TCH News

Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Opinion

Source: www.filetransit.com

There are quite a few reasons why Anime, or Japanese animation, is simply better then American Cartoons. A prime example would be their plots.

If you really think about it, when was the last time you watched a cartoon that actually had you thinking about what was going to happen next? The truth is, there probably was never such a time.

Although I can't speak for every cartoon out there, the vast majority of American-Made cartoons tend to fall under one of two categories. First come the stereotypical 'Hero Saves the Day' and 'Random Insanity' archetypes. In this type of cartoon the good guy basically chases down the bad guy and defeats him for trying to complete some nefarious plot. A good example of this type would be "Transformers" and "Thunder Cats," from the old days, or even "Ben Ten." These older types of cartoons tend to be very blocky in their animation, and the newer versions of this type such as "Ben Ten" or "Code Lyoko" aren't even trying to be original; instead, they attempt to emulate anime with limited success.

The other type, "random insanity," is becoming more popular today. This archetype cartoon basically consists of whacky characters, taking the mundane activities of every-day life, and turning them in to insane, over-the-top antics that can only be achieved in cartoons. Good examples of these are "Camp Lazlo," "Tom & Jerry," and the "Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy."

The Random Insanity archetype's animation style varies from show to show, but ultimately the characters are intentionally designed to look out-of-proportion in some odd way in order to make the character look goofier. In the end this only serves to enhance the show's "insanity level." Quite often in both types of American cartoons, the background is completely ignored or poorly drawn.

While these two types of cartoons can be entertaining, they're all basically the same song sung to a different tune. Do we really like to be fed the same junk over and over again?

Anime, on the other hand, is a different story. The shows coming out of Japan today are complex in both plot and design. It's hard, in the case of serious anime, to pinpoint specific archetypes. With these, the good guy isn't always the one who wins; in fact, a lot of the time you wonder if they'll even be alive in the next episode.

Sometimes the good guy isn't even the main character in the show! Such is the case with my favorite Anime, "Death Note."

Continued...

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