As Japanese anime is increasingly coming into American mainstream

consciousness, it is interesting to note the differences between American

and Japanese animation styles. From the standard that Walt Disney
started and largely still upholds, the goal of animation was to imitate
life; animated characters would possess naturalness in their movements
as well as a rich myriad of facial expressions, of which Disney is still the
master.
In contrast, Japanese anime characters across the board tend to follow
the same template and look similar, with the drama set more in the story
rather than in a characters facial expressiveness. The settings of anime
are usually quite epic as well, but even if they are set in current-day
Tokyo, the backdrops are usually painted with stunning beauty.
Incidentally, the last example from Disney of painted backdrops was
in Lilo and Stitch in 2002, which brings up the next difference in style
between east and west.

While American animation has largely gone the way of 3D, with even
Disney closing its 2D animation studio a few years back, Japanese
animators have been choosing to meld CG with traditional 2D, usually to
enhance the 2D world they have created, such as the CG castle in
Miyazakis Howls Moving Castle, accenting its beautiful painterly feel
with a touch of CG detail. As a main animator of Disneys 2010
hitTangled astutely commented, what one gains in detail with 3D, one
loses in the elegance of 2D. As Rapunzels kingdom in Tangled was
modeled after the elegant lines and curves of the old Disney
classicCinderella, perhaps American animation studios could begin to
explore 2D/3D blends in their future films.
Japanese anime tends to be more diverse than American
animation since it reaches not only children but older ones as well.
Saying as that the case the story does not necessarily follow the typical
heros journey like the American animation.
That set aside both anime and American animation can be blended
together. The cartoon Avatar: The Last animated series in America quite
deftly meld American expressiveness and humor with Japanese anime
elements in both their animation as well as the depth of their stories.
The episodes deal with love, betrayal and loss with a gentle touch for
young (and older) viewers to be able to accept and learn from. The
series is as good as any dramatic feature film, whether animated or live-
action. Perhaps more such cross-cultural animated blends are to come.

The stories told through Japanese anime also tend to be more diverse,
as anime reaches not only children but an older demographic and thus is
not restricted to family-friendly tales. Anime oftentimes delves into the
darker areas of the human condition and addresses them in graphic
detail, and the stories do not necessarily follow the archetype of the
heros journey. Pixars Pete Docter, director of Monsters, Inc.,
commented on his visit to Studio Ghibli, the stomping grounds of Hayao
Miyazaki, famed director of the Oscar-winning Spirited Away, that stories
were spun out through a more organic and intuitive process than the 5
points of logic that Pixar tends to follow.