Isnt Anime for kids? How do you respond?

[Dxon]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Isn't this now about the hundredth time someone has said "watch Elfen Lied" in this thread? Don't people actually read the threads before posting?

And, as for my view on whether this is the correct answer, I refer you to this.

Okaaay.. Other one:

Higurashi no Koro ni (Or something.. I'm pretty sure I'm close to it. )

[Utter_iMADNESS]

One of my not so close friends today asked me why I watched anime because "they're cartoons for little kids". So I simply said that that's his opinion so I'm not even going to try to argue with him because I have better things to do with my time.

So what I'm trying to say that it doesn't really matter what other people think, unless it's someone who was significant in your life so it matters enough to talk to them about it [such as parents or close friends].

[Dxon]

Originally Posted by Utter_iMADNESS

One of my not so close friends today asked me why I watched anime because "they're cartoons for little kids". So I simply said that that's his opinion so I'm not even going to try to argue with him because I have better things to do with my time.

So what I'm trying to say that it doesn't really matter what other people think, unless it's someone who was significant in your life so it matters enough to talk to them about it [such as parents or close friends].

An other method of showing the one asking that he/she is wrong.

[qtipbrit]

Originally Posted by Dxon

Okaaay.. Other one:

Higurashi no Koro ni (Or something.. I'm pretty sure I'm close to it. )

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

It's easily enjoyable for teenagers, though. My thirteen-year-old brother loved the series, and its sequel moreso. But then again, he also really like Elfen Lied, and it was mainly him who got me to watch it in the first place.
Of course, it's not to say that a good deal of the violence and content didn't affect him and whatnot. Some of the violence and such affected him quite a lot, but it's obvious that it's not impossible for someone a bit younger to watch them.

Originally Posted by Utter_iMADNESS

One of my not so close friends today asked me why I watched anime because "they're cartoons for little kids". So I simply said that that's his opinion so I'm not even going to try to argue with him because I have better things to do with my time.

So what I'm trying to say that it doesn't really matter what other people think, unless it's someone who was significant in your life so it matters enough to talk to them about it [such as parents or close friends].

Again, South Park, Family Guy, Futurama, the Simpsons, American Dad, etc. are also cartoons. They're not necessarily for kids.

[KholdStare]

That's excellent, because that's where we're at. Teenagers =/= kids. I'm not sure about you guys, but when I was 13, I hated to be called "too young" and have my decisions made for me. I think that it's a good enough age to decide for yourself what you want to watch.

But in the end, it's all about presentation. I don't blame people calling anime "for kids," because that's really all they have seen. Let's think, the most popular ones are Pokémon, Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Dragonball Z, and maybe Naruto if they have access to it. In fact, the requirement for anime to be shown on Kids WB and similar channels is that it has to be a TV-Y7 show. Therefore, it's safe to say that most anime shown on public channels is targeted to, well, a TV-Y7 audience. It's not really a question of people being ignorant about their ignorance, so let's put it this way: Them asking us about anime is like a fourth grader asking a math teacher about math. The math teacher isn't going to say, "Oh you're stupid, you don't know anything, go do differential calculus (aka go watch Elfen Lied)." I think there's too much anger in this thread for no reason. I find that most people tend to listen to me when I explain to them what anime is, so don't just tell them to "watch a show." If they still laugh at you, then you don't have to defend yourself any longer because then it's clear who the "kid" is.

[Don_Don_Kun]

Originally Posted by KholdStare

But in the end, it's all about presentation. I don't blame people calling anime "for kids," because that's really all they have seen. Let's think, the most popular ones are Pokémon, Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Dragonball Z, and maybe Naruto if they have access to it. In fact, the requirement for anime to be shown on Kids WB and similar channels is that it has to be a TV-Y7 show. Therefore, it's safe to say that most anime shown on public channels is targeted to, well, a TV-Y7 audience. It's not really a question of people being ignorant about their ignorance, so let's put it this way: Them asking us about anime is like a fourth grader asking a math teacher about math. The math teacher isn't going to say, "Oh you're stupid, you don't know anything, go do differential calculus (aka go watch Elfen Lied)." I think there's too much anger in this thread for no reason. I find that most people tend to listen to me when I explain to them what anime is, so don't just tell them to "watch a show." If they still laugh at you, then you don't have to defend yourself any longer because then it's clear who the "kid" is.

Thats incredibly well said (or wrote), congratulations! I've had trouble with some of my close friends explaing to them what anime is all about. The issue is that they have already formulated their own opinions on anime based upon shows that were previously aired on common channels such as YTV and teletoon. The extent of their knowledge of anime doesn't really go any further than the shows that they have watched on those channels, so I can't really balme them for thinking that anime is merely a child's cartoon (especailly when they have only wathced pokemon, dragonball z, yu-gi-oh etc.) Although what I can't stand is people jumping to rash conclusions about anime just by taking one glance at it and spouting comments such as "that show looks stupid, it must be porn" or "anime sucks, its all the same".

Its true that theres nothing one can really do in a situation like that except keep your cool and silenetly show them who the child really is!

[TinyRedLeaf]

The kinds of answers we get in this thread represent the biases of this forum's members.

As many posters have already pointed out, anime is merely another medium for story-telling. As such, whether or not anime is for kids depends on what kinds of programmes you watch. That said, it's very hard not to observe that the greater majority of anime programmes are targeted at kids and teenagers (sorry to break your bubbles, but no, I don't consider teenagers old enough to be adults). From that perspective, it's not hard to understand why most people feel that "anime is for kids".

Furthermore, I think SeijiSensei's point is worth repeating. Blood, gore and violence does not make anime "mature". If anything, it's the exact opposite. It's puerile entertainment that aims for the lowest common denominator. It doesn't take brains to enjoy action. It's a pure sensation. Now, I enjoy blood and gore when I'm in the mood for it, and especially if it's a device to enhance the story-telling. But for the most part, action-oriented shows don't engage the intellect too much. So, anime like Elfen Lied (gah!) and Ninja Scroll are ironically very bad examples of how anime is supposedly for adults.

My next point is more crucial — anime as a medium for mature story-telling suffers from several limitations. Before you flame me about this, can you think of many anime that can match live-action movies like Citizen Kane, Seven Samurai, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator, Cold Mountain, The Awakening, Lord of the Rings and so on? What do live-action movies have that anime lacks? Real actors. Real emotions on display. Real sets. Real explosions!

In terms of a medium's ability to offer viewers a visceral experience, animation pales in comparison to live-action programmes. If it's an epic adventure or a heartfelt drama you want to produce, animation/anime is often poor medium for such stories. Not that it cannot be done. Ghibli movies are good examples of how good story-telling can be delivered in anime. Ironically though, don't you find it obvious that Miyazaki refuses to refer to his movies as anime? He calls them animated movies instead. Clearly then, even a master animator like him sees a distinction between movies and "anime".

At the same time, many professional animators disdain attempts to make animations/anime "realistic", especially those guys at Pixar Studios. They realise that the point of telling a story through animation is not about making things "look real". Rather, the strength of animation lies in caricature — the medium's ability to over-emphasise certain character traits, usually for comedic effect. My point? While "realistic anime" such as Byousoku 5 Centimetre lends very strong support to the idea that anime is for adults, there comes a point when it's worth asking whether the story could have been better told in live-action instead. Yes, ironically, the more realistic an anime gets, the weaker it is as an animated story.

So, does all this mean that watching anime makes you childish? I think that's the real concern that many posters have. This is the real reason why so many anime-fans get defensive whenever someone attacks their hobby.

In response, I'd like to ask a simple question. Do you consider someone like Hayao Miyazaki childish?

There is a big difference between being child-like and being childish. Why do I, a grown adult, watch anime? Because I can find stories in this medium that I do not find in live-action TV or movies. However, I watch anime in full awareness that anime is mainly for kids. Not that I see anything particularly wrong with that. Just because I'm now an adult doesn't mean I can't enjoy reading fairy-tales like Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood. Especially because I'm now an adult, it's good to watch stuff like Totoro or Kiki's Delivery Service every now and then, because it reminds me how great it is to be a child; how everything around you seemed that more magical when you were still a hyper-imaginative baby.

In conclusion, yes, anime is mainly for kids. But there's no need to be hung up over it. Instead, revel in the stories that anime can deliver. At the same time, always be ready to explore stories in all other media, because stories come in all shapes and sizes. Just because anime is mainly for kids doesn't stop you from analysing it as an adult.

If being an adult means having to stop having good, childish fun every now and then, then life would truly be a dreary affair indeed.

[qtipbrit]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

So, anime like Elfen Lied (gah!) and Ninja Scroll are ironically very bad examples of how anime is supposedly for adults.

Actually, Elfen Lied focuses a lot on themes that children generally wouldn't be able to comprehend, such as guilt, humanity, abuse, etc. It also has romantic themes of varying maturity.

I can agree, though, as I've seen ten-year olds sit through Elfen Lied or Higurashi, though they may not really understand the anime as well as an older viewer (but children usually just don't comprehend things as well in general.)

[KholdStare]

Unfortunately this thread is getting pretty old to me, and I'm not really sure why people care. Unless you have too much pride and honor or something, it doesn't matter if anime is for kids or not. This isn't a yes or no question. Some are for kids, some are for older viewers. Are we really going to care about if there's more anime for kids than adults? That's like asking do more kids play chess than adults. If we've already reached a point where it's both, then further discussion then becomes beating a dead Ponyta.

Never mind. I don't want to discourage discussion.

[qtipbrit]

Originally Posted by KholdStare

If we've already reached a point where it's both, then further discussion then becomes beating a dead Ponyta.

Never mind. I don't want to discourage discussion.

Mmmm... I'm pretty sure Pokémon don't die. They faint, but I've never seen or heard of one dying.
Ha.

[KholdStare]

Originally Posted by qtipbrit92

Mmmm... I'm pretty sure Pokémon don't die. They faint, but I've never seen or heard of one dying.
Ha.

That's because it's not implied. If they don't die then how do carnivores survive? I don't imagine Granbull chomping on carrots.

[qtipbrit]

Originally Posted by KholdStare

That's because it's not implied. If they don't die then how do carnivores survive? I don't imagine Granbull chomping on carrots.

I'm not even sure there are carnivorous pokes. I could easily see a Granbull eating carrots, too, since it's not one of the pokes that come off as carnivorous to me. It probably eats the same pokéfood that all of the other Pokémon eat, and whatever that is, I doubt it's Pokémon flavour.

The only Pokémon that would seem carnivorous are the dog-ish ones (Mightyena, Houndoom, t3h legendaries.) but for some reason, I can't really see them eating pokes.

Didn't we already have a conversation similar to this one before?
ehh.

[KholdStare]

Originally Posted by qtipbrit92

I'm not even sure there are carnivorous pokes. I could easily see a Granbull eating carrots, too, since it's not one of the pokes that come off as carnivorous to me. It probably eats the same pokéfood that all of the other Pokémon eat, and whatever that is, I doubt it's Pokémon flavour.

The only Pokémon that would seem carnivorous are the dog-ish ones (Mightyena, Houndoom, t3h legendaries.) but for some reason, I can't really see them eating pokes.

Didn't we already have a conversation similar to this one before?
ehh.

We have, but there's still the fact that we have to assume everyone is vegetarian.

[qtipbrit]

Originally Posted by KholdStare

We have, but there's still the fact that we have to assume everyone is vegetarian.

Well, I guess PETA likes Pokémon, then.

[KholdStare]

Originally Posted by qtipbrit92

Well, I guess PETA likes Pokémon, then.

Maybe, but what would they say about a Buddhajew?

[Kagedanji]

There's anime for certain ages. Groups like 4Kids tries to make all anime for kids, I wouldn't be surprised if they took a recent version of Cutey Honey and named it Cutey Power, aired it, and got protested against for the boobage they cut out.

Most of America assumes that, if it was drawn, it must've been for kids, because actually, more kids like animated things. In Japan, everyone likes animated things.

[qtipbrit]

Originally Posted by KholdStare

Maybe, but what would they say about a Buddhajew?

What wouldn't they say about a Buddhajew?

Who doesn't like Buddhajews?

[raikage]

Originally Posted by Kagedanji

There's anime for certain ages. Groups like 4Kids tries to make all anime for kids, I wouldn't be surprised if they took a recent version of Cutey Honey and named it Cutey Power, aired it, and got protested against for the boobage they cut out.

Most of America assumes that, if it was drawn, it must've been for kids, because actually, more kids like animated things. In Japan, everyone likes animated things.

As KJ will tell you, open anime fans are shunned in Japan. If you say you like anime, people will look at you as if you said you still watch Bugs Bunny as an adult. That's just... kinda weird.

[Kagedanji]

Originally Posted by raikage

As KJ will tell you, open anime fans are shunned in Japan. If you say you like anime, people will look at you as if you said you still watch Bugs Bunny as an adult. That's just... kinda weird.

Huh. The more you know.

[King Lycan]

KholdStare and qtipbrit92 u guys are some funny
Cookiez for being so awesome