For the last few decades, Japanese Animation has grown to one of the largest global providers of televised animation. As time passes, the influence it has over Western media has only increased; yet, there is little academic writing on the subject as a whole. By analyzing the themes and aesthetics used by two of the top directors currently working on televised series in Japan, Watanabe Shinichiro and Ikuhara Kunihiko, we can see how their works have been influenced by our own culture, and how their work has or will impact our own entertainment in the future.