The same controversy that arises every time a non-Japanese series has that iconic look of an anime. Avatar: The Legend of Aang; Code Lyoko; and the still running RWBY are clear examples of series that have fallen into the eternal discussion in forums of all kinds. That if it’s on Crunchyroll, it’s anime, that if the director says he wanted it to look like an anime, it’s already an anime, etc. It looks like an anime; it feels like an anime, but… is it really an anime? Boondocks is no stranger to falling into the debate.
WHAT IS BOONDOCKS
Originally a comic strip published in an American newspaper. It focuses on the satirical life of the Freeman family, an Afro-American family consisting of the brothers Huey (strangely the most mature of the trio), Riley (an immature and impatient boy), and Grandpa Robert (your typical irresponsible and explosive old man). Thanks to the latter, they move to the suburbs of Woodwest, where the vast majority of people are white. The series touches on issues surrounding the black community and related events in the United States. Most of them with a mocking tone, of course.
It was aired on the Adult Swim block on Cartoon Network, being a U.S. exclusive developed production, except for its fourth season, which was partly animated in South Korea.
WHAT WE CALL ANIME
A case where the meaning of the word is divided in two: The use given by the Japanese and the use given to it by people outside the Japanese country. On the one hand, it was initially an abbreviation popularized to refer to animation in general. Still, it is a word that distinguishes Japanese animation from other cartoons for the rest of the world. This is based on the characteristic style that was exclusive to anime and manga for a long time, something that the Japanese are also aware of, so we have in common to say “it looks like an anime” when we detect such artistic features in a design.
CAN WE CALL BOONDOCKS AN ANIME?
From its origins as a comic strip, the series was strongly influenced artistically by anime in its character designs. This is due to the fact that the creator of the series is a big fan of manga and anime, so when he decided to adapt the format for T.V., it was clear that he wanted to have the style of the series that he likes so much. However, the origins of the comic strip being in an American newspaper and not being a publication that reached Japan, with an original transmission, is also a U.S. network in addition to addressing historical events that occurred in that country. It leads us to conclude that, although the series takes inspiration from anime for its designs, it is still an American cartoon.
