Originally published in Portuguese on December 5, 2024. Read the original.
Confining animation to its two main Oscar categories — Best Animated Feature and Best Animated Short Film — is intriguing, to say the least. Why is such a vast and multifaceted medium, capable of complex narratives, unique visual worlds and deep emotions, so limited within one of the biggest film awards in the world? (Even if it is an American award.) This reflects a history of prejudice and cultural perception, especially in the West, where animation is still widely seen as a genre for children or families rather than an art form as valid as live-action cinema.
Since the Best Animated Feature category was created in 2002 — and first won by Shrek — the Western industry has reinforced the idea that animated films should compete separately. This built a symbolic wall between animation and the main categories, such as Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Although films like Up (2009) and Toy Story 3 (2010) partially broke that wall with Best Picture nominations, they are exceptions. The lack of broader representation suggests that, for the Academy, animation is not “serious” or “adult” enough to compete with live action, even when it delivers equally sophisticated stories.
The prejudice behind treating animation as a secondary medium also reflects prevailing cultural attitudes in the West, where cartoons are often associated with children’s entertainment. In Japan, on the other hand, animation is recognized as a production style that can address any genre or audience — a stark contrast to the Western view that animation must be kept in its own box. This raises a fundamental question: how did the West and the East develop such different perceptions of animation? To understand the gap, we need to look at the cultural and historical roots of each region.
The West and animation as a children’s genre
In the West, animation is frequently associated with productions for children. This perception has historical roots. Walt Disney, one of the pioneers of Western animation, set standards that defined animation as a way of telling magical, charming stories for kids. Films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Cinderella (1950) cemented the idea that animated films should be whimsical, optimistic and suitable for the whole family.
Beyond Disney, studios such as Warner Bros., with the Looney Tunes, and Hanna-Barbera, with series like The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, also helped shape animation as family entertainment. Even shows aimed at teenagers and adults, like The Simpsons or South Park, often rely on satirical humor and comedy to break away from the “kids’ stuff” label.
Limiting animation to a “children’s genre” in the West also reflects the cultural stigma that cartoons are inferior to live-action entertainment. Animated films for adults, such as Fritz the Cat (1972) and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999), are rare and often seen as subversive or niche rather than mainstream. Even acclaimed works like Persepolis (2007) and Anomalisa (2015), which deal with complex, mature themes, struggle to reach wide audiences because of this prejudice.
The East and animation as a production style
In the East, especially in Japan, animation is seen in a completely different way. There, the word “anime” describes any form of animation, regardless of style or target audience. Anime is an integral part of Japanese culture, covering a wide range of genres — from fantasy and science fiction to psychological drama and adult romance.
Anime is not limited to one age group or a single narrative style. Works like Akira (1988) and Ghost in the Shell (1995) are complex films that explore philosophical and technological themes, while My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and Your Name (2016) have a more emotional appeal that speaks to all ages. In Japan, there is a broad social acceptance that animation can be made and enjoyed by anyone, at any stage of life.
One of the things that sets anime apart from Western animation is its focus on storytelling. In Japan, animation is often used to tell deep, powerful stories, frequently adapted from manga, novels or original scripts. The flexibility of the medium lets creators experiment with visual, narrative and thematic styles, resulting in works like Neon Genesis Evangelion, which mixes giant mechs with complex psychological exploration, or Attack on Titan, which combines action with ethical and political questions.
Differences in production and consumption
Seeing animation as a genre or as a style also affects how productions are made and consumed. In the West, major studios like Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks dominate the animation market, focusing on big budgets and family appeal. These films usually follow established formulas built on simple narratives, colorful visuals and optimistic messages, as seen in Toy Story or Frozen.
Japan’s animation industry, by contrast, is extremely diverse. Beyond big studios like Studio Ghibli, Toei Animation and Madhouse, countless smaller studios produce TV anime, OVAs (Original Video Animations) and feature films. This diversity makes room for artistic experimentation, from large-scale productions like Spirited Away to experimental, independent projects like Mind Game (2004).
Japanese audiences also consume animation differently. While adult animation is the exception in the West, it is common in Japan. Series like Death Note, Monster and Psycho-Pass tackle mature, complex themes and are hugely popular. Market segmentation also allows anime to be made for specific audiences: children (Doraemon), teenagers (Naruto, My Hero Academia) and adults (Vinland Saga, Berserk).
Cultural impact and globalization
The difference in how the West and the East see animation also has cultural and global implications. In the West, Japanese animation initially faced prejudice and was often edited or censored to fit Western cultural standards. With the arrival of the internet and streaming platforms such as Crunchyroll and Netflix, however, anime became popular worldwide. Series like Dragon Ball, One Piece and Attack on Titan turned into global phenomena, helping redefine how the West sees animation.
Even so, full acceptance of animation as a medium for every audience is still a challenge in the West. While works like Arcane and Castlevania, influenced by Eastern animation, show progress, the cultural stigma remains.
In Japan, on the other hand, Western animation is consumed less, although Disney and Pixar films are well received. This reflects a preference for local narratives and aesthetics. Still, collaborations between East and West — such as Japanese studios working on Star Wars: Visions — point to a promising path for blending styles.
Just some reflections, no grand proposal 😀
As an art form, animation has unlimited potential, but how it is perceived varies widely between the West and the East. In the West, it still fights to be recognized as a medium for mature and diverse stories, while in the East — especially in Japan — it is widely accepted as a versatile tool for exploring all kinds of themes and genres.
As globalization brings cultures closer, the line between these views may blur. Still, cultural roots and traditions keep shaping how animation is seen, made and consumed. My princess dream is still to see how the internet will change this: the day digital animation workers recognize themselves as part of their country’s cultural and artistic class, so we can start organizing and taking political action.
