It's not American anymore

[jackfaire]

Self hatred of American art forms is so strong that now Teen Titans is drawn in the style of Anime and the theme song is sung in Japanese.

Uhm what?!? The art style I can kind of understand but why is the theme song for an American show created in America and being aired for American kids sung in a language the kids watching the Cartoon cannot understand?

Sorry my daughter is watching it and it drives me nuts.

[Andara Bledin]

Well, reading over the wiki entry, it appears that Andrea Romano reveals in a season 3 easter egg that whether the theme is English or Japanese actually means something.

An English theme means it's a serious episode, while a Japanese theme means it'll be a silly episode (with one exception).

^-.-^

[ChynaRose]

For most of the episodes that theme song actually is in English, and the English version was released on the PUFFY (formerly Puffy AmiYumi) cd that features that particular song.

To be honest, I think it has less to do with hating American art and more with the popularity of Anime, as well as the availability of PUFFY to do the theme.

[Gravekeeper]

Self hatred of American art forms is so strong that now Teen Titans is drawn in the style of Anime and the theme song is sung in Japanese.

That's one Hell of a leap. Seeing as the majority of domestic shows are still in unique western styles. Teen Titans is certainly anime influenced, but it is not anime. That aside, western animation has been influenced by Japan for decades. Seeing as Japan produces like 95% of the animation in the world. -.-

[HYHYBT]

I'm just surprised to find out they're still making Teen Titans. I'd thought it ended three or four years ago.

[Gravekeeper]

I'm just surprised to find out they're still making Teen Titans. I'd thought it ended three or four years ago.

It did. Just reruns.

[Hyena Dandy]

That's one Hell of a leap. Seeing as the majority of domestic shows are still in unique western styles. Teen Titans is certainly anime influenced, but it is not anime. That aside, western animation has been influenced by Japan for decades. Seeing as Japan produces like 95% of the animation in the world. -.-

I mean, it'snot a leap to say that there are people who hate American stuff and love Japanese stuff on the basis that it's Japanese. Those people exist. I know them. I went to highschool with them.

But I don't really think that has much to do with why Teen Titans would have chosen that art style.

[Gravekeeper]

I mean, it'snot a leap to say that there are people who hate American stuff and love Japanese stuff on the basis that it's Japanese.

That's not what the OP said though. -.-

[bainsidhe]

Never watched much of Teen Titans, so I'd never heard this. Speaking as someone who loves anime, having Teen Titans play their song in Japanese just seems....weird. Though I don't think it's so much America-hating as just a preference toward other elements. I'll be honest, I don't care much for US cartoons, because they generally lack story, substance, and often involve body humor. I tend to like "grown up" cartoons, and thus anime. Even kids anime can be very grown up and serious, at least when compared to it's US counterpart. *shrugs* Just a different flavor.

[Nekojin]

That's one Hell of a leap. Seeing as the majority of domestic shows are still in unique western styles. Teen Titans is certainly anime influenced, but it is not anime. That aside, western animation has been influenced by Japan for decades. Seeing as Japan produces like 95% of the animation in the world. -.-

The funny part is that it's all circular. Modern anime is heavily influenced by Osamu Tezuka's work (best known for Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion). Famous anime artists and directors such as Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service), Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball), and Kazuki Takahashi (Yu-Gi-Oh!) have cited Tezuka an inspiration for their works.

And it's circular because Osamu Tezuka himself was inspired by Carl Barks for his work on Donald Duck, as well as other works like Betty Boop.

It's all animation. Trying to segregate it by "eastern" or "western" style is futile and ludicrous. People will take their inspirations wherever they find them.

[jackfaire]

I mean, it'snot a leap to say that there are people who hate American stuff and love Japanese stuff on the basis that it's Japanese. Those people exist. I know them. I went to highschool with them.

But I don't really think that has much to do with why Teen Titans would have chosen that art style.

I think it has everything to do with it. I think they chose that style because they were pandering to the geek youth that more and more were chasing down anime and were openly hating on anything American.

I don't think the show hates America I think the show was pandering to an audience that talks about how much we suck. I went to college with lots of friends that I had to sigh and roll my eyes every time they talked about "lack of American Culture"

The show to me is a symptom of my generation idolizing other cultures while condemning our own.

[Rapscallion]

Interesting - how many American people openly dislike American culture? Is it a substantial number of people, or a small percentage that seems larger?

'Lack of American Culture' is interesting as a statement. Culture is effectively how you do things, and what you do. If you're living that life, you won't actually see it - you just do it instead. With the greener grass concept, a different way of doing things is going to seem more attractive.

Rapscallion

[Nekojin]

I think it has everything to do with it. I think they chose that style because they were pandering to the geek youth that more and more were chasing down anime and were openly hating on anything American.

I don't think the show hates America I think the show was pandering to an audience that talks about how much we suck. I went to college with lots of friends that I had to sigh and roll my eyes every time they talked about "lack of American Culture"

The show to me is a symptom of my generation idolizing other cultures while condemning our own.

When "American" animation is populated with shows with abysmal art and animation quality (such as Squidbillies, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and even South Park), is it any wonder that kids turn to anime for deeper fare with better animation? Shows with quality writing and animation like Batman: The Animated Series and Dexter's Lab have been the exception rather than the rule for over a decade. And while some shows have clever writing to offset the lack of animation quality (the aforementioned South Park, for example), often times it's coupled with extremely crude and low-brow humor. One of their recent series, Adventure Time, seems to delve into net memes and 4-chan-isms. Compare that against anime shows like Outlaw Star, Tenchi Muyo, and Evangelion, and is it any wonder that some kids choose to "go Japanese" exclusively?

Note that I'm a fan of animation, regardless of where it's from, but a LOT of what is created as a Cartoon Network "original" is utter crap, and traditional "saturday morning" fare, while skipping a lot of the crudity, still manages to be unentertaining junk.

Then again, consider Sturgeon's Law - 90% of everything is crap. The stuff that is translated from Japan can generally be considered as at least the upper tier of Japanese animation - we're getting somewhat of a "crap filter" in the process, while we're still getting the full impact of our own shows' crapitude.

[Bloodsoul]

Teen Titans is back on air (albeit in reruns) and nobody told me!? I could be missing the glory that is Bunny Raven growling angrily at Starfire!

Although if the show's artstyle is disliked, I s'pose they could try again with one based on the comics. I'm sure Starfire's original or present appearance will go over real well.

[jackfaire]

Interesting - how many American people openly dislike American culture? Is it a substantial number of people, or a small percentage that seems larger?

It's not a large number of people and tends to be restricted to "suburban geeks" Personally I tell them to read some Kerouac, Thompson or even take a road trip and get outside of their suburban insulation.

I think it has faded some as we have gotten older and the others have like me realized the suburbs aren't the only thing going on.