Things Avatar Has In Common With Anime

[jillrg]

I titled this thread as politically correct as possible. We all know Avatar is made in the USA by American writers and artists, but the meaning, the essence of anime, what makes it "anime" and not just "cartoons," is more than just "being made in Japan."

So, what does Avatar have in common with anime, that reminds us of anime, and attracts anime lovers to it?
- The art style
- The epic story and history
- A cute, excitable kid hero who loves fun and fangirls and hates homework (WAT)
- An older, more serious rival of said kid hero who is emo, angsty, and short-tempered with a tragic backstory who starts out hating him but becomes his best friend (I've never even seen Naruto, and I know tons about Sasuke just because of how many times I've seen him compared to Zuko).
- Fanservice. Fanservice. Fanservice. Fanservice. Fanservice.
- A lot of missing or dead parents
- Superpowered girls and women, some who are very well-endowed (*coughTyLeecough*)
- Sweat drops (PL) and a beach episode
- And last but not least, the way we learn plotlines far in advance of the episodes airing and the way episodes are available to us on the Internet before they air on our local tv. Thanks to the geniuses in charge of the schedule at Nick (that was sarcasm), we watch Avatar the same way we watch anime! (subbed or raw anime, anyway)

So, what's next? "Avatar could be called anime because..."

[tg]

^ You made a lot of nice points. *karmas*

"Anime" means "animation" in Japan therefore, Japanese call Avatar "anime". ^_^ So, to me.. "Anime" doesn't define cartoons made in Japan or a style.

Avatar is very verry close to how Japanese cartoons are made. Because manga in Japan are made to resemble movies. So, hence.. Japanese cartoons are also made in the likeness of movies and not American style/French style cartoons where we have single story plots in each episode. Also, Japanese animation branches off for everyone of every age. Same goes for the adult animation in the west but it's more...uh....well.. Very humoresque.

The eye twitching in Avatar isn't something that you can find easily in Japanese animation. Same goes for Foaming Mouth Guy. But...the only thing that would make Avatar closer to Japanese animation would be to actually have a shortern version of a song in the OP and ED. Not the typical silly Western cartoon songs that contain the show's title in its lyrics but....professional songs that actually relate to the Avatar series.

Just like in movies with their own opening songs (if they choose one) and their ending songs. That's how the Japanese focus a lot of their animation on. Korean animation is a close second. Yobi The Five Tail Fox was good on its own medium. Wish, there was more Korean animation without a lot of it being based for Western companies. Avatar would be a sole example for Korean animation, which I'm happy for.

[Zidaneski]

Jun 12, 2008 20:31:27 GMT -5 jillrg said:

- Superpowered girls and women, some who are very well-endowed (*coughTyLeecough*)

LOL!!! Avatar did get closer to Anime when she showed up. I'm just glad thats only as far as its gone.