14 replies to this topic

[No-Danico]

I’ve been thinking about this lately, stay with me here.
Anime is usually something mainstream audiences can’t or won’t understand. The people who get passionate about it are usually living vicariously through it. That part’s normal, ever single human does it. When we read, watch sports, video game, all of it is us living through someone else, experiencing what they are doing, their emotions and fears But my otaku friends are far more passionate about Japanese cartoons than my athletic buddies are about their fantasy leagues.
Is it because of the strong emotions invoked in the cartoons? I don’t think western cartoons aimed at the same age group have the same depth that their Asian counterparts do. Is it because the people who get into anime are emotionally lacking? The stereotype is the outcast otaku who gets his human interaction through characters on the screen. But is that accurate?
Back in middle school it was only the strange kids who watched anime. The weird ones. I can’t say I remember the normal kids getting as passionate about anything as my friend David did about Trigun and Evangelion. They just had better things to do.
Was it because Trigun and Eva were deep, thoughtful shows and he simply enjoyed them? Was he mature enough to get the messages the shows were trying to get across? Or was he lacking something in his life that made him relate with little Shinji? Or how Tenchi was surrounded by all of those buxom girls who wanted him so bad while Dave didn’t have a girlfriend?
Sorry if all of that was longwinded, ignore if you want, but I’d like some ideas on the subject.

[SushiKitten]

I think when it comes to comparing how cartoons are used in Japan and North America, it's difficult to do. I think the western world uses cartoons as a medium for comedy more than anything.

There are some outliers. Avatar: The Last Airbender was huge with a lot of people, not just children, and despite so many people thinking it's anime, it was actually done by Nickelodeon. One I watched as a kid was Cybersix, which only lasted a season, but carried the maturity of an anime whilst still being targeted for children.

But all in all, a lot of cartoons are meant for children, and if not, they're meant for comedy, like Family Guy, the Simpsons, American Dad, and such. On top of that, the public view of anime is "perverted panty shots, crappy animation, and endless battle scenes" which may or may not be true, depending on what you're watching.

I think the people who get into anime are the ones that realize there's more to the battle scenes and panty shots. I think they're the ones that get into things with a good story.

I'm into anime, but I'm also into fantasy books-those large 700 page ones that really go into character development. My two other friends from high school were into anime, as well. One also loves Harry Potter and Doctor Who, both things with intricate stories that involve some thought. My other friend loved Final Fantasy, obsessively played them to get every bit she could out of the games.

To further prove this, let's talk about Bleach. I've always thought of Bleach as the nerd's soap opera. Mostly because it never seems to end, but also because it uses the same formula every arc. Who would keep watching or reading that for the huge boobs and battle scenes? They've seen enough of that already in the first 100 chapters. People watch and read it for the story. Same goes for Naruto and One Piece (which one day I will read, once I'm less intimidated by how long the manga is now).

As well, the emotionally invoking western shows seem to be live action. Doctor Who(is this considered western?), Castle, and Firefly leave me with the same amount of strong emotions that I had after I finished Code Geass, for one reason or another.

In conclusion, because this is getting rather long. I just think the people who get into anime are the same people who can really appreciate a good story.

[Mister Sympa]

I've always felt that those with whom anime strikes a cord are those who either identify as "different" or those who belive in "something more," whether that be magic or something similar, or those with a keen sense of adventure and exploration.

[Affray]

Dragonball and Dragonball Z is probably the only anime that hits home for me.

I identify with Goku so much it isn't funny.

The way he can have the whole world weighing on his shoulders and maintain an absolute carefree mentality is fantastic.

I handle my world very well, but wish I could attain his level of cool.

[SIlhouette]

I've always felt that those with whom anime strikes a cord are those who either identify as "different" or those who belive in "something more," whether that be magic or something similar, or those with a keen sense of adventure and exploration.

 

Define "different". What I mean by that is I can fit in with a group of surfers, snowboarders, skaters but I can't fit in with a group of country folk (Talking stereotypes since everyone else was). I can fit in with metal heads but I can't fit in with political activists. I can fit in with jocks, nerds, uni students and staff but I can't fit in with a group of protestant, adventist or uniting youth.

Everyone has things that is similar and different. I don't think everyone has qualities that are so similar that different becomes an artifact of their social status and vice versa. I think people can be very different to you in the same way you can be just as strange and different to someone else. In my eyes everyone fits just outside of social conformity in some way no matter who you are.

 

Anyone can like anime its just it has passed through nerd circles with more ease and I put that down to the fact that on a general basis we search further for media and entertainment. For the same reason I think we have a more eclectic taste in music as a general rule.

[Mister Sympa]

Yes, everyone CAN be different, but not everone feels that they are. It's about self-identification, not public opinion.

 

And of course anyone can like anime; we were discussing why it appeals to a certain group more strongly than others.

[SushiKitten]

I think everyone feels like they're different. It's like that quote, " 'I'm not like other girls' - every girl" I think that could be applied to everyone, not just girls. Just the way the term 'nerd' has sort of become chic, everyone sees themselves as a nerd somehow, even if what they're doing and what they like wouldn't be considered nerdy to someone else. I'm not saying that's bad or anything. Just that most people would consider themselves smart and most people would consider themselves outliers to society, different from everyone else. And especially in their teens, everyone feels outcasted at some point in their life.

 

I think in our society today, "nerd" doesn't have the definition it did a few years ago. Big thick glasses have become stylish (I can't say much, I'm wearing pretty big ones now), media is more accessible, so more people watch anime and the shows that have been identified as nerdy shows. My 30 year old friend at the anime society here was telling me about how when the society started, they would trade tapes with others across the country through snail mail in the 90s to watch subbed shows. Can you imagine that?

 

Like I said, not a bad thing. I actually think it's cool. I thought I had nothing in common with one of my roommates last summer. All she did was drink and party, and I'm a huge introvert. Yet one day when we were studying on the couch, I learned she had seen BBC's Sherlock. We had Reichenfeels right then and there.

 

My point is everyone thinks they're different from society, and (mostly) everyone in the western world would agree that they're a nerd. The label doesn't really have much of an impact anymore. 

[SIlhouette]

welcome to AnyBloodyPersonForum.org!

 

I prefer the sound of NerdForum.

[SushiKitten]

welcome to AnyBloodyPersonForum.org!

 

I prefer the sound of NerdForum.

Obviously.

 

My point was saying only nerds and those who think they're different and don't fit in watch anime is a bit of a stretch, because many people identify as just that.

[Mister Sympa]

Yeah, but I spent my childhood pretending that I was an alien because it explained the fact that I genuinely felt like a different species.

[Coconut Man]

Honestly, I was friendless until around 3rd grade, and I didn't care. I wasn't friends until then because I didn't WANT to be friends until then. Everyone talked about "sports and other boring stuff like that." At that point I met a video game nerd and we hung out a lot and

[Coconut Man]

I think everyone feels like they're different. It's like that quote, " 'I'm not like other girls' - every girl" I think that could be applied to everyone, not just girls. Just the way the term 'nerd' has sort of become chic, everyone sees themselves as a nerd somehow, even if what they're doing and what they like wouldn't be considered nerdy to someone else. I'm not saying that's bad or anything. Just that most people would consider themselves smart and most people would consider themselves outliers to society, different from everyone else. And especially in their teens, everyone feels outcasted at some point in their life.

 

I think in our society today, "nerd" doesn't have the definition it did a few years ago. Big thick glasses have become stylish (I can't say much, I'm wearing pretty big ones now), media is more accessible, so more people watch anime and the shows that have been identified as nerdy shows. My 30 year old friend at the anime society here was telling me about how when the society started, they would trade tapes with others across the country through snail mail in the 90s to watch subbed shows. Can you imagine that?

 

Like I said, not a bad thing. I actually think it's cool. I thought I had nothing in common with one of my roommates last summer. All she did was drink and party, and I'm a huge introvert. Yet one day when we were studying on the couch, I learned she had seen BBC's Sherlock. We had Reichenfeels right then and there.

 

My point is everyone thinks they're different from society, and (mostly) everyone in the western world would agree that they're a nerd. The label doesn't really have much of an impact anymore. 

See, I think it's time that we come up with a new term for nerd.

No offense, but the word "nerd" is so mainstream at this point that less than a quarter of self-proclaimed "nerds" are actually NERD nerds.

Again, no offense to any nerds out there, but nerd is just so broad a term now that it's kinda lost meaning...

[SushiKitten]

See, I think it's time that we come up with a new term for nerd.

No offense, but the word "nerd" is so mainstream at this point that less than a quarter of self-proclaimed "nerds" are actually NERD nerds.

Again, no offense to any nerds out there, but nerd is just so broad a term now that it's kinda lost meaning...

This is the sort of world we live in though. I mean, technology is waaay more accessible, and so is the media that's normally consumed by nerds. So it's like a massive flood of new nerds because all this stuff is easy to find and people are starting to see an appreciation for it. Not to mention right now with The Big Bang Theory and the whole hipster thing, nerds are "stylish" right now.  

 

Everyone's got a bit of nerd in them though. I can think of very few young people I know who I can say have no nerd cred. Which is why I kind of like the term nerd right now. It's not a term separating you from anyone else, because you watch a certain TV show or have a massive boner for Apple. But it's a sort of accepting term that says it's okay to love this thing or that because many people do too. The term nerd has lost it's impact from being 'the brainy outcast', but being nerdy is all about the passion you put into the things you love.

 

Though it is annoying when you see people calling themselves nerds for being on facebook for too long.

[SIlhouette]

Seems a lot of us on the forums were nerds before it was cool.

[No-Danico]

I'm still not one of those cool nerds. Apparently, cool nerds don't hum the Castlevenia theme when everyone else is completely silent.