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[Leatra]

Not everyone lives in America. By "normal" he meant "not-japanese-seeming" because I feel the same way too and I live in Turkey, which is practically Middle East for most Americans.

The thing is, I don't know why I hate everything about anime. It's like a voice inside makes me hate anime and anything about anime. There are exaggerations in western animations too but it fits in our minds in a way better than animes. My favorite animation series was Mad Jack the Pirate even though it lasted for only one season. I watched every episode for like 10 times and never felt that thing I felt with anime. Even now I don't find it strange. Maybe because when exaggeration is done in western animation, it's mostly for the laughs but anime seems to do it all the time for no reason.

[Vattic]

I do find it hard to believe that anyone could consider anime to be more "over the top" than cartoons when it comes to facial expressions/etc. I mean, not every cartoon is Ren and Stimpy with popping eyeballs, but western animation definitely has a habit of exaggeration.

Anime does seem to have a habit of having a fairly straight story with certain over the top elements tacked on which I find can detract from otherwise decent content. You do get this in live action and other media as well with comic relief characters or scenes but often I find the examples in anime more jarring (cultural maybe?). Things like Ren and Stimpy are the opposite and sometimes, if ever, have normal moments tacked on to their craziness.

[Reelya]

"anime seems to do it all the time for no reason."

Whenever I hear that I know I'm listening to someone who doesn't know jack about anime. There are 100's of anime which are far more restrained in exaggeration than an Aermican cartoons. There's almost NO trait that anime "does all the time" because the subject matter and styles are so varied.

Usagi Drop and Haibane Renmei are 2 examples. Or Witch Hunter Robin: Nothing "exaggerated" about facial expression in this show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rhU6WJKdtQ

[Flying Dice]

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with pen and paper RPGs when they're all the same predictable crap with completely unrealistic characters and weird supernatural elements. That, and you can practically list off the tropes as a session progresses. A lot of times you're able to guess what is going to happen long before it does. And have you ever noticed how most of the people that play them are non-buff white male nerds? I bet they're just doing it so they can daydream about having special powers.  I hear there are even people who dress up like their characters and have fun while doing so.

I don't even know why people would act as if they're anything like theater; Shakespeare's plays are far more serious and unpredictable than campaign plots in an RPG. It's obviously just some sort of obsession that these people roll with to make themselves feel different and special. After all, how could anyone possibly have fun pretending to be some sort of wizard doing something silly and predictable?

Now, I've never been part of a single session in my life, but I read about this thing called FATAL, I've watched the first ten minutes of one of those D&D straight-to-video movies, and I heard this creepy guy from my high school talk about it one time, so I'm obviously well informed.

[Zangi]

I used to like the shounen type anime/manga I believe...   It gets real old when one or more of the main characters continue spouting things about love/justice/good/friendship repeatedly, while being super emotional.  Tolerance levels for that bullshittery is at an all time low, especially when it gets validated with an 'epic' win.
Which means, shows like Naruto and Bleach, which I used to watch are now pretty intolerable.  Though, I still get the nostalgias from pre-Shippuden and pre-Arrancar(thats what the half-hollow/shinigami people are called right?)  Manga ain't so bad though, it does not have the mind-numbing filler material...

These days though, I'm pretty picky with what anime I watch... and yea, there is a lot of bottom-of-barrel anime, also a lot of them do not interest me in the slightest.  Its the same deal with 'Western' Animation.  Many bottom-of-barrel cartoons and many more that do not interest me in the slightest.

Don't write off the whole shebang, you may actually find something you like... 

Though, I've pretty much wrote off One-Piece cause of the art style... but, its heavy Shounen like Naruto, so I'm good where I am.  The Monster Hunter manga is also the same art style and heavy Shounen too...  blargh.

[Leatra]

"anime seems to do it all the time for no reason."

Whenever I hear that I know I'm listening to someone who doesn't know jack about anime. There are 100's of anime which are far more restrained in exaggeration than an Aermican cartoons. There's almost NO trait that anime "does all the time" because the subject matter and styles are so varied.

Usagi Drop and Haibane Renmei are 2 examples. Or Witch Hunter Robin: Nothing "exaggerated" about facial expression in this show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rhU6WJKdtQ

Come on. You know the type of anime I'm talking about. Fine, I'm changing my statement to "Most cartoonish anime series seem to do it all the time for no reason. However, there are exceptions. People who read that sentence should be aware that every generalisation has exceptions. Posting one of the exceptions doesn't change the majority." Huh, that was long.

Also, you can't say "there is no trait that anime does all the time." and believe it yourself. Seriously, man.

[Neonivek]

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with pen and paper RPGs when they're all the same predictable crap with completely unrealistic characters and weird supernatural elements.

You are playing a RPG and you notice that the villain is being an obvious villain and you want to call them out on it, possibly interfering with their plans.

However this being an RPG you have to go along with this plot until your character suddenly gains brainpower.

In a Pen and Paper RPG however BECAUSE it is DMed means that yes you could not only stop the villain before they enact their plans but you can also join them instead. It is the ability to change and alter the course of events, especially with a good GM, that gives it the edge over all other kinds of games in existance.

If this doesn't let you instantly know why people like Pen and Paper RPGs then you clearly will never know.

[kaijyuu]

Fine, I'm changing my statement to "Most cartoonish anime series seem to do it all the time for no reason. However, there are exceptions. People who read that sentence should be aware that every generalisation has exceptions. Posting one of the exceptions doesn't change the majority." Huh, that was long.

"Most" doesn't really work either, you know.


@Neo: FD was using sarcasm to prove a point about stupid logic.

[Flying Dice]

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with pen and paper RPGs when they're all the same predictable crap with completely unrealistic characters and weird supernatural elements.

You are playing a RPG and you notice that the villain is being an obvious villain and you want to call them out on it, possibly interfering with their plans.

However this being an RPG you have to go along with this plot until your character suddenly gains brainpower.

In a Pen and Paper RPG however BECAUSE it is DMed means that yes you could not only stop the villain before they enact their plans but you can also join them instead.

If this doesn't let you instantly know why people like Pen and Paper RPGs then you clearly will never know.

My gods. Please, please tell me that you were joking (with the understanding that I was not making those statements because I believe them).

If not, I might need to undergo a face transplant operation after doing unspeakable things to my desk. Also ninja.

[Leatra]

Are you guys seriously suggesting that most anime cartoons doesn't use heavy exaggeration?

[Neonivek]

My gods. Please, please tell me that you were joking (with the understanding that I was not making those statements because I believe them).

No... it really is the freedom in what you do, albiet with restrictions offered by the system, that is the main draw of pen and paper RPGs something that could never be replicated by videogames and is more stable then freeform roleplaying.

All it is Flying Dice is "Lets Pretend" with rules.

If you have a problem with how steriotypically games go... then run one yourself. That is also the freedom you have, you can make a very unsteriotypical epic adventure in just about any system. Hate that everyone wants to play the characters they want to? Then just use premade characters in your game. Too long? Make it a one shot. Anything.

Are you guys seriously suggesting that most anime cartoons doesn't use heavy exaggeration?

Given the sheer amount of times characters have wet their pants when someone as much as walked and hit a ball at the same time in Prince of Tennis...

[Zangi]

Are you guys seriously suggesting that most anime cartoons doesn't use heavy exaggeration?

I think the point is being missed somewhere...  I'm not sure where.   It might stem from people answering this:

"anime seems to do it all the time for no reason."

[kaijyuu]

Are you guys seriously suggesting that most anime cartoons doesn't use heavy exaggeration?

First off, "anime cartoons"? Are you referring to a specific genre of anime? Because if you are, that could change things.

Secondly, yes, depending on what type of exaggeration you're talking about, and if you mean the entirety of anime. Facial expressions and gestures? Absolutely, most don't to that over the top. Anime is extremely strict with being on model, especially when compared to western animation.


@Neo: The men in white coats will be here to see you shortly.

[Reelya]

"anime seems to do it all the time for no reason."

Whenever I hear that I know I'm listening to someone who doesn't know jack about anime. There are 100's of anime which are far more restrained in exaggeration than an Aermican cartoons. There's almost NO trait that anime "does all the time" because the subject matter and styles are so varied.

Usagi Drop and Haibane Renmei are 2 examples. Or Witch Hunter Robin: Nothing "exaggerated" about facial expression in this show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rhU6WJKdtQ

Come on. You know the type of anime I'm talking about. Fine, I'm changing my statement to "Most cartoonish anime series seem to do it all the time for no reason. However, there are exceptions. People who read that sentence should be aware that every generalisation has exceptions. Posting one of the exceptions doesn't change the majority." Huh, that was long.

Now you're "right" in the first place because you redefined the topic you were talking about. Ok, moving the goalposts, that's progress I guess.

Where's your proof that they're the majority? What if I post 50, 100 exceptions? I think you're vastly underestimating the number of Seinen, shoujo, etc series that really don't do anything like you're talking about. But almost all those series don't get imported to America because they don't fit American preconceptions about how colorful over-the-top or action-based cartoons or anime are supposed to be.

I used to like the shounen type anime/manga I believe...   It gets real old when one or more of the main characters continue spouting things about love/justice/good/friendship repeatedly, while being super emotional.

Actually I skipped that phase since I was watching mecha military or police dramas in the 1980's like Macross, Mospeada, Yamato and Patlabor - when stuff like Dragonball came out it seemed seriously hokey.

[Soadreqm]

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with pen and paper RPGs when they're all the same predictable crap with completely unrealistic characters and weird supernatural elements.

That kinda thing happens a lot, really. If you don't give a damn about something, you're unlikely to have a lot of background information on it. You shouldn't judge on appearances, but if you're human, you're probably going to.

Video games are art? What are these nerds smoking?
Comics? Eh, I'm not really into superheroes.
Are you seriously telling me that some of these bottles of fermented grape juice are better? It's all just alcohol!
Theater is basically just a bunch of posh monologues about skulls.
Why should I care which vuvuzela I get?
And so forth.

As for the animes, I've mostly watched Studio Ghibli masterpieces. Might have some selection bias going on there. From half-assedly leafing through an anime magazine, most of the stuff really does look pretty silly.