About American Anime
American anime is a subject that is debated heavily among anime enthusiasts---does it exist? Can and should anime cartoons by American artists be separated from the anime of Japanese artists? If so, what differentiates it? Some people identify anime as "any Japanese animation," but others give it a more specific definition, one based on the hand-drawn style. Although computers have modernized the process, most anime is still hand drawn today.
Other People Are Reading
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History
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Anime was first seen in Japan as early as 1917, when private filmmakers debuted hand drawn, animated cartoon films inspired by American and European animated films. The first three films were each one to five minutes long and only used a single reel. By the 1920s, animated cartoons in Japan were up to three reels long and featured everything from traditional Oriental folk tales to remakes of American and European cartoons. During the 1930s, more Western humor began entering anime cartoons.
Time Frame
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The first anime television show in the U.S. was "Astro Boy," shown on NBC in 1963. Several other anime cartoons were introduced over the next couple of decades, but the 1980s were considered the Golden Age of American anime. Twenty-one new anime television series were presented to U.S. audiences during the '80s. During the 1990s, American anime got even more advanced, and syndication allowed the return of many old anime shows. The '90s also brought shows like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh.
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Identification
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American anime has developed its own flavor through the years, so while the art appears similar to its Japanese counterpart, there are subtle differences. For example, American anime tends to be geared around superhero-type characters, while Japanese anime tends to revolve around religious and societal themes within the culture. Also, anime in the U.S. is primarily aimed at the children's television demographic, while Japanese anime is also marketed to adults.
Misconceptions
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While network television anime in the U.S. is primarily aimed at children, there is an entire movement by a large community of anime artists and aficionados aimed toward changing that. According to American anime artist Heather Bates, anime is for adults, too. She says every type and theme of anime is available and appreciated in the U.S. today. This includes everything from children's anime, to adult anime, to mature and sometimes even sexually explicit anime.
Expert Insight
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According to Steven Bennett, an anime artist in the industry for over 30 years, there's no such thing as "American Anime." He says, "I see American artists doing anime style as a parent is with a child. There is no "American Anime" because anime means Japanese animation. The U.S. was the parent who gave the process to create the cartoons to Japan, and now are leaning back to learn more from Japan, as a parent does with a child."
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Resources
- Photo Credit All Images Credited to: Heather Bates
