by Bruno Fontes
Video games have traditionally been associated with cartoons and comics, but in recent years, Japan is not the only country producing them. Consider SpongeBob SquarePants from the USA and Winx from Italy. However, the Sonic games come from the land of the rising sun, with the character, a blue hedgehog, created to compete with the beloved plumber Mario, the big success of Nintendo. But the unique hero of kids and teenagers is Ben10, an American character whose games are popular all over the world.
While classic games such as tennis and animal games continue to entertain children of all ages, unique cartoons and video games are entering the homes of every child and teen, from 4 to 18, with engaging adventures involving aliens, far worlds, and dangerous enemies conquered through superpowers gained from mysterious objects.
Some series breathe life into imaginary characters, such as Sonic, who is faster than sound and challenges numerous enemies, or SpongeBob, whose protagonist lives in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom on the Pacific Ocean’s seabed. The cartoons and video games tell us about the lives of these happy and carefree characters and their fellow residents.
In other series, the protagonists are regular boys and girls, just like their audience, such as Ben10 and the Winx. Ben10 is a regular 10-year-old boy who discovers a strange watch-bracelet, the Omnitrix, which changes him into an alien with fire powers. From then on, Ben10’s adventures begin, learning how to use the bracelet to change into different aliens and face different enemies.
The protagonist of the Winx, Bloom, discovers she has magical powers and finds herself in a magical dimension, attending a school of magic with her schoolmates and challenging their enemies, the Trix.
The creation of great worlds that start from common situations helps to create the idea that what happens in TV series Cereal, a blend of old and new - Today we interview Jaques Smit, an incredible man. Just read all his current positions: Managing Director at MindNova Advertising Pty (Ltd), Marketing Director at Inland Kitesurfing Pty (Ltd), CEO at Avonstorm Entertainment, Producer at Avonstorm Pictures Pty (Ltd), Technical Director at Blo-Tant Pty (Ltd). Here is the interview and I initially ask about Cereal, his… can be possible. The characters are real, and in the end, “it may happen.” The series with completely invented characters stimulate fantasy, creating children to see vividly invented characters like Sonic or SpongeBob, even though they may vaguely be connected to reality. SpongeBob, for example, lives in a city on the Pacific Ocean seabed.
Manuel Marino is a seasoned Senior Producer, Music Composer, and Artist with over a decade of experience. He specializes in branded entertainment across various mediums, including video games, films, and advertising campaigns. With 20+ years as a game music composer, Manuel has worked on numerous platforms, creating diverse orchestral soundtracks. HIRE ME
While it is true that all the series you mentioned are not of Japanese origins all of these series (excluding Spongbob) were made to mimic the look and feel of anime (Japanese cartoons). I would say this actually strengthens the belief that kids around the world these days appreciate Japanese cartoons more than American cartoons.