Anime pic thread. I need an anime break (pics)

[Az]

[BreweryYardRat]

1. Okay...

The only anime series I like...

[Kellanved]

2. well, the OVA should be out by the end of the year

:D

[BreweryYardRat]

5. Actually,

I'm going to pass on that one. Not too fond of the way ol' Vlad kept getting more and more powerful in the manga.

[Kellanved]

6. as opposed to his development in the series?

:shrug:
I can't claim expert status on this one.

[BreweryYardRat]

8. Neither can I.

However, they did cap his power at the end of the anime, and left it pretty reasonable (as far as the word applies), as opposed to what I've seen of manga vols. 1-6/heard about 7-8.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

34. Alucard is badass.

[BreweryYardRat]

36. Indeed.

I like Anderson better, though.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

40. Don't forget Walter.

That one episode where he fought he totally kicked ass.

[ZombieNixon]

3. Aaaaah! So many unrealistically doey eyes!

Meh...to each his own.

[Kellanved]

4. well

I am not really a big anime fan, but I rather do enjoy Ghost in the Shell : SAC(2) and Speed Grapher. Sometimes a few of the rather strange ones (Paranoia Agent, Galaxy Railways).

[ghostsofgiants]

7. From one of the few animes I am a fan of...

[zanne]

9. What's the difference between an anime...

and a cartoon character? Seriously. (I'm old).

[Az]

10. Long and the short answer

Short answer: Anime is Japanese animation.

Long answer: Japan has a long history of graphic literature. Manga was far more than what comic books are to the west. They are considered a higher form of literature than just kids stuff.

Once animation hit Japan it was natural for them to apply the same trends occurring in the literature to the new industry. Thus animation in Japan has never been just a kid thing. It has always been an art form to convey stories to people of all ages.

The development of the large eyed look came about because artists found that the eyes conveyed more emotions. Thus enlarging them made it possible to deliver more emotion through their expression.

The hair thing (multicolored hair) comes from having a society where everyone's hair is the same color(or nearly so).

Thus anime is Japanese animation, it has a distintive style, and can appeal to a wide range of audience types from kids to adults. The majority of anime people are exposed to in the US is the kids stuff simply because US marketters simply do not know how to market the heavier stuff to US audiences.

A good example of this comes from Disney trying to deal with anime. They made a contract with studio Ghibli. In the contract they agreed to fund three movies and bring over their older works. The problem came when they saw the first movie (Princess Mononokie). There were things in there Disney had never dealt with before. They had no idea how to market it. It was an incredible movie but they were at a loss as to what to do with it.

So when the second movie came over they tried to bury it. No advertisement beyond the minimal required by the contract. Released to only 100 art theatres throughout the country. Unfortunately for them though the movie was wonderful. It garnered an academy award nomination for best animated film. This forced Disney to rerelease the movie and fully advertise it.

Anime can be anything from childrens stories (pokemon) to deeply emotional stories (grave of the fireflies). It can be playful or deviant. It can be deep and thought provoking or a simple ode to anger. There is likely something there for anyone if they take the time to look into it.

[brainshrub]

14. What's with the fascination with tentacle monsters?

Before anyone thinks I'm being sarcastic, let me explain: In US sci-fi movies, the villain usually falls to his death from a great hight. The origins of this plot-device come from the biblical story of how Lucifer was cast out of heaven fell into hell.

Are tentacle monsters part of pre-animation Japanese literature? Is there anything about tentacle monsters attacking young women in Japanese mythology?

[Az]

19. That would be hente

The porn subgenus of anime. I can only guess that the island based dietary presense of squid and octopus create a steady flow of tentacles in their culture.

Part of the thing about Japanese culture is the degree of stress and pressure that are present in day to day life. Their is an incredibly regimented society. So much so that there are professions that have been developed specifically to break that tension on a regular basis.

This drives many of their forms of entertainment to extremes. It can lead to great works of art or great extremes of depravity. The tentacles are just such an example. Overwhelming violation.

[sakabatou]

23. That's hentai

Hente is strange hand... hentai is pervert(ed)

[Az]

26. Yep, my bad

Not exactly my cup o tea. A little ecchi isn't too bad. But the hentai .... rather boring usually.

[sakabatou]

22. Anime is usually from Japan with distinct characteristics

Big eyes, crazy colored hair, mouths that move without moving the jaws, speed lines, actual japanese sayings such as "sensei".

Cartoons are more European/American

[MamaBear]

11. Does this count?

Spirited Away?

[bridgit]

12. you got it...

[kitkatrose]

13. Yay! An anime thread!!

[tedoll78]

15. My very favorite. I've laughed, and I've bawled like a baby..

I could post image after image.. Nina.. General Hughes..

[Az]

16. Ready for the new season?

Got the replay(tivo clone) fired up and ready here.

[tedoll78]

17. I'm so ready.

I have a good list of stuff that I watch on television regularly, but this one show is at the very top, right above Arrested Development. The half hour just flies by!

[Az]

30. So wud you think?

Felt good to see the guys back for me.

[tedoll78]

31. The backstory is quite interesting.

But I wanna know what's going-on back in Central..!

[FuzzyThinker]

18. Why is anime so pheodophilic by the way ?

what with all the fully developed girls in short school uniforms.

[Az]

20. Its a strong theme in Japan

Many women keep their uniforms and dress up for their boyfriends long after they graduate.

Take a look at our own entertainment. Its flooded with youth figures as sex elements. Nothing new there. Its just that in Japanese culture they seem to be more open about the fascination while recognising the need to avoid crossing the line.

Fantasies are real things. People imagine a lot of things. If we make them a taboo to talk about then they fester and become problems.

America has a lot of hangups about sex. Many other cultures explore it far more openly. Their societies seem to be able to deal with it. Perhaps ours could stand to loosen up a little.

[rocktivity]

21. A friend of mine heard that anime was pornographic

and she was worried because her son was "getting into it." I explained that anime was a style of animation the way rock is a style of music, and that anyone who wanted to produce a pornographic image could use anything from a computer program on down to a crayon!

:headbang:
rocknation

[sakabatou]

24. Akira Kurasawa, meet hip-hop

[Az]

27. A case where the dub isn't horrible

Though I still prefer the sub. But it doesn't make your ears bleed like the dub for One Piece is.

[sakabatou]

28. I haven't heard it, so I can't compare

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

33. Geneon/Pioneer is making some damn good dubs.

It certainly ain't like the old days anymore...

[sakabatou]

25. A series which I recently finished

[sakabatou]

29. From Studio Ghibli

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

32. You asked for anime?

[I Have A Dream]

35. Maybe you can answer this for me. Almost all of the anime that I've...

seen has people with caucasian-looking eyes, including blue & green eyes which I'd guess are almost non-existent in Japan. Any idea why?

On edit: I see that an earlier poster mentioned the big eyes. However, there's no explanation. Anyone know why?

[sakabatou]

37. In Japan

almost everyone looks the same, so the non-conformity with big eyes, hair, eye color, clothing is excentuated by the blandness of japanese MS society.

[I Have A Dream]

38. Interesting! Thanks, sakabatou! n/t

[sakabatou]

39. No prob

Besides there are lots of resources online for these questions. You just have to look for them.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

41. It's symbolism to a large extent.

Anime, and Japanese literature as a whole, places a high premium on eye symbolism. Large, rounded eyes are meant to symbolize purity of soul, which is why most of your main characters have large "Caucasian" eyes, whereas squintier eyes are left for more evil characters.

[I Have A Dream]

42. Isn't that ironic given that they've made the evil people look...

like themselves?

Thanks!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

43. Well, you have to consider the region.

Japanese eyes aren't typically as squinty (apologies to all of our friends of Asian descent - I mean no disrespect, I merely don't know of a better way to say it) as those of, say, the Chinese. The symbolism has been a part of their culture long before Caucasians were really prevalent in their minds.