Anime-inspired productions from the West have been causing debate for years. Now an industry representative has commented on this and discussed the problems of the international animation industry.
Criticism of the animation industry
At the center of the debate are recent statements by Jerome Mazandarani, who headed Manga Entertainment until 2014. According to him, many talented animators in the West would like to implement anime-inspired projects, but in practice they are often only able to work on classic children’s formats.
He also mentioned the popular British children’s series “Peppa Pig”, which is emblematic of the current situation in the Western animation industry.
However, he made it clear that his statements were not intended as criticism of those responsible for the series. Rather, he wanted to express his frustration that the industry in countries like Great Britain hardly offers any space for more adult or experimental animation projects.
Anime style difficult to implement
In addition, Mazandarani explained that many international animators found their way into the industry through anime and therefore one does not necessarily have to look to Japan to implement anime-style projects.
He named “RWBY” and “Castlevania” as examples of Western productions with anime influences, which, however, would always trigger discussions within the community about what could even be described as “anime”.
Finally, he emphasized that the international animation industry is currently changing and that anime is no longer viewed exclusively as a Japanese medium.
However, outside of Japan it remains difficult to create productions that can meet both the typical anime style and the expectations of international fans.
More on the topic:
Via YouTube
© Netflix, Konami