The Decline of superhero cartoons and animation

[Zauriel]

But a great solution would be japanese companies making DC anime since their anime genre formulas are so saturated now, there are countless school anime titles, idol anime titles, and they are all basically the same. DC characters and history would give them a large library of material to work with.

Add Isekai (Parallel World) anime to the list. Isekai has become the new anime trend. There's a lot of isekai anime.

Inuyashu
Those Who Hunt Elves (Erufu wo Karu Mono-tachi)
The Familiar of Zero (Zero no Tsukaima)
Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World!
Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri (Gate: Thus the Japanese Self-Defense Force Fought There)
Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious
Saga of Tanya the Evil
Overlord

[GamerSlyRatchet]

Or compare TTG! to Justice League Action...

It's a shame that JLA tried its best to appeal to Cartoon Network's preferences and it was still treated the way it was.

And yes, something happened after JLU. Suddenly, DC tv animation shifted from focusing on lore to become popcorn entertainment, probably to reach a larger audience.

That's a bit unfair to all the DC cartoons that continue to prioritize lore and serious storytelling after JLU, especially during the early 2010s.

[PCN24454]

Add Isekai (Parallel World) anime to the list. Isekai has become the new anime trend. There's a lot of isekai anime.

Inuyashu
Those Who Hunt Elves (Erufu wo Karu Mono-tachi)
The Familiar of Zero (Zero no Tsukaima)
Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World
KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World!
Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri (Gate: Thus the Japanese Self-Defense Force Fought There)
Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious
Saga of Tanya the Evil
Overlord

Don't forget the MMORPG anime craze.

Sword Art Online
Konosuba
Boufuri

[Amadeus Arkham]

This vid talks about animation and what’s commonly misunderstood about the medium, and touches upon its strengths over live-action.


Pretty tangential to the thread topic but it does examine animation’s role in entertainment as a medium separate from live-action. Those are somewhat germane to the thread topic at hand about the decline of serious animation, and how the reasons behind that being antiquated notion that “animation is for kids.”

[PCN24454]

This vid talks about animation and what’s commonly misunderstood about the medium, and touches upon its strengths over live-action.


Pretty tangential to the thread topic but it does examine animation’s role in entertainment as a medium separate from live-action. Those are somewhat germane to the thread topic at hand about the decline of serious animation, and how the reasons behind that being antiquated notion that “animation is for kids.”

This video made me remember the "Supernatural" anime. It was amazing to see Sam's powers actually be powerful. You can't really do that with Live-Action.

[Mistah K88]

Young Justice is a good show but I wish the animation looked better.

Late to answer to this, but when it comes to animation you have to either go with a simplified stylization (i.e. Bruce Timm designs, Spectacular Spider-Man, Avengers EMH, etc) to animate well, or have a more detailed style and the characters don't move as often as it is easier to get off model.

[ChrisIII]

Didn't Neon Genesis Evangelion air in TMNT's old timeslot in Japan?

[Zero Hunter]

I am really hoping that Marvel can get back on track now that Jeph "cartoons are for kids and should be aimed at 5 year olds" Loeb is gone. He was the driving force behind the dumbing down of all Marvel animation since Earths Mightest Heroes was cancelled and retooled as dumbed down MCU Avengers cartoons.

[Frontier]

Late to answer to this, but when it comes to animation you have to either go with a simplified stylization (i.e. Bruce Timm designs, Spectacular Spider-Man, Avengers EMH, etc) to animate well, or have a more detailed style and the characters don't move as often as it is easier to get off model.

It also depends on the level of budget and time given to the animators. I think that effected the quality of animation in Young Justice: Outsiders compared to the first two seasons.

I am really hoping that Marvel can get back on track now that Jeph "cartoons are for kids and should be aimed at 5 year olds" Loeb is gone. He was the driving force behind the dumbing down of all Marvel animation since Earths Mightest Heroes was cancelled and retooled as dumbed down MCU Avengers cartoons.

I'm worried that the cartoons are still going to just be MCU tie-in's with Feige running everything now.

[Vakanai]

Late to answer to this, but when it comes to animation you have to either go with a simplified stylization (i.e. Bruce Timm designs, Spectacular Spider-Man, Avengers EMH, etc) to animate well, or have a more detailed style and the characters don't move as often as it is easier to get off model.

Or have a decent budget. The first two seasons had both detailed character style and great animation - the new season had less money because of both being on a smaller streaming service and more episodes made.

[Vakanai]

I am really hoping that Marvel can get back on track now that Jeph "cartoons are for kids and should be aimed at 5 year olds" Loeb is gone. He was the driving force behind the dumbing down of all Marvel animation since Earths Mightest Heroes was cancelled and retooled as dumbed down MCU Avengers cartoons.

Oh god, Jeph was responsible for making the cartoons dumbed down trash? Glad he's gone now then.

[PCN24454]

I am really hoping that Marvel can get back on track now that Jeph "cartoons are for kids and should be aimed at 5 year olds" Loeb is gone. He was the driving force behind the dumbing down of all Marvel animation since Earths Mightest Heroes was cancelled and retooled as dumbed down MCU Avengers cartoons.

To be fair, he's hardly the only person that had that belief.

[GamerSlyRatchet]

To be fair, he's hardly the only person that had that belief.

Yeah, I remember those infamous Man of Action videos where they shared that basic belief. Their works pretty much demonstrate that, from Ultimate Spider-Man to Avengers Assemble. Mega Man: Fully Charged was probably their worst offense, and if the sequel comic is any indication, they dumbed down any ideas the writers had for that series.

[green_garnish]

Had there been good superhero animation since 1940s Superman?

[Huntsman Spider]

Had there been good superhero animation since 1940s Superman?

The entirety of the DCAU (DC Animated Universe) by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, stretching from Batman: The Animated Series in 1992 to Superman: The Animated Series in 1996 to Batman Beyond in 1999 to Justice League in 2001 (which became Justice League Unlimited in 2004), along with Static Shock (which wasn't DCAU at first, but incorporated into it later with guest appearances from Batman, Superman, and the Justice League in the second through fourth seasons) and The Zeta Project (spun off from Batman Beyond). Outside that, in the 2000s and onward, we had Teen Titans, Legion of Super-Heroes, The Batman (which did improve as it went on), Green Lantern: The Animated Series (shame it only lasted one season), and Young Justice.

On the Marvel side, there were the 90s X-Men and Spider-Man cartoons, followed by the second seasons of the 90s Iron Man and Fantastic Four cartoons, and the first season of the 90s Incredible Hulk cartoon, as well as the 90s Silver Surfer cartoon. Then in the 2000s, we had X-Men: Evolution, Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Iron Man: Armored Adventures . . . and even in the early 2010s, there was The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

And of course . . . outside both Marvel and DC . . . Spawn on HBO!