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(Why) Is Anime usually for more mature audiences?

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kyun Since: Dec, 2010
#51: Mar 7th 2011 at 10:22:44 AM

I always believed it to be the opposite: animation is MORE expensive than live-action! ...maybe that would be true if we're talking about North America. Animators here ask for at least 20 times the amount, and it usually takes longer to produce a cartoon than live-action. Granted, an animators' salary is miniscule no matter what part of the world you're in. Pretty curious.

WORLDTree Since: Dec, 1969
#52: Mar 7th 2011 at 2:16:39 PM

It depends, pay is pretty low for animators in the east but that's because if it was any higher the cost of development would skyrocket, and it also depends on the type of show, if it's just a slice of life then there's not much to animate in the first place so it's less expensive compared to a fantasy combat series like Bleach or IS.

It depends on how well they want the art and how they want to handle the budget, both in the east and the west.

MoeDantes cuter, cuddlier Edmond from the Land of Classics Since: Nov, 2010
cuter, cuddlier Edmond
#53: Mar 7th 2011 at 10:24:52 PM

if it's just a slice of life then there's not much to animate in the first place

Does not compute.

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Mattonymy Mr. Dr. from The Evils of Free Will Since: Jul, 2010
Mr. Dr.
#54: Mar 7th 2011 at 10:27:17 PM

[up][up]Uh, yeah Flat "What".

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Recon5 Avvie-free for life! from Southeast Asia Since: Jan, 2001
Avvie-free for life!
#55: Mar 7th 2011 at 11:53:58 PM

[up][up]Seinfeldian conversations have slower and less dramatic movements, less zooming and panning, less changes of perspective etc.

Unless we're talking Studio SHAFT here.

Mattonymy Mr. Dr. from The Evils of Free Will Since: Jul, 2010
Mr. Dr.
#56: Mar 8th 2011 at 12:07:34 AM

I dunno. I'd say JC Staff also does some of the most impressive animation I've seen, especially for a "simple" Slice of Life series...

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Ukonkivi Over 10,000 dead.:< Since: Aug, 2009
Over 10,000 dead.:<
#57: Mar 8th 2011 at 1:39:27 AM

That is, when they're not making a slideshow.

I honestly don't see what the hype around SHAFT is. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei was pretty funny. But they've made a lot of mess ups.

edited 8th Mar '11 1:40:28 AM by Ukonkivi

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Ookamikun This is going to be so much fun. (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
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#58: Mar 8th 2011 at 1:58:05 AM

Honestly, people only see the "mature" anime stuff when in fact it also has its own kiddy stuff (and even then, I really have pet peeve Anime Tropes that are pretty much immature to boot).

WORLDTree Since: Dec, 1969
#59: Mar 8th 2011 at 2:52:03 PM

Essentially what Recon said, the movements aren't going to be as dramatic or hard to draw in general, no complex fighting maneuvers or high detail mechs, while it can still add extra things in general it's mostly conversation and such.

It's the same as how your average sitcom about a couple in an apartment is going to cost less to produce then a show where everyone fights aliens, hence why shows like Heroes have less flashy powers as those take lots of money to make.

Recon5 Avvie-free for life! from Southeast Asia Since: Jan, 2001
Avvie-free for life!
#60: Mar 8th 2011 at 2:57:08 PM

[up][up][up]Studio SHAFT's works are getting more and more artsy over time. They tend to over-detail and over-animate the smallest things, which a lot of people find to be distinctive compared to other companies.

qtjinla15 Since: Dec, 2010
#61: Dec 8th 2011 at 12:29:56 PM

We need more anime with deconstruction elements, but without the overdone amount of wangst/angst and failure hero aspects.

Anthony_H Since: Jan, 2001
#62: Dec 8th 2011 at 8:53:03 PM

I have heard this conversation before...mmm...where?

"You don't get it Anthony! Those comics aren't what they used to be! They are more mature! They have blood and boobs and nudity!"

Oh yeah! I remember where!

And we all know how well that ended up

edited 8th Dec '11 8:53:40 PM by Anthony_H

qtjinla15 Since: Dec, 2010
#63: Dec 8th 2011 at 9:40:32 PM

Indeed, but those are the badly done examples. They weren't trying hard enough to be good.

MoeDantes cuter, cuddlier Edmond from the Land of Classics Since: Nov, 2010
cuter, cuddlier Edmond
#64: Dec 9th 2011 at 3:43:33 AM

It wasn't that comics weren't trying, it was that they had a bad goal in the first place and an uninformed idea of how to reach it. It's rather like building a house without ever once studying carpentry.

Anime doesn't really need to change—there's enough variety of stories, characters, tones and genres to keep it fresh until the end of time, there's plenty of anime for the kids and plenty for the not-quite-kids-but-close. And Ranma is out on DVD—who needs anything else?

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Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
I see the Awesomeness.
#65: Dec 9th 2011 at 4:26:11 AM

I could build a house without studying carpentry. I'd build it out of metal and cement.

Fight smart, not fair.
RandomChaos No Dragon Power from My own little world Since: Oct, 2011
No Dragon Power
#66: Dec 9th 2011 at 7:36:05 AM

Amaricans are whims.

With the power of a dragon I can make up for my inability to spill.
qtjinla15 Since: Dec, 2010
#67: Dec 9th 2011 at 8:25:01 AM

If you were trying to make fun of Americans you spelled it wrong. Anyway, I forgot to add humorous overtone to my statements.

MoeDantes cuter, cuddlier Edmond from the Land of Classics Since: Nov, 2010
cuter, cuddlier Edmond
#68: Dec 9th 2011 at 8:52:57 AM

I don't think he was saying Americans are wimps, because there's no "h" in wimp.

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Demongodofchaos2 Face me now, bitch! from In a Cultivation World (Ancient one) Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
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#69: Dec 9th 2011 at 9:34:09 AM

It's not that anime isn't for mature audiences. It's the fact that there are so many more vareities of series that play to a certain demographic. For instance, Most of Rumiko Takahashi's Stuff, Shonen Jump, Ken Akamatsu's stuff, Most Super Robot and Real Robot series, and eveen Neon Genesis Evangelion are classified as stuff for young boys from elementary school age to the end of high school age.

There is stuff for Mature Ages like Naoki Urasawa' stuff, Series that are Published in Young Jump, Berserk, Witch Blade's anime, Blassreiter, Ghost In The Shell, Dominion Tank Police, Trigun, Fist Of The Blue Sky, and others of that nature are aimed for College kids and over.

However, a lot of these series have a Periphery Demographic in japan as well as the US and that's why a lot of series still aimed at kids tend to have more mature themes in a lot of them compared to most american animated series aimed at the same demographic, especially in the Showa Eras before the Otaku killer scare started up in the late 80's and early 90's, though it's still common in many series today.

edited 9th Dec '11 9:39:47 AM by Demongodofchaos2

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XiVXaV Guh? Since: May, 2009
Guh?
#70: Dec 9th 2011 at 2:01:24 PM

I can't really speak of Japan, since that's really not my area of interest, but I do feel like there are some reasons that Americans have such a skewed idea of animation being 'kiddy' and 'immature'.

I feel that our definition of maturity in America is itself immature. Not only is maturity, as others have mentioned, often relegated to "filled with blood and gore and boobs", but we also seem to define maturity as "not liking anything that kids might also like." It's a very shallow definition and it leads to a vicious cycle:

1. All the animation on TV is for kids (And is thus "immature") 2. Therefore, kids are the only people who watch animation 3. Therefore, the only animation that will be successful is that which is targeted at kids (and once again, is thus "immature") 4. Therefore, any animated show we might make should be for kids so it will be successful 5. See #1

edited 9th Dec '11 2:01:51 PM by XiVXaV

qtjinla15 Since: Dec, 2010
#71: Dec 9th 2011 at 2:58:58 PM

Yeah, American definition of mature material is all kinds of messed up.

TomRoid Since: Oct, 2011
#72: Dec 10th 2011 at 4:34:57 PM

Japan has different culture and age stuff

MoeDantes cuter, cuddlier Edmond from the Land of Classics Since: Nov, 2010
cuter, cuddlier Edmond
#73: Dec 11th 2011 at 8:49:40 AM

Post #70 is spot on.

It's not that anime is for more mature audiences. Its that they have better standards.

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Gray64 Since: Dec, 1969
#74: Dec 12th 2011 at 1:54:35 PM

[up] I'd argue with you on that point, but never mind.

Why does Japanese animation utilize more complex stories than pretty much AN Yone else? It's not just that American animation is largely geared towards kids, it's that pretty much all animation that doesn't come from Japan, with rare exceptions, is largely geared towards kids. And the reason is money. I know you like anime, and I like anime, but the reason Adult Swim has anime relegated to a few hours on Saturday night is because it has really low ratings. Believe it or not, most viewers, even most cartoon viewers, in the US just plain don't like it. In Japan it's continually popular and profitable, over a wide demographic.In America, and much of the west, the only animation that consistently makes money is for kids/families. Why? I dunno...why does Japan put the red light on the top and the green light on the bottom on their traffic lights?

TParadox Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: The captain of her heart
#75: Dec 12th 2011 at 2:50:33 PM

It's still Animation Age Ghetto. In the West, animation that isn't for kids usually means immature, lowbrow comedy, so we don't expect the kinds of things Asian markets do from it. We expect animation to be below adult interest, and if it's inappropriate for kids, the backlash can be severe.

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