Write a sentence of thesis statement for the following essay emphasising on why I am choosing these two creators:

In recent years, with the development of media technologies, the quality and efficiency of animation production has changed drastically. Many of the industry pioneers come from Japan and the USA. They have developed their own genres, which are the Anime from Japan and the Cartoon from the US. There have been masterpieces emerging from the two genres, among which are the longest-running animation series that have decades of time to accompany a person from childhood to maturity and develop their widespread fame. (Brady, 2022) The Simpsons is well-known in the western world and the Detective Conan maintained an enduring popularity in Asian countries. (Guinness World Records Limited, 2023) And the two renowned creators of these two are Mr. Matt Groening and Mr. Gousho Aoyama. The aim of the essay is to compare the animations series created by the two creators via looking at the similarities and differences between their pieces, and explain the influence they have on me. The essay is going to firstly talk about the backgrounds of the two creators, then compare their character design and Mise-en-scène techniques by looking at their pieces and understanding their perspectives, and finally what and how their pieces influenced my work. 

Matt Groening is an American cartoonist who was born in Portland, Oregon. Growing up, he had a strong interest in television, and although some of his teachers and guidance counsellors discouraged him from watching too much of it, he saw it as an opportunity to study and research what kinds of TV shows people enjoy. (BBC, 2000) Groening was exposed to pop culture from a young age since his father was also a cartoonist and filmmaker. His father had cartoon books throughout the house and loved animated cartoons. Groening was particularly excited about the premiere of the TV show, Dennis the Menace, but was disappointed by the lack of excitement in the actual show. (BBC, 2000) Groening was addicted to watching TV, but he thought most of it was horrible. He was always disappointed with new shows that came out each season. One show he did enjoy was Leave it to Beaver, and especially the character Eddie Haskell, who was mean, sarcastic, and two-faced. Groening thought it would be neat to make a disobedient and bad character the main character of a show, and that's what he did with The Simpsons. (BBC, 2000) After attending school, Groening felt that the grading system and rules were unfair, so he decided to attend Evergreen State College instead. It was there that he met two of his biggest influences, Linda Barry and Charles Burns, and honed his skills in cartooning and writing. (BBC, 2000) He later moved to Los Angeles and began drawing a comic strip called Life in Hell to express his miserable life, which was published in local newspapers. Inspired by Rocky and Bullwinkle, he created the animation series The Simpsons and its characters named after his own family members. And after the success of Simpsons, Groening then created Futurama that depicts the future in a science fiction way. (BBC, 2000)
Gosho Aoyama is a well-known Japanese manga artist, famous for creating numerous beloved manga series such as "Detective Conan" (also known as "Case Closed" in English) and Yaiba. He was born in Daiei, Japan, and just like Groening, he had a great interest in drawing, manga and mystery novels from an early age. However, Aoyama faced discouragement from his parents towards his passion. (Fandom, 2023a; Miller, 2007; Oji, 2020) Nevertheless, he continued to pursue his love for art and comics. Aoyama was talented in drawing from an early age, and his gift was recognized when his painting "Yukiai War" won in a competition and was displayed at the Tottori Daimaru Department Store during his first grade. After graduating from Ikuei High School, he pursued his love for art by studying at Nihon University College of Art in Tokyo. In 1986, Gosho joined a comic contest for freshmen and won, which became a stepping-stone for his future career as a manga artist and author. The following year, he published his earliest comic, "Chotto Mattete" (Wait a Minute), in the Shonen Sunday magazine, which tells the story of a boy genius named Yutaka Takai whose love interest is sent through time for two years by his time machine jetpack. (LeGault, 2023) In 1992, he won the Shogakukan manga contest for his "Yaiba" series which follows the adventures of a young samurai named Yaiba Kurogane over 24 volumes and was later adapted into a 51-episode anime series, and in 1994, his "Case Closed" manga made its debut and later became a long-running anime TV series. (Fandom, 2023b; LeGault, 2023) In addition to critical acclaim, Aoyama's works have been well-received by audiences, with his "Case Closed" series running for over 25 years. The famous producer Michihiko Suwa also credited Aoyama's genius in creating the characters, which the audience hasn't grown tired. Aoyama's ability to create intricate plots and develop characters in a detailed and realistic art style has earned him numerous awards for his work. Despite parental discouragement, Gosho Aoyama pursued his passion for art and comics and became a successful and acclaimed manga artist. (LeGault, 2023; Toole, 2019)

 Fig.1 A Screenshot of Case Closed: Season 1 (2014)
 Fig.2 A Screenshot of Conan vs. Kid vs. Yaiba (2000)
In terms of character design, the most apparent similarity between Groening and Aoyama is about the characters’ visual appearance. They both maintain a consistent design on the characters’ appearance among their own works. Taking a broad view, in Groening’s three works, i.e. Life in Hell, The Simpsons and Futurama, it’s easy to identify the consistent visual design among the characters. They share the same eye design of a round black dot in a white circle, similar ear design with multiple semicircle curves, and protruding mouths. Similarly, Aoyama's three works - Detective Conan, Yaiba, and Magic Kaito - also exhibit consistent character design across their respective casts. The protagonists in Magic Kaito and Detective Conan share similar eyes, similar noses and similar face shapes, while the protagonists in Detective Conan and Yaiba share similar eyes, similar noses and similar face shapes, too. (Case Closed: Season One, 2014) One of the advantages of the similarity is time-saving in creating a new animation. Another could be facilitating the confluence of the works, which the essay is going to explore. Taking a detailed view of the Characters’ visual designing, Groening's eye design is very basic. He draws a round eye with a small dot inside for the pupil. On the other hand, Aoyama's eye design is more complex. He uses this design in characters like Conan and Yaiba. With Aoyama's eye design, there is colours filled and you can see that there is more detail in the eye. Aoyama takes time to describe the eye with more detail as can be seen in Fig. 1 and 2. Moving on to the mouth, Groening generally draws characters with more protruding mouths. This means that the mouth is a bigger feature on the character's face. In contrast, Aoyama's characters have smaller mouths that are not as prominent as their eyes and noses. In fact, it's quite small in comparison to the eyes and nose. In sum, when comparing Groening and Aoyama's character designs, the main feature of the character's face is different. With Groening, it's the mouth that stands out while with Aoyama, it's the eyes. And Aoyama's eye design is more complex compared to Groening's simple eye design.

When it comes to the characters’ personality portrayal, both Groening and Aoyama depict child characters with exceptional intelligence, such as Jimmy Kudo from Case Closed and Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons. Skoble (in Irwin, Conard and Skoble, 2001) concluded that Lisa is widely regarded as an exceptionally intelligent character who often outsmarts those around her. Similarly, Jimmy, the 17-year-old detective in Case Closed (2014), is portrayed as a brilliant mind capable of solving complex criminal cases that even seasoned professionals struggle to crack. (Case Closed: Season One, 2014) Lisa's intelligence is a defining trait that sets her apart from other characters in The Simpsons, while Jimmy's intellectual prowess is a key factor in his success as a detective. Although both Lisa Simpson and Jimmy Kudo are portrayed as highly intelligent characters who are wise beyond their years, while Lisa is often ridiculed and overlooked for her intellect, Jimmy is admired by all the people in his society. (Skoble in Irwin, Conard and Skoble, 2001; Case Closed: Season One, 2014) According to Gray (2012), The Simpsons aims to prompt viewers to reassess their world and challenge their authority figures. For example, it is said that Lisa was constant questioning of authority and has the ability to see through corruption and deception. On the other hand, Aoyama's Detective Conan seems to maintain a belief in the moral authorities, as seen in the success of Jimmy Kudo and the admiration he receives from the people around him. (Case Closed: Season One, 2014) Furthermore, Lisa's intellectual abilities are not always portrayed flawlessly, as she makes occasional errors in judgment and has been shown to admire a character named Corey (Irwin, Conard and Skoble, 2001). In contrast, Jimmy is consistently portrayed as the model of logic and wisdom. He is brave and not afraid of hoaxes or danger, as seen in his response to the haunted Moonlight Sonata. (Case Closed: Season One, 2014) In short, while both Lisa Simpson and Jimmy Kudo are intelligent characters who are wise beyond their years, their differing receptions and portrayals may reflect the underlying messages and beliefs of their respective shows. The Simpsons encourages viewers to question authority and think critically, while Detective Conan seems to maintain a belief in the moral authorities and the power of intelligence to solve problems.
When it comes to the world of animations, Mise-en-scène plays a critical role in creating a captivating and immersive viewing experience for the audience. Two prominent animators, Groening and Aoyama, have their own unique techniques when it comes to Mise-en-scène. Groening's "The Simpsons" is set in a parody of a typical American suburban town with a colorful and animated drawing style, which complements the show's humorous and entertaining themes. In contrast, Aoyama's Detective Conan is set in a fictional ward in Tokyo City with realistic and verisimilar drawing styles that capture the essence of real-life landmarks. However, the two shows differ not only in their scene setting and drawing style but also in their use of lighting and camera angles. The Simpsons employs bright and colorful lighting to enhance the lighthearted tone of the show, whereas Detective Conan uses dark and shadowy lighting to create an air of mystery and suspense that is characteristic of the show's detective genre. Additionally, while The Simpsons often uses a static camera with minimal movement to enhance its comedic effect, Detective Conan relies on dynamic camera angles and shots to create a sense of motion and action that fits the show's genre. In terms of background music, both shows use it to set the mood and atmosphere of their respective scenes. The Simpsons' background music is typically short and plays simultaneously with the scene, whereas Detective Conan's music is longer and often serves as a precursor to the scene, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the upcoming events. The two shows also share a similarity in their use of saxophone music, but The Simpsons typically uses it to convey sadness, while Conan uses it to evoke a positive atmosphere. In brief, Groening and Aoyama's techniques in scene setting, drawing style, lighting, camera angles, and background music all contribute to creating a unique atmosphere in their respective shows.
The works of Matt Groening and Gosho Aoyama have significantly impacted my career as an animator. Both have unique styles that have taught me different aspects of animation that I have incorporated into my own work. Groening’s style emphasizes creating distinct and easily recognizable characters through exaggerated features, while Aoyama focuses on detailed and realistic character designs and settings. In my final animation project, "A Second Chance", I blended these two styles to create a unique piece that stood out. Groening’s emphasis on creating distinct characters is evident in many of his works, such as The Simpsons and Futurama. The characters in these shows have exaggerated features that make them immediately recognizable. This technique helped me to create my own distinct characters by paying attention to the details of their appearance. Aoyama, on the other hand, creates realistic settings and characters that feel like they could exist in real life. His attention to detail has taught me the importance of creating realistic characters that fit seamlessly into their environments. In "A Second Chance", I drew inspiration from both Groening and Aoyama’s styles. I used Aoyama's realistic eye design in the Goddess of Spring, which gave her a more lifelike appearance and made her stand out from the other characters. I also used Groening’s technique of using bright and colorful settings by showing terraformed Mars as a heaven and dark lighting before terraformation as a hell, to create a contrast between the two worlds. This combination of styles allowed me to create a piece that was both unique and grounded in reality. As I continue to develop my career in animation, I believe that the techniques and styles of Groening and Aoyama will continue to shape my work. Their unique approaches to character design and settings have taught me to pay attention to the details and create work that is both distinct and realistic. The influence of these two masters of animation has allowed me to create my own unique style that is both inspired by their work and reflective of my own vision. In essence, the influence of Groening and Aoyama on my work has been significant and will continue to shape my work in the future.