Cartoon/Western Animation General

@CatsTuxedo  
Japanese Animation’s biggest strength is their stylistic realism which feels both pleasing to the eye and relatable  
American animation is a lot better when its chasing after a wacky somewhat goofy style with a lot of Variety to distinguish each show, they also have an edge on Comedy due to Japanese comedy being something that most people need a while to get

@Broken Adam  
I don’t think anime is that realistic. It depends on the art style really, but even more realistic anime is stylized with the usual anime traits like oversized glossy eyes to show more emotion, but sone have different styles too like “Ghost in the Shell.”  
I suppose the same could be said for American animation “realistic” styles too have some cartoonier traits too. (Like the Bruce Timm style, and such. Joker’s cartoonier look works in contrast to Batman’s more serious look. Though, “Baby Doll” looked almost like a “Tiny Toons” character.)
 
I think it’s a shame all American cartoons have to be always comical, meta, and silly in recent times, (though some shows balance it better then others) as the ‘90s Batman, the 2003 TMNT show, and Don Bluth’s “Titan A.E.” show that Americans can pull off more serious/darker tones well, even with their brief comical moments. (So they aren’t too grim/serious.)  
Problem is, kids who grew up with SpongeBob, and such find more serious shows too dull nowadays perhaps, and there isn’t much demand for adult animated cartoons with more serious tones.
 
Also, American humor doesn’t always translate to other cultures well either. Like with anime, sometimes they even have to fully rewrite jokes in the localization process.

@Beau Skunky  
But yet, some cartoons like SpongeBob are just as popular in other countries as they are here.

@09MurphyM  
Not always, heck when they tried to build/open Euro-Disneyland in France, the contruction, and opening was met by many French xenophobic and/or anti-capitalistic protesters telling them to “go back to America/we don’t want American stuff here,” and some even tried to commit terroristic acts (like arsen) against the park builders, and employees.
 
So actually there is quite a bit of xenophobia torwards American people/culture & animation out there.  
In fact, some Japanese SSB fans got upset when Li’l Mac was announced as a playable for Super Smash Brothers, simply because they felt he was pandering to the American fans, and such. (As the”Punch-Out” series isn’t very popular in Japan.)

@Beau Skunky  
To be fair I think France are particularly touchy about it, as their own cartoon output is MASSIVELY overshadowed by Japan and America’s. And they’re quite protective of their culture in general.

@Beau Skunky  

 
I remember that.

Wait, Little Mac’s reveal was disliked by Japanese SSB fans? Must’ve missed that.

@SD50-2  
Only a few probably, (though, enough to spark an article about it years ago) but as said “Punch-Out” isn’t very popular in Japan.  
In fact, neither is Metroid, Star Fox, Sonic, and Castlevania apparently.  
(The Castlevania Netflix series is actually American made dispite it’s anime art style.)

@Beau Skunky  
Sonic was never popular in Japan and was never intended to be popular in Japan, he was always intended to be American , even Sonic X was clearly aimed at the west to the point that its third season didn’t even air at Japan
 
It has Japanese Elements but The intention is always to impress Western audience than the Japanese one, IIRC they even wanted him to sound like Bill Clinton , and even Shadow who a lot of people accuse or making the Franchise more anime lite is clearly closer in personality to the Terminator than to Vegeta or Sasuke, even his game is based on GTA which wasn’t really popular in Japan

@Beau Skunky
 
@Broken Adam  
Can the same implies to other western franchies like Crash Bandicoot?

@ExtreVile  
According to sales , AAA games like CoD are the only western games that sell well in Japan

@Beau Skunky  
Punch Out isn’t very popular in Japan.
 
But it did give us a reason to fight Mike Tyson.

@Broken Adam  
I liked that in ‘Laid Back Camp’, Western Films is treated as a genre in itself.
 
…kinda like anime I guess. Which bugs me. When someone asks if I like anime, I often find myself stumped at what an impossibly broad category that is.

@Broken Adam  
I guess the Japanese has more taste in games than us Americans.

@ExtreVile  
@Broken Adam  
Not necessarily, as some genres that are more popular in America are less popular there. More violent games are less popular in Japan too.  
That’s surprising as FPS games aren’t very popular there. Sidescrolling bullet-hell arcade schmups tend to be more popular there, but less popular in America. Different cultures, different tastes.
 
We’re kinda going off topic talking about games, maybe we better get back to animation.
 
@Broken Adam  
I know that, in fact that’s why Sonic’s colors are red, white, and blue. Looking back at “Sonic X” TMS actually sometimes gave it more westernized facial expressions, and even some American cartoon sound effects, (yes, even the Japanese version had a few, but 4Kids added more in earlier episodes) to appeal to the Americans, and such.

Here’s a theory I have. People only say “I think the announcement of ending a show right here was a good choice so it wouldn’t become another Simpsons” just so they can be seen as “proper” animation fans.

@Red-Supernova  
Simpsons still has it’s occasional moments admittedly, but they might actually have kinda a point, as some long-running cartoons like them, Family Guy, and SpongeBob have dipped in popularity, and gotten old to some.
 
Frankly, I’m thankful MLP lasted as long as it did, but I wouldn’t want it to last forever, and I hope it has an epic, and heartwarming ending.

@Beau Skunky  
Family guy has been cancelled twice, but got revived… twice.

@Beau Skunky  
Thanks for the honesty. I only wrote this because I’m still sore over MLP ending at Season 9 when I believe there is still more they can expand on.

Has anyone watch Ren and Stimpy before?

@ExtreVile  
Yeah.

@ExtreVile  
Yep.

@PonyPon
 
@igotnopicks  
Good lord that show was incredibly fucked up.

@ExtreVile  
Dide you watch the Adult episodes?

@ExtreVile  
It’s one of my favorites.