Debate Mainsteam Anime - Good or Bad?

Whew, we've had debates about anything and everything, but hardly any actual anime debates. So, I decided to toss out of the big ones out there.

A lot of anime fans I know seem to want it both ways. They whine that anime isn't a legitimate and widespead force in the West, but when a group DOES try to make it mainstream (Like Disney or Cartoon Network), those same fans whine about how it's been butchered or otherwise made unpure. Though just about everyone would prefer anime that airs in English to be uncut (And some would even go far as to make it subtitled), is it really a bad thing to make anime mainstream? Here are a few cases from the anti-mainstream camp:

1) English anime is usually censored, both in dialogue and in action. Hardly anyone argues that this is a good thing.

2) By airing only shows that everyone knows about and shows that aren't necessarily acclaimed critically (Pokemon, Dragonball, etc.), the West is inadvertedly cheapening the overall image of anime to many audiences.

3) In keeping with the notion of "cartoons are for kids", companies too often advertise anime specifically to children/teens, and not really to adults or mature teens.

Still, some people believe that even if the above three points were "fixed", they'd still prefer to have anime remain something for only hardcore fans to seek. What do you all think? Do the pros of exposing anime to mass audiences justify the sacrifices that are often made?

 

And yet these are the same people who complain when they feel isolated and alienated from mainstream society.


I don't give a crap if companies market anime, its not like I have to watch it. Air all the Dragonball Z you want, I'll be sitting happy and content with my fansubbed Kiddy Grade.

As for editing, we live in a society were a man tried to sue McDonalds for "making him fat", as if they forced the burger down his gaping maw. Do we really want anybody to take offense somehow? Even if the case is thrown out of court its still a nusiance, and ultimately go scream at the networks for having the guidelines.

for anime thats meant for adults, well, look what happened when they had FLCL on Adult Swim. BAM. (If you dont know what Im refering to, some idiot mother got upset that it was on and its content despite an appropriate rating and a late air time, AND warnings prior to the show.) If a company wants to turn a profit, its easier to not take a risk, at least at first.

 

Oh, God, don't get me started. I used to work with a guy who had questions kinda like this.

In my belief, if the company wants to make anime mainstream, don't butcher it. If this means putting it on late at night and with fifty gajillion warnings about it, so be it. If you are honestly oblivious enough to not heed warnings, then shame on you. For example, my mother, despite numerous warnings from my father and myself, decided to let my then 8 year old, ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome brother watch Cowboy Bebop. Now, don't get me wrong, it's a great show, but there is plenty of violence in it to suggest keeping a much younger sibling away. After two episodes, she turned it off, complained that we hadn't warned her enough, and won't let my brother see it ever again. Oh, well.

Anyway, I got off track. If a certain anime is not shown in the US because it isn't popular, it's still available. Neph mentioned Kiddy Grade, a wonderful show that hasn't been released in the West yet. Another is Princess Tutu. If I've heard of them, surely they aren't that hard to find if you are truly interested.

*Throws two pennies on the table, walks out*

 

OMFG this is why I hate society. Because they always f*ck with our heads. They can never decide what they want. I wouldn't care as long as they don't destroy it, I will be happy. If some people don't like anime or think that its just for kids thats their own freaking problem.

Their are western shows now thought that are intended for adults for example: Undergrads, Quads, Spawn, Clone High. Hopefully shows like these will help show people the path.

So anyway don't complain, its your own fu*cking problem if you don't like it. No one else gives a rats @$$.

 

Truth be told, I don't much for Mainstream any more. I'm happy spending $25 on DVDs or 2 hours downloading one fansubbed episode. I think the fat bastards who own the network have absolutely no idea what animes are good and tend to bring in some of the most stupidest piece of **** animes on to the eyes of many who can only get their animes through TV. (Thank god for the Anime Network, those lucky soul who are able to get it, and my cable company gives it for free hehehe)

As for the dubbing and the cutting. Well when I watch anime on DVD I tend to watch it both Dubbed and subbed and any other language if supplied. Usually most dubs suck (some occasional good ones, but compared to the original, well you get the picture) But I really don't think in the world of Mainstream Anime, we can complain much about the dubbing, after all the target are children who don't understand Japanese and can't read the subtitle that fast. The Cutting part, well Japans culture is different from other countries.

For Example: Korea sort of have the same belief as most Americans do, that cartoons are for children, so you'll rarely see a cartoon being aired in Korea (Although from what my friend in Korea tells me, that's changing)

Well what's my opinion on Mainstream anime: I hate it, I think it sucks.

SIDE NOTE:

Funny you mention that neph, after all the same company that's releasing Dragon Ball Z is releasing Kiddy Grade.

END SIDE NOTE:

Sorry for the bad grammar and misdirecting sentences.

 

Uh... *ahem* *points to herself*
I think it IS a good thing. Excuse me for feeling our children need to be protected. If it's aired at a reasonable time and uncut and rated apporaitly i ahve no problems. But I also prefer it if companies didn't go overboard with editting. (WHY'D they take the guns out in YGO when shows like Bugs Bunny have guns all the time!?) Also with changing characters names i also have no problem. BECAUSE NOT EVEN THE GOD FORE SAKEN VOICE ACTORS CAN PROUNOUCE THE NAMES CORRECTLY 99% OF THE TIME!

HA! Those shows come over cause they're popular in japan at the moment. people in japan don't watch animes like Robo Nurse Blah Blah, they watch shows like Pokemon and Dragonball Z and Yu-Gi-Oh. so if you're a big time producer what will you bring over? a lame anime that's not very popular in Japan, or an anime that is loved to bits by it's people?

Um, 98% of anime is aimed at kids to begin with. So yeah, cartoons ARE for kids. No self respecting teen in japan watches anime, they read manga at times but do not watch anime. It's true, live with it.

 

Hence the FANSUBBED bit

On the note of Korea: I actually just downloaded a fansubbed korean anime called Wonderful Days. Bloody great!

 

They play Bugs Bunny on Teletoon now and Yosamite Sam still has his trusty guns.

But that's Canada for ya. YAY!!!

And the robebrs ALWAYS have guns in PPG.

 

I don't know about Canada, but here, I haven't seen Yosemite Sam on TV in years. I haven't exactly been looking, but still...

And what's PPG? Sorry if I sound ignorant, I just don't know abbreviations very well.

 

Oh yeah. ^^; gotta stop using abbreviated stuff.

PPG = Power Puff Girls

Yeah, it's stereotypes for robbers to have guns, all the time. -- So if a bad guy in an american cartoon can have a gun for a few seconds, why can't a bad guy in the Japanese anime have one? In YGO the guns are seen in only two scenes, when pegasus' men come for Kaiba, and that other time (which also involved kaiba) Now it juast looks like the henchmen are pointing oddly at the ground

Btw, i woudl like to mention that when Sailor Moon came to America, older otaku found it childish and stupid (like people here are thinking with shwos like YGO, etc.) Now look at it. if some of us never watched sailor moon (or other 'childish' animes) we would never be interested in anime, we would've never known what it was. So these new 'chilidish shows' are perfectly fine, cause it's giving kids a look at anime, and they will grow up into otaku! I say, let the tradition live on!

 

Dubs are evil, thats why I prefer to watch fabsubbed. Eventhough I get tired of reading all the time, I remind myself of the dubbed Sailor Moon vhs I bought

Censoring dialogue and action(blood etc) are stuff i dont see its necessity, but censoring nudity is something i support 100%.

This reminds me of the cinderella anime they aired in our local tv network. They changed the whole story, because its was a kid network. So what they did is that Cinderella's knight and shinning armour is actually her brother, who wants her to 'live' with him in his castle. I hate it when they change and twist the story like that :glazed:

 

Im sure you wouldnt mind seeing nudity, but to me its offensive. Another reason why im against it is that I want to feel comfortable watching it with somebody else. Instead of worrying if at any moments breasts will attack my tv screen >_>
They should do a censored part for the likes of me and air it. Then they should show the uncensored part in another time.

 

I don't see how the human body, particularly one that isn't even real, is more offensive than pain and violence, even when it isn't real.

Of course, I can sit through ungodly amounts of both without flinching.

 

Ok we know that anime isnt real, but doesnt the anime character have the same anatomy like us. (if u ignored the sci-fi characters)

So what is more offensive a person getting his head cut off or
female stripping off her clothes or any other way to reveal her privates?

 

Well, as they share the same anatomy as us, as you pointed out, Toomaa, then they would also feel the same pain as us.


Besides, the body is just that: the body. It's the form we have, and nothing can really change that. I simply don't see anything wrong with the human form, and while I'm not offended by a decapitation in anime or anything, it's more the concept of such violence which is worse. Violence invariably leads to suffering on somebodys part, while boobs... oh no, not something I see whenever I open a book on anatomy!


Quicky edit: and no. I'm not offended by either violence or nudity in the slightest.

 

Im just saying what I would like to be censored when Im watching tv which includes: Nudity, sex and other stuff. Lets say Ninja scroll was aired on tv. If I had to choose which scenes should be censored. I would rather have the rape scenes censored instead of the "ripping off the arms of the guy"

I watched Rahxephon. Even though it had some nudity, i didnt mind watching it, because it wasn’t as ecchi or perverted as Golden Boy. Nudity in BubbleGum Crisis was also bearable

mehh just move on with the subject.

Yah I know you love me izzy

 

I have a patheticaly low violence tolerance and have been watching `Gatchaman` I think that the bit that offended the censors was the loving detail of the fight scenes rather than actual violence