Forum - View topicAnime - misjudged in Western societies?
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AmyNoodlehead
 Posts: 11 Location: In an empty box of bananas. |
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What do you think?
It seems that non-amine fans have some misperceived opinions of anime. Some people think that anime is a bunch of kid's cartoons, (i.e., Pokemon) while others think it's entertainment for geeks/nerds. What bothers me the most is how some people think anime is all about sex, drugs, and violence. I guess they're just uninformed, (or maybe aren't aware that hentai is a sub-genre of anime, and not the whole medium?) but when I hear someone degrade Japanese culture because of anime, it makes me feel like they're being sort of ignorant. 
Coincidentally, me being bored today, I searched up "anime" on Dictionary.com. This is what I got: an·i·me (ăn'ə-mā') n. A style of animation developed in Japan, characterized by stylized colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sex. If you omit the part about "futuristic settings", isn't that just referring to hentai? And "stylized colorful art" doesn't exactly apply to all anime. Like Serial Experiments Lain, Mushishi, Haibane Renmei...you get the picture. I guess dictionaries aren't so reliable after all. What do you think? Does the majority of Western society have the wrong idea of anime? Do you think think this is caused by media-driven stereotypes and misconceptions? Do you know anyone that disapproves of anime because they don't know what it really is? I guess you can't exactly change everyone's opinions, but I wish people in general were a little more open to these types of things, anime included. ~Amy Noodlehead |
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[Bond]
 Posts: 12 |
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I think anime fans usually have some sort of persecution complex and that they should sit back and enjoy the ride.
It's not a religion, you don't need to proselytize. |
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AmyNoodlehead
Posts: 11 Location: In an empty box of bananas. |
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O___O
I never said it was a religion. It just seems that so many people get the wrong idea of what anime is. And I'm not trying to "fix" their opinions or anything, I'm just wondering why this is -- why some people think anime is all about violence and sex. ~Amy Noodlehead |
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Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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There are a great many things misjudged and generalized, anime is indeed one of them, but it's far from alone and in many cases it's a two way street. Anime fans in many cases turn the very same attitude around and act in a similar fashion towards domestic products, not all of course but it's far from uncommon and just as noticeable as common western views towards anime can be.
Is it a major issue though? I don't think so, it seems it's often blown out of proportion by the fanbase. I rarely notice media-driven stereotypes or misconceptions and most people I've met are indifferent toward anime or completely unaware of its existence. People seeing it as kids cartoons is hardly unique to anime, much of western culture views animation in general the same way. And yes, anime is often viewed as a geeky or nerdy form of entertainment, but it's hardly alone in that regards either, nor should people be concerned with the opinions of those who label people or hobbies in that manner. As for the drugs and sex and violence I'm afraid we really must be honest with ourselves, anime is known for that for good reason. Fanservice and violence and blood are major aspects of anime, while it is true there's plenty of titles that don't go that way it is safe to say that a large percentage of anime use violence and gore and sexuality and fanservice to a significant degree. Is it safe to judge it based on that? Of course not, I mean is the domestic entertainment industry any better? Not in the least. While there's some truth to people misunderstanding anime, there's also some truth to the fans making it seem more innocent as a whole than it truly is, as with most things the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In the end though most people seem to be rather indifferent towards it, many can see anime on TV and aren't even aware they're watching anime. There are those that are vocal against it, but these days there's a vocal group against just about anything that goes against the norm in the slightest way. I really don't think it's as big of a problem as people play it out to be, and I certainly think the views of some anime fans mirror the same problem back towards domestic industries. I do agree with [Bond] somewhat, anime is hardly alone at being singled out and generalized, it's simply part of being a sub-culture and it will always exist to some degree. Trek fans and sci-fi fans and gamers and fans of certain music genre's and more face the same kind of generalizations that anime fans do. Yes there are people that do it, yes it's a problem, but no anime is hardly alone or singled out as a target, it's human nature and some people are just closed-minded. In the end though, it still seems to me to be a minority, vocal maybe but hardly representative of a society as a whole. In all actuality trying to label a society as ignorant towards it or bias towards it is somewhat similar to what you accuse them of doing to anime and its fans. |
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Anthony P
Posts: 227 Location: Phoenix, Arizona, US |
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That's true to a point. Misconceptions can be very frustrating. |
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CyberViper
Posts: 218 Location: Matsumoto, Nagano Japan |
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Well maybe Dictionary.com is just a few years old and in need of some updating. Who knows. I think the problem is how anime was first introduced into America (or other places as well). What anime series came first? What were our first impressions? I think the real problem lies there...
I haven't run into anyone who thinks this, personally, but i've heard of people on this forum who have. I don't know why we have these misconceptions and I've never thought about it really (because i've never encountered it.) I think the best thing to do is to keep putting anime on television like it has been, and by releasing better and better titles. Of course, the people who will watch them are most likely people who watch anime anyway. It's hard to get someone else into something they know nothing about. Otherwise it's going to be hard to change peoples views. Oh well, people can think what they want. What's important is that either 1.) We knows anime isn't only sex and violence, and/or 2.) If we think a good portion of anime is sex and violence we're okay with that. I've been going through the encyclopedia lately and there are a lot more hentai titles out there than I ever could have imagined. You can also say that there is a lot of violence in anime...but come on...if you were to define "American television shows" you would have to include violence in there. There's violence everywhere, not just in anime. Also
Without a doubt, a much better definition. However, yes, it doesn't cover all shows, but it's decent nonetheless. I don't know what more there is to say. 
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Puppy Puncher
Posts: 25 |
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I can understand why people would think its cartoons and sort of understand why people would think its just cartoons seeing as its animation. But I never got the whole "it's all naked women!" thing.
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LeoKnight25
 Posts: 319 Location: Puyallup, WA |
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People will always misconceive, scoff and misrepresent what they don't understand. I think everyone has preconceived notions of what something is before they even see it. It's natural to form an opinion of something based on what society dictates and your own personal views of something and I think that's where misconceptions from the media come from. They don't understand and are only used to certain things so they make assumptions based on what they know or on their own personal biases. There are some out there who are well informed but, mostly it's to generate ratings of some kind it seems. People are becoming increasingly aware of media portrayal though and don't always trust what they read or hear anymore, even from the supposed highest regarded sources such as your local or national news programs, or local/national newspapers. I mean, we're only human and there are those among us who are not above lying to make things fit. So, all in all it's all up to how you perceive things. The Media will more often than not blow things out of proportion to generate ratings. It's their job after all. This isn't to say that the fans are completely without fault either as there are those within all such circles of fandom who tend to take things further than they should as well, and that tends to hurt our public image. Don't sweat it really. Just enjoy what you enjoy and be happy that there are people out there who enjoy the same things that you do but on the same token, practice moderation on all fronts. Then you at least can be content with yourself and the fact that you're a fan of your desired choice of media and not worry about portrayals by those not in the know.
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Kouji
 Posts: 978 |
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Even in Japan, anime is mostly targeted at kids or the hardcore otakus who have no life and don't do anything else. The difference is in our culture. America has a stricter ratings system and censorship regulations than Japan does, so the Japanese can get away with showing more controversial material on their children's shows than America does. So, in reality, a lot of the anime series that are released in the U.S. that are considered to be for teens over here were originally targeted at kids in Japan. The only consception America probably has about anime that's inaccurate is that most anime is hentai when it isn't. While Japan probably does have a lot of hentai titles, it's not much compared to the vast majority of non-hentai anime series and very little of it is actually released in the U.S. But really, you have to be honest with yourself that most anime is either for kids or geeks and that most anime fans probably do have a little bit of geek in them. I mean, if you didn't have at least a little bit of geek in you, then why are you coming onto a message board to chat about Japanese cartoons with a bunch of strangers? Now the real question isn't why do people think anime is geeky, but it should be why do people think it's wrong to like something geeky, and there isn't anything wrong with it. There's nothing wrong with liking something geeky like anime anymore than there isn't anything wrong with liking Harry Potter or Star Trek. If the people who hate anime are that stupid to hate you for liking it, then they're the ones who truly have no life. And note that Dictionary.com's definition of what anime is says that anime is CHARACTERIZED by stylized colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sex. The word characterized means "to be a distinctive trait or mark of" and a stylized colorful art, futurusitic settings, violence and sex is a distinctive trait of Japanese animation, but then again, you could also say the same things about American animation, still it's not that inaccurate of a definition. Last edited by Kouji on Fri Jan 13, 2006 5:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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milcor1
 Posts: 337 |
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I understand why that would be the general concensus towards anime. Most anime IS for children and that most anime titles DO include violence or sexuality or both in one form or another.
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darkhunter
 Posts: 2992 Location: Los Angelas |
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The most popular anime are definitely gear towards kids so I can see why someone to pre-judge anime as being for school kids. There's a lot of high/middle school drama, action,comedy or romance story as of late? Then we have a lot of shows that you know Otaku would enjoy because it contain a high volume of maid/fanservice/harem/hijinks.
But yes, anime is more diverse than what people see it for. But then again, even anime fans make generalization about other forms of pop-culture. When I hear manga fan bring up the topic of American comic about only involving super-hero, it's slightly dissappointing because it's only a generalization of what the medium has to offer. Then another otaku will generalize all Rap Music is about this and that... and then go back to listening to their Jrock/Jrap/Jpop and don't understand a word of what the singer is saying-- the irony. Anime in general should definitely focus more on property like Monster or Otogi show that can appeal to intelligent adults. |
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2Real
 Posts: 249 |
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I belive that the people that make coments about something without seeing or living it have no right to say anything about it at all. They are intitled to their oppinions, yes, but when they speak on a subject they know nothing about, and try to act as though they know everything about it, are simple narrow minded people that should be ignored in the 1st place.
This has nothing to do with region but people in genral. You can go anywere in the world and find an idiot. If these people have watched a few anime shows, not just pokemon, and care to make coments about it, then i will take their oppinion into consideration. As far as saying all anime is for kids, that might be true and we just don't know it, or they are one of those idiots. In the end, I realy don't care about what others think, no matter what it is. I watch anime cause I want to. If i hated it I probly wouldn't watch it. There is no need for me to try and force my oppinion on others, and I belive there is no need for other to do the same to me. I belive someone already said this, just watch it and be happy. That is all I do. If people wish to judge me for only that fact then I truly feel sorry for them. |
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BoygetsfireD
 Posts: 475 Location: earth |
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prejudices and generalizations do, indeed, suck, but anime isn't the only victim.
jazz, rock 'n' roll, russians, irish, french, germans (any nationality or race), etc. pretty much everything. also keep in mind that at Dictionary.com, anybody can add a definition. |
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MonkeyFunk
 Posts: 93 |
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Looking at how other foreign films and television series are treated in America, I'd say that anime has it pretty well.
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camelot187757
 Posts: 426 Location: The Nacirema Dream (17 and counting Asuka) |
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Rap Music, Animé its all the same to America: stamp it, judge it' and keep it your severely uniformed opinion moving. And I quote from Jay-Z
You can say the same for animé. Most people that talk shit about anime don't really watch it; they shit they they have seen is the basis of their ammo; NO one really does anything about it except complain (look at our own boards) so the generalizations stay intack; and in real life anime is "much more distinguished" |
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