There's even a fancy chart! LOOK!
Students at the Institute of Flaws and Errors made an unprecedented announcement yesterday that Japanese animation was mathematically superior to American and other media.
The findings were based in part on Relative Value Equilibrium Theory, which subjects certain real-world properties or attributes to fluid dynamics and environment conditions. According to RVE theory, product or service quality is directly dependent on the conditions of manufacture or support and directly influence the quality of object under its influence branch. Furthermore, dependent (supporting) items are also deemed to have a higher probability of increased quality.
“Rich people live in rich neighborhoods. Good food is served on ceramic dishes, not paper or plastic. A+ dissertations are printed on heavier resume paper. So, naturally, the same could be said for independent film and anime”, asserts Henry Sakamoto of Teikyo-Loretto Heights University. “I wonder if the same is true for computers and computer cases”
The study began by measuring certain characteristics in Japanese animation indicating higher production complexity, time and cost in order to determine media quality. Several factors were analyzed through computer algorithms and then verified by human researchers. Among those quoted for video included primarily layer activity and unique image polygon count, while audio quality complexity was compared accordingly (see article: Japanese Pop Music Found Better). Results for groups of popular American, Japanese and European cartoons were studied and then compared with production cost figures sent in by the studios.
A single episode of Gundam Seed was found to contain 7 times the number of lens flares of Dexter's Lab. Depth of field effects were not even present in shows found on Cartoon Network.
However, the results were disputed by figures in the American animation industry, which accused the team of bias, and professors from various universities, which argues that the definition of “superior” animation was arbitrary and undefined. Some graduate students even questioned the validity of RVE theory. “If the crap is in the toilet, and the toilet is expensive, is the crap possibly any better?” questions one aspiring student.
Mr. Sakamoto tended to disagree. “Of course the crap is better. If the toilet is expensive, the person is richer. Therefore, he probably eats better food, which is knows to have higher nutritional absorption qualities, resulting in better crap”.
