One of the special days for the United States in undoubtedly the April Fool’s Day on April 1 of each year, a characteristic celebration of that nation that has even reached Japan and, consequently, the anime industry. It is a celebration similar to April Fool’s Day in Latin America, but different in terms of the date.
On this day people play jokes on each other, with the sole objective of having a good time, accompanied by the wit that each person brings to their jokes. However, in the world of anime the celebration is even more creative. Fake ads, fake sequels, fake spin-offs, anything is possible within this industry, and the Japanese put a lot of work into creating compelling visuals and even promotional videos.but fake, to excite fans and then throw a bucket of cold water on them by revealing that it is a joke.
And that is what brings us together today, since it turns out that Anilistan anime review and rating site similar to MyAnimeListmodified its historical ranking to list that “Shrek” is the best anime of all time. Interestingly, the story of everyone’s favorite ogre rises above big-name franchises like “Sousou no Frieren (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End), “Gintama“, “Fruit Basket” and “Fullmetal Alchemist“, to name a few.
However, it is not a mistake to put “Shrek” in such a high position within the world of animation (although not exactly in the world of anime). Across multiple generations, “Shrek” has become one of the most iconic animated films of all time, but in addition to leaving its mark on audiences, the film also had a significant impact on the film industry as a whole. “Shrek” is a 2001 Dreamworks film about a grumpy ogre who, in an attempt to save his swamp, falls in love with an unlikely princess and saves the kingdom. The original film was so successful that it spawned three sequels and a series of spin-off films.
Although Disney had something of a monopoly on the animated film genre at the time “Shrek” was released, the Dreamworks film did something Disney couldn’t do then: it did well with audiences and critics. Although Disney’s film renaissance had just ended in 1999, with films like “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” these films did well with their target audience, children, but not so much with critics. At that time, animated films were not taken seriously at all by the film industry. However, the unique story of “Shrek” and its success with audiences brought attention to the genre and, for the first time, made critics see animated films clearly.
In the late ’90s and early ’00s, animation was slowly beginning to change, and “Shrek” helped cement that change. Although the film was originally going to be animated in 2D, “Shrek” was ultimately created with computer animation. Overall, the look was very different from what audiences were used to and set the film apart from the typical Disney films that were released at the time. The success of “Shrek” and its choice to use computer animation sparked a shift toward computer animation and a move away from traditional 2D, resulting in the most realistic and detailed animated films audiences see today.
Fountain: AniList
