People should stop using "realistic" as positive/negative critique. "Realism" needs context on why it's good or bad.
| I often see people reviewing an anime and using the word "realistic" as a means of saying something is more immersive and helps them believe a certain character or world exists. I'd argue that realism in fictional entertainment should not be equated as a definitive for being a positive attribute. We don't need to compare it with our world and whether the rules are the same as ours, because it can negatively impact the series if they always stick to realism. Instead, say it seems "natural" or "consistent" within the anime's world. Of course, there are exceptions, such as a character talking about a topic at hand would relate to how we would also cover such topic if presented the same dilemma (ie. suddenly we find out the world is ending, realistically both we and the characters in the anime would talk extensively about it). But it's not always a positive thing to be realistic. You don't have to read my explanations below that are within the spoilers, but these are the claims as to why I don't believe the word "realistic" would work here. You're more than welcome to rebuttal or to support my claims, I'd be more than happy to see your pov's. :) edit: changed my title in order to stop people from saying "but realism can work within anime!!!" I'm not saying it can't, but it does not mean it's a good anime because of it. 1)Insulting a show because it's "unrealistic", or praising it because it's "realistic" needs to stop being a legitimate critique. 2)people confuse it with "believability" +immersion and whether it's natural/consistent within the anime. Just because it makes sense in their world, doesn't mean it makes sense in ours. edit 2: Thanks to this user who worded it a lot better than I ever could as to why realism doesn't describe the quality of an anime: |
foxsurpriseJun 28, 2019 12:55 PM
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| when people say this anime is realistic they often pointing out the characters feel like real human with imperfections, psychological struggles, real life social problems, etc although on shows like sci-fi and fantasy they maybe pointing out "hard fantasy" and "hard science fiction" which is trying to be more realistic with its world science |
| I find realism criticism to be more valid when dealing with people's actions more than anything. I mean, I never really liked the approach of criticizing a show because it's not realistic when the whole medium is fiction in the first place, but in some cases, I can understand how not being realistic can break immersion Like for instance School Days, no sane person would take getting cheated on so half-assed, and the entire drama could easily be reduced if the characters had a more realistic sense of understanding. Actually, a lot of drama really could be reduced if characters took a more realistic approach (which I mean is not bad for drama enthusiasts, but it can ruin ones enjoyment of it) But on the other hand, "realism" in some cases only really comes from the person's experience, like with topics such as romance. A lot of people find it unrealistic when a high school anime ends with a couple forming and then moves on to marriage, whereas others might not share the same mentality |
 'On-Hold' is another way for a completionist to say 'Dropped' |
| There are way too many fucking things to take into consideration when talking about that tbh The best answer I can give you is: It depends on context. |
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| I believe that when people say "realistic", they actually meant "make sense within the context of the story". As in, something should be believable/should not be contradicted by what had been established by the show itself. |
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deg said: when people say this anime is realistic they often pointing out the characters feel like real human with imperfections, psychological struggles, real life social problems, etc although on shows like sci-fi and fantasy they maybe pointing out "hard fantasy" and "hard science fiction" which is trying to be more realistic with its world science Kerylon said: There are way too many fucking things to take into consideration when talking about that tbh The best answer I can give you is: It depends on context. Exactly, which is why I say it's not a definitive positive attribute, as in, it's not always a good thing to be "realistic". It makes more sense, (for example, in the context of fantasy as provided,) to say it's natural within their world, or at the very least, a realistic thing in their world. That word alone shouldn't define a positive characteristic, but rather in what context this elevates the show/movie/ova/etc. It's like people are saying a show is dark, ok, so what of it? Why does it fit? |
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| I equate realism with character's actions and responses. I don't really deduct points for "speech delivery," "physics," or "plot armor" (except when the plot armor is just absolutely fucking ridiculous). For example, in NGE, if Shinji just immediately got in the robot without question, it'd probably be a little unrealistic. |
| Meh. I dislike it as a discussion point, because it's fundamentally going to vary heavily from person to person given their perspective on their real life social environment, and trying to discuss it further will easily dovetail into perspectives operating independent of the anime in question and into far broader and more complex topics that I'd need to have the energy or desire to even want to try to talk about in the first place. I do not care enough about their perspective on life and other people to try to have a discussion with them about it, and it's way, way too easy for that conversation to head in that direction. Being used as the basis for praise or criticism of a given series in of itself isn't inherently bad, though, albeit I feel like it can be over-emphasized and leading towards a loss of nuance in how it's being applied quite frequently, especially when it's being discussed as a general criticism and not in the realm of specific series. I feel like MAL reviews that try to discuss shows as being realistic or not tend to be quite bad about this, making me think that it's something that's an amateur/hobbyist reviewer pitfall moreso than anything. It doesn't help that it seems to be used mostly by dumb teenagers who think they have the world figured out more than anybody, though, which inevitably leads to some asinine, cartoonish take on the world outside of their families and school social lives and how that operates, leading them to mostly apply it in a way that's really just asking for something laughably edgy. |
ManabanJun 27, 2019 7:46 PM
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| I generally like realism in anime despite the fact that I watch anime to escape reality. But there are some realism aspects I look at more than others. The biggest are physics and plot armor. I really like the genre mecha but many of those shows are riddled with unrealistic physics and often plot armor. So I think that unrealistic physics is a valid critique especially for mechas where that can be very important. As for plot armor, I generally hate it. That's the biggest reason why I don't like shounen. I also don't like Star Wars for that. In mechas where battles take place, it's unrealistic if the protagonist wins all the battles without any problems. However, if the protagonist outsmarts the enemy or wins due to better tactics then the plot armor is acceptable. An example is Inaho from Aldnoah.zero who is a calm and collected genius tactician and one of my favorite characters. I consider that anime a very realistic mecha in terms of physics and plot armor. I think that realism in anime does make it relatable and not just because of how a character reacts to something. I think all the fans can agree that the realism in Watamote makes it very relatable. The realism in Lucky Star is also relatable especially when Konata plays video games. The voice acting in an anime never really was under my radar for realism. This is just a side note but I am currently building a world for a light novel series in which I'm trying to be as realistic as possible and still create an exciting story. That's my opinion on that matter. |
ixaa said: I equate realism with character's actions and responses. Would you say how natural a character sounds and/or whether they're consistent within their world? *wink wink* "This naturally fit the character" or at the very least "this is realistic to their world(,thus making it more consistent within the anime)" HopefulNihilist said: Agreed. I think that it's too easy to write unrealistic, exaggerated, over-the-top characters: writing characters that are realistic and complex while still being interesting, is difficult. Exaggerated in our world, normal in theirs is what I mean. For example, weak people who take the challenge of a hero's journey, and grow emotionally as well as physically. People just say the show is "realistic" ,(while not emphasizing it's because of the emotional growth), when in reality this wouldn't have happened since we're more likely to be a bystander(the bystander effect), or quit. But, we follow them through the hero's journey because they're willing to make the change, and can relate or empathize to struggles they can go through. Thus, the entire show isn't realistic, and it isn't bad that it's not. I wholeheartedly agree completely realistic and complex is tough to write though. |
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| Also, I do agree that realism in the context of operating within a series' parameters is far more important than whether or not we can consider it plausible in our own world. If something like To LOVE-Ru tried being realistic by real-world standards, I feel like it'd immediately lose so much of what makes it great in the first place. The "absolutely nobody gives a fuck about anything that's happening" vibe that it carries is handled through minor things like the world collectively not giving a fuck that aliens that have massive, galaxy conquering space empires are showing up to the planet and other little things like that. That unrealistically ultra-loose vibe really goes a long way towards establishing itself as a fun, thoughtless ecchi first and foremost, and how heavily it tends to go all in on that identity is a huge part of its charm to me. |
ManabanJun 27, 2019 7:55 PM
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HopefulNihilist said: deg said: when people say this anime is realistic they often pointing out the characters feel like real human with imperfections, psychological struggles, real life social problems, etc Agreed. I think that it's too easy to write unrealistic, exaggerated, over-the-top characters: writing characters that are realistic and complex while still being interesting, is difficult. im not sure though personally i love over the top characters and looking at this top list of characters here on MAL https://myanimelist.net/character.php the top 10 characters consist of L, Lelouch, Light, Levi that are unrealistic in terms of genius (whether physical or mental) for example, you can also add Luffy being unrealistically dumb like Goku if you consider him one Kadmos said: deg said: when people say this anime is realistic they often pointing out the characters feel like real human with imperfections, psychological struggles, real life social problems, etc Sounds like you are talking about the Shinji Ikaris of anime. and that is also the reason why a lot of people hate realistic characters like Shinji since fiction should be ideasltic/perfection since reality is often trash |
degJun 27, 2019 7:55 PM
Manaban said: Also, I do agree that realism in the context of operating within a series' established parameters is far more important than whether or not we can consider it plausible in our own world. . Yes! this! Completely this! I don't see the word by itself as a positive attribute, but whether they can handle their world's own parameters. Always relating it to our world can actually hinder an anime, and can make things lackluster and monotone. There are aspects which can relate to our world, but that doesn't mean the entire show should be brushed as a "realistic" show and is thus worthy of praise because of it. It's a characteristic in of itself, doesn't automatically mean it's a good thing. how they handle it in their own world and whether it's natural and consistent with their rules is often switched for just using the word "realistic", which isn't always true. That's why I'm saying this word shouldn't be used just like that as is, explain why realism is good for this part. It's like people saying dark=edgy, or dark=realistic. The word itself isn't a positive or negative if just used like that, provide context |
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HopefulNihilist said: I'm not trying to imply that unrealistic characters = unlikeable. I love Gabriel from Gabriel Dropout, even though her assholeness is exaggerated (to a point where she literally tries to destroy the world twice). But Gabriel Dropout is a comedy. My gripe with unrealistic characters is in serious anime like Bakemonogatari, where the characters have these quirky conversations. Kaiji from Ultimate Survivor Kaiji is a great example of a genius character who's geniusness feels natural, especially when he's constantly in insane situations that mentally challenge and push him to his limits. ye i get you, if a show is trying to present a serious or realistic story then of course you will expect some more realistic characters for it too imagine Kamina's over the top personality on a serious/realistic show like Attack on Titan that will not work well there |
HopefulNihilist said: That's understandable. foxsuprise said: For example, weak people who take the challenge of a hero's journey, and grow emotionally as well as physically. People just say the show is "realistic" because of the emotional growth, when in reality this wouldn't have happened since we're more likely to be a bystander(the bystander effect), or quit. But, we follow them through the hero's journey because they're willing to make the change, and can relate or empathize to struggles they can go through. Thus, the entire show isn't realistic, and it isn't bad that it's not. I took psychology class, so your definition of the bystander effect confuses me: the bystander effect refers to a situation when an individual is in need of help. The individual is surrounded by multiple people, the "bystanders" in this context. However, the bystanders expect someone else to help the individual. Because of this, nobody helps the individual. I meant the bystander effect in terms of thinking "Someone else can take the challenge, I have X and Y constraining me. Besides, I am weak, I have to do this and that, I probably wouldn't be capable of helping, etc." The Hero's Journey is a completely different scenario where an individual is told to help multiple people. Although the Hero's Journey occurs completely differently in certain anime, so we need specific context. There, the bolded part, that's what I mean. You need to provide context in why it's a positive attribute. "Realistic" being by itself a word to describe an anime isn't gonna mean it's automatically good. The emotional lows of the show being able to provoke strong emotions is what makes it good, just realism by itself doesn't make it good. Provide a reason for why this realistic part exists, it being by itself doesn't mean it's a good show. I'm not saying everything that can be realistic in an anime is bad. I'm saying realism doesn't automatically mean it's a good thing. |
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HopefulNihilist said: deg said: ye i get you, if a show is trying to present a serious or realistic story then of course you will expect some more realistic characters for it too imagine Kamina's over the top personality on a serious/realistic show like Attack on Titan that will not work well there Or, I think I just want unrealistic characters to not be too unrealistic to a point where I, as the viewer, feel completely alienated. well you are going with subjective taste there already though lol so i rest my case |
| This is.......well, there are so many layers to this. I'm going to stick with "It depends". It really depends on so many things, like others said. When a really serious anime has a character do something that would make me say "NO TEENAGER WOULD ACT LIKE THIS EVER"...we have a problem. xD "Why is that a problem?" "Because the show is treating me like an idiot and that makes me mad," I reply. |
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| Yeah, this is exactly what i studied in my cinematography classes. “Realism” in stories is not a positive thing in and of itself. A realistic story does not get an innate leg up on an unrealistic or over-the-top story quality-wise just because it’s relatable by our standards. So there’s a huge difference between believability and realism in fiction. Believability is essentially just in-universe self-consistency. Realism refers to how realistic a story is compared to the standards of real life. Realism in stories can be good, but is not inherently good. It depends on the context. And honestly, realism can be lame af at times. Realism CAN BE A PREFERENCE FOR SOME, it's just not a fucking requirement and people should understand that if they want to criticize a series. It’s believability that’s far more important because proper continuity is key to any story. But realism isn’t. Believability: “Oh look, this guy is tossing a universe and destroying Earth. Well I guess it makes sense due to the thematic context and universe logic of the story.” Realism: “WTF?! YOU CAN’T THROW A UNIVERSE!!!” |
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Giulia14 said: Yeah, this is exactly what i studied in my cinematography classes. “Realism” in stories is not a positive thing in and of itself. A realistic story does not get an innate leg up on an unrealistic or over-the-top story quality-wise just because it’s relatable by our standards. So there’s a huge difference between believability and realism in fiction. Believability is essentially just in-universe self-consistency. Realism refers to how realistic a story is compared to the standards of real life. Realism in stories can be good, but is not inherently good. It depends on the context. And honestly, realism can be lame af at times. Realism CAN BE A PREFERENCE FOR SOME, it's just not a fucking requirement and people should understand that if they want to criticize a series. It’s believability that’s far more important because proper continuity is key to any story. But realism isn’t. Believability: “Oh look, this guy is tossing a universe and destroying Earth. Well I guess it makes sense due to the thematic context and universe logic of the story.” Realism: “WTF?! YOU CAN’T THROW A UNIVERSE!!!” agreed add suspension of disbelief to the mix too https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief |
Chiibi said: This is.......well, there are so many layers to this. I'm going to stick with "It depends". Well, that's what I'm saying, "it depends" on how and what they utilize it for. I'm just saying realistic doesn't automatically mean good. Just like dark doesn't automatically mean edgy. It needs context, and saying "the show is good because it's realistic" isn't gonna do much. Plus, people confuse whether it's natural/consistent within a specific anime's world and realism which isn't always there. |
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foxsuprise said: I'm just saying realistic doesn't automatically mean good. I can agree with that, sure. Grave of the Fireflies is probably the most realistic thing ever made but I don't find it good. xD |
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Giulia14 said: Yeah, this is exactly what i studied in my cinematography classes. “Realism” in stories is not a positive thing in and of itself. A realistic story does not get an innate leg up on an unrealistic or over-the-top story quality-wise just because it’s relatable by our standards. So there’s a huge difference between believability and realism in fiction. Believability is essentially just in-universe self-consistency. Realism refers to how realistic a story is compared to the standards of real life. Realism in stories can be good, but is not inherently good. It depends on the context. And honestly, realism can be lame af at times. Realism CAN BE A PREFERENCE FOR SOME, it's just not a fucking requirement and people should understand that if they want to criticize a series. It’s believability that’s far more important because proper continuity is key to any story. But realism isn’t. Believability: “Oh look, this guy is tossing a universe and destroying Earth. Well I guess it makes sense due to the thematic context and universe logic of the story.” Realism: “WTF?! YOU CAN’T THROW A UNIVERSE!!!” Thank you, you put it in words that I couldn't. People sometimes even use the word "unrealistic" as a way to insult a show. But, you need a lot more context than simply saying "realistic". Realistic/unrealistic elements in anime isn't going to immerse you/take away from the show, how natural it exhibits within the anime's world and whether it's consistent will make you immerse in the show, hence believable, hence can be applied as a positive attribute. Is it alright if I quote your comment to my main comment on the top? because you make really good points. |
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| I don't think I've ever thought about 'realism' when evaluating an anime. Logic, yes, a lot - whether a story hangs together is important to me, and it's also important that characters make decisions and act on understandable, reasonable motivations and desires. This doesn't mean that works can't have things that make no sense, just as long as they're consistent - one of my biggest pet peeves is people responding to plot holes with 'hey, you're complaining about logic in a show where a kid uses magic to turn his friend's mother into a kitten?'. Like, having magic or the supernatural in a world doesn't exempt characters or authors from behaving in logical, understandable ways... Consistency, yes, a lot - it's no fun when something happens one way then another for no reason, because we can't build up hype from a justified expectation. Even when a work breaks the rules, as long as it breaks them in an understandable, predictable, sensible way, I'm usually happy with it. But 'realism'? No, that's never entered into it for me. It's only noticeable as something extra on top of what I already look for, not something that would detract from my experience if it wasn't there. Example - one of the reasons I love ufotable's stuff, and I'm thinking specifically the Kara no Kyoukai movies here, is how their backgrounds and sets look dirty and cluttered in the way that they wudl be in real life. It really adds to the gritty, grungy feel of that series, and elevates the tone to the next level in a subtle but effective way. But I don't need in every show - in fact, I like the hyper-stylised world of the Monogatari series at least as much. |
Stealth46 said: I generally hate plot armor. I don't like Star Wars for that. I remember old Ben lost his duel against Vader at the end of the first movie, and it was Luke's turn during the 2nd movie, The young hero even lost a hand ! |
| I agree that "realism" does require context to decide whether it helps or hinders the effectiveness of the story. Very often when people say "realism" they actually mean "believability", anyway. |
| Avatar character is Gabriel from Gabriel DropOut. |
| I think 'realism' is just useful shorthand. Yes, it depends on context. If someone says 'Kuroko no Basuke isn't realistic' sure, that can be a reason you don't enjoy it. I can't personally get into it very well for that reason. But the show isn't trying to be in the first place - therefore, it's not an issue with bad writing persay but an issue with the person not enjoying the world the author intends. Anyway, it usually is shorthand to say 'it falls flat on believability / immersion is broken / character consistency is broken'. |
As @Giulia14 said, just state it's "believable" |
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| I think it's less about reality and more about explanation. As long as the laws of the show's own setting can explain the actions that occur within it, then it's fine. If I'm watching a show about superheroes protecting Earth from monsters and what not, then a unicorn god could descend and I wouldn't care. If I'm watching a romantic SOL involving the daily lives of Japanese high school kids, I better not see a unicorn god descending and fixing everyone's communication issues and loose ends!!! |
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| Context is the wool from which the great lie is spun - only when we discard all humanly preconceptions can we arrive at a complete and true reality. By subsuming ourselves in the unreal illusion of worldly anime we find ourselves ever more tangible yet invisible. Gradually, our consciousness joins with the other world and we shall become that fated universe that is Anime Unbeholden and 2D True. Never surrender to these insidious myths of bodily stillness. Seek out the river of light, call forth your wota, and let us storm the harem paradise long promised to us, Emina! |
| I think that a reviewer using the world "unrealistic" about anime could simply mean that certain event have broken the laws of the fictional world in which it occurs. This could happen when: - The author can't be bothered to follow his own rules. - The author painted himself/herself in the corner and now is doing some asspulling jut to save a plot line. Some retconning is due in near future. - Bad worldbuilding. Actually the local fictional laws allow this event to happen but the author didn't informed well the watcher about them. |
foxsuprise said: Giulia14 said: Yeah, this is exactly what i studied in my cinematography classes. “Realism” in stories is not a positive thing in and of itself. A realistic story does not get an innate leg up on an unrealistic or over-the-top story quality-wise just because it’s relatable by our standards. So there’s a huge difference between believability and realism in fiction. Believability is essentially just in-universe self-consistency. Realism refers to how realistic a story is compared to the standards of real life. Realism in stories can be good, but is not inherently good. It depends on the context. And honestly, realism can be lame af at times. Realism CAN BE A PREFERENCE FOR SOME, it's just not a fucking requirement and people should understand that if they want to criticize a series. It’s believability that’s far more important because proper continuity is key to any story. But realism isn’t. Believability: “Oh look, this guy is tossing a universe and destroying Earth. Well I guess it makes sense due to the thematic context and universe logic of the story.” Realism: “WTF?! YOU CAN’T THROW A UNIVERSE!!!” Thank you, you put it in words that I couldn't. People sometimes even use the word "unrealistic" as a way to insult a show. But, you need a lot more context than simply saying "realistic". Realistic/unrealistic elements in anime isn't going to immerse you/take away from the show, how natural it exhibits within the anime's world and whether it's consistent will make you immerse in the show, hence believable, hence can be applied as a positive attribute. Is it alright if I quote your comment to my main comment on the top? because you make really good points. Yes, if you want you can use it :D thanks! |
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alshu said: I think that a reviewer using the world "unrealistic" about anime could simply mean that certain event have broken the laws of the fictional world in which it occurs. This could happen when: - The author can't be bothered to follow his own rules. - The author painted himself/herself in the corner and now is doing some asspulling jut to save a plot line. Some retconning is due in near future. - Bad worldbuilding. Actually the local fictional laws allow this event to happen but the author didn't informed well the watcher about them. I know that, and I'm arguing that this word shouldn't be used like that, because we shouldn't compare the anime world to the standards of our world in order to describe the quality of an anime. If a show is unrealistic, so what? it's neither a positive or negative attribute. The context is what delivers on whether this element is good or bad. Instead, use: not immersive, not believable, inconsistent, unnatural, etc. if you want to put a negative quality. |
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| I knew someone here who was literally obsessed with realism. He wouldn't shut up about how Gundam was impossible due to "space physics." I thought to myself, "Can't you just stop complaining, and enjoy the Anime?" |
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Yeah, also try telling people to use properly other words like "edgy", "objective", "classic" or even "elitist".  |
alshu said: Yeah, also try telling people to use properly other words like "edgy", "objective", "classic" or even "elitist". People do, and there's threads of it. But I haven't seen anyone take on the word "realistic". I wanted to give more of a challenge to me in regards to a word people don't take issue with, and give an alternate one-word for it instead of simply saying "no it's not edgy!!11!1!!". |
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Yeah, look how good that worked out... foxsuprise said: But I haven't seen anyone take on the word "realistic". If this actually works try also to convince them not use "loli" or "shota" for any kid just being in anime...only for the sexualised characters. |
| I agree that it's always better to be more descriptive. When I say unrealistic, I mean that a character is not reacting how a person would react in that situation and it's making the plot contrived, or that a person's actions appear to be arbitrary. A good example is often in shounen anime (e.g. SAO), a character would demonstrate some ability. Then later, in a different situation, you'd think now would be a good time to use that ability. But instead, the character conveniently loses to the other side to fuel some kind of drama. To me, the "un-realism" always refers to the narrative, the drama, the motivations. Never the plot or setting. Because of course a fantasy setting is unrealistic by definition. That's not what we're complaining about. Even a fantasy anime must obey the rules of a good drama, and establish relatable motivations. |
| My subjective reviews: katsureview.wordpress.com THE CHAT CLUB. |
foxsuprise said: A "realistic" war movie where we follow people in combat would have a lot of waiting and planning. We realistically won't be able to visibly see the action happening a lot of the time (dangerous to observe at close distance. And even then, if we're in danger, things happening around us are hindered when we try to escape). Plus, people die plenty and we won't know much about them, so no connection being developed. This can bore people. Documentaries like this have been made and plenty of people like them. The appeal of a documentary is different from the appeal of a fictional movie, but there are people who haven't been bored by them. ;) On topic, yeah, I agree. Internal and tonal consistency are more important for the quality of a work than plain "realism". Of course, works trying to be grounded and "realistic" would benefit from just being plain realistic, since that would fit their tone. |
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I wanted to give an alternate one-word for it instead of simply saying "no it's not edgy! plus, realistic can be a word used, but is often confused with other definitions too. People can use the word realistic and I don't want this word to disappear when reviewed, as realistic elements in anime can be utilized to elevate a show, but "realism=/=good anime". Instead, the ways in which it is used, the context, is what can make it good or bad. Don't get me wrong, many people actually explain why the realism used can be effective because it is used properly in the context of the show to make us more immersed in it. That's fine. But the word as is doesn't have a positive attribute, since realism can actually hinder a show too. It's not a negative word either. It's a way to compare it with our world. |
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Vilkku92 said: foxsuprise said: A "realistic" war movie where we follow people in combat would have a lot of waiting and planning. We realistically won't be able to visibly see the action happening a lot of the time (dangerous to observe at close distance. And even then, if we're in danger, things happening around us are hindered when we try to escape). Plus, people die plenty and we won't know much about them, so no connection being developed. This can bore people. Documentaries like this have been made and plenty of people like them. The appeal of a documentary is different from the appeal of a fictional movie, but there are people who haven't been bored by them. ;) I can definitely see your point, thanks for responding. Documentaries, which cover non-fiction, depend a lot more on realism, which I wholeheartedly agree. I would say that it is hard to pull off such a feat in anime. It depends on the context on how it's pulled off. Like sometimes they also dramatize/romanticize real world scenarios to make a plot point more impactful, which opens whole new can of worms in the realm of realism. |
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foxsuprise said: Vilkku92 said: Documentaries like this have been made and plenty of people like them. The appeal of a documentary is different from the appeal of a fictional movie, but there are people who haven't been bored by them. ;) I can definitely see your point, thanks for responding. Documentaries, which cover non-fiction, depend a lot more on realism, which I wholeheartedly agree. I would say that it is hard to pull off such a feat in anime. It depends on the context on how it's pulled off. Like sometimes they also dramatize/romanticize real world scenarios to make a plot point more impactful, which opens whole new can of worms in the realm of realism. I was mostly thinking about films like Armadillo and those reality series about soldiers in Afganistan, which don't have any dramatizations of real events, maps with animated arrows or voice-overs explaining what is happening. They are the only ones I can think of which adhere to your very strict criteria for realism in war movies. They wouldn't work in anime, yes. Of course, I also don't really think that for a war movie to be realistic it needs to pretend the cameraman is actually there with the soldiers. You seemed to imply that the opposite of a "realistic" war movie is a war movie utilizing traditional filming techniques, which I don't quite agree with. To me, the opposite of a realistic war movie would be films like The Dirty Dozen, The Guns of Navarone or Inglourious Basterds, which are essentially just action and adventure stories set in a war, or comedies set in war such as Blackadder Goes Forth. There are war movies lying between the extremes of "documentary" and "absurdist comedy", many of which are usually described as realistic. Some of them might even work as an anime. |
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