American Cartoons That Were Influenced By Anime
Anime has inspired plenty of American cartoons in some way. Here are just some examples.
A lot of the most popular western animations are anime-inspired. The reason is Japan is known for making extremely successful animated series. So of course, western cartoon companies began to make similar products in terms of visual style and fantastical themes. Cartoon Network, in particular, began to show anime and plenty of shows that were anime-inspired. Most anime fans can thank that channel for introducing them to the genre in the first place.
Related: 10 Anime Couples That Should Have Never Happened
Now the people who grew up with anime are making their own shows. Here is a list of western shows that were anime-inspired, both recent and others that we may need to blow some dust off of.
There’s plenty to love about anime. Its artists spent decades fine-tuning the genre, whether it was through series or feature films. The way they tell and animate stories has influenced creatives in the United States for almost as long as anime has existed, and that influence has shown no signs of slowing down. On top of the American cartoons already mentioned, here are a few more to consider that owe more than a little debt to anime.
What Is The History Of Anime In Japan
Where did anime begin? What Is The History Of Anime In Japan? And how did it evolve into the successful industry it is today? The story of animation in Japan is almost as dramatic and captivating as the anime themselves.
Even though I didnt know it until several years later, my first foray into Japanese culture was watching cartoons on Saturday mornings. Entranced by the fantastic plot lines, giant eyes, and wonderful animation, I was watching anime without even knowing it.
Anime means animation in Japan, so in theory, could apply to any form of animation from around the world, but in modern times has come to refer to any and all Japanese animation. When most people think of anime they think of vibrant and beautifully drawn scenes, that are both dramatic and heartfelt, sometimes with just a hint of magic.
The history of anime in Japan can be traced back to the late 19th century. In fact, it was a French art movement called “Japonisme” that helped inspire Japanese artists and create some of the first examples of modern animation. However, it wasn’t until World War II when Japan’s government started promoting cartoons as a way to raise morale that the style really took off.
Manga’s Influence On Anime
Manga has had an enormous effect on the success of anime, in part because while animators were perfecting their own styles, so too were manga artists, and they didnt have the confines of technology to restrict them. Art has been a huge part of Japanese culture for centuries, and its said that manga originated from scrolls dating all the way back to the 12th century, perhaps even influencing Japans right-to-left style of reading.
Manga is unique in many ways, but one pretty important one is the fact that manga has been created for every genre and person you could imagine men, women, boys, girls, magic, adventure, robots, martial arts, the most kawaii of characters you could think of, theres no end to the number of tales being told by these talented storytellers. And they are nothing but dedicated, with some manga series having hundreds of volumes.
As you can see, theres plenty of material to draw from, and thats precisely what many intelligent animators did. So many of the most popular anime series started out as manga: Attack on Titan, One Piece, One Punch Man, even Astro Boy started out as manga!
The link has been copied!
Also Check: What Is A Simulcast Anime
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is a show that first comes to mind of a western show with obvious anime styles. Not only were all the fantasy nations based off of various Asian cultures, but the big mouths and eyes of the characters are directly from anime. Thus, the faces were able to be very exaggerated when showing different emotions.
There were also a ton of references to Asian schools of thought such as Buddhism and Shinto. Reincarnation was also a big deal in the story, which is seen more in anime than your average western cartoon. Obviously, The Legend of Korra is also anime inspired.
Was Katsud Shashin Really The First A History Of Japanese Animation First Anime
Although likewise not completely clear, the history of anime enables us to give a more precise answer when the animation is concerned. This is mostly due to the fact what we probably have incomplete historical data, as some sources have probably been lost or not discovered yet, but what he has seems to be very precise, so we can use it for the basis of our text.
In 2004, a secondhand dealer from Kyoto called art historian Natsuki Matsumoto to check out some old tapes he had obtained. Among the tapes, Matsumoto found a short anime film consisting of just 50 frames, which he then named Katsud Shashin . Matsumoto dated it to around 1907, which would certainly make it the oldest anime ever produced. The anime simply shows a boy writing the phrase . You can see it for yourselves:
While Matsumoto was sure of his findings, the issue arises because this short movie predates the earliest known Japanese anime movies two unnamed ones and Dekob Shingach: Meian no Shippai by at least 10 years, since they were produced around February 1917. This is why Matsumotos discovery caused so much stir among historians.
So, as far as anime is concerned, we have a more precise answer the first anime debuted in 1907, but with a catch. Namely, historians are still not completely sure about the authenticity of that date, because it predates the until 2005 earliest known anime, which were produced in 1917.
Don’t Miss: What Are The 7 Deadly Sins Anime
An Earthquake Destroyed Most Of Japan’s Earliest Anime
Unfortunately, in 1923, the Great Kant earthquake hit Japan and destroyed much of its new animation industry. Many early anime films were lost, and the medium took a few paces back while the country rebuilt itself.
In 2017, the National Film Center at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo released a trove of rediscovered and restored historical anime in conjunction with the art form’s 100th anniversary. The earliest viewable film in the collection is the 1917 short Namakura Gatana, which a historian found in a Japanese antique market in 2007.
How Did Anime Start
The first-ever Japanese animation in its most basic form is thought to have been created in 1906, but the legitimacy of this claim has been disputed by some. The short, animated film was called Katsud Shashindepicts a young boy drawing the Japanese characters for Katsud Shashin. It was made using fifty different frames, each of which was stenciled onto a strip of celluloid . There have been several claims that other films entered Japan around this time too, but none have been able to be fully verified.
While there were several projects that made it to screen in Japan after 1906, including the French animated film Exploits de Feu Follet by Emile Cohl in 1912. It wasnt until 1917 that the first commercial anime was officially produced and broadcasted in Japan . That anime was called Dekob Shingach: Meian no Shippai, but like most anime of the time the original copies did not stand the test of time – most of them were cut up and sold as individual frames or strips to collectors.
Also Check: Watch Loveless Anime Free Online
Oldest Anime Ever Created
Japanese anime traces its roots back to the start of the 20th century as the Japanese attempted to modernize the entire country. Although historians cant pinpoint an exact date, 1917 is often cited as a key year in the development of Japanese animation. In fact, the oldest existing anime film was proved to have been produced in 1917.
Unfortunately, due to the Great Kant earthquake of 1923, most of the first anime was destroyed or lost. However, a few old films have turned up in recent years and were digitally restored. All of the anime on this list date back to the early 20th century and can be viewed on this website celebrating the 100th anniversary of Japanese animated film.
During The Second World War
In the 1930s, the Japanese government began enforcing cultural nationalism. This also lead to a strict censorship and control of published media. Many animators were urged to produce animations which enforced the Japanese spirit and national affiliation. Some movies were shown in newsreel theaters, especially after the Film Law of 1939 promoted documentary and other educational films. Such support helped boost the industry, as bigger companies formed through mergers and prompted major live-action studios such as Shochiku to begin producing animation. It was at Shochiku that such masterworks as Kenz Masaoka‘s Kumo to Chrippu were produced. Wartime reorganization of the industry, however, merged the feature film studios into three big companies.
During the Second World War, more animated films were commissioned by the Imperial Japanese Army, showing the sly, quick Japanese people winning against enemy forces. This included films such as Maysuyo Seo’s Momotar: Umi no Shinpei or Momotars Divine Sea Warriors which focused on Japanese occupation of Asia.
Also Check: What If Adventure Time Was An Anime Game
The 2000s: Computers And A Bubble
Since the mid-1930s, anime had been almost exclusively animated on cels. During the 90s, CGI became increasingly commonplace as a supplemental technique. The ease with which computers could manipulate images even won over traditional-animation purist Miyazaki, who used CGI on 1997s Mononoke-Hime to animate demonic tendrils and a few other effects after his staff demonstrated how seamlessly they could blend the animation in.
The first completely computer animated anime, A.LI.CE., arrived in 1999. Being still relatively early CGI, it didnt look like anime, and by this point in time the anime look we associate with the genre was very clearly defined. As more and more studios began making use of the new digital technology, most of them chose methods that blended well with hand-drawn cels. As computer processing capacity increased and prices went down, studios replaced cels altogether with digital ink and paint. In this method, after each frame is drawn it is scanned into a computer, then colored and composited digitally instead of being transferred to a cel and colored and composited by hand.
Being able to use a computer to quickly handle tedious work was, unsurprisingly, popular, and most studios had made the switch as soon as 2005. The last hold-out was Eiken with Sazae-san, the longest-running animated show in the world. If it aint broke , why fix it? But even Sazae-san eventually bowed to modern convenience and made the digital switch in 2013.
The Chief Animation Director
Sometimes the director will appoint a senior animator to oversee the animation for an entire episode, or for the entire series. Like the animation director, the chief animation director is responsible for the quality and consistency of the animation. Often times, the director will assign the character designer to this role.
Read Also: What Happened To Soul Anime
A Public Service Announcement
Of course, Id be remiss if I didnt do the usual PSA that Im sure you have heard before. You wouldnt be reading this obscenely long and boring article if you werent a weeb already. Hey, no shame! Me too. So, if you really enjoy or appreciate anime, please consider supporting the industry with your hard-earned dollars. For example, you can subscribe to legitimate streaming services. You can also purchase your anime instead of torrent-ing it. Or, at least buy 1,000 EROMANGA SENSEI Sagiri body pillows if none of these options are appealing to you.
Another way to show your love is by supporting industry efforts for higher wages, and better working and living conditions. Really, theyre pretty darn depressing.
First Color Anime Feature Film
in 1958, Toei Animation and Mushi Production released the first ever colored anime called Hakujaden
It was also one of the first anime films to be released in America. In 1961, this movie along with two other films were premiered in America for the first time under the title Panda and the Magic Serpent.
Moreover, this was the highest budget anime film of that time which had over 13,590 staffs and it took them 8 months to complete it.
A restored version of this film was shown in 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
Don’t Miss: How To Draw Anime On The Computer Using Paint
First Anime And First Manga Ever Created
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We also participate in other affiliate programs and are compensated for referring traffic and business to them.
Not so long ago, weve explained to you the difference between anime and manga. Those two forms of art are among the most popular Japanese products globally. Manga, being comic books, has a global following and are sold around the world. Anime, which is a term for Japanese animation, also has millions of fans around the world and is immensely popular, including both anime series and anime films. But, do you know the first manga, or the first anime ever produced? If you dont youll soon find out.
It is assumed that the first manga appeared somewhere around the end of the 18th century. As for anime, the oldest known work of Japanese animation is the animated short Katsud Shashin, which was created in 1907.
How Did Anime Start Origins Of A Worldwide Phenomenon
Anime has touched just about every person on this planet in one way or another. Irrespective of age, sex, or cultural background Anime has broken all barriers and spread like wildfire. Together, lets go back in time and answer the question how did anime start?
Depending on who you are and where you are from, the word Anime can mean different things. It can conjure up a universe of improbable adventures. Or perhaps an art form. Or an idea of the victory of good over evil or a fight for justice against insurmountable odds.
You May Like: How Much Do Voice Actors Make Anime
Prince Planet Observed Earthlings To Deem Them Eligible For The Galactic Union
Prince Planet was another series that wasn’t originally based on a manga. Instead, it was released in 1965 on Japan’s Fuji Television. It became one of the first anime to receive some heavy merchandising in that country. Not so much in the United States.
RELATED: Filmation’s First 12 Superhero Cartoons
That’s a shame because Prince Planet introduced a subject that eventually became common in animated and live-action shows. The main character is a member of the Universal Peace Corps. He comes to Earth to determine if the planet is eligible to be part of the Galactic Union of Worlds. To do so, he adopts the persona of a school-age boy to flesh things out.
History Of Japanese Animation
In the first place, we must mention Katsud Shashin, early anime film from 1907. Moreover, anime fans consider Katsudo Shashin as the oldest piece of anime history. It is a filmstrip.
However, Natsuki Matsumoto discovered Katsud Shashin by accident. Furthermore, this earliest piece of anime history was found in a Kyoto household.
Different from todays anime series, Katsud Shashin consists of a short series of images. Above all, each cartoon image lasts for three seconds.
As a result, Katsud Shashin depicts a young sailorman. In like manner, this young sailor creates kanji characters. However, the real title of this historic anime film remains unknown.
Don’t Miss: How Much Do Voice Actors Make Anime
Funimation Remastered Season And Movie Sets
Main article:Funimation Remastered Box SetsIn 2009, after the release of the Remastered Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT Season DVD Boxsets, Funimation announced that they would begin releasing Dragon Ball in Remastered Format beginning September later that year. They are presented in their Original Aspect Ratio 4:3 and are presented in a 5 Disc Boxset. Unlike the Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT Sets, the Dragon Ball Sets only include a 5.1 English Voice Track with Original Japanese Background Audio and Original Japanese Mono as Dragon Ball had never had an American Soundtrack.
On December 28, 2010, Funimation released Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies to DVD and Blu-ray uncut and re-dubbed with their Dragon Ball Z Kai voice cast to Region 1 DVD. A complete box set containing all four Dragon Ball Movies was released in February 2011. All movies retain their original Funimation dub with the exception of Curse of the Blood Rubies.
List Of Anime By Release Date
This is a list of anime by release date which covers Japanese animated productions that were made between 19171938. Anime in Japan can be traced back to three key figures whom in the early 20th century started experimenting with paper animation. It is unknown when the first animated film was made, but historians have tied the year 1917 as being the key date. Very few of the first animations that were made survive to this day due to the 1923 Great Kant earthquake. At one point it was even thought that all animated works made before the earthquake were lost until the discovery of two films in 2008. Production of animated works resumed again after the earthquake, and by the early/mid 1930s sound, and cel animation were starting to appear. Later in the decade, Japan went to war with China, resulting in paper needed for the war to be used sparingly. As a result, new manga stories disappeared from the public while the Japanese government stepped in to regulate what was being released through the cinemas to take its place. The mid to late 1930s saw more animated works that were propaganda-themed to rally the public’s support.
You May Like: What If Adventure Time Was An Anime