Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Hawkfrost]

There is actually a disturbing amount of people who only care about what underage boobs they can see in a new anime or game series (Trying looking up Valkyrie Drive, though you might need to kill yourself afterwards); These people are the ones killing the industry.

I doubt they are seriously hurting the industry... They are the ones who are funding those TERRIBLE "almost porno" animes that go directly to DVD I've heard so much about. The ones that even anime sites generally do not have.

I'm speaking in terms of a long term, wide spread effect.
The legitimacy of Japanese media in North America at this time is pretty fucking poor, due to how a large amount of people consider stuff like Hyperdimension Neptunia, Disgaea, Senran Kagura, and Highschool of the Dead to be representative of everything as a whole.
I may like the gameplay of Disgaea, but I would seriously appreciate it if they laid off the creepy character designs that make you feel (or me at least) uncomfortable just for playing it.
You should never have to feel embarrassed or refrain from showing other people the stuff you like just because you might be branded a pedophile if you did so.

If all you do is pander to otaku, then all you will get is otaku; And that means that people in the West will stop buying your products, and you will slander your name in terms of future projects as well.
The Japanese anime and video game industries wouldn't be in as bad shape as they are if they had more credibility in any country other than their own, and I would hazard that a significant amount of that damage is due to how they depict characters.

I might be wrong on all these counts, but it's how it seems to me.

The finale to Aldnoah... was so stupid. As is befitting and expected.

Spoiler: At least they succeeded in their mission of surpassing Gundam in one respect (click to show/hide)

I'm glad I jumped off that boat back when it was listing to starboard and before it capsized completely.

[Furtuka]

Actually I'm pretty sure they're in a bad shape because the entire Japanese Economy is in a bad shape.

And I wouldn't agree that it's seen that poorly over here. Almost all the people in my agegroup that I know watch anime, to the point that it even surprises me. And with Crunchyroll and such, it's been a lot more mainstream. My local public library even had anime watching events in the teen section.

...also I'm kinda attending a class on manga at one of the country's major universities if that counts for anything. They have an anime class too, but the professor for it is on sabbatical this semester.

[Hawkfrost]

Actually they're in a bad shape because the entire Japanese Economy is in a bad shape. And quite honestly almost all the people in my agegroup that I know watch anime, to the point that it even surprises me. And with Crunchyroll, it's been pretty mainstream. My local public library even had anime watching events in the teen section.

I guess I'm wrong then, but I still meet plenty of people that have a poor opinion on it; Especially when I interact with people outside the circle I usually would.

Even so, it's still considered stuff for kids and teens, and not something an adult should be doing. The only anime an older adult might know is the original Ghost in the Shell movie, or something like Studio Ghibli works.

[Vector]

.

[Furtuka]

Actually they're in a bad shape because the entire Japanese Economy is in a bad shape. And quite honestly almost all the people in my agegroup that I know watch anime, to the point that it even surprises me. And with Crunchyroll, it's been pretty mainstream. My local public library even had anime watching events in the teen section.

I guess I'm wrong then, but I still meet plenty of people that have a poor opinion on it; Especially when I interact with people outside the circle I usually would.

Even so, it's still considered stuff for kids and teens, and not something an adult should be doing. The only anime an older adult might know is the original Ghost in the Shell movie, or something like Studio Ghibli works.

And so? A lot of the public sees video games the same way as well, and plenty of people keep on playing them anyways. If you enjoy it, why does it matter? Also what Darvi said down below.

And I'm personally expecting things to change as the current generation of teens and young adults get older anyways. The start of the western anime boom was a mid 90s things after all.

[Darvi]

Even so, it's still considered stuff for kids and teens, and not something an adult should be doing.

Not a phenomenon exclusive to anime.

[i2amroy]

Yeah, I wouldn't say so much "it's not something an adult should be doing" as, "many of the current adults grew up in the Animation Age Ghetto" (that Darvi so kindly linked for us). That said I'd say that that fact is fairly quickly changing. Most people that I meet that are my age have at least heard of it, and quite a large chunk actively watch it from time to time, and we're the bottom of the "adult" bracket now (that is the the "approximately graduating college about now" age). I wouldn't be surprised if watching anime type stuff becomes a fairly common thing among the "mainstream" adults in the next decade or so as that age group starts to fill a larger chunk of the "adult" bracket.

[Neonivek]

I may like the gameplay of Disgaea, but I would seriously appreciate it if they laid off the creepy character designs that make you feel (or me at least) uncomfortable just for playing it.

You are aware that the size of boobs was actually a plot point in the original disgaea right? Like full blown cup size symbolism.

Including one of the villains using huge velumptuous breasts to weaken Laharl... Etna feeling insecure for having a flat chest... and Laharl hating Jessica because he has huge breasts and wears a bikini as well as having a penchant to hugging Laharl.

In another game you can even use a "Super large boobs" attack.

Disgaea REALLY isn't an innocent anime with otherwise really dirty art direction. They toned it down a LOT in future games (THANK GOODNESS!!!) but still.

Mind you I absolutely HATE this obsession with breasts in anime, it drips thick with sexism whenever I hear it. They might as well have the women get into a cat fight over who can kiss the hero the sexiest.

[Leafsnail]

I don't think western audiences are a major income-source for the vast majority of series.  They live or die on their domestic success.

Also I will try and find an excuse to use the phrase "full blown cup size symbolism" in future.

e: "velumptuous"

[HeroPizza42]

I just finished cowboy bebop and I am on sailor moon  I wish fruits basket was longer and xxxholic will always be my fave

[Reelya]

Right now I'm trying to finish up the Tokyo Ghoul anime. This one really went downhill in the second season (not that it was that great to begin with). Every episode is a struggle here, I can barely get myself to watch. Only 3 to go now. EDIT: Crossing my fingers for a surprise finale where everyone dies so there will never be a sequel.

[Hawkfrost]

I may like the gameplay of Disgaea, but I would seriously appreciate it if they laid off the creepy character designs that make you feel (or me at least) uncomfortable just for playing it.

You are aware that the size of boobs was actually a plot point in the original disgaea right? Like full blown cup size symbolism.

I do remember that. It was really stupid. Nippon Ichi is pretty skeezy regardless.

I don't think western audiences are a major income-source for the vast majority of series.  They live or die on their domestic success.

That's kindof my point, though. They used to be in a greater sense, back in the day.
As I said before, I might be wrong on the causes of it; I probably am. But if you want to grab any North American audience other than basement otaku, sticking underage uguu~ anime girls in skimpy costumes on your cover is not likely to improve sales figures.

Yeah, I wouldn't say so much "it's not something an adult should be doing" as, "many of the current adults grew up in the Animation Age Ghetto" (that Darvi so kindly linked for us). That said I'd say that that fact is fairly quickly changing. Most people that I meet that are my age have at least heard of it, and quite a large chunk actively watch it from time to time, and we're the bottom of the "adult" bracket now (that is the the "approximately graduating college about now" age). I wouldn't be surprised if watching anime type stuff becomes a fairly common thing among the "mainstream" adults in the next decade or so as that age group starts to fill a larger chunk of the "adult" bracket.

Even if people want to discuss and accept anime, certain elements of it are not considered okay by our standards (Or even by their standards. Otaku in Japan probably get more crap for what they enjoy than people here do).
If when recommending a show to someone you have to preface with "...but if you can get past all the fanservice...", it shows that there is a problem, and something you are embarrassed about.

[Leafsnail]

Well I mean KLK was on Crunchyroll and it's also getting shown on Toonami.  But yeah the paedo/incest stuff is poisonous.

[Neonivek]

Yatterman Night did the mistake of using jokes that are less funny than they are just confusing.

They did a joke where they used stock footage to parody the original cartoon's excessive use of it. Yet it was just so jarring I couldn't catch my bearings I constantly checked to see if my video broke.

Other than that, I love the ending.

[Furtuka]

I don't think the West was ever one of their primary income sources? In video games maybe, but definitely not in anime. I'm pretty sure its always been kinda a side thing save for the french collaboration projects. Like Voltron and Robotech happened the way they did because the companies explicitly did not give a fuck, to the point that they sent the guys putting together Voltron the footage to one of the wrong shows.

And in a less relevant but interesting case, when the western fanbase put together a collage to show appreciation for Gundam Build Fighters last year, the primary response from the japanese fanbase was shock that a Western fanbase even existed.