Mar 20, 2010 5:59 PM
anime is just 4 kids
This thread itself (thread: http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=109088) is proof that anime is aimed at kids, as is the site as a whole. The short and pointless posts, the lack of knowledge and the number of teenagers (we must be talking 90% of the users!) on the biggest English anime site (next to ANN, anyway) highlights just what age group anime is aimed at. As does the lack of love shown to realistic and/or characterization heavy titles; the love they should receive instead going to TTGL and Code Geass R2 instead because they look pretty and have big robots.
Something having boobs in it does not make it adult. Teenagers are very interested in boobs, and those going through 'changes' are far more likely to be swayed by fan service than adults. Every normal teenager, and even a fair number of tweens, are aware of the opposite sex and get off on porn these days, thanks to the internet, so the 'IT HAS BOOBS! IT MATURE!' argument has zero weight.
And, similarly, violence/gore doesn't make something adult, either. Gantz has women with big breasts getting their knockers out, heads being blown apart and all the rest, but really, it's just a fun ride for younger males. You can easily discern the age group something is aimed at by looking at the main character, and Gantz has a hormonal, horny as fuck guy as its lead; him going through a stage in his life the author knew full well the majority of the readers would be able to relate to. It's incorrect to say everything with an adult lead by default is aimed at adults, but it's true that the vast majority of anime characters are teenagers because the creators of *insert titles here* know they're trying to market *insert titles here* to teenagers.
Yes; Gantz does explore the psychological sides of the characters, but it isn't what I'd call an in-depth look into the human mind. Gantz has always been a guilty pleasure for older guys simply because they know it uses sex and violence to sell, and does it very well. Males in general get kicks out of a mix of sex and violence - that's just how they roll, and Gantz has lots of appeal because of that.
As for people bringing up Death Note, while it's very true it can be respected by adults because of the subject matter and the fact it has a realistically selfish lead, the fact of the matter is that it was serialized in a shounen magazine. Even the author admitted to viewing it as a typical shounen; just with the battling being done with words rather than fists. So, while DN can lead to the kind of in-depth discussion rarely seen on anime forums, that wasn't the intent of the author, and that means it wasn't aimed at adults.
I don't agree with judging manga based on where it was originally serialized, though. GTO is one of the most moving and involving manga I've read, it being about people dealing with their realistic school issues, and it's a shounen title. And Ai Yori Aoshi - a typical harem type - was serialized alongside Berserk simply because nipples are drawn. It's simple-minded to go, 'Hey, this is a shounen - kiddy shit. Imma get my Berserk on instead, lol'.
The question you have to ask is, what can be considered as adult entertainment? Stories with lots of death, nudity, sexing and even those that explore the psychological side aren't considered to be works created exclusively for adults. Even the 1250 page 'The Count of Monte Cristo' is considered fiction for childiren, even though it has arguably the best developed character of all time in the form of Dantes. Honestly, I think you have to be watching a documentary to be watching something aimed at adults, simply because anything designed to entertain WILL include aspects that some will consider to be childish. That's why I don't concern myself about the whole 'cartoonz are for kiz' issue, instead opting to just enjoy anime.
Something having boobs in it does not make it adult. Teenagers are very interested in boobs, and those going through 'changes' are far more likely to be swayed by fan service than adults. Every normal teenager, and even a fair number of tweens, are aware of the opposite sex and get off on porn these days, thanks to the internet, so the 'IT HAS BOOBS! IT MATURE!' argument has zero weight.
And, similarly, violence/gore doesn't make something adult, either. Gantz has women with big breasts getting their knockers out, heads being blown apart and all the rest, but really, it's just a fun ride for younger males. You can easily discern the age group something is aimed at by looking at the main character, and Gantz has a hormonal, horny as fuck guy as its lead; him going through a stage in his life the author knew full well the majority of the readers would be able to relate to. It's incorrect to say everything with an adult lead by default is aimed at adults, but it's true that the vast majority of anime characters are teenagers because the creators of *insert titles here* know they're trying to market *insert titles here* to teenagers.
Yes; Gantz does explore the psychological sides of the characters, but it isn't what I'd call an in-depth look into the human mind. Gantz has always been a guilty pleasure for older guys simply because they know it uses sex and violence to sell, and does it very well. Males in general get kicks out of a mix of sex and violence - that's just how they roll, and Gantz has lots of appeal because of that.
As for people bringing up Death Note, while it's very true it can be respected by adults because of the subject matter and the fact it has a realistically selfish lead, the fact of the matter is that it was serialized in a shounen magazine. Even the author admitted to viewing it as a typical shounen; just with the battling being done with words rather than fists. So, while DN can lead to the kind of in-depth discussion rarely seen on anime forums, that wasn't the intent of the author, and that means it wasn't aimed at adults.
I don't agree with judging manga based on where it was originally serialized, though. GTO is one of the most moving and involving manga I've read, it being about people dealing with their realistic school issues, and it's a shounen title. And Ai Yori Aoshi - a typical harem type - was serialized alongside Berserk simply because nipples are drawn. It's simple-minded to go, 'Hey, this is a shounen - kiddy shit. Imma get my Berserk on instead, lol'.
The question you have to ask is, what can be considered as adult entertainment? Stories with lots of death, nudity, sexing and even those that explore the psychological side aren't considered to be works created exclusively for adults. Even the 1250 page 'The Count of Monte Cristo' is considered fiction for childiren, even though it has arguably the best developed character of all time in the form of Dantes. Honestly, I think you have to be watching a documentary to be watching something aimed at adults, simply because anything designed to entertain WILL include aspects that some will consider to be childish. That's why I don't concern myself about the whole 'cartoonz are for kiz' issue, instead opting to just enjoy anime.
Posted by
AironicallyHuman
| Mar 20, 2010 5:59 PM |
3 comments
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Yoroko | May 31, 2010 12:09 AM
An interesting post, indeed. One sure way to tell that something is aimed strictly at adults is slow-as-molasses pacing. Children, teenagers, and even many younger adults seem to hate things with slow pacing, opting instead for fast dialogue and even faster paced action. Can you ever see anyone younger than 17-18 watching 5cm per Second and thinking "Wow, how entertaining!" I'm not saying it's a good or bad movie, it's just the best example I could think of involving slow pacing.Although content can't always be an accurate marker of something aimed at adults (as you point out), sometimes you know that certain themes can be better understood by adults, and thus can be a marker for adult-oriented material. One example here are movies involving real wars, such as WWII. A child can watch a movie such as "Life is Beautiful" and understand it quite well, but I really think it's one of those things that takes maturity to fully appreciate. It's hard to explain with words, but I get the feeling that anime like Mushishi and Grave of the Fireflies are good examples of what it means to be "adult oriented." |
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alteredcourse | Mar 21, 2010 7:54 AM
Also, is it just me or are those boobs freakishly asymmetrical? I prefer righty.
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alteredcourse | Mar 21, 2010 7:54 AM
fuk u fggtAi Yori Aoshi was serialized in a seinen magazine because the lead characters are of college age. Same with Genshiken and Ah! My Goddess (which have no nudity whatsoever). It's usually that, excessive sex and violence, or themes that wouldn't be of much interest to teenagers that characterize manga that appear in seinen anthologies. Shonen Ace is a bit of an anomaly, having serialized Welcome to the NHK, MPD Psycho, as well as lots of anime tie-ins. I think there are some anime aimed specifically at adults (Mushi-shi, Paranoia Agent, Texhnolyze, Ghost in the Shell) though most are primarily intended for children or teenagers. What's more important, of course, is that the show itself is good. I'd rather watch FMA than Texhnolyze. |