EDIT: Nevermind. I wish I could just delete this thread. Sorry.

This line makes me think the OP knows very little about what they're talking about.  

What I had in mind when I wrote that line were such prominent cases as My Hero Academia and Dragon Ball Super. (Since I had watched some more of both last night, they were on my mind.) Obviously these programs are more complex than simply being power fantasies (especially in the case of My Hero Academia), but I'm talking about what, if we're approaching this in an intellectually honest fashion anyway, is clearly the main purpose of a given show.

You referred to "Japanese animation."  You can't say that and then ignore the fact that about half of the anime produced each season isn't about fighting at all.  It's like saying you watched The Avengers, then made an argument claiming that live-action cinema is mostly about superheroes.  

My three favorite anime from last season.  Power fantasies they are not.

Its important to remember that in the full scope of things, 'Anime' as a genre doesnt actually exist. 'Anime' is just the Japanese word for animation. Its honestly silly to have an entire subset of animation labeled differently just because it was drawn in one specific country. USA? Cartoon. Canada? Cartoon. France? Cartoon. Australia? Cartoon. Japan? Nope, we call that anime for some reason. Its just silly.

And yeah, its easy to say cartoons are more targeted at children when you specifically exempt 'adult animated series' as a subset of cartoons. Where do you draw the line between those two? You cant ask for animation of a higher quality and scope and then exempt that shows that specifically do that.

I guess my point is, dont get caught up on trying to label animation as a million different things. Just enjoy whatever you want and dont let 'subsets' skew your perspective on what you could be enjoying. As for me personally, I never caught on to Japanese animation because the plots always seemed too ridiculous and they use a lot of animation shortcuts, but that didnt stop me from enjoying My Hero Academia or Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

I was only speaking of my perception based on what I have actually seen, which indeed may not be an adequate sample! Fair enough.

My main point in the OP wasn't to criticize anime so much as to highlight the evolution of American animation and that I think it's currently being underestimated.

That people label them different things is a reality. I was just watching a YouTube video by a right wing activist who was complaining about the supposed devolution of American animation from the original She-Ra to the new one on grounds that absolutely baffle me because the new one is clearly superior in every conceivable way.

Anyway, my point is that these distinctions clearly exist in people's minds.

Is it possible to delete a thread? I feel like I can already see how people are going to collectively take the OP and that it was a mistake to post it.

Damn, here I was expecting a good read. In other good news, there is going to be an Invader Zim movie this year!

I wish you didn't delete the initial post, because I think comparing American animation to Japanese animation is a fantastic idea.

And even if what you said has a lot of detractors or doesn't make a lot of sense, people could dispel those beliefs through conversation.

I, myself, don't see all anime as power fantasies. Going by the comments on here, I think that's the biggest takeaway most people got from your post, even though I would like to have read what you think about American animation, specifically.

However, I will say that most of the anime I have seen share some things that American animation doesn't: they're usually expressions of Japanese culture so the writing, dialogue, etc. feel "off" to the non-Japanese/non-otaku viewer.

Not saying it's a bad thing. I intend on visiting Japan, because I love the food, their attention to quality in most things they do, and my childhood best friend who is half-Japanese has lived their for the past decade.

But the heavy handedness that comes with the cultural stuff is just not my bag for the most part.

I'm a huge fan of One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100, specifically because they don't feel so "Japanese" if that makes sense. So I am open to any suggestions of anime/manga that have less of a cultural tone. I'm not talking about the concepts, although those are typically Japanese in tone too, but the general tone and motivations. Very soap opera like (or melodramatic) which doesn't appeal to me.

I also liked Akira, Dragon Ball (not z or after but the original one, because it was more comedic than power fantasy), Rouroni Kenshin, most of Miyazaki's work, Inuyasha, FLCL, Monster, Ninja Scroll, Junji Ito's works, and more I can't name off the top of my head.

But I most enjoyed Satoshi Kon's works. All of it is impeccable in quality, tone, pacing, etc. Instead of the melodramatic vibe I get from most anime I've tried to watch and failed, his works are like American dramas but with awesome animation.

Generally, I enjoy American animation for the comedy. Things like Family Guy (seasons 1-4), American Dad, Rick and Morty, South Park...you get the point. They are more reflective of a culture I can relate to and I am more a fan of laughing over crying.

But Pixar, Disney, and other American studios (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a fantastic recent example) have given me the option for heart felt stories that don't have cumbersome dialogue, and/or exploitive sex/power fantasies.

Not saying that is all Japanese animation has to offer, because I named a decent amount that don't do that. But I find a lot do and can see why it's a turnoff to others who don't seek out the works that don't.