Anime "Anime" that's not from Japan

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticed the trend. You turn on the TV, and there's a new American/Canadian/whatever cartoon... trying its hardest to look like anime because THAT'S WHAT'S KEWL!!!111!!

I know it's only for marketing purposes. Take this quote from Something Awful.com, a bit from a fake cartoon ad:

Although the show is drawn and animated by Canadians, every character has gigantic anime eyes and disproportionate hips because the marketing people have determined that's what sells.

It's true. And it bothers me, not so much because of the idea of marketing an anime-styled show because it sells, but because I haven't seen a cartoon like that yet that's actually watchable. If I saw a GOOD anime-styled cartoon that wasn't from Japan, yeah, I'd watch it. But not the dreck I've been seeing. Sometimes I wish anime wasn't so popular over here, if only to get the crappy shows that mimic it to stop being made.

Any thoughts?

 

Total Spies is a weak performance to capture japanese anime style, they have the sweat drops and etc...

I really don't like that show. Too " Wannabe ".

Isn't Cobra French?

- T

 

I actually quite like teen titans an CN which is almost an anime down to the song whic his now being played in Japanesse it has has chibi seens

 

I think anime will always be the king/queen/whatever.
So there's no use trying to market cheap american/canadian copies. Hell, first pepsi vannila and now this! lol

 

Oh. And dont forget the legendary PowerPuff girls show. My god. When I saw that show I desided that Iwould put whoever created that show out of there misery the first chance I get. And nickalodian(sp) is doing that now to. You know those crappy friday night movies they've been making. I think they were the groovy chicks or something or other like that, and then there was this sumo on. My god it drove me crazy.

 

I think this one is arguealbe SD Gundam Force since it first aired in America but the entire production staff is Japanese and it's Gundam but if you think it is an American show it think it is the best fake abnime

 

I think Totally Spies! is French-produced, if I recall correctly. Or French-Canadian, something like that. Anyway, that show in particular kills a part of me any time I see it. The kids I babysat for before I went to college watched it all the time, and every time the spies pulled exaggerated faces and sweatdropped, all I could think was "Do they think that just doing silly things with your face makes your character an anime character?"

Totally Spies! gives me that "hey, I'm watching animated Barbies in Bond Land" feeling. Barbies animated in France! :dizzy2:

 

We all know that anime is awesome.But it can't be imitated.So please,guys,stop trying.

I totally detest both Totally Spies and Teen Titans.

That's not enitrely true.The second season of Big O was funded and supervised by Cartoon Network,but was still made by bandai Visual.In Japan.Thus making it Japanese.

 

The Powerpuff girls is a great show. And damn funny I may add. It doesn't try to copy anime and cash in on it's popularity. If anything it parodies anime.

I don't see anything wrong with copying the anime style. I see plenty of american artists on and off the net using a horrible hackneyed anime style in comics. It's not really much different.

A lot of people may complain but if any of the anime fanboys out there managed to get their own show it'd be probably be just as bad and unoriginal(judging on the quality of most fan fiction). And there the ones always complaining.

The purists will always be pissed off with anything that tries to be Japanese but isn't.

 

I was just going to post something about "Totally Spies" and "Titans." They are both weak and pathetic attempts at making anime... (well, atleast the spies one is, I've never seen the other one) They may have the look, but the characters are crappy, as well as the plot and the animation, it's horrible ^^;;. Not to mention it gets on my nerves how American they act, it doesn't fit; on the "spies" thing, their "weapons" are cosmetics, like lipstick and hairdryers. That drives me insane. Girls aren't like that in the first place, all giddy and make-up fanatics, to say the least 0.0, and lastly, it tries to mimick anime so bad- they have the sweatdrops, the eyes, and when they fight it reminds me terribly of Usagi and Rei fighting. They try, but it fails!

 

And I would like to point out, yet again, that anime is just the Japanese word for animation. Ergo, anything that is animated is anime. Yes, I know this is the Japanese definition. However, it is the original definition, and I feel people need to be reminded of that fact.

Animation is a medium, not a genre. It is also not a style, no matter what people seem to think. Yes, there will be certain stylistic elements that various cultures will use when they are working with said medium. Even though this is the case, not all elements will be used by all examples of the medium.

One of the Japanese stylistic elements is the tendency to create characters with larger than normal eyes. This is actually a direct result of early Disney works (and continues today in works by Disney studios and other animation studios worldwide). Larger eyes allow for more emotion to be expressed, so they are used more often. However, as with any other stylistic element, they are not the only way things are done.


Now, for the other bit. So you don't like some of the shows that are being produced by American and Canadian companies. So you wish they'd "stop imitating your beloved anime." People, grow up. If you hate it that much, don't watch it.

As Japanese anime becomes more popular outside of its country of origin, certain "standard elements" (sweatdrops, throbbing veins, etc.) will be more recognizable to people. Therefore, other people can use them without worrying whether or not the intended audience will understand what is being conveyed.

Sure, the plots might not be what you're used to, and the characters may seem a bit flat sometimes. This happens in the best of things. You shouldn't judge something solely on the basis of where it comes from.

~Shadrach Anki

 

Although a bit off-topic, you do have a point. However, anime (being a media and not a genre as you bring up) actually can be considered a genre, and has been considered a genre. That's why some video stores have a separate section for anime--cuz they relate together in certain Japanese aspects (made by Japanese, dubbed in Japanese, contains bits of Japanese culture, Japanese humor, etc.). That's what makes a genre, right? More specific stuff, like anime comedy and anime horror, have been classified as "sub-genres."

As for anime being considered a style, it actually could. Just cuz it's a kind of medium doesn't mean it's not a style. Movies, photography, painting, animation, are all different media, but can also be treated as styles. A movie can be shot in "photography style" (made of still pictures, or a video camera simulating a still-camera), a photograph can be done in "painting style" (developer can be painted onto the photo paper with a brush), a painting can be done in "cartoon/animation style" with cell-shading, or paneled like a comic strip (actually, the first "cartoons" were technically sketch practices for paintings), and animation/cartoons can and have been created and edited into "movie style" (movie-length, movie-budget, movie-paced). So we can say "Let's make a romance movie, but in the style of 19th century photography, so there's a lot of formal poses, dulled out colors,...." and we'd do it. Likewise, we can say "Let's make a photo series in the style of Japanese animation, so there's a lot of expressive faces, lust-induced nosebleeds,...."

I mean, didn't the Japanese do the same? "Let's make animation, in the style of Disney, so there's lots of big eyes,...."

As for non-Japanese companies implementing anime "style," yeah, they pretty much just look weird.

 

Has anyone ever heard of Invaders Zim. That show is f*cking hilarious. It can be considered non-Japanese anime from my point of view. Zim T-Shirts have been sold at anime coventions, and i have seen people buy them.

 

so lots of people like zim that like anime and another sow that is an american anime copy is samuri jack which i love

 

I can't believe I forgot Samurai Jack. I haven't watched it in quite a while, so it slipped my mind. ChiOverlord's message reminded me again.

That is one anime-styled show that is actually quite entertaining. The animation is good and it looks like some thought actually went into it (the villain's name is Aku, "evil". It's simple, but at least it makes sense). It's not some masterpiece that will change the world, but it is a pretty good show.

 

I'm not sure if someone's mentioned this one but Teen Titans got a anime look. And a Japanese song that I like. I still like the show though.

 

what? do you think anime is something sacred that should be drawn only by japanese???
give this people a chance, if they want to draw anime, whatever, leave them alone, Totally Spies is a show for kids, thats why none of you like it...and im getting sick of your anime facination, whatever, i'm leaving:anger:

 

Then you don't know a true masterpiece when it hits you.
I LOVE PowerPuff Girls, and correction, it is not a cheap anime rip off. The creator of PPg was inspired by Japanese art, so he COMBINED anime art styles and westren art styles to get PPG. The show is really funny, and a great show. if you judged it quickly on the art, then you don't know what you're missing.
I'm actually dressing up as Blossom for Halloween, my two friends are being the other two. I LOVE BLOSSOM!!

 

I'd rather not think about the little experience I've had with Totally Spies...I felt my brain cells dying... The brief encounter with Teen Titans wasn't really that horrible, but I didn't find it entertaining either. So I can't say very much on those two.

I enjoy Samurai Jack, although I find certain parts annoying, such as Jack being the son of an emperor as well as Shaolin. He would probably be considered ronin, since his 'lord' is deceased. Also, although I'm not certain of this, I think he uses Chinese-style chopsticks. But these don't really bother me, it's still an entertaining show.

I don't mind cartoonists trying to imitate Japanese-style animation, as long as the result is enjoyable...which none have been so far to my knowledge (Samurai Jack doesn't really imitate anime...).