Moé Ponies, Moé Problems · 9:29pm Jul 11th, 2013
Hiroyuki Kitakubo has been in the anime industry since he was a teenager, when he worked on the original Mobile Suit Gundam series (1979).
Kitakubo went on to direct such films as Roujin Z and Blood: The Last Vampire.
I bring this up because he recently tweeted about My Little Pony.
For those of you who can't read Japanese, this is what Kitakubo said:
"Japan’s moé characters have had a negative influence on American cartoons. See: ’My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’"
What is "moé" and how does it relate to My Little Pony?
No! We're not talking about Moe! Although, now that I think about it, that image is pretty relevant to moé.
For those who are unaware, moé is Japanese slang. It has many definitions, but is mainly used to describe cute anime characters.
Moé is a pun derived from a Japanese word which literally means "budding," as in the transitional phase before a sprout blossoms into a flower. In that sense, moé can also be used to mean "budding," as with a prepubescent girl.
The word moé has come to be synonymous with having strong feelings of love towards a fictional character. Those who are considered to possess moé traits tend to have large eyes, a small nose, flat face, thin limbs, large head and colorful hair with bangs.
Large eyes?
Small nose?
Flat face?
Thin limbs?
Large head?
Colorful hair with bangs?
Based on that definition, would the Equestria Girls be considered moé?
Wait... Why is one of Sunset Shimmers legs red while the other is yellow?! Are her butt cheeks different colors, too? But I digress...
Now that the term "moé" has been defined, let's return to the statement made by Kitakubo. "Japan’s moé characters have had a negative influence on American cartoons." He then cited My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic as an example of this trend.
I fully admit that many Western animators have created some pretty heinous cartoons by trying to pay "homage" to Japanese anime.
But who's influencing who?
Osamu Tezuka is known as the "Father of Manga," "Godfather of Anime" and "God of Comics." 
Tezuka is responsible for the creation of Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion.
His creativity has been compared to Walt Disney, Jack Kirby and Charles Schultz all rolled into one. During his life, he wrote more than 700 Mangas, which spanned more than 150,000 pages. After his death in 1989, Tezuka's legacy has continued to be honored among Manga artists and animators. Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) and Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball), have cited Tezuka an inspiration for their works.
The question remains, who inspired the Father of Manga? None other than Scrooge McDuck.
Sounds hard to believe? Tezuka himself said that his inspiration came from the Uncle Scrooge comics illustrated by Disney animator Carl Barks. 
In 1935, Barks was working for Walt Disney as an "in-betweener," which is one of the least-gratifying jobs in animation. Barks was given an opportunity to make Disney comics, where he quickly became known as "The Good Duck Artist." He could draw beaks better than anyone else in the industry. While he didn't create Donald Duck, Barks' style helped fundamentally-shape the character. Barks' most popular comics were of Uncle Scrooge. In post-WWII Germany, Scrooge McDuck was an enormous hit. These comics soon found their way over to Japan and into the hands of Osamu Tezuka. On that day, the future of Japanese creative expression was changed forever. Makes you wonder what would've happened if Scrooge McDuck had been the direct inspiration for My Little Pony, doesn't it?
In any case, we all know that Disney supports shipping ponies.
Tezuka was heavily influenced by Disney in general. (He is reported to have watched Bambi 80 times). Mickey Mouse and Betty Boop were all inspirations, but the strong, bold line-work of Tezuka's Mangas are most reflective of Barks' work. Tezuka's entire artistic style, including such trademarks as the overly-large, cutesy eyes and small mouths, can still be seen today as the defining aspects of Japanese animation. His body of work became the foundation for all Manga and he has confirmed that the basis for his work was Barks' Scrooge McDuck.
Tezuka was so grateful for the inspiration that he sent Christmas cards and other mailed greetings to Barks throughout his life.
Which makes me wonder if Disney wasn't "ripping off" Kimba the White Lion when they made The Lion King.
While there are obvious similarities between the two films, maybe Disney is justified in plagiarizing Tezuka's work. After all, if it weren't for Bambi, there would be no Kimba for Disney to copy.
Kitakubo seemed to disparage My Little Pony for adopting "moé" characteristics. While the ponies may have the "big eyes" that Tezuka was known for, it's not like Friendship is Magic is ripping off anime styles. The official comics, on the other hand...
(Don't get me wrong. I love the official IDW comics. That's why I made this group. It's just bizarre to see Pinkie Pie make those kinds of expressions.)
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if My Little Pony is borrowing character designs from anime. Tezuka and Barks were two individuals separated by distance and language who were united by their love of sequential art. They used their creative expression to inspire each other and countless millions for generations. In our modern age, sharing our talents with each other has become much easier than it was in the early days of Scrooge McDuck and Astro Boy. As technology grows, the world shrinks and brings everyone closer together.
Most of the Japanese moé characters that Kitakubo is talking about wouldn't exist as they are known today without the initial inspiration from western animators. Tezuka may have mimicked Disney's art style, but he also created his own characters and stories. The secret to finding a unique outlet of artistic expression is to not only be contented with merely copying someone else's work, but also adding new ideas.
In closing, I'd just like to leave you with a few words from the God of Comics himself, Osamu Tezuka.
"Another thing I'm seeking after in animation is metamorphosis. I feel a kind of eroticism in it and I'm fascinated by that eroticism when drawing." - Osamu Tezuka
Dat quote.
You, sir, are Amazing. Have a moustache,
Two blogs in one day?
Okay, no more sugar for you, young man.
I can confirm this.
Don't question me.
1204696
The first one was mostly pictures, so it doesn't count.
I think we all know what Scrooge McDuck's major contribution was. It wasn't inspiring the creation of Manga or the amazing cartoon shows and comics. No, it was giving us the awesome Moon theme from the Ducktales video game.
Seriously. This piece of music is as iconic to video games as the Mario or Megaman themes.
Gotta love modern times...
Everything is a copy of a copy of an original. Like the Asgard race in Stargate SG-1.
And I'm TOTALLY joining that group you have.
~Skeeter The Lurker
1204708 NO MORE SUGAR!
Oh my god that image of Rarity and Scrooge... oh my god. That needs to be a fic. Right now.
I really got to say, you have some of the best blog posts ever.
1204720
I feel ashamed that I only know of that song because of IWBTG...
Thanks for the new wallpaper.
derpicdn.net/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTIvMTAvMDIvMDhfNDhfMjZfNDE3XzExMTc5MF9fVU5PUFRfXyJdXQ/111790__safe_twilight%2Bsparkle_rainbow%2Bdash_pinkie%2Bpie_fluttershy_rarity_applejack_humanized_spike_angel_winged%2Bhumanization_horned%2Bhumanization_mane%2Bseven_tailed%2Bhumanization_anime_moe_art.jpg
Where do you find these pictures, man?
Another reason why Kitakubo's tweet is kinda off-base is that Lauren Faust has said a couple times (once at summer Bronycon 2012) that the ponies' designs and her art style in general aren't actually inspired by anime, and she even referenced the whole chain of inspiration thing with Disney and Tezuka. Whoops.
(Though being an avid watcher of anime myself, I can't help but consider FiM to be an honorary Moe show at times)
Also, I just have to say this:
Tezuka-Sensei, you don't know the half of it... ^_^
Honestly, it makes more sense that Pinkie Pie employ Japanese emotion abstractions than anyone else. Inasmuch Pinkie ever makes sense, but then, that's why it makes sense.
1204720
I now feel compelled to provide this.
Making a blog post on Osamu Tezuka and not mentioning Unico.
Funny, i´ve read that a couple days ago for recherche for my seminar work. I was like "damn, manga and comics sure got an interesting history!". :D
1204916
A discussion of Unico will be a separate blog entry. (I can't post everything at once, can I?)
Looks like we know what to expect from his next story.
Ok, after the video comparing Simba to Kimba, there is something called the "Jungle Emperor". Within the first 3 minutes, a lion falls 200 yards and lightly lands on a rock. Don't remember anything like that happening in "The Lion King". They must be totally different.
I haven't seen Ducktales in nearly sixteen years. Or any of those old cartoons. To think one of my favorite shows of my childhood years had this profound of an effect just warms my heart. And I never knew about the moon theme from the game because I never made it that far. I think the furthest I got was the . . . hm, can't seem to remember. Need to find my old Gameboy pocket to have another go at it.
There is some deeply rooted discontent among the older generation in the Japanese animation industry towards the really-not-all-that-new trend of moe, Miyazaki Hayao is one of its most vehement opponent. To me, this little quip on ponies isn't really about ponies, but a telling to his Japanese audience (obviously) on 'how moe poisons everything'. I personally don't see why animators with different visions can't just work on their own, actualize their ideals and let time and audience decide.
Animation styles nowadays crossbreed and innovate more and more frequently in this increasingly globalized world; the discussion on who-rip-off-who would eventually become irrelevant. So what if FIM did integrate some criteria of moe-ness? I would go as far as saying that part of the success of FIM in the Anglosphere is due to that it has achieved what moe did to Japanese otakus, at least on the level of appealing to the eyes (First impression matters). I fail to see there is anything inherently bad associated with a certain animation style (though Miyazaki did attack moe from the feminist angle). Anything goes if it could charm the audience.
Don't underestimate the flames of moe!