Anime has a rich history that dates back several decades, while Disney has been around even longer. Despite their differences across many aspects, anime continues to have a significant influence on numerous animated productions today. Additionally, modern anime has also been influenced by classic Disney animations from the past.
How Disney Influenced Anime
The existence of anime today can be largely attributed to the efforts of Osamu Tezuka. He is responsible for many pioneering techniques in anime that are still used today, such as the unique character designs. During his youth, Tezuka often watched classic Disney films and cartoons, striving to recreate them in his own distinctive style. As a result, many character designs in anime have drawn inspiration from figures like Betty Boop and Mickey Mouse.
Anime’s Influence on Disney and Other Studios
Many artists and animators today view anime as a major source of inspiration, especially works by Hayao Miyazaki. To this day, Miyazaki remains the only Japanese animator to have won an Oscar for the “Best Animated Feature” category with his film “Spirited Away”. He is also one of the founding members of Studio Ghibli, where he created many renowned anime masterpieces across the globe.
Miyazaki is known for certain characteristics that can be seen in many of his films, and other animated works often emulate these traits. For instance, one of his trademarks is the use of flying scenes, as seen in “Kiki’s Delivery Service” featuring a young witch flying around, “Howl’s Moving Castle” with an airborne battle, and “My Neighbor Totoro” which showcases a large cat-like creature that can fly with an umbrella.
Western animated films like “The Rescuers Down Under”, Pixar’s “Up”, and Dreamworks’ “How to Train Your Dragon” all show clear influences from Miyazaki. Each of these films features distinct ways of creating aerial scenes, like the house in “Up”, dragons in “How to Train Your Dragon”, and characters traveling to Australia on a giant bird in “The Rescuers Down Under”.
Another hallmark of Miyazaki’s work is his portrayal of characters as morally complex individuals. In his films, there are no purely “good” or “evil” characters; instead, everyone has their own flaws. For example, in “Princess Mononoke”, the antagonist Eboshi destroys the forest and kills animals for iron mining, yet she is also the one who provides for marginalized communities, allowing them to survive and thrive.
Many contemporary animated films have adopted this nuanced approach. In “Monsters, Inc.”, Waternoose is viewed as the main villain for wanting to capture children and harvest their screams. However, we must consider this situation from Waternoose’s perspective; he is leading a company struggling to maintain energy supplies in a frightening world. At this point, the children are also not able to provide the necessary screams, forcing him to think of new ways to gather energy. Waternoose’s actions are not simply evil but stem from necessity.
How Anime Influences Modern Western Animation
The influence of anime is not only apparent in major animation studios but also in smaller productions and television series. Three series that exemplify this influence are “Dexter’s Laboratory”, “Teen Titans”, and “The Powerpuff Girls”.
In “Dexter’s Laboratory”, the anime influence is evident in Dexter’s creation of giant robots to fight kaiju-style monsters (notably reminiscent of anime like “Neon Genesis Evangelion”) or to assist in various tasks. Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of “Dexter’s Laboratory”, also created the series “Samurai Jack”, showcasing many elements influenced by anime.
“Teen Titans” is another clear example of Western animation embracing anime style. Instead of adhering to traditional comic book character designs, the characters are animated in a more dynamic style typical of anime, with features like exaggerated facial expressions and sometimes adopting the popular “chibi” form to enhance humor. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is another notable series that incorporates anime elements and has garnered a strong fanbase that considers it a true anime.
Today, the influence of anime continues to grow as we see more Western animated series and comics adapting specific anime styles, such as “Powerpuff Girls Z”, “X-Men”, and “Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers”…
By Creators
