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Are you willing to forgive the anime industry, staff, or title for things you would likely criticize the western industry and shows for?

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Jul 28, 5:07 AM
#1

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Apr 2012
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Are you willing to "forgive" the anime industry, staff, or title for things you would likely criticize the western industry and shows for? For example, after the recent debates surrounding the English VA of one of the new ZZZ characters, I once again heard the opinion that people will have no problem treating shipping and headcanons from Japanese VAs as fan service for fans or a joke, but at the same time will quickly start another culture war battle over similar content from Western ones. It reminded me of the old joke that if many romance anime were Western live-action series, many would criticize them as "soap operas for teenage girls."
Jul 28, 5:22 AM
#2

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Oct 2022
510
I am generally more forgiving when it comes to gender role nonsense in anime because Japanese culture is what it is, but that doesn't change that I get annoyed whenever a character plays the "I need to do this to prove I'm a man" card.

as a wise man once said:
"I yearn for true gender equality. I have no patience for one who talks about female privilege when it suits them, and then complains about someone "not being a man" when it's convenient."
Jul 28, 5:24 AM
#3

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Sep 2016
21955
Maybe the usage of cheap slide'n'zoom animation.
*kappa*
Jul 28, 5:54 AM
#4
(´・ω・`)

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Apr 2023
436
Yes, I've noticed I have this double standard. I'm often critical of their actions, but I don't outright "cancel" them like with western personalities.

For example I've stopped consuming almost every western director, actor, or hollywood personality that has supported Roman Polanski despite what he did, but I don't do the same with people in the anime industry who still supports Nobuhiro Watsuki, mostly because I know that what Watsuki did is part of such a deep rooted problem in their society that if I have to start with it, I'll probably have to stop consuming all of my favorite artists on the grounds of being "problematic."

I also tend to overlook right-wing political worldviews in authors even when it's evident, like in the case of Hajime Isayama or Kouhei Horikoshi.
AtromentinaJul 28, 5:59 AM
Jul 28, 6:07 AM
#5

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May 2021
5131
RobertBobert said:
Are you willing to "forgive" the anime industry, staff, or title for things you would likely criticize the western industry and shows for? For example, after the recent debates surrounding the English VA of one of the new ZZZ characters, I once again heard the opinion that people will have no problem treating shipping and headcanons from Japanese VAs as fan service for fans or a joke, but at the same time will quickly start another culture war battle over similar content from Western ones. It reminded me of the old joke that if many romance anime were Western live-action series, many would criticize them as "soap operas for teenage girls."

I'm gonna say yes and no

For me it's not the topic itself (in this example shipping) that i'll criticize, but it's the way one presents that topic

For example, removing where the VA is from

VA1 ships characters X and Y and says this about them "I think X and Y would be very cute together, fingers crossed it becomes canon"

VA2 also ships characters X and Y but says this about them "X and Y where born to be together! I stan X and Y!! If you ship X with other character you're homophobic!!!"

I think it's pretty obvious which behaviour would get criticized and which forgiven...
Jul 28, 6:25 AM
#6

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Apr 2012
24596
Reply to DigiCat
RobertBobert said:
Are you willing to "forgive" the anime industry, staff, or title for things you would likely criticize the western industry and shows for? For example, after the recent debates surrounding the English VA of one of the new ZZZ characters, I once again heard the opinion that people will have no problem treating shipping and headcanons from Japanese VAs as fan service for fans or a joke, but at the same time will quickly start another culture war battle over similar content from Western ones. It reminded me of the old joke that if many romance anime were Western live-action series, many would criticize them as "soap operas for teenage girls."

I'm gonna say yes and no

For me it's not the topic itself (in this example shipping) that i'll criticize, but it's the way one presents that topic

For example, removing where the VA is from

VA1 ships characters X and Y and says this about them "I think X and Y would be very cute together, fingers crossed it becomes canon"

VA2 also ships characters X and Y but says this about them "X and Y where born to be together! I stan X and Y!! If you ship X with other character you're homophobic!!!"

I think it's pretty obvious which behaviour would get criticized and which forgiven...
@DigiCat Well, I guess when VAs joke about it, do some fanservice for the fans, or even openly ship characters like Hibike's VA before KyoAni demanded to push Shuichi x Kumiko for the movie, there's no problem with that. But when the director of LWA tried to explain why there's no romance in the show in general and Megumi Han kind of ruined that logic by making a lot of unfortunate implications about Akko x Diana, I had mixed feelings about it. I mean, shipping is a normal thing, you can't eliminate it or pretend it doesn't exist, but sometimes it just goes too far.
Jul 28, 6:55 AM
#7

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Oct 2018
5805
People were just salty because all Mihoyo girls are lesbians
If you're a fanboy, please don't waste my time.

Watch more movies, please.

Perhaps, this is hell.
Jul 28, 6:56 AM
#8

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Apr 2012
24596
Reply to Phosphophyllita
People were just salty because all Mihoyo girls are lesbians
@Phosphophyllita Good bait, but that's not what this thread is about, lmao.
Jul 28, 8:14 AM
#9
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Mar 2025
356
I don't care about VAs because i use subs.

What i do not forgive is preaching, the reason i watch anime is mainly because there is no preaching. Classic US cinema was always preachy and it still is (this decade it is called "woke"), classic European cinema was not like that until the 90's but then it became preachy as well. This is why i do not watch anything western.

If anime becomes preachy then i will drop it immediately.

Jul 28, 8:32 AM
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Oct 2018
377
I don't think either industry cares much whether I absolve them of their sins.

I cannot process why anyone would allow themselves to get mad at this "shiping" business, it's very very strange that people get mad about fiction built on fiction. I think that Enkidu and Gilgamesh make a cute couple.
Jul 28, 8:46 AM
(´・ω・`)

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Apr 2023
436
I'm also thinking about the Kokoro Connect prank incident (Google it if you don't know what I'm talking about) and how all of the parties involved in it are still working in the industry, if something like that happened with western VAs I doubt any part involved would've been left unscattered like that.
Jul 28, 8:55 AM

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Apr 2012
24596
Reply to Atromentina
I'm also thinking about the Kokoro Connect prank incident (Google it if you don't know what I'm talking about) and how all of the parties involved in it are still working in the industry, if something like that happened with western VAs I doubt any part involved would've been left unscattered like that.
@Atromentina It was because of such cases that the word prank in my eyes ceased to be associated with jokes and began to be associated with evil deception and bullying.
Jul 28, 8:58 AM

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Jul 2013
12161
It is best not to watch too much television. Tv is mostly just fake information, not worth watching. Both anime and Western media is fake, advertising media. Not worth watching.
Here is my Pixiv account of my hentai drawings.....

https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/104739065

Here is my blog....

https://theendofindustrialcivilization.blogspot.com/?m=1
Jul 28, 9:15 AM

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Dec 2020
1372
I'm probably more forgiving towards anime, but I think it is simply because I'm more immersed in that community than in any other.
"Those words are meant for those that dare defy god's final warning... An epigraph of their stubbornness"
- Maho Hiyajo (Steins;Gate 0)
Jul 28, 10:46 AM

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Oct 2017
3519
I tend to criticize the same things in both Western and Japanese media, although there are some tropes that I dislike that happen more from one culture than the other. I also do criticize poor working conditions in both since the exploitation of artists is a genuine problem in both Hollywood and in Japanese anime.
This post is brought to you by your local transfem gamer goblin. Will not tolerate bigotry and will fight against "anti-woke" sentiment to make the anime community a safer place.
Jul 28, 11:21 AM

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Feb 2024
593
I'm not interested in Western live-action shows to begin with, because years ago when I tried some, they all bored me to sleep, but if I were also a fan of them, I'd be impartial and judge anime and Western shows equally. I think the main issue that arises in case of criticism of Western live-action is that they're performed by real human actors and so the criticism is also shared by them, whereas in case of anime, it's generally only the authors and directors who face that criticism. Then again, double standards do exist, and I won't be surprised at people who engage in culture wars just for the sake of it.

RobertBobert said:
It reminded me of the old joke that if many romance anime were Western live-action series, many would criticize them as "soap operas for teenage girls."

To be honest, such things are already said about many Shoujo romances, lol. And in the same vein, many Shounen romances are called "wish fulfilment nonsense".
SoumyaUkil73Jul 28, 11:25 AM
Jul 28, 11:25 AM

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Oct 2017
5349
Nah.....media is just media. My standards are pretty much the same amongst anything, I watch, read or engage with.
Jul 28, 11:36 AM

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Jul 2013
12161
Television is not worth watching. Television is really cringy stuff. Better read a book.
Here is my Pixiv account of my hentai drawings.....

https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/104739065

Here is my blog....

https://theendofindustrialcivilization.blogspot.com/?m=1
Jul 28, 11:37 AM

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Apr 2023
1670
I try to apply the same standards to both sides whenever I can, but at the same time, I have to remember that different cultures have different standards.
If I had to choose between One Piece and a girlfriend...I think I'll go with One Piece
Jul 28, 11:38 AM

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Apr 2023
1670
Reply to LSSJ_Chloe
I tend to criticize the same things in both Western and Japanese media, although there are some tropes that I dislike that happen more from one culture than the other. I also do criticize poor working conditions in both since the exploitation of artists is a genuine problem in both Hollywood and in Japanese anime.
@LSSJ_Gaming

Which tropes do you dislike more in one culture than the other if you don't mind me asking?

If I had to choose between One Piece and a girlfriend...I think I'll go with One Piece
Jul 28, 2:23 PM

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Jul 2013
12161
This question is irrelevant because I hardly ever watch any television. I known (for many years) that tv is garbage. Tv is 100% brainwashing. Tv almost never presents any real information. If you watch tv, you are not very bright.
Here is my Pixiv account of my hentai drawings.....

https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/104739065

Here is my blog....

https://theendofindustrialcivilization.blogspot.com/?m=1
Jul 28, 4:51 PM

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Oct 2017
3519
Reply to Fukoku
@LSSJ_Gaming

Which tropes do you dislike more in one culture than the other if you don't mind me asking?

@Fukoku

One example I can think of a trope I don't see as much in Western media that I dislike in Japanese media is the "blank slate" protagonist where a usually male protagonist is given a very generic design (usually just short black hair, dark eye color) and a very limited personality because the creator expects the viewer to self-insert their traits onto them. I feel like in a static medium like animation it really doesn't work as well as it can in something like a novel where you are imagining everything in your head to begin with, or in a video game where you are taking active control over the protagonist's actions in real time. I don't see this sort of trope in Western animation, TV, and film nearly as much as I see it in Japanese anime.
This post is brought to you by your local transfem gamer goblin. Will not tolerate bigotry and will fight against "anti-woke" sentiment to make the anime community a safer place.
Jul 30, 1:43 PM

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Jan 2025
536
Seconding krautnelson on the Sexism and gender role crap. I hate it no matter what, but I'm desensitized to it in Anime. However, If a modern western show tries to unironically tell me Women belong in the kitchen and Men have to be strong stoic badasses, I would lose my shit.
Jul 30, 1:44 PM

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Apr 2012
24596
Reply to BubblegumPatty
Seconding krautnelson on the Sexism and gender role crap. I hate it no matter what, but I'm desensitized to it in Anime. However, If a modern western show tries to unironically tell me Women belong in the kitchen and Men have to be strong stoic badasses, I would lose my shit.
@BubblegumPatty In my opinion, modern Western media say the exact opposite. Only instead of the kitchen, they tell us that men should be emotional and sensual.
Jul 30, 1:47 PM

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Sep 2018
14390
I do not watch western media anymore so I can't give a fair answer. I still gladly call out censorship where I see it even in anime.
Jul 30, 2:00 PM

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536
Reply to RobertBobert
@BubblegumPatty In my opinion, modern Western media say the exact opposite. Only instead of the kitchen, they tell us that men should be emotional and sensual.
@RobertBobert I have to disagree personally. It tells that men can Be emotional and sensual. Showing them they're allowed to be weak and vulnerable sometimes without being considered a pussy or a failure of a man.
Jul 30, 2:03 PM

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"Huh, what an interesting thread title, I wonder what it is abou-"
>gachaslop and dubslop
I sleep
Jul 30, 2:04 PM

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Apr 2012
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Reply to BubblegumPatty
@RobertBobert I have to disagree personally. It tells that men can Be emotional and sensual. Showing them they're allowed to be weak and vulnerable sometimes without being considered a pussy or a failure of a man.
@BubblegumPatty If this were true, there would be no problem. But in the end, everything reached such absurdity that the term "girlboss" became a swear word and a number of actresses began to criticize the thoughtless mirroring of traditional gender roles. Everything is good in moderation, as long as you don't just go to the opposite extreme.

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