Is Thundercats anime?

[fireinthedust]

As a sort of side project on the back burner, I'm thinking about converting Thundercats' setting to an RPG, likely d20 but maybe not.

Anyway, my question is: does the Thundercats cartoon series count as Anime?

I know traditional anime involves androgenous males with ruffled collars, too-big swords and half-demon heritage, so it wouldn't seem to fit.

However, the animation was done I believe in Asia, and follows certain of that eras (1980s) anime conventions in terms of art style.

If it is anime, I might want to do BESMd20 or Tri-stat.

If not... True20? I was thinking that'd be a good place to start anyway. it's fairly loose.

 

[pawsplay]

As a sort of side project on the back burner, I'm thinking about converting Thundercats' setting to an RPG, likely d20 but maybe not.

Anyway, my question is: does the Thundercats cartoon series count as Anime?

It's animation and it's Japanese-produced. That's usually good enough for me.

I know traditional anime involves androgenous males with ruffled collars, too-big swords and half-demon heritage, so it wouldn't seem to fit.

Well, it has androgynous males with "metal hair," too-big swords, and demonic mummies, so I think you're covered.

 

[Zhaleskra]

Anime is short version of the loan word animeshion "animation". So, despite having previously being under the impression that "anime" meant Japanese, I don't see why not.

 

[Asmor]

I know traditional anime involves androgenous males with ruffled collars, too-big swords and half-demon heritage, so it wouldn't seem to fit.

You seem to be confusing Final Fantasy with anime (which, I suppose, is understandable... It certainly has more in common with animation than with games).

That said, I wouldn't call Thundercats anime strictly because it wasn't made for a Japanese audience (as far as I know). I would, however, call it anime-ish.

I was struck a few years back when I got the Transformers movie on DVD and realized just how much that series feels like anime.

 

[Henry]

It is what you say it is, for purpose of making a game for personal use. I've heard of people using AD&D, True20, Savage Worlds, and WEG D6 systems for it -- heck, I did an AD&D conversion myself of some of the characters from it when I was maybe 15 or 16 years old?

 

[Glade Riven]

No more or less than that old Hobbit cartoon or Return of the King cartoon. Same studio did both. The character designs appear based off of the costumes for the broadway play "Cats." The designs are far more Western based than what people would consider "anime," and it doesn't follow the japanese cultural conventions usually found in anime (exept haichiman, but he was Japanese). At least some of the writers were roleplayers, though.

Stylistically, both in designs and method of storytelling, I would say no. The new Thundercats show, though, looks to be heavily influenced by Japanese "Epic Fantasy Cybersteampunk" with a dash of seasoning of Stargate. That's just going by the trailers, though.

Nowadays - American animation, Japanese animation, all made in Taiwan. Or South Korea.

On a side note, Transformers and GI Joe were produced East-Meets-West style - Hasbro (the american toy company) contracted Sunrise (a japanese animation company) to make it. So technically both are anime...sort of. There was quite a bit of American input. American 'toons today are usually produced the same way - the main company does all the planning, script writing, storyboards, etc - and the gruntwork is outsourced to Asia because creating animation is a long, tedious, and boring process.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I am pretty sure it was made by an american company (I could be wrong though). But it definitely had a lot of anime-like elements to it. I say regardless of whether its anime or not, design it with the system you think will work best. Personally I think BESM is just fine for TC.

Someone may have already mentioned this but cartoon network is doing a new Thundercats series this year.

 

[GreyLord]

Many call Thundercats (along with the Hobbit, The Return of the King, the Last Unicorn) the first Anime cartoons.

Anime existed, as in the Japanese cartoons produced during that time, and the company behind the above movies/series were NOT Japanese, but the stylistic changes they brought to the industry (Japanese...go figure) set the standard for other anime series that came later (not ALL...but the influence can be seen later). In addition many of the animators, producers and heads of departments and sub-companies as well as contracted companies were Japanese.

Many of the people who worked for the studio later made other animations that are full fledged Anime in any sense of the word, no one would bat an eyelash or questions whether they were anime or not.

Grave of the Fireflies
Kiki's delivery service
Princess Mononoke

etc.

 

[Leatherhead]

Well, it has androgynous males with "metal hair," too-big swords, and demonic mummies, so I think you're covered.

Maybe the new cartoon does, but the old cartoon had the like two body types for men, fat and beefcake.

Even the mummy had a beefcake build, seriously.

 

[Thunderfoot]

The original --- no, furry maybe, but not anime.

The new one -- big eyes, crappy dialogue, funny looking drawing - yep, it qualifies.