Anime-influenced animation

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The Teen Titans animated series is an example of anime-influenced animation.

Anime-influenced animation refers to non-Japanese works of animation that emulate the visual style of anime. Though most of these works are created by and primarily shown in the United States, many also involve production studios from Europe and non-Japanese Asia; for example, one recent series, Totally Spies!, is made by French company Marathon. With the rise of anime's popularity in the western hemisphere, it has become a rapidly growing trend in the animation produced there.

1 Background
2 Resemblance to Anime
3 Criticism
4 Examples of anime-influenced animation
5 References
6 See also

[edit] Background

As predecessors, anime-influenced animation owes to manga-influenced comics and La nouvelle manga, due to manga influences affecting the American and Franco-Belgian comic book industries. At the same time, the increasing amount of Japanese anime series coming into the US, starting mainly with Robotech (though other Americanized anime series were broadcast as early as the 1950s) impacted a generation of writers, animators and artists. On a similar level, Japanese cinema, such as jidaigeki, also influenced directors and others. As the Japanese artforms made an impact overseas, creators outside of Japan began to emulate the styles, dynamics, and clichés of the Japanese forms.

Visually, there are still some differences between true anime and anime-influenced animation. In some cases, enough so that it can be spotted by most fans of the genre. While anime from Japan tends to immerse the characters, actions and settings in a Japanese context due to the experiences of the creators, other animation tends to place little stock in these or will sometimes leave such devices out entirely. This has caused critics of the style to refer to it as nothing more than retrofitting anime styling to western plotlines. Additionally, it is made for Western television and audiences. They will often have a different pace than its Japanese counterparts. Another difference is fanservice. It may be present to some degree or other in most anime works. Fanservice will often not be included in Western animation due to censorship policies and other policies used by domestic animation.

Some American animated television series have singled out anime styling with satirical intent, for example South Park (with "Chinpokomon" and "Good Times With Weapons"). South Park has a notable drawing style, which was itself parodied in "Brittle Bullet", the fifth episode of the anime FLCL, released several months after "Chinpokomon" aired. Furthering the cycle is Teen Titans, a series that references FLCL on multiple points. [1]

[edit] Resemblance to Anime

Due to anime influence, Western animation adopted some techniques and gags from anime. Here are a few examples:

Anime face faults used to show characters' instant emotions, for example, the sweat drop.
Increased use of Japanese references, from names to cultural elements.
Use of genres typically found in anime, like mecha.
Use of Chibis.

[edit] Criticism

The style is sometimes lambasted by critics and fans of anime and limited animation alike, for a number of reasons, such as the idea that the "Americanization" of anime is untrue to original Japanese works. Critics say works whose style tries to emulate anime are insulting to "true" anime (which is made in Japan) and the many concepts imitated are not easily explainable in English animation. It is often called "fauxnime" by critics and fans alike. A simpler more generic term, "fusion," has also arisen, while the new term "Amerime" more specifically describes the style. There has also been criticism about fans who accept animation from Japan but turn down "anime-influenced" animation from America or Western countries just because it was not made in Japan or other Eastern countries. Likewise, some fans of Western animation have criticised this newer fad as being used to create animation quickly and cheaply rather than using the perceived fluid and detailed animation seen in regular Western styles prevalent in most feature films (most notably Disney), animated shorts produced during the The Golden Age of Hollywood animation, as well as many televised late 80s-mid 90s cartoon series. Some even believe that this new trend is actually eclipsing Western animation completely and cheapening Western art.

It is similar to the criticism of anime works done by Japanese studios that are based on American content, such as the 2006 Witchblade anime, and Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z.