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How to Feel Like an Anime Princess

Photo Courtesy: South Park Studios/One-act Central/IMDb

Mayhap information technology comes equally no surprise that the coronavirus pandemic led to a surge in Television set viewership, as the world spent months hunkering down to comply with shelter-in-place orders. With many stores temporarily closed, professional sporting events canceled and motion-picture show theaters out of committee, streaming services and telly became entertainment lifelines for lots of united states. And some shows — namely Southward Park, whose "The Pandemic Special" episode garnered the series its highest live and same-solar day ratings in 7 years — even addressed coronavirus-specific events with timely commentary (along with hefty doses of helping-u.s.a.-cope humor).

The COVID-nineteen pandemic sent many live-activity Hollywood productions spiraling as the industry attempted to reckon with the implications of sheltering in place and following social distancing guidelines — 2 modifications that fabricated working on a set all but impossible (non to mention irresponsible and potentially unsafe). Throughout information technology all, however, blitheness-based programs provided a haven, a fantastical escape from what was happening in the real world. Every bit people of all ages constitute themselves quarantined at dwelling house together, cartoons stepped up to the plate to fill a pandemic-sized entertainment void.

COVID-19'southward Effects on Hollywood Let Cartoons Shine

When the novel coronavirus began prompting citywide and statewide shelter-in-place orders back in March of 2022, few of u.s.a. could have predicted simply how long the fallout would last. But as the weeks wore on, it became increasingly clear to many Hollywood professionals that the pandemic was going to turn life every bit they knew it upside-downwardly.

As a number of Hollywood'southward biggest stars, including Tom Hanks and Robert Pattinson, began contracting the coronavirus, it became clearer that live-action Boob tube shows and movies would need to finish production. Reality TV shows too took a hit, as popular series similar Discovery Channel's Naked and Afraid suddenly became the stuff that COVID-19 transmission nightmares are made of.

Even as TLC produced a spinoff testify called 90 24-hour interval Fiancé: Cocky-Quarantined — remember the stage of lockdown when Rosemarie and Large Ed were dominating the meme airwaves? — the network's president and managing director Howard Lee warned that it wouldn't exist the typical reality program. Gone would be the exotic locales and steamy intimacy that many reality shows had come up to depend on for enticing viewers. "This serial will look very hot-off-the-press — it will look similar the paint has not stale," Lee told Variety. The conclusion to have quondam cast members tape show content themselves from habitation was a novel idea, sure, just one that was missing the semi-refined production values — the overall feeling of cohesion — viewers wait from live TV.

Of course, while 90 Day Fiancé: Self-Quarantined wasn't going to be the typical reality program, other Television shows and movies weren't going to be typical, either — in large function considering they weren't going to be made at all for the foreseeable hereafter. This pause in production paved a perfect path for animated shows to rise to the forefront of our pandemic-entertainment consciousness.

The Animation Renaissance Begins

Throughout the confusion of adapting to a socially distanced civilization, animation became one of the but mediums that was more fully able to achieve the status of pandemic-proof programming. "Everything we do can exist washed on a computer at dwelling," explained Marci Proietto, executive vice president of animation for Disney's 20th Century Fob Television. "We're moving forrard on all our series, which is kind of miraculous." Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch added, "The product schedule for blitheness is near untouched, knock on wood, by COVID-nineteen." Murdoch also confirmed that animation was "a great benefaction" to the studio during the wellness crisis.

Photo Courtesy: Warner Bros. Animation/IMDb

And it'due south considering animators were able to practice so much from home that we got our fix of much-needed newness through cartoons. From tardily March, when new episodes of The Simpsons and Bob'south Burgers were however making it to the air thanks to "creative teams working in sync from home," to the September 30 airing of "The Pandemic Special" and subsequent March 2022 airing of "South ParQ Vaccination Special," production companies have been able to handle merely virtually everything virtually, from table reads to remote scoring to Zoom teleconferencing to the animation itself. And it paid off not only for united states of america, entertainment-wise, but for production companies, too: South Park's vaccination-themed special garnered about three.v one thousand thousand viewers during its premiere — the nearly for whatsoever show in 2022 at that point.

Thank you to this easy transition to remote operations, animated shows such as The Simpsons, Family unit Guy and Bob'due south Burgers remained network staples, while several streaming services were able to bring newer animated series to the tabular array. Netflix introduced new adult cartoons The Midnight Gospel and Agent Male monarch, while former DC Universe series Harley Quinn planned a move to HBO Max for its 3rd flavor.

Just fifty-fifty when the content wasn't new and fresh, information technology seemed similar people were turning to animation during the pandemic, perchance for some comfort or "for light amusement as an culling to a diet of grim news coverage." Disney+, which started growing in its share of streaming hours when the pandemic began, offers a wide diverseness of both classic cartoons and newer animated serial to captivate merely most everyone. Many parents are now enjoying introducing their kids to cartoons they grew upwards with, such every bit Darkwing Duck and 1988's The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Of course, viewers were able to opt for newer choices such every bit Star Wars Rebels and a revival of the archetype series DuckTales. What better way to navigate the "new normal" of pandemic life than with some stability courtesy of familiar faces and babyhood nostalgia?

Animation Welcomes New Audiences

If we'd been told equally children that there would be a huge adult audience for cartoons in the future, some of us might accept constitute the concept unbelievable. Yet, over the past few decades, with the ascent of adult-oriented cartoons like Rick and Morty and BoJack Horseman, that's exactly what'south happened. These days, many adults even enjoy watching blithe programming traditionally geared towards children.

What is information technology most watching animated shows that's managed to create such a huge adult fanbase? Dr. Laurel Steinberg, a New York psychotherapist, explained in an interview that cartoons are actually beneficial in helping many adults navigate some of life's harsher realities. "Kids' cartoons can exist a support treatment considering they incorporate themes like community order, friendship, family unit, teamwork, that skillful ever wins over evil and that the sunday volition always come up out tomorrow," Dr. Steinberg explained. "They can help restore optimism and give someone a pause from worrying or feeling sad, all of which can elevate [your] mood." And if there's one matter well-nigh of usa probably needed during an unprecedented pandemic, it was a break from worrying and feeling sad — an immersive, escapist intermission that cartoons seemed best poised to provide.

Likewise, even adult cartoons have appeared to restore usa to the nostalgia of childhood, the fourth dimension before the realities of responsibility set in. Cartoons allow united states of america to soar to worlds where literally anything is possible. The fact that we're used to cartoons being unbound flights of imagination could aid to explicate why shows like South Park are able to push boundaries that would never work in alive-action television. Something inside united states of america loves the idea that when nosotros enter an animated globe, anything is possible.

Where's the Hereafter of Animated Programming Headed?

Although Hollywood was gradually able to resume filming the live-action programming many of us were waiting for, remainder assured that adult cartoons aren't going anywhere anytime soon either — and they're not just a substitute for that live-action programming. In a March 2022white paper, CEO of MondoMedia John Evershed concluded that "adult animation is arguably the fastest-growing animation category with the most headroom for growth."

Evershed noted that in addition to classic animation series, developed viewers have also become much more comfy with a wider array of drawing genres — and these shifts are probable here to stay mail service-pandemic. From dramas such as AMC's Pantheon to Netflix's sci-fi Love, Death & Robots, animated series seem to be flowing into more genres than ever before. That's corking news for all us grownups who can't go plenty of this medium.

For many parents, the challenge lies in recognizing that just because a prove is blithe, this doesn't necessarily make it advisable for children anymore. But similar any other show, information technology'southward important to brand certain you're familiar with a series before you allow your kids to scout it unattended. That said, there are plenty of shows that appeal to adults and kids akin. Series such as Dragons: Race to the Border, Batman: The Animated Serial and Gravity Falls all concur plenty of fun for the whole family unit, pandemic or not. And it's time to embrace that fun wholeheartedly as the animation revolution continues.