Can Americans Make Anime?

[Dissentient]

Well, it's not a public opinion list, but things that I like. Fuck the public. You might also notice Rocket Girls, and Lovely Complex on the list, that are also not generally recognized classics.

I don't care about public opinion on tastes, it's just that I can't imagine what was going on inside your head while you were watching it so that it made inside your top list.

Surprisingly, almost all of my favorites [http://myanimelist.net/animelist/Dissentient&show=0&order=4] are in top 100.

 

[Alterego-X]

Well, it's not a public opinion list, but things that I like. Fuck the public. You might also notice Rocket Girls, and Lovely Complex on the list, that are also not generally recognized classics.

I don't care about public opinion on tastes, it's just that I can't imagine what was going on inside your head while you were watching it so that it made inside your top list.

It has an interesting take on abstinence and teenage relationships that's not all that common in anime, or anywhere else for that matter. Also, nice music.

 

[knight4light]

Yeah I pretty much agree with you fully. Not much else I can say.

Also this

have that and its "not every opening" in one of my playlists .. its totaly true! xD

 

[The Human Torch]

Snip.

Let me say that you are indeed nitpicking. I was making a very broad statement AND YES, OF COURSE THERE ARE SHOWS THAT ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE. Christ, I knew that as soon as I made my original post, someone would jump on it...there are debates that you don't want to be a part of.

I already narrowed my "Topics To Avoid List" to: religion, MLP: Friendship is Magic, pedophilia and rape. I will add 'anime' to that list. In the meantime I will finish watching One Piece.

 

[axlryder]

Can Americans Make Anime?

I've watched Avatar and Legend of Korra


Short answer: Yes

TRUE ANIME IS MADE IN JAPAN. Funimation which is an AMERICAN COMPANY that most of the time translate TRUE ANIME into english for an American audience. However they somehow got it into their head to make Mass Effect: Paragon Lost (movie) was a good idea to make well just watch the trailer to see if an american company can make a " decent " I'll wait.
Yep I know it sucked but you know why. It's not because it's based on a game it's because it's AMERICAN MADE two last example's.

Yep they both sucked too you know why ? IT'S AMERICAN MADE. We American's can COPY the style but not the CULTURE.

What are you on about? The shows are bad because it's Americans copying the anime style? No, the shows are bad because they're bad. End of story. Americans can clearly emulate the anime style and create a quality product from it. Will it feel just like anime? Probably not. That has nothing to do with the show being GOOD.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Anime in Japan is geared towards a fairly large group. Much larger than the cartoon range in the U.S.

Also not true. What audience is Futurama geared towards? Or what about the stuff on adult Swim? Or the adult jokes that were everywhere in Animaniacs?

And "geared to" one demographic doesn't mean enjoyed by an older or younger one, if My Little Pony is any indication.

 

[Sahasrala88]

The writer of this article had the definition right early on. The term "anime" refers only to animation created by a Japanese animation team, produced in Japan, and developed for a Japanese audience. It describes the work's geographic origin. You shouldn't be classifying Korra as part of the anime genre because "anime" itself isn't a genre.

Korra and Avatar aren't anime, because they weren't made by and for Japan. That does not make them bad shows and it doesn't lessen their legitimacy as great works of fiction. The shows certainly take a lot of inspiration from Japanese shows, in particular the Shonen genre in anime. Anime itself is not a genre, so even calling something a "western anime" or an "American anime" doesn't really work. Japanese animation has a wide variety of genres. You have westerns, sci-fi, horror, mystery, action, and even sports. "Anime" is simply a term to use to identify it's country of origin.

The way I see it, a good show or movie is a good show or movie. It doesn't matter what country it came from or what art style it uses. I enjoy shows like Avatar and Korra just as much as I enjoy Full Metal Alchemist, Cowboy Bebop, and FLCL. We don't need to validate shows by saying that they are "Western-anime", and therefore somehow better than other western animation. The shows should be judged by their own merits or lack there of. At least that's my opinion.

 

[The Deadpool]

No. Do you think Elfen Lied or Cowboy Bebop are intended for little kids?

Cowboy BeBop was actually not that popular in Japan... And besides, adult cartoons exists on BOTH cultures. By and large, cartoons are still made for kids. One Piece, Bleach, Naruto... three biggest anime? All kids cartoons.

Which is amusing, since the most popular cartoons in America are the Simpsons, Family Guy and South Park, neither of which have really been geared at kids in a while (South Park used to be, but not so much now), and yet anime are somehow known as "more mature".

No medium is childish or mature. For every Citizen Kaine there's an Air Bud. For every Pride and Prejudice there's a HI! Fly Guy! It's silly to denounce a whole medium as adult or childish.

 

[Tony2077]

Snip.

Let me say that you are indeed nitpicking. I was making a very broad statement AND YES, OF COURSE THERE ARE SHOWS THAT ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE. Christ, I knew that as soon as I made my original post, someone would jump on it...there are debates that you don't want to be a part of.

I already narrowed my "Topics To Avoid List" to: religion, MLP: Friendship is Magic, pedophilia and rape. I will add 'anime' to that list. In the meantime I will finish watching One Piece.

i wasn't nitpicking i was just saying when there is enough of something generalize can't be helped from time to time

 

[The_Critic]

Can Americans Make Anime?

I've watched Avatar and Legend of Korra


Short answer: Yes

TRUE ANIME IS MADE IN JAPAN. Funimation which is an AMERICAN COMPANY that most of the time translate TRUE ANIME into english for an American audience....

Yep they both sucked too you know why ? IT'S AMERICAN MADE. We American's can COPY the style but not the CULTURE.

Animatrixs made by Japanese animation studios, Americans where copying anime, despite not making the film.

"Critics like the movie until the found it it wasn't European.".

You see this is what I mean, the complete amount of bullshit anime fans will fill themselves with in order to make anime "superior".

I'm not wrong the animatrix WAS MADE BY AMERICANS I've rented the dvd's and seen the BEHIND THE SCENES it was made by americans. I'm not feeling superior I'm just laughing at the notion that we can successfully copy anime and have it be well made. Yes Americans can copy it but only VERY VERY BADLY. I will not respond to any more childish retorts by of this caliber

Meh I don't think Anime is a label that should be strived for. In my opinion there is very little good anime.

YOU SIR are incorrect. There is a lot of good anime just a lot more bad anime.

Death Note
Code Geass
Fairy Tail
One Piece
Naruto
Naruto Shippuden
Bleach
GTO
Kenshin
World Strongest Disciple Kenichi
Black Lagoon
Baccano!
Etc. Etc.

From your list I would only call good 3.5 out of 12 (Death Note counts as 0.5).
Please, don't post a list of what you like to prove your point.

I'm not posting a list of what I like, these are widely considered some of the most popular animes out there, and some of the best.

And for whoever said Naruto and Shippuden are the same. I suppose technically they are the same but the writer found it necessary to separate them and so I separated them also.

And for people who say what is on my list isn't good anime. I believe "good" is a matter of opinion, and frankly I don't give a fuck what your opinion is, I stated mine and thats that.

 

[The Deadpool]

[I'm not wrong the animatrix WAS MADE BY AMERICANS

Final Flight of the Osiris and Kid's Story were made by the Wachowski Brothes.

Both parts of The Second Renaissance were written and directed by Mahiro Maeda, who helped animate Castle In the Sky and Porco Rosso and directed Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo and even designed the Angels from Evangelion.

Program was written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the creator of Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.

World Record was created by Madhouse involved in Trigun and Death Note.

Beyond was by Koji Morimoto, who didn't do much of note (he did direct the concert scenes from Macross Plus apparently).

Detective's Story is by Shinchiro Watanabe, of Cowboy BeBop fame (and Samurai Champloo, and Eureka 7)

Matriculaed was done by Peter Chung, which is admittedly Korean American.

 

[Darth_Payn]

Of course Last Airbender and Legend of Korra count as anime! I see cosplayers dressing up as those characters every year at FanimeCon. But I agree with Chris here, a work's place of origin or home platform shouldn't hamper which genre it belongs to.

 

[sageoftruth]

I definitely have to agree with the writer about the homogenization of anime. It can be such a pain trying to find a new series to start, when I can't find a source online or in bookstores that categorizes the material. Whenever I see a name I haven't heard before, I can't tell if I'm about to look into a shonen action series, a yaoi romance, an ultra violent horror series, or an embarrassingly sexualized ecci series, until I've at least read the first volume. It doesn't help that I don't know Japanese.

For me season lists and myanimelist top are enough to find new titles to watch. Although I agree that it's hard to find where to look for something to watch and where to download it on your own. I somehow managed though.

Thanks for that. I'll check them out when I get the chance. This should come in handy. The reason I have so much trouble is because I'm primarily a manga reader and I get my manga through an iPad app. The anime selection is huge, but unlike Netflix, it's just an alphabetized list of titles, 99% which I've never heard of.

 

[Itchi_da_killa]

I say yes.

From what I have learned over the years is that Anime was heavily influenced by Disney back in the day anyways. The so-called strictly Japanese productions that many of us old Anime fans have seen contain many western influences as well. Aside from some of the story telling there are a few techniques in design, animation and color tones that help make it distinct but I don't think that these techniques should be exclusive to the Japanese. Artist and story tellers all take from each other (in a good way) to advance their mediums. The criticism is superficial.

Works such as, Avatar: The Last Airbender was amazing. I like it "more" than much of what I see from Japan. Batman Beyond and Teen Titans, awesome!

 

[Nurb]

Are we sure we don't mean "good" animation? All the animation in North America is 3D or cheap-n-quick kids shows and Adult swim stuff, mostly animated in Asian studios.

But hey, the French are getting it.

 

[Maniclings]

This question really just seems to be about semantics.
If you go with the japanese meaning of the word, animation, then everything animated is anime and there is the answer to the question. Yes because it is animated it is anime.

But most english speakers who use the word anime don't use it to mean animation. A native english speaker won't recommend you to watch their favourite 'anime' futurama, they will say their favourite 'cartoon'.
So what does the word anime mean? When I hear it or see it I see it as meaning Japanese animation, if someone tells me about a great anime I think of it having a particular flavour unique to it being Japanese. So I would feel incorrect about calling avatar or korra an anime cause it just lacks this flavour. That doesn't make it bad, it's made by western creaters for a western audiance and is completely different to anime because it comes from a different cultural background. I wouldn't think that anime is a good description for it.
I really don't see how that devalues the series though, anime isn't a distinction of quality it is a distinction of origin.
I guess it has just been that quality has been correlated to the origin for so long people understand the word to have an indication for the quality.

But really it is all just semantics. In my opinion Americans can't make anime because the word implies a certain cultural flavour that a non native can't reproduce.
This doesn't mean non japanese countries can't make great cartoons or adult themed cartoons or even use animation styles commonly associated with anime. But if you wanted to communicate to someone what they should expect from it you should make note of the region that it came from.
The cultural background of the creater makes a huge difference to the final product.
Just like the region an alcohol is made makes a difference to the product, the flavour is influenced by things unique to that region.

 

[axlryder]

[I'm not wrong the animatrix WAS MADE BY AMERICANS

Final Flight of the Osiris and Kid's Story were made by the Wachowski Brothes.

Both parts of The Second Renaissance were written and directed by Mahiro Maeda, who helped animate Castle In the Sky and Porco Rosso and directed Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo and even designed the Angels from Evangelion.

Program was written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the creator of Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.

World Record was created by Madhouse involved in Trigun and Death Note.

Beyond was by Koji Morimoto, who didn't do much of note (he did direct the concert scenes from Macross Plus apparently).

Detective's Story is by Shinchiro Watanabe, of Cowboy BeBop fame (and Samurai Champloo, and Eureka 7)

Matriculaed was done by Peter Chung, which is admittedly Korean American.

I'd just assumed he was specifically referring to Final Flight of the Osiris (given the link he posted). If not, oh boy.

 

[ThunderCavalier]

I see anime more defined as a stylistic art design more than anything, and if I refer to something as an 'anime,' it's probably just because of the art design that was originally produced and, now, probably inspired by Japan.

Personally, I think any conventions or purists that look down on the Avatar series purely because of its roots just see it as something that doesn't belong based on its production, which I guess it somewhat understandable, given how a fairly good amount of these people are die-hard otakus that would give a leg for their Japanese stuff, but honestly I feel they need to get over themselves. The series, and other Western animations that have taken cues from anime (*cough*TeenTitans*cough*) have proven to share some of the similarities of the more positive notes of the typical popular anime, these being a smooth and slick animation, good writing, fairly good art design, well-developed and likable characters, and humorous comedy bits. The purists probably want to argue that 'anime' can't be made anywhere better than the people that originally designed it, but they honestly need to take off their rose-colored glasses and realize that most anime, especially some of the more recent stuff... kinda sucks. Or, at the very least, isn't as great as they hail.

Not saying that everything released in the past year or so sucks or wasn't that great. Madoka ftw. Tied with TTGL as my favorite anime of all time.

 

[VanQ]

Snip.

I'd just like to say how excellent this post is. You hit the nail right on the head and there is nothing more I could add to such a well thought out and fantastic argument. Seriously, 5 star post.

 

[Redhawkmillenium]

Here's my 2 cents:

The title "anime" is not descriptive of a specific art style. One Piece is sharply different from other anime series, yet it's still considered an anime. No, what makes anime "anime" is the underlying production procedure. Brian Hanson of Anime News Network talks about it here. [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2012-04-20] The animation industries of America and Japan essentially evolved differently, and do things differently. The very first animators in Japan watched cartoons coming out of America and tried to reverse engineer them without any idea how they were actually made. This difference goes beyond simple geographic boundaries.

To use the bourbon analogy, it's not simply using the bourbon recipe in Canada. It's as if someone took a case of bourbon up to Canada and some brewers there tried figuring out how to make it without actually knowing the recipe. Could they end up making something that tastes similar? Yes, but it still won't be bourbon, and not just because it wasn't made in the United States. Conversely, bourbon won't be the same thing as the drink the brewers in Canada came up with.

So Legend of Korra and other western animated shows are categorically not anime. But does it really matter? Good storytelling and good art is not something that any nation owns exclusive rights to.