| What I constantly hear about Japanese animation and video-games from English-speaking part of the internet is that it needs more "representation", but I don't really get why. Is it all boils down to overbearing American politics and so-called colonial mentality when more powerful country expects smaller one to indulge the first ones sensibilities? I'm a slav and I never expected Japanese creators to include characters of my ethnicity/culture in their entertainment. Actually, it would be super weird to do so in the first place, considering Japan is 99% Asian, so most of their content stems from their everyday lives and author's/fans personal interests. I also don't buy this "relatability" argument. Again, I'm a slav male, but it never stopped me from playing asian-looking girls in MMORPGs and games like Skyrim, or self-incert myself into Japanese VN protagonists. I don't need, neither do I expect, characters from a foreign culture to represent "me"... That being said, I have nothing against cultural and racial diversity if it makes sense lore-wise, but to expect every work to have it, let alone force it on creators, is a dystopian shit I'm not a fan of. But anyway, what do you think? Do you want your skin tone/culture/whatever else be represented in anime in a forceful manner? |
| Yes. As a professional footfag I want to see more girls with the second toe longer than the big toe. They are the most underrepresented group in anime history. The japanese truly are evil. |
| MEA·MENTVLA·INGENS·EST |
| No. I care about creative freedom, writers should be able to write how they want without fear of their work being cancelled for "Lack of diversity" |
| My waifu is the most wonderful waifu. Mai Valentine. |
| Not at all, as representation or whatever that is doesn't make anime or games any better anyway. |
 (っ◔◡◔)っ 𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓱 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓪 𝔀𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓭𝓪𝔂 ♥ |
| Representation and diversity is NOT a substitute for good writing and storytelling. Something that west needs to learn hard. |
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-Shizuna- said: As an asian myself I don't understand what's the deal with representation. This is just an example and it's a gross generalization, but why do black people or white people feel the need to be represented in anime or other types of medium? I agree with you, since when does relatability limited by race? There's more to it that that. If someone can relate to a character or a show solely because of its race, then said character or show is shallow imo. What I constantly hear about Japanese animation and video-games from English-speaking part of the internet is that it needs more "representation", but I don't really get why. Is it all boils down to overbearing American politics and so-called colonial mentality when more powerful country expects smaller one to indulge the first ones sensibilities? I'm a slav and I never expected Japanese creators to include characters of my ethnicity/culture in their entertainment. Actually, it would be super weird to do so in the first place, considering Japan is 99% Asian, so most of their content stems from their everyday lives and author's/fans personal interests. I also don't buy this "relatability" argument. Again, I'm a slav male, but it never stopped me from playing asian-looking girls in MMORPGs and games like Skyrim, or self-incert myself into Japanese VN protagonists. I don't need, neither do I expect, characters from a foreign culture to represent "me"... That being said, I have nothing against cultural and racial diversity if it makes sense lore-wise, but to expect every work to have it, let alone force it on creators, is a dystopian shit I'm not a fan of. But anyway, what do you think? Do you want your skin tone/culture/whatever else be represented in anime in a forceful manner? |
"Nobody could laugh at someone who's trying their hardest" -Machio- |
| No, But if representation is bad or whatever then they should never include NON Asian characters in anime. Since it's 99.9 percent Asian in Asia to have ANY non Asian character in the show just isn't realistic. Also all anime, since all of it is made by Asians, should never take place outside of Asia since that is also unrealistic. Representation doesn't matter. |
| Join Mastodon |
| Idk what you mean by "forced". All i can think of is it all boils down to what the creators are aiming to do with whatever cultural elements they use in their works. If they intended it to be realistic as irl then realistic it must be if otherwise then just do it creatively. Just don't overdo it to the point of misconception and then discrimination. |
| I don't care about representation any where. If the show is good, it's good. if it's bad, it's bad. having black or gay characters for example doesn't make a show any worse or any better for me. actually that's a lie. if the representation is forced and doesn't make sense it does make it worse. but a show that stoops that low is probably already shit. |
| Also available at: YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK8spdL1M_J-z0vO2C7jPLw Second Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AshPolygonsDo/videos Why You Should Watch Akudama Drive: https://youtu.be/Yw0r52wRjgA A Love Letter To Anime「AMV」: https://youtu.be/YQyqxFM2m9Q My referral code to a website/app that gives you free money (a few cents a day) by using a few megabytes of your internet for file sharing. We both get a bonus if you use my link: https://r.honeygain.me/ARSHIA7942 |
| I don't want representation as it's usually done wrong most of the time, let Jap do what they want to do, there's no need to pander to an Agenda. |
| "We could make the world better, but it's easier to just shut our eyes." ~Blackwall |
| I don't care if an anime is full of white people, but I also won't have a mental breakdown if an anime character happens to be black. |
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| Yes, there should be more black people in anime. I love Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and its attempt to portray 1920s American racism. Then they have the goddamn Nazis show up to help fight the bad guys! Jojo racism is the best!  And I heard Afro Samurai was good. Never watched it tho lmaooooo. |
| While obviously not as diverse as American animation, I think anime is often underestimated for its diversity. Attack on Titan, Hunter x Hunter, DBZ, Sword Art Online, A Silent Voice etc. are all very popular anime with at least one character who could be considered racially black. While it's based on a Western game, I think Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a good example of this: the main character David is Hispanic, Lucy is mixed, and Maine is black. A similar comment could be said for the caste of Black Lagoon. Also while diversity is appreciated, by itself it doesn't make a show good. I was just watching the new Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series with some friends, and yeah it had a pretty diverse caste compared to the original, but it also had a painfully slow pace and unlikable characters. |
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| i just want to see normal japanese stuff in anime. i don't understand nor care about this "representation". |
 The end of an era. Thank you Wit, Mappa and Isayama. Feeling half happy, half sad. Kawaii waifus and precious best girls <3333 |
| Honestly I would almost say the opposite, I care about not having anyone represented lol. There's a place for historical shows of course but other than that I generally want to see the author flex their creative muscles. |
I have not been to Japan, but I read and see on the internet that racial minorities are uncommon, and that Japanese culture is pretty homogenous. So maybe what counts for representation in your country would be crazy over-representation in Japan. Personally I think there is over-representation in anime. We have way more magical girls, witches, elves, fairies, and orcs than are warranted by their percentage of the population. |
-Shizuna- said: Do you care about "representation" in anime? Anime is not some Town hall committee or bureaucratic forum. Diversity is nice but if you start to force it in Anime it would likely end up looking like the "High Guardian Spice" train wrench. Ironically "High Guardian Spice" lacks a clear balance of male representation in lead roles for a series that is trying to champion on the idea of balanced representation and diversity and most of the characters faces look plainly identical to each other with the exception of skin tones and eyes. Short Answer is No. |
ColourWheelNov 5, 2022 10:51 PM
| Yes I do! Anime should represent more minorities like the ainu from Hokkaido or the ryukyuan people from Okinawa but not any other etnicity that doesn't have to do anything with Japan! |
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| No, most anime characters are nothing like me and I still think they are awesome, and you don't need to share the same physical features to relate to a character you can relate to them by their personalities or values. |
TsutanaiFuun said: You and me both man. The reason I got interested in anime in the first place was because it was made with Japanese sense of aesthetics and storytelling, so it's a bit sad seeing how West tries to impose its worldview on it. i just want to see normal japanese stuff in anime. i don't understand nor care about this "representation". |
| Nah, I don't really care about representation in anime. |
 |
| no not really, why should an author be forced to represent something they either don't want to or aren't familiar with when they're writing their own story with their own creative freedom plus i feel like it would be rather self-centered if i told an author to represent my country and culture more i really only care about a good end product overall |
SaiornoNov 6, 2022 1:40 AM
-Shizuna- said: yeah man. west is trying to influence everything these days. i just don't want them to touch animes.TsutanaiFuun said: You and me both man. The reason I got interested in anime in the first place was because it was made with Japanese sense of aesthetics and storytelling, so it's a bit sad seeing how West tries to impose its worldview on it. i just want to see normal japanese stuff in anime. i don't understand nor care about this "representation". |
The end of an era. Thank you Wit, Mappa and Isayama. Feeling half happy, half sad. Kawaii waifus and precious best girls <3333 |
| I wasn't born privileged enough to care about such trivial nonsense. |
 |
-Shizuna- said: Do you want your skin tone/culture/whatever else be represented in anime in a forceful manner? Forced representation is bad and only alienates me. Other than that I don't really care. It's not like I enjoy Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid because I'm an overworked female programmer with a lesbian dragon at home (I wouldn't mind if that were the case though). |
HanamiDangoNov 6, 2022 4:28 AM
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| just gonna preface this with the fact that my genetic features, being asian, are already completely represented in anime. black and black on pale, i'd blend into the background. so although i don't struggle with having the excessive need to demand to be handed respect/a form in another country's animated works while watching it (tad unreasonable), no i don't want forced representation. and why should it have to be that way? it's ridiculous. i read and consume media full of non-asian people, made by non-asian people, all day long. why would i limit myself – my options for entertainment on such a factor? you know forced representation when you see it and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. especially when the characters end up heavily stereotyped despite being given their "glorious inclusion", for crying out loud. if that's what people want, it's hardly a sufficient pacifier. it is up to those behind the project, storyboards, the writers; that is their discretion. i celebrate it when it is done well and tastefully after the development, as a consumer. let a character be created without the intention of pleasing the masses if you truly value integrity in creative media, elsewise i assume you are just a self-centered person whose whole world bends over backwards for their strange expectations. |
| You're good at making unbiased, valid polls, aren't you? |
 |
| Why is representation needed in the first place? That's the unhealthy tendency. Nobody cares about whom somebody was born. That's so unimportant. How my country is represented in anime: "I'll fuck your filthy Russian pale asses" (c) protagonist of Golden Kamuy at the very first episode. |
Nemo_NiemandNov 6, 2022 3:19 AM
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| wow the way this question is phrased is absolutely not objective at all. Of course if it's forced into a narrative it's bad Yes I do care about representation, but not about having more of it. More about having better representation. A lot of people seems to respond by saying that they do not care about seeing their country being repented in Japanese media, those type of response feel very self centered for me. Japan already have it's own minority that have more or less representation, Zainichi, Ryûkyû people, Ainu, sexual minority ... Before thinking about being good at representing the world, Maybe Japanese media should first become good at representing Japan. |
justanormiNov 6, 2022 4:09 AM
| I do in fact care deeply about representation. We need more elves in anime. |
 |
justanormi said: wow the way this question is phrased is absolutely not objective at all. Of course if it's forced into a narrative it's bad I thought the same thing while reading this question "representation", as you all like to call it, doesn't always have to be a bad thing. I like anime the way they are just fine, but if there's more that needs to be said or shown, why not, as long as the japanese creators are fine with it and it's their own idea. |
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| Not really. If it's forced than it's just tokenism. |
| Unbiased poll qiestion huh. If it is well written in, it's a good plus in my book. And while I never really desired for me specifically to feel represented in any media, I do want works aimed at children to have variety in characters. But I am talking as an outsider, and media in my mother language is the one I feel I should be more focused on with these things. Japanese society has different groups that are represented in their media, and there are plenty of shows that have different representation. |
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| Recently, "representation" has come to mean the forcible promotion of self-inserts of marginalized groups on various shows, so I'll just say no. Especially when it comes to non-American and non-Western media. |
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| No I don't, only racist people care about that. |
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| Well we do see some representations in anime and I don't care as long as they aren't forced. Forcing black or gay people in every single anime will deteriorate the anime viewing experience just like t has done with TV shows and Netflix and other series. Woke stuff should stay as far as possible from this medium. |
If you enjoyed the time you wasted, then its not a waste of time.  |
-Shizuna- said: What I constantly hear about Japanese animation and video-games from English-speaking part of the internet is that it needs more "representation", but I don't really get why. Is it all boils down to overbearing American politics and so-called colonial mentality when more powerful country expects smaller one to indulge the first ones sensibilities? I'm a slav and I never expected Japanese creators to include characters of my ethnicity/culture in their entertainment. Actually, it would be super weird to do so in the first place, considering Japan is 99% Asian, so most of their content stems from their everyday lives and author's/fans personal interests. I also don't buy this "relatability" argument. Again, I'm a slav male, but it never stopped me from playing asian-looking girls in MMORPGs and games like Skyrim, or self-incert myself into Japanese VN protagonists. I don't need, neither do I expect, characters from a foreign culture to represent "me"... That being said, I have nothing against cultural and racial diversity if it makes sense lore-wise, but to expect every work to have it, let alone force it on creators, is a dystopian shit I'm not a fan of. But anyway, what do you think? Do you want your skin tone/culture/whatever else be represented in anime in a forceful manner? Finallyyyyy, someone who speaks sens, ok i know most of MAL is pretty sane in this aspect, but usually threads with these titles are started by the not so sane I'm female, and most of the characters i can relate to are male I don't want a strong whaman shoved down my throat, i want well written characters, i don't give 2 shits what they look like Deathko said: You're good at making unbiased, valid polls, aren't you? Yes, this thread is unbiased and very valid |
| What debating with DigiCat is like according to APolygons2 That's why I thought a discussion would be pointless. It doesn't feel like a debate. It feels like I'm playing chess and somehow lose to an uno reverse card after loosing all my monopoly money lol |
| I don't know why some people have concerns or problems with LGBT folks or darker skinned characters appearing in anime. They exist outside of America (including Japan), so I don't see how their inclusion in anime (as well as "western" television) causes some peeps to get all riled up. |
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Orange_is_White said: I don't know why some people have concerns or problems with LGBT folks or darker skinned characters appearing in anime. They exist outside of America (including Japan), so I don't see how their inclusion in anime (as well as "western" television) causes some peeps to get all riled up. It's not their inclusion that riles people up, but people want them to be well written, when they're included just for the sake of having them there usually not much thought is put into character developement |
| What debating with DigiCat is like according to APolygons2 That's why I thought a discussion would be pointless. It doesn't feel like a debate. It feels like I'm playing chess and somehow lose to an uno reverse card after loosing all my monopoly money lol |
| @Orange_is_White What "causes peeps to rile up" is the opposite - when westerners complain for the lack of diversity they themselves demand. Filling quotas is never good for art. |
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