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[kaijyuu]

This is all getting very confusing. How about Western Western?

[GlyphGryph]

What do you mean Western Western? Talk about confusing!

[Levi]

I just wanted to say that I've been watching Avatar:  The Last Airbender recently, and its really very good.  [...]  If there is any show right now that really demonstrates Western Animation at its best, its got to be this show.

Considering it's pretty much an anime in every way except the nationality/location of the people who made it, I'm not sure how much of a complement that is

Though to be fair it's got a lot of western charm in it too. The animation isn't as stiff as most anime, plenty of western culture references snuck past the asian theme, it doesn't have the mountain of filler that most shonen animes do. A good chunk of the humor is distinctly Western too. Hell, my favorite episode's probably "Zuko Alone," which is essentially a Western (as in, cowboys. Specifically the novel 'Shane.") with swords and magic! But if you had to pick the cartoon for "most anime influenced," it'd definitely be Avatar.

It doesn't feel like an anime to me.    The characters have actual facial expressions, and the show doesn't feel as "tropey", if tropey is a word.     In anime, it always feels like they reuse character personalities and scenes.  I swear I've seen the same "Awkward guy trips and falls on girl and accidentally grabs boobs" scene in like 20 different animes.  In this, they all felt pretty unique and sort of felt like real people in a way. 

Although it DOES have a continuous storyline, which most western animation seems to fail hard at.  I guess in that way it feels a little anime like.

[kaenneth]

I recently learned something. You know Adventure Time?


Yeah, the creators confirmed that it took place on a post-apocalyptic Earth after a nuclear war. The title sequence shows remains of nuclear weapons, which are also shown pretty much everywhere. The only human is Finn, all human-looking-people are "humanoids".
It was also confirmed that the Ice King was a Middle-Eastern man, and the crown kept him alive. Marceline was mutated into a vampire. Everyone else is just mutants.

Ooo is the remains of a continent that has broken apart, and you can actually see in a few episodes a giant gaping crater where Russia would have been. One that takes up about a quarter of the planet's surface.



Also, wasn't Xiaolin Showdown a western animation? Because it was pretty good, if I recall.

Referred to earlir on as "The Mushroom War". Also, Rainicorns speak/write Korean.

[kaijyuu]

@glyph
Okay, here goes.


The episode I was referring to had essentially the same plot as the novel Shane, which is a western (cowboys). There was a film made that I haven't seen, but I dunno if it's a proper spaghetti western or if it was filmed in the USA; I do know the plot isn't a basic cowboys and indians one, but was pretty much the defining work for "loner guy walks in, befriends local people, saves them from oppressive bad guy, rides off into the sunset." If you think that a cliche plot, that book is why, since it was mercilessly copied.

Back to Avatar, they did copy the plot, but did it really damn well. Made me wonder why the universe hates Zuko so much, which isn't explained until the end of that season, specifically

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

because Zuko's a friggin' idiot, as the season finale proved. He gets himself into trouble by blindly trying to appease his father. Instead of making his own path in life, he goes down paths laid out by others.

[Il Palazzo]

But aren't most Westerns Korean or Italian?

And German/Yugoslavian. Don't forget Winnetou.

[GlyphGryph]

That's OLD though. I was mostly talk about the modern day western. America used to do a lot of westerns too, but hasn't in who knows how long.

[Il Palazzo]

the list

The two that I've already seen from there were fantastic, so I'll be sure to watch the rest of them.

Which two, if I may ask?

Also, I'm so hyped for this one:
http://www.monsterofnix.com/
despite it being merely half an hour long. But I can't find it anywhere.

[MrWiggles]

Although it DOES have a continuous storyline, which most western animation seems to fail hard at.  I guess in that way it feels a little anime like.

I think it really unfair to say that Western Animation fails hard at not being a serial show. THey just happen to be episodic.

There have been many western cartoons which have had continious plots.

Most recently: Avatar: Legend of Korra, and Young Justice.

[nenjin]

Speaking of Aeon Flux, Liquid Television anyone? So many cartoon series got their starts there, and while it wasn't always cartoons, the ones they did have were just amazing. Short story amazing, ya know? I was never the kind to religiously watch any television series, but Liquid Television was one I made time for. Too bad it was so short lived and on a network like MTV.

Also since movies are on the docket, Light Years. This movie really messed with my head as a kid. It defines for me the look of 80s western animation (even though it's French), and how, I dunno, realistic they felt in comparison to much of what's come after. In terms of that weird place you get watching animation intended for adults, anime doesn't even come close to the sensation I get watching 80s cartoons like Light Years.

[Neonivek]

Although it DOES have a continuous storyline, which most western animation seems to fail hard at.  I guess in that way it feels a little anime like.

I think it really unfair to say that Western Animation fails hard at not being a serial show. THey just happen to be episodic.

There have been many western cartoons which have had continious plots.

Most recently: Avatar: Legend of Korra, and Young Justice.

Well it isn't so much that Western animation fails at continuous storylines.

It is that Anime is almost always a continuous storyline to the point where episodic animes are the exception rather then the rule.

While western animation is almost always episodic, sorta, to the point where continuous storybased western shows are the exception rather then the rule.

But you can find plenty of exceptions in both.

[Supercharazad]

Has anyone noticed how in Legend of Korra, the story seems rushed as fuck?

It's episode six, and the three main characters (Mako, Korra and Bolin) all have mutual love interests.
The big bad has been revealed, Korra has mastered three elements and is pretty much done with air, etc.


Really, the only two things that are keeping me watching is because Korra is quite the badass, and I really want to see if Amon is related to any characters from Legend of Aang, and if not then his full backstory.

[Neonivek]

It is because I think they originally planned the Legend of Korra to be a longer show but it is now only 12 episodes long (but got longer)

[kaijyuu]

I'm going to wait until it's finished before checking it out. It seems like something best seen all in one go.

[MrWiggles]

Has anyone noticed how in Legend of Korra, the story seems rushed as fuck?

It's episode six, and the three main characters (Mako, Korra and Bolin) all have mutual love interests.
The big bad has been revealed, Korra has mastered three elements and is pretty much done with air, etc.


Really, the only two things that are keeping me watching is because Korra is quite the badass, and I really want to see if Amon is related to any characters from Legend of Aang, and if not then his full backstory.

Korra isnt done with Air Bending. As stated in episode 8, she hasnt manage to bend any air at all. Nor has she been able to contact her past lives, or enter the Avatar State.
---
But yea, I've been noting that its a very fast paced show, but still very good. In the Anime thread, it was noted that maybe those elements were skipped to stop it from being repetitive from Avatar: TLA.

It is because I think they originally planned the Legend of Korra to be a longer show but it is now only 12 episodes long (but got longer)

This has been said a lot, but I cant find any sources to confirm this.