Evolution of Adult Animation in the US and Japan

The main subject is adult animation. In North America, adult animation is dominated by vulgar comedies like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park. These shows face criticism for their visual quality, unlike the violent and story-driven anime from Japan, which is produced faster and with more variety. Despite this, Western adult animation is often confused with anime.

### The Evolution of Adult Animation: A Comparative Analysis of US and Japanese Industries
* 🇺🇸 US Animation History: From Disney's early successes to the rise of limited animation for TV shows in the 1950s, US animation was primarily focused on children's content due to **strict censorship and commercial constraints**.
* 🇯🇵 Japanese Animation History: Influenced by Disney and Tezuka, Japan's animation industry quickly embraced TV series, with Tezuka's Astro Boy becoming a **major hit** in the 1960s and leading to a **boom in TV animation**.
* 📺 TV vs. Film: While US animation focused on **big-budget films**, Japan's industry thrived on **TV series**, with a more **fluid transition** between TV and movies.
* 🔞 Adult Content: Japan's OVA market allowed for more **experimental and mature content**, including the rise of **animated hentai**, while US adult animation struggled to break free from **censorship and commercial limitations**.
* 🎵 Influence of MTV: The launch of MTV in 1981 and its subsequent animation show "Liquid Television" introduced a new, **edgier style of animation** in the US, paving the way for **adult-oriented content**.
* 🏆 "The Simpsons" Revolution: "The Simpsons" broke new ground in adult animation, with its prime-time success challenging the perception of **animation as solely for children**.
* 📊 Market Differences: The US and Japanese animation industries have different structures, with Japan's more fluid ecosystem allowing for **greater variety and experimentation in adult content**.
* 🚀 Future Prospects: While Japan's adult animation continues to thrive, the US industry has seen a resurgence in recent years with shows like "**Rick and Morty**" and "**BoJack Horseman**" pushing boundaries.

### A Tale of Two Animations: Exploring the Cultural and Production Differences Between Western and Japanese Animation
* 📺 Western animation for adults took off in the '90s with shows like "Ren and Stimpy" and "South Park," but remained **limited in genre and style** compared to Japanese anime.
* 🇯🇵 In Japan, the "OVA boom" of the '80s and '90s led to **more mature and complex storytelling** in anime, with hits like "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Ghost in the Shell."
* 📈 The Western animation industry shifted to CG in the late '90s, with Disney and DreamWorks leading the way, while anime mostly stuck to **traditional 2D animation**.
* 💻 Western adult animation often relies on rigging and puppet animation software like Toon Boom, which can result in **stiff and limited movement**.
* 🎨 In contrast, anime studios blend **2D character animation with 3D modeling** for complex scenes and dynamic shots, maintaining a **higher floor of quality**.
* 🌐 The internet and streaming services have democratized animation production, leading to a **boom in adult animated content**, both good and bad, in the 2000s and 2010s.
* 👾 The concept of "**otaku**" in Japan, referring to passionate fans of anime and manga, has been more accepted and even celebrated, influencing the industry's **growth**.
* 🚀 While Western animation is catching up in terms of mature storytelling, it still faces challenges in **production quality and cultural perception** compared to Japanese anime.

### The Harsh Realities of Anime and Western Adult Animation Production
* 🎨 In anime production, the traditional workflow remains largely unchanged for 80 years, with **key animators drawing poses and movements**, and **in-betweeners filling in frames by hand**.
* 💰 The anime industry produces over **300 shows annually**, with **70 adult-oriented series in 2023 alone**, despite animators earning **less than $300 a month on average**.
* 🌐 Anime studios often outsource work to other countries, with Korea being a common destination for **animation and background art**.
* 💼 Production committees fund anime projects, with studios often paid a flat rate regardless of a show's success, while investors **reap the benefits of merchandising and royalties**.
* 🇺🇸 In contrast, American adult animation heavily relies on outsourcing, with most shows sending work to countries like **Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines** for animation and coloring.
* 💵 The median salary for an animator in the US is **$100,000 per year**, while Japanese animators in their 20s earn an average of **$1,100 per month**.
* 📺 Despite its popularity, anime's low production costs and high quality have led to American studios struggling to compete, with many attempting to **emulate anime's style and success**.
* 🌟 The author calls for a future where both industries can thrive, with **fair treatment and compensation for all creators**, rather than **pitting them against each other**.

Why Is Adult Animation So Far Behind?

Lextorias

The Divide Between Adult Animation in the West and Anime

The most popular form of adult animation in English-speaking countries is adult comedies like The Simpsons and Family Guy, known for their vulgar humor and low visual quality.

On the other hand, adult anime from Japan, known for its high-quality art, intricate storylines, and dark mature themes, is more rare but made with a significant amount of effort and speed.

There is a notable difference in production and visual quality between adult animation in the West and anime from Japan, leading to a widespread perception of superiority of adult anime in terms of artistry and production.

The Evolution of Animation in the Mid-20th Century

Limited animation in the US, with shows like Huckleberry Hound, was produced cheaply and quickly, while Disney focused on high-cost full animation for movies like Cinderella.

In Japan, Osamu Tezuka's popular manga and the influence of American media led to the rise of TV animation and the founding of Toei Animation, with a focus on limited animation and TV series.

The US animation industry faced heavy censorship and strict regulations, impacting TV cartoon content and production, while Japan had less censorship, allowing for more creative freedom in adult themes and jokes in manga and anime.

The Evolution of Adult-Oriented Animation in Japan and the West

Astro Boy faced criticism for violence in the US but not in Japan, leading to more mature themes in Japanese anime.

The gekiga movement in Japan, led by artists like Yoshihiro Tatsumi, focused on creating adult-oriented comics with themes of violence and class struggle, leading to a shift in the industry.

In contrast, the US had a limited adult animation scene, with works like Fritz the Cat, but the structure of the industry and audience perception kept it from evolving like adult anime in Japan.

The Evolution of Adult Anime in the US and Japan

Anime demographics in Japan don't necessarily indicate the adult nature of the content, leading to a different classification of adult anime in the West.

The 1980s saw a surge of mature and experimental animation in Japan, driven by the freedom of the original video animation (OVA) format and the booming home video market.

This era also marked the proliferation of animated hentai, which had a significant impact on the anime industry.

The release and widespread distribution of VHS tapes, laser discs, and DVDs contributed to the popularization of OVAs in the West, ultimately influencing the global perception of anime.

The Impact of MTV and The Simpsons on Adult Animation

MTV's edgy animation style and Liquid Television paved the way for adult animation in the 90s, with shows like Aeon Flux and Beavis and Butt-Head pushing boundaries.

The Flintstones set the stage for animated sitcoms, but The Simpsons revolutionized adult-oriented animation with its creative freedom and mature content.

Ren and Stimpy and South Park further pushed the boundaries with their extreme and vulgar sensibilities, shaping the landscape of adult animation.

The Evolution of Adult Animation in the West and Japanese Anime in the 90s

Adult animated shows like South Park, Family Guy, and The Simpsons became popular by pushing the boundaries of what cartoons could be, relying on vulgar and insane humor.

In contrast, Japanese anime in the 90s, led by creators like Hayao Miyazaki, focused on intellectual themes and saw a significant increase in the quality of animation.

The 90s also saw a shift in Japanese TV networks opening up late-night slots for more mature and violent anime shows, in response to increased popularity and the need to restrict adult content from daytime airing.

The Evolution of Mature Animation and Anime Influence

Late-night anime shows are popular due to cost and have a significant impact on Western animation.

"Space Ghost Coast to Coast" was a pioneering adult cartoon that led to the creation of Toonami's Midnight Run, introducing anime to a broader audience.

The success of adult-oriented programming on Cartoon Network and the launch of Adult Swim paved the way for more mature animated shows.

The Impact of Otaku Culture on Western Animation

Netflix's strategy of acquiring animation studios and producing original animated shows has driven competition in the streaming industry.

This has led to a surge in animated content, both good and bad, ultimately contributing to the potential collapse of the streaming economy.

The influence of otaku culture, which has become widely accepted and even promoted in Japan, has played a significant role in the success of adult anime, while American otaku culture, especially in animation, has struggled to gain similar recognition until recent years.

The difference in cultural acceptance of otaku has had a profound impact on the development of adult animation in both Japan and the US.

Western animation is currently more focused on full fluid animation, while Japanese anime has historically emphasized limited animation and sakuga moments for high-quality shots.

The Western animation industry's concentration on big-budget, full animation productions has led to a divide, with TV shows struggling to keep up with the quality of big movies, while in the anime industry, the talent and focus on quality are more evenly spread, raising the floor of animation quality.

The introduction of CG further highlighted this divide, with Pixar's success in fully CG films contrasting Disney's struggles with 2D animation during the 1990s and 2000s.

The Shift from 2D to 3D Animation: A Comparison of Western Animation and Anime

Disney's transition to CG animation led to massive layoffs in their 2D animation division, causing a ripple effect in the industry.

While Western animation focused on CG, anime incorporated 3D as a cost-saving measure, leading to a blend of traditional hand-drawn style with 3D effects.

The quality spectrum differs between adult Western animation, primarily limited to TV, and adult anime, which enjoys higher funding and quality standards, with a more diverse genre range.

Lower-end Western animation has largely adopted Toon Boom for rig animation, minimizing traditional hand-drawn work, while anime uses 3D for complex elements, integrating it with 2D drawings for a seamless effect.

Rigging in animation, particularly in shows like The Simpsons and Big Mouth, creates stiff and robotic movements, driven by efficiency but often lacking expressiveness.

In contrast, traditional anime production, with hand-drawn frames, allows for more dynamic and expressive shots, despite being more time-consuming.

American adult animated comedies, driven by limited resources and a focus on edgy humor, often end up with visually uninteresting results.

The production of these shows is typically handled by a few specialized studios, leading to a lack of diversity in the adult animation industry.

The Dominance and Diversification of Animation Studios

Major animation studios like Powerhouse, Titmouse, and Bentobox have been behind a wide range of popular shows, often collaborating with each other.

These studios operate as conglomerates of animators and creators, taking on a variety of projects from commercials to animated series.

While the adult animation industry in America is relatively small, the anime industry in Japan produces over 300 shows annually, showcasing a significant difference in output.

The Challenging Reality of Anime Production

The founder of Mushi Productions, Osamu Tezuka, struggled with low budgets and high workloads, leading to a production process that relied heavily on outsourcing.

The success of Astro Boy led to a surge in demand for anime, forcing studios to compete with low funding and tough conditions.

Tezuka's efforts to keep the studio afloat, including targeting the American market and producing adult-oriented films, were met with financial challenges.

The Impact of Astro Boy on the Anime Industry

Astro Boy set the standard for tiny budgets, long hours, and outsourcing in the anime industry, leading to exploitation of animators.

The production committee system, influenced by Astro Boy, prioritizes investors' control over production, leading to low budgets and overworked staff.

The norm of outsourcing in anime production, partly due to Astro Boy's influence, has led to collaboration between studios and a high reliance on freelance animators, both in Japan and overseas.

Challenges Faced by Anime Animators in Japan

Japanese animators are paid very low salaries, with some earning as little as $300-700 a month, and often working as freelancers with inconsistent pay.

The industry is known for its long working hours, with animators putting in an average of 219 hours per month, 40 hours higher than the national average.

In contrast to the poor working conditions in the anime industry, American animators have higher median salaries and are often unionized, providing a better work environment.

The Impact of Anime on the Western Adult Animation Industry

The Western adult animation industry is facing challenges due to the rising popularity and low production costs of anime.

Anime adaptations of Western properties are on the rise, with companies like Netflix funding a large number of anime originals.

The demand for adult shows has increased due to the popularity of anime, leading to competition and a need for Western animation to adapt to the changing landscape.