Anime is one of the few pieces of entertainment media that has successfully managed to break social, cultural, and geographical borders to be accepted worldwide. The unique art style, the deep-rooted storytelling techniques, the intricate plot structure, and the fluid animation techniques used in anime have garnered a colossal, devoted fanbase all over the world.
Given the impact of anime, countries outside of Japan have attempted to recreate the magic of Anime. This article is part of a larger investigation focusing on multiple countries. Let’s look at the US attempt at making Anime.
History of Anime in the US
The inception of anime in the US technically began in the 1960s, with Magic Boy and Tale of the White Witch getting documented releases in the country. Anime began to spread across the US slowly around the 80s, under the name Japanimation.
The target audience for anime during this time in the US was mostly Juveniles, and Nickelodeon was one of the key broadcasters, alongside the Christian Broadcasting Network Cable which aired Christian-themed anime series like Superbook and The Flying House.
Rise in Popularity
By the 90s and the dawn of the twenty-first century, Anime had garnered enough popularity to be considered mainstream. Consequently, the term Japanimation was replaced by “Anime”, as companies such as FUNimation, Bandai, and 4Kids began licensing anime in the US.
- Series like Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon rose to popularity during these times, and are attributed to be the pioneers responsible for anime’s popularity. Other notable works that garnered a good reception were shows like Astro Boy, Pokemon, and Evangelion.
- Another core reason for the widespread ‘Anime-boom’ had to be anime piracy and fansubs of anime. A lot of pirated websites and bootleg translations popped-up, enabling anime access to a wider audience across all parts of society. Anime Piracy is still considered to be a ‘Necessary Evil’ for the industry.
Anime-Influenced American Shows
Many American shows and animated productions, while strictly aren’t anime, have shown to be either directly or indirectly inspired by anime in some way, shape, or form.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender is the most prominent in terms of displaying an anime shade. It’s deep-rooted lore and well-defined characters are often compared to anime-style narratives.
- The Popular show “Power Rangers” was directly inspired by ‘Super Sentai’. Although they aren’t animated, they clearly embody mainstream shounen tropes used in anime.
- Popular shows like Teen Titans and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are also considered to have a shade of anime to them, hinting at potential inspirations.
Attempts at Recreating Anime
Although Anime saw a steady and rapid rise in popularity over the last two decades in the US, actual attempts at recreating anime were unheard of, at least initially. While American productions like Avatar: The Last Airbender come quite close to the qualifications to be an anime in terms of the narrative, they aren’t technically classified as such.
- RWBY and Megals XLR were two American series that explicitly tried to replicate anime. The creator of the former has mentioned how he aimed to replicate the “flat, line-drawn look of traditional anime”.
- The latter was created to be both a homage and a parody of mecha anime. These two are pioneer examples of shows that could be potentially considered as “American Anime”, or anime made in the US.
Conclusion
While anime was strictly exclusive to Japan at one point, a lot of studios from different countries across the globe are making their own attempts at recreating it. The US can be considered one of the pioneers of the ‘Anime-revolution’ and is currently one of the most important players in terms of the anime recreation race.
Check this out to figure out how other countries are faring in their own versions of this endeavour.