This is probably something anime fans don’t ask themselves too often, but why do we like anime? I know I obviously like anime since I watch it and have an animu blog, but things get murky when trying to explain why I like it. The first response would be that it entertains me, but that’s still a pretty vague answer.
So going further, what makes anime entertaining then? I pondered this for a bit and then pondered it some more. After much pondering, I still can’t give a clearly defined answer. I feel the same way about video games to an extent, but I can more easily pinpoint two big focal points of good games — Story and gameplay. With some exceptions, good games have one or the other, and great games have both. Lesser factors like characters, music and voice work are important too, but story and gameplay take precedence in games.
Anime obviously doesn’t have gameplay since it’s a passive experience, so that leaves story to carry the weight for good anime, leaving other factors like characters, animation, music and voice work to pick up the slack. A lot of great anime rely on epic, sometimes convoluted story lines to carry the show, but story often isn’t everything. Several anime don’t even have a story in the proper sense of the word. You probably know what particular genre I’m getting at — The Slice of life. Slice of life shows do technically have a story as they do follow a series of events revolving more around small-scale characterization and social interactions, but SoLs are no less enjoyable than the more traditionally “story” oriented anime out there.
That kind of flushes my story thesis down the drain when it comes to anime. So after all this ranting, I still can’t explain why I like anime. Story is obviously important, but not all anime have a “story”. Characters are a close second in importance. A likable cast helps a show immensely, but they still need the story to dictate what they do, otherwise they would just sit around having tea and crackers. So good anime focus on story and characters. Everything after that is gravy.
All said, this rant got way off track from its original purpose. Even after all this conjecture I still can’t say why I really like anime, except that it’s simply enjoyable and there’s a lot of variety to suit lots of tastes. A groundbreaking story isn’t truly essential to liking an anime, so it’s very arguable that characters are really the most important component of an anime. Furthermore, an anime doesn’t even have to be “good” to be entertaining, as I’m often entertained by shows that are sheer crap. Thus, this article/rant was just me blowing hot air and wasting your time. That’s a good five minutes of your life you’ll never have back. Just as planned.
Entries (RSS)
Is it really that difficult of a question? I mean, you did well enough answering it yourself.
I like anime because it entertains me. The entertainment is often derived from good stories or good storytelling; other times, it comes from characters I can relate to or sympathize with and their interactions with one another. Sometimes the characters and story work together. Sometimes they don’t. But at the end of the day, if I was entertained by something, then I will like it. That’s really all I need.
Of course, sometimes I stick with shows that I don’t really like that much. In those cases, I think the only reason I bother is so that I can write a scathing review afterwards. Which is entertaining. Kind of. In some masochistic kind of way. But hey, entertainment is entertainment.
Kiris last blog post…Review: Eureka seveN
I see another possibility for an essay.
Panthers last blog post…Only One Credit – Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA
I like anime because of the girls…. another vague answer.. well, ok, I like it because of the animation and drawning techniques and because in certain form I learn about japanese culture and language.
phossils last blog post…Google OS
I’m in it for the Moe Moe Kyun.
In all seriousness though, I have disagree with you on the story aspect. The Clannad AS arch from Ep16 to 20 was the most incredible narrative and plot execution I’ve ever seen in American or Japanese media.
In any case, anime actually has a story and an ending unlike nearly all American shows out there. American shows tend to drag on and on because the purpose of the narrative isn’t to further the plot, but rather to allow the producers to make more episodes. The purpose of anime like say, Air, is to actually tell a story. Gao. Gulp. Gah X_X. End. That’s why I really like anime.
Because you can watch a story about Incest and be ok. lol
Real Reason: would be too long to properly explain, but basically because it makes me feel happy when i watch it. like some people like dirt bike riding, or swimming in the ocean, or skateboarding, or working, me i like watching anime in my free time.
Difficult question. If I was asked this by someone who holds anime in contempt, I would just retort to them: Because I like it, got a problem?
But if I was to analyze it, for one, I think, is the diversity. Every three months there are many new shows catering for all tastes, including mine. Personally, although from time to time I may watch action/war/dark anime (e.g. some mecha, etc), what I really like is comedy, romance and slice-of-life, and that is quite abundant in anime.
Another reason I explored once was the type of adolescence that is protrayed, and I think that is precisely what attracts me. 95% of anime shows have to do with high schoolers, and in principle I’m too old for that (24) and never been too much into the “crazy adolescence” thingy, as so often protrayed in American/European fiction.
However, whether because I was always a stick-in-the-mud or because anime is more realistic, the youth portrayed there is more similar to mine, to what I did and enjoyed. I mean, not getting drunk and joy-raiding while having drugs and sex, or having a loud party at 3 am only to be disrupted by those meany cops armed with tasers.
In anime, it’s portrayed mainly a là K-On, and I like that. Whether it’s just portraying an idealized, cliched vision of reality or because Japanese youths are in actual fact more sensible, I can’t tell, but I like it. Those shows lack anger -so present in so many American shows-, I can just watch them and relax
Add that I’m learning Japanese, and that’s what makes me like anime. And well, it’s undeniable. The girls are cute as hell!
Sergios last blog post…Your own past
Sergio says:
“However, whether because I was always a stick-in-the-mud or because anime is more realistic, the youth portrayed there is more similar to mine, to what I did and enjoyed.”
Me too. I remember this one time when 5 of the most attractive girls in school were after me…
“In anime, it’s portrayed mainly a là K-On, and I like that. Whether it’s just portraying an idealized, cliched vision of reality or because Japanese youths are in actual fact more sensible, I can’t tell, but I like it.”
The type of characters are similar to the ones in ‘Monty Phyton’s Holy Grail’ or ‘There’s Something About Mary.’ I think I like anime so much precisely because ithe characters are so unique (and unrealistic in that sense). Of course, if someone actually knows of a real blue-haired, green-eyed loli Catholic nun named after the Vatican’s list of banned books, I would happily take back my statement.
Sorry this reply is late. I haven’t been around a whole lot the past few days.
@Kiri: I don’t mind if a show is crap as long as I like it to some degree. Watching shows you don’t like is pure torture. The only cases where I’ll start and finish an anime I dislike are movies because of the relatively short commitment. In the most extreme cases I’ll take a bad movie out, stomp on it, and then send it back. I’ll agree about you being a masochist.
@Panther: Do it. I triple dipple dog dare ya. Put ya guns on!
@phossil: To some degree we all like it for the girls. But not for the guys. Unless it’s GAR.
@Roy: Yeah, a big aspect of liking anime is knowing they have a set episode count and knowing the plot will move along without significant hiccups. Of course shounen completely throws that argument aside. I wish at least one of the current Big 3 (OP, Bleach, Naruto) would end already for a fresh new shounen to take its place. Hopefully Bleach because it’s been just awful for a long time.
@Chimasternmay: Incest is indeed, the best. Crazy Japan and its somewhat liberal view on incest stories.
@Sergio: The sheer variety is also something to really enjoy about anime. Each anime is a self contained world with their own unique casts and stories, and with the sheer volume of new shows every season it’s hard to find something you don’t like. As for high school stories, I enjoy the anime versions because they’re generally less angsty than live action dramas. I do enjoy the sweet, if idealic, versions of high school that slice of lifes typically present. They’re simply fun to watch. Cute girls doing cute things doesn’t hurt either.
@Roy: You just got reponsed to twice in one comment. Give yourself a pat on the back and have an ice cream sandwhich.
I like anime because so much is possible in it. By drawing action scenes you can make so many thrilling and amazing feats come to life. Such scenes would take a lot of money in a live action film and might not even end up looking as cool. Or another example are the absolutely hilarious faces made by characters to add on to the comedic factor of the situation. Plus…I love animation, it just look beautiful/neat.
lovelyduckies last blog post…Chroche (AR Tonelico 2) Max Factory
I want Yui avatar!
After years of being an anime fan, haha, I have came to realise some stuff.
You all are forgetting something, Something that I missed out too until I got rudely reminded on.
I used to look for the ‘anime’ songs genre on the internet. To my lol, ‘ani-son’ isn’t a genre at all! There are jazz, country, blues, electronic, rap, pop j-songs…
Get the point now? Saying Anime has different genres is ehh…..
You can’t say it’s the plot that attracts u to Anime. It just happened to be on an anime. It could have been a movie’s plot, a soap-drama’s. If I tell u the death note movie came first before the anime, or even the manga, then what? So the movie’s not interesting anymore? ( let’s forget about all the live-action flops, thats besides the point )
What makes a movie/film successful? Because it is realistic. Realistic in that the main protaganist is just another normal person, doing every normal stuff a normal person will do. You can relate to them.
And to further prove my point, you can look no futher from the “genre” SoL. Yeah everybody here says it is crap, but no less enjoyable.
The artwork is another VERY IMPORTANT point. In a scene. it could be a very minor thing (in the context of the plot), but it is the background of the cel. Very very minor things like the hair swaying, running sweat beads, things that you won’t think of animating (if you are the animator, I mean there must be more important things to animate..). It is all these that registered in your mind, hey thats realistic. Just like how u admired a painting. A painting does not have to be photographic, as long as it has the gist of the item painted, you can register it to be that! Sense of realism (nice phase I made up)
( Can’t post pictures here to illustrate my point, too bad … I am too lazy to do it anyway… muhaha )
Anime. we are enjoying an art-form which creatively mimics real-live.
Just run through any anime episode, try to observe the stuff I’ve said. You’ll get it!
Tarinai´s last blog ..Ironman 2! Woo hoo
Overall, I agree.
Just like when people ask me why I read Fantasy/Sci-Fi, I tell them I can get a thriller, a comedy, romance, and in addition have what the interesting background gives me.
Anime has some tropes unique to it, just like Western Sphagettis have some tropes, but overall, a drama is a drama, a thriller is a thriller. If you enjoy thrillers in primetime TV, you should also enjoy them in anime form and vice versa.
Which is why I tell people who say they hadn’t watched enough anime, to review/comment, that knowledge in other media fields is transferable.
Guy´s last blog ..Classroom Deathmatch RPG! Jake Richmond Interview part 2.
And exciting, we now have the option of editing our comments! Cool stuff!
Guy´s last blog ..Classroom Deathmatch RPG! Jake Richmond Interview part 2.