...of the DCAU movies. And yes, this one is looking like that too, if you've seen the seconds of actual footage included in that sneak preview. After so much building up of the original art for 10 minutes I was hoping it wouldn't be the case, but then BAM! Pseudoanime crap. Looking as cheapo as Year One did.
This is not my signature. This is IMDb's automatic translation of my signature.
Miller developed his style when he was created the Ronin limited series, showing a great deal of influence from manga artist Goseki Kojima (Lone Wolf and Cub). He further developed this style in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. The animation is just following Miller's lead.
"I will not hesitate to kill you, Dwarf!" - Legolas to Thorin Oakenshield
Yes, but even in the preview they admit they had to adapt Miller's style--which is heavily illustrative--to work for an animated feature.
Miller's Batman has the traditional "heroic proportions" replaced by a bulkier look. Superman sports an exaggerated version of the standard hero look.
It seems like in the process of translating Miller's work, they've eliminated the bulky look in favor of the traditional comic-book proportions.
"There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't make Batman movies like that."
I can't say how much Miller was influenced by anime, but I always thought his style was much more grounded in classical illustration. When I think of Batman coming out of the tank to fight the mutant leader, the last thing I think of is anime or manga.
Oh, and all these shows look alike, so yes I can see how this film could be considered more anime like.
The influence of manga-artist Goseki Kojima (Lone Wolf and Cub) on Frank Miller's drawing style in the 1980s was well-documented at the time. Miller openly discussed it in interviews with the comics press.
"Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that." - Thorin Oakenshield
You know what i thought watching this movie? That its weird how with all the money warner has they cant make better animation in comparition with anime.
What i mean by this its not the drawings or if you prefer american comics versus mangas, its that warners animation movies looks to stiff, theres not the same fluidity or natural movement you can see in the best of japanese animation.
I like this movie very much but i feel the animation its not top notch.
$3.5 million is better than a standard budget for three 22-minute television episodes, but still far short of the budget needed for a fully-animated theatrical feature. You need to make allowances for this.
"Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that." - Thorin Oakenshield
Coming from an animation background myself, I can understand that point of view. I don't expect that from these kinds of films, but I don't expect that members of the general public will accept that view point. Especially since it's Batman. The fanbase is there and the live action films have made a fortune.
I think the DC animated films are given a pass because of the quality of the story telling, while the Marvel films are torn to shreds because of the lack of it. The animation is still only slightly better than what they are doing however. My opinion is that it is sufficient for what it is. In the grand scheme of things, it is really quite below average though.
In addition to the changes in dialogue, lack of internal monologue, and the overall stiff voice work... the style was my biggest gripe for the this adaptation.
One reason I so greatly admire TDKR is for the 80's manga style it was drawn it. It really gives the overall effect of being set in a gritty dystopian-esque future. There is a lot of emotion packed into those cells... something that this animated adaption could have really benefited from.
The animation was done by MOI animation, a Korean company. They also do the work on Young Justice. And perhaps other DCAU movies as well. I don't mind the eastern touches on WB/DCAU movies at all ! MOI's work is like a mixture of both worlds. It's fluid like WB's 1992 animation, and detailed like most of the Japanese stuff.
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I hope I'm not crucified for this, but I can't stand any of Frank Miller's work that I have seen (which isn't very much). I'm glad they didn't try to mimic his style exactly or I'd have hated it. I don't know why he's considered such a ground-breaking artist. I think he stuff looks mediocre, bland, and at times, downright laughable (The Dark Knight Strikes Again, ouch!).
shareWow, Dwight, It's nice to hear another person say this! I wasn't sure if I was imaging things or what, but the last few movies have really had an anime atmosphere to them, which I don't care for. The backgrounds tend to look too hazy, and the color pallets are too washed-out. I want them to go back to the way they were before.
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