Say it already

NY Times' Manohla Dargis has this to say about the upcoming anime movie, Paprika:

Evidence that Japanese animators are reaching for the moon, while most of their American counterparts remain stuck in the kiddie sandbox.

Thanks for saying what's on my mind for ages.

I mean, after so many, many years, American animation has manage to bring us... well (in the nicest way I can think of) nothing much that can't even compete with the average-quality anime. No wonder they are no longer appealing to many: too juvenile and mostly male-oriented. As an observer, I find this situation baffling. Mistakes I see them make often include spending too much on technology (CGI) and trying too hard to be funny, while neglecting the most vital ingredients, i.e. the story, characters, plot and so on. Anime, on the other hand, owes its success to these elements.

Meanwhile, the trailer of Paprika looks incredible, as if director Satoshi Kon took the Matrix idea and made it several hundred times more amazing.