What is it with nerds and anime?
- Thread starter Zhukov
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Pretty much this, not to mention the fact that getting into certain anime plot-wise requires dedication and more than a few visits to Wikipedia.tomtom94 said:
Personally I'm not much into anime. That's because of the difficulty there is getting into it which can be due to not a whole lot of mainstream exposure and a generally hardcore fanbase, same reason I never got into comic books.
And is it just me or do alot of anime fans not really enjoy more...traditional, nerdy things like, say, D&D ironically because of the "nerdy" stigma surrounding it?
Fixed that for ya.Naheal said:
OT: I'm not a fan of it solely because I've only seen ones with horrible stories, and thus have given up seeking it out.
I'm not saying I've seen it done, nor that it's even been done at all outside of anime. I'm just saying that it could easily be done in any medium.Naheal said:
I've noticed that there's a general overlap between people particularly into video games and into anime (look at the avatars around here, for example, and we're hardly exceptional for a gaming forum). There could be many explanations for this, but I'd say it can be summarized as Pokemon (actually a stand-in for a more complex, aka stupid, theory I have).
Basically, whatever attracts nerds to video games seems to attract many of them to anime. There's probably a variety of other factors as well (anime, generally speaking, isn't too far off from other stereotypical nerd interests like sci-fi).
I predict BonsaiK will come in with his strange-but-interesting analysis of these kind of things.
Basically, whatever attracts nerds to video games seems to attract many of them to anime. There's probably a variety of other factors as well (anime, generally speaking, isn't too far off from other stereotypical nerd interests like sci-fi).
I predict BonsaiK will come in with his strange-but-interesting analysis of these kind of things.
A bit ignorant dude. Just because they share the same medium doesn't make then the same thing.Zhukov said:
T.V. and Movie both use film, and yet they are not the same. A comic book is like a T.V. show; it spans many issues, has long term plot archs and re-occuring characters. A grphic novel is more like a movie; it tells one basic plot arch in a short number of issues.
As for nerds and anime, I don't know what to say. I guess it would be more interesting than watching two teams off all men fight over a ball to win a pointless amount of points(cough sports cough)
Anime is different from sitcoms and American cartoons because its meant for older, more mature audiences.
In a typical American cartoon, its aimed for kids, not for adults.
And sitcoms are aimed for the whole family (sure they talk about sex and stuff but that's just the naughty stuff meant to attract younger viewers). They usually DO NOT go in a straight line, each episode is a separate story somewhat. So you won't miss anything if you start on episode 20. Character development in sitcoms are usually limited, with some episodes dedicated to big problems and then they never talk about it again.
Anime is like a visual novel. Its meant to tell a story as well as it can, with lots of details and character development (depends on the anime of course) so of course the audience is going to need to think more. You'll also have to watch the episodes in order to understand the story, since its like reading a novel. That's something the lowest common denominator (for lack of a better word) doesn't want to do.
As to why its uncool to be an engaged viewer, I can't answer that.
In a typical American cartoon, its aimed for kids, not for adults.
And sitcoms are aimed for the whole family (sure they talk about sex and stuff but that's just the naughty stuff meant to attract younger viewers). They usually DO NOT go in a straight line, each episode is a separate story somewhat. So you won't miss anything if you start on episode 20. Character development in sitcoms are usually limited, with some episodes dedicated to big problems and then they never talk about it again.
Anime is like a visual novel. Its meant to tell a story as well as it can, with lots of details and character development (depends on the anime of course) so of course the audience is going to need to think more. You'll also have to watch the episodes in order to understand the story, since its like reading a novel. That's something the lowest common denominator (for lack of a better word) doesn't want to do.
As to why its uncool to be an engaged viewer, I can't answer that.
Because anime is something that popular culture does not understand. It's animation that is serious, dramatic, and meaningful. It's an example of animation as a legitimate storytelling medium, no different than live-action film in its ability to portray serious drama and ethically significant issues. Most people (in America at least) don't understand that. Nerds are one of the few sub-cultures willing to look past misconceptions like "cartoons are for kids" to see the actual potential of anime as a storytelling medium. Everything nerds are into involves looking past ignorant pop-culture stereotypes, thus they become known as nerdy things.
It's simple (well at least my answer is). Anime is really just a form of television show. Most non-television shows don't appeal to nerds due to them being about things nerds aren't typically interested in. Nerds like anime because it's TV that's frequently about robots, aliens, big swords and other cool stuff. That's my theory.Zhukov said:
It really has to the with the foreignness of the medium and its views on perfection. Just to say, the Japanese art style has managed to encapsulate human norm into something completely strange and complex. If you look at any Anime character, perfect skin, toned eyes, and hair that looks like its been superglued together. It is an attraction to these "normalities" that draw the attention of "nerds" and the mixing in the fantastic that stimulates the "Holy shit" response in our brains, the same that video games give.
Also it has to do with the stigma of Japanese culture and formalities, the bowing, the wave, and generally how they act. It is foreign and people are attracted to it.
I am going to leave out the physical appeal that Japanese artists almost shamelessly use to make their characters more likable.
Add all of these together and you have yourself a potent mix that affects those "nerds" who like to seek out stimulus but cannot do so through physical means.
This is just my theory.
Also it has to do with the stigma of Japanese culture and formalities, the bowing, the wave, and generally how they act. It is foreign and people are attracted to it.
I am going to leave out the physical appeal that Japanese artists almost shamelessly use to make their characters more likable.
Add all of these together and you have yourself a potent mix that affects those "nerds" who like to seek out stimulus but cannot do so through physical means.
This is just my theory.
Well, yeah, I'm going to have to make the same point as a lot of people here.
What is defined as a 'nerd'?
I mean, I have friends who watch anime, who would definitely not be categorised as nerds, while on the other side, I know people who actually enjoy doing maths (freaks), read graphic novels, are into sci-fi, and all that, yet do not watch anime.
It's kind of a silly question, making assumptions that aren't held up, with bad correlations between facts.
Though, all in all, I hope that you can now say this;
'Curiosity; Satisfied.'
What is defined as a 'nerd'?
I mean, I have friends who watch anime, who would definitely not be categorised as nerds, while on the other side, I know people who actually enjoy doing maths (freaks), read graphic novels, are into sci-fi, and all that, yet do not watch anime.
It's kind of a silly question, making assumptions that aren't held up, with bad correlations between facts.
Though, all in all, I hope that you can now say this;
'Curiosity; Satisfied.'