Anime is a popular form of animation within the Japanese American Culture that has become a prominent aspect of design within the United States. Growing up, I would consistently watch American Cartoons on Nickelodean and Disney. However, I was also familiar with Japanese Animation through shows such as Pokemon and Sailor Moon. In comparing these two types of animation, I noticed a great deal of differences between the two.
In terms of emotion, Japanese animation generally exhibits a stronger sense of emotion than American cartoons through the expressive facial characteristics of each character. For example, the addition of veins, sweatdrops, or blush connote a variety of emotions. Thus, through utilizing "emotional iconography," the artist is able to successfully communicate a range of emotions to its viewers. This relates to the concept of "Design as Communication," in that the way in which the facial expressions of each character is designed connotes a specific emotion that the audience is able to understand through merely looking at how the faces are drawn.
Moreover, Japanese Animation tends to design it's characters in a much more outrageous manner. Female characters are often drawn with extremely large, round eyes to accentuate "cuteness," which Japanese Culture heavily values. Their bodies are generally drawn to capture the perfect, slim physique of women, where body parts are emphasized more greatly. In terms of male characters, they are typically drawn with large muscles to connote overt masculinity. Thus, in comparison to American cartoons, Japanese animation tends to design their characters in a more unrealistic light.
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