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Is it normal to be annoyed by 'anime' style
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5 Comments

I am totally serious when I write this. Ever since I was a kid in the 80s I noticed this one particular cartoonist who was always drawing and publishing comics, and I thought "Wow, what a successful cartoonist! He has so many TV shows and he publishes his strips EVERYWHERE!" Then it slowly dawned on me that it wasn't just one guy...the deal was, in Japan, there appears to be some kind of federal law that says you can only draw cartoons using one style. I'm serious, and it really has always bothered me immensely. All Japanese cartoon characters absolutely MUST have big exaggerated eyes (with highlights), a tiny chin, and practically no nose. THOUSANDS of cartoonists in Japan ALL strive to emulate this EXACT style. The thing is, I JUST DON'T GET IT... WHY isn't there any diversity? It makes NO SENSE at all. You know...in America we have Dilbert, Boondocks, Garfield, Hagar the Horrible, Blondie, Family Circus, Peanuts, South Park, Life in Hell...each one completely different from the rest, each drawn in a different style. But not in Japan! If a cartoonist in Japan doesn't draw his characters with big poofy eyes, highlights and a tiny chin, then that person is killed! I'm really quite serious here. Why is an entire culture UNABLE to draw a cartoon figure in more than ONE fixed style? Is it weird for me to find this 'anime' style extremely confusing, if not outright annoying? All my life this has bothered me...
Do you think it's normal?
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Comments (5)
Kat444 (27378)
2009-10-26 15:23:50
I don't take it as seriously as you do, but I have also been annoyed by anime.
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kanachan (29928)
2009-10-27 04:40:36
They're not all the same. There are a lot of anime that are drawn differently. I find the eyes really exaggerated too. But I don't really find anime annoying.
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chunkybongo (18981)
2009-10-27 15:45:29
I do find it annoying. All the characters always look the same, like there's only one style and you can only change it a little, but you can never completely change it...it always sort of looks the same somehow, and I do find that annoying.
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captaincheerio (30420)
2009-10-28 04:08:31
MANGA, not Anime, which is animated manga, is an ancient Japanese art form. I just thought I'd start with that. You probably are taking this too far, but alot of people are annoyed by this cartoon style. Manga is drawn in many different styles, with many different substyles. The way that you describe manga sounds like you're describing the extreme (chibi, SD, etc.), and while this particular style is popular, it does not take any less effort than any of the other styles of cartooning.

You are entitled to be irritated and annoyed by this, and most people are, but maybe you should research your rants a bit before you post them online.
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Anonymous (Story Author)
2009-10-29 14:40:10
@: captaincheerio
I find it amusing that you think 'anime' is a subject like organic chemistry that needs to be researched...as if a case is then presented to the 'Royal Academy' of anime. I presume you are a member of this elite organization? I've 'researched' this shit all my life...it couldn't be more simple. The goddamn anime cartoons all basically look like they evolved from ONE STYLE, and ever since that style emerged NOBODY HAS EVER INVENTED ANOTHER ONE. EVER. Does Doonesbury look like it evolved from the same style that The Simpsons did? NOOOOO.....a completely new style was created where nothing was before. But with ANIME...the overall morphisms and style are always preserved and only altered in a few trifling ways. But the artist doesn't DARE invent a completely unique style of his/her own! THAT is what annoys me. Conformity for the sake of conformity. I don't stay up late at night obsessing over it, but it's fun to whine about for a few minutes.
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