Interesting. Based on the colors, character models, music, and slapstick, I'm willingly to bet that this based on the Fleischer Cartoons. Thank goodness the History of Animation lessons I've learned can finally pay off.
1) The color scheme is muted with
Red and
Green being the primary colors dominating the screen. This is something you don't see in Disney cartoons (because they used Technicolor which gives them access to three primary colors:
Red,
Green and
Blue). But is something you would see in a Fleischer cartoon because they could only use a two color process known as Cinecolor (as Disney held exclusive rights to Technicolor).
2) It's very rubbery. Almost every animated object and character feels like it was made of rubber. Now Pokémon is one thing but the train, truck and baggage do not have solid weight to them and they all bounce around in the rhythm of the music. A Fleischer cartoon is known for its extensive use of rubber hose aesthetic (unless it's Superman) and the animation always in motion, sync to the beats of the music like their old "follow the bouncing ball" sing-along shorts, and rarely ever stops.
3) The music, with the drums, trumpets, bass, and piano, is very reminiscent of Jazz. Disney, being based in Los Angeles, used classical music for their cartoons. The Fleischer brothers, being based in New York, used the local jazz musicians to score their cartoons.
4) Finally, the extensive use of slapstick. While many studios used slapstick gags all the time, including Disney, it's the Fleischer cartoons that really defined it as their style, at least in this manner (Looney Tunes and Tex Avery cartoons have a different kind of slapstick). Dave Fleischer believed "that every scene should have a gag" and "nobody should animate a scene without a gag."
Here's an example of a Fleischer cartoon:
And if you might have guessed, the Fleischer cartoons inspired the animation and tone of Cuphead.
