Movement In Anime Compared To American Cartoons

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amvwizard
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Movement In Anime Compared To American Cartoons

Post by amvwizard » Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:26 pm

I was watching some american cartoons the other day and i noticed that the charcters movements were much more detailed. And they didn't just stand completley still and talk. They looked like they had more emotion when they move and talk compared to when they just stand there and talk. :D

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angelx03
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Post by angelx03 » Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:33 pm

What exactly were you watching? That statement seems generalized. :?
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Joe88
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Post by Joe88 » Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:04 pm

Yea, are talking about a US animated sitcom like family guy or somthing ?

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doughboy
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Re: Movement In Anime Compared To American Cartoons

Post by doughboy » Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:06 pm

amvwizard wrote:I was watching some american cartoons the other day and i noticed that the charcters movements were much more detailed. And they didn't just stand completley still and talk. They looked like they had more emotion when they move and talk compared to when they just stand there and talk. :D
I personally prefer the anime style, it's distracting as hell when characters are moving around unrealistically and spastic. More emotion? They are more expressive but it's really desensitizing to see characters bend and flail all the time as opposed to short and controlled emotional outburts (animating when it matters most, not excessively to hide how uninteresting the characters are).

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amvwizard
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Post by amvwizard » Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:05 pm

I see what your saying ^^^^

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devilmaykickass
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Post by devilmaykickass » Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:51 pm

It's true...in fact, that's probably the third most poked at anime aspect, right after big eyes and wacky hair color. I think this is because typically (but certainly not always) there's more detail in the shading/shadowing of animation that skips inbetween movement rather than making a smoother movement, like anime typically does.

Of course, that's when you're talking about series'. Movies are an entirely different story, and Disney has probably done better than anyone else has as far as level of detail and smootheness in motion. It's quite amazing after you watch anime for so long then go back and watch the Lion King or the Little Mermaid.

I suppose Studio Ghibli comes the closest to rivaling their level of quality, and they don't really come that close.

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Otohiko
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Post by Otohiko » Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:31 pm

It's only logical. You spend your budget on one thing, and save it on another. Most anime are relatively low-budget - especially when you compare it to something like major Disney features, so, they tend to spend their budget on developing nicer artwork and skipping off on animation.

That said, with increased use of CG, a typical anime can afford to do much more visually than it used to on a relatively limited budget.

Frankly, I actually like the fact that anime tends to be a bit more static :roll:
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Super Shanko
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Post by Super Shanko » Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:37 pm

hmm, thats not what the Tokyo Governer thinks.
Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara denounced Mickey Mouse at the opening of the Tokyo International Anime Fair, according to UPI. "I hate Mickey Mouse," he reportedly said. "He has nothing like the unique
sensibility that Japan has. The Japanese are inherently skilled at visual expression and detailed work."
It pays to get news letters :wink:
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EmilLang1000
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Post by EmilLang1000 » Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:42 pm

actually, Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis it pretty Disney-esque.

What american animation concentrates on more than anything is "squash and stretch." Even though this typically means literal squashing and stretching, it also means "anticipation and followthrough." Basically, in order for a character to jump, first they must bend down. This happens with EVERYTHING: when a character moves their hand, there is a split second where the hand moves BACKWARDS before moving forwards.

Also, typical American animation is done in a technique called "two's." This means one image for every two frames (30 frames/second standard, effectively 15 fps in two's). Anime is often done in "three's." Disney, and high-quality Anime, is done in "one's," meaning an exact one-to-one ratio of images to frames.

One's and Two's are usually pretty similar, and two's are done for TV because it's cheaper. Because Anime directors have traditionally done shows and movies for as little as possible while still maintaining a decent visual, three's and "four's" were employed often in Japan. Recently, though, with the advent of computer coloring and imaging, as well as increased funding, many Anime studios have changed to the practice of making shows in two's (To see an example, compare the total quality of animation between the original Ah! My Goddess OVA and the newer Ah! My Goddess TV show... although the AMG OVA had amazing animation for its time, and still pretty darn good nowadays, the TV show is, in a lot of ways, more fluid and visually pleasing).
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Otohiko
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Post by Otohiko » Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:49 pm

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara denounced Mickey Mouse
Uncultured swine!

Where does he think modern animation came from? :roll:

ehm, whatev.

I think Western animation studios need to be given credit, though. There's little doubt they turn out some very high-quality work, as far as animation goes.

But the governor of Tokyo is right in that the Japanese culture is key to giving anime the appeal that it has, including among fans elsewhere. I think most of us would agree that the part of anime that appeals to us is mostly that they can get away with 'edgier' stuff, which Japanese culture is more forgiving on.

But that's no reason to hate the mouse.
The Birds are using humanity in order to throw something terrifying at this green pig. And then what happens to us all later, that’s simply not important to them…

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