Who Killed Animation?

[@gregleftout]

The irony being "Hey Arnold " Batman the Animated Series" " Regular Show " and others have been more " Adult " than say Family Guy and other " Adult" Animated Shows .

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

True just because you have sex, drugs, and violence does not make it more mature it the way you do it fruit basket, Dr stone, and spy family is more mature than Family guy as in spy family the only sex is some leg showing of yor in a few scenes, while their some violence I don't remember a scene where someone brain got all over a wall, and their no mention of drug that I remember of not to say you can't do all of that but to say having someone brain spread all over all over a hole in the head is more mature is nonsense is how it's done

[@NahuelPavano]

I love dr stone but the fan service aspects of the show aren't very mature. Japanese anime regularly treats its audience as horny teens. It ruins the show for me.

[@modvavet]

​​​@@NahuelPavanoI'm a bit put off by the fan service as well, but to be fair, the target audience for shonen actually IS horny teens. There just isn't a huge amount of Seinen or Josei that gets animated and makes it out of Japan. Dr. Stone doesn't feel like TOO major of an offender on that one, though, relatively speaking. Have you by any chance tried out Vinland Saga or Chainsaw Man? They're both pretty damn incredible.

[@NahuelPavano]

@@modvavet yes, i loved vinland saga, chainsaw man, monster, AOT demon slayer. I was dissapointed with the latter for including the 3 spouses that only serve the plot to look at their boobs. I want to recomend it but i remember them and i desist of doing that. (Sorry if i mispelled, argentinian here) Ps: i should clarify that i dont mind erotic content like the excelent corean movie the handmaiden. But in a show like demon slayer its tonally off for me.

[@modvavet]

@@NahuelPavano definitely understandable. It sounds like you've got pretty awesome taste in anime, though! 🙂

[@digi7650]

So sad how animation is treated in the industry.

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

And animators too

[@kleinerprinz99]

Well first came the "stock" photography, animation etc databases, or exchanges or whatever you call em. Now "AI" generated crap is coming around the corner, too.

[@digi7650]

@@kleinerprinz99 oh man have you seen the corridor crew ai anime video? Honestly it's scary to think art is dying to the technology we made.

[@intellectually_lazy]

blame them old wacc biddies who didn't know what to do after the men came home and unemployed them

[@intellectually_lazy]

@@ricochetbabalon257 man, picture 1999, 2000, 2001, faithfully i'm there, 7pm on a sunday, turn it on fox to see futurama. nascar, mlb, nfl. i didn't have a chance to afford it. all my hate toward family guy can't erase the fact they proved profitability after fox dropped it and adult swim picked it up. i time traveled here from the cultural wasteland of the 80s, at the same speed as everyone else, animation was made by committee to sell bright colored plastic and fructose. if that worked it wouldn't've been ousted by the creator driven animation of the 90s through today. i do believe they will encounter the same issue with the copy-crap ai can write, and if you don't like what these big shots put out, may i propose we all opt out and make our own damn art? then what can they do? nothing, fn nothing, that's what

[@billstewart147]

Between my SO and myself we have nearly 25 years experience working in animation - including working on several of the shows mentioned in this video. The industry expands and contracts pretty regularly so this is not unprecedented or unexpected. Since about 2008 it has boomed/busted 4 times. 2020/21 represented the biggest boom we've ever seen and now the bust is pretty representative of that (and work opportunities are SLIM right now, oof). We're already seeing some small signs of recovery from this last bust - though I don't think it will get back to the heights peaked late in 2020. We're optimistic the industry will be in a healthy place by the end of this year/early 2024 - which would mean more content coming out late 2024 and into 2025. And thank you for talking about the disparities between WGA and TAG - hardly anyone talks this!!

[@matheussanthiago9685]

I'd love to ask a professional, how are the prospects of animation continuing to be a viable career with the rate with each AI art is advancing I've seen corridor crew's last video, and they seamingly automated rotoscopy to a degree I couldn't imagine to be possible a week ago And apparently this is only the beginning I can't really see as an outsider what's stopping studios from automating everything now From script to storyboard, to animating Hell, even voice acting is on line What do you think?

[@mandisaw]

​@@matheussanthiago9685 I believe modern animation already uses lots of computer-assisted tools, but if you're talking the hyped AI-gen stuff... From an audience POV, the quality of AI stuff is weak af. I can't see people paying to watch that.

[@visualsituation]

I'm literally graduating university this year, studying animation, I'm glad there are like...always animated shows for little kids on obscure Uk and Irish networks, but I don't want that to always be my only option. And 99% of them are 3D animated for whatever reason, 3D animation is becoming my enemy.

[@hcxpl1]

​@@visualsituation I think they are 3d simply bc it's cheaper, but I might be way off

[@JoseGarnelo]

@@matheussanthiago9685 another (2D) animator here. IMHO I think AI is just a tool and I'm eager for the moment it becomes viable as an animator assistant. I'm hoping that the human touch will still be necessary for a long time, but those sweet AI assisted inbetweens will be a blessing, specially for indie creators. We are already seeing them in use in those anime music videos running at 60fps (when the source material was created at 24fps). I agree those feel blend af, but think of that as animation kindergarden for IA. And of course, there will always be room for more imperfect, human stuff, both creators that'll long to do things the old way and an audience looking for that type of experience :)

[@jamesmc4080]

Primal is the perfect animated series. It shows that you don't even need dialogue and that actions speak louder than words

[@Warstub]

Castlevania was one of the best Adult Animated series that I've watched (and also the single best video game adaptation)

[@donspafford414]

Genndy Tartakovsky is a certified genius in his medium.

[@imorokr]

Go watch the cyberpunk anime!

[@Chas-OTE]

​@@imorokr I hate how Netflix advertised that one. "Watch it for the nudity and violence!" But what you actually get is a beautiful, character driven work that just so happens to have amazing action scenes.

[@Chas-OTE]

Imagine feeling so emotional about a neanderthal (I think?) and his dinosaur buddy. All without either of them uttering a single word. Tartakovsky is really flexing on us with Primal lol

[@johncosco2348]

The anime industry also has a lot issues with things like paying their animators a livable salary

[@jacoblevenson7934]

That is important, but not part of what is being discussed.

[@yoman7873]

To be honest that's a global issue with employees getting less salaries than they deserve.

[@KaritKtana]

​​@@jacoblevenson7934 I think it is tied to the issue because you can produce a lot more when your employees have absolutely no personal lives and live at the office for the privilege of contributing to Anime. The industry is booming, that looks good - but the artists are being exploited. Wish they could make shows with more humane working conditions. I'm so grateful for the Animation Guild in the US having our back, but the latest moves in the industry still make us feel helpless. All of our hard work before, during and after the pandemic means nothing to the execs whose hides we saved, when faced with tax write-offs 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@loredo659]

This was my first thought. Comparing the cultural consumption of animation between Japan and Western audiences is somewhat deceptive unless you mention the production cultures and surrounding ethics of both industries. Yes, anime is doing extremely well due to the difference in perception Japan has for the medium compared to Western audiences, as stated in the video. However, the work culture behind them is so much different than those of Western studios, especially streaming services, that it needs to be mentioned and discussed more thoroughly. It's honestly a whole other topic. But, the video is focusing the production issues towards Western studios specifically and not internationally. Some of the issues are domestic to each country, but the Japanese anime industry (and their work life in general) needs to be discussed in such criticism. It would've aided the conversation around animation due to the main target of this criticism aren't the writing teams, animators, actors, but the studios and industry business tactics that take over. Japan has theirs, we have ours in the states, and as we are coming together due to consumption of media this discussion needs to incorporate all popular producers and hold them accountable as well for practices abusive to the aforementioned writers, animators, voice actors, and others who are impacted by decisions made at higher levels.

[@pheunithpsychic-watertype9881]

Also there being less and less japanese every year

[@brandonsmisek6334]

My parents definitely got on me for watching animated shows. They just automatically assumed they were all for children.

[@shorgoth]

Challenge them to watch "Grave of the Fireflies" and as them if they still think it's for childrens.

[@mandisaw]

Pro tip: Part of becoming an adult is learning that your parents aren't always right, and that it's okay to have separate likes/dislikes from them. That said, my mom doesn't generally watch anime, but over the years I've gotten her to check out shows that are inline with her live-TV tastes (political sci-fi, westerns, etc). Maybe research a movie* that reflects tastes you have in common with your parents, and try that. (I rec movies for non-anime viewers, as it's a shorter time commitment, and movies are more likely to be dubbed in English/your preferred language.)

[@LuisSierra42]

Tell them to watch Made in Abyss

[@mandisaw]

@Purple Alien Come on, we've got parents now who unironically state that they don't want their kids to know more than they do, ever. A lot of folks aren't cut out for the job of mom/dad.

[@mandisaw]

@Purple Alien LOL what rule is that? Another country/culture, maybe? By & large, Americans have no qualms saying someone is a bad mother or bad father, even to the person's face 😅

[@Bendylife]

as a storyboard artist and animator I really apriciate videos on this stuff. It can be frustrating when the stuff you work so hard on is treated like dead weight. Not only because it means less work but it also means I also have less to watch and I love animation

[@intellectually_lazy]

thank you. i heart animation so much. it's so yummy it tastes like drugs. gimme more!

[@sofiesdecoss]

I feel so sad that The Midnight Gospel, which literally got me through 2020 along with Bojack, didn't even got mentioned in this. After season one I hate that Netflix just snubbed it like it never existed. The industry not only doesn't understand animation as a medium, but just don't respect it.

[@WisecrackEDU]

We did a full video on Midnight Gospel a couple of years ago! Sadly we could only mention so much in one video.

[@AndrewJosephALJ]

@@WisecrackEDU I'm so glad you mentioned this video, I had not seen it!

[@andresymedio625]

I think the premise of The midgnight gospel had so much potential, and there were some many things to explore. I think it used animation well (according to what is said in this video) and it also had a very strong emotional element. All in all, it definitely deserved a couple more seasons instead of getting cancelled just like that.

[@sea_triscuit7980]

Well you can thank shows like Big Mouth and Rick and Morty for that

[@andresymedio625]

@@eabradley1108 I'm so glad you touched on that specific topic. Magick or Ceremonial Magic is a beautiful practice that can be easily understood, but then, as you go deeper into it, you'll start seeing just how complex and real it is. More real than your everyday reality, if I may say so. Also, Damien Echols is a really nice guy with a horrible and unfair backstory, and yet decided to be as kind as he can be. You should definitely check it out and see it for yourself, you don't have to believe it from my words or even Damien's words. Just try it out for a while, and you'll see it yourself. Or at least... read about it before hating on it.

[@matteste]

You can really see this disconnect when you compare adult animation from the west to what we find in the east. Adult animation over there is just a different beast and is treated with great reverence. Just take the Hathaway movie. It quickly became a big seller and became known for it's incredibly mature approach to what many would consider a childish genre.

[@lordblazer]

The Gundam series has always explored serious themes, so no surprise there. They 40 years of experience under their belt on that.

[@matteste]

@@lordblazer What I mean is that you see a lot of stuff in Hathaway that you normally don't see even in the more mature Gundam series. I think it be described as more "raw" that other shows. Of course, shows such as Made in abyss accomplished it as well ,though in a different manner.

[@thealexgundam5006]

Full metal alchemist and manga beserk, re zero, etc. Ya, it's kinda which why you don't see adult or story based animation as often compared to past in the west.

[@matteste]

@@thealexgundam5006 When you say Fullmetal, I hope you are talking about the 2003 adaptation if we are talking raw stuff.

[@thealexgundam5006]

@@matteste I'm talking about both versions, but I agree 2003 version is way more on dark than new one in terms of raw.

[@perin_m]

I work in animation (specifically in television. Both children/adult) and there’s not a whole lot being made right now, but especially in adult. Some of the industry’s absolute best artists out there are scrambling for jobs and trying to find work. So many streaming services are canceling because they quickly realize how much time, money and manpower it takes to make animation. Also I believe the reason why children animation gets more Centre stage is because kids tend to rewatch alot more than adults do. Mom and dad won’t cancel a subscription if their kids going to rewatch the same episodes of paw patrol everyday. It’s all to keep that monthly bill going. I am grateful for the bee and puppycats and Smiling friends that manage to sneak through. I hope for more

[@mandisaw]

Kids are also a more reliable merch market.

[@Chas-OTE]

I was honestly surprised to see Bee and Puppycat just appear on Netflix. I watched the youtube series a lot and was pretty happy to find a rebooted version suddenly appear.

[@Chas-OTE]

​​@@mandisaw ironically this is why CN cancelled a lot of shows like Young Justice and the Thundercats reboot. Not enough merch was sold.

[@kosmosXcannon]

I don't think I ever bothered watching children animation. I essentially grew up watching Cartoon Network with things like the Loony Tunes and Tom and Jerry. You know, shit everyone could enjoy.

[@methos4866]

For adult animation in the US they need to quit with the sitcom bs. France for example has great stuff like Arcane and Wakfu. The studio behind Wakfu also did a movie called Mutafukaz which was pretty good. I would also like to highlight Studio La Cachette which animated Primal and had an episode on season 2 of Star Wars Visions. The rest of their catalogue is definitely worth a watch.

[@jacoblevenson7934]

I think a another massive issue with adult animation as compared to Japan is the lack of thriving and diverse comics market to serve as a backbone to pick adaptions from. The comics industry was effective annihilated by the comics code which wiped out the two most popular genres (horror, romance, adventure) in place of superheroes due to being forced to abide by restrictive and ridiculous guidelines that made it so only superhero comics could survive. This kept an entire medium that is perfect for adaption into animation (comic) and depriving a medium from its ability to grow up and develop alongside it's readers.

[@intellectually_lazy]

tf you been for 30 years? not watching the shows i do for sure. the code is dead. tipper gore has been defeated. now just watch out for this new wave of censorship backed by actual fascists

[@blackcloud4126]

Castlevania and Invincible did GREAT and took some time to build up. Anime is killing it in the U.S and around the world.

[@topochijo]

As someone who's been working in the animation industry for last 25 years, yeah, I've experienced my shares of ups and downs, and more downs. We often joke that we're the redheaded stepchild in the entertainment industry. Often overlooked, misunderstood, and seldomly loved. Somethings gotten better, but I just can't believe people still think that animation is for kids and that it's a genre. One of the reasons why I don't like the Best Animation Feature as a category in the Academy Awards. It's like we're placed in a kids table section, while adults are discussing more important matters like Best Picture, Best Director and so forth. I guess we gotta be thankful for at least being invited to the party.

[@Horatio787]

If it's any consolation, no one cares about the Oscars anymore. It got 16 million viewers last year, and the VGAs got 103 million livestreams (not average viewers but it's still pretty big). I think people are starting to get really cynical about the drama award show.

[@devonwilliams5738]

They flat out said Spirited Away was the best film of 2001, but they refused to give it best picture because the crowd would riot if they gave Best Picture to what they percieved as kiddie garbage.

[@LPTheGas]

@@Horatio787 You're right, except for bringing up the VGAs as a comparison. No-one cares about them either, like half the audience for the Superbowl people just tune in for the trailers and new game reveals and get up for bathroom breaks and drink refills during the actual awards.

[@Horatio787]

@@LPTheGas True. One thing I appreciate about the VGAs though is there's a real breadth of games they appreciate. It's not just Last of Us types.

[@kosmosXcannon]

Any idea when this mindset that animation is for kids started? I grew up watching Cartoon Network with things like Loony Tunes and Tom and Jerry. I always saw it as something everyone could enjoy. There was also stuff like the Animaniacs and Batman the Animated Series, with how both kids and their parents can enjoy watching. There was also Scooby Doo people enjoyed, especially with their movies like Zombie Island. I think the animation is for kids attitude is partly because of Disney. I think with how they focused on their main demographic being something that was family friendly, got enough people thinking it was just for kids.

[@germalganis]

In my opinion one of the issues with western animation in general is that it fails to exploit the inherit surrealistic nature of the medium. Usually the worst animated features/shows, can be translated 1:1 between animation and live action. So you are simply watching a sitcom, but drawn. In contrast the most successful animated shows understand how to use that inherit surrealistic nature. As an example a widely love IP like adventure time, leans heavily into the surrealistic nature of the medium, from the superfluos like the talking lemon people, to the whole plot of the series. Japanese animation is more confortable using the surrealistic nature of animation. Nichijou is a perfect example, it's literally called "nichijou" and the whole point of the manga is taking the most mundane situations and blow them outside the surrealistic charts.

[@alicewright4322]

i love surrealism, and your point sounds correct. but shows like "king of the hill" or "dr katz" or "bob's burgers" or "home movies" are a different style, which is very grounded, and uses very little surrealism and is also good. simpsons started very grounded with very little surrealism, but used surrealism well in fantasy sequences (homer's "land of chocolate") and cinematic shots well outside of fantasy. People complain that newer simpsons uses too much surrealism and too many fantastical plot lines, but new simpsons is still funny, just slightly different.

[@mandisaw]

​@@alicewright4322 Of all of those you mentioned, how many would've been just as good if made as a live-action sitcom? What is the value-add of animation for those shows - in terms of audience appeal, production savings, or artistic freedom? Not saying they're bad shows - but there's a tangible difference between say the Arrowverse and the Diniverse/DCAU, that's tied to their respective choice of medium.

[@MaxIronsThird]

I agree with you, but at the same time, every new season of anime, there is at least one souless Slice of Life anime, that could 100% be a live action show and wouldn't change anything(aside of how pretty the main female character is), and audiences gobble it up and hype it to everyone, most people in their 20s(that doesn't usually watch anime), thinks anime is just DBZ, moe-shit and hentai. That kind of show would get nowhere near the amount of attention if it was a japanese live action series instead.

[@dangerfly]

Surreal or abstract?

[@intellectually_lazy]

it's funny all of you who want to compare western animation to anime, are clearly not that familiar with western animation. you can't just watch family guy and consider yourself an expert

[@ghintz2156]

Venture Bros has been a more clever and profound show than most any live action series I've seen. (Production being handled by the same two dudes with art backgrounds definitely helped.) Bojack too. Animation is a great medium that has such potential.

[@ghintz2156]

Also, oh God I wasn't aware of the Yu Yu Hakusho adaptation. Ugh.... Don't ruin my boy Hiei. I can't believe I saw Hyper Police as an example at the end of the video...talk about an unknown anime. Even back in 2004 I met barely any anime nerds who had watched it.

[@Hughes81]

I agree, but I think Venture Bros went on for too long. It wasn't as good in the later seasons.

[@eyeamstrongest]

@@Hughes81 nah thats bojack

[@mr.pavone9719]

I love how in every scene of Venture Brothers there's something I can pick out from the wild sci-fi tv and movies of my childhood. I showed my oldest son the Johnny Quest and the movie Fantastic Voyage. Within minutes of starting he said "holy shit, this looks just like Venture Bothers!"

[@mandisaw]

Venture Bros is part of that time when Cartoon Network was run by people who actually knew cartoons & enjoyed making animation. They did make stuff for 15-19yo stoner guys, but they also made (or aired) stuff for everyone else.

[@Chadyaniki]

As long as Anime lives, animation will never die.

[@intellectually_lazy]

yeah, some of it's real good, but i prefer the comedic, american style adult animation. glad toonami isn't on adult swim anymore

[@Eddafred]

To be fair, the anime industry in Japan is facing it's fair share of problems. Namely now that streaming gives anime a worldwide audience, animation studios are being pressured to pump out shows at increasing and largely unsustainable rates, which is resulting in inconsistent art quality, increasingly frequent delays in episode releases, all on top of being an industry that's already notorious for how much it overworks/underpays it's workers.

[@DutchOvenShowAmsterdam]

Bill Plympton has been pushing this point since the 80’s. If you don’t know him, check out his recent work. It’s largely the work of one person making surreal, deep, mature animations. “Cheatin” is maybe one of my favorites. Dude’s animated like 7 or 8 feature films by hand with paper and pencil

[@celestialametrine]

Watching this reminded me there is a lot of animated pieces in Love Death + Robots I really enjoy, and would totally love to watch an episode on that series... maybe one day?

[@AlmostEthical]

Some other shows have worked with a similar model, but for some reason they are always seem to be insanely dark and gory.

[@skellymom]

YES! And Arcane!!!

[@hcxpl1]

​@@AlmostEthical Yeah, my problem with "adult" animation is that it's either gross humour or dark and gory - very often both.

[@AlmostEthical]

@@hcxpl1 Seems like the makers are trying too hard to market to teenage boys. A lot of people like good adult cartoons because they are more interesting and smart than most live action stuff these days

[@intellectually_lazy]

omg. you could just see netflix trying to kill that, and 2 sentence horror stories. argh, matey, i made that problem walk the plank. but you see how they always started you at the end and made it real hard to go back. just goes to show, streaming execs suck as much as their tv counterparts did. a pox!

[@olivierblais-turcotte2841]

If Bob's Burger would come out today, you know damn well the studio would have pushed hard for the cannibal storyline and it would have been canceled after its first season

[@MrStingBlade]

Either that or Bob would just be the worst human imaginable.

[@pheunithpsychic-watertype9881]

It's the only new u.s. cartoon I bother to watch and look forward to.

[@QBG]

Gotta be honest. It's pretty disappointing that you didn't mention Arcane, which is not only a new high-bar for artistic excellence in animated media, but also one of the best TV shows ever produced in general. Not only is Arcane _not_ canceled, it's also not beholden to the corporate merger shuffle that was the cause of the latest round of canceled cartoons. It also represents a major fact that this episode hints at but ultimately fails to address: Adult animation _need not_ be comedy. Since the overwhelming majority of adult animation has been following The Simpsons' template since the 90's, it's exceedingly rare to see any animated media made for adults that _isn't_ a comedy (unless it's from Japan). Arcane is a shift in this norm, and you Wisecrack nerds will absolutely love it. I'll be waiting for your Arcane video! Or if you already did one and I'm a dumbass, please link it for me!

[@omerlan100]

SPEECH🤟, wisecrack is so WRONG of not doing a video analyzing the show as it desereves.. its Absolutely BOMBARD with real stuff to talk about. Michael once told me they will make a vid on it when season 2 comes out... i see zero reason for not doing it now

[@MaxIronsThird]

"one of the best TV shows ever produced in general" you're definitely high

[@narutofan08nd12]

Look i liked Arcane, i thought it was good, but I found it a little over rated. I especially don't see how you can call it one of the best tv shows ever produced when there's so much good stuff out there

[@omerlan100]

@@narutofan08nd12 nah i watched hunderds of shows including the best shows you can think of live action or animated (YES NARUTO TOO) , arcane is one of the few which stayed home with me.. and its not only me

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@omerlan100 I don't think anyone says Naruto is the best show of all time.

[@LoveHandle4890]

Animation can never die, it’s immortal.

[@toyotaprius79]

But what about animators? What if the artists are starved too far?

[@tugger]

it died when we got rid of animators and accepted tween toon boom garbage

[@xXRickTrolledXx]

@tugger more like “Production by committee”

[@VVVVV99611]

Climate Change.

[@JC-ex3gp]

And even if it's does it'll come back next season with some dragon balls or something

[@ProNice]

Yes... while Japan does treat animation better than the US culturally, they still abuse the creators. (I know, it's another topic.) It's hard to convey the incredible harshness of the Japanese animators' working conditions. Despite being a thriving industry, animators are often overworked, underpaid, and subject to tight deadlines, leading to burnout and VERY serious health issues. The long hours and low wages not only affect the animators' physical and mental health but also impact the quality of the animation produced. It would be great for the industry to recognize and address these issues to ensure that the animators receive the respect and compensation they deserve. We should really advocate for moral and healthy working conditions. We want ethical food, and ethical phones, and we should definitely hold our entertainment to the same standard.

[@mandisaw]

Yes, I don't think they even have the "floor" of OSHA standards and labor union representation. Plus there's the industry-wide issue of *everyone* abusing the SE Asia VFX & CG-animators...

[@lukeashworth9090]

ditto for korea- the place where most US shows are actually getting made. Only union-represented pre-production happens in the states. In korea people are paid as low as $10 per page of work - there are usually 8-12 frames PER SECOND and shows run anywhere from 11 minutes, to 22 minutes, to 40+ minutes - so do the math - all of this considering how much executive producers and studio heads bring home in pay (David Zaslav current head of Warner Bros/Discover makes $2,000 IN 10 MINUTES) just to cut shows because they don't want to pay residuals AND they can write it off a tax loss to benefit shareholders. its great 🥲

[@Eccegato]

Sounds like any asian animation studios are just glorified sweatshops

[@mandisaw]

@@Eccegato Pretty much

[@onewomanarmy6451]

Yeah, I hoped he would at least mention this because it is horrid how animators are treated in both Japan and Korea. It's so frustrating when both we and the upper level studio people in Japan know that you can run an animation studio in an ethical way and make breathtaking anime because if nothing else, we have KyoAni as a shining example. Sadly though I don't think anything will change the industry without laws and regulations and when you consider the way workers are treated overall in Japan...well, we shouldn't hold our breaths because we will die.

[@dalton6173]

This isn't just adult animation. This is pretty much every show out these days. Altered carbon has the potential to become a much better version of Doctor who minus the time-travel and even then you could still jump forwards in time by having him go to prison again where he's locked away in his stack and then is held in storage for hundreds of years. It has the ability to have the main character be played by as many actors as they want with decent Sci-fi. Yet it was canceled after two or three seasons simply because new subscribers were not watching it. They only seem to care about what the new subscribers watch or if it got enough use within the first little while.

[@mosesmm5473]

I know this painfully well as my father is old school 'cartoons are for kids', even when I tried to explain to him how that's wrong, how it's merely a medium of art, that animation CAN be more mature, thought provoking and meaningful, I could tell it was in one ear, out the next as like the following week, he saw me watching Attack on Titan and just assumed it was kids stuff, if he had stayed just a minute longer, he would have seen some sh*t. I had to guess a theory, it's a self sustaining loop built by executives who don't think animation can by for adults because most of the animation they watched in their youth WAS for kids. Then if you can convince them to fund an animation project, you have to add as many crass, teenage boy-level jokes and plot-lines as possible as they're stuck in their ways and unless they see something they wouldn't want their kid seeing, it's 'for kids' regardless of the actual plot, and characters. Even if you can convince them to fund a project that could more kid friendly like say, Regular Show-they'll set the bar ridiculously high as Nick did as it compared any new project to Spongebob, its flagship show and if it can't reach these requirements in a single season-its canned. Creating a loop where because those same executives refuse to give animation a chance, it remains small, it remains largely targeted at its tried and true demo-kids, thereby enforcing the false belief to these same executives that animation only works for kids so they don't fund other animation projects, and when they do-its the kind of stuff that has little substance and gets by just because it's a family guy ripoff, or is filled with enough flashing lights to keep the kids entertained for 10-15 minutes.

[@devonwilliams5738]

I'd believe it. Executives are always clueless.

[@MaxIronsThird]

get you dad to watch Monster, he'll change his mind.

[@michaelguerrieri3486]

​@@devonwilliams5738 some with soap opera.

[@kosmosXcannon]

I always saw stuff like the Loony Tunes and even the really old Disney stuff as being a thing for everyone. I grew up watching Cartoon Network with things like the Loony Tunes and Tom and Jerry. Look at the type of jokes in things like the Animaniacs. Disney is probably the most to blame accidentally for people thinking that it is for kids thanks to their target demographic for the longest time was family friendly content.

[@intellectually_lazy]

if your dad wasn't climbing the wall of the capital building you're doing better than half of us, friend

[@shortfuse9443]

It’s not dead, it just never got any respect

[@Oh_ELCapitan]

Start by hiring a wide range of anime and adult animation fans into these positions that have the impact of boarding the scope of what it currently is to establish a foundation. Shows like The Boondocks, Bojack Horseman, Batman The Animated Series & Onyx Equinox come to mind.

[@gogetyourmilk1459]

There's an argument to be made for The Owl House, which is a Disney show for "kids" but that appeal to adults and young adults so much with its amazing writing and dark, honest and real them such as, family problems, homosexuality, Alienation, family isn't just blood, your blood dosent make your worth, ADHD, fighting trauma, death and do much more! It also got canceled with a 3-4 episode finally, witch is such a shame...

[@wolfman-up7dh]

Shoutouts to Harley Quinn for being genuinely funny, while also featuring well written character growth.

[@ChristianFrates1997]

To be honest, it’s a Lobo clone.

[@Karl_Marksman]

@@ChristianFrates1997 a what

[@intellectually_lazy]

superheroes are so dead to me, except that show, and jauquim phoenix's joker. i mean, i couldn't even bring myself to check out american gods, and i heart the heck out of gaiman (but actually, mostly for his short stories, not that into sandman, or coraline. the graveyard book was pretty much just the same as neverwhere) i did read those djinn-kin rushdie wrote. tbh, rather read anything else by him

[@2handsomeforlaw]

Poor Dale! He needs Betterhelp!

[@David-qi2ck]

Dale needs better help. Bill needs help

[@JamesDecker7]

Nah, Dale needs some PDE5 inhibitors…

[@albaheadtheovertross]

Wash that bluechew down with AG1, Dale, ya fuckin chump

[@Im-the-greatest]

Ha, dale cant fuck .

[@daemoneko]

My man Dale catching strays like this after decades, ouch

[@gwgux]

Shows like Castlevania happening give me hope, but because they're so rare, it's only a very small amount of hope. I think it's biggest problem (outside of the nonsense that animation is automatically for kids unless there's blood, sex, and cursing every other word) is that so many companies want to do things cheaply and good animation isn't cheap to make. It's not like viewers want to see the same repeating frames, backgrounds, and sound effects over and over again like what they used to do with the old Hanna Barbara cartoons. These days, people want more and there's a cost to do that.

[@nykki21]

Thank you for this video. I have always loved animation and now I understand why. I was absolutely one of those people who mistook it as a genre. But, even going back to Cool World and Who a framed Roger Rabbit, as well as the Warner Bro properties, I have been emotionally moved and invested in these stories. Makes so much sense now. Thank you! 🙏🏾

[@kosmosXcannon]

I think Disney is partly to blame. With them focusing on family friendly content, people probably started thinking animation was just for kids.

[@Lynxan]

The nice thing is there is a bit of a rise of animated shows that are set up for kids that are much more along the lines of general audiences. The Dragon Prince, Kipo, Young Justice and so many more can be enjoyed by adults as much as kids in many regards without the graphic violence or sex.

[@mori1bund]

The Avatar effect. :)

[@Lynxan]

@@mori1bund True, how true

[@Mongoose0017]

I kinda wish he'd have touched on more about how streaming services are getting rid of animated shows in general because they don't want to pay royalties to the artists

[@jasongold4312]

I've been thinking about how much as an adult, adult animation mostly doesn't feel "adult". Lots of sex drugs and violence, sure, but it's all so blunt and juvenile. I've always found it funny that shows actually aimed at teens and kids, often deal with real issues with much more maturity, and tackt, than shows "for adults"

[@Beokabatuka]

Lol felt weird that it took 15 minutes to make a strong distinction between American animation and anime but I'm glad you touched on it eventually. Good point about the need for cartoons in the west to say "I promise I'm for adults!!" by cramming in a bunch of violence and crude humor.

[@jellosquishier]

This was literally something I was wondering myself for the past few weeks. I was asking these same questions. Thanks, Wisecrack for this perfectly timed video for me!

[@billchipher4053]

I recently binged Owl House with my friends in two sessions (no spoilers for third season pls) and I really really enjoyed it but at the same time I got more and more angry and frustrated because I know that it was cancelled. Its just so freaking good and out of the blue it was cancelled because it didnt fit the disney brand??? Why Disney, just because the main character got together with another girl and kissed?

[@DarkINsides06]

The Last Man is an adult animated action show from Mondo that doesn't get enough attention and other Shows like Garry and his Demons, and Symbionic Titan have the themes of workplace sitcoms and coming of age mixed with fantastical sci-fi and horror elements but most people don't want to see this stuff and pisses me off because these shows never get proper endings.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

Fr, plus the French also have some really good animation as well.

[@MaxyErickcreation]

How did you guys not even mention Smiling Friends? I think it's the best adult animated show currently out there

[@conorobmusic]

This episode is fucking hilarious, I used to always miss Jared but I’m stoked Michael is here 😂 keep up this type of content

[@WisecrackEDU]

Appreciate it Conor!

[@jacobrodriguez3712]

I second this

[@intellectually_lazy]

i don't even think i know the difference, now that you mention it.i don't even know when the one became the other. idk, what happened to the diner? that something actually did happen to? actually, i know, they got different jobs at the same outlet. i always see 'em on shit with codie and katie and adam and shit

[@Too.Busy.Living]

It’s an upside down system when the least creative are the ones that have control over green lighting creative projects.

[@AKANI32]

For me it feels like there’s this weird idea that western audiences love stories but don’t like the animation medium, and in the west it seems the direction is given from top to bottom while disregarding what the watchers actually think. So animation for the most part is secluded in this childish/eastern category of viewers and it seems the “best” idea producers have is to make live action remakes of beloved and successful shows, completely disregarding the importance of the medium and making gross assumptions on what the viewers actually want…

[@emmanuelcarter3551]

THe big companies have biases towards animation because animation costs more money than live action since live-action gets things done cheaper. CGI still counts as animation it's just that Hollywood doesn't want to admit it. I rather do indie animation than working for these corporate politically correct assholes.

[@pblaze100]

MTV made a serious foray into adult animation in the early 2000s with some gems like Clone High, Daria, and Undergrads. I know this because many of these shows were Canadian co-productions so even when MTV gave them all the axe in the US they went into heavy rotation on Teletoon in Canada. Those shows are what led me to believe that animation doesn't just need to be for children, and because of that I was more than willing to give a show like Bojack Horseman a chance, to my own immense benefit.

[@NobodyC13]

Losing "Close Enough" to HBO Max's great purge hurt since it could've been Warner Bros answer to The Simpsons or Bob's Burgers. The show didn't rely to heavily on gross out humor but took advantage of the medium to depict stories like "what if the characters walked into a club run by a 'Logan's Run' fanatic as a commentary of growing old or feeling displaced by today's younger generation?" It also helps that it was described that JG Quintel's previos show, Regular Show felt relatable to people in their 20s trying to find stabilty, Close Enough felt relatable to people trying to find stability in their 30s (perfectly hitting the millennial demographic).

[@rogerreger9631]

To have good adult animation shows come back or be created again. there has to be a dramatic change in the thought process how its viewed in Hollywood and in the broader American populace from kid shows only use animation, to animation is a medium for story telling of any kind. While also trying to dismantle the idea that adult animation is only sex, drugs, violence, and gore. we would have to some how show that it can be more nuanced with complicated and mature situations and be entertaining to adult audience.

[@brenatevi]

Nuance? In the United States? I don't know if we're capable of that anymore.

[@devonwilliams5738]

Even South Park is more nuanced than most of these shows.

[@ChaosRaych]

I had never heard of josei anime! Thank you so much! Now I have some research to do

[@JamesSato]

Thank you for mentioning Anime in this piece. I hope that this piece helps to break down the barrier for those who are apprehensive about watching Anime because of their previous experience with Western animation.

[@LRA10Gaming]

you hit the nail on the head at the end there. I usually dont watch shows now unless they have multiple seasons because Netflixs habit of canceling shows got me scared of getting invested

[@EMNstar]

I'm still crushed Tuca and Bertie got cancelled again. It was my favorite show...

[@fireaza]

I mean, the fact that the academy hurriedly created the "Best Animated Feature" category because it looked like Beauty and the Beast, a cartoon and thus disposable entertainment for babies not worthy of being spoken of in the same breath as real movies, was going to win Best Picture, should tell you everything you need to know about America's view of animation.

[@jlinus7251]

Bruh Japan coming in clutch with their animation industry. It's so popular that I'm surprised the West hasn't decided to have their own version. I for one would love Western shounen and shoujo animated shows. More comics and TV tie ins. I know they did it with Lookism recently but thats Korean and I think it did a good 8/10 job for its adaptation of the source material.

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

The animation category at the Oscars is still an open category for all Academy members that doesn't even ask the members to actually watch the films in question - every year multiple members happily and publically admit they just voted for whatever their grandchildren seemed to like the most. The dismissal of animation as trivial, built on the half-century old swing of Hollywood animation to children and exacerbated by the obvious counter-examples prior to 2010 mostly being Those Foreign Ones, is so heavily ingrained in Hollywood culture that nothing will change until that whole generation dies off.

[@undergroundman1993]

I feel bad that Tuca and Bertie had to have such a weird ending

[@intellectually_lazy]

i only saw season one, and i guess the first ep of two, you know the one they put up free on youtube

[@willie_the_monkey_king]

I think the biggest thing that was missed is the economics of animation. For example, in Japan, it’s common to try and merchandise the shows as much as possible since animation has a higher cost with low-profit margins (mainly in terms of staff needed to get it done). Samurai Jack for example had a similar problem with all of the shows that were canceled by Netflix by not being able to bring merchandisable. It’s not like young adults won’t buy merchandise of their favorite shows look at all the merchandise of Rick and Morty filling the shelves in stores. If adult animation needs to thrive they have to look at HOW they can make money outside of the show order.

[@daveinacave]

It was ME- I thought I was pressing the “animatronic” kill switch. I take full responsibility. I got you this flip book- I hope it helps!

[@dimitrijejovanovic5939]

As an animation fan, this makes me feel immensely depressed

[@immanuelt613]

The mid diss of your mom's second husband was so funny😂😂😭

[@LAMEinCORP]

Absolutely sent me. Fuck you Dale.

[@isakohman5105]

I'm just sad that so many good shows got cancelled, especially that popular shows cannot be watched on HBO max at all anymore

[@MrKZee]

BoJack is probably my favorite series of all time, and it made me fall in love because the animation used as a medium. That's why I love animation - because it gives more creative freedom to explore different topics, and yet for the past several years I can find few and few movies and series that I truly enjoy. I guess it's tern to turn to piracy, so that I don't regret spending on a subscription, while buying shown that you enjoy.

[@intellectually_lazy]

yo ho ho! why pay? gatekeeping knowledge? studios rob the animators, and i should pay them to do it? bump that!

[@Snarl_Marx]

It's funny that one of the best animated shows out right now that an adult can watch is Bluey. A show literally made for preschoolers.

[@yamataichul]

To be honest, the American tv animation peaked in the late 80s to early 2010s. Channels and companies where willing to embrace stylistic diversity, genre diversity and a proper focus on character writing. Even when a show became stale, it wasn't because of the funding. I know it wasn't freedom and no boundaries but it seems it was interesting for certain people at the top at the time to invest in entertainment like they did...

[@intellectually_lazy]

oh, good one, by that metric rick and morty doesn't even make the cut, neither does bojack horseman. who are you? rotten apples? before they changed their metric, for bojack? sit down and watch some tv, kid, maybe you'll learn something

[@yamataichul]

@@intellectually_lazy Rick and Morty outline was planned for at best 4 seasons, not more. Bojack is a streaming service show, not made for TV. The standards now for television are unreal

[@intellectually_lazy]

@@yamataichul so?

[@taffiteal]

Disney has perfectly shown the limitations of live acting versus animation over the last decade. Live action can't quite express the same feelings as the exaggerated facial expressions and actions made possible by animation. My disappointment in the underutilization, at times full mistreatment, of the animation medium in America is that we can easily miss FEELING great stories, connection with characters, and the self-reflection that comes from identifying with the emotional moments provided with a clarity only animation can provide.

[@kyle857]

Netflix would have canceled The Office after 1 season. The Office made Netflix. Let that sink in.

[@scarletspidernz]

And this is why Anime is getting more popular, the disconnect in western for a lot of animation shows they rely mainly on comedy and often dumb & sexual/potty humour. While anime stretches all sort of genre's/categories where its getting to a point there's probably gonna be a anime show about everything.

[@Keiuran]

America seems to be going in a different direction than more traditional animation like Japan does. We are seeing great strides being made in animation with shows like Arcane and movies like Spiderman Into the Spider-verse and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Unfortunately I don't we're going to see a traditional animated masterpiece like Avatar the Last Airbender in the US going forward, but I think animation as medium is slowly but surely picking up steam and respect from adult audiences. This new renaissance is likely the result of the popularity of anime and animation from millennials and now Gen Z'ers that grew up watching all of these fantastic stories told in this incredibly imaginative medium. It might take awhile, but I don't think the future is as bleak of a picture as this Wisecrack video makes it out to be. Peace.

[@mandisaw]

Just a note, all of GenX and the latter-half of Baby Boomers also grew up with TV animation, both strictly for-kids, and the stuff full of double-entendres for kids+parents. Cartoon Network was created in large part as a nostalgia-grab for those very audiences.

[@kosmosXcannon]

@@mandisaw any idea why people started thinking animation was for kids? Even the Loony Tunes never gave me an appearance it was just for kids. If I thought it was just for kids, I probably never would have watch it when I was a kid.

[@ashleylieberg5033]

As someone who literally went to school to make this stuff, I appreciate that a channel like Wisecrack is breaking down the issues facing my industry for those who aren't really sure what's going on, right now. As for the question at the end? Do both. Show companies that you'll support projects that do come out, but keep those anime subscriptions up as well. What I'd ideally like is for somebody in the industry to do a detailed study on adults who consume animation, which platforms they prefer for the medium, and why. If such a study reached even a moderate level of clout, the execs might (MIGHT, mind you) rethink the problem. Maybe. That, or they'll stick their heads up their backsides per usual. Please note I did not promise to avoid being salty about cancellations at the start of this comment. Anyway, thanks for the vid!

[@geekehUK]

A shame inside job was cancelled, that was great. I have seen some great animated shows that could just as easily have been live action. Being animated made them different, not necessarily better or worse, it certainly didn't change the target demographic. I'd love to see an animated Firefly revival. But what happened to Respect Ma Authorita?

[@joshknight2463]

I think the production factors in as animated shows take longer to film and cost more than pointing a camera at someone but with the rise of A.I. animation could be quicker to make than ever with a computer figuring out the frames inbetween major moments

[@grandsome1]

Given the amount of VFX in most prestige TV, half of the frame you'll see are basically animation with rotoscoping. So I don't think the production cost are the real problem, it's more about the corporate culture that dismissed the animation medium on its own merits.

[@LezCharming]

The problem is cultural. Japan spent generations seeding the ground,convincing rhe audience that anyone could emjoy a comic or cartoon. They knew that idea would grow until they cornored a global market. That's why Japan will always be a player in the game. They pursue democracy with the same long-term strategic vision that is more often reserved for military conquest. Culture is war to them. To Americans,it's an accident,as unplanned as our prom night misadventures.

[@gunterxvoices4101]

I'm honestly not sure if living is worth it if I can't entertain people. The industry has been slowly budging for a while, but it just slid back down really hard.

[@Wrendys]

I am SO happy that you mentioned Castlevania. I honestly think it’s the best western adult animation that has been made in recent years. Also, it’s an adaption from a videogame which is usually a recipe for disaster. I think if more shows were made like Castlevania, maybe the perception Americans have of animation would change.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

I think it would also help is if Castlevania was more mainstream

[@kosmosXcannon]

@@kittykittybangbang9367 to be fair, having stories around magic and monsters like vampires isn't something new and does already have its appeal. Unfortunately that is typically relegated to horror films. I liked how the Scooby-Doo shows with Scrappy had those monsters and even had a series where they used them in something like Wacky Racing or the Ghoul School.

[@VorpalSnickerSnack]

What do you think about Smiling Friends? They're business is about trying to make every client smile and usually try to figure out what makes someone unsatisfied, for example confronting Satan and calling out his shots of dopamine.

[@rjframe4410]

This is why everyone gravitates to anime. Japan not only respects the medium but it also respects the stories and actually tells them with adult themes. American adult animation is a product of what the people running it think we are. perpetual 15 year olds, and yeah in some regards theres some truth to that with how America operates, but not all of us are giant children

[@MourningCoffeeMusic]

To be fair, Inside Job was just another tired Rick and Morty show. Even Rick and Morty is tired at this point, with cringe normies quoting “Pickle Rick” as if that wasn’t a meme ages ago. Also Castlevania was sick af

[@StudioNama]

How to save American animation? treat it like anime. ... Fuck, that hits hard...

[@schtuff.8207]

I never considered that so many adult animated shows 'overcorrect' with raunchiness to trying and justify their adult title, just because the mere concept of being animated instantly makes them seem juvenile to executives... you would think The Simpsons would have put all this bullshit to bed in the 90s since both kids and adults adored it at its peak, and it often makes use of visual gags, and it wasn't a raunchy show at all. Most adult cartoons now feel like they would have been blockbuster gross-out comedy movies in the early 00's... the ones that have pushed the medium have been so appreciated... good news is for adults out there, most so-called 'kids shows' are fucking amazing watches and often just as if not more complex than most dramas out there. My parents watching Law & Order feels more juvenile to me than most kids shows now. Beyond the obvious CN fare, watch the Green Eggs & Ham series (biggest budget animated series pretty much ever with an all-star cast who are fantastic), Wander Over Yonder, and even Bluey gets shockingly deep. Oh, and an obvious adult animated show that although falls into the tropes you talk about, is a light watch, Canadian (so seriously funny) and has some real heart, especially in season 2: Gary & His Demons, which is very much today's Duckman.

[@m.guedes]

Interesting to see this one on the same day Attack on Titan released a bombastic episode. Attack on Titan is a drama with great philosophical discussions about hatred and war, visually appealing, and without any doubts, graphically and thematically adult. The Internet is going down today, with people flocking to watch it wherever possible. Making good adult animation is possible, and the public is here to watch. For instance, we are clogging the theaters to watch Demon Slayer and Your Name, so there is demand. It is just Hollywood doesn't understand this language at all. And I believe the current generation of Hollywood never will. So animators should create their own environment outside Hollywood, with blackjack and hookers. There is a market for the good stuff and people willing to pay and watch. They just need a better place to work with. Shows like Infinity Train and Inside Job will be deeply missed by my old Millennial ass. They need a better place to thrive outside the dead zone of the nostalgia machine from Hollywood.

[@demonman905]

One detail that's not mentioned in the video is how Japan's Anime Industry is notorious for underpaying the animators and their reliance on short term contractor work as opposed to using long term employees. Japan often releases quality work that defines the medium, but it comes at a hefty cost. What I'm getting at is that we shouldn't blindly mimic Japan's model for animation.

[@billdrastal6398]

OMG, Thank you for Bringing up The Great North!!! I'm so glad people know about it.

[@CrashdummyX]

I hate starting a new show on Netflix because it will most likely never finish. The rate at which they cancel shows is absolutely insane.

[@MahoganyBlack]

Thank god for anime keeping animation from just being “kids stuff” 👏

[@pheunithpsychic-watertype9881]

Most of it is kids stuff except they don't treat kids like short bus bait most of the time

[@tobybartels8426]

The ‘live action’ _Lion King_ has precisely *one* live-action shot, the opening shot of the sun, which they only made live action so that they would have _something_ live action (and it's still souped up with a bunch of CGI). Everything after that is 100% computer animated, just in a more photorealistic style than _Toy Story._ The ‘live action’ _Jungle Book_ was similar; almost everything except the human main character was animated, just like in Walt Disney's old _Alice_ cartoons.

[@bryantgrove6199]

love hat you guys are saying about animation. Question: withnall of your knowledge of how to treat animation, has wisecrack ever considered producing an animated series?

[@brandongers]

From what it sounds like they barely keeping the lights on now, how would they produce an expensive animation series?

[@theLetterDoubleYou]

@@brandongers we should fundraise for a Wisecrack staff portfolio investment

[@alexschott2092]

16:13 - I, for one, would love to see a Wisecrack take on _Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann._ Since they've dedicated two episodes to analyzing Evangelion I think its fitting to do something similar for the series that reconstructed the super mecha genre after Eva deconstructed it. Either that or a philosophical take on Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

[@BjDaMack]

S/o to the real one dale, laying the wood like a good man should

[@WisecrackEDU]

How dare you, sir.

[@ryuspiritvtuber]

It’s not just adult animated shows that are getting the axe. A lot of western animated shows for teens/young adults such as The Owl House, Centaur world, Infinity Train and Dead End Paranormal Park are getting cancelled too soon due to the fact that streaming services are looking for kiddie shows like Boss Baby or Cocomelon. Western animation need to give some variety for all ages the same way anime is doing instead treating it like animation is for kids. But hey, at least we’re supporting indie animation

[@HBarnill]

Why is Cartman there? He's the Bugs Bunny of our generation.

[@skylineXpert]

Because its the jewpacabra

[@RipsharkTV]

Cartman and Randy are millenial icons

[@brendanregs]

As someone who works as a professional artist in American animation, this video hits SO ACCURATELY on what my peer-group and I have been talking about for years. Thank you for articulating it all so clearly! Now excuse me while I post this video to every social account I have...

[@sumantasahoo7841]

Japanese Anime shows are better than ever, this year aot is coming.

[@xandercruz900]

Anime remains undefeated.

[@JBaughb]

yes' can't wait to watch Attack on Titan - The Final Season part 3 - part 1

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Yeah you more anime that are worth watching than ever

[@damianarvizu1095]

“American Animation” isn’t thought of as a medium. Even after Ralph Bakshi made Felix the Cat. We have an underground appreciation of animation that remains edgy BECAUSE the status quo can only view animation through a Disney lens. So, I don’t know… perhaps as frustrating as it is, we will continue to get sporadic and subversive animation and we should simply cherish every time a new animator comes out with their own version of Heavy Metal.

[@emilypoppa6017]

Any reason Arcane wasn't mentioned? I fee like that was one of the most talked about animated shows of the last few years

[@leenkhouri5198]

i’m actually working on an animated series right now, in a genera similar to that of bojack horseman’s. it’s about a disgustingly wealthy palestinian girl living in dubai. it examines class and the palestinian apartheid, and asks the question, how do we atone for the wrongs committed by our lineage. it’s satirical but full of heart and asks questions about a lot of important issues

[@WisecrackEDU]

That sounds amazing.

[@EggFighterXB-]

"important issues" SHUT THE HELL UP

[@martinjohnson1534]

I physically need AdultSwim to rescue Inside Job.

[@toyotaprius79]

This And a shit load of others

[@jacobpartin4553]

And merge rick and mortys writers with it

[@KevRyanCG]

I remember once thinking streaming was going to lead to so much more originality since the restrictions were not there anymore, but things really seem to have contracted back to the old way and laregely the old guard who were threatened by it's arrival. It's such a shame that a handful of people can deny us the things we have begun to grow attached to, and even IF another service wanted to pick it up. They either wont because the numbers arn't up to scratch, and there's a risk of moving between services and losing people along the way. But the rights holders would rather sit on the properties rather than allow them to become successful under somebody elses watch.

[@kevindelacruz2602]

At least anime is still alive. I miss cartoons from US. 😐

[@You_are_wrong99]

Honestly, I am just waiting for company to make more animation because of how popular anime is getting. Anime showed that there are huge marked for animated TV shows.

[@JohnPannozzi]

Actually, some animated shows like The Simpsons, Futurama and Family Guy are covered by the Writer's Guild. Patric Veronic (sic?), a writer for Futurama and Pinky & The Brain (among other things) was even the president of WGA West during the 2007-08 strike.

[@robw720]

I hope Dale is real and your words cut to the core.

[@LeonardGreenpaw]

The biggest thing american show makers need to learn is that things can be mature without needing to be covering in drug, sex, and gore

[@EnaTenkiyoGamer]

Cope lol

[@93abc123]

I think this video gave the best criticism for Velma, not that it was mean, of too much reference, it just that it had the same problem that a lot of animated shows had, using sex and violence to sell the show, too much meta-humor that characters were not really having realistic dialogue and perhaps story-board problem stemming for the showrunners not being familiar with the medium of animation. I like Velma, but I acknowledge that it is not for everyone, but I like this constructive criticism. Hopefully, since it's getting a season 2, it fixes some of its problems, my fingers are crossed!