I have spent hours studying the Python-Blender API, and as of yet it is not clear how to do what I want to do.

Anyways, you probably won't pick this one, but I'm going to link it just in case.I want to use Blender and Python to create simplified 2D animations of theories on how the computation of the human brain create consciousness. I don't know know if the expensive version would offer more, but at $300 it darn well better, lol. Looks like the cheaper version is trying to compete with Spriter, it is selling for 69$. Looks like they offer a cheap version and an expensive version. It isn't free, but they do offer a demo that will let you try it but not actually save anything with it. The full, paid version is available on Steam too, for 67$ CAD. It isn't open source, but they do offer a free version, with more limited features than the paid version, apparently. The 2nd one to look at is called Spriter. I haven't actually fired up the program to try it myself, and don't plan on it, for now anyway. They did ask for my email address, and they sent the download link there. The first software I'll link is called Synfig Studio. Or maybe even something you might combine with Blender.

But these are dedicated to animating 2d so it might be of more use to you, and possibly easier to learn than Blender as well.

I cannot speak to how well any of it works, or whether it will be able to do all that you are after. I've never used any of this stuff, just looked at it out of interest. And I have some alternative software to Blender that you might want to check out too.

Animating in blender 2d