Content in animation

[Master Toon]

As many of you here know, Japanese cartoons .aka. Japanese animation .aka. anime has content that other countries tend to stray away from. I believe that anyone can do this, not just the Japanese. And I always say on forums or as a blog comment, that it's not impossible for anyone else to do this. If someone wants a mature animated feature, they can make it. They don't have to be Japanese to do so. But it seems like everyone just does kids stuff when it come to animation. Sure you have a few that are for adults but those are in the minority. It's like they don't want to go beyond that point. They just want to stay stereotypes in the animation commuinty. I'm tired of saying that it can be done outside of Japan and I'm tired of trying to explain why animation shouldn't be divided in to 2 categories (cartoon and anime). I'm just going to give up, it's no use, people just want to put down anything that isn't from Japan. I know this thread is bordering on a simple statement or a blog post but in a way I'm asking what everyone else thinks about what I said. Am I wrong in saying these things? Am I doing the wrong thing by giving up?

[Silverstar]

Of course it's possible to make an entertaining cartoon with mature content; it can and has been done before. But the prevailing attitude (especially in the West) is that animation is strictly for kids and family entertainment, and many adults (except for an enlightened few) are ashamed to watch cartoons or even admit to watching cartoons, except with their kids.

This brings us to the other reason you don't see a lot of Western adult cartoons: money. Because a lot of older people who aren't parents don't like to admit to being fans of animation, the majority of TV and movie studios aren't willing to take a chance on an animated project that's not family-friendly for fear that it would lose money--and losing that sweet crazy money is death to a corporate executive.

Raising the bar of content in Western cartoons can happen--but it would take a major collective change of attitude among viewers first.

[R-Taco]

Actually, with South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill, American Dad and Adult Swim's shows doing well in ratings, I'd say that the West strongly associates animation with comedy more than anything. It's always been the case over here that the vast majority of cartoons have been humorous rather than drama or action-oriented.

However, I do agree with the above poster that it's simply business. Kids' cartoons is where more money is to be made, so that's where the focus is.

[Antiyonder]

Actually, with South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill, American Dad and Adult Swim's shows doing well in ratings, I'd say that the West strongly associates animation with comedy more than anything. It's always been the case over here that the vast majority of cartoons have been humorous rather than drama or action-oriented.

Don't know it is based on preference but just that it's a matter of trying something new. I mean, last decade, the idea of their being adult cartoons at all was rare. I believe the only exceptions were The Simpsons (which is more family friendly albeit), Beavis & Butthead and South Park. Now Fox has 4 regular adult animated sitcoms as well as Adult Swim's comedy.

Thus I think that it's a matter of giving the audience time to get use to a rarely used genre for animation. Sure, you have Gargoyles, Batman, Superman and Avatar, but with the exception of KidsWB (which for a while had the first three DC Shows on the line up), each network would only have one action/adventure at a time (not counting reruns or animes as they seem to be the exception).

Maybe try by doing a cartoon based off some action/adventure movies that adults view (Robocop, James Bond, etc). Basically, baby steps.

[MonkeyFunk]

Sure you have a few that are for adults but those are in the minority. It's like they don't want to go beyond that point.

That's really only the case if you look at the commercially produced stuff . There's a vast, vast amount of independent animation from across the globe that's for adults - roughly half of the UK's animation, for a start.

[Ed Liu]

I'm tired of saying that it can be done outside of Japan and I'm tired of trying to explain why animation shouldn't be divided in to 2 categories (cartoon and anime). I'm just going to give up, it's no use, people just want to put down anything that isn't from Japan. I know this thread is bordering on a simple statement or a blog post but in a way I'm asking what everyone else thinks about what I said. Am I wrong in saying these things? Am I doing the wrong thing by giving up?

I think you should watch the cartoons that make you happy and share the ones that make you REALLY happy, and if a friend doesn't want to watch something because "it's just a cartoon," then stop giving them cartoons. And stop being their friend ;).

If someone can see the success of The Simpsons and Adult Swim, and watch the PG-rated Incredibles and still maintain that "cartoons are just for kids," then that's their problem.

-- Ed

[MonkeyFunk]

I don't think he's talking about his friends, I think he's talking about people at anime forums.

So.. yeah. Abandon hope all ye who enter here, and all that.