Anime

[Kresselack]

I have noticed how anime has really been an interest among many people in the forums and in reality. I never cought on to the craze. I was wondering why do you like it and how serious do you take it? I see many mods anime-based, which shows that must be the new popular craze. Some would rather have oblivion turned into Final Fantasy. Perhaps it's the characters looking moody or the sexual subliminal messages.

 

Anime, to some people is considered a culture, while others simply consider it a style of art. Sometimes I see people, depending on where you look, actually trying to live in the Japanese pop culture, by imitating the culture, even though they are not even Japanese. I find it funny how such a simple cartoon style can really change a person.

 

This topic is interesting to me and I would like others to enlighten me by giving their opinions.

 

Now, my main questions are:

 

1) How much are you into anime?

 

a) Im obsessed

 

b) It's alright

 

c) It does not interest me

 

 

2) What got you into it?

 

 

3) Why do you like it?

[WoogieMonster]

I was introduced to anime when I lived in Guam, by a friend who said "hey, wanna watch this Japanese cartoon? Dude it's so violent!" He knew how to get my attention. Now I love anime.

Not all of it is super powered, kung fu, with giant robots in ultra violent death matches (just the good ones), a lot of anime actually has really deep and involving story lines. There is even a large genre targeted specifically at females.

 

Some anime shows are fine for the average person who may just be watching an episode because they can't sleep and there's nothing else showing on the late-night tube, but most shows have a running story line like a soap opera that you really have to follow or else it makes no sense at all. And of course there are quite a few that make no sense regardless of how many episodes you watch. Maybe you have to be high, I have not tried that yet.

 

It's no different than any other type of show/movie, you just have to find the style you like. Take me as an example, I prefer the "samurai, close-combat and supernatural style" shows like Seven Samurai, Shinobi, Tenjho Tenge, Inu Yasha and Bleach. So logic would dictate that I should also like Dragonball Z, but I don't, it's a horrible waste of tv air time in my opinion.

There are also a few that are clearly meant for adult viewers, like Ghost in the Shell, Tenjho Tenge, Cowboy Bebop, Appleseed (all great btw) that have all the drama, great acting, story and plot of any big budget weekend movie.

And then there's hentai, but that's a whole other topic that I will not get into.

 

Whatever your tv show/movie favorite is, there is a type of anime to match it that will keep you entertained. Then again, there is also the chance that you just might not like any of it at all, but I hope it's not because you think of it as "just a cartoon."

 

Edit: to answer your questions directly:

 

1: I'm not obsessed with anime, I'm obsessed with the anime shows that I like.

2: A friend and living in a country where Bugs Bunny was not the most famous animated celebrity

3: I'm not sure. Maybe it's the same reason I like videogames.

[Malchik]

You know, you could ask similar things about many 'art' movements and similar things. Why do some people feel the need to adopt a 'gothic' life style for instance.

 

To me anime is simply one aspect of pop culture. I have no particular liking for it (I'm probably past the age where it might interest me) but it is not repulsive or offensive in itself.

[dezdimona]

I never got into it,but then I don't watch a whole lot of TV anyway.I guess its like anything else like being a trekki or whatever,some people just love it.And fantasizing or dressing up like is all ok,if its not taken to the extreme

[Necromancer G]

There are somethings I will watch, mostly samurai shows but thats about it

 

OT<Dez, your profile says your near Lake Michigan, Im from Michigan :ohmy:

[Kresselack]

I never cought on with the craze, because I saw a lot of repetition. For example, there is a person looking moody on a cliffside pondering about something, such as "what is my destiny or meaning in life", or why is this lad feeling ashamed of women finding him fancy, and then feeling uncomfortabe.

 

I made a fascinating discovery a month ago. I found William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" turned into a manga book. I took a look at the book and found it suprisingly creative. It was not completely remade with extra plots and oversized weapons. I considered it a nice blend between eastern and western cultures.

[WoogieMonster]

I never cought on with the craze, because I saw a lot of repetition. For example, there is a person looking moody on a cliffside pondering about something, such as "what is my destiny or meaning in life", or why is this lad feeling ashamed of women finding him fancy, and then feeling uncomfortabe.

Well, that's kinda understandable, but only if you apply the same criticism to all media. In the last 6 years, how many movies out of Hollywood were actually "original" in their character attitudes or story line? Most people can not name three, I certainly can not.

 

I made a fascinating discovery a month ago. I found William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" turned into a manga book. I took a look at the book and found it suprisingly creative. It was not completely remade with extra plots and oversized weapons. I considered it a nice blend between eastern and western cultures.

Ah, so there is something you like? Most people think the difference between anime and manga is that one is on the screen and the other is a book. That's not entirely accurate. Most anime is based on manga, but the true difference is that manga has an actual set of rules that artists have to follow. There are a few animated mangas, but they rarely get air time here in the US, mostly because the anime shown here is all action packed, shoot'em up, giant swords, super powers and nuclear robots. By comparison, true manga is boring. While Hamlet may indeed keep you and I glued to the screen for 3 hours, the lack of ratings (and thus money) would all but ensure nothing like it will be shown again. Sad on many levels, but such is the way of the business world.

[doomjockey]

It's no different than any other type of show/movie, you just have to find the style you like.

 

That about summarizes how I feel about anime. I'll add that I think a lot of people seem to mistake anime for a genre of animation, when it is more a subset composed of many different genres. As Woogie indicates, there are as many types of anime as there are genres of movies from sci-fi to western to fantasy to courtroom drama.

1) How much are you into anime?

It is ok, I actually don't watch TV that much at all.

 

2) What got you into it?

If by that you mean "what show" then Neon Genesis Evangelion. I like to learn new things and that show gave me a lot of interesting religious, psychological, mathematical, and philosophical ideas to research when I was younger.

 

3) Why do you like it?

Anime ages with the audience. Anime rejects the notion that something illustrated must target an audience of minors. This is where most other animated features outside of Japan fail as they are comparitively simplistic for the purpose of marketing toward children. Anime comes in all shapes and sizes from very kiddy like "Pokémon" to deeply (perhaps disturbingly) philosophical like "Neon Genesis Evangelion". Knowing that, I'm suprised so many people can judge anime so liberally based on looks alone.

[myrmaad]

I don't get it, but I'm old, and i'm into plenty of things others don't get.. so.

[tyreil829]

no one is ever old not u not anyone

 

i dont get it either

 

Carth Onasi