What is so great about Anime?

[Texas America Murphy]

Dear Nerds, explain to me what the heck the deal with Anime is.

A little bit of background before we collectively explore this artistic train wreck you call ?Japanimation.?

I?m a film student at the University of Texas. I have never seen an Anime before yesterday. I like to think that I give everything I watch a fair shake. Hell, I even watched an Irani film once. Now, my girlfriend Leanne is a member of our school's anime club, which meets every Friday night. Normally I don?t go with her because my JROTC usually meets on Fridays, but last night I was free because it was Christmas Eve (and its Winter Break), and my girlfriend invited me to have an ?Anime Christmas? with her and her friends who live in the area.

So I walk into the living room and there are these girls dressed up in these weird costumes and stuff. One of them runs up to me and shouts something like ?Cowiie Desi.? So I?m put off, but still determined to see what the big fuss is about. DVDs go in the player and I?m treated to what my girlfriend tells me is the most popular Animes.

First off we watched Naruto. I?ve seen German Art House cinema that made more sense than this. I guess it was about Ninjas, but they were all wearing orange jumpsuits? At no point did any of the plot make sense or any of the characters develop.

After that we watched two episodes of Code Geuess. It was like walking into a Mexican soap opera midway through the plot. Everyone was pulling gambits and double gambits and Russian reversals. I didn?t know who was betraying whom, and I don?t think those cardboard cutouts did either. Also, why is Britain invading Japan? We already did that!

Finally, we watched an episode of this thing Guren Lagan. It felt like I was six years old and watching Power Rangers again. You?d think this would be a compliment. A sort of return to youth. But even at 6 I was doubtful of the artistic validity of Power Rangers. Also, the fact that every character on that show was sexually attracted to a 12 year old girl is incredibly disturbing. Is this okay in Japan?

Some basic research reveals that these shows are some of the most popular Anime both here and in Japan. Why is it so popular? What is so great about these shows? I?m so confused. Nothing anyone does makes any sense, the characters are all cliches, and nothing ever actually happens.

I couldn?t help but notice that virtually half the people on this board of some sort of Anime character as their avatar, so obviously people here love it and its popular. But for all my education I cannot possibly comprehend why people call this ?art.? I was hoping that maybe y?all could enlighten me. There must be something I am missing

Edited for spelling.

 

[SturmDolch]

Beats me, but a lot of people like it. I personally hate it, and the entire sub-culture it's spawned of weeaboo Japanophiles that would probably get made fun of if they ever went to Japan. But it's preference, that's all. I'll laugh at you for liking it, but you might laugh at me for liking Harry Potter and Tron.

You're a film student with an avatar from an old western film. There are a lot of people that will say the same thing about westerns that you said about anime. They make no sense, they're boring, they're self-indulgent, and they go no where. Of course, I disagree, but that's the beauty of humanity: we can have individual opinions.

But one factor behind the success of anime is definitely the recent idea that anything that Japan does or makes is automatically awesome and superior to anything "western". I'm not sure where this came from. Go ahead and like anime because you enjoy the story, or the art style. But it's very annoying to hear "because it's from Japan!!!" as a reason for liking something or thinking it's better.

 

[skitzo van]

Personal preference? Isn't that why anything is popular?

 

[D Moness]

well like they say different taste for different people.

Just as easy as to explain What is so great about books? (or movies or gaming or american animation)

 

[Xelt]

To be fair, watching a couple of episodes isn't enough either, your description of Code Geass, well, it explains that Britania is the worlds Super-power and are taking over Japan, also known as Area 11.

 

[Gigano]

There's nothing inherently "great" about Anime, as little as "Hollywood movie" is any kind of automatic quality stamp. The best and the worst can be found among it.

Try watch Grave of the Fireflies for an example of something different from the shows you mention (which all seem to be directed at teenage boys, I believe).

 

[delet]

Your first mistake is going to an anime club. Those are rarely ever good.

Anime is just another form of entertainment, and just like your standard Western films, there's a lot of shit. It's also not going to make much sense if you start watching half way through instead of from the beginning.

You've got to search through for some of the better gems instead of watching the amazing amount of shit that comes out of the industry.

 

[UnderCoverGuest]

Awesome topic. Awesome story, Texas America Murphy. Good question.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

You didn't really watch 'good' examples of anime. If you want the best the medium has to offer, watch stuff like Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

 

[Texas America Murphy]

well like they say different taste for different people.

Just as easy as to explain What is so great about books? (or movies or gaming or american animation)

But you can objectively quantify the qualities of the things. "Books are great because they allow for serious long form character explanation and a handling of emotions and sensory inputs that an otherwise constraining visual medium like film disallows."

To be fair, watching a couple of episodes isn't enough either, your description of Code Geass, well, it explains that Britania is the worlds Super-power and are taking over Japan, also known as Area 11.

That is silly.

Beats me, but a lot of people like it. I personally hate it, and the entire sub-culture it's spawned of weeaboo Japanophiles that would probably get made fun of if they ever went to Japan. But it's preference, that's all. I'll laugh at you for liking it, but you might laugh at me for liking Harry Potter and Tron.

You're a film student with an avatar from an old western film. There are a lot of people that will say the same thing about westerns that you said about anime. They make no sense, they're boring, they're self-indulgent, and they go no where. Of course, I disagree, but that's the beauty of humanity: we can have individual opinions.

But one factor behind the success of anime is definitely the recent idea that anything that Japan does or makes is automatically awesome and superior to anything "western". I'm not sure where this came from. Go ahead and like anime because you enjoy the story, or the art style. But it's very annoying to hear "because it's from Japan!!!" as a reason for liking something or thinking it's better.

Right, but how did we get from "Japan is a country we nuked" to "Japan makes the bestest movies ever!"

Like, I've met some people on the internet who get really really up in arms about anime.

Also Sergio Leon movies are objectively good and make perfect sense and anyone who disagrees with that assertion is scientifically wrong.

 

[Lisiecki]

I?m a film student at the University of Texas.

That's AWESOME!

Now, my girlfriend Leanne is a member of our school's anime club, which meets every Friday night. Normally I don?t go with her because my JROTC usually meets on Fridays, but last night I was free because it was Christmas Eve (and its Winter Break), and my girlfriend invited me to have an ?Anime Christmas? with her and her friends who live in the area.

Have you asked your girlfriend why its popular?
I mean shes right there, she, I'm assuming, spends a fair amount of time with you. If shes a member of the anime club, then I'm assuming she likes anime, or is a special kind of masochist, why does SHE like anime

So I walk into the living room and there are these girls dressed up in these weird costumes and stuff. One of them runs up to me and shouts something like ?Cowiie Desi.? So I?m put off, but still determined to see what the big fuss is about.

Whats that have to do with the price of tea in China?

Annoying fandom = bad media?

After that we watched two episodes of Code Geuess. It was like walking into a Mexican soap opera midway through the plot. Everyone was pulling gambits and double gambits and Russian reversals. I didn?t know who was betraying whom, and I don?t think those cardboard cutouts did either. Also, why is Britain invading Japan? We already did that!

So, you don't like movies where there are gambits and double gambits and such?
That happens ALOT in live action cinema, infact, whats so great about live action cinema?

And your right, fictional storyline should NEVER reflect things that have already happens in real life

Some basic research reveals that these shows are some of the most popular Anime both here and in Japan. Why is it so popular? What is so great about these shows? I?m so confused. Nothing anyone does makes any sense, the characters are all cliches, and nothing ever actually happens.

At the moment, yes they are popular, over the life of the medias existence, not really

I couldn?t help but notice that virtually half the people on this board of some sort of Anime character as their avatar, so obviously people here love it and its popular. But for all my education I cannot possibly comprehend why people call this ?art.? I was hoping that maybe y?all could enlighten me. There must be something I am missing

So, if some one were to show you the three most popular movies out today
LITTLE FOCKERS, TRON LEGACY and YOGI BEAR, the artistic merits of American film would be clear to you?



Edited for spelling.[/quote]

 

[MassiveGeek]

I used to be totally sold on anime and manga - I still like it, but it's not my first place to visit when I'm bored anymore, so to speak.

This I've been thinking about: it is extremely difficult to explain anime to someone who does not watch anime. Mostly because that's the only time you hear how extremely messed up the stories really are. And I have to say too, that Naruto is a terrible anime; great potential with a ton of interesting character, but as you said, no development and a crap story(IMO, don't kill me fanboys/girls). It is however extremely popular, I'd think because the first book or the manga opens up with a huge shriek to call all the yaoi(boy on boy anime/manga) fans.

I think it's popular because of the visual artstyle, the wacky stories and the whole absurdity of it all - when you get into an anime... it really sinks in. And it can have a deep effect on you.

If you do decide to watch anime again, I recommend you watch Kino no Tabi, or, Kino's Journey. It is an absurd story about the traveler Kino, a young girl, with her friend and... well, vehicle, the talking bike Hermes. Throughout their journeys they meet interesting characters, experience different countries cultures and such, it's very interesting and sort of a mind fuck. It's at least tons better than Naruto.

 

[Harker067]

Yeah this could be like asking whats good about comic books (graphic novels if you prefer that moniker), or puppet shows or television. Anime is just a medium and is no better or worse then what you do with it.

 

[Broderick]

As people said above, you can replace the word "anime" with just about any other form of media. Words like "good" and "great" are subjective, and people just like different things. People also like different things for different reasons; one person may not watch, play, eat whatever for the same reasons another person might. So there you go.

 

[UrbanCohort]

I dunno, I just watch it. Someone on the Escapist ("Yahtzee" I think) said that hating anime as a whole is rather uninformed because anime is a medium, not a genre (paraphrase).

And yeah, when you got a set of shows that ranges from a Dora the Explorer equivalent (that would be your Pokemon, Naruto, or Sailor Moon) to guys hacking other guys who are hacking girls to death with a spatula, I think it's pretty wrong to just call it a single 'genre' and have done with it.

Anyways, that's kind of off-point but I watch it because I like it, and I won't apologize for it. I watch Family Guy for the same reason.

 

[Texas America Murphy]

The problem is that y'all are confusing medium with genre. Medium is a form of presentation. Anime I guess would be a subset of film. I hear they also do comics.

Genres can be argued for though. Genres and the individual works of art in it can be argued on a serious critical level. "Its just a medium" isn't only wrong, it's a cop out.

 

[D Moness]

well like they say different taste for different people.

Just as easy as to explain What is so great about books? (or movies or gaming or american animation)

But you can objectively quantify the qualities of the things. "Books are great because they allow for serious long form character explanation and a handling of emotions and sensory inputs that an otherwise constraining visual medium like film disallows."

Most animes are 24 eps series that most of the time tell a full story. Just watching 1 eps can not give you the complete story (just as watching 1 or 2 eps of stargate sg1 tells you what the story is about).

even more most anime's are based on still running manga(grafic novel) series so the anime series are long running (as like naruto).

Please do not base your opinion on a few eps you seen that is part of a long story/serie

 

[Best of the 3]

Think that like books they are diverse and there are usually a lot of different types. Anime is like that in that there is something for everyone story wise (or not, some don't really have stories) and they are done in a visually interesting and engaging ary style. That's just my take on it anyway.