Why the high school setting?

[GameNeo]

As the title says, why do almost all anime have a setting in high school? I can understand if the target audience is for teenagers but hell even some adult themed anime has a 85% chance to be in a high school. If it has to be in a school setting, why are university so rare? is the college setting just not a popular trope?

Either way, its quite annoying to watch a bunch of high schoolers talk only about love at that age when there is so much more shit to concentrate on at that age. I would love to see an anime start in a high school and progress into a college setting for once. I mean hell they even has middle school into high school, so why stop there?

 

[Marter]

Everyone can relate to high school? I dunno?

 

[PrimoThePro]

Well that's the thing, it's the closest to being an adult, but still having that little bit of childishness necessary to, I don't know, achieve Bankai. But I hear you, they do that bit to hell.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

I have honestly never seen an anime set in a high school.
I've heard of them. Perhaps just watch something else?

Spoiler: Setting this in a high school would just be weird

 

[GameNeo]

I have honestly never seen an anime set in a high school.
I've heard of them. Perhaps just watch something else?

Spoiler: Setting this in a high school would just be weird

Oh I have, the problem is when you get done with all the good stuff (like hellsing)and if you are new to this medium and crave some more, your going to have to go through alot of anime with this setting...its annoying at time but with the right story, settings and characters it can really shine.

 

[Lilani]

Well:

1. The primary age group most anime aims for can relate to high school, whether they are currently attending or did so recently.

2. High school is a time where interpersonal drama is at a high for many (relationships, cliques, rivalries and the like)

3. It is also is a time of change and transition for many (learning to be independent, gaining self-identity, exploring sexuality, learning life-lessons, etc.)

4. It is an age group that is typically looking for ways to push the boundaries rather than trying to settle down and be responsible.

5. The age group also offers a lot of room for immaturity, and automatically opens up a huge repertoire of lessons and morals to be learned (whether to go to a party or study, or whether to go on that date or go beat up that alien that's eating people in downtown).

So...yeah. Lots of stories, characters, and most importantly stereotypes ripe for the picking when it comes to high school dramas.

 

[Loop Stricken]

As the title says, why do almost all anime have a setting in high school?

Jailbait. It is anime after all.

 

[Railgun88]

I have honestly never seen an anime set in a high school.
I've heard of them. Perhaps just watch something else?

Spoiler: Setting this in a high school would just be weird

Oh I have, the problem is when you get done with all the good stuff (like hellsing)and if you are new to this medium and crave some more, your going to have to go through alot of anime with this setting...its annoying at time but with the right story, settings and characters it can really shine.

A perfect example would be Clannad, imo.

 

[GameNeo]

As the title says, why do almost all anime have a setting in high school?

Jailbait. It is anime after all.

>.> I was hoping to ignore that trope but yea...major jailbait...

I have honestly never seen an anime set in a high school.
I've heard of them. Perhaps just watch something else?

Spoiler: Setting this in a high school would just be weird

Oh I have, the problem is when you get done with all the good stuff (like hellsing)and if you are new to this medium and crave some more, your going to have to go through alot of anime with this setting...its annoying at time but with the right story, settings and characters it can really shine.

A perfect example would be Clannad, imo.

Exactly.
And whats great is clannad moves away from the setting into adult life with heavy, depressing settings.

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

I'm going to have to go with "target audience" and "relatability" the simple fact of the matter is that most people (at least in the western world from what I've seen) that watch anime are the highschool age kids and maybe a little older. There is a much wider selection of anime in Japan that doesn't get released in the western markets. Since they don't get released though, I'm not sure if those are as focused on the highschool thing as others.

 

[smearyllama]

OOOOOHH! Aren't a large number of the Shin Megami Tensei series set in highschools?

Anyway, it's pretty much because no one wants to watch anime about the type of people who watch anime. So, if we use a formula of X times Y times 2 (Red Alert 2 reference, if you get it), we can assume that highschool is a good setting for anime.

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

I have honestly never seen an anime set in a high school.
I've heard of them. Perhaps just watch something else?

Spoiler: Setting this in a high school would just be weird

Oh I have, the problem is when you get done with all the good stuff (like hellsing)and if you are new to this medium and crave some more, your going to have to go through alot of anime with this setting...its annoying at time but with the right story, settings and characters it can really shine.

A perfect example would be Clannad, imo.

That. Clannad pretty much makes this argument null and void, though I do see the OP's issue with it.
Most anime is geared towards teenagers, after all. And teenagers relate more with high school than most any other setting.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

I don't know. My uninformed and incredibly mind seems to think that anime/manga only holds appeal for cynical, emo, highschoolers, and so the setting is appropriate to the audience, but I know that CAN'T be true, because someone might get offended.

 

[dex-dex]

Japanese audiences see the hero archetype as a young guy or gal. They will not accept anything else they will not accept a thirty year old going out to kick Satan's ass.

Since this is a society that a serious fetish with youth, of course they are going to place shows in places where young people hang out the most,secondary school.

It is a cultural thing to have young people in the spotlight.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

It gives an excuse to use school girls

Probably because its something we've all been through. Not every has been through the same things people in the anime experience, but one thing they can relate to is the drudgery of high school.

 

[Stalk3rchief]

It's been said time and again, teens love anime. Not to mention that Japan is obsessed with their schoolgirls. All of the men want them and plus it's a pretty densely populated country, so the schools are everywhere. Plus Japanese school is unique to their culture, idk of any other places that make you put your shoes in a locker and swap out (though not all Japanese schools do it that way).
Idk how to explain why they do, but I do know that it isn't that surprising to me. It's just Japan.

 

[blind_dead_mcjones]

because in recent years since haruhi became a big hit, the studios and producers discovered that high school romantic comedies and borderline creepy moe are what sell to the hugely repressed social outcasts with massive disposable incomes that are present in their society.

 

[Hashime]

So perverted artists have an easier time

 

[GameNeo]

Japanese audiences see the hero archetype as a young guy or gal. They will not accept anything else they will not accept a thirty year old going out to kick Satan's ass.

Since this is a society that a serious fetish with youth, of course they are going to place shows in places where young people hang out the most,secondary school.

It is a cultural thing to have young people in the spotlight.

I guess but sheesh do they love em young...

because in recent years since haruhi became a big hit, the studios and producers discovered that high school romantic comedies and borderline creepy moe are what sell to the hugely repressed social outcasts with massive disposable incomes that are present in their society.

Was haru really that big of a hit? Personally I found it enjoyable but I couldnt see it catching on pretty big.

 

[jaketaz]

Yeah, but love is all people worry about in high school. That and other stupid drama. High school is the perfect setting because it allows them to make everyone beautiful and young and super emotional, and then they don't have to come up with interesting plots. They can just spam you with stupid drama.