Americans in Anime: Stereotypes?

[surforst]

Considering that they tend to show Americans as
a) Big dumb strong guy
b) whimpy evil dude
c) insert other
Lets face it some of them still hold a grudge against us for the last war.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Originally posted by surforst
Considering that they tend to show Americans as
a) Big dumb strong guy
b) whimpy evil dude
c) insert other
Lets face it some of them still hold a grudge against us for the last war.

You can't just say "insert other," 'cause that covers an insane range of characters that you've never seen and just assume that all Americans in anime suck.

While the actual anime of Weiss Kreuz was bad, I still say Brad Crawford (Oracle) was one of the coolest Americans to come out of anime. Calm, collected, scary when he needed to be, an expert shot, a strategist, and to top it all of, a pre-cog. And a very fine-looking one at that.

K (Michael Winchester) from Gravitation is one of the odd ones too. How can you not like a former secret agent working as a band's manager? Add in the fact he has NO patience, a short temper, and is extremely trigger-happy, and he's a fun character. ^^

[Ben]

Originally posted by surforst
Considering that they tend to show Americans as
a) Big dumb strong guy
b) whimpy evil dude
c) insert other
Lets face it some of them still hold a grudge against us for the last war.

Umm... what about Duo from Gundam Wing? And everyone in Gunsmith Cats? And Sara from Love Hina? And the American officers in Gasaraki? And Sara (whoa, weird coincidence) from Now and Then, Here and There? I think you see my point. Maybe it used to be the norm to stereotype Americans in anime, but it certainly isn't anymore and it hasn't been for a while now.

And to suggest that the Japanese "hold a grudge" for WWII is an uninformed speculation. We rebuilt their country. They've considered us their closest ally since the late 50s. It is strange to see a non-Japanese walking down the street in Japan, but it's human nature to shy away from the unfamiliar. As to makers of anime, if you've been to a single convention you know the creators of these shows have pretty much universal love for their American fans.

When I visited Japan, I was received with nothing but open arms, not only from the people involved involved in my exchange program, but from everyone I met. I have talked to others who have had slightly worse experiences (shopkeepers growing nervous and refusing to speak to them in Japanese) but never, ever have I heard of a grudge left over from the war.

[surforst]

I don't know I've seen some stuff that hints at it. I'm not saying the country on a whole but some of them do. As for the sterotype it was meant as a sterotype. Nothing more. Just a little joke. If anyone was offended I apoligize I found this statement elsewhere on the web and it just cracked me up. I'll remember in the future also not to include anything like insert here or stuff. New here and I haven't yet felt out what you people accept in the way of jokes and discussions. My apologizes.

[Ben]

Originally posted by surforst
I don't know I've seen some stuff that hints at it. I'm not saying the country on a whole but some of them do. As for the sterotype it was meant as a sterotype. Nothing more. Just a little joke. If anyone was offended I apoligize I found this statement elsewhere on the web and it just cracked me up. I'll remember in the future also not to include anything like insert here or stuff. New here and I haven't yet felt out what you people accept in the way of jokes and discussions. My apologizes.

I don't mean to discouage you. I just don't think people realized it was a joke (you really didn't let on that it was supposed to be interpreted as such). I'm not offended, I just disagreed. It's allowed.

[surforst]

Originally posted by Twage
I don't mean to discouage you. I just don't think people realized it was a joke (you really didn't let on that it was supposed to be interpreted as such). I'm not offended, I just disagreed. It's allowed.

Sorry about that. I tend to act all serious when I joke. I think it adds to the flavor of it if the person is busy trying to figure out if I'm serious or not. Much more fun but I tend to forget that its hard to tell when its all just text. I'll remember to give a few more hints about it being a joke. Wish I could remember the anime though that made me go "defintly an anti-american theme here". I know I've seen it somewhere I just can't remember.

[Ben]

Originally posted by surforst
Wish I could remember the anime though that made me go "defintly an anti-american theme here". I know I've seen it somewhere I just can't remember.

Well, Metropolis springs to mind with its stereotyped Western-looking character designs.

[ohmrbill]

Actually, though it doesn't fit what surforst mentioned, 99% of the time, Americans are portrayed as obnoxious loudmouths in anime.

With good reason, though. Americans ARE, as a whole, typically much louder and more talkative than Japanese people are.

[RZetlin]

Originally posted by SSJ Gohan 64
Not Japanese high schools, American high schools.

This is like asking why America doesn't create shows about Japanese high schools.

[Ben]

Originally posted by ohmrbill
Actually, though it doesn't fit what surforst mentioned, 99% of the time, Americans are portrayed as obnoxious loudmouths in anime.

With good reason, though. Americans ARE, as a whole, typically much louder and more talkative than Japanese people are.

Exactly. Remember the Navajo saying, "White people don't listen. They just wait for their turn to talk."

[Gary L Thompson]

Originally posted by Twage
Umm... what about Duo from Gundam Wing? And everyone in Gunsmith Cats? And Sara from Love Hina? And the American officers in Gasaraki? And Sara (whoa, weird coincidence) from Now and Then, Here and There? I think you see my point. Maybe it used to be the norm to stereotype Americans in anime, but it certainly isn't anymore and it hasn't been for a while now.

I can think of some other great characters. How about Jimminy Crockett from G Gundam? That episode in which he recalls how his mother used to sing "America the Beautiful" was actually very touching. How about the shrine maiden who ended up raised in America, and working for the U.S. Government in "Blue Seed?" Or the Japanese-American police officer who practically oozed cool in Patlabor?

Getting back on-topic here, I'd have to say "Fighting Foodons" (I suspect that's not its name in Japan) has to be about the looniest premises to come down the pike in a while. But it works, even though it's obvious we're not meant to take it too seriously....like the cliche scene of our hero parting from his lady love on shore--and ending up thrown back onto the beach by a wave. Or the typical scene of the mastermind doing away with his minion for failing against our heroes too often--and the minion leaps back out of the trap door, sharks hanging on to every limb, still insisting he will defeat the heroes if given one more chance.

Then there's the show going on in Japan right now in which Japan has entrusted its entire defense forces to elementary school girls to protect the nation from alien invasion....

[surforst]

Originally posted by Gary L Thompson
I can think of some other great characters. How about Jimminy Crockett from G Gundam? That episode in which he recalls how his mother used to sing "America the Beautiful" was actually very touching. Then there's the show going on in Japan right now in which Japan has entrusted its entire defense forces to elementary school girls to protect the nation from alien invasion....

Alright to comment. I though that the jimmy cricket thing was just dumb. Americans don't go around singing the national atheme to their kids to send them off to sleep. That show put too many people in sterotypical caterogries *liberty cannon come on*

Now to move one. I don't know if the show about the school girls fighting off invaders is a good example. I heard it stunk. ONe of the reviews I read.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Originally posted by Gary L Thompson
I can think of some other great characters. How about Jimminy Crockett from G Gundam? That episode in which he recalls how his mother used to sing "America the Beautiful" was actually very touching.

::snicker:: You're crossing references there. It's "Chibodee" Crockett, not Jimminy. ^^;;;;;;;;

[Charred Knight]

Originally posted by Twage
Umm... what about Duo from Gundam Wing? And everyone in Gunsmith Cats? And Sara from Love Hina? And the American officers in Gasaraki? And Sara (whoa, weird coincidence) from Now and Then, Here and There? I think you see my point. Maybe it used to be the norm to stereotype Americans in anime, but it certainly isn't anymore and it hasn't been for a while now.

And to suggest that the Japanese "hold a grudge" for WWII is an uninformed speculation. We rebuilt their country. They've considered us their closest ally since the late 50s. It is strange to see a non-Japanese walking down the street in Japan, but it's human nature to shy away from the unfamiliar. As to makers of anime, if you've been to a single convention you know the creators of these shows have pretty much universal love for their American fans.

When I visited Japan, I was received with nothing but open arms, not only from the people involved involved in my exchange program, but from everyone I met. I have talked to others who have had slightly worse experiences (shopkeepers growing nervous and refusing to speak to them in Japanese) but never, ever have I heard of a grudge left over from the war.

exactly, the Japanese love us.

Why else do you think that all Japanese learn basic English.

If you look at G Gundam, their is a lot of English used. Chibodee's entire thing was that he spoke a lot of english phrases.

If you look at Japanese songs a lot of time theirs english words in them. A lot of Japanese song titles are English. Hell Naruto's ending is entirely in English.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Originally posted by Charred Knight

If you look at G Gundam, their is a lot of English used. Chibodee's entire thing was that he spoke a lot of english phrases.

Gravitation too. K's dialogue is peppered with English.

[RZetlin]

Originally posted by Charred Knight
exactly, the Japanese love us.

Why else do you think that all Japanese learn basic English.

If you look at G Gundam, their is a lot of English used. Chibodee's entire thing was that he spoke a lot of english phrases.

If you look at Japanese songs a lot of time theirs english words in them. A lot of Japanese song titles are English. Hell Naruto's ending is entirely in English.

The Japanese are interested in America, but love...that is stretching it a little far.

Considering you got a poll like this.

[Ben]

Originally posted by RZetlin
The Japanese are interested in America, but love...that is stretching it a little far.

Considering you got a poll like this.

They don't necessarily like America. They like Americans. There's a big difference between the government and the people. I don't have to tell you there are a lot of people here who also aren't too happy about what they see as war-mongering on the part of Bush. But that's an entirely different subject.

In fact, this is such a different subject I think I will separate it. Magical... Gorgeous... Split Thread Attack of Destruction!

[andrael]

Originally posted by surforst
Alright to comment. I though that the jimmy cricket thing was just dumb. Americans don't go around singing the national atheme to their kids to send them off to sleep. That show put too many people in sterotypical caterogries *liberty cannon come on*

I personally think it's funny to see Americans pigeonholed into silly stereotypes for once, seeing as how for ages American cartoons and TV shows have stereotyped people from other countries and cultures. I was raised on a steady diet of American cartoons where British people always said "jolly good show", Russian people always called each other "comrade", and Japanese people were constantly talking about honor and eating raw fish.

And the Japanese are far from the only ones to stereotype Americans. I think the stereotype of the loud, obnoxious American exists pretty much everywhere.

[Chris Wood]

There are plenty of foreign nationalities (the French, British, and Chinese spring to mind) who suffer from stereotypes in American entertainment as well, and it's not because of a grudge or anything. It's only natural. It's easier for the audience to identify with simple, exaggerrated cliches.

As for Japan's relationship with the US, most Japanese like American things such as music, movies, etc (but not cars). There are many Japanese who like Americans, and the concept of the American Dream.

However, there are also many Japanese who dislike the American government (also many who have not forgotten Hiroshima), and some who dislike Americans along with Westerners in general.

So love is really too strong a word. It is on the whole an amicable relationship, and let's leave it at that.

[Elven Moon]

What confuses me is why we're almost always portrayed with blonde hair and blue eyes... I could provide many examples ~ Sara from Love Hina, a gaijin walking down the street in Azumanga Daioh, the guy in Marmalade Boy ((don't know his name)), etc. Why is that?! We're a mixing pot of cultures, and yet portrayed with those features?