You’ve probably been told cartoons are just for kids, but animation is just another form of storytelling because it’s a great form of expression and in some cases, a better way to get a point across.
Animation can portray a story the way live action can not. For one thing the comedy is different, the way a character expresses themselves by flailing their arms around or the over emphasized facial expressions don’t have the same effect a character in real life would.
I think we can give credit to Disney for introducing these lessons animation provides us with. Peter Pan shows us that we can’t stop ourselves from aging, but we can keep our childhood with us. It’s okay to be childish with a vivid imagination, we’re all different and that’s what makes us unique.
Mulan teaches us that everything happens in it’s own time. Each lesson learned as children transitions into adulthood.
Animes are another form of animation that is underrated by the general public, but the anime audience itself is loyal. Animes are broad, meaning they range from cute and cuddly, or raw and realistic, which is why it’s more popular for teens and adults.
Attack on Titan focuses on a civilization once living in peace but now terrorized by giant creatures that consume human flesh for mere sport. This anime teaches it’s viewers that there is always a way to fix a problem. Despite the fact that the protagonists are constantly fighting for their lives, a plan B always manages to come up.
Another popular anime is Assassination Classroom. This show focuses on the outcasts to defeat their teacher from destroying the earth. As you can gather, the main characters are underdogs, but in the end, they prevail and achieve their goals.
This anime also teaches us that failure helps us grow. We have to acknowledge our weakness in order to better ourselves, and part of that is by making mistakes. In doing so we become humble, if we never failed, we wouldn’t try harder.
It is a common misconception that animation is for children when it fact it’s for all ages. Walt Disney said it best, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”