The Anime Craze: good or bad?

[dragontamer363]

I was surfing Devianart and came across oen of these common artists-whining-about-anime posts. I wondered what's your take on it.
Is the westernisation/infiltration of anime a good or a bad thing?
Does it cheapen the anime, or is it a good thing that a culture has been embraced so well and actually added to the artistic and entertainment community?
Do you think everyone draws in the anime style and it's too much fo a craze? or is it only the same as how every nerdy/teen type seemed to draw in Marvel/Dc style comic styles until it came along?
Should we belittle people for not being origional enough?

Discuss ^_~  

[0Moon_Maiden0]

I don't think its a bad thing...although I think the craze with eventually die down and new styles of animation will be developed.

I like anime but I am still quite fond the DC/Marvel styles. Even the style the animated 'Gargoyles' series was great. *sigh* Love the show...  

[Zizzykitty]

Well I find it rather annoying, honestly.

My friend and I define two kinds of anime fans.
There are the "Amine Fans" who know nothing of any animes other than the ones aired on adult swim and/or are only jumping on the anime bandwagon just be go with everyone else. These ones tend to obsess over Naruto, Fruits Basket, and sometimes Bleach and Death Note.

Then there are the anime fans who are geniunely interested in anime. They aren't just jumping on the bandwagon or they were on the bandwagon and have transitioned(which are a rare few) They could have liked anime before it became popular and know there is more to Japan than anime, DDR, and happy fun shine.


This girl is the epitome of why I find a lot of anime fans incredibly annoying. It's like a train wreck, I did not want to watch that damn girl use japanese badly, kiss posters around her house, and fail at using chopsticks but I couldn't look away.

The anime craze is a good thing and a bad thing. There's pros and cons to everything.
The huge amounts of badly drawn anime fanart isn't that great. The people inspired to draw by anime and turn out amazing is a good thing. The fact that people are embracing another culture is good. The peope who think Japan is a shiny happy land inhabited by cosplayers, EGLs(elegant gothic lolita, I believe), and think their whole country revolves around anime isn't that great.

Those are the only points I can think of at the moment... sweatdrop  

[dragontamer363]

O.O

Seriously, is that girl for real?! Bloody hell! If that was a spoof it'd be brilliant, but tragically it isn't. nuuu!

I resent that people jusdge other people (as I just have *d'oh!*) for their artwork (which I rarely ever do, at least i can say). Something along the line sof 'omg! you're so not original because you draw anime style. you're hopping on the bandwagon!'
It's like: 'no, i draw that way because i find it the most aesthetically pleasing form of art'

You see, for a couple of years I don't even regard myself as drawing anime, since i got out of the whole very cliche pokemon anime thing - to my mind anyway. I feel I progressed and made it my own, whetehr other peole belive that is their problem.
I think -art wise- the difference is whether you're prepared to breka out of the bonds of it. I'll go wherever my art wants to take me *shrugs*

As for real life... I won't lie - I love Japanese art and cultural whatsits because they're so kooky and/or well made. And I really appreciate anime, but at the same time like any films I can take it or leave it. I love cartoons, and anime is one of the only properly entertaining and serious forms of adult cartoons. They actually have proper stories.

I would say that you can't criticise people if they (so far) only like the popular anime. we all have our own roots into it. For example for me it was pokemon-->digimon and dragonballz sinc ethey were the only thinsg on tv. And Dbz was mainly internet based since it was only on paid tv channels (so I got a lot of stuff wrong in my early fandom-lol)
But i liked the style and the stories.
But I was a big fan of spiderman too. Only spiderman doens't karate chop a guy's head off and dbz does :p
The real thing is how obsessed people get over anime, like it's a bloody religion. Like Naruto fans are at the moment.
It's like: I get it - it might be good, but chill out a little.
I get my more origional anime fix from the manga being availiable at my highstreet bookstores. Got into chobits, vampire doll, fushigi yugi via that.
And the good ol' internet got me into Trigun.
(though the boxset's still £50. merf.)


ok I lost my point.... oh yes! I also admire Japanese street fashion and all that, but I'd admire it if it came from Mexico or some other country, you know?

The problem is that public scorn and pressure - as a result of girlies like in your video zizzy - can be put on people who like japanese things that;s usually out of context.
eg 'omg you're only a Buddhist 'cos you like anime'.
-ahem- No, but knowledge of naother world religion like that was given via learning a bit more about that part of asia through *ba boom* chinese/Japanese films & stereotypes (see: bulletproof monk :p)
Besides *twaps ignorent person* it's an Indian religion. dork.


Also, just because I have a jewellry box with japanese style leave son it, or one of those lucky cats doens't make me a cliche.


in othr words - take the anime/Japan culture like one would any other. absorb what you like, reject what you don't -take it all with a pinch of salt, and don't turn into a rabid fangirl XD



/rant - did I rant? lol sorry XD  

[Zizzykitty]

I hear there was a video of that girl saying it was all a hoax but I tried to watch it to see if it was true and it said the video was no longer available so I still call it real.

But let me rephrase what I said about popular anime fans. The ones who only watch one anime but consider themselves anime gods, and yes I have run into these people, are the incredibly annoying. The ones who will talk nonstop about their anime but will reject any you suggest, are annoying. The ones who talk nonstop about their anime but go batshit insane when you point out any flaws or plotholes in it, are annoying.

I was thinking in the extreme but I guess I forgot to mention in the extreme. Sorry about that. I suppose I should have referred to them as rabid fangirls instead. sweatdrop

I'd never considered that but that is an interesting point. Would it be as popular if it'd come from another country? Or even, if it was the same style but came from a different coutry how would taht turn out.


And yes, it is people like that girl in the video that give anime fans of any kind a bad name.  

[dragontamer363]

I definately see what you mean there smile
Acting like they practically own anime and are part fo some sort of cult fo the 'chosen ones' or whatever is ridiculous. I am happy to say that I'd never be able to do that. I can stand up and say i don't understand ghost in the shell one bit, for example XD
But when it get's culty it's as if you're a 'nonbeliver' or something -haha

I dislike how it seems polarised to one way or the otehr. you eitehr adore it and are part of the 'in' crowd or you destest it and are part of that 'in' crowd. As ever in my life I've not fitted into any of this cliquey groups.
(I'm not even going to start the whole 'not goth enough to be goth' bandwagon idea xp )
So, in these situations, the anti-anime take one look at your art and instantly brand you as 'one of them', and condescend down to you as a result. Feh. luckily I've only had to dela with one o those arseholes directly ><


i suppose that it has to do with there's not that many diffrent cartoon styles. I tend to relaly see them as 'ren and stimpy' type grotesque stuff, disney, comic western or anime (and its various types) - you know? popular animation art wise.
I suppose the fascination is in part because Japanis basically as far away from The West as one can get and so the cultures are so vastly different, yet they're modernised so we share a common pyschological ground as a culture, you know?
Bouncing between farmiliar and the novelty.  

[Zizzykitty]

Haha, they are like a cult. I should start calling them Anime Cultists.

I'm also glad to say that I've never been one of those either.
And it does irritate me how it seems you can only be either extreme. Not in the middle.  

[dragontamer363]

and how *nodnod*

lol  

[Dornkus]

I find the anime craze a bit annoying. Insane anime fans kind of frighten me.

I don't dislike anime, but I also don't like it that much.  

[Moonlight_HuangHou]

I think anime and other kinds of art are still a way of art. I really don't like when others look down on the style and claim it's not art. I've seen that a few times somewhere. How is it if you draw 'anime style' it's not original? Isn't that like saying that realistic art isn't original? We're just taking a style that we know and added our creativity to it? I mean....I guess I think when people say 'anime style is not creative'. It's like saying drawing 'realistic people' is not creative. We draw realistic people and make our own scenes, costumes ect...and that's never looked down at...even though isn't it the same thing? Anime style is just a cartoon which has a base that's normal or used a lot and you design it up the way you would like or draw your scene ect.... Did I make sense? ^_^ I'm trying to make a point to show that when people say it's not creative that, that's not true but I think I made my logic sound confusing. XD

But off subject to what DT and Zizzy were talking about: I understand about the scary anime fans. I stopped watching anime a while back but personally I'm just starting to like a few anime's again like I used to when I was smaller. The one that started me back up would be Skip Beat (thanks moon. ^^) and The story of Saiukoku.

But back in school the anime fans were a little embarrassing. Some would act like the characters; especially girls did this; were real and would fight on who that character 'belong too'. For example....I heard too much of the over popular Fruits basket where girls are like "Nooo! Kyou is mine! You can have Yuu!!" o_O' (PS: I'm a fruits basket fan. but I'm not a obsessive fan. XD) Nothing wrong with anime if you ask me it's just that the really really into it kind of fan make it look stupid more than anything. The whole anime club in school were full of people like that too. That's why if you said you like anime...that's the kind of fan that tons of people think of or that comes to mind. >_>
It makes you wanna say 'it's just a show! Not real!!'  

[apiyo]

For the original question, no, it doesn't bother me. I like to enjoy anime/manga all by myself because the people at my school are all anime-obssessed nuts. If someone wants to live in a fantasy world then by all means go ahead (just stay away from me). But they are usually dissapointed when they find out Japan isn't like on the anime. Serves them right for basing their lives off cartoons.

And what's the deal with them not appreciating anything but Japan. Everything has it's place in entertainment. Just because it's not from Japan doesn't make it worthless.  

[0Doidle0]

I don't think anime/manga is bad or to much of a craze
Its a different venue/way people can have fun and draw

 

[Xx6Panda-Bear9xX]

I do to find it annoying actually. When I was like 7 or something I was totally in love with it. But I did grow out of it as I got older. I only like a couple of animes (Death Note, Lucky Star, Jigoku Shōjo, and some more). It's not like Im obsessed with it that I have posters, games, and all that crap. Crazy anime fans annoy the hell outa me! There are these girls in my school who are like "planning a wedding" with some of the Inuyasha characters. Im like you have got to be kidding me (and one of them is a really good friend of mine)

That is just.... I cant really explain it >.< Thats soo frickin gay actually! I dunno why some people are SO obsessed they go to those kind of measures (like a guy in Japan who made a petition to marry of anime girls xD) I mean they are not even real (Just like the guys in Twilight folks xD) It's not a bad thing if you like anime, just dont make anime a HUGE part of your life.

I also hate how anime lovers try to speak Japanese. (Even though pretty much no one in my school knows about other animes outside Naruto, Fruit Baskets, Inuyasha, ect) I sometimes hear some girls try to speak Japanese. I bet the only thing they can actually say is Konnichiwa, Kawaii, Arigato, Ai, ect. Its really annoying in my opinion. I dont have anything against anime (I love drawing anime) its just that I do have problems with those annoying and obsessed ones. And Im not trying to hurt anyone's feeling BTW.

The good thing about it, is that it's letting other people get to now another culture. Thats a very good thing x3 Thats the only pro I can think of now xD  

[dragontamer363]

Iit's liek anyting : something can be justifiably good, but when teenie bopper sget tehri claws into it and get all obsessed and crazy it spoils it for eveyone else.


Like apparently twlight is actually -in rela life- a very very good series. My sister (who never reads) read it and love sit, and my mum (who's reaidng taste is more grown up and like mine) loves it also. they're both little fangirls, but not in a crazy way, just in an 'i'm excited since i found soemthing great' way.
I refused to read it, then reaslised I was being a stubborn arsehole for no reason, so am now going to read it when i go home in a couple of months :3
I didn;t despise teh film either.

So why do people have to spoil it by automatically making you assume the worst because they're being suc freaks about it?

meh  

[Pickles And Pretty Ponies]

I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I think that anime is the best thing that ever happened to me in this cold, cruel world. I didn’t get into it because everyone else did…in fact, I was probably into it before everyone else. When I was little, I used to watch children’s anime all the time. (Pokemon, Digimon, Dragonball Z, etc.) I outgrew all of it by the time I was 10 because there wasn’t anything that interested me on TV anymore. Fortunatly, I found a website with free anime episodes about a year ago, http://www.animefever.org


I was immediately sucked back into the addiction, and I also started reading manga. The first manga I ever read was Absolute Boyfriend, and it’s still one of my favorites. And then it happened…VAMPIRE KNIGHT! I started reading it, and now it is my 1# favorite anime/manga of all time. I’m extremely addicted to the point where I’m actually two days behind in school because I keep on daydreaming instead of doing work. That theme song keeps playing over and over again in my head, and I’ve found myself mesmerized by Kaname’s hotness! I’ll never give up Vampire Knight. NEVER!!! Even if I’m seen as a dork for doing so!!!