, How to Tame your Dragon, Up, Finding Nemo, Happy Feet (disney has done well in this area but thanks to Pixar studios)

 

Here's a few anime that I like:

 

Witch Hunter Robin / Naruto (though this show is like Sailor Moon in the respect that it prolongs important details and has a lot of filler crap... overall story good) / Avatar The Last Airbender (as stated before this is an American Animation) / anything by Hayao Miyazaki or Studio Ghibli like Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, etc. / Air TV (sad anime of tragic lovers) / Street Fighter franchise (I like watching the fight scenes... characterization is a bit shotty but I guess you are suppose to play the video games too) / Balsa / Final Fantasy: Spirits Within / Records of the Lodess War / Devil May Cry / FateStay Night / Full Metal Alchemist / Fushigi Yuugi (heh though I tend to not enjoy dramatics I really enjoy the overdramatics in this one) / Kyou Kara Mauo!

 

Just to name a few. Though I do watch many of these online. Ugh I hate dubbed version of anything so online sources are nice.

[hh5]

LMAO That's the high class fart jokes right???

 

John Blutarsky all the way

[PrivateTim]

To me this is a no-brainer. American cartoons are definitely superior. ha ha

 

I think American cartoons are much more diverse, Anime seems all alike and rather angsty. They also seem to be drawn alike as opposed to the many different styles of American cartoons. You had the realism of a Johnny Quest and the caricatures like the Flintstones. People didn't even scratch the surface of American cartoons, besides classics like Johnny Quest, the Flintstones, the Jetsons what about Quick Draw McGraw, Yogi the Bear, Huckleberry Hound, top Cat, Tom and Jerry and modern classics like Dexter's Lab... and that is just Hanna Barbera.

 

Warner Brothers gave us Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Bugs, Tweety & Sylvester, Pepe Le Pew, Speedy Gonzalez and every one knows those were not just for kids, the undertones kept adults smiling too. Modern WB gave us Pinky & the Brain and the Animaniacs.

 

Jay Ward was brilliant with Crusader Rabbit and his follow on, Rocky & Bullwinkle and Friends. Every body gets that R&B, Dudley Do-right, Mr. Peabody's Improbable History, Fractured Fairy Tales & Aesop's Tales were geared towards adults and kids laughed because they were silly.

 

And that is with out even mentioning the Walt Disney Studios and all they did and continue to do with cartoons as an art form.

 

Even Disney Channel has entertaining cartoons like Phineas & Ferb, American Dragon and Kim Possible.

 

Others have mentioned the modern creations of South Park, the Simpsons, Family Guy and King of the Hill.

 

What would the holidays be without A Charlie Brown Christmas and the Grinch?

 

Did I also mention the incarnations of Superman, Batman, Fantastic Four, Green Hornet, etc. that have appeared over the years?

 

So yeah, I'll take American cartoons.

[StormyParis]

What about Dessin Anime, the Euroversion ? There's major works there, like

 

Le Roi et l'Oiseau (Wikipedia Article, Youtube Link

Edited June 16, 2010 by Graeme

[Graeme]

PS if someone with appropriate rights could fix my images and youtube links ? i'm not allowed to post those ...

[StormyParis]

[Arpeggio]

I like american cartoons a little better, because it's usually more carefree, but I really like both. What I don't like is predictable, unoriginal cartoons from either side: Sailor Moon, Bleach, Total Drama Island or that stupid show 6teens or whatever. I love Avatar, the Last Airbender, and Hey Arnold, and I couldn't choose between either because they are two different, very different shows.

Sure, Avatar is more detailed and has a gripping storyline line.....

but Stoop Kid is afraid to leave his stoop! You just cannot say that is unoriginal and funny.

Anyways, I usually watch regular cartoons as opposed to anime because I like to be able to smile without having to work my brain to grasp a complex storyline. Best anime movie ever: Spirt Away

[Y_B]

American Cartoons hands down.

 

For starters, I absolutely cannot find enjoyment in what a typical anime fan indulges in. Those ultra flashy modern Japanese animes bore me to tears and they are ridiculously overdone. However, I love(d) Pokemon, Yugioh and the Dragonball series. As far as American cartoons, I really enjoyed my 90s cartoon network cartoons like Scooby Doo, Dexter's lab, Ed Edd and Eddy, Flintstones etc

 

If I am to pick something to watch today, it'll be American cartoons for sure. No new anime interest me in the least bit but I can't go through my week without some Family Guy or cartoon network reruns.

Edited June 16, 2010 by Yang Bang

[Y_B]

Anime is far superior indeed. There is a LOT more variety. All the good American cartoons are the same quirky stuff.

 

 

This is the kinda stuff that triggers my gag reflex

[StormyParis]

This is the kinda stuff that triggers my gag reflex

I think, as with music, people mainly like familiarity, and to differentiate from the previous generation. Sad as it is, I think it means taste are mainly generational, especially earlier in life. Later on some people manage to diversify their interest a bit. And early on, some people jump into a subculture, but it's still basically herd mentality.

 

 

I'm trying to use time as a sift: anything that's still there 5/10 years later must be good enough, so worth investigating even if it's not spot in my primary tastes.

[John Doe]

I think, as with music, people mainly like familiarity, and to differentiate from the previous generation. Sad as it is, I think it means taste are mainly generational, especially earlier in life. Later on some people manage to diversify their interest a bit. And early on, some people jump into a subculture, but it's still basically herd mentality.

 

 

I'm trying to use time as a sift: anything that's still there 5/10 years later must be good enough, so worth investigating even if it's not spot in my primary tastes.

 

 

 

I agree with this statement.

 

People go back to what they are comfortable with. Reminds me of food. Heh. We all have different ideas and takes on what comfort food is. I grew up in the south and comfort for me is hearty stuff like BBQ ribs, grits gravy and biscuits, and/or traditionally Asian food from my culture like fried spring rolls and stuff chicken wings. My roommate thinks of pizza and meatloaf (*gags* on both items).

 

Growing up as a kid my parents allow me to watch all sorts of things. Excpet for R rated stuff. So I tend to be indifferent towards shows when it comes to association. There's the thing with Japanese anime that has it's own stigma in western culture. People who are seen as people who enjoy japanese anime are nerds, dorks, geeks, etc. For example when i was talking Japanese for a few semesters (6 semesters totaled) it annoyed the crap out of me when people show up because they like anime. But as I advanced to higher levels, those people were quickly weeded out. Yeah there are a few who still liked Japanese anime passionately but they also have a deep interest in Japanese culture (I should go read through my textbook again to refresh my memory). A lot of people I know can't stand Japanese anime because they associate Japanese anime with the anime fanatics, which I think is a bit unfair as they aren't really evaluating the anime itself but rather the people who watches the show and the association that goes with those people.

 

I like anime because it pushes the creative ideas and expands on them. American cartoons are more for comfort. Japanese Anime as a generality is a bit more complex (talking about plot here) than American animation and I like that aspect. Though it can only be found in American animation where opinions are obvious and isn't a "let's hold hands and hope for world peace" and I like that about shows like Family Guy and South Park. Shows like on Nickelodeon (sp?) like Hey Arnold I could care less about because I didn't grow up on them, they are artistically incompatible with my tastes, and I much rather watch shows like Tom and Jerry or Ben 10.

 

Today I much rather read books and write. Rarely do I watch TV. I watch anime because I can watch them for free on the internet (in Japanese usually a week after it's been released in Japan) but it's kinda hard to watch a whole series or catch up on a whole American series since only a limited number of episodes is availible online, but I guess the thing with most American animation shows is that you can watch any episode and not be lost.

 

Though bring me a comic book or graphic novel and mangas and I'll sit down with you and read the days away. I equally love both when the art is on par with my preference. PS. Has anyone read the graphic novel Unwritten? It's pretty interesting.

[Pai-kun]

As a child, I used to watch both american cartoons as well as anime. As an adult, I just enjoy anime. With the exception of The Simpsons and Family Guy.

[glomph]

From my avatar you might reasonably conclude that I'm not averse to anime. I also enjoy the literary and musical sophistication in an absurdist context of the Looney Tunes cartoons of the '40s and '50s. "Rocky and Bullwinkle" is still funny to me. I like "Southpark" in small doses. And there is great Japanese animation that's not in what we tend to think of as anime style, such as My Neighbor Totoro. I haven't got to see Grave of the Fireflies yet, but it is supposedly one of the greats. It's coming up on my Netflix queue.

 

I agree that Pixar movies are special. Up is one of the great films of the decade.There's a great extended sequence without dialog. You laugh. You cry. There are talking dogs. What else could you want?

 

Suffice it to say that I didn't vote in this poll.

 

-----

 

Softly, just like this, I don't care if it's all a lie,

Memories that belong to you and me only are left on the asphalt...

Because the after-school you is just too dazzling,

my bottled up voice seems like it might overflow.

 

-----

 

I guess something's lost in translation.

[Jack Frost]

American cartoons. I have trouble standing anime due to some naive stuff.

 

To one's own as I always say. It's rather subjective to rate them.

 

I am not going into the debate which is superior. It just sounds arrogant and it's as pointless as saying "mine is bigger than yours".

Edited July 5, 2010 by Jack Frost

[phana14]

 

Calvin & Hobbes FTW.

So to the point.

Thanks

[wacko9001]

well modern day cartoons suck, so im gonna go with anime

[Former Member]

As you said, hands down, anime wins for me. I have tons of it. Can I really vote objectively? Maybe not, as I do not watch any of the new American cartoons, never watched any Simpsons, South Park or Family Guy. I started out back in the day getting up early every morning to watch some classics like Voltron and Robotech. I still have my VHS taped episodes. Some of the older ones I liked back then, but nothing these days...and sometimes I do try. Just doesn't interest me.

 

Anime has so much greater range, depth, breadth, and nearly infinite varieties for all tastes. And what's unfortunate in the USA so much is that they play only the most "popular" ones like Pokemon, Bleach or Naruto, and I can't say I particularly like those much, and Anime gets wrongly judged by some as juvenile.

 

Plus for me being who and what I am :-) I like the yaoi (m/m) themed and shounen-ai anime and manga (some of it) and there's some great stuff. Not a widely covered topic in American cartoons except for some porno stuff. Yaoi anime can be really great stuff.

 

To me this is a no-brainer. Anime is definitely superior. The plots tend to be much more sophisticated, and the characters have a lot more depth. It saddens me that American cartoons, for the most part, suck ass. They're almost always meant for children with the exception of shows like The Simpsons, South Park, and Family Guy. However, they are the exception and not the rule. With anime, there is a lot more to choose from.

[Bumblebee]

except for pokemon and transformers, ive always hated anime, mostly because it just bored me because the plots are always drawn out over so many episodes, and there never really seems to be any progretion in the story line

 

i grew up sat in front of the tv on a saturday morning watching saturday disney, so i grew up loving kim possible, bugs bunny, daffy/donald duck, tweety and sylvester, the flintstones, Garfield and Friends, casper, Winnie The Pooh, rugrats, The Land Before Time and dinosaucers etcetcete

 

but i only ever liked the original series, the remake series were o-k, but only if they didnt kill off all the original caracters, if they did, i could never get into it

 

and i cant go without my marathon of family guy and south park every so often

 

most anime that i have come across is all about teenage angst, which i have enough of in real life that i dont really want to spend my down time watching about it, cartoons make me laugh even when i dont feel good enough to be laughing, putting on some south park or american dad or family guy always puts me in a better mood

 

plus i never really understood the attraction on anime or the porno version of anime, since ive never been attracted to a cartoon

 

hh5, - sophisticated teens...... your kidding right?!?!?!?!?! there is nothing sophisticated about teenages!!!!

Edited July 7, 2010 by Bumblebee

[soup]

I'll always love Spirited Away but that's one anime compared to the many Pixar movies i love.

I'm also one of the many people that absolutely love Death Note, but i don't really watch that much anime anymore. I prefer reading the Mangas.

Although i also think that American comics are better than mangas because they just look so much better, they're sometimes in colour, and i appreciate and admire all the effort that goes into creating all those individual illustrations. To me, American comics (like the aforementioned Buffy: Season 8) are what i would consider art and although i acknowledge that Mangas can also be considered art as well, i just think the characters aren't as imaginative and sometimes just look like modified versions of other characters

 

/tangent

 

I don't think i can choose between American Cartoons and Anime, i've watched some really great stuff in both categories.

[JamesSavik]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18WbMGKG1qM

[Demetz]

I do not, at all, see how anime can be considered more sophisticated than american cartoons! I learned everything I'll ever need to know about life from Nickelodeon.

 

I find Anime far more childish and rather dull. All Anime does is show us that the Japanese have surpassed Americans in making every single thing about sex or beauty.

 

The question of which is better is more a matter of which group does a better job of targetting a wide age range and offers a wide variety in genre.

 

You can pretty much divide American cartoons into three age groups - the very young children, the 8-11 age group, and older teens/adults. American cartoons are numerous and competitive for the very young children and the 8-11 group... but then they drop the ball. Specifically, there really aren't many current american cartoons (none even come to mind) that offer story arcs with character development in a format that is generally dramatic with the flexibility for comic relief and action which target older children and young teens. American children's cartoons are largely silly and often wildly fantastical in nature, which is great for young kids but neglects complete the niche of boys who want to see a good guy kick the bad guy's ass. When it comes to adult-targetted cartoons, well there are only three that come to mind - american dad, family guy, and south park - all of which are comedy. Japanese anime has been absorbed into our culture because there is a missing niche of cartoons to target older children and younger teens. Particularly boys. Boys want action, adventure, saving the day, and very importantly - kicking the bad guy's ass. Anime is chock full of bad guys ass kicking. Where our culture has shied away from any kind of violence shown to our children and our cartoon-makers are generally complying... action-based anime is filling in that void because there is still and always will be a market amongst boys for seeing the bad guys get their asses kicked.. The anime target audience doesn't stop there though, it continues on with anime that carries on interesting story arcs and character development as well as the all-important action... targetting mid teens to young adults. Teens who watched the anime targetted toward younger audiences continue watching anime targetted to older audiences as they grow older. There's no American competition for it in cartoons. You have to go back to shows like the old x-men and spiderman cartoons to even get close, and even these are still targetted to children, not adults and older teens. The only market american cartoons bother to compete for after the 8-11 age bracket is in adult comedy, where you see very successful shows like family guy and south park.

 

So whether you think American cartoons are better or Japanese cartoons are better really comes down to what criteria you want to judge by. If we use the criteria of market and genre coverage, then American cartoons are at least as good as anime if not better for the young children and 8-11 markets. Following that though, anime simply offers better genre coverage and practically monopolizes the market for cartoons for older children and young teens. At the adult level, comedy is the only genre where American cartoons are all that competitive in, but even then there are still very few successful american cartoons targetted to adults, and most cartoon-viewing adults also watch anime, so overall I'd say the Japanese are showing themselves to be better cartoon-makers.

 

Summary: American cartoons are too narrow in genre and target audience.

[Tiger]

I totally agree, Ash! I like watching American Cartoons like Family Guy and South Park. I think they're awesome. However, I like the complex plot lines of Naruto and Bleach. Inuyasha was pretty good as well. That's why overall, I say anime is better. There are few American cartoons (at least ones that are "new") that interest me at all. Anime is better overall for me.