why the anime style?

[Starvoyager]

I've never been able to refer to CGI as a 'cartoon.' I always just end up calling it a CGI movie. I don't think it's fair that calling something a cartoon automatically means it's kiddie either. For whatever reason, no official words for the differences have ever made an appearance.

As for hand animation making a comeback due to Anime's popularity, I would've expected that to catch on already and it hasn't. I'm also seeing much less Anime being imported to Western TV than I did even 5 years ago. The only exception to that is Pokemon, and I don't know if you can even count that, because the Cartoon doesn't mean much. That franchise, along with the other "card game" stories is designed from the ground-up to keep kids burning holes in their wallets.

"Gotta buy 'em all."

And you might be overestimating how difficult it is to make CGI. The simple fact that a person in his basement can spend a few days and turn out a CGI short film that looks at least ok, is enough evidence of how much quicker it is. I've done it myself a couple times. And for a professional studio, it's a hundred times faster, and it's only getting quicker. Not just with render times as faster computers are developed, but more intuitive interfaces that make the work of the modelers and animators easier. And a lot of the design of 'sets' is done using pre-fabricated props the same as with a live film. There are companies out there who do nothing but make model packs (for thousands of different designs for chairs, cars, plants, etc) that studios can buy for their projects. Sometimes the only thing you need to model yourself is the characters of the story. It's getting cheaper too. Anyone can buy a Hollywood-worthy CGI program for their PC for only a couple thousand dollars. Motion capture in your own home can also be purchased for under 5 grand. The amount of work one person can do in a relatively short amount of time is astounding. I've actually got a little 10-minute RB project that I hope to do in the next couple years.

Sorry, guess I should've said "family-safe" rather than "family-oriented" with regard to Studio Ghibli.

[FanChan]

When I mentioned time, I meant pretty much exactly as you said - CG is a lot faster.

I may be wrong about cost; but animation programs weren't the costs I was thinking of. Anyway, all of that is rather off-topic.

Anime's popularity in the US has begun to explode here. Sure, anime has had a presence for about twenty years here, and there was a lot more of it on tv even just five years ago, but the popularity has only just recently begun to grow and gain acceptance in pop-culture. And there's a great deal more than Pokemon, unless you mean young kid-oriented shows, in which case sure that's true, but primarily because a lot more shows have been made by the US for kids, and there's only so much room for programming. I can't say I enjoy the quality of the other anime that's popular on tv - Naruto, Bleach, Gundam, etc - but they're there.

Oh, and I thought of one. Junkers Come Here is a relatively recent (1994) anime movie that doesn't have a terribly anime look about it.

It's a really good movie. Whisper of the Heart from Studio Ghibli (the sole movie by the young apprentice of Hayao Miyazaki who tragically died shortly after the movie's release) also has a very realistic charm to it that breaks away from the anime mold.

[Dialga-Brite]

I have to say, I've always thought of things like South Park and Family Guy as cartoons, even though they're not kid oriented. I never knew "cartoon" meant only kids shows, but that's just me.


fyi, I've seen Spirited Away, and I own it.

[FanChan]

I guess I say that about 'cartoons' because generally when someone goes "Hey, are you watching cartoons?" it tends to be a bit mean-spirited, in the same way someone might ask "Are you playing with dolls?"

Spirited Away is a good one ^^ I had the pleasure of seeing it in theaters when it first came out in the US, same with Howl's Moving Castle. It's really something special to see them on the big screen. I've a pretty decent collection of Ghibli films, myself. If you ever get the chance to see Miyazaki's Lupin III movie, Castle of Cagliostro, I highly recommend it.

[Chibi Rachy]

Grave of the Fireflies from Ghibli is a favorite because I love studying WWII stuff. Really sad though

[Starvoyager]

Just seems to me like profiteering these days has an entirely different strategy from even just 20 years ago. Competition used to be about making a better product than the other guy. Now it's about making a cheaper product than the other guy. This is the reason CGI has taken over so much in America. Most people think that (except for Pixar and Dreamworks) it looks really cheap, and many don't even like it. But that fact hasn't changed a thing.

I shudder everytime I happen to turn on Nickelodeon in the morning of some random weekday - especially if I compare it to what I used to watch during those time slots when I was 10.

[Dialga-Brite]

I guess I say that about 'cartoons' because generally when someone goes "Hey, are you watching cartoons?" it tends to be a bit mean-spirited, in the same way someone might ask "Are you playing with dolls?"

Yeah, I know what you mean. But if someone mean-spiritedly asked if I was playing with dolls, I'd say "Yeah, I am" because it would be the truth. I wouldn't have any shame in it, and the same would go for if I was watching a kids cartoon.

[TheWendybird]

Oh don't get me started on the "you're too old for this" junk!! OMG!

[Starvoyager]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMxTFqPET5I

[FanChan]

Don't get me wrong, I still watch little-kid cartoons xD I really enjoy them. The point is that when the majority of people say it, they're talking about shows for kids. "Saturday Morning Cartoons", etc. I've never heard of things like Family Guy or South Park referred to as a cartoon.