Is Anime really more mature than Western cartoons?

[boholikeu]

That may be the social perception, but that doesn't change the presence of boatloads of anime targetted more towards adult audiences.

I still think that's more a result of the fact that Japan produces much more animation than the West. If Japan and the West produced the same amount of animation I'm sure you'd see roughly the same number of mature titles in each country.

While anime fandoms are looked down upon in society, the medium of anime itself is still respected enough that adult-oriented shows like Ghost in the Shell are still semi-mainstream, and animation is more legitimate as an alternative to live action for certain genres.

Ghost in the Shell is much less well known in Japan than, say, South Park is in the US. In the 5 years I've been living here, I've only known a handful of people that watch it (or other shows like it). It seems to have about the same market penetration as the Venture Bros does in America.

 

[NeutralDrow]

That may be the social perception, but that doesn't change the presence of boatloads of anime targetted more towards adult audiences.

I still think that's more a result of the fact that Japan produces much more animation than the West. If Japan and the West produced the same amount of animation I'm sure you'd see roughly the same number of mature titles in each country.

I agree, simply because in order to find a market for more animation, U.S. producers would almost have to aim for older demographics. I still think it supports my point.

While anime fandoms are looked down upon in society, the medium of anime itself is still respected enough that adult-oriented shows like Ghost in the Shell are still semi-mainstream, and animation is more legitimate as an alternative to live action for certain genres.

Ghost in the Shell is much less well known in Japan than, say, South Park is in the US. In the 5 years I've been living here, I've only known a handful of people that watch it (or other shows like it). It seems to have about the same market penetration as the Venture Bros does in America.

Semi-mainstream may have been the wrong label, then. The only truly mainstream anime I remember from my time in Japan were One Piece and Shin-chan (and there are certainly more, but I'm fairly oblivious most of the time)...if one defines "mainstream" as "I saw posters for them all the time in convenience stores."

Of course, since I can't quite tell what point I was trying to make, I'm not even sure what the right label would have been...

 

[Agrosmurf]

Who cares, the whole comic/fantasy thing in general was directed twards a younger audience in the first place.

 

[boholikeu]

I agree, simply because in order to find a market for more animation, U.S. producers would almost have to aim for older demographics. I still think it supports my point.

I dunno, I think if that happened the West would actually have a higher percent of mature titles than Japan.

 

[Canton]

I agree, simply because in order to find a market for more animation, U.S. producers would almost have to aim for older demographics. I still think it supports my point.

I dunno, I think if that happened the West would actually have a higher percent of mature titles than Japan.

This would lead to the obvious question of why won't producers aim for older demographics when it comes to 2D animated shows/cartoons.

 

[MagicShroom]

I agree, simply because in order to find a market for more animation, U.S. producers would almost have to aim for older demographics. I still think it supports my point.

I dunno, I think if that happened the West would actually have a higher percent of mature titles than Japan.

This would lead to the obvious question of why won't producers aim for older demographics when it comes to 2D animated shows/cartoons.

Because the demographs doesn't give 2 shits about it (or it could be the FCC/censors being dicks by not allowing it)

 

[boholikeu]

I agree, simply because in order to find a market for more animation, U.S. producers would almost have to aim for older demographics. I still think it supports my point.

I dunno, I think if that happened the West would actually have a higher percent of mature titles than Japan.

This would lead to the obvious question of why won't producers aim for older demographics when it comes to 2D animated shows/cartoons.

I'm trying to say that they do, in roughly the same ratio that Japanese producers do.

 

[Latinidiot]

depends on the public. if a western cartoon is meant for adults, it's just as mature as an Anime meant for adults. you also have anime for kids, just as you have western for kids

 

[boholikeu]

The other thing I've been thinking about is that Japanese producers are more likely to animate a story due to cost. For example, if Heroes were made in Japan I'm pretty sure it would be animated because the costs of the special effects would be too high for most television production companies.

It does hurt their demographics a bit though. Heroes is so popular here partly because it's live action. If it were animated I just don't think it would have the same mainstream appeal.

 

[Canton]

I agree, simply because in order to find a market for more animation, U.S. producers would almost have to aim for older demographics. I still think it supports my point.

I dunno, I think if that happened the West would actually have a higher percent of mature titles than Japan.

This would lead to the obvious question of why won't producers aim for older demographics when it comes to 2D animated shows/cartoons.

I'm trying to say that they do, in roughly the same ratio that Japanese producers do.

Ah I see. Basically there's just too few mature western cartoons for the public to register their existence.

The other thing I've been thinking about is that is more likely to animate a story due to cost. For example, if Heroes were made in Japan I'm pretty sure it would be animated because the costs of the special effects would be too high for most television production companies.

It does hurt their demographics a bit though. Heroes is so popular here partly because it's live action. If it were animated I just don't think it would have the same mainstream appeal.

Hate to be that annoying brat that asks why after every answered question but; why wouldn't an animated version of Heroes(or any show of more or less the same level of maturity(?)) appeal to the western mainstream audience?





Uh this discussion could benefit with a more specific definition of the word "mature". Are we talking about the presence of violence , nudity and other mature content, or is it more of the "approach on the subject matter" type?

 

[MelziGurl]

Depends on the anime/cartoon. I enjoy anime more these days as I find modern cartoons to be complete and utter bullshit.

 

[Zand88]

Nope. Just pseudo-philosophical trash with more sex and violence.
But, if go by the Rating Board, or the ESRB, yes, that's Mature.

 

[Serious Samuel]

Aww, be fair. There's some good hentai. They're extremely rare, but they're out there.

You must be emphasizing the extremely there, because I have yet to see one. To be fair though, I don't go looking for hentai on my own. It doesn't really suit my tastes (not that into pornography of any kind because of a extreme lack of plot.)

And you know what? Someone above just reminded me of School Days. Watch the whole season of that, and you'll see that anime can occasionally subvert the whole "it's for the kids" idea.

Or if you can't get past the sickeningly sweet romantic opening... [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main.SchoolDays]

Damnit, you made me waste 2 hours for putting up that link to TV Tropes.

 

[boholikeu]

Hate to be that annoying brat that asks why after every answered question but; why wouldn't an animated version of Heroes(or any show of more or less the same level of maturity(?)) appeal to the western mainstream audience?

Sorry, my post was kind of vague. The "here" I was referring to is Japan. My point was that I don't think an animated Heroes would do as well in either Japan or the West.

 

[bushwhacker2k]

In general, yes it is. Most anime is for preteens(10-12) to teens(13-19), whereas cartoons are for kids (9-).

Makes sense to me >_>

Obviously there are exceptions.

---

Not to mention that anime generally has genuine storylines whereas cartoons are just random stupid entertainment.

 

[Matronadena]

I believe it's been touched on a time or two, but it's a major point I think gets missed abit by the large.

When it comes to mature ( and by mature, Im not meaning the intellectual highbrow sort, I mean more adult aimed) Japan has a much much higher level of animated shows, and films than the US.

However, in the US, the ratio of more mature live action shows, and movies far out number Japans.

One ( out of many) reasons is that Japan grew fond of keeping their fantasy, or hard to duplicate in real life situations animated, for the simple reason it's easy...

another major attribute comes from a richer cultural heritage of telling stories through images as we see with ukiyo-e wood block art and kabooki.

In the US, there has been a preference for blending fantasy and reality, making something as realistic and believable as possible......this is one of the same reasons that in the UK, we tend to keep our scifi, and fantasy shows looking rather hokey in many cases... Although there are a few, most of the mature " animated" shows out of the states tend to be comedy based, again, family guy, American dad, robot chicken, southpark etc etc.

so that really says alot on the preference of medium...

in the end mature content overall equals out.

 

[matnatz]

I still don't understand what people see in anime. Tekkon Kinkreet and Gunslinger Girl were the only anime I've ever liked, and I didn't like Gunslinger Girl that much.

Edit: Full metal Alchemist was pretty good for a time because it sort of felt like a role playing game, they went from town to down sorting out problems.

 

[Graustein]

Hate to be that annoying brat that asks why after every answered question but; why wouldn't an animated version of Heroes(or any show of more or less the same level of maturity(?)) appeal to the western mainstream audience?

This should answer your question. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnimationAgeGhetto]
The tl;dr version is that people are idiots who assume that if it's animated, it's for children and therefore incapable of being used to deal with anything resembling a serious theme.

To be on-topic, I'll say no, anime is not inherently more mature (whatever that means) than western cartoons. It's just an art style, when all's said and done. But there's still the fact that the majority of western cartoons are either comedy (South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy etc.) or marketed at kids, whereas anime covers a far more diverse range of genres and audiences. I'm guessing that it's more a cultural thing than an inherent feature of either medium. Western animation is just as capable of being mature, or even simply adult without resorting to humour (which isn't bad in itself, I'd just rather a change of pace), but for some reason it's just more rare. I won't even pretend to understand the reasons why this is so, it just is.