Cassie / Casey
✨Language nerd at the University of Guam✨
Anime vs. Cartoons
Analyzing the Divide Between Eastern and Western Animation
Within the fan-based community, there's an ongoing debate of whether Japanese animation is superior to American animation.
A simple visual comparison between the two visual mediums seems to support this bias. While Eastern animation possesses movement fluidity and emotive characters, Western animation looks rigid and flat in contrast.
(Osomatsu-san, 2016)
(Family Guy, 2016)
In addition to visual differences, differences in how stories are handled between Japan-made and US-made animations should also be considered.
While Mob Psycho dedicated practically all of its 12 episodes to carry out its plot and conclude its season with a satisfying ending, Steven Universe used 30 of their 45 episodes with non-plot content and minimal character development.
From May 2016 to January 2017, Cartoon Network's Steven Universe has run 45 11-minute episodes for its 3rd and 4th season.
Japan's Studio Bones produced Mob Psycho 100, an anime with twelve 24-minute episodes for its first season that aired from July to September of 2016.
With just these pieces of evidence, the subjective bias of animation fans and general media consumers would seem justified.
However, a closer examination of these individual branches of the animation industry would lead to a different, more objective conclusion.
These differences mainly stem from the visual's genres split history between Japan and America, rather than a seemingly inherent superiority over the other.
"What is Anime? (And What Isn't)"
A discussion on the histories of the Japanese anime and the American cartoon first requires some understanding of what these visual mediums are and how they differ.
What's a "cartoon?"
"Cartoon" is a catch-all term typically referring to any animated work produced within the United States. It's usually used in conjunction with lower-budget productions, such as television series.
(Terms related to anime and cartoons)
"Sakuga"
Literally translated to "drawing pictures," sakuga refers to the occasional bouts of dynamic and fluid animation in anime and is usually drawn by just one or two animators.
"CG"
A shortened abbreviation of "CGI" - computer graphic imagery. CG can be used in reference to fully 3D animation or CG visual effects for traditional 2D animations.
The Silent Age
The Beginning of Animation
(1900s - 1920s)
The Enchanted Drawing (1900)
With Thomas Edison's help, J. Stuart Blackson develops the first animated picture. Animations at this time were more of a stylized illustration and film technique rather than what we think of them today.
- Animated by Emile Cohl, French caricaturist, cartoonist, and writer
Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)
In this 14 minute film, McCay introduces and interacts with the titular Gertie the dinosaur.
Gertie was not only the first key-framed animation with in-betweens, it was also the first animation with a sense of character.
- Animated by cartoonist Winsor McCay
- Video source
(What is key-framing?)
Key-framing
This is part of the process in traditional 2D animation where the animator draws the key frames of movement for a scene. Additional in-between frames are later added to create smoother movement; this next step is called "tweening."
From this...
... to this.
The Golden Age
Innovation in Animation
(1920s - 1950s)
This period is best defined by the development of key studios, artists, and techniques.
Starting with...
Disney & Steamboat Willie (1928)
Though not the first animated film with sound, it was the first to use post-production sound design and marked the end of the Silent Age and the start of the Golden Age.
This was also Mickey and Minnie's first commercial appearance.
- Animated by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks
Rotoscoping involved filming live-reenactments of a scene, then having animators tracing their movements.
Fleischer & Rotoscoping (1928)
This method was used in the production of all seven of Fleischer's Superman cartoons, as well as some of his feature films, such as Gulliver's Travels.
(More on Fleischer's contributions to animation)
Fleischer's Other Contributions to Animation
- Produced Gulliver's Travels in 1938, a full-length animated film that heavily utilized rotoscoping
- Produced the first animated adaptations of Superman with rotoscoping in 1941
- Created iconic characters, such as Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, and Popeye
- Developed the "setback camera," also known as the "stereooptical process." Although similar to Disney's multiplane camera, the setback camera used a horizontal setup
While Warner Bros. Studios itself was founded in 1923, its animation department was established seven years later and released its first theatrical short (Sinking in the Bathtub) that same year.
Warner Bros. Studios (1930)
Sinking in the Bathtub signaled the start of WB's iconic and long-running Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series.
Other notable developments in animation
M.J. Winkler Productions acquires Otto Mesmer's Felix the Cat films from Paramount Pictures (1922)
Metro-Goldwyn Mayers opens its cartoon division (1937)
First animated film using Technicolor (Fiddlesticks by Ub Iwerks, 1930)
Disney releases Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, its first full-length animated film (1937)
Other notable developments in animation
Founding of UPA (United Productions of America) in 1943
Founding of Hanna-Barbera Studios (1957)
MGM closes its cartoon division (1957)
Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, MGM premieres Tom and Jerry (1940)
Meanwhile, in Japan...
During both the Silent and Golden Ages of Animation in America,
animation in Japan largely followed the footsteps America had created in the visual genre with its development in techniques and styles.
(Japanese animated films produced during America's Golden Age)
Because of heavy government control and censorship of media, most animations from these periods held nationalistic tones or had mainly Japanese affiliations.
Japan's first animated full-length film was Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors (1945), a 74-minute propaganda film produced by Japan's Navy and "designed to lift morale and commitment to the war effort."
The Dark Ages
Diverging Points in Animation History
(1960s - 1980s)
The Genesis of Anime
Following the industry's peak of development, American animations began to exhibit a slow decline in visual quality largely due to the transition from high-budget, detailed films for theatres to cheaper, simplified series for television.
Though still following some visual and storytelling cues from Western animation, Japan began to establish certain styles, narratives, and visual techniques that would later distinguish the Japanese animation industry from its Western counterpart.
While the previous Golden Age was dominated by the Western animation industry, it is the next period of 30 years where Japanese anime begins to distinguish itself from American cartoons.
Decline of the Western Animation industry
Decline in Popularity
With the introduction of home television sets, viewership for theatres began to sharply decline. Because animations at the time were primarily made for cinemas, finances began to drop due to low profits.
Decline in Finances
With less theatre viewership, animation studios were forced to either transition to producing cheaper animations for television, create cheaper methods to use in film production, or shut down.
Decline in Quality
With most studios electing to switch to cheaper production methods, visuals and narratives in animation took a noticeable dip in quality. The passing of key Golden Age creators also affected the quality of work from some studios.
Hanna-Barbera
Its success in televised animations was immediate with The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958.
- Following MGM's closure of its cartoon division, Hanna-Barbera studios was opened in 1957.
They would go on to produce nearly 250 different cartoon series for television over the next 30 years, many of these starring now iconic characters.
(More on Hanna-Barbera and Limited Animation)
US
Hanna-Barbera & Limited Animation
Although this style greatly compromises artistic integrity, Hanna-Barbera's limited animation techniques greatly cut costs. This allowed them to produce a large number of shows and episodes on a much smaller budget than that of Golden Age film budgets.
Some of these techniques include recycling art, repeating backgrounds, and using a more cartoony, simplified style. The studio even elected to have more "characters with 'muzzles' so only their mouths had to be animated." Some smaller animation studios followed these methods with lesser success.
(Repeated background use in Yogi Bear)
(Clip of Spider-Man, 1967)
In 1956, president of Toei Film Company Okawa Hiroshi opened Toei Animation with the ambition of becoming the "Disney of the East.".
Patterning methods after Disney's "assembly-line production," the studio would release Japan's first animated feature film in color - Hakujaden (The Tale of the White Serpent, 1958).
JP
Astro Boy (1963)
Premiering on January 1, 1963, Tezuka Osamu's Tetsuwan Atomu was Japan's first popular animated TV series.
While mainly aimed for children, the series also discussed mature topics - such as the pros and cons of nuclear energy and the growing use of technology in society - in a way palatable for both adults and children.
JP
Disney's Dark Ages
Walt Disney passes away on December 16, 1966, due to lung cancer complications.
During this period, Disney Studios began utilizing Xeroxing, a process that photocopies an animator's work directly onto the animation cels.
Disney Studios struggles to replicate their Golden Age successes with any of their seven films during this period, quite possibly due to the absence of Walt's guidance.
(Sword in the Stone, 1963)
US
Cartoons as Advertisement
Due to broadcasting reforms by Reagan in 1980, serial cartoon advertisements began to flourish with series like Transformers, He-Man, Rainbow Brite, and My Little Pony, to name a few.
(Rainbow Brite, 1984)
In 1969, toy company Mattel developed with ABC Network a TV series to advertise its Hot Wheels franchise. Although the series was later cancelled due to pressure from FCC and media watch groups, it paved the way for future forays into serial cartoon advertisements.
US
Growth of the Anime Industry
(Notable animes during 1960-1970)
(Speed Racer, 1963)
(Mobile Suit Gundam, 1979)
(Lupin III, 1971)
(Cutie Honey, 1973)
(Sally the Witch, 1966)
(Doraemon, 1973)
(Rose of Versailles, 1979)
- First magical girl anime series
- Introduced the magical girl transformation scene
- Well-known for its yuri elements (female/female romance)
- Introduced "more serious and complex stories aimed at an older audience"
- First anime with a female protaganist in a series aimed at young men
- Introduced the magical girl trope of losing clothes during the transformation sequence
- Premiered on American television on 1967
- First mecha anime series
- Integration of Gunpla models boosted the show's popularity significantly
- One of Japan's longest running anime series
- Anime was initially unpopular until later produced in 1979 by Shin-Ei Animation
- Ended with 1,787 episodes on March 25, 2005
- Original director Masaaki Osumi was later replaced by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, both of whom would later found Studio Ghibli
JP
The Renaissance
Animation Rejuvenation
(1980s - 1990s)
The Golden Age of Anime
Animation Innovation
Production of iconic anime in Japan
(Dragonball, 1986; Dragonball Z, 1993)
(Sailor Moon, 1991)
(Cowboy Bebop, 1998)
(Pokemon, 1997)
(Berserk, 1997)
JP
These are only a few of memorable anime series produced during the 80s and 90s.
Development of cartoon cable channels
Cartoon Network
Nickelodeon
- Rebranded in 1984 after the channel suffered losses at $4 million
- Produced its first three cartoon series in 1991- Doug, Rugrats, and The Ren & Stimpy Show
- Began airing in 1992 as the world's first all-cartoon 24-hour network
- Initially aired only its catalogue of MGM and WB shorts and Hanna-Barbera series
- Began creating in-house content with its own studio in 1994
US
Akira (1988)
Although production cost $11 million - making it the most expensive film produced at the time - Akira proved to be an international success.
Because of its success, it is also widely considered as the West's biggest introduction to Japanese anime.
JP
The Disney Renaissance
US
With The Little Mermaid's release in 1989, an abandoned Golden Age project, Disney began a return to more musical, animated films. This period of financially successful films lasted from 1989 to 1999 and is regarded as Disney's Renaissance Age.
(Tarzan, 1999)
(The Little Mermaid, 1989)
(Aladdin, 1992)
(The Lion King, 1994)
Introduction of CG animation
Pixar releases its first film, as well as the world's first fully CG animated film - Toy Story (1995).
They would later release two more CG films during this period - A Bug's Life (1999) and Toy Story 2 (1999) both of which were financial successes like Toy Story.
Pixar's repeated successes at the box office would later encourage most animation studios to switch to the increasingly popular 3D format.
US
The Modern Age
A Growing Divide between East and West
(2000s - Present)
The differences in the visual genre's split history between Japan and America have resulted in notably different directions for these branches of the animation industry.
Animation as both Product and Art
While merchandising undoubtedly plays an integral part in the anime industry, opportunity for artistic expression and experimentation is still demonstrated in most anime series.
This artistic creativity is best seen through sakuga moments and series that visually experiment outside industry norms.
(Above: A fight scene from 2016's One Punch Man; Below: Merchandise for One Punch Man)
Animation as Product, Rather than Art
What types of Western films and cartoons are produced is often heavily influenced by the potential for merchandising.
Primary examples of this would be the relationships between certain animated films and shows -such as Minion (2016) or the 2016 Powerpuff Girls Reboot - and merchandising.
Animation as a format for a wider audience
Japanese animation studios produce a wide variety of content meant to appeal to both children and adults and have specific genres for specific demographics.
JP
The erotic hentai and ecchi anime genres are especially strong evidence that the Japanese anime demographic range extends past children and young teens.
Animation as a Format primarily for Children
With the current stigma that animation is a visual medium primarily for children, majority of US animations are child-oriented media with adult cartoons as the minority.
Recent attempts at using the medium for adult narratives have had mixed results. (More detail below)
Anomalisa
2016's Adult-Oriented Animated Films
Sausage Party
Although received with immense critical laud, Anomalisa was a financial failure - only making back $3 million out of its $8 million production budget - and lost to Pixar's Inside Out at The Academy Awards.
Following the film's release, animators of Sausage Party filed complaints that they were forced to either work unpaid overtime or risk being fired by Nitrogen Studios.
Strongly standardized look for the anime industry
Over the past 50 years, the anime industry has created a distinct, standardized visual style utilized by majority of anime.
This visual standardization has prompted some experimentation by recent series, such as Ping Pong the Animation (2014).
3D Animation as the Popular Film Format
Given Pixar and Dreamworks' successes with CG animation, most modern animation film studios mainly work with 3D animation.
Traditional, 2D animation is mostly reserved for concept work and storyboarding.
So, which is better?
Anime or cartoons?
Given their strong differences in history and current directions, neither Japanese anime or American cartoons can be objectively established as superior over the other.
References
References
Anime vs. Cartoons
By Cassie / Casey
Anime vs. Cartoons
Why is there a divide between the attitudes towards eastern and western animation? This presentation seeks to answer this question by analyzing the split history between the visual genres.
