The Biggest Difference Between Eastern and Western Animation

Are you a massive fan of animation, like me? Whether it's Anime, or Western animation, I love this medium. But one day, I got to thinking... What is the biggest difference between the two (East vs. West)? After some careful consideration, I believe I have finally discerned the difference. Aside from stylistically, the biggest difference is how they convey emotion. Western animation tends to use character as the driving emotional force, while Anime uses the circumstances that the characters find themselves in as the main emotional generator. I explain what I mean in the video, and I examine two scenes to help illustrate my point. One scene is from "A Silent Voice", and the other is from, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". I hope you enjoyed this type of content. I am going to start doing more of these video essay type videos about storytelling, so I hope you look forward to them!
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[@giuseppepaolini6754]

i already thanked you with words several times, but i've never actually showed my gratitude to you, and that's a thing i wanted to do from the beginning. It's not much, but i just wanna say (and show) thank you for what you do, as a creator and as a person: not only you created a wonderful channel that is ALWAYS so interesting to look and listen at, but you also created such a wonderful community where i can find hundreds and hundreds of kind people to discuss with all the time, and this video in particular shows it perfectly. Love you Drew, keep up your wonderful work

[@DrewMalou]

Wow, @giuseppepaolini6754 thank you so much for the donation! You are far too kind, and you absolutely don't have to give me anything, but I am so thankful that you did! (Also, it's my first donation on this channel, wooo!) More than that, though, I'm thankful for your kind words, and that you found a community you can engage with in our shared love of storytelling. Here's to many more videos in the future, and thank you, as always, for watching!

[@giuseppepaolini6754]

@@DrewMalou much deserved🙏🏼❤️

[@DemonicDung]

so you are just thanking him for giving you the option to discuss with kind people all the time? what did the information you watched in the video gave you? i wanna learn and figure why this comment so emotional lol

[@somekidwithglasses4784]

this is irrelevant but i’m still pissed that boss baby beat a silent voice for an oscar

[@DrewMalou]

Yesssss. I literally don't know how that happens. Super wack.

[@DrewMalou]

LOOOL. What makes you think they're conservative? Hollywood is hyper-progressive and extremely liberal. Not sure how you make that connection. They probably are old and white, though, haha.

[@DrewMalou]

Well, either way, A Silently Voice most definitely got robbed!

[@jisoos7696]

Oscar is shit tho.

[@allspagonia3711]

It may have won the award but it will never win our hearts 😤

[@radiogaga3501]

Once I watched a video about Mulan made by a Chinese girl. She said something that I think is also a big difference between this 2 sides of animation: The western sees personal growth and individualism as the key to success, while the eastern thinks community growth and team work to be what matters. She gave the example on how Mulan's (in the western movie) way was to save china all by herself and being recognized for this, while in actual Chinese representations of the story, they focus more on how she and her teammates plan strategies and win several battles without one being more important that the others.

[@DrewMalou]

Oh, that is interesting. Definitely a difference in cultures there. That's super neat, thank you for sharing, and for watching!

[@r.daneel.90]

At least in Japan that would not be very applicable. There are a lot of great movies and series where it's about an individual, the hero's journey, and so on. Basically, the story of Disney's Mulan with other characters. I guess that girl was basing her reasoning on the fact that China is a communist and collectivist society in certain social and political aspects. Japan is too, in many ways, but in their art they tend to focus on individuals and their inner selves.

[@radiogaga3501]

@@r.daneel.90 Yeah, you might me right. Another thing is that in western media the protagonist usually overcomes obstacles and finally gets their goal (mainly is to defeat the villain). The conflict seems to be the protagonist against themself and the opposite force. In eastern media when the protagonist is losing they think about their friends and family and that's where they get the the strength to continue. That might be also the reason why there are more teams in eastern media and the protagonist doesn't do everything alone, you know, like the sailor scouts or the eva pilots for example

[@Moonstar79]

Xiran Jay Zhao?

[@zanir2387]

The problem with that way of thinking Is that opens the door to authoritary regimes, since they don't held too good someone protesting

[@fitzhugh7463]

For me the biggest difference in the actual animation is the production pipeline. Western animation in general focuses more on actual character acting because animators are able to take pre recorded voice lines and express the acting through the animation. In anime, even movies, animation is done first before the actors come in and dub over the animation

[@DrewMalou]

Thats a great point! I didn't think about technical differences contributing to their differing animation styles. That's really interesting, I'll have to go do some more research. Thanks for watching!

[@fitzhugh7463]

Drew Malou it definitely may contribute to what you are talking about when you are referring to how the emotion is more internalized in western animation while drama in anime is more from the situation and external sources. Loved the video!

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, I could see that having a big effect on how the emotions or characters are portrayed in each medium. I'm glad you brought that up, I hadn't even considered it. And thank you for the kind words! 😁

[@peachesandcream8753]

@@DrewMalou This is why I like both styles of animation because they're so different. When Western animation is done well, not the crap we've had to endure for the last 10 years with every animated TV show being a clone of Adventure Time and Steven Universe, the fluidity of the character animation and personality through movement and expression far outshines that of Eastern animation because of the fact that they take the voices first. I think this is why Eastern animation has an easier time of being overall beautiful in it's production because they aren't trying to give life through movement to their characters, which takes far more time, and instead gives life through the world and it's circumstances like you've explained.

[@DrewMalou]

That's a great point! Really beautiful character animation is a fantastic thing to behold. And yes, I agree. So many shows have just copied and piled on to what Adventure Time and Steven Universe have done. Anyways, thanks for your comment, and thanks for watching!

[@Helex315]

The silent voice scene ALWAYS gives me chills, never disappoints. One of the greatest animated movies ever created in my opinion, can't recommend it enough.

[@DrewMalou]

I agree! Such a powerful movie. Definitely one of my favorites! Thank you for watching!

[@game-enjoyer13]

Its so great. Your Name is also just as good in my opinion. They make amazing animated movies man.

[@DrewMalou]

Yes, that's a great one. And they really do!

[@sealdraws1984]

@@game-enjoyer13 your name has way more flaws, especially in continuity. and the ending is fairly unsatisfying. Still a decent movie, but not nearly as emotionally moving.

[@daniellu1321]

@@sealdraws1984 I Fucking loved your Name though. It truly gave me an indescribable feeling that I cannot even begin to explain. I cant even say why it affected me so much but it did it in such a indescribable way.

[@OfficialEdwardNewgate]

This video: Actual differences with western and eastern animation. Mydumbass: *WESTERN IS MORE WESTERN AND EASTERN IS MORE EASTERN. I am the smart.*

[@DrewMalou]

Bahahaha, totally makes me think of the "Math is Math" Mr. Incredible meme. 🤣 Thanks for watching, and giving me a good laugh! lol.

[@suprisebuttsecksspy5958]

@@DrewMalou dumb facts. No matter what its different between hentai and porn their just same PORN IS PORN!!!!

[@Moonstar79]

@@suprisebuttsecksspy5958 r/technicallytrue Actually all of you get r/technicallytrue

[@joshfilms4088]

ANIMATION IS ANIMATION

[@thatguy1251]

Western: Adventure time come on grab your friend Eastern: aori aori

[@rat9751]

Subtitles.

[@DrewMalou]

Bahahaha!! 😂 Well dang. I could have made a much shorter video! Lol

[@DrewMalou]

Hahaha, definitely the best age! 😂

[@impactframes6514]

-you weren’t supposed to say that-

[@DrewMalou]

Quite literally just chortled, lol.

[@edenromanov]

MADLAD lmao

[@Oliveoilxo]

I'd also like to add that eastern animation likes to deal with consequence and aftermath much more heavily. It wasn't the rescue scene in a silent voice that broke me. It was the scenes after.

[@DrewMalou]

Ohhhh, that's a good point! You're right, the aftermath is super important in that film. Thanks for watching!

[@nickl5658]

Yeah... that echoes through in folk tales. The ramification of ones actions. In fact that is often the point... Eastern cultures stress the group, the team, so it often results in stories that looks at impact of one actions beyond oneself.

[@DrewMalou]

True! The cultural differences in the aspects of storytelling are so fascinating to me. I feel another video in the making!

[@scheve1994]

Hah, rookie, for me it was both.

[@zaidanhakim1072]

consequences and aftermath are the best part of a movie. Do something then face the consequence

[@katiejruizkr]

Also the sounds, like in Eastern animation, there are a lot of "agh", "oo" "ah" "phew" "pfft" "uh" "huh" noises, which isn't as common in the West. I've gotten used to it, but my friends who do not watch anime are not used to it, so when they hear it they say that the noises are excessive. I think it helps to convey the emotions of the character.

[@DrewMalou]

Yes! This is a great example of a big difference. Square Enix games are notorious for implementing this with the English voice actors, and it often sounds out of place when they try and do it! 😆

[@shydreameress264]

These do sound excessive for me too but I don't watch many anime.

[@DamageMaximo]

exactly

[@Melotaku]

As an avid anime watcher I find them very annoying

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, yeah, I know what you mean, it can definitely sound like that. 😂

[@ibelieveinwoozisupremacy8681]

Western animation: i'm crying, but the ending can makes me smile Eastern animation: fuck i'm depressed. both are good, it just hit different

[@DrewMalou]

Hahaha, I like your comparison! And I would agree, I definitely like both. They've both got some pretty great strengths. Thanks for watching!

[@ferret_lover2665]

Yeah, when a show uses character and situation to convey emotion, it works really well XD

[@DrewMalou]

I agree, it becomes the perfect blend!

[@Jingles6466]

I mean, Your Name, A Silent Voice, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle do make me smile in the end, but they also male me depressed

[@DrewMalou]

That's very true. It's crazy how they can be so depressing and uplifting at the same time. They hit me with all of the feels! Thanks for watching!

[@mdsarfarazali5207]

Western animation Cruel life: *PANIK* Some rays of light: *CALM* Rays shadowed by villian: *PAINK* Happy ending: *CALM* Eastern animation Happy life: *CALM* Happier life: *CALM* Plot gets in a tight spot real quick: *PANIK* Villian gets defeated: *CALM* In the end everyone dies: *DEPRESSION FOREVER*

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, this is way too accurate! 😂

[@nortemark4454]

*Akame Ga Kill*

[@DrewMalou]

Lololol

[@TrueBladeSoul]

@@nortemark4454 attack on titan

[@Starchael07]

Jjba in a nutshell

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

And of course everyone forgets the elephant in the room: the presence of absence of a strong live action industry.

[@DrewMalou]

Are you talking about Eastern entertainment? That is a big factor that I hadn't really considered! Good point. That also could contribute to why animation is still majoritively geared towards children in the West. Because adults have a plethora of television shows and films that cater to them. Thanks for the insight, and for watching!

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

@Inés Lázaro De la Garza When was I talking about adaptations?

[@314rft]

@Inés Lázaro De la Garza Just like how Japan makes 300 mediocre anime a year along with their good few, the US makes 300 mediocre live action tv shows a year along with out good few.

[@kennantjessavi7648]

@@314rft That's just how world works i guess

[@314rft]

@@kennantjessavi7648 Precisely. Not everything is gonna be grand, most things will actually just be made for some specific niche and simply pander to that.

[@welnerton2595]

This is actually correlated with how people in Western and Eastern cultures tend to attribute behaviour (= explain why people behave as they do). Western cultures tend to place emphasis on one's *disposition* (innate character and free will), while Eastern cultures place emphasis on the *context* (circumstances/situation the person found themselves in).

[@DrewMalou]

Yes! Thank you for sharing, I find that fascinating. It is interesting to see how the cultural differences bleed through to impact the art form. Thank you for watching!

[@nanaki1990blox]

Wow you're right, I've been trying to figure this out forever

[@eIijxh]

which means that they would (exactly) be the same thing. They are jus different stories. I would use the same tools to make both of them. Cartoons are animations an anime literally means animations. Its literally the name of it

[@MrWeebs-gc2jj]

The sad thing about eastern/japan animation is all animator is overworked

[@KnotPhound]

American animators are also overworked, but at least they're paid well.

[@MrWeebs-gc2jj]

@@KnotPhound but its a rare case that american animator overworked most case goes to japan

[@raina1887]

@@KnotPhound Western animation can be outsourced too, so they just underpay *other* people

[@KnotPhound]

@@raina1887 That is actually true, especially when the animation is outsourced to an asian country like Thailand or Malasia.

[@FranciscoJG]

@@MrWeebs-gc2jj you mean nowadays, right? Because Disney wasn't so magical for animators...

[@mr_valor3903]

A silent voice had me up at 2 in the morning, just thinking

[@DrewMalou]

I agreeee!! Me too. After the first time I saw it, I watched it on repeat for like two weeks, lol. It was so good. Thanks for watching!

[@VorteX_SH]

"A silent voice" is a masterpiece

[@sovapal1515]

I love silent Voice I have watched it countless times

[@DrewMalou]

I agree!! It's one of my favorite animated films. Thanks for watching!

[@user-hf6jm4tv2v]

My mother's side aunt was born blind. I had a weird thought about "what if I was born blind" as a child

[@innocentqwa4630]

One word: Movement. Western animation has the characters moving almost constantly, it's why the designs for the characters and backdrops are often more simple. Eastern animation put a lot of time and effort into something like a fight scene but leaves LONG stretches of time where the characters don't move at all or very little while they're having say an internal monologue to make up for it.

[@DrewMalou]

True! Good points. Thanks for watching!

[@abadyr_]

That's money though. Compare a Disney film to a Simpson episode, and one will be more static than the other... Now compare Akira or Redline to something like Berserk 1997, and one will be more static than the other... Edit: I had written "on" instead of "one"...

[@yellowblobby]

that's just because one is longer than the other. Compare a film to a long series. No wonder one will need to get through story faster than the other.

[@alvargd6771]

Thats called "filler" and it only applies to some anime, mostly shounen (your average good guy gets stronker out of nowhere and defeata bad guy anime) Pretty much every other gendre of anime isnt like that

[@entityx6035]

one reason for that might be that animation in the west is mainly for kids and kids like movement

[@kansaimon8319]

I think someone’s already mentioned this somewhere but Japanese stuff uses a lot of grunting and extra sounds made by the characters. As a Japanese person myself, I’d imagine this comes from the nature of our language being filled with onomatopoeia and sound effects along with our culture or belief that your voice helps your strength (like the shouting in karate and stuff like that). Or it’s just a direct derivative of mangas trying to use sound as much as possible. I’m not sure.

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, there were a few comments about that. It's pretty interesting that the language has such an impact on the animation. Thank you for sharing!

[@LFanimes333]

It’s 100% both.

[@danielantony1882]

It's called Jujutsu・呪術 It's a concept where emotions affect reality. It's an ancient concept.

[@danielantony1882]

Ðe anguage is extremely important. Ðat is why translations can never capture ðe full intent of ðe original.@@DrewMalou

[@Grudgebearer47]

I’ve noticed this stuff in Chinese donghua too!

[@Sthuthukile]

I've been contrasting the two very differently to your analysis, but yours isn't wrong either. I feel like Western animation is very plot driven, every scene in some way or another drives the story forward. But anime has a lot of scenes that just immerse you in the world or enrichen aspects of a character. When I watch anime I have to stop asking "where's this going? What was the point of that?" and just be in the moment.

[@DrewMalou]

Ooooh, that's interesting. I can definitely see what you mean. World building is oftentimes a huge focus in anime, so it makes sense that you feel that way. The plot-driven focus of Western animation also seems very accurate. Thanks for watching!

[@smoky7451]

I feel it's more the contrary. In series, anyway. A lot of people prefer anime because we're following a continuing narrative, while in western cartoon it's more episodic where we just spend time with the characters and get to know more about their world.

[@DrewMalou]

That's a very interesting idea, as well! Makes me want to do a video comparing narrative based shows versus episodic shows, and which ones tell a better story. I can think of examples for both that offer great world building and character development. Thanks for watching, and for giving me an interesting idea!

[@magic2546]

@@DrewMalou Do you have any idea on when you'll be done with that video? I'd love to see it.

[@DrewMalou]

Hey, thanks for the interest but... I don't have a clue! Lol. I'm focusing on an IRL project that will be done sometime in April, and have a few series ideas for videos after that... so it might be a few months! Thanks for watching though!

[@Hoshikogirl]

Eastern: circumstances make people do things. Western: people make circumstances do things.

[@DrewMalou]

Huh, that's interesting! I'd have to sit down and think of some examples, haha, but I like the idea! Thanks for watching!

[@nullpoint3346]

People create circumstances be changing them, they don't have control over them but they can influence them. Only people can make an difficult situation impossible to escape, not just the person struggling to get through it.

[@DrewMalou]

Oh, that's an interesting thought. Are you saying that circumstances will occur normally, but become dire or have higher stakes based on the influence of other characters?

[@nullpoint3346]

@@DrewMalou Good and bad things will happen as they always will, the influence of people can compound those events or hinder them based on their actions or inaction. To be lucky doesn't mean more good things happen to you, it just means unlikely things happen more frequently around/to you, whether you can exploit them or not depends on your circumstances and capabilities.

[@nullpoint3346]

@@DrewMalou I probably should have specified that I was talking about real life, but it can absolutely apply to improving writing.

[@andrewscott7728]

Western Animation: Let's make something we know will resonate with the audience, something we know they will want. Eastern Animation: We don't care what you want, this is what we made.

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, that's an interesting way of putting it, but I see where you're coming from! Western animation does tend to have mass appeal. Maybe that's why it feels so impactful when an Eastern show really resonates with you... Anyways, thanks for watching!

[@andrewscott7728]

@@Dan_Kanerva It's a well understood principle when comparing western and eastern animation. Cherry picking decisions you personally disagree with does nothing to change it. Your opinions will not always be the opinions of the masses, and the show creators will not always know what people will like. Often studios will try to please one portion of their audience and inadvertently alienate another portion. One strategy isn't necessarily better than the other, they both result in many examples of the best and worst television has to offer.

[@jharris3110]

@@Dan_Kanerva Korra is bi, not a lesbian, and she never outright hated Asami. She disliked her out of jealousy but they grew closer the more the show went on. If she outright hated her, I doubt Korra would of bothered even writing her while she recovered

[@Dan_Kanerva]

@@jharris3110 "korra _is Bi according to a Tweet from Bryan and a Tumblr fanfic i_ read" Please... i don't wanna laugh . Never stated in the show that she ever liked pusss, only men . And she only started writting letters in the LAST season , when the writers saw their views in a nosedive and decided to snatch some LGBT people by retconing a "surprise, she likes girls"

[@jharris3110]

@@Dan_Kanerva She started writing Asami and only Asami, as it was pointed out. Never stated in the show that she liked just men either, at the end of the day whether she likes one or both men and women shouldn't matter too much.

[@lithium3925]

To me, something that is a big difference is the character design. I always thought that the character design of western animations is much more unique and exaggerated in terms of shape and proportions. An example would be Atlantis, were everyone had different hand shapes depending on their profession, life and general habits. While in eastern animation such uniquness would be mostly noticibale in the hairshape/colour or eyeshape/colour. Also, eastern animation looks to me generally aestatically pleasing, while western animation puts more focus on the characters themselves. Thus, you could conclude that due to the different focuses of animation it would make sense that the methods of making the viewer empathize with the characters would be different too.

[@DrewMalou]

Good points! Thanks for watching!

[@southernsnowman7788]

I think western still think their target are kids. they make it easy for kids to consume. lots of music and of course happy ending. Anime don't hold back on that even since Tetsuka Osamu age. Japanese not afraid to make you thinking about life and why you exist...

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, Western animation definitely targets a majority of kids. There are a few shows for adults, but most of the time they don't really do much for me. I agree that anime will really sit down and make you think about life by exploring all kinds of emotions, morality, and storylines. I appreciate the comment, and thanks for watching!

[@iammeltedvengence1234]

@@DrewMalou I think there is a reason why Western animation is focus on kids more because, people probably would cancel something that tackles a serious topic or told truths about the world by using animation since a lot of people in western society or Twitter ( mainly Twitter ) are sensitive.

[@DrewMalou]

That's an interesting point. Western culture is definitely is definitely hyper-woke right now, so if entertainment doesn't follow that trend then I could see people getting upset (as if they didn't anything else to be upset about). I don't know how much of that is at play when a studio decides to produce an animation, so it is an interesting theory!

[@DrewMalou]

@Carson Lawler Bahaha, shots fired! Lol, but it's true. Disney is definitely pushing progressive culture pretty hard.

[@Gordy3000]

@@DrewMalou they really aren't though, more like they're making airs about being progressive on the surface, like spending on marketing to advertise there's a gay character in a movie, when the character shows up for like a second and there's barely any substance in the movie about them being gay. That aside, I agree Disney is a big culprit of the push to make animation a 'just for kids' kind of thing

[@ursomrano542]

The only way I was able to notice the one major difference between eastern and western animation was by having my parents watch anime for the first time and for them to not enjoy it. The reason why they didn’t enjoy it was because and I quote “it’s so overdramatic”. After some time thinking about that I came to the realization of what they meant. For example in anime during a fight scene there is internal dialogue of the characters thinking about The who, what, when, where, why and the stress that they feel and most of the time that inner dialogue is prioritized over the actual fight itself and on top of that the voice actors are screaming their lungs out. Then compare that to western animation fight where there is no inner dialogue and all we see and hear is them throwing fists, the occasional moments of the characters saying something like “just give up, there is no hope” and some stereo typical drama music playing in the background. Anime try’s to force that emotion out of you by all means necessary but western animation expects you to have those emotions to begin with and that the movie just gives an excuse to express them.

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, interesting analysis! I'm surprised that you got your parents to watch anime at all. Mine always either flat out refuse, or just complain the whole time. 😂 But yeah, I know what you mean, anime actions scenes are chalk full of inner monologues, exposition, or random flashbacks. I think the Western style of animation relies on building a character up and then pitting them against crazy odds, and that's where the audience draws their emotions. But I do still love both types of animation! Thanks for leaving such a detailed reply, and for watching!

[@politebadger5049]

@@DrewMalou We got our mum to watch Howl's Moving Castle. She loved the backgrounds/buildings but didn't really like the over all movie because "too weird" which is fair.

[@DrewMalou]

Ohhh, that makes sense. And yeah, I could see that! There are definitely some beautiful landscapes and backgrounds, haha. I'll have to try that with my folks! Thanks for sharing!

[@kjarakravik4837]

@@politebadger5049 Your mom thinking it's too weird is necessarily because it's an anime, the movie was adapted from a novel by a British author

[@DrewMalou]

Really? I had no idea. I need to go deep dive and do some research on that. That sounds fascinating.

[@EtamirTheDemiDeer]

Eastern vs western animation and storytelling/conveying of emotion, much like a hammer and a screwdriver are simply different tools for different jobs; neither is inherently “better” than the other. Considering that both examples made me cry, I’d say they’re equally effective. Or I’m just a little bitch lol

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, nahhhh, I think you're definitely on to something. It could be just the demographics or even cultures that they are catered towards that might influence that. I cried on the inside, so no worries. 😂

[@tiho6817]

And animation (changes in every frame) in west is generally much better than in east.

[@DrewMalou]

I do love that fluid style of animation! I feel like in Eastern animation, the fight scenes tend to get that nice single frame treatment as well.

[@cinnamon-skateboarding5987]

Personally no anime has made me cried. Western has though.

[@DrewMalou]

Interesting... what western animation was it that made you cry if you don't mind me asking? And if you wanted some real tear jerker anime recommendations, I would suggest you check out Grave of the Fireflies, A Silent Voice, or 5 Centimeters Per Second. Those three should get the waterworks going! Lol

[@mindbodydisconnect4082]

I realized watching this video, that even at its most absurd, Japanese *character design* tends to be more realistic and down-to-earth compared to Western character design, which tends to be more exaggerated and fantastical. This is down to colour schemes, brush strokes, and character movement - Just like you said, the emotion of Western animation in general seems to be conveyed by the characters themselves, whereas the Japanese often paint it on the world around the characters instead. Self vs World. That said I prefer Western animation.

[@DrewMalou]

Those are very important distinctions and great observations! I can see exactly what you mean. That makes sense, and I see why that resonates with you so much. Thank you for sharing!

[@mindbodydisconnect4082]

@@DrewMalou :)

[@turkeysgotmorecloutthanyou]

@@__-is9ug you radiate cringe

[@TheAdventurerAndDiscoverer]

Finally someone said it. *ANIME* Anime is more "static" and the characters aren't exaggerating their movements. Example, something shocking happened, the characters are shocked, but they aren't moving their bodies at all, they most of the time, express their expression through their face rather than body. People say they tend to focus more on environment. *WESTERN* Western is quite the opposite. western characters have more exaggerated movements. You find it easy to see what emotion they express because of body movements. Most animes LACK that feature. *REAL WORLD* I think they are both NOT LIKE the real world. In real life, body movements are not too exaggerated or not too static.

[@DrewMalou]

Good distinctions to make! Thanks for sharing. 😄 I like how both are imitating life, yet still don't quite capture reality, lol.

[@minecrafterjonowono]

One thing about Eastern animations that my sister-in-law pointed out is that the characters tend to explain everything they're doing, as if we don't know what they're doing, while in Western animations they rarely, if ever, do the same thing

[@DrewMalou]

Thats true! There is a lot of inner monologuing. Good point, thanks for watching!

[@NerdMiGerd]

Yeah, honestly that turns me off from a lot of shounen. I'm a firm supporter of "show don't tell" in writing, and it always feels really patronizing when manga/anime have to *literally explain everything* a character does/plans to do. Or just, y'know, outright explaining a character's motivations instead of just letting me infer them through the way they talk and act.

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, agreed. Although, I will say that some shows do it extremely well. Haikyuu!! does it for high intensity action scenes, but they are also informing the average viewer on the rules of Volleyball as they play different games to avoid info dumping. So while I agree with you, I don't think it's necessarily always a bad thing!

[@calebhessing7593]

This is one thing that frequently gets on my nerves in anime. So often it's used excessively and so rarely does it contribute anything.

[@hana827]

While most of anime actions do that, there are some that don't really use inner talks when trying to fight their enemy. Take example of Madoka Magica in Mami vs Homura fight kzbin.info/www/bejne/qofMkJmpZ9Staac

[@Moonstar79]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how good that Silent Voice rescue scene was? I’ve seen the movie like three times and already know what happens, but it has me on edge every time with every little detail, sub and dub alike. Same for Hunchback, by the way. That “Sanctuary!” moment will never not give me chills. The score, I mean..

[@DrewMalou]

Agreed! I can watch both scenes over and over, and they never cease to move me. I'm glad I'm not the only one who really loves them both! 😄

[@l0kk016]

To me the biggest difference is how its handled, Western animations can have deep storys and characters, but they have to make a big appeal to the child audience that consumes cartoons in the west, since the "cartoon is for children" stereotype is still present there. As for the circumstances X character, i don't think there's much of a difference to be honest. The circumstances are what shape the characters, like the "out of place to everyone" in the hunched movie that makes the character shine and the "regretting your actions" redemption in a silent voice, both are character-driven circumstances. To me the biggest difference is that western audiences focus only on the characters and how they change their circumstances while Eastern have both the characters changing the circumstance and being molded by it.

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, the stereotype of "cartoons are for children" is definitely still present here in the West! And I do think you're right, both forms of animation use circumstances to build emotion, but there is a heavy emphasis on character in Western animation. Anyways, thanks for your comments, and thanks for watching!

[@Kaisona2017]

Persona is a big example of the characters being molded by, and changing their circumstances. For example, in Persona 5, the Phantom Thieves are molded into who they are, by the harsh treatment society gives them. By acting as vigilantes, they try to change society for the better, and become close friends in the process.

[@DrewMalou]

That's a great example! Still need to beat P5. I'm like 30 hours into it!!

[@nnh0776]

I think eastern movies are more realistic

[@Kaisona2017]

@@nnh0776 The Black Mask Man is (redacted.)

[@handsoapinc]

Think about how America is an Individualist Society, where the focus is put into the needs, wants, and growth, of each Individual. Whereas Japan is a Collectivist Society, where how you benefit the whole, impact others, and maintain harmony, takes precedence over the self. Perhaps American Animation's Focus on Character Drama, and Japanese Animation's Focus on Situational Drama, is a direct result of the values of those respective cultures, and thereby what forms of drama a resident of those cultures would resonate stronger with?

[@DrewMalou]

Yes, I definitely think you are on to something! Your theory makes total sense. Thank you for sharing!

[@afsana190]

However there are movies of akira kurosawa that focuses on individuals and characters though

[@handsoapinc]

@@afsana190 Most of Akira Kurosawa's types are about how the Individual interacts with the Collective. You'll have the obvious main character, but then an important cast of Secondary Characters that's always present. Or there will be only one character of note, but everything is built into how his interactions with others have massive impact in both directions. In this case you could describe the Western Example as looking Inward (Hero's Journey and all that, self-Growth)); and the Eastern Example as looking outward (trying to fit better into Society).

[@HarelAtias]

this is spot on

[@afsana190]

@@handsoapinc yojimbo was an individual story right?

[@grumblefumble656]

Something I don’t hear people talk about is that you never really find too many unattractive anime characters. The only exception I see is if they’re a villain, an ugly pervert character, or it ends up being one of their only character traits.

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, that's an excellent point! I want to say that's true about most of entertainment in general, as well. Its always the buff stud hero saving the buxom damsel in distress, haha. Nobody ever looks average. Thanks for sharing!

[@shydreameress264]

Honestly I find most eastern characters to be looking pretty much the same, it's in the anime art style you know..

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Then there's the one punch man, just bald as can be, haha! 🤣

[@cheydr9727]

Ive seen a lot of cases in anime where characters are considered ugly or just bland by other characters in the show, but look completely fine and normal from our perspective. Anime is weird

[@ザイオンブロッコリー]

East Asians in general are obsessed with Kawaii or "lookism", thats basically the reason why.

[@ChristoAbrie]

gonna say it: the biggest difference between American animation and Anime is the animation itself. Despite the fact that Anime has a very distinct style, the actual animation is focused on detailed drawings (whether it be background or not), so still cinematic-style shots are often used when characters are talking and for the most part, only their mouths are animated in those scenes. and when a scene requires movement, the motion is a bit stilted or jumpy, but that has become part of anime's charm. American animation, especially Disney`, focusses on the motion itself. In the beginning they sacrificed art detail for quality of the framerate, not that detail isn't important to companies like Disney, but the term "animation" is literally described as creating motion out of an inanimate (lifeless) object. The best example would be to look at the characters' lips while they're talking (in English), for the most part, their lips mimic the movement of a real person's lips while talking. Also notice how much smoother the animation is compared to Anime. Then there's the differences in styles of the movies and tv series. While Disney specifically tends to be more family orientated and music-heavy, American animation as a whole is more character-driven and comedy-focused. Anime on the other hand is known for tackling a wide variety of topics, mostly serious adult-centric ones and action-heavy fight scenes. then there's the animation style itself. ignoring the fact that Disney likes to apply human facial expressions on animals, American animation-style is heavily based on realistic emotions and body-language while the character-designs are known for their subtle/unassuming appearance, compared to anime which is heavily based on hyperactive emotions and character designs that have a flair for the dramatic

[@DrewMalou]

Hey, thanks for leaving such a detailed comment! I would agree with your assessment, although I was taking a more philosophical approach in comparing the differences between them. As for the quality of animation, Disney films have a much larger budget to work with as opposed to an anime studio, so it makes sense their animation is smoother and more detailed. It's like comparing special effects in movies vs. television. Not really a 1 to 1 comparison. However, there are lots of big budget anime films that have fantastic animation, just like Disney, but they are more rare. I appreciate you watching and taking the time to share your thoughts. I love discussing animation!

[@ChristoAbrie]

@@DrewMalou o no doubt about it, Disney is synonymous with the word animation for a reason, it's just hard these days to find a decent American animated movie/tv show that can't be compared negatively to a Disney counterpart. Another point i forgot to include is, while there are a lot of standalone Anime-movies and tv shows, the bulk of the Anime-industry is heavily based on manga, while American comicbooks probably attribute to less than half of the US' animation output (i.e. more anime are based on manga than animated films/series based on US comicbooks) Anime is a growing industry. I really liked the gorgeous animation from DBS: Broly and the Godzilla Planet of the Monsters trilogy.

[@DrewMalou]

That's true, the majority of anime is an adaptation of manga or light novels. One thing that is interesting is that the Western genre of animation is becoming more saturated with dubbed versions of anime shows. So, much of the animation people are exposed to nowadays is increasingly from the East. Plus, a lot of Western studios outsource their in-between animation to South Korea, which means that there is a heavy Eastern influence there as well.

[@ChristoAbrie]

@@DrewMalou that's probably due to the fact that the majority of Western animation (mostly the films) has shifted to CGI while the tv shows shifted to flash animation, and that Japan now has a large foothold in the 2D animation industry. But Anime has surged in popularity (in the US especially) the past 10 years and US' studios noticed it and i think they are planning to release more anime-influenced shows in the future. Netflix has already made the first big move with critically the acclaimed shows like The Dragon Prince and Blood of Zeus, both of which have gorgeous animation (minus the framerate issues of the first season of Dragon Prince)

[@cinnamon-skateboarding5987]

I'd say that anime has much, much less detail. Western animation is the one with more detail, unless we count 3d then it blows anime out of the ballpark by a massive margin. If we're talking about 2d, then I'd still say western animation is much more detailed and smoother than most anime. My favorite example would be Treasure planet for detail and smoothness. But the again it differs, as both have had very complex and smooth animation and both have had very lacking animation.

[@willalrightaustin]

In technical animation terms, I would say that the terms you are looking for are "character acting choices" and "cinematography choices". The reason I'm making the distinction is that these are all character choices, but using different parts of the visual language to explain them. In both of these cases, a man wants to save the woman he is in love with. And we are deeply invested in their anguish and struggle in these scenes, that is why both are character and circumstance. But I can see why you choose those words to describe what you are seeing. In the scene from A Silent Voice, we see what he is seeing, switching from a wide, to a medium, to a close up on him, then between close up shots to POV shots and obscured shots. This relies on the imaginary camera, positioned in a definitive setting with props. There are still character acting beats in this scene, especially with the pain and his eyes but it focuses most on the cinematography. Anime itself is more of a CINEMATOGRAPHY FIRST medium. In the scene in Hunchback, we are acutely aware of Quasimodo's emotions and how he feels through his action and acting choices. And he takes these amazing leaps and swings from the rope down to save Esmeralda. These shots aren't devoid of Cinematography, we have a very active, moving camera, but it is a smooth camera, and it's one that gives enough room for you to see Quasimodo's actions and acting. So the Cinematography is subordinate to the acting and acting choices. You could say the west has an CHARACTER ACTING FIRST ideology. Cowboy bebop is probably the most well placed between these two impulses. Another would be Rise of the TMNT, that is another that has stuck a nice balance. But neither impulse is wrong, it is just different approaches to communicating with the audience on a subconscious level.

[@darkhelliadarkfire6109]

I honestly prefer Eastern Animation despite growing up with Western Animation more and that's because I feel like Eastern Animation tends to tackle more serious themes better than what the Western animation tries to do, usually any serious themes tend to be in adult cartoons with more vulgar humor and small amounts of serious themes sprinkled in. Personally I also feel as if Western animation is more aimed towards younger audiences whereas Eastern animation has a much wider age range for audiences overall.

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, the demographics have a huge part to play in the themes addressed by the animation itself. That is very true. I know what you mean about anime addressing deeper issues than Western cartoons, and can see why that is a big draw! Thanks for watching!

[@gsomslayer]

you clearly havent heard of recent cartoons such as castlevania, dota: dragon's blood, seis manos to name a few and also the majority of modern cartoons

[@bxvin9788]

I think you might like invincible

[@kurokun07]

interesting take, same case for me, discovering anime felt like i discover a part of the world that is not from this world, because my whole childhood is just some boring disney shows that is episodic

[@kurokun07]

@@gsomslayer i thought castlevania is an anime? correct me if im wrong

[@ashmax3228]

When he screamed Shoko i felt it all over again, the soreness and anxiety and helplessness inside of that situation. Man what a great movie.

[@DrewMalou]

Yes, it's such a tremendous experience. Thank you for watching!

[@danielnosuke]

Why didn't he just get up and run though instead of lying on the floor and yelling?

[@ashmax3228]

@@danielnosuke sometimes you forget to follow the special protocol for almost anything that require a different protocol.

[@user-ey1sf6fy3f]

@@ashmax3228 a silent voice is trash movie

[@ashmax3228]

@@user-ey1sf6fy3f your point is valid too, anyway have a great one

[@luisreynamboarcos2958]

Also, the fact that western animation almost never would dare to portray a theme as serious and in such a conflicting way as suicide and the like. That would be a problem for merchandising sales. Love both, but Disney philosophy about animation directed towards children has hurt the industry in the west so deeply (despite the masterpieces that have been born out of it) that only till now with series like Castlevania, Rick and Morty and Invinsible I do believe we can have this kind of discutions through animation.

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, that's a great point! Curse the merchandise, I want dope content! Haha. That definitely makes a lot of sense. Thanks for watching!

[@itsbeyondme5560]

No. You need to watch more animation. It is that we focus on Disney too much. West animations used to be quite similar to eastern in terms of writing thanks to UPA studios for example. Great Old studios closed or defunct while Disney flourished. That is what happened.

[@DrewMalou]

Ohhhh, interesting. I'll have to do a little digging and dive into some research. Thanks for sharing the info, love learning new pieces of history! Also, thanks for watching!

[@jeant6502]

Also BOJACK HORSEHAM. that series portrayed deppression, suicide, child abuse, anxiety disorder, etc. that's the deepest western cartoon I've seen by far.

[@DrewMalou]

Still haven't watched this!! I've heard so many good things, and need to dig into it. I've heard it is very deep and heavy, especially for how goofy it looks. Thank you for the reminder!

[@kevinh3238]

The music in eastern animation just hits different. Especially when it's Sawano.

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, he is amazing! And I know what you mean, it is incredible. Thanks for watching!

[@kevinh3238]

@@DrewMalougreat example is 86. Watch it. You will not regret it.

[@DrewMalou]

I will put it on my list! Thanks for the recommendation. 😄

[@Cuteemogirl94]

It's true but Hans Zimmer is also very touching.

[@kevinh3238]

@@Cuteemogirl94 Hans Zimmer is the western Sawano or the otherway around

[@uwuboiii1386]

one of the biggest differences to me is how in western media there’s almost always a happy end and the main characters always survive no matter how close they were to dying. In eastern media they aren’t afraid of having a bad or open ending, neither r they afraid of killing an important character and just going on in the story. I’m not saying that this is always the case cause there r always exceptions but it’s just something I noticed

[@DrewMalou]

Well that's definitely true! Eastern animation is definitely not afraid to kill some characters off and have a messed up, unfulfilled ending! Haha

[@yellowblobby]

that's one big difference coming with all sorts of things including the one from the video all being a consequence of the fact western animation is for children. And it got compared to an anime that slaps the suicide theme right into the main characters. All these things i see people listing in the comments are just consequences from the fact one thing is aimed as children. The comparison is misleading and there a lots of people now not understanding that.

[@Haz1Art]

@@yellowblobby and eastern animation wasn't for children? What is your point exactly? Most of the target audience of eastern animation is still children. Even I was taught "heavy concepts & themes" as soon as I step into the kindergarten. For anime you don't even have to look so far, just look at Shounen anime genre, even the most mainstreams one already have heavy themes. Hell, even some kodomomuke genre which targets 3-10 also has that. Again, what are you talking about. The video was simply talking about the difference about Western & Eastern animation in general. The was no misleading comparison. You dont understand the topic.

[@yellowblobby]

@@Haz1Art Go read my comment on the video and then you can stop saying "you don't know the topic" when you in fact have no idea what I'm talking about. Let me fix it for you: little children. is it really that hard to understand? come on, read again. Besides, i see that all you got here is pretending things such as saying i know nothing, i don't understand etc, while you actually never respond to my argument and just throw random tries to discredit me. That says a lot about how credible you are. I mean just look at how you didn't get that i was talking about children friendly stuff in the comparison. Oh by the way, do you know notre dame's original story's ending? look it up and you will stop getting on high heels so fast.

[@Janken_Pro]

I was disappointed as hell when the iron giant didn't die at the end of the movie.

[@eidolon9767]

Honestly for me its more difficult to sympathize with other people, so having things displayed through circumstance leaves a much stronger impression on me.

[@DrewMalou]

Oh, that's interesting. It makes a lot of sense, though! I've never thought of different personality types resonating more with different modes of storytelling, that's quite fascinating. Thank you for sharing!

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

100th like

[@RE-dy1cc]

Great video! I've also noticed that eastern and western animation tend to show grief differently. Western animation tends to show grief through the character's face and eyes, while in anime the hands and posture are more important, and often the eyes are not visible at all.

[@DrewMalou]

Thanks for the kind words! And you're right, I hadn't thought about it, but grief is definitely portrayed differently between the two. That's an interesting and insightful point! 🤔 Makes me want to write another essay... haha! Thanks for watching!

[@nickl5658]

because they show how grief is expected to be displayed in each culture.

[@DrewMalou]

That's a good point! Definitely makes sense.

[@kayz858]

Maybe because expressive faces aren't appealing to easteners

[@azatshakenov195]

@@kayz858 don't think so, watching anime and reading manga showed me that they have THE MOST expressive faces in the world. But, gestures are used a lot when they speak in japan, so maybe that's why they put emphasis on body, rather than face

[@kdoggaming4289]

Thanks for having no biased towards anime

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, welcome! I tried to give them both a fair shake. Thanks for watching!

[@katziliaf]

There are going to be some weebs saying "oh Eastern stories are way better!", but honestly...I think both are equally valid. The key point is a difference in narration tactics. Western makes us follow one character (mostly). It tries to make us feel the emotions one character is going through and therefore creates a connection. One good example would be the scene in Dumbo: Dumbo visits his mom after she's been caged. We see his childish happiness over finally being near his mother again. The seeking of closeness with their...snouts? Slowly devolving into sadness, showing Dumbo crying, underlined by the song "Baby mine". The movie conveys the idea of one character's situation, but emphasising this so strongly, that we connect on the pure basis of the emotion itself. We cry for the character & with the character. Eastern meanwhile, uses a general theme which narrates itself through characters. It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. In the mentioned "A silent voice" we've got the theme of often unspoken depression, hopelessness, loneliness and others. These themes are not bound to only the main character, but represented through every character. It is an more indirect form of appeal. Directly opposed, Western style would be a lighter, burning your heart directly with an intense flame. Eastern is meanwhile more slow burn. A heat that slowly burns itself into your skin.

[@DrewMalou]

I love your descriptions! 😄 The Dumbo scene is a great comparison as well. I can appreciate both approaches, and think they offer different things for different people. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, they make a lot of sense to me!

[@DrewMalou]

I think the weebs thing is just a stereotype. People just get passionate about their shows. And you're right, most everyone in this comment section has been insanely courteous and nice! Haha. I just love both Eastern and Western animation and want to celebrate both. I like it when people just like what catches their fancy without tearing down someone else's favored form of entertainment! Anyways, thank you for watching!

[@yellowblobby]

No. The key is not the difference in narration. That's the consequence. The key is the audience it's targeted to: children.

[@richiknair9036]

I prefer Eastern simply cos a lot of it is targeted to adults instead of children and so they make for better stories for me. Also, western are mostly heroic stories and I simply don't enjoy that kinda stuff. I like stories where they don't care about hero or villain stuff but simply care about showing the psyche of various completely different characters and how their ideologies clash. There's mamy more factors but I'll stop here

[@ok_koopa6850]

Manz wrote a whole five paragraph essay here

[@newbie4789]

Western animation tend to tell a single round of story... A fairy tale that starts and end. It sure is emotional and entertaining, but the aftermath and impact is minimal (maybe because of the heavy focus on children). Eastern animation tend to say stories with real impacts. Charecters tend to react like mature adults with a lot of monologues and deep thoughts. Western charecters are lovable and simple. They are more black and white. But they greyness in anime makes it soo real

[@DrewMalou]

Ooooh, I like this. Love how you explained it. I can see what you mean, and agree with you. Thanks for sharing!

[@diadokhoi5722]

The greyness can be very cringy

[@DrewMalou]

Lol, that's also true. 😂

[@newbie4789]

@@diadokhoi5722 well yeah. That's why we have really good stuff and really boring stuff in anime.

[@kingkylie9655]

I heavily disgaree, there are a lot of western shows and movies that do a lot better with characters, circumstances, and conveying emotion than eastern. I think Japanese anime and animated movies are a little bringe worthy when they have to create a situation that is trauma dumping on one character constantly throughout the film "this boy doesnt have parents! this boy has a mentor who dies! this boy has social anxiety but also has like 5 other traumas on top of that! this boy longingly looks and loves a girl from afar for 80% of the film until he does a heroic thing to save her and she realizes she loves him at the end or - she dies at the end!" etc. its the same tropes over and over again and its very exaggerated how coincidentally everything works okay in the end for this person or theyre 100% a great person when theres like 50 traumas that they have... thats just a mary sue. Meanwhile in Western we follow the main guy from the inception of their character to conception of their character after they had trouble, even though its straightforward its also way more relatable because realistically people in real life dont have 50+ traumas! we have 1 or 2, hell we might even have none until we face an issue like our main guy does. These are grey stories, the anime stories are just black. the same shade of dark edgy storytelling that uses still images for 50% of the film because theres never any actual animating going on when characters just stand there for 5 minutes talking in their head

[@alinapzch3473]

For me the best example of a difference between eastern and western animation is in audiences response. After watching a western piece of animation you can describe the emotions like "I was hoping that everything will be good, sometimes it was sad, and in the end I was happy!" Meanwhile in eastern animation it's a complex mix of everything like "I was rooting for characters, but at the same time feeling hopeless, this fight scene made me feel hyped and sad and worried at the same time" eastern animation creates a lot of really complicated emotions, while western animation creates only a bunch of really strong ones.

[@DrewMalou]

That's an interesting point, thank you for sharing!

[@FuturisticJellybeans]

The main difference I’ve noticed is Sakuga. Western animation has a very static quality whereas in eastern, half their budget can go into one scene

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, that's true! I always really like those scenes.... so awesome when animators really go for it.

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, I know what you mean! It is crazy that 3D is really the only medium that is pushing the boundaries. I miss Disney doing 2D animation. The best example I can think of for Western animation action sequences really going above and beyond in a recent fashion would be the Castlevania series on Netflix. There are some phenomenal scenes in that show, and would recommend it if you're interested! However, it's geared for a more mature audience, so maybe skip it if you don't prefer language, blood, and gore.

[@Drstrange3000]

I prefer consistency tbh. I find it jarring in some anime.how it can be extremely static and then instantly become more fluid. I like the simple art of Mob Psycho that allows them to be more fluid consistently. I'm also kind of confused on what western animations you are talking about? I personally feel the opposite. Are we talking about movies or shows? Castlevania (especially last season) had LOTS of Sakuga. And yes, it is western animation.

[@antisortep2530]

Well, I thought I t was the other way around. What japanese call Sakuga is more common in western hand drawn animation. Those spinning shots, camera movements and the little things like facial expressions and object physics. I saw more Sakuga in notre dame than in silent voice.

[@Drstrange3000]

@@AyoTech83 I know and I am with you too. I would give almost anything for the pre-2000's Disney 2D animations because holy freaking wow. I'm being optimistic because I do see somewhat of a resurgence of non-childish Western animation sprouting. Mostly within the past few years. I also have seen some really cool animated stuff I would have missed because I would have passed it off as just kiddie. Amazing World of Gumball is really impressive blending reality with cartoons and different mediums. And Spiderman Into the Spider-verse is still the most impressive animation I've seen. We also had Invincible, KIPO, DOTA, Dragon Prince, Animaniacs, Voltron, TrollHunters Saga, Bad Batch, Final Season of Samurai Jack, Bojack Horseman, Gen:Lock, RWBY, Young Justice, etc. There are so many new animated projects I'm hearing like League of Legends animated show called Arcane, who does some of the best animations I have seen with their cinematics. The same studio of Castlevania is doing Devil May Cry animated show, DC is working on a new animated show, and we have stuff like Kid Cosmic, Infinity Train, and Glitch Tech which is like early 2000's Cartoon Network/Nick shows. China is also making stuff now and have a show called Scissor Seven on Netflix which is a hidden gem. Westerners just need to get over the whole "animation is for children" or "Let's make another Simpsons and Family Guy." I also see more and more westerners getting exposed to anime and anime movies. They actually are in American theaters now. Like it is now mainstream. Attitudes of animation are changing.

[@TheFallacy357]

I don't really have much of an insight to give here, but I would just like to add that this is probably one of my favourite comments sections ever, with so many people offering meaningful ideas, and the creator having an actual active conversation with almost all of them.

[@DrewMalou]

Thank you so much! What a nice thing to say. I have been so overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers, and all of the ideas that people have put forward, its been so much more positive than I ever thought it would be. I've learned so much! Thank you for being a part of it! 😄

[@Hell_o847]

This video: discussing the differences between Western and Eastern animation Me: *"Animation is animation"*

[@DrewMalou]

Well.... you're not wrong! Haha. I suppose it would be more accurate to say that this is the difference in Eastern and Western storytelling. Anyways, thanks for giving me a good chuckle!

[@louyue2439]

This kinda fits into animation style, but one big difference I noticed is also direction. There are lots of different directors on both sides that are very varied, but Eastern animation tend to have more "aesthetic" (or abstract) shots, where you see characters on a white background, a beautiful shot of the environment, or something very metaphorical, and these scenes are often shown for storytelling reasons. It also focuses a lot on small details and movements (like in this example the extreme close-up on Shoya's mouth gasping, you rarely see such a close-up in Western animation but I feel like it's quite common in Eastern). Meanwhile Western animation tends to have more "establishing" shots where you see the entirety of the scene/situation, a character's facial expression constantly changing, everything that is shown in the frame is relevant, the background, characters and movements. Also the dialogue and character interactions are just so different, but that's largely due to culture. I realize I'm only comparing anime series to Disney movies, which have to be compressed a lot more. And there's just such a variety in anime series. But I really do feel like the good or "artistic" ones are like I described earlier.

[@DrewMalou]

Those are interesting points! I do think you're right. The direction is one of the biggest differences between the two types of animation. That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for sharing, and for watching!

[@princessquisha3166]

I feel like western animation is more over exaggerated with emotions. While eastern focuses on realistic and calm realitt.

[@introvertion6460]

Uhmm tbh fell like it should be replaced because in lot of anime when the character is surprised they are like huuuuuuuuh! And fall over

[@princessquisha3166]

@@introvertion6460 Yep that's totally true, Anime also tends to over exaggerate emotions as well. I feel like they put their feelings into anime since Japan is such a nice and quiet country. But some movie are just you know, normal

[@introvertion6460]

@@princessquisha3166 yeah like spirited away . I mean not super calm but still

[@GeteMachine]

Depends on the show, sometimes anime faces are just very stiff and too emoji like to me. You almost never get those in-between shifts in character changing their facial expressions like what you'd imagine in real life. With anime, emotions are usually instant shifts from one to another, and rarely realistic. Unless its a show that intends on trying to be for older audiences shows.

[@a-drewg1716]

except Western animation is all about capturing the actors/character emotions as realistically as possible which is especially apparent since in Western animation the animation is done AFTER the recording (generally the scene is roughly mocked up first so the actor knows the context but the full animation is done after) while Eastern animation always does the animation first and has the actor dub over it. This is why Eastern animation is forced to either has still faces w/ lip flapping or to have to go over the top with the character visual emotion so that they don't run into any issues when it comes to the actors performance.

[@thabee4380]

I really appreciate the use of persona 3 music in the background.

[@DrewMalou]

Thanks! One of my favorite games. I'm always happy when someone picks up on it!

[@VainerCactus0]

@@DrewMalou I noticed that too, is the first track Living With Determination?

[@DrewMalou]

Heck yeah! 😄 And the first track is called "During the Test"!

[@thehighground5738]

I've recently just started playing persona 3 fes so hearing the ost from the game in this video is awesome.

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah! It's such a good game! I'm glad you're playing through it. Are you enjoying it so far?

[@dreamofthehikikomoriparody3064]

One of the big differences I notice is that a lot of Western animation tends to tell stories in a more typical screenwriting style, while eastern animation tends to be written somewhere between the style of writing a book, and the stereotypical style of screenwriting. What I mean by this is in screenwriting, instead of litterally telling you what a character is thinking, a screenwriter let’s you look at the actors face and the situation they're in and let you wonder what's really going on inside his brain. When writing a novel, authors usually tell you all the characters thoughts and feelings, instead of making you wonder. This is also the reason adapting books into movies can be really challenging because if you take a novel and remove all the thoughts flowing through a characters head, and only tell what's litterally happening, it probably won't be a very good story. After thinking of why there is this difference in styles for a while, I came to the realization that anime doesn't ulter the writing as much when adapting content for the screen. By that, I mean they don't usually remove much inner dialogue found in the sorce material like a western screenwriter would do in order to make it more visual driven.

[@cherry7397]

this is EXACTLY what I was thinking too, Eastern animation feels like watching a book and Western animation feels like, well, watching a show/movie lol

[@DrewMalou]

This is a great comparison! You're right, they are exactly how you described them. Such a great observation. Thanks for watching and leaving your thoughts! Definitely going to have to go think about this for a future video!

[@paunaic5460]

It also counts that a lot of japanese animation is adaptation of mangas or literal novels, so there's a lot of thought bubbles and telling the audience what each character is doing, since in a static page the audience cannot see the movement literally. Good observation.

[@luisangelblancascruz8549]

It doesn't matter the media, all that matters is the love put into the show to tell a story

[@DrewMalou]

True! Thanks for watching!

[@Valcuda]

Biggest difference is that you can often just walk away after watching Western Animation , Wheras Eastern Animation is a failure if you don't have depression for at least a week after the ending

[@DrewMalou]

Hahaha, this feels very true, lol.

[@tessiesasie5522]

I actually get less emotional for Eastern animation, but that's probably just me.

[@DrewMalou]

Nothing wrong with that! All stories hit people differently! Thanks for watching!

[@tessiesasie5522]

@@DrewMalou Haha may also just be because I grew up with western animation lol. Oh yeah! I loved the vid!

[@DrewMalou]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it. And yeah, I feel that. I do think what you grew up with makes a big difference in what you gravitate towards!

[@Zuon94]

When he warns to watch "A Silent Voice" before he spoils it in his video, listen to him. I had a blu-ray copy I never got around to, and let me tell you, if I haven't paused this video right there and watched it, the scene he talks about would have significantly lessened the emotion I got watching it in the movie. It's something you DON'T want to know is coming. And I normally don't care about things getting spoiled.

[@DrewMalou]

Ohhhh, I'm so glad you watched the entire movie before coming back! I hate spoilers, and have now started slapping way bigger spoiler warnings over my stuff. I hate being the guy that ruins the impact of a show for someone, but this was one of my first videos and I didn't really think much about it before posting. I'm glad you made it out unspoiled. Thanks for watching!

[@zefuk2628]

Tbh one big issue i have with western animation is that it's slowly going extinct and the ones that are still showing up are becoming as Minimalistic as possible , Even when it comes to disney , They're just focusing on Inferior Live action remakes of already existing movies and Dumbed down Versions of Old shows . They both have their positives and negatives , But Sadly Western animation is becoming less and less about Animation .

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, I know what you mean! I have been encouraged by the rising popularity of shows like Invincible and Castlevania as of late, however. Definitely for mature audiences, but it gives me hope that the West will come to understand the commercial viability of high quality animation. Anyways, thanks for watching!

[@seedad117]

There's still good western movies out there especially on streaming service like Klaus. Wolfwalkers and Soul

[@DrewMalou]

Soul was great! Been meaning to watch Klaus, just haven't got around to it, and I had heard about wolfwalkers, but don't remember which streaming service it is on... anyways, thanks for the recommendations!

[@seedad117]

@@DrewMalou it's on apple TV

[@DrewMalou]

That's right!! Okay, thank you. I don't have apple TV, but I really do want to watch it. Maybe someday it will be other places, but who knows.

[@ultralight9625]

Their is another crucial difference in the fundamental structure of anime vs western animation; about 60% of anime is adapted fairly directly from manga, while most western animation is made just for the medium. This results in the strengths and limitations of manga tend to be shared by anime, even those not adapted from manga, while western animation is built for and around animation itself.

[@DrewMalou]

That's a good point to remember! Thanks for sharing, and for watching. 😄

[@danieldelaparra7708]

Totally disagree with your opinion thou... just watch Violet Evergarden, an impressive anime that is all about the character evolving, actually many people believes is a "boring" anime because not much circumstances are happening, but actually the whole show focuses on how Violet evolves as a character

[@DrewMalou]

Ooooohhh, I love Violet Evergarden! And you're absolutely right. That show has some amazing character development! I've just noticed that the majority of anime tends to be driven by circumstance, and western animation is usually driven by character. There are definitely lots of exceptions, though. Thanks for watching, and for the thoughtful comment!

[@danieldelaparra7708]

@@DrewMalou Well, you are right about the exceptions and probably if you meant that the difference between anime and Westerner animation is proportional to the stories driven by circumstance and the stories driven by characters development, then you might have a valid point that I didn't see at first. Good video overall :)

[@DrewMalou]

Thanks! And yeah, that is pretty much what I meant, I just didn't explain it very clearly. Haha

[@ploguy]

Western animation creators :I'm gonna end this movie with a happy ending Eastern animation creators: I'm gonna fuck up all my viewers emotions

[@DrewMalou]

Bahahahah, pretty much! 😂 Thanks for watching!

[@ploguy]

@@DrewMalou Your welcome

[@BJ-zd2or]

Joker 2019: You treat me like trash! Western: Oh crap I didnt expect this coming, let's judge the hell out of this film!

[@Sulkie]

*The* biggest difference is the fact that in the west they try to make every character as ugly or funny-looking as possible and in the east they make everyone as beautiful as possible.

[@DrewMalou]

That's an interesting point! Not sure why the West's character design is that way. Thanks for watching, though!

[@zapcrossworld4036]

I dont think they make the characters as ugly as possible but they do make em look unique to each other. Like all of them would have realistic flaws so the audience can judge them realistically. Not exactly ugly or funny looking. But not the old disney though

[@aigatatakeshita7602]

@@zapcrossworld4036 Yeah I second this. Not to mention that there is the trope where the anime "art style" makes the characters; faces almost indistinguishable from one another.

[@DJ-qe6lp]

@@aigatatakeshita7602 yeah and it’s still crazy how it looks better than western animation even when the characters all look similar

[@ExtremeWreck]

Are you insulting the classic Looney Tunes shorts?

[@syborg64]

I think this links back to the concept of "show, don't tell" but one step further. You can tell the audience a character is feeling a certain way You can show the audience a character feeling a certain way But what I think is better: You can convey a feeling to an audience and let them extend that feeling to the character. If you want to make a gripping scene about a character crying, what's important isn't the tears. it's the circumstance. merely appealing to empathy only gets you so far but by letting the audience feel without telling them what to feel (through characters), you can reach a higher level of experience (perhaps sympathy) I had never noticed the east/west were different on that point and always felt circumstance a superior motivator. I've always loved the eastern way of storytelling more. Thank you, you bring deep insignt to something I love. You've explained it in far better words I could ever express. PS: During the intro as I thought about the question with the references going by, my first guess was 'Time' It's like anime has a looser sense of time ? Scene beats are prioritized over the natural flow of time perhaps ? (classic example, character transformations and such) Not sure about it, may just be influenced by confirmation bias.

[@DrewMalou]

Thank you for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed my analysis. I think you're right, sympathy is a huge factor in making those scenes more impactful. And your theory on time being a difference is very interesting! I would have to think up some more examples and flesh out the idea a little more, but you might be on to something!

[@lauralaura4362]

anime probably has a looser sense of time because of the fact that it's adapted from a manga, where the speed of what happens depends on the person reading

[@danielantony1882]

Anime actually doesn't do "Show, don't tell". Majority of it is "Show, AND tell". Ðat is why its language usage is so unique and eccentric. To ðe point ðat at least 70% of its nuances don't translate to any oðer language because of how literary ðe language has become. And ðerein, every oðer cinematography choices because of ðem.

[@WieldMyWord]

Eastern anime also have a whole different cultural vibe to it where they have different ways to convey expression and ways in how the characters act, etc. Meanwhile in western animation its very face value of what is being shown and the talking is more realistic in terms of speech behavior, etc. This is what would be the biggest noticeable differences.

[@DrewMalou]

Good points! I want to make a follow up video talking about the cultural differences and influences on each type of animation, because you are correct, there are so many different reasons why the animation styles are the way that they are. Thanks for watching, and for the great insight!

[@Dan_Kanerva]

LMAO is not that the talking is more realistic in terms of speech behavior , but that you feel it more "usual" because you can relate more to western speech and values... anime is made mainly for asian culture as the target audience after all... so it will seem more realistic to them but not to us

[@DrewMalou]

I think what he meant was the style of speech. Like anime has a lot of inner monologues interjected throughout (especially in some action scenes). It's not that Eastern audiences have more inner dialogue than Western audiences, it's just a stylistic difference between the two types of animation.

[@Dan_Kanerva]

@@DrewMalou ah i see

[@josephbolton5893]

@@Dan_Kanerva Actually hes not wrong at all. The way characters talk in anime is far more exaggerated than cartoons. While cartoon/animated film characters do tend to have exaggerations in the way they speak it is far more common and far more exaggerated in anime.

[@semprequevoceleroscomentar4720]

Lets Be Honest Both Of Them Are Incredible

[@DrewMalou]

I agree completely! Thanks for watching. 😁

[@Germania9]

There's this scene in Atlantis: The Lost Empire where the villains are in the sub. One of the villains slowly rolled her eyes & raising her eyebrows, not sarcastically, but sensing definitely something is definitely not right about what's going on. She doesn't say anything. Had an anime do the similar scene, it would have the character stand around & gasps, or one character monologues. This what clinches for me the difference between Eastern & Western animation: how they act upon & react to these scenes. Anime are melodramatic; Western animation, even at its tense, heightened moments, are a bit more subtle with the characters' emotions.

[@DrewMalou]

That's a great example! Haha. I see what you mean, and if that was a DBZ episode, it probably would have taken them four or five episodes to figure out what was happening, lol. 😂

[@maxibo-nf5jg]

I think one big difference is also the storystructure. In Western Media it focusses more on one char and how he overcomes his strugle, a relict of Homers Odysse. In Eastern media the story is often following the foot steps of A Journey To The West.

[@DrewMalou]

You're right, that's definitely a big difference! Thanks for sharing.

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

Given how influencetual anime has been, I see this slowly changing and the two styles melding more and more.

[@DrewMalou]

That's a very interesting thought! You might be right about that. Plus, with other cultures and countries creating their own animations, styles might meld even more. Thanks for sharing!

[@kyupified2440]

Im gonna have to disagree, specially the ‘woke-ism’ in the USA today where they try to push it in their comics thinking they can defeat manga but it backfired

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, well, that's true! Lol.

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

@@kyupified2440 American comics don't want to "defeat" manga. You must really not read American comics.

[@frostymo5324]

personally, I think Eastern art styles look a lot better as well. Not saying all Western styles are bad, but Japanese art in particular is more satisfying to look at if animated right.

[@DrewMalou]

I know what you mean! Some of my favorite artstyles in animation come from Makoto Shinkai, and his works. Never seen anything as detailed or beautiful in Western animation. Thanks for watching!

[@DrewMalou]

Hahaha, I have seen it!! But I don't know.... it's hard to compete with the level of detail from a Makoto Shinkai film. Peep this trailer to see what I'm talking about! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZWwaJSqnaaYo5I

[@DrewMalou]

Definitely a good point! Having many different artists and artstyles is a good thing! I definitely want new forms of animation and don't want everything to look or feel the same! So you are right about that for sure!

[@allumer6346]

@@DrewMalou have u watched prince of Egypt

[@DrewMalou]

Yes! That's actually my favorite animated film of all time! It's soooo good!

[@davidmiles1741]

Obviously Miyazaki is far from unsung, but I think one of his overlooked talents is his capacity to do BOTH. Howl’s is such a master class in both placing the characters in harrowing circumstances and also letting them have a moment in the close-up to feel.

[@DrewMalou]

Yes, this is true! I definitely need to make some content focused on Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli! Oh, and thank you for watching!

[@superpepleen]

Honestly the most interesting thing to me about this whole shebang been seeing the way you've kept the peace amongst everyone here, agreeing or at the very least trying to see it from their perspective, thanking them for there input regardless of how rude, dismissive, respectful, polite or impolite they were which considering how passionate many fans are is often a challenge. It's honestly refreshing to see a place where all discourse is supported rather than shut down or having the conflict escalated, thank you.

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, well thank you! It can definitely be a challenge sometimes. 😅 But I do like hearing other perspectives, even if I don't always agree. I wanted to make a place where any opinion is welcome, and not just have it be an echo chamber where everyone agrees with me, haha. I'm glad that you not only noticed, but that you also find it refreshing as well. Thank you for the kind words!

[@Fio_Lynn]

Personally I definitely prefer eastern animation, generally I find that they can deal with very sensitive and hard subjects better than western animation. Just like you said a silent voice.

[@DrewMalou]

I would agree with you on that! They handle a wider range of subjects for sure. I think the West is starting to catch up though, which is exciting!

[@sierraa.bryant9322]

Exactly! The series “Cells at Work: Code Black” takes the terrible things that people do to their bodies and presents it in a more approachable and mature way. It’s more effective than even what a doctor might tell you

[@DrewMalou]

That's a great example! Thanks for sharing!

[@jax1384]

Nowadays I’m more into anime and other forms of eastern entertainment. But I can appreciate how distinct Western animation makes their characters. Especially in their faces and expressions.

[@scpagent086]

It feels like you’re explaining the difference between western storytelling and eastern storytelling not animation. Anyways I enjoy both, expect the modern western cartoons.

[@DrewMalou]

You know, I never thought about it in the broader sense of storytelling outside of animation, but that could be true! Western film and television definitely tends to be character driven. Good point, and thanks for watching!

[@xfakelucid6504]

As a fan of western animation... Yeah we've been having a bit of a dark age recently. But we still have some gems!

[@DrewMalou]

Hahaha, that's a great way to put it! But yes, there are a couple of great ones that still get made.

[@naijamations3404]

@@xfakelucid6504 some gems?, more like alot of gems also why do people pretend there weren't any old cartoons that are bad

[@MegaKauti]

I prefer Eastern animation for bringing the surroundings to life, and how they deal with emotional scenes like the rain on the window sil in a slice of life anime (you can subtly hear the rain, and even rain has like a boost in color. Which I prefer...Im talking about the movie weathering with you by makoto shinkai), on the contrary, I only realize that its raining (and that's pretty relatable) in a western animation when the clouds are dark or there's lightning literally infront of the character(whatever happens to thunder), which I classify as an edge case scenario. Sadness and death in eastern animation hits hard (Either a zoomed in shot of those vibrant anime eyes, or the sheer trauma the character faces after the event are very relatable to real life). Meanwhile, the way the western animation deals with such cases is what i'd call wierd in comparision. (I expect waterfalls worth of tears from Lois Lane when Blue Spandex guy with a bright red cape and briefs ( Superman) succumbs after the battle with doomsday...I got to see a leakage from my kitchen sink instead)... No disrespect to the western animation... I just prefer Eastern ones

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, makes sense. Thanks for sharing!

[@tiltify2393]

Me too actually I prefer eastern, but when it comes to some movies, like boss baby, coco, frozen and some more, I really like wester as welln

[@juice8431]

I think you will like up (2009)

[@ddg_snipa0187]

A silent voice is one of the only movies I’ve watched twice

[@DrewMalou]

I know what you mean! I try not to watch movies over and over, because there are so many good films to see. That being said, there are a few movies I have watched a bunch of times. A Silent Voice is one. Seen it over 15 times. So many details to pick up on. I feel like I find something new with every viewing. Anyways, thanks for watching!

[@fisheraser]

same its the only movie that i actually choose to rewatch

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, it's so good! There is so much detail to glean from it with multiple viewings, too. It seems like every time I rewatch it, I catch some new detail, it's so cool.

[@misterpurple9440]

Twice ? I watched like 5 times!

[@lulu_TheWitchBoy]

I always watch it when I get really depressed, the movie really helps my mental health.

[@ntahlahsiak]

Basically, Western Animation = USA Eastern Animation = *ANIME*

[@DrewMalou]

Pretty much, haha! Thanks for watching!

[@DamageMaximo]

western animation = cartoons eastern animation = anime*

[@alvargd6771]

Kinda has devolved into Western: highly marketable childish film that wins an oscar Eastern: fan service every 0.003 seconds

[@awsomesauce_licker]

@@alvargd6771 lol this is very true🤣🤣

[@njrom2975]

What about Chinese and Korean animation?

[@sonicbhoc]

I'd say that music and sound design also plays a huge part.

[@DrewMalou]

Definitely true!! I am working on a series about sound design specifically right now, so I'm glad you brought that up! Haha, thanks for watching, and I hope you stay tuned!

[@scrolldragon205]

Personally, I feel like Western animation has a lighter mood and simpler plot... But Eastern animation has a thicker plot and more unique art style. I do love both though, They deserve to be recognized as art for everyone; not just (it hurts me to say this word)*cartoons* for *kids*

[@DrewMalou]

Bahaha, I feel you! I do love that point of view that they are both art and should be respected. I feel the same way! Thank you so much for watching!

[@marmolejomartinezjoseemili9043]

It's not as light of a mood as You may think but ok Also it does have a more varied art style that goes from stop motion to cgi and everything, it's not so simple as with anime where everything is 2d

[@IAm-zo1bo]

@hippity hoppity I wish cartoons weren't just seen as "for kids" cuz cartoons like old spongebob is something i can never forget aboutm

[@SportsFan-vq9kk]

Unique art style? Most animes look the same

[@IAm-zo1bo]

@@SportsFan-vq9kk true

[@VorteX_SH]

Gosh! Thanks about recommending "a silent voice" :D I was thinking when I saw the thumbnail that "Lots of people are going to miss the anime movie in the thumbnail... It's such a great movie!"

[@DrewMalou]

I agree, it's such a great film! I wish more people knew about it. Thanks for watching!

[@lucielchoi707]

who's this on your pfp

[@notme8652]

It's not a western movie without a musical scene

[@caseywilde7931]

*laughs in Bollywood*

[@DrewMalou]

🤣 I literally LOL'ed. Thanks for watching!

[@DrewMalou]

_Cue's massive dance sequence_

[@js66613]

... Rise of the Guardians doesn't have a musical scene... It's more like "it's not a Disney movie" without a musical scene and even that's incorrect.

[@Mulukan57]

Huh? I guess every DC animated movies is not a western movie

[@snacc-1100]

I can't remember seeing someone ever use examples that are so succinct and and efficient, an incredible amount of exposition considering it's only in 6 minutes. Very impressive stuff

[@DrewMalou]

Hey, thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. I tend to be super long winded, so this short video is a bit of an anomaly, lol. Thanks for watching!

[@sketchkay]

This legend is hearting all the comments?! Now that’s dedication!

[@DrewMalou]

Hahaha, you know it!!! Thanks for watching.

[@AppahTheChin]

Western has a lot of episodic animated shows while Eastern has a lot of serialized shows

[@DrewMalou]

True! I'm wondering if this is because many anime are adaptations of manga... maybe that's why they tend to be serialized. Anyways, thanks for watching!

[@azatshakenov195]

that's pretty much because western shows are made to be watched on tv, while eastern are usually adaptations, and made more like a book with character arcs. I've noticed that anime that are original (not adaptation), usually are episodic. Like cowboy bebop, madoka magica and most of maho-shoujos etc.

[@DrewMalou]

That's an interesting point! I want to do a video comparing narrative vs. episodic storytelling, and it is interesting if non-adaptations are more likely to be episodic.

[@bilhelm000]

I'm pretty sure it's the manga-vs-TV thing. Cowboy Bebop is a good example of an anime that wasn't adapted from a manga, and it's very episodic.

[@Wolfman-rd1pv]

Thank you so much for introducing me to A Silent Voice, I literally just got back from watching (I went and found it when you said to in the video) and it's definitely one of my favorite films ever now.

[@DrewMalou]

YESSS!!! As far as I'm concerned, that is mission accomplished for me! Haha. I love giving people recommendations that they enjoy, so that means a lot to me. Thank you for letting me know. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and yes, it's one of my favorite films as well!

[@Wolfman-rd1pv]

@@DrewMalou I am now slightly upset with you due to the fact that I have now watched it twice and am still obsessed with it. This is not a joke. Send help.

[@DrewMalou]

Lololol! We are definitely the same then, haha. After my first viewing, I watched it once a night for two weeks, bought a blu ray copy, a digital copy, and the manga box set so I could read it. Never had a movie affect me like that before! It truly is something special.

[@JoaquinBravoContreras]

Western animation and movies usually have clear black and white, good and evil characters. Eastern animation has a lot of shades of color, and the initial antagonist usually ends up helping the hero, or you at least end up learning their motivations.

[@WindSwirl]

This is exactly how I would describe the difference as well. Western villains are often purely evil for no real reason, while anime often makes conflicts a lot more morally interesting simply because all sides have a reasonable motivation for their actions.

[@mirkohoble]

In modern cases Disney is the evil character now

[@afsana190]

The long Halloween other dc animated movies don't have this

[@lucifermorningstar1478]

@@afsana190 well because thats dc which has great story writing

[@ExtremeWreck]

@@afsana190 Do people even watch those anymore?

[@rogue8507]

Most depressing Eastern animated films (just Japan 😂): Grave of the Fireflies Barefoot Gen A Silent Voice Your Name Millennium Actress The Wind Rides Whisper of the Heart Wolf Children Stand By Me Doraeman Hotarubi No Morie” Most Depressing Western Animated Films (Considered non Japanese): The Plague Dogs (UK) When the Wind Blows (UK) Mary and Max (Australia) Animal Farm (UK) Watership Down (UK) Waltz with Bashir (Israel) Faidae (Germany) The Brave Little Toaster (US) Fritz The Cat (US) The Prince of Egypt (US) Honestly The Plague Dogs is more depressing than Grave of the Fireflies in my opinion. A lot of Weeaboos tend to undervalue or underestimate western films and animated films because the ones I mentioned from the west are really disturbing and sad. I really recommend anyone to check out these Western animated films I listed because boy, with some of these I need to go see a psychiatrists. (Especially the The Plague Dogs that film broke me 😢)

[@DrewMalou]

Oh wow, thanks for sharing! I haven't heard of a bunch of these, so I will definitely check them out! For some reason, I tend to really like sad movies, so I'm definitely excited to dig into this list. Thanks for watching!

[@Dan_Kanerva]

i think you are missing the sigh of an argument when you look for scapegoats to justify yourself , like calling people weeaboos just because more people disagree with you than agree... Plague Dogs is definetly sad , but i guess the reason people identify more with grave of the fireflies is not because "muh weebs dumb" , but because the events in that film hit harder or feel more close home to them

[@rogue8507]

@@Dan_Kanerva I never said anyone who disagrees with me is a Weeaboos. I enjoy anime myself I thought Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most saddest films I’ve ever watched. I’m just mentioning that these films I mention a pretty underrated in the animation industry.

[@Dan_Kanerva]

@@rogue8507 oh they are definetly underrated , i watched plague dogs and watership down like 5 years ago only because i hear of them from youtube essays

[@caleb_artzs2533]

Don't forget The End of Evangelion

[@Victoria-hy5rs]

I haven’t watched much of eastern animation, but what I find the most interesting from it is the attention to tiny and subtle details that make the story go beyond what is just said by the characters and instead builds it from context or metaphors. For example, when we see the earpiece next to the camera so we know Shoko can’t hear Ishida. Another example I can think of is from Your Name: Mitsuha normally braids her hair and ties it with a bow, but when she switches places with Taki she (or should I say, he) leaves her hair down; on the other hand, when they switch places for the first time, during the lunch break scene when Taki meets with his friends he’s sitting down in sort of a bent-knees position, in sort of a girly way. These kinds of detail can go unnoticed, but i feel like they take the story to a whole different level.

[@DrewMalou]

Great examples! You're right, those small details add up over the course of the movie and just give them so much replay value. I love that there are so many layers to examine, and details hidden. It definitely makes things more enjoyable for me. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and for watching!

[@JackyThamGK]

i never see eastern anime before until my friend let me see the first time anime, and now i really love their show and can't stop watching. can't even tell why but sometime i feel eastern animation have deep meaning inside the story, thats is why i so deep in anime now.

[@DrewMalou]

I definitely agree with that! The first time I started watching anime, I got sucked into the storytelling as well. Something about it is just so good! Thanks for watching!

[@sarakajira]

Eastern animation, allows for a sense of space, and silence. It's like how Mozart said that, "The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between." Mozart got it. It's a very Buddhist idea. How many anime's have you seen where there's a shot in summer of a city street, or other landscape, where you hear the cicadas chirping, and see the sweltering heat? You instantly get a sense for how hot it is, and how the characters must be feeling exhausted, and wanting relief. In western animation you'd have a couple characters talking to each other complaining loudly about the heat. You see this often in Miyazaki films, but it's common in anime in general. Eastern animation *shows* you the circumstances, whereas western animation *tells* you the circumstances. Eastern animation is also a lot more efficient in how it uses animation to tell story. They use a lot of camera panning and emphasis on facial expressions and eye movements much like in a comic book, to convey story. Eastern animation is in many ways animated comic books. This allows a lot more detail to be added to the backgrounds, whereas in western animation backgrounds are an afterthought a lot of the time.

[@DrewMalou]

Good points! I'm sure I will definitely make videos about showing vs. telling in the future, because it's definitely an important topic. Thanks for sharing, and for watching!

[@xfakelucid6504]

I think this video does a very good job showing one of the differences between the two styles, while respecting both. I really hate it when people say that anime is better than western animation or vice versa for x reason, when in reality they shouldn't be compared. They both have their faults and talents, and I enjoy both equally but for entirely different reasons. And then you get Avatar the Last Airbender which is literally the best of both worlds by being both eastern and western.

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, well said! I am of the same mindset. Love both types of animation, and they do so many different things well. And Avatar is soooo gooood. One of the GOATs. Thanks for watching!

[@idkt-t9214]

They have a lot of things that set them apart because they're made by people from vastly different culture , both have good parts but have things that ultimately hold them back. For western animation I like the comedy because it's often pretty clever (or at least a bit better than eastern imo), and I absolutely love the way they use facial expressions and gestures to show emotions, I also like the world building in many of them. The things that hold western animation back is the idea that animation is only for younger audiences, so it's PG, and more often than not has a simple plot where a character goes from point A to point B and learns a valuable life lesson in the process, it would be interesting if they went for more complicated plots. Now for eastern animation, I like that it has more mature themes and complicated plots, they're not afraid to explore different concepts, it's very interesting what they can do with a more realistic art style. I think the comedy is what holds eastern animation back, it can be really annoying, some great examples: Perverted guy touches girl inappropriately=funny Violent girl hits guy= funny Loud noises/confused screaming=funny Another not so great thing is the screaming that's meant to convey emotion, instead of a less in your face method. And I find it really frustrating that most of the female characters are over sexualized, there are other ways to explore mature themes besides boobs and asses, I think this detail in particular can really mess up an otherwise great plot if it's not done correctly and in moderation. Both have things they have to work on, and it would be nice to see more variation so everyone could pick whatever floats their boat.

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, this was well said! I agree with you. I do wish we had more variation. Thanks for sharing!

[@lukethekuya]

Both must be balanced.

[@DrewMalou]

As all things should be.

[@teyr5]

I do like western animation to a certain point but it has never made feel so emotionally attached to a show or movie like anime does. Like you said, in the eastern animation they focus the emotion to the circumstances which also bonds the characters, I think it's a more effective way to do it - and if it's used in movies it's very pleasing to watch

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah! I know what you mean. Thank you for watching!

[@-maxipoo-]

The video was good but, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INTRODUCING ME TO A SILENT VOICE. IT IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE MOVIE EVER

[@DrewMalou]

You're so welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. That movie is one of my favorites as well. Thank you so much for watching!

[@lukeporras1288]

Great video, this should have way more views than it does.

[@DrewMalou]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. :D

[@abataaoigami6715]

He only has 26 subs bro x3 DW with this level of presentation he could do really well.

[@DrewMalou]

Thanks so much! I've got more video essays on the way, I'm just a perfectionist and take way too long to make them just how I want them. Haha! 😅

[@KayzKraze]

100% agree!

[@nigachad4031]

a western cartoon named "infinity train" does both of those things, i highly recommend watching it

[@DrewMalou]

Yes, thank you! I have it on my list and have heard great things! Thanks for the recommendation!

[@ColdmanOrleans]

I thought you refering into mugen train (infinity train)

[@pepperspray7177]

@@ColdmanOrleans no

[@EmilyE96]

One big difference I'm loving as I delve into anime: it isn't afraid to get right into the psyche of a character, sometimes we even hear their thoughts and feelings in a time-free zone of exploration of the self. It's really beautiful. I once came across a quote that manga is an expression of emotion, and I think that's very true for anime too. They have a way of bringing the very art style in on the emotion, making the set dressing into metaphors to enhance what's happening, even if that means making the entire background disappear as we discover the character feels alone. Western animation very rarely does this, sticking pretty tight to the same art style and background. I love my Pixar films, Disney renaissance and DreamWorks etc., but I truly think what holds Western Animation back is the stigma that it's for children, and I also feel as if its lost its spark in regard to experimentation. I believe it can come back. The fact that Eastern animation is getting more popular in Western places gives me hope.

[@DrewMalou]

This is so well said! I agree with you. I do hope Western animation gets that special spark back as well. Thank you so much for watching, and for sharing!

[@goosle]

"A Silent Voice" hit so hard man. A movie never hit me so hard in the feels before. I absolutely loved it though.

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, I feel you there! It was an absolutely incredible experience watching it. Thanks for sharing!

[@user-qh4rd9eb6y]

My favourite 1 anime

[@user-qh4rd9eb6y]

I watched it first in anime I also loved it

[@user-qh4rd9eb6y]

Also I like Japanese animes

[@DrewMalou]

Nice! I love A Silent Voice as well. Thanks for watching!

[@KayzKraze]

You're video essays are so professional and high quality! I clicked on this and was watching thinking that you had thousands of subs and was shocked of how underrated you are! I just want to take a moment to appreciate your editing during the silent voice climax summary because omg, I watched that movie before but you still managed to make the moment tense with your commentary! You really captured the emotion of that scene with excellence! I look forward to seeing more amazing analysis videos from you! I hope you have a great day and God bless! :D

[@DrewMalou]

Wow! That's so nice of you to say, I really appreciate it. I'm glad you liked the video, that means a lot to me! I'm kind of a perfectionist and am always trying to outdo myself on the quality of my videos, so I don't post very often, and I would assume that's part of the reason my channel hasn't grown a ton, lol. I have a few projects in the works that I am excited to share with everyone, though, so I hope you'll look forward to those. Thanks for watching, and for the kind words, you totally made my day! 😁

[@VorteX_SH]

@@DrewMalou Just keep posting you will be famous soon :D every one starts from zero

[@DrewMalou]

Haha, that's very true. Thanks for the encouragement! More videos are definitely coming soon! 😁

[@durfdurffigan8680]

@@DrewMalou animation a lot of the time is influenced by the performance arts. Classic Play and cinema acting are main thing that defines animation. The difference being western animation took mainly from Vaudeville, Broadway, and old school Hollywood. They artistically value big simple motions that really emphasized what the character was feeling or comedy. Japanese animation took from 50s Japanese cinema, kabuki performance, and Ukiyo-e painting. Th clear difference comes into the fact Japanese took from stuff that was Subtle and artsy focusing portraying what the character is feeling with subtle character acting, working with editing and cinematography to creating emotional reaction in the audience. Even when they do big blatant emotions, it comes from Kabuki; a performance that is holy avant-garde. Look Yoshinori Kanada or the films of Rintaro to see this influence. Ukiyo-e and other similar painting movements influence then graphically deconstructing complicated forms. philosophical it had big impact on how the view I Environmental effects,character acting is allowed to take back seat while the fire, water, dust etc... can be the main focus of the scene. Which is why they’re environmentally effect are way more advanced artistically.

[@DrewMalou]

That's really fascinating! I didn't consider the historical artistic influences in this video essay, but that breakdown of how different acting and art styles leads to different types of animation makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing, I have a lot of research I need to go do now! 😄

[@___xyz___]

A really big difference between Eastern and Western (arguably more important) is cultural, and has to do with religion and beliefs. A lot of elements from folktales for instance influence the writing of anime to the point where Japanese superstitions are sometimes misplaced in European/American settings. This choice of writing has a huge impact on the direction of the animation, such as colour, character design and art style, deliberately being made in a particular way to emphasise traditional elements.

[@ushakova3101]

The biggest difference is that one is drawn in the East, and the other - in the West.

[@DrewMalou]

Well..... you're definitely not wrong about that! 😂 Thanks for watching!

[@drlemon7729]

Exactly lol

[@nanaki1990blox]

Wow I guess you're right. While western animation is more character driven, anime seems to care more about circumstance and the character's cool abilities rather than the character as s person

[@DrewMalou]

Glad you thought so! I definitely got excited when I came to this realization, but I should do an update to this video, to see if my theory still holds true. Thanks for watching!

[@madsceptictrooper6803]

I personally I love both Eastern and Western animation. The difference between them is what I love about both of them. The only problem I have with the entire modern Western entertainment industry is the fact they're not trying show anything subtly because they think the entire audience are stupid. The modern Western entertainment industry should stop thinking the audience are stupid or else they're the real stupid ones. I think Avatar: The Last Airbender, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and 90s Moomin anime are the best examples for using characters and circumstances at the same time to show emotions for the audience.

[@DrewMalou]

I agree with this 100%. I think you're exactly right. I'm speculating, but I would say the reason this is done is because big studios only view animation as something for children. I think this is starting to change with the rising popularity of anime, and shows like Castlevania, and like you said the popularity of spiderman into the spiderverse. Hopefully we will get some rich and complex animation geared towards older audiences in the future! Thanks for watching!

[@lucascarvalho7191]

how did you like the spider man into the spider verse try watching the animated dc movies

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, I know I definitely need to go watch a bunch of the DC films. They have a TON of great stuff i haven't seen yet.

[@lucascarvalho7191]

@@DrewMalou was more answering the other comment

[@lulu_TheWitchBoy]

@@DrewMalou you need to watch Batman Under the Red hood! Wouldn’t say is a sad movie, but the ending I just found really depressing.

[@DeathandGrim2]

The biggest difference imo is the direction and dialogue. Western animation often takes a more grounded approach to its plot development and Eastern animation takes a far more operatic approach to plot development. Both achieve their goal but the experience of getting there is different.

[@DrewMalou]

That's an interesting point! I do think the directing has a lot to do with that. A lot of anime tends to be way out there, but I also think that some of the Disney films can be quite over the top as well, haha. Anyways, thanks for watching!