Whenever the topic of defining what anime is comes up, it is inevitable that the many non-Japanese animated series influenced by anime will be brought up and debated. Many so-called anime purists will quickly dismiss these shows while others will incorrectly refer to these series as anime. Instead, I view this form of anime-influenced animation as something that exists between anime and Western animation.
While there are plenty of examples of Western animated shows that were animated by Japanese animation companies such as Inspector Gadget, Transformers, Ulysses 31 etc. (often animated by either Toei Animation or TMS Entertainment), my focus is going to be primarily on shows animated by Western or Western-affiliated companies with an anime-influenced art style.
Easily the most famous examples of anime-influenced animation are Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel, The Legend of Korra. Taking place in a fantasy world highly influenced by Eastern cultures (although I’d argue predominantly Chinese culture), the anime aesthetic is undeniable, featuring large eyed characters with semi-realistic proportions and many of the visual tropes of anime.
These two series were predominantly animated by South Korean animation companies such as JM Animation, DR Movie and MOI Animation for Avatar: The Last Airbender and Studio Mir for The Legend of Korra. However, it is interesting to note that several episodes in the second season of The Legend of Korra were animated by Pierrot, a Japanese animation company best known for series such as Naruto, Bleach, Tokyo Ghoul etc.
Other popular examples of anime-influenced animation are Teen Titans, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Totally Spies, RWBY and many more. However, fans will note that even though the art style and visual tropes of these series resemble anime, there is something amiss about the way they are animated when compared to the shows animated by Japanese animation companies.
I’ve spoken before about the differences between animating Western shows and anime but, to quickly summarise, many of the principles and techniques behind these two forms of animation vary greatly to the point of being incompatible with each other. Even if the art style and visual tropes of anime are adopted, the animation behind these anime-influenced shows will be animated via Western techniques. Justin Sevakis of Anime News Network brilliantly compares anime and anime-influenced animation to a well-trained French chef who attempts to make sushi, stating that he’d be able to rely on his basic skills but, without training specifically with sushi, the sushi would not taste the same as the real product.
Anime has had a tremendous impact on the world of animation and it was inevitable that anime-influenced animation would be developed. However, I think it is fair to say that anime-influenced animation exists as something other than anime with the principles of Western animation and storytelling. However, that doesn’t mean that they are not worth seeking out and enjoying and I believe that they work as an excellent complement to anime series. Let me know your thoughts on anime-influenced animation, what some of your favourites are, the differences you have noticed and any additional information you have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!