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ON ANIME
I had this video in my head for a long time, and only gotten
around to make it now. This is a rather overwhelming topic, and I confess I struggle to find a way to adress
it properly, so please bear with me if I jump around a bit. As a fan, I belong
in the "casual" category: I occasionaly watch an anime, and I freely
confess I'm rather snobbish and I demand a lot from any media. I consider most
anime too crappy for me, but I also consider most books and movies the same, so
there you go. And maybe that's what makes me more suitable to tackle this.
We'll see.
If you are a fan of anime, you surely faced a lot of
prejudice. People looking down on you, or considering you weird for watching
it, since they consider it childish or stupid. Even friends and family. This
can hurt and even more importantly, it can irriate and cause depression as one
feels helpless in the face of such...atmosphere. But from where does it come from?
The simplest answer would be misinformation/ignorance. But
that is only one of the causes, and the second cause might be far more
important. Both causes are interconnected, so we will start with the first
one...misinformation.
Can you really blame poeple? Think a bit what exposure to
information regarding the subject people have? The vast majority know nothing
about anime other than what they occasionaly see on TV commercials or glimpse a
kid watching. This gives them as much of an insight into anime as watching
"The Grinch" movie gives you insight into all movies. And I say "all"
because anime is a very wide net to cast. it is no different than saying
"Holywood movie". One doesn't say much with that. Which movie? What
genre? What director? When was it made? And so on.. Two movies can be so
utterly diverse that any general claims on the value of all movies is null and
void. The same holds true for anime. There are numerous art stlyes - raging
from realisticly drawn people to total caricatures with giganormeous eyes
(altough styles like this are mostly used for comedic anime). Like in movies,
there are plenty of different genres. And anime also changes with time within a
genre: consider holywood action movies of the 80's and today.. Same thing.
Now immagine if an alien comes to Earth and asks to see a
movie. And he happens to see whatever movie you consider to be horrible or made
for kids. If he were to claim to you that movies are rubbish and earthlings are
stupid for watching them, you'd go "hold on. That's not right. You cannot judge all moves
based on that." And thats exactly
what a whole lot of people do when judging anime.
I said before that misinformation is a smaller problem.
That's because human psyche and culture can make it useless. Here's the
thing: A human mind has associative
memory. We form conenctions within our "brainspace" between feelings,
concpets, descriptors and pretty much everything else. Even actions. Repeated actions reinforce existing paths,
almost literally like a well-threaded path in comparison to a overgrown, unused
path. Hence our behavioral patterns are formed.
A similar thing is with concepts. I said before that your
average western man(or woman) has no experience of a mature animated movie.
That's why such connection was never formed. But the opposite did. A connection
between animated movies and silly/childish. Because that's all they have been
exposed too. You have to keep in mind that these connections have been
reinfoced for years and years, and they are not changed easily. Worse of all,
these connections are partially subconcious. Even if you conciously acknowledge
that anime can be mature and interesting, your subconcious is working actively
against you. If you were to sit and try to watch an anime, you'd find that
naging little voice at the back of your head, telling you how silly it is, how
you shouldn't be watching this. You'd be actively looking for anything silly, strange
or childish. This problem applies to all pre-conceptions, not just anime.
Another problem is the visual one. Either people will have
trouble taking any story seriously if the charactes are animated at all
(regardless of how well or how realisticly drawn) or, best-case-scenario, they
will be put off by only some art styles. This is because the sense of
strangeness. Humans have a tendency to react with hostility towards unfamiliar
or strange things, and they aren't accustomed to looking at animed moves the
same way as regular movies.
For both of these issues there is only one cure I know - awareness
& exposure. One must be aware of these pre-concpetions and one must power
trough the initial negative reaction. One must give the brain time and
opportunity to form those new connections and to become familiar with the art.
This doesn't mean one will get to love all anime art (I don't. There's styles I
really don't like, but I can watch). What it does mean it should ease ones mind
enough to enjoy at least some.
To give you an example: me and my roommate were bored one
winter, and I just aquired Vision of Escaflowne (a very good anime) and talked
him into wathcing it with me. He didn't have any thing better to do, so he
agreed. At first he was negative, and I honestly believed that he might walk
out during the first 2-3 episodes. But with each episode he became more and
more engaged. When the 26'th episode ended, we ordered two boxsets. Now, this still didn't make a fan out of him
- we only watched 2 more anime, which he found decent enough, but not as good.
He doesn't really watch anime that I know off, as he has other stuff he likes
to do more, but he does respect it now.
Now, you maybe understand the reason for the jumping topics.
Before exploring anime deeper, there is a need to understand the problems that
might sabotage any facts I could deliver.
Anime was "invented" during a time when money was
scarce, so animation was simple, but efficient. Animation got better over time,
more art styles evolved. The budget for most anime is still low and most anime
studios would kill for the resources and funding some western studios have.
Even tough animation can easily rival or exceed anything in the west, the real
appeal of anime is for what and how it is used. Amazing use of colors,
life-like backgrounds and setting and moodpieces that convey the tone perfectly.
Play of light and shadow taken to perfection, creative use of cammera angles. Things
that hoolywood has been slowly borrowing over the years and is especially evident in some newer movies.
But the most destinctive attribute wold be freedom of
creativity and execution. The makers of anime could let their immagination run
wild and the results are predicablty both horrifying and amazing. On the good
side of the coin, anime can tackle all kinds of stories and issues, many of
which even Hoolywood is avoiding. For a few examples (all listed below are series, giveng you ample to time to know every chartacter):
- A story of a teen love resulting in pregnancy. Mother dies,
leaving the young devastated father alone to take care of the child. The child
however ends up with the same illness as the mother and dies.
- A story of a buisnessman getting custody over his deceased
grandfathers illegitimate daughter. The series follows their attempts to come acccustomed
to their new lives.
- A story of how time and distance, and small events have
their toll in life. How things don't always end up as we wanted to, how love
can hurt and how we must sometimes let go and move on.
- Stories of depression, lonelyness, reclusiveness and
broken people helping eachother.
- Story of a doctor hunting a deranged serial killer. The
best I could describe this is like a cross between "The Fugitive" and
"Silence of the lambs"
- Story of the near future of space colonization. A
exceptionally hard and realistic sci-fi about the life of space garbage
collectors.
- Stories of untreatable sickness, and how the helplesness
affects not only the sick, but their loved ones too. And the sick and dying can
easily be little children or couples in love.
Sad, gut-wrenching stories, bittersweet or happy stories. There's
far, far more themes and stories than this, which proves that not all anime is
about ninjas, monsters, magic and robots. But even more interesting is how such
true-to-life moments can be incorporated into any kind of story. Even those
with robots and ninjas. And how unexpected twists can happen at any time, like
for examples the main character dying half way trough the series! For another example, a story about a boy being
abused and blackmailed by 3 girls, to the point of attempting suicide. Sounds
dark? This happens in one of the first episodes in a comedic show about a
former gang member turned teacher. Yes, in a comedy. And it's treated
seriously. Normally something like that might cause a mood whiplash, but they just
make it work.
And speaking of anime comedy - it's all over the place. While
it's usual that more caricature art stlyes are used for comedic purposes, there
is no hard rule. Comedy itself ranges from complete slapstick, visual gags,
word puns, to strange situations, misunderstandings and complete and utter
insanity and anihilation of the 4th wall.
Freddy Mercury on a horse in a highschool with a gorilla?
Anime has got you covered! Slice-of-life comedies about nothing in particular?
How about Sinefield of drugs and sugar? That is how Azumanga Daioh and Lucky
Star are usually described. When the first episode has 4 girls discusssing for
10 minutes how to properly eat a croassaint you know something is way off. How about the love misadventures of boys
who's hormons have gone into overdrive? Secret and utterly inept organization taking over the
world? With a motor-mouth as its'main agent? And you think Kenny had it rough!
Anime has gone so far to produce several genres unique to
itself. Like magical girl shows. Basicly shows about small girls with magical
power in frilly outfits. Which would be a completely harmless show for little
rigls....right? Except half the audience are grown males. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Because now we have reached the dark side of anime and the horrifying side-effects
of all that artistic freedom. And I ain't talking tentacle rape here.
Stories so utterly confusing that you end up going "WTF
did I just watchehre?". And not in a good, amused way. Stories filled with
so puch philospohical BS that "pretentious" doesn't even begin to
cover it. Stories to devoted to fanservices that it's wrong to even call them
stories...more like backdrop for boob and pantyshots. And the worst of the lot,
stories that shove "fanservice" but feature under-aged girls. Oh yes,
I don't mean in a cute or motherly way..I mean in a sexualized context (with
characters being visibly aroused).
Japan, you freak me out sometimes.
This is a topic one could continue to talk about for hours,
but I tried to be as concise as possible. To sumarize: Anime is an art form and a borad entertainment
media that is in may ways the same as
western movies/series, yet in many ways different. It produces great stories
and horrible ones. Mature stories and childish ones. If one can cross the
inital hurdle of getting into it, anime can be an exceptionally awarding
experience with something to find for everyone.
ADDENDUM:
As to how to introduce a friend of loved one to anime: My best advice
wouldbe to have a movie/series night and have the other person pick his
favorites. Then you ask him to pick your favorite. Basicly guilt-trip him into
watching it with you. He'll thank you later.
Just make sure to pick an anime based on the other persons preferences,
not yours.
Another good way to
break the barrier are AMV's. Anime with
it's rich visuals is like tailor-made for music videos. I will include a list
of some of the best and highest-quality AMV's for those interested.
Modifié par Lotion Soronnar, 05 avril 2012 - 02:31 .
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