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Anime is Misunderstood
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Ok people, I need help with my English Class. I'm writing a research paper on Anime Characteristics. I feel Anime is misunderstood by a lot of Americans. Do any of you see this in your daily lives? If so please post here. 
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Re: Anime is Misunderstood
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Yes and Its most likely bacause: - They are brought up differently (ex: They are thought that any animated show is for kids) - Some shows released overseas have their scripts changed for public viewing... (becoming more "wholesome" for the viewers)  Kneel Before the Great and Benevolent Cow! |
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Re: Anime is Misunderstood
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by
 
on 2006-10-16 10:32:47 |
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Owieh, i had a speech about anime while ago. Well, yes, anime IS misunderstood, amongst our generation. Mostly we can thank pokemon for that, because, is there anyone, who havent heard or see at least one episode of pokemon? Its nomore cool thing, but yougs remember only pokemon and the followers digimon etc. So the best way tell everyone your weird, is to say loud you LUV! anime, and they say "wah, such retarted person! pokemon is soo OUT, it was ages ago when someone liked that!! *laughing*" Sad, but true is the fact, people THINK they know what anime is and they dont need to know anything about it. If i would do that research paper, i would add there that anime is NOT all those big shiny eyes and "eyecandy", but also smart, fun and cultuar! Mention about movies like Spirited away and more well known anime. Not too many people actually think Spirited away as an anime, its animated movie, hallou!? -.- I dont know about americans, but in Finland its waste of time to spend time in cartoons. Its for kids, they god time for that!.. yea, fun seems to be nomore allowed, but i think anime is better than those hollywood movies from same mould! I hope you can get something out from that ^^'   |
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by S-a-c-h-i-e-l
on 2006-10-16 14:47:42
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My dad shuns anime because he views it as "animated porn" :P Too bad he only saw some stuff that my brother watches... so it's understandable why he would think that... XD *puts fingers into a cross towards brother's room* Some of the thoughts I've had on anime being misunderstood are a few things like... a) While I will admit there tends to be more skimpy clothing, tight clothing, nudity, etc. in anime, you get much less of the crude sex jokes you hear about on TV over here in the US of A. b) Yes, the big eyes and head, muscular hair, thinness of the characters (except the girl's chests), oddly colored hair and eyes, insane amount of hair, (goes on and on) do make anime much less believable, anime goes by what's cool, funny, or useful instead of what's realistic. For example, cute girls don't tilt their head to the side and close their eyes when they smile sweetly, but because it looks cuter and shows emotion better, they do it. Another example is Tenma's hair in School Rumble; yes, it does move, bounce, and twitch all on its own (complete with little dings), it shows her emotions and adds plenty of laughs. The big mouths may be ridiculed, too. But they show expression, like I said up before. Same with overusage of blood under pressure. c) Anime has a higher cool ratio then most TV shows I watch nowadays; where else can you get a biological robot berserking and shredding a 200 foot beast, then eating it, letting out freaky roars all the way through, complete with confusing philosophy? ANIME~! WHOOO!! Note that this is from personal experience; it may be different where you live or differ from what you've seen XD  |
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I found a nice post the other day which I've been meaning to link to on my website. Anyway, it's by John of AnimeNation, probably most people are familiar with his Q&A column. This particular question dealt with two shows in particular, but in the process of answering the question I believe he brings forth some very important points:American animation does not exist as a product of a close-knit, singular artistic community. And American society does not encourage or condone a continued, lifelong interest in animation. Japanese programs like Sazae-san and Doraemon are anime; they are individual examples of the larger realm of anime. American animated series are isolated, singular programs. They're not a part of a greater whole, so watching one doesn't naturally lead to other similar programs.He also goes on to state: ...Japanese children's animation challenges the intelligence and imagination of children while American children's animation seeks to entertain, occupy, and avoid stimulating the mental interaction of children. Anime inspires viewers to interest in more anime. American children's animation, including even the most celebrated and iconic programs, strives to encourage childish fantasy and wonder, which must one day be outgrown.As I said, it's an interesting read, and you can check it out here. Regarding my personal experiences, I'm a faculty member at a relatively small college and I sponsor our school's anime club. We're a pretty small group with around 10 active members, and the folks around us have been fairly tolerant of us so far, perhaps due to our size. But it's very clear that some just do not get it, and there have been a number of times when someone will come up to us, either when we're having a meeting or just talking or even at our booth when we're recruiting new members, and ask us about the club. Then after we describe what anime is, and many times emphatically explain that anime is not simply Pokemon, DBZ, etc, they usually end up walking away anyways. I don't think we've yet converted anyone to fandom in the past 2+ years. There is still a definite stigma associated with cartoons, that they are just for children, and that is part of the American mindset. It is what it is, we can't force others' minds open for them. Obviously anime is not for everyone, but to dismiss it offhand as childish without even giving it a chance is ignorant.  |
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everything is misunderstood.  |
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rematche, I am serious here. I don't have time for joke posts. I started this thread so I can get help for my Research Paper for school...So I can graduate. I'm not trying to be mean, but I'm really serious about this. While I appriciate the jesture, I'm really being serious. To the other people who posted. Thank you for your information. To other people out there. Please help me, I really need help and I'd greatly appriciate it if you posted seriously. Thank you very much.
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hm i dont know.. anime is a lot of things. remember its a cartoon. cartoons can be interpreted as many things  |
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Ah... yes true... Anything that is drawn can and will be interpreted depending to the knowledge, upbringing, culture, Belief etc... of the person ex: :) well... let me get a paragraph from Genshiken: "Humans are capable of finding a familiar image in even the most abstract drawing. This is a basic function of the human mind. Just take a look at the simple cave paintings from ancient times. In those primitive drawings, Ancient people saw images of wild game running across the plains." -Harunobu Madarame,Genshiken Member Kneel Before the Great and Benevolent Cow! |
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Re: Anime is Misunderstood
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by
on 2006-10-17 20:46:23 |
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@ Twilight: Woo! Genshiken. I'm *so* glad ADV got the English dub of that series; pretty much all of their voice actors are hardcore anime fans, so you get an interpretation that's both widely accessible, but also shows respect to the original. (Except for Ghost Stories, which just cracked me up with what must be the anime equivalent of playful irreverence whimsical blasphemy.) When I watched Genshiken, I couldn't help thinking "This would be the perfect series to show people who 'just don't get' otaku, to show people in the mainstream that anime is not just a genre, but a whole spectrum of storytelling, just like live action television and film." In fact, if you skipped over the (Japanese) opening theme, and just let them watch it, most of them would probably be laughing and saying what an awesome show it was before it ever dawned on them that they were watching anime. To add to Larinon's point: Just as there are "studio" bands that go on tour to promote their latest albums, and "live band" types that release an album to promote their latest tour, there are also differences in the way animation is created and promoted in the US, as opposed to Japan. 1) In Japan, many of the greatest anime series are based on popular manga. In United States, (with only a few exception), about the only animation based on comics is superhero stuff, mostly controlled be DC or Marvel. The point I'm making isn't a dis to American comics, just an observation that most of the animation is based on "kids stuff" that the shows' producers have supposedly "outgrown" by their age, as compared to Japan, where there is broader mainstream age range. Admittedly, there are a growing number of American comic series geared toward teen and adult audiences, but relatively little of it has found its way into mainstream television, and when it is, it's often watered-down by TV producers and advertising sponsors keep trying to make them "suitable" for children, rather than the series' original audience age. Which leads right into the next point: 2) In America, most non-comicbook animation is based on toy lines. In Japan, entire toy lines are based on manga and animation. Thus toys would become an extension of the viewers' imaginations, an immersion into the worlds of those stories. On the other hand, the typical Saturday morning cartoon is often little more than a flashy twenty-minute toy commercial. A major reason why parents encourage their children to "outgrow" it. And, on the subject of storytelling... 3) The lion's share of anime is continuous and chronological, whereas many American cartoons feel more like an series of isolated incidents involving the same characters. (Even as a kid, I could see a lot of plotholes and disjointedness in the worlds of the cartoons I watched.) Japanese animation doesn't insult the intelligence of its audience, whereas most US animation seems to be meant as a pacifier. In addition to not dumbing things down, anime-- even set in the most outlandish of fantasies-- is often very realistic about the consequences of characters' actions, and believable in terms of chracgers' relationships, motives, and actions within the context of their reality. Violence leads to more violence, and is seldom the best answer to most problems; revenge hurts the avenger, and even victory in battle comes at cost; characters die... and don't come back next episode/season; people make deicisions, and then have to work with the results, whether good or bad, often a mixed bag. If I think of any more points, Kouichi, I'll be sure to post them.  |
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@Mirai - Yeah... it was fun following the steps of these Otakus in Genshiken... Too bad the Series was cut on book 4... Yes, I agree... The Western Cartoons simply are just "Kid Stuff", merely concentrating on getting it wholesome... Look at GI Joe... hundreds of guys shooting at each other... and none sheds even a single drop of blood, i cant even recall one single death in GI Joe. However a few Noteworthy shows from the west did manage to break its usual standards (ex: Heavy Metal, Robotech) thats why i used to point out to people the difference between "Cartoons" (as it generalizes Western animation) and "Anime"/"Japanimation" not because its Animated but to merely distinguish where it was created. Kneel Before the Great and Benevolent Cow! |
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Anime eyes are big because they are prettier and more expressive. They don't have to look like the people who draw them, they have to be interesting and fun to look at. I hate alot of people at my school. I was complaining about something school-related, and some girl told me: "Your vote doesn't matter, you watch anime." When sitting quietly doing my work, people purposefully drew my attention just to say that they had crucified Pikachu. (I do like Pokemon, at least the first season, but I hardly ever talk about it.) These insults are incredibly stupid, but it upsets me that people would want to hurt me just because I'm different. Who else has been hurt in such a manner? |
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If anyone has a McMillan Advanced edition dictionary, u will be shocked to find that they defined anime and manga as animation/drawing involving a lot of violence and sex....it is so dissapointed to see how ignorance those people are...people refers to the dictionary to find the meaning of something, and if (even)the dictionary defined wrongly than surely it would be understood! p.s: i hope u understand what i am saying...sorry for my bad english 
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Re: Anime is Misunderstood
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by
on 2006-10-18 02:53:09 (edited 2006-10-18 03:19:31)
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From Finland i can say one more thing.. We dont have our own cartoon industry. Its all coming usually from USA and its all considered a bit dummy in the age over fifteen :S No common fin can say if animation is coming from USA or Japan. And about how old the series are either. The only channel showing anime is SubTV in here, and its a crap channel shortly. They show all those reality-tv formats etc. And for the friends of reality-tv, its my opinion. Anime is shown in the middle of night usually (that happened for Neon Genesis Evangelion, i wanted to watch it but 1 o clock am isnt time for tv) I guess thats because of nudity, violence and the fact its not popular and nobody would be watching it anyways.. yea RIGHT.. Soo, finland is good as an example, because we got already huge ammount of fans for manga et anime. But were only sitting behind our comps, and not trying to make anime look better in common people eyes. So theres no real idea how many youngs, or olders maybe, are intrested in anime et manga. Let the prejudgements rise! And one more thing. Death. You dont wanna to show death to your kids, do you? And thats too bad. Life is for dying and protecting kids for that etc. is kinda dualistic. In anime characters can die, and thats too much for some people. Its like getting pissed for art teacher to get kids into art gallery and let them see nude statues there o.O omg! Save our children from the truth! |
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some of my friends have told me that im pervish because i love watching anime (jokingly, of course). everything on tv nowadays contains ecchi, so i think its not fair saying that anime is like generally ecchi or hentai. ecchiness exist because of economical strategy (or whatever they say in context of economy XD) because loads of people would think it'll be boring without those, so there will be less market for those without it. so it all comes to the production and marketing strategy of anime studios. as for the exaggerated, unreal effects all anime has, i view it as one of the unique characteristics of anime. over-reactions are shown, as in knife piercing the heart when the character is shocked, the exaggerated expressions and all that are used to express the feelings of the character. and as for the misunderstanding of anime being for kids only, there are anime with deep story lines, and serious stuff there. people just dont understand anime. for example, i dont understand soccer, so i'd assume, why do people like watching those 22(?) men, running like hell, chasing one tiny ball? so, to love something, you have to understand it first.  |
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Nekorin, I understand where you're coming from. At school people will get on my nerves and yell out "ANIME PORN!" It really pisses me. While it is true that there IS "Anime Porn," or it's official name Hentai, Anime isn't all porn. It's also true that there are a lot of beautiful girls in Anime and girls wearing very cute or sexy outfits, that isn't a justification for pornography. Someone at my school thinks that whenever an Anime girl has breasts, it's porn. And on the subject of Ecchi, sure, there is mild nudity, sexual humor, and Fan Service that doesn't make it porn. Look at Love Hina, Saber Marionette J, and Tokyo Mew Mew. Love Hina is full of girls with their own personalities. Yes, Keitaro sees Naru's underwear, or is seen in Kitsune's drunken arms but still not porn. Saber Marionette J has 3 female androids with simulated emotions of the 3 stages of the human female: LIME is Childhood, CHERRY is Motherhood, and BLOODBERRY is the Teen years. CHERRY has Ecchi fantasies about Otaru, but you don't really see how far her fantasies go. BLOODBERRY is always trying to go on dates and make sexual advances towards Otaru, but she doesn't get to 2nd Base. LIME, the youngest and most naive of the Marionettes, just all out Loves Otaru. It's a SMJ is a love story. Tokyo Mew Mew is a Mahou Shojo Anime. It is customary for a Mahou Shojo Anime to have nudity while transforming. Tokyo Mew Mew, Puni Puni Poemi, and Sailor Moon (even though I don't like Sailor Moon) have the girl, or girls, transforming with there clothes on, then during the transformation scene, the girl is naked. It's customary. These 3 Anime are not porn. They are Anime with beautiful girls and (dare I say) hot guys (except for Love Hina with a lack of hot guys). Anyway, thank you all, I still need you help. ^^
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Sad part about is... is that "they" never stop to think about what "They" are watching, thinking or doing... some topics/events that are covered/seen in anime are usually seen in every day news and/or shows as well... (you know... Violence, Comedy, Sexual Themes, etc...) This is a bit off topic... but Let me show you what a Judge who ruled "Bully" said after giving the "OK" for its release this month(A Rockstar game that is based... on school life, you fight against mean Teachers, and of course Bullys,etc...) "There's nothing in the game that you wouldn't see on TV every night," Friedman is quoted as saying. The judge added he wouldn't want his kids to play the game, "but that shouldn't mean that the game won't ship." You could probably understand what im trying to point out here... Kneel Before the Great and Benevolent Cow! |
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Re: Anime is Misunderstood
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by
 
on 2006-10-18 13:28:27 |
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yes, i agree. it is often misunderstood because to most Americans, animated shows seems too immature for people in their teens. However, just because it is animated doesn't mean it is for little kids! There are very mature anime that are not apporpriate for younger children. there's this girl in my class who thinks that anyone who watches anime, or "that stuff", as she calls it, are very stupid and annoying. Which first of all, isn't very nice, and second of all, is totally NOT TRUE!! So yeah, those are my opinions. =D |
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Yes, Americans (and generally anybody who hasn't experienced it) definitely have misinterpretations about anime. Americans tend to cling to whatever they place value into (ie. pride,...football, etc.) (of course, then again anybody with free with would probably) because they tend to fear losing the sense of value that they place into it. So if they see something different from what they have become accustomed to (ie. anime) they fear it for reasons above, scorning it and jumping to conclusions about it based on what they are used to regarding the subject and often being...wrong...and often are simply to afraid to find out the truth about the matter. That is what I have observed in Americans (and people in general).
You need a reason to be sad. You don't need a reason to be happy. The secret to happiness is to face the fact that the world is horrible.
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Yes Kouichi, in magical girl henshin sequences the girls become naked to symbolize re-birth as something more significant, be that a planetary warrior, android, or cat lady. (Might I add you've gotten me interested in Saber Marrionette.) "Yes, Americans (and generally anybody who hasn't experienced it) definitely have misinterpretations about anime. Americans tend to cling to whatever they place value into (ie. pride,...football, etc.) (of course, then again anybody with free with would probably) because they tend to fear losing the sense of value that they place into it. So if they see something different from what they have become accustomed to (ie. anime) they fear it for reasons above, scorning it and jumping to conclusions about it based on what they are used to regarding the subject and often being...wrong...and often are simply to afraid to find out the truth about the matter. That is what I have observed in Americans (and people in general)." I've been thinking, that's kind of how I feel about rap and football. It's scary to me and seems wrong. I think now that I'm getting older I should be more understanding. |