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Why are so many anime so committed to not making sense?


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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24137
PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2024 8:23 am Reply with quote
Oh, I agree. The appeal of anime was precisely because it often approached storytelling and themes in a different way than I had been trained (heh) to appreciate by Western entertainment. However the flip side is that sometimes those differences also drive me nuts. I'll never make peace with the Japanese reticence to deal with romantic issues head on, for example. My Western training... okay, fine, my Western conditioning... is just too strong in that regard.
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Alan45
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Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 10015
Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2024 9:28 am Reply with quote
Agreed, I've been shy all of my life. (My father announced when I was in grade school that "You're backwards about coming forwards") Japanese school kids make me feel like an outgoing extrovert. What drives me nuts is their willingness to go to the "and they all died" ending (Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop).
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24137
PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2024 9:34 am Reply with quote
Something tells me you would not enjoy "All's Quiet on the Western Front" then... Wink
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Alan45
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Joined: 25 Aug 2010
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Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2024 1:44 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, in high school I bought a book at a school book fare entitled "Those Devils in Baggy Pants". It follows a WWII US paratrooper through boot camp to North Africa, and into Italy as they fought all the way up the country. At the end a publishers note reveals that it was written (mostly transcribed) by his brother from a diary sent home with his personal effects. You could see the effects of the continued fighting on him. Initially he was witty and observant, by the last chapter the only thing of any importance was finding a pair of dry socks. A great book to give to anyone who thinks there is glory in war.
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Metabee177



Joined: 31 May 2024
Posts: 13
PostPosted: Fri May 31, 2024 12:48 pm Reply with quote
gsilver wrote:
Right now, I'm watching Summertime Rendering with a group of people. We're in the final arc, where things have completely gone without the rails, and the events are basically a mad fever dream. While one could kinda-sorta piece together a metaphorical meaning for the happenings, the moment-to-moment actions are *deeply* in what is commonly referred to as "Anime bull____".

We've seen it many, many times before, especially in endings. What I'm wondering is, why? Why is it so common for anime/manga to be so deeply committed to making little to no logical sense?

//Not saying that STR is anywhere close to the most egregious in this regard, but it's certainly part of a trend.

Japanese mangaka are great artists and creative, but have always lacked the ability to write stuff that is grounded and makes sense lol
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guildmaster



Joined: 17 Dec 2012
Posts: 364
Location: Hot & Humid FL
PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2024 9:03 pm Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:
Quote:
Western culture just cares more about making sense than Japanese culture.

I suspect this is true. Years ago, I remember Justin Sevakis commenting on how Japanese audiences seem to have a greater tolerance for not understanding or knowing what is going on right away. This was in reference to how sometimes a show would pluck an episode out of sequence and make it the first episode just to kind of shake things up (I believe Divergence Eve did this, for example). I'd say Western audiences prefer to be oriented right off the bat. Again, I'm generalizing but I think it's mostly true.


It's true all right. remember Gainax and Gainax endings? and this:

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ftsa&q=japan+meme+weird+stuff&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F88%2F3e%2Ffa%2F883efacc1f14da53d29871f065336091.jpg

I don't mid it. If I want to watch something serious, I'll watch the military history channel, where it's plain to see that wee are heading down the mid 1930s all over again.
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