Examining the technological innovations, themed plots, and evolving characterizations over the course of nearly a century of Disney history, one fact becomes intrinsically evident: the Disney franchise and its productions have impacted and been influenced by circumstances during different cultural eras in American history. Whether it's the incorporation of multiracial princesses in films like Mulan (1998) and The Princess and the Frog (2009) in the era of improving race relations over the past half-century; the evident austere transformation of the character of Mickey Mouse during the days of the Depression; or the incorporation of war propaganda into Donald Duck1 shorts, the Disney name has become eternally and inevitably intertwined with the surrounding culture. Walt Disney's extreme nationalism and concern for politics become manifest when he states, "If you could see close into my eyes, the American flag flies in both of them, and down my back shines this red, white, and blue stripe." Furthermore, Disney often emphasized the need for intellectual and spiritual freedom and the need to resist tyranny and oppression2 (Mongello). Ultimately, this Western individualistic thinking has largely influenced Disney narratives, character development, drawing style, and overall productions compared to analogous anime cartoons and the respective collectivist mentality of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The main difference between Eastern and Western philosophy concerns the general concept of person. “Collectivism” and “individualism” are ultimately psychological terms used to describe and explain how human beings identify in society, give priority to their… paper center… ent, intensity and selfishness of individualistic societies. and the conformity and reflexivity of collectivist societies inevitably play a role in the development of animation's plots, characters, humor, and aesthetic styles. However, as the two separate groups of people that these animation styles reflect, there are naturally more similarities than contrasts. As our Westernized culture becomes a diverse melting pot, it is inevitable that Western animation styles and anime styles will build on and inspire each other. As Disney continues to move closer to the “illusion of life” aesthetic and both grow to appeal to larger audiences and remain relevant, the future of each animation style is capricious but promising. As Walt said: “We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we are curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”..”