Anime stereotypes

[Thundercleese]

Well, I haven't seen any anime besides everything on AS, and Dragonball Z/toonami shows. So i don't know much about it, but there are a lotta stereotypes I've heard about anime

Gore- I dunno if it's all like this, but I heard a lot of it is packed with gore....

Fantasy- Like Sailor Moon and stuff

Futuristic- Space travel, robots, ect.

There's more that don't come to mind...but I just wanna know, are all those stereotypes I've seen/heard just exaggerated?

[Jake]

It depends on the show. My two favorite anime shows are Hellsing and Cowboy Bebop. Cowboy Bebop has space travel, and Hellsing has gore.

[Xevo]

The first thing to realize about Japanese Animation is, to the Japanese, Anime is as much an art form as the movies are to Americans. There has been more money made in Japanese animated movies and TV shows than practically all non-Disney American animation combined, and that's just counting JAPANESE sales.

Honestly, if there's a certain genre or plot type that you can enjoy, I could point you to an anime that you would LOVE. There's just so much variety, and such beautiful artwork, that there's something out there for pretty much any taste.

To sum up, Anime is anything but stereotypical. American animation, on the other hand... Thank god for Adult Swim!!!!

[JETBLACK87]

there is a lot more anime then that kind of "stereotype". but thats the kind of stuff the americans like I guess.

[Xevo]

Yeah Jet, that's a good point, and it's what annoys me the most about American anime "fans."

They cite such trite and hackneyed movies as Akira and Ghost in the Shell as the pinnacle of Anime glory, when in reality they're just really popular and they don't want to sound stupid for liking something edgy...

I mean, I like what I like... I'll give just about anything a chance. I bet Pilot Candidate was a decent show before it got cut up for Toonami.

Anyway, the important thing is that even though the really POPULAR anime can be categorized or called "stereotypical," it's really no different than our own movies. I mean, I doubt anyone would call Mission Impossible: 2 or other sell-out action movies the best movies made in America, but in a lot of other countries they are really popular and can be considered stereotypical of American cinema even though they hardly represent the best we have to offer.

[shadeone]

anime fans will tell you that theres a LOT of difference between each show

normal people who dont watch it will tell you that there all the same....

simple as that..

shadeone

[bassist]

Originally posted by Xevo
They cite such trite and hackneyed movies as Akira and Ghost in the Shell as the pinnacle of Anime glory, when in reality they're just really popular and they don't want to sound stupid for liking something edgy...
I resent that. The majority of Americans don't have access to any anime besides movies like Akira and Ghost in the Shell. While I agree that Akira isn't as great as many people say, it's still a good film, and within the constraints of the standard "American" anime fan, it's one of the best out there.

As far as Ghost in the Shell is concerned, the vast majority of people, non "American" anime fans included, don't understand any of the movie simply because they're not educated in philosophy to the degree necessary. You can't dismiss something as crap simply because you don't understand it. On top of this, the majority of people who do think it's a great film base that solely on animation alone, which is a mistake in and of itself. Just like any movie, there's more to animation than the animation itself. Ghost in the Shell has some amazing voice acting, fabulous sound editing, an interesting plot (though it takes on too much), and a fair amount of action for those "American" fans.

If you were to ask me, I think the pinnacle of Animation to date is Waking Life. Not because it looks cool, but because it makes a point. No one likes crappy looking movies unless they mean something, and lots of people, be they wrong or right in doing so, prefer beautiful movies regarless of plot or meaning. These are the majority of Anime fans in all countries.

-Big Ben

[Spike04]

I am probably the only person in my whole damn town that knows about anime or even what it is. I'll try to tell my friends how damn cool cowboy bebop was last night or last week or something and they'll just laugh and say it's all the same "japanese cartoons."

And that my friends...well...it just pisses me off to an unknown extent

[Rei]

Just watch Pilot Candidate and you'll see plenty of stereotypes.

[ohmrbill]

There is one thing that nearly all anime shares in common: an abundance of either sci-fi or fantasy elements. There aren't very many animes that are completely down-to-earth (but then again if it was down-to-earth, there wouldn't be any need for it to be animated, would there?).

That doesn't mean they're all the same, though. For example, both Slayers and Berserk would fall under the "fantasy" category but they're completely different. Slayers is mostly light-hearted and goofy, while Berserk is very dark and serious.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Slayers is mostly goofy, but it does have its depressing moments. Even most of the villains (note, most, not all) are characters that you actually feel kinda sorry sorry for when they bite the big one. Probably the only Slayers villain I was actually GLAD to see go was the Chaos Dragon.

[Chubby_Cox4444]

i think theres a fare share of bounty hunter animes out there but i wouldnt go as far to say that you could stereotype them all into that categorey...take CBBB for instance....its made a name for itself and not just for being a bounty hunting anime...you know with the serious atitude and real life issues it deals with....the point is you really cant judge an anime by the first episode....anime has many layers of depth that dont even begin to show there face well through the series.....

....and with that the great anime guru chubby cox bids his followers farewell :D

[randomguy]

Thank you, Bassist, for singing the praises of Waking Life for me. Everyone here, don't be too quick to dismiss American animation- there is a TON of great American animation, it's simpy niche and very underground/independent. But it's out there. I resent people blasting the American scene, generalizing the entire population of said country (saying they don't view animation as an art for and that the Japanese do), when that's not true of everybody. There's an animation loving underground here which is growing rapidly and is defintely cause for excitement- give it twenty years and we'll be an animation powerhouse like Japan, I guarantee you.

Anyhow, I have to say that a lot of anime, is, yes, chock full of stereotypes. There are the Grave of the Fireflies' of the world that transcend these, but they're at least relatively rare. Recurring anime stereotypes:
-Youth. Nearly every character (main, that is) is under 25. Often in their teens. Anime just has this obsession about making everybody young. They don't act young, or look it, but for some reason, mecca pilots are almost always teenagers. Hell, Zechs Marquis from Gundam Wing is actually 19- now come on, how many nineteen year olds are like Zechs Marquise? There's just this weird thing about making everyone young... never quite understood it.
-Robots. 'Nuff said. Sometimes I think the show would be better without them. See: Big O.
-Bland Guy who mysteriously attracts multiple nubile females, or the Tenchi Muyo phenomenon.
-Every woman is model caliber. This is like in America too, but I still hate it. Anime is almost complete lacking in, y'know, reasonable looking women, and for that matter, mature women. I'm not a woman, but it seems highly prejudiced.


These are some of the ones that irk me a lot. I could think of more, but why waste time? And don't bother pointing out exceptions to me, I know they exist, but I still feel that the points above are the vast recurring themes.

[Jake]

I am probably the only person in my whole damn town that knows about anime or even what it is. I'll try to tell my friends how damn cool cowboy bebop was last night or last week or something and they'll just laugh and say it's all the same "japanese cartoons." And that my friends...well...it just pisses me off to an unknown extent

Wow. Ditto.

[ohmrbill]

-Robots. 'Nuff said. Sometimes I think the show would be better without them. See: Big O.

Heh, that reminds me of something Hideo Kojima said in the ZOE 2 interview at E3:

"Robot anime is part of Japanese compulsory education, so you sort of have to do it at some point.

I think he kinda sums that up, don't you? :D


-Bland Guy who mysteriously attracts multiple nubile females, or the Tenchi Muyo phenomenon.


That's actually considered more of it's own speaparate genre now (the "male fantasy" genre) than just a stereotype.

It’s probably a good idea to point out that, just like American TV, probably only about 5% of animes are truly original and groundbreaking, with the other 95% being a combination of rip-offs, re-ash, and utter crap.

[Jake]

Honestly, if there's a certain genre or plot type that you can enjoy, I could point you to an anime that you would LOVE. There's just so much variety, and such beautiful artwork, that there's something out there for pretty much any taste.

I know this is an AS board, but could you list some of your favorite, or PM me? Something I haven't probably already seen.

[Xevo]

I tend to like stuff that combines different ideas and tells an interesting story.

For example, although it isn't terribly original, I rather enjoy Dual: Parallel Trouble! because it's got the art look of Tenchi (same creators) and a sort of comedy twist on mecha anime (with a distinct knock-off feel of Eva).

Another would be Gasaraki. I think most people have heard of it by now, but it's by far the most realistic mech-type anime made, in my mind. It's sort of like "What if the Japanese had invented Battletech" and I think the story is pretty damn good too.

I have a lot of little favorites like that, been enjoying the 1st volume copy I have of Betterman.

Anyway, just watch as much as you can get your hands on is what I always say. Having a DVD player makes anime MUCH more accessible as well, especially if you have a Region 2 playable DVD player.

[Zero Angel]

yes there are a great deal of stereotypes in anime, i will just deal with the gerne stereotypes for the moment.

Pretty Soldier - ahh the Shoujo anime. Shoujo just means young girl but here in america Shoujo is that anime that has the transforming heroine in it that saves the world or a world from evil by using her magical talents and powers. insert the occasional powerup and additional ability between seasons. school girls in short fuku are common place as are bishonens.

examples - Magic Knight Rayearth, Card Captor Sakura, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Shamonic Princess.

Mecha - the stomping of giant metal robot feet fill the air. wheither it has a big ass robot or a piloted suit of mobile armor, if it has any mechanical suits it is mecha. this type of style has robots, plain and simple. the pilots of such mecha are ussually underdogs to start out with but turn out to be formidable opponents as they gain expirience in with the powerful mech. lots of flashy weapons and charcter designs here.

examples - Macross, Gundam, Giant Robo, Mazinger Z, Getter Robo.

Martial Arts - it may have plot, it may have character development but at the heart of this one...its all about the fighting. ussually you have a character with unlimited potential to do one thing, fight, and see how far he can be pushed to his limit before exploding. fighting styles and special attacks are king in this arena, at times females are busty...but for the most part the art is lacking.

examples - Yu Yu Hakushu, Dragon Ball, Fatal Fury, Ranma 1/2.

1 Guy, Lotsa Girls - the big thing of this anime is to see how long it takes the main guy love interest decide on a fem fatale. ussually he doesnt but it is enough to keep us all guessing throughout multiple series.

examples - Tenchi Muyo, Hand Maid May, Vandread, Love Hina.

Historical - history is a big part of japanese culture. weither the stories are true or not they follow the continuity of the history of japan quite well. interesting characters and tragedy ussually abound in this one.

examples - Kenshin, Barefoot Gen, Graveyard of the Fireflies.

Slice of Life - here you have the normal everyday life styled animes. what goes on in the typical day of a student? how are you supposed to pay that bill? how am i ever going to get that part time job? these are the questions raised in a Slice of Life anime. also known as the soap opera.

examples - Niea_7, Marmalade Boy, Kodomo no Omocha, Kimigare Orange Road, Kare Kano.

this is my lesson for now.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Then there are the animes that are just too strange to fit into a single genre. Although Furi Kuri MIGHT be able to be classified as a mecha anime, I think it's far to drugged up and off the wall to just to be lumped in with shows like Gundam and Macross.

Then again, with the creative minds behind Evangelion, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Kare Kano behind it, it has no excuse to NOT be odd.

[Zero Angel]

yes of coarse you have those animes that fail to fall into any real type of genre. things like FLCL have no true genre to go into. i suppose you could call it mecha, but that isnt the focus of the show. it could also fall into the slice of life category but then again it is way to outlandish and the problems facing the protagonist arent really all that common and ordinary.

FLCL is more like a David Lynch expirience. you are entertained and cant figure out what the hell just happened.

[JETBLACK87]

Perfect Blue is an anime thats not like any other I've seen and I think it's one of the best anime I've seen. it's like a Hitchcock movie and it's great.

[ohmrbill]

Originally posted by Zero Angel

Pretty Soldier - ahh the Shoujo anime. Shoujo just means young girl but here in america Shoujo is that anime that has the transforming heroine in it that saves the world or a world from evil by using her magical talents and powers. insert the occasional powerup and additional ability between seasons. school girls in short fuku are common place as are bishonens.

examples - Magic Knight Rayearth, Card Captor Sakura, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Shamonic Princess.



What you're describing there is the "Magical Girl" genre, not Shoujo. "Shoujo" anime is anything that is geared towards girls, just like "shounen" is anything geared toward boys. Yes, those examples you listed would fall under the "Shoujo" category, but things like Fushigi Yugi, DNAngel, and Mintna Bokura are also shoujo, but have no transforming girls in them whatsoever.

And just to add another genre to the list:

The "transported to another world" genre- these are about a normal person who gets magically transported to some magical world and goes on some sort of adventure. There's also almost always some sort of romance story involved.

examples- Fushigi Yugi, El Hazard, Inu Yasha, and Escaflowne

[Zero Angel]

i wasnt saying that all Magical Girl anime is called Shoujo i was simply making a statement that it is more oftenly refered to as Shoujo here in america. as a matter of fact i believe i call it the Pretty Soldier genre.

[Ben]

Originally posted by Zero Angel
Slice of Life - here you have the normal everyday life styled animes. what goes on in the typical day of a student? how are you supposed to pay that bill? how am i ever going to get that part time job? these are the questions raised in a Slice of Life anime. also known as the soap opera.

examples - Niea_7, Marmalade Boy, Kodomo no Omocha, Kimigare Orange Road, Kare Kano.

Slight spoilers in the next paragraph, but only if you take yourself too seriously.

I waaaaay disagree with the classification of NieA_7 as a "soap opera." The reason it's worthwhile is that ABe and his team make sure it rejects all the cliches the viewer expects. You expect it to be a realistic "slice of life" and then they throw the alien plant attacks at you. You expect it to be a romantic comedy when Genzo shows up but nothing happens. You expect a science fiction arc with the mothership, but... now I'm getting into spoiler territory. Watch the show. Although it's entirely different from Lain, it is similar in that it stays on the fringe of anime culture by not conforming to the conventions of typical genres.

Which leads me to the Japanese perception of anime in general. Someone said that the Japanese consider the art of anime similar to the art of movies. Another person said that the Japanese consider animation more of an art than we do here. I'd qualify both those statements.

The general Japanese population consider the art of anime similar to our art of professional wrestling or comic books. Most people still see it as an everpresent media strictly for superficial entertainment. Although the few glaring exceptions like Miyazaki and Evangelion have made inroads into this perception, most anime is still seen as conforming to the "Star Wars" level of artistic brilliance, that is, fun melodrama.

I believe that, while the variety and prevelance of animation in both countries is vastly different, the perception of animation is more similar than most anime fans want to admit. Art anime like Lain are for the most part relegated to the same corner there that films like Waking Life are here. That's why works like Ghost in the Shell seem more popular in America: first, they are part of an originally American genre (cyberpunk), and secondly, while they are wildly popular among the American anime fringe, they are also popular among the fringe in Japan. Satoshi Kon, the director of Perfect Blue and another one to color outside the lines of the anime industry, still hasn't gotten his new film, Millennium Actress, licensed in Japan. So many anime seem cliched and sterotyped because they are.

That doesn't mean they're not fun. I like to say that all the anime I own is either good or entertaining.

I will agree that Japan is a lot further along the road toward animation as a mainstream mature medium than America is. Witness Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion, Perfect Blue, and the other shows that break the mold or rearrange it in some way.

But as of now these are still the exception to the rule. There's plenty of terrible, childish anime that we never see here --and lots that we do.

[Xevo]

Yeah Perfect Blue is excellent, and the Lain series still confuses me =) It makes Eva look like a kid's novel =P

[Zero Angel]

very well said. i only classify Niea as being Slice of Life because it fits that mold more regularly...if you notice i also threw Kodocha there as well even though some of the actions are so out there.

any rate...

i agree whole heartedly that anime as an artform is simply psydo-entertainment. but on that same vein you also recognize that Miyazaki and Anno have done more then just creating carbon copy shows that work. and have taken that step towards true filming art. hell, Urotsitkodoji is taught at the NYU of Art as a class in animation styles.

the big point i think there is is the fact that anime has its own medium and levels there of like our own forms of tv and film.

you do have your ultra kiddy work. you do have your Saturday morning cartoons. you do have your prime time super shows. you do have the ultra racey late night material. you do have the porn. you do have the suspence thriller. you do have the soap opera...

this all means one thing : anime is not just a cartoon substance but encompasses more then that in the means of meaning and entertianment. you do have shows like Lain which have a huge artistic value, then again you do have Dragon Ball Z which is all entertainment value.

i suppose im just rehashing what some people have said but i thought i would just lay down how i feel about some of these things and show that im not blind to alot of what most people would seem to either miss or just shrug off.

thank you for this space.

[DJRed]

Holy Crap dude...
This whole thread has been one big ass lecture.... not that i'm complaining. It's very interesting. But could everyone do me a favor and go back and dumb down there posts so that I can read and understand them? And I wouldn't mind a brief explanation of each and every one of the anime shows mentioned in this thread.

God, I'm 17 and a moron.... I need a book.
:) :confused: :(

[Anyone00]

Can anyone remember the name of that Japanese magazine that did a poll (in Japan) of the most popular animated series of all time.
And the winner was:
Hidi- Girl of the Alps (sp?)

I think series were more familiar with like Mobile Suit Gundam ,Lupin III, Eva, and DragonBall were in the top 10.

[Zero Angel]

Originally posted by Anyone00
Can anyone remember the name of that Japanese magazine that did a poll (in Japan) of the most popular animated series of all time.
And the winner was:
Hidi- Girl of the Alps (sp?)

I think series were more familiar with like Mobile Suit Gundam ,Lupin III, Eva, and DragonBall were in the top 10.

the only one on there that was put into the top 10 was Lupin. i know Eva was number 74. im not sure where the others fell though.

as for the series that we have mentioned...geez...that would take a while for me to write a post explaining each of them. we shall see how i feel later.

[Xevo]

Yeah, guys, understand that we in America get roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of all anime translated and brought overseas to us. There are a TON of very popular shows that never see the light of day in America. This is for varying reasons -- either the show is just too "japanese" in its concepts, and american anime companies think we wouldn't be interested, or sometimes the companies can't afford the rights for it while it's still popular, etc. It's just funny that american anime fans, as a whole, think the anime WE love are also really popular in Japan, and often that's just not the case. I mean, how many people here talk about how much they love action movies from the late eighties or teen comedies from the early nineties? When it comes to American films, we easily forget older releases, just about the same way all but the absolute BEST anime gets forgotten in Japan as the new releases come out...

[Zero Angel]

on that list of best animes a majority of them were done in the 80's and early 90's. hell there was even Science Ninja Team Gatchaman on the list before Eva. and that one is closer to being almost 3 decades old now.

i must say though that it is nice that alot of material is being brought here faster now. i think this result is partially because of the fansubbers. the faster material is licensed the faster you can make the fansubbers illegal in actions and well...stop them.

heh...that be damned i still bought RoD just this past weekend at JACON.

[JETBLACK87]

and the Cowboy Bebop movie had the I think number one selling dvd in Japan at the beginning of this year.

[Xevo]

Right, I'm not saying older stuff is UNPOPULAR, just that in Japan they don't worship some of the shows the way American fans do who are only just now seeing some of the older anime shows.

[Lachesis]

Originally posted by Anyone00

And the winner was:
Hidi- Girl of the Alps (sp?)


HEIDI. The winner was a 70s adaptation of Heidi that launched the long-running World Children's Theater.

Having just finished watcing "Nadia: the Secret of Blue Water" (awesome ending - I want that tank!) and "Hana Yori Dango," I have to agree that the popular titles in the US today just aren't representative of the scope of stuff that's been produced in Japan. Sitcoms, romance titles, and comedies in general are widely ignored unless they have sc-fi or fantasy leanings. For instance, one of the most popular shows in Japan has been "Sazae-san" a family-centered sitcom that has been running since 1969 and has amassed over 1600 episodes. Another is "Detective Conan," about a teenager stuck in a kid's body who solves murders while trying to hide his identity. It's on its sixth season so far. I think somewhere between forty and fifty titles premiered in the last year. We only get a fraction of these, and predominantly the "genre" staples aimed at teenaged boys.

Oh, and I heard that Dreamworks picked up "Millenium Actress" for release sometime next year.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Detective Conan....I'd heard somewhere that FOX picked that up when they got Slayers, but it was never really proven right or wrong. Great series though. ^^

[Zero Angel]

Originally posted by Lachesis


Sitcoms, romance titles, and comedies in general are widely ignored unless they have sc-fi or fantasy leanings.

that is not true in the least...have you heard of GTO?

true the live action version of the show had the highest ratings ever for a tv show in Japan (with the series Finale) but the anime was equally popular and quite good to boot. the japanese just like quality material.

oh by the way...i love your Shadowlady avatar. is it from the movie or the tv series?

[DJRed]

Originally posted by Zero Angel
oh by the way...i love your Shadowlady avatar. is it from the movie or the tv series?

It's from Rockos Modern Life... I think.
Looks about right to me.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Y'mean Lachesis' avatar? I think it's one of the Shadow Girls from Revolutionary Girl Utena, but I've forgotten which one she is.

[Lachesis]

Originally posted by Zero Angel


that is not true in the least...have you heard of GTO?

true the live action version of the show had the highest ratings ever for a tv show in Japan (with the series Finale) but the anime was equally popular and quite good to boot. the japanese just like quality material.

oh by the way...i love your Shadowlady avatar. is it from the movie or the tv series?

Sorry, I meant that they're ignored by U.S. distributors. That was the point I was trying to make. I think the only exception I've seen recently is Love Hina.

The shadow girl is from Revolutionary Girl Utena. I think this one's B-ko. I have a few of the others around here somewhere. . .

[Opaque]

people will gweneralize everything. who cares about stereotypes, by definition they are not fact, just stereotypes.