The similarities and differences between Japanese animation movies and American animation moviesDaoke Baba

Comparison of animation movie styles between the United States and Japan

It is undeniable that Japan and the United States are one of the few countries in the world that can be called "big countries" in animation movies - not only because of the number of animation movies they produce, but also because of the status of animation movies in their respective film industries. the place of animated films in their respective film industries. Before we start comparing the two countries, it's important to explain the object of this comparison - animation

Film. In the following text, the term "animation film" is used to refer to animated films that are not directly related to television animation, but are intended for theatrical release. Thus, animated films in this article do not include animated television series, OVAs (which are marketed directly to the video or DVD market), or theatrical versions of animated television series.

This restriction is mainly for Japanese animation, which has far more TV series, OVAs and theatrical releases than American animation. It would be an impossible task to compare all of these to American animation. On the other hand, if we look at the category of "animated movies" in this article, there is a quantitative and qualitative equivalence between the two countries, which makes it easier to compare the stylistic differences and similarities. First of all, as far as the production process of animated movies is concerned, the two countries have similar practices. Because animated films are more delicate than other animated products, the time and money spent on production are far beyond the general animated products; therefore, the animated films of the two countries are basically of the top level in their own countries from the production point of view. Japan, needless to say, the average production cost of its live-action films is not high, but like Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Otomo, Mamoru Oshii and other animation masters of animated films, the investment is often billions of yen to count, taking years. Even in Hollywood, where hundreds of millions of dollars are the norm, the cost of an animated movie is a big concern for studio owners. But fortunately, high investment in animated films generally also bring high returns, Disney's annual works will certainly enter the annual box office of the top ten, several times even occupied the first place; and in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki's works are repeatedly broken the box office record.

For the average viewer, it doesn't matter how an animated movie is made, but how the final product looks. Anyone who has seen American and Japanese animated movies will feel the difference in style. Just in terms of visual effects, Hollywood animated films have recently been gradually tilted to three-dimensional animation trend, although the traditional two-dimensional animation has not left the market, but from the box office revenue point of view, whether it is to look at the overall market for animated films, or look at the single production and distribution companies in all types of animated films box office distribution, 3D animation is more popular than two-dimensional animation. In Japan, two-dimensional animation is still the mainstream market. This is not to say that the Japanese animation production process does not use computer-generated animation (CG) for modification, such as Hayao Miyazaki's later works, have used computer-generated animation to assist in the painting, to the "Thousand and Thousand Searches" when the CG has been used to do some of the tears of the 3D effect. Katsuyo Otomo and Mamoru Oshii went even further in the use of CG, as the backgrounds of their works were basically touched up with computerized effects to make them look more realistic. This can be strongly felt in works such as AKIRA, Metropolis, Attack on Titan, and The Last Vampire. In some of their images, if you just look at the background, you get a strong sense of realism, such as the streets of Hong Kong in Attack on Titan and the U.S. military base in The Last Vampire.

However, there seems to be an unwritten "rule" that Japanese animated films use traditional two-dimensional compositions for characters and other roles -- regardless of whether the backgrounds are in 3D. In contrast to Hollywood's 3D animation, which emphasizes the three-dimensional realism of the main characters, Japanese animated films still insist on using relatively simple strokes to outline the characters. In terms of the degree of characterization, there is a difference between the two. Although the image of the characters in Japanese animated films is far from the real world, the creators usually give the characters distinctive vitality through excellent observation, making those flat characters look so vital that the audience does not care whether they are visually "three-dimensional" or not; Hollywood's 3D animated films in the pursuit of "appearance" realism. "Appearance" of the real at the same time, but also did not lose the characterization of the fun: those 3D characters in the details of the infinite pursuit of "realistic" at the same time, the overall image design and has a god of exaggeration, often the most prominent features of the role to show the The most prominent features of the character can often be expressed to the fullest extent. At least as far as I am concerned, from the overall effect of watching, excellent Japanese 2D animation and American 3D animation in the character's characterization is comparable. Take an interesting example: Hayao Miyazaki's "Totoro" has a 4-year-old girl named "Mi", and Disney's "Monsters Inc." has a 1-year-old girl. Both of these girls are super naughty and naughty at first, and while one is a simple 2D image and the other is a detailed 3D model, the audience is able to feel the same joyful childlike fun in their performances, and is left with similarly deep and fond memories in their hearts.

The pursuit of different visual styles in Japanese and American animated films reflects, to a certain extent, the very different personalities of the two countries. The Japanese have retained more of the oriental people's characteristics of patience and subtlety, and to a certain extent are even more concerned about the concise and realistic style than we Chinese. Their two-dimensional treatment of animated characters reflects their inheritance of Chinese painting techniques: that's the mood! The design of the characters may seem simple, but with a few strokes of the brush, the viewer can feel what the plot is trying to convey. Americans have always been more direct, they like to "get to the point", they always choose the easiest and quickest way to express their intentions. At the same time, Americans have a high regard for humor, so it's no wonder that they love to create quirky and subtle 3D animations.

Correspondingly, the differences between Japanese and American animation movie creators and target audiences also affect the choice of animation stories and their narratives. Although viewers, regardless of age, can generally feel their favorite emotions and meanings from Japanese and American animation. However, in contrast, Hollywood movies are more purely "for kids". Children in Europe and the United States have the habit of "night reading", that is, before going to bed by their parents read a section of the storybook, which read the most, undoubtedly those who have been passed down from generation to generation of fairy tales, legends and classic historical stories. Overview of the United States animated films, directly to children's familiar stories as the blueprint for the creation of animated stories has always been the majority, especially Disney's works. From its first animated film "Snow White", it began the process of "classic story animation", until 2002's "Star Silver Island" is still this mode. This is not to say that Hollywood animation scriptwriters are trying to save time, but in fact, it is worthwhile to learn from their Eastern counterparts to tell a well-known story in such a fun and childlike way that it is truly educational and entertaining.

Japan is the country of comics, animation in the Japanese publishing industry, entertainment industry share is much larger than the United States situation. Unlike the U.S., Japanese anime has historically had a strong adult readership and audience, not just entertainment for children. Therefore, as part of the anime culture, animated movies inevitably carry a lot of adult perspectives and thoughts. Generally speaking, Japanese animated films generally have a more adult theme, and it can even be said that their animated films are created with the intention of carrying that first theme. Even Miyazaki's works, which have the slightest "adult flavor", still have a degree of thinking about the relationship between human and nature that is far beyond the scope of ordinary children's understanding. As for Miyazaki's outside of other animated films we do not have to say, full of violence, post-apocalyptic plot of hard science fiction, ninja, vampire theme has been their favorite, many of which can be said to be "seriously inappropriate" for children. Perhaps due to the geographical constraints of the island, the Japanese imagination is particularly prone to extremes. In the creation of animated films, the Japanese focus more than the Americans on exploring the ultimate relationship between human beings and the ultimate propositions of the world, and the results of their thinking are often pessimistic. In this sense, compared with the American animated films which promote the concepts of human relationships and family with warmth and affection, Japanese animated works are less positive and optimistic in consciousness; but on the other hand, Japanese animated films appear to be "deeper" than American animation, and the Japanese touch upon some very serious and profound problems in animation, and they have a very serious and deep understanding of the way these problems are interpreted and solved. The Japanese touch on some very serious and deep issues in their animation, and they address them in a way that I'm afraid "playful" American kids don't like to see. Japanese children are said to be the most "young and old" in the world compared to their peers, so I wonder if their animated movies promote this phenomenon or are a true reflection of it?

The choice of subject matter and the different ways of interpreting the story make Japanese and American animated movies have different functions. While Hollywood productions focus more on entertainment, Japanese animated films seem to be more interested in narrative. In line with their functions, American animated movies seem to be more spooky and free-spirited, while Japanese works seem to be more heavy and deep. In fact, there is no absolute difference between the two, but they represent the taste and character of the Eastern and Western nations respectively; furthermore, they represent the different appreciation needs of people. American animation of the strange novelty and edutainment, very suitable for the whole family to watch together, the children were amused at the same time also learned

The preciousness of family and friendship. However, Hollywood animation is not for those whose childlike innocence is gone and those whose hearts are hardened by the fact that they have seen too much of the fun and the promotion of family values. The freshness and ultimate thinking of Japanese animated movies are very suitable for those who are curious about the world and like to think about it, which helps to further enrich their already tricky and weird imaginations. However, the mentally weak should refrain from watching Japanese animated movies - especially those made by hardcore artists such as Katsuyo Otomo and Mamoru Oshii - because they usually make you question the meaning and reality of existence and create pessimistic expectations for the future.

After all this, it must be acknowledged that Japanese and American animated films each contain a diversity of styles worthy of a separate article, but it is also indisputable that, taken as a whole, the animated films of the two countries have their own distinctive characteristics. Generally speaking, if we take the beverage as an analogy, Japanese animation movie is like tea, and American animation movie is coffee: tea is fragrant and timeless, and coffee is strong and intoxicating.

It is undeniable that Japan and the United States are one of the few countries in the world that can be called a "big country" for animated films -- not only because of the number of animated films they produce, but also because of the status of animated films in their respective film industries. Before we start comparing the two countries, it's important to explain the object of this comparison - the animated movie (

Animation

Film). In the following text, the term "animation film" is used to refer to animated films that are not directly related to television animation, but are intended for theatrical release. Thus, animated films in this article do not include animated television series, OVAs (which are marketed directly to the video or DVD market), or theatrical releases of animated television series.

This restriction is mainly for Japanese animation, which has far more TV series, OVAs and theatrical releases than American animation. It would be an impossible task to compare all of these to American animation. Instead, if you look at the category of "animated films" in this article, the two countries are more equal in both quantity and quality, making it easier to compare stylistic similarities and differences.

First of all, as far as the production process of animated movies is concerned, the two countries have similar practices. Because animated films are more delicate than other animated products, the time and money spent on production are far more than those on ordinary animated products; therefore, the animated films of the two countries are basically of the top level in their own countries from the production point of view. Japan, needless to say, the average production cost of its live-action films is not high, but like Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Otomo, Mamoru Oshii and other animation masters of animated films, the investment is often billions of yen to count, taking years. Even in Hollywood, where hundreds of millions of dollars are the norm, the cost of an animated movie is a big concern for studio owners. But fortunately, high investment in animated films generally also bring high returns, Disney's annual works will certainly enter the annual box office of the top ten, several times even occupied the first place; and in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki's works are repeatedly broken the box office record.

For the average viewer, it doesn't matter how an animated movie is made, it's how the final product looks. Anyone who has seen American and Japanese animated movies will feel the difference in style. Just in terms of visual effects, Hollywood animated films have recently been gradually tilted to three-dimensional animation trend, although the traditional two-dimensional animation has not left the market, but from the box office revenue point of view, whether it is to look at the overall market for animated films, or look at the single production and distribution companies in all types of animated films box office distribution, 3D animation is more popular than two-dimensional animation. In Japan, two-dimensional animation is still the mainstream market. This is not to say that the Japanese animation production process does not use computer-generated animation (CG) for modification, such as Hayao Miyazaki's later works, have used computer-generated animation to assist in the painting, to the "Thousand and Thousand Searches" when the CG has been used to do some of the tears of the 3D effect. Katsuyo Otomo and Mamoru Oshii went even further in the use of CG, as the backgrounds of their works were basically touched up with computerized effects to make them look more realistic. This can be strongly felt in works such as AKIRA, Metropolis, Attack on Titan, and The Last Vampire. In some of their images, if you just look at the background, you get a strong sense of realism, such as the streets of Hong Kong in Attack on Titan and the U.S. military base in The Last Vampire.

However, there seems to be an unwritten "rule" that Japanese animated films use traditional two-dimensional compositions for characters and other roles -- regardless of whether the backgrounds are in 3D. In contrast to Hollywood's 3D animation, which focuses on the three-dimensional realism of the main characters, Japanese animated films still insist on using relatively simple strokes to outline the characters. In terms of the degree of characterization, there is a difference between the two. Although the image of the characters in Japanese animated films is far from the real world, the creators usually give the characters distinctive vitality through excellent observation, making those flat characters look so vital that the audience does not care whether they are visually "three-dimensional" or not; Hollywood's 3D animated films in the pursuit of "appearance" realism. "Appearance" of the real at the same time, but also did not lose the characterization of the fun: those 3D characters in the details of the infinite pursuit of "realistic" at the same time, the overall image design and has a god of exaggeration, often the most prominent features of the role to show the The most prominent features of the character can often be expressed to the fullest extent. At least as far as I am concerned, from the overall effect of watching, excellent Japanese 2D animation and American 3D animation in the character's characterization is comparable. Take an interesting example: Hayao Miyazaki's "Totoro" has a 4-year-old girl named "Mi", and Disney's "Monsters Inc." has a 1-year-old girl. Both of these girls are super naughty and naughty at first, and while one is a simple 2D image and the other is a detailed 3D model, the audience is able to feel the same joyful childlike fun in their performances, and is left with similarly deep and fond memories in their hearts.

The pursuit of different visual styles in Japanese and American animated films reflects, to a certain extent, the very different personalities of the two countries. The Japanese have retained more of the oriental people's characteristics of patience and subtlety, and to a certain extent are even more concerned about the concise and realistic style than we Chinese. Their two-dimensional treatment of animated characters reflects their inheritance of Chinese painting techniques: that's the mood! The design of the characters may seem simple, but with a few strokes of the brush, the viewer can feel what the plot is trying to convey. Americans have always been more direct, they like to "get to the point", they always choose the easiest and quickest way to express their intentions. At the same time, Americans have a high regard for humor, so it's no wonder that they love to create quirky and subtle 3D animations.

Correspondingly, the differences between Japanese and American animation movie creators and target audiences also affect the choice of animation stories and their narratives. Although viewers, regardless of age, can generally feel their favorite emotions and meanings from Japanese and American animation. However, in contrast, Hollywood movies are more purely "for kids". Children in Europe and the United States have the habit of "night reading", that is, before going to bed by their parents to read a storybook, which read the most, undoubtedly those who have been passed down from generation to generation of fairy tales, legends and classic historical stories. Overview of the United States animated films, directly to children's familiar stories as the blueprint for the creation of animated stories has always been the majority, especially Disney's works. From its first animated film "Snow White", it began the process of "classic story animation", until 2002's "Star Silver Island" is still this mode. This is not to say that Hollywood animation scriptwriters are trying to save time, but in fact, it is worthwhile to learn from their Eastern counterparts to tell a well-known story in such a fun and childlike way that it is truly educational and entertaining.

Japan is the country of comics, animation in the Japanese publishing industry, entertainment industry share is much larger than the United States situation. Unlike the U.S., Japanese anime has historically had a strong adult readership and audience, not just entertainment for children. Therefore, as part of the anime culture, animated movies inevitably carry a lot of adult perspectives and thoughts. Generally speaking, Japanese animated films generally have a more adult theme, and it can even be said that their animated films are created with the intention of carrying that first theme. Even Miyazaki's works, which have the slightest "adult flavor", still have a degree of thinking about the relationship between human and nature that is far beyond the scope of ordinary children's understanding. As for Miyazaki's outside of other animated films we do not have to say, full of violence, post-apocalyptic plot of hard science fiction, ninja, vampire theme has been their favorite, many of which can be said to be "serious children should not". Perhaps due to the geographical constraints of the island, the Japanese imagination is particularly prone to extremes. In the creation of animated films, the Japanese focus more than the Americans on exploring the ultimate relationship between human beings and the ultimate propositions of the world, and the results of their thinking are often pessimistic. In this sense, compared with the American animated films which promote the concepts of human relationships and family with warmth and affection, Japanese animated works are less positive and optimistic in consciousness; but on the other hand, Japanese animated films appear to be "deeper" than American animation, and the Japanese touch upon some very serious and profound problems in animation, and they have a very serious and deep understanding of the way these problems are interpreted and solved. The Japanese touch on some very serious and deep issues in their animation, and they address them in a way that I'm afraid "playful" American kids don't like to see. Japanese children are said to be the most "young and old" in the world compared to their peers, so I wonder if their animated movies promote this phenomenon or are a true reflection of it?

The choice of subject matter and the different ways of interpreting the story make Japanese and American animated movies have different functions. While Hollywood productions focus more on entertainment, Japanese animated films seem to be more interested in narrative. In line with their functions, American animated movies seem to be more spooky and free-spirited, while Japanese works seem to be more heavy and deep. In fact, there is no absolute difference between the two, but they represent the taste and character of the Eastern and Western nations respectively; furthermore, they represent the different needs of human appreciation. American animation of the strange novelty and edutainment, very suitable for the whole family to watch together, the children were amused at the same time also learned

The preciousness of family and friendship. However, Hollywood animation is not for those whose childlike innocence is gone and those whose hearts are hardened by the fact that they have seen too much of the fun and the promotion of family values. The freshness and ultimate thinking of Japanese animated movies are very suitable for those who are curious about the world and like to think about it, which helps to further enrich their already tricky and weird imaginations. However, the mentally weak should refrain from watching Japanese animated movies - especially those made by hardcore artists such as Katsuyo Otomo and Mamoru Oshii - because they usually make you question the meaning and reality of existence and create pessimistic expectations for the future.

After all this, it must be admitted that Japanese and American animated films each contain a diversity of styles worthy of a separate article, but it is also indisputable that, taken as a whole, the animated films of the two countries have their own distinctive characteristics. Generally speaking, if we take the beverage as an analogy, Japanese animation movie is like tea, and American animation movie is coffee: tea is fragrant and timeless, coffee is strong and intoxicating.