Animation aimed at kids, Jap vs American

[bum]

Everyone here know's about this common view that anime is much more mature than alot of western shows and cartoons. But has anyone taken a look at this view from a reversed pov? As far as what would generaly be percieced as "kids cartoons", the japanese stuff couldnt hold a candle to some of the great, lighthearted shows for the hours before or after school, and saturday mornings where kids shows rein. I love shows like powerpuff girls, spongebob squar pants, sheep in the big city and a whole lot of other american cartoons which are obviosly ment for a younger audience. Theirs a certian feel that alot of these cartoons carry. Its the same reason why I watched them when I was 7 and I'm still watching them now as I'm almost 18. An undeniable style and quality. Sure the art isn't of a prticularly high quality, but when the dialog is of such a high standard then its realy hard to give a damn about something which you'l probably never notice. Take south part for example. The drawings suck and animation is almost nonexistant, yet the dialogue is of such a high quality that you couldnt imagine it being any sort of visual marvel. I've yet to see a japanese cartoon aimed at a younger audience thats written so well. Sure theirs a sence of humor in them, but overall I feel that japanese cartoons are just too damn serios too much of the time.

[Otohiko]

I think it depends. I, for one, have always been a skeptic on American kids cartoons (then again, culturally, I'm somewhat alien to the American value system etc. They just don't seem very funny or lighthearted at all, to me - with a few possible exceptions)
Honestly, I as a 12-year old would have been totally in love with Pokemon and Digimon (but I was about 15 by the time they came out); and Naruto is like my dream 14-year-old show. (alas, it came out when I was approaching 20, and won't be on TV 'til I'm past 21).

Anime, when I first saw it on TV (Pokemon, Digimon, Sailormoon, Gundam Wing, etc etc), were a HUGE breath of fresh air for me when I first saw them (I was ~15), because I was growing very tired of American kids' material (didn't take me long, either). I liked some semblance of seriousness and plot in there, and I even thought they were more entertaining...

But while I still don't like (most) American kids' programming, I do like their more 'mature' cartoons a lot (Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, etc etc.) These I do find infinitely funnier than (most) anime.

[EmilLang1000]

You have to look at it this way
Early 90's - ANYTHING goes...either country (Ren & Stimpy, thank you.)
Now - Spongebob's as bad as you're gonna get; Batman Beyond and Zim got canceled cause they were "too violent for children." Japan, well, their TVY7 is what we call TVPG... ain't it grand?

[Thunder Hawk]

American Cartoons are just the same old thing rehashed into something new. Most of the episodes stand alone, and they hardly ever even referance eariler episodes. They can be run in any order, no climax spanning the serise. Most Anime (few exception) are a conitnuing story that actions come back to huant the charaters. Evangelion is a good example of how the charaters evolve (or plung into depression). In American TV, the charaters almost never change, the end of the episode has an ending that puts everything back in order.

In Gundam SEED, the Charaters on the Archangle gain a new perception of the world with the Battle and Desturction of JOSH-A by the Cyclops system and the change of power in the UEF leadership, this completely changed the direction of the serise. Vash was Traumatized for an entire episode for killing Legato.

Amine MUST be shown in a specific order otherwise the plot doesn't exisit. This is the main difference. Most anime ins't gear for children, many have very deep themes that college students can write their thesis papers on. American cartoons have small lessons that take 10 minutes to learn, if any. I'm still trying to figure out what all of evangelion means (lets not turn this thread into another plot anaylis of eva). They're 2 completely different Beasts, like american TV have all the complexity of a mirobe eating smaller microbes, while anime is a human being, contanstly changing with its environment. I don't want charater sereotypes in simple situations, i want "real" charaters pushed to the edge. These are the main reasons why i watch anime: its dept, believable charaters, and they're not afriad to show alittle blood.

[MOD22: Added spoiler tags.]

[bum]

Most of the episodes stand alone, and they hardly ever even referance eariler episodes. They can be run in any order, no climax spanning the serise. Most Anime (few exception) are a conitnuing story that actions come back to huant the charaters. Evangelion is a good example of how the charaters evolve (or plung into depression).

Animation aimed at kids, Jap vs American

[OtakuMan22]

Oh thank goodness, I thought it was only me that read that part!

I start noticing mentionings of South Park, Simpsons, and the like, and I start thinking "WHOOSH!"

So, anime aimed at kids:

One Piece
Shaman King
Yu-Gi-Oh
Pokemon
Doraemon
Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atomu)
Dragon Ball Z
Sailor Moon
Cutey Honey Flash
Digimon...

Animation from the USA aimed at kids:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Cramp Twins
Winx Club
Static Shock
Spongebob Squarepants
The Wild Thornberries
Rugrats
Recess
Teacher's Pet...

Clearly there is a BIG divide in the quality of kids shows from here and there. This might be a big reason why most kids shows are now imported from Japan.

First off, one big reason for this is the fact that major local networks in the US DO NOT CARE about kids TV at all! Where's the ratings in that?! They ditch it for better dramas and sitcoms and focus all their efforts into the next great TV program. Kids TV? Who cares?! They sure don't!

That's why most TV shows for kids are now released through separate companies who are hired by the network to do the work for them. That's why Fox Box became 4Kids TV. Since most of the stuff is from 4Kids, this was a natural move. Fox didn't want to waste their energy on a market they LITERALLY do not care for! So now there's Kids WB, 4Kids TV, and of course the kid-intended markets of Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network is the best of them all because they do something the network generated programming does not do. They CARE! They actually put good writers and nifty new animation styles into their programming to REVIVE the lost art of animation in the eyes of the American public. Shows like Teen Titans and Megas XLR are REALLY GOOD!

In short, the big difference between the two is that Japan cares and puts effort into their shows. America does not.

~Otaku-Man

[bum]

In short, the big difference between the two is that Japan cares and puts effort into their shows. America does not.

That oppinion is rather stupid. To make a clear good/bad destinction between japanese and american cartoons is nothing more than a typical anime fanboy pov. Most american cartoons aimed at kids are squarely AIMED AT KIDS. Most of the japanese cartoons you mentioned can get very serios alot of the time. It seems that the japeanese way with animation is to get the kids to grow up faster while the american way is to let kids be kids and enjoy things kids would enjoy watching without geting all serios. American cartoons are generaly fun, lighthearted and dont make much sence because that would defeat the whole point of it . If you cant enjoy shows like spongebob and powerpuff girls then you've grown up too much and have forgoten what it'l like to be a child.

[Chocobuddha]

Clearly there is a BIG divide in the quality of kids shows from here and there. This might be a big reason why most kids shows are now imported from Japan.

Oh, that's just a load of bull. What kid's shows are imported from Japan? Pokemon? Yugioh? Rave Master? Hell, I'd even take Static Shock over those three any day. Awesome kid's cartoons like "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" and "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" may be episodic, but are nowhere near lacking quality. The focus is just different, that's all.

[Zephyrias]

If I were still 9 and in elementary school, I would definately pick Pokemon or Digimon over crud like Spongebob Squarepants or Catdog. Even kiddie anime series like Digimon have waaaaay more character development and conflicts than the shows you find on Nickalodeon. 9 year-olds in Japan get to enjoy excellent shows like Naruto while that same age group here in America are deprived of anything that contains any more blood spill than a papercut.

[SarahtheBoring]

9 year-olds in Japan get to enjoy excellent shows like Naruto while that same age group here in America are deprived of anything that contains any more blood spill than a papercut.

So... blood automatically makes a series good?

Okay.

(I get what you're saying, but the way you said it... just... no.)