Progressive Animation is a term that was first coined by Brian C. Wilkinson of the Hayao Miyazaki Mailing List (A discussion group mainly focused on the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata) back in the early 1990s. It was first referenced in this quote:

For that matter, it seems that the best anime has neo-realist/french new wave as well as Japanese cinematic overtones, plus the occasional expressionist/ impressionist (the slash "/" in these cases indicates a contrast comparison) work too. I do not know too many non-japan animated works that attempt to directly "compete" as films rather than "cartoon movies" ala Disney, let alone hold that place as competent works (even AKIRA deserves this credit :). Hence what I've coined as "Progressive Animation"--even Roger Rabbit was more a "Cartoon Movie" then good cinema.

Source: Fukumoto Archive of the Miyazaki Mailing List Message #605

Progressive animation is very closely related to alternative comics, in that both are works in their respected medium that go against traditional views of their mediums. These traditional views in both are works that are only produced for children or a small fan obsession oriented subculture.

Because of the large variety of animated films Japan has produced it has a fairly large progressive art oriented market (see progressive anime). Despite the diversity of this market it's vastly overshadowed by the more common fan obsession oriented market, and only a small percentage of anime films are thought to be progressive.

Progressive animation advocates want to see a more critical and less "blindly obsessive" evaluation of the animation medium normally found in traditional animation oriented groups. Progressive animation artists want to do something vastly different than what is commonly accepted as animation experimenting in generas and visual styles that were thought inappropriate for the medium.

A few non-Japanese examples of progressive animation

(for Japanese examples see progressive anime)

• Fantasia (US)
• Fantastic Planet (France/Czechoslovakia)
• Plague Dogs (US)
• Watership Down (UK)
• When the Wind Blows (UK)
• Tale of Tales (Yuri Norstein, USSR)
• The Old Man and the Sea (Alexandr Petrov, Russia)

External links

• The Hayao Miyazaki Mailing List
• A prototype of the Progressive Animation Review