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Old 2012-03-21, 08:57   Link #16
Sackett
Cross Game - I need more
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: I've moved around the American West. I've lived in Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Oklahoma
Age: 44
I will try to use simple English. When I cannot I will try to use very precise words in the hope that the precision will aid in translation.

Since you ask about anime I will review a few anime that have gained significant popularity on this board, and express why I believe they appeal to Westerners.

I believe that Japanese animation appeals to Westerners primarily because of the universality of the human condition.

Some anime are very straightforward in its presentation of these universal themes:

Consider Cross Game (クロスゲーム) a recent anime adapted from a manga by Mitsuru Adachi (あだち 充). This anime was very popular here at AnimeSuki, even winning the AnimeSuki Choice Awards last year. The story contains some Japanese elements such as Japanese funeral customs, Koshien, and Japanese concepts such as senpai-kohai relationships.

However, the commonalities are much more significant: Grief for the death of a loved one. The complexity and difficulty of romance. The importance of keeping promises. Working together as a team to accomplish a difficult goal.

Americans especially can identify with the baseball arc. We also have our Little League games, and National championships. With a few minor alterations, the story of Cross Game could occur in any Small Town USA.

Other anime may at first glance appear to be more Japanese, but actually have strong Western roots.

Consider Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (魔法少女まどか☆マギカ) the show that won this year's AnimeSuki Choice Awards. What can be more Japanese oriented then a Magical Girl anime?

However, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was inspired by the story of Faust. A famous Western legend of a man who made a "deal with the devil." Because of this, Western fans began making accurate predictions about the plotline as early as episode 2. By episode 9, several Japanese fans began commenting on this, wondering how the Western fans were able to predict future events so well.

Additionally, the Magical Girl elements are originally Western, and are not unfamiliar to Westerners. Any Western girl, or boy who has sisters, was exposed to the Magical Girl genre in shows such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Rainbow Brite, or She-Ra. The original Japanese Magical Girl shows were developed from an old Western show called Bewitched.

The ending for Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica as well:

Spoiler for Spoiler for ending:


Certainly significant Japanese elements have been added to this show, but the sources are primarily Western.

Other shows are very Japanese in origin yet still have wide appeal to Westerners. The works of Takahashi Rumiko (高橋 留美子) are good examples.

Inuyasha (犬夜叉) is a story set in Japanese feudal era and populated with Japanese legends and myths. To the Japanese these are more familiar stories. To a Westerner however it is new and mysterious. Because the story of Inuyasha is a quest, both reactions are effective in generating interest.

Ranma 1/2 (らんま1/2) requires understanding Japanese concepts of obligation to fully appreciate the difficult situation Ranma is in. Western fans often do not understand why Ranma has such a hard time making a choice between his multiple fiances. However, the exploration of gender issues has significant appeal to Westerners. What does it mean to be feminine? What does it mean to be manly?

Maison Ikkoku (めぞん一刻) is very Japanese. Many of the obstacles that Godai needs to overcome before winning Kyoko's hand in marriage do not exist in Western culture. However, the general story is very universal. A boy must become a man, and prove himself worthy to marry the woman he loves. Most stories externalize this development into a monster that the boy must defeat. Maison Ikkoku shows an internal development. Godai must change himself, and must defeat his own weakness. This is a less common depiction, and therefor made Maison Ikkoku notable, even outside Japan.

Shows like these often have elements that Westerns do not understand, or don't even see. However, these differences of perception are not enough to prevent a Westerner from enjoying the show.

I believe the shows that are most confusing to Westerners are those that use Western iconography and symbolism incorrectly.

Christianity, particularly Catholicism is commonly used this way. Enough so that Western Anime fans even have a term for it: Anime Catholicism, or to reference the most glaring error that we often see "Nuns are Mikos." (Nuns are actually quite different from Mikos. The image most Westerners associate with Nuns is an elderly woman wielding a ruler that will be used to punish you for some mistake you made.)

Shows such as Chrono Crusade (クロノ クルセイド) are so flagrant in these errors that often it serves as amusement for Western fans. Despite these errors, the general story of a sister sacrificing herself to save her younger brother is again a story with universal appeal, and so the show is still popular with Westerners.

However I think this errant use of Western symbols is one of the reasons Japanese anime has a reputation for "weirdness" among the mainstream Western audiences. The obsession with giant humanoid robots being the other.

There are several other things in Japanese anime that Westerners have trouble understanding.

For example "Class S" (クラスS) is often incomprehensible to Westerners and mistaken for lesbianism.
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Cross Game - A Story of Love, Life, Death - and Baseball. What more could you want?
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