This post is for all my readers/friends who have no idea what an anime is? I am hoping to answer all those questions that I get through this post.Every time I tried to convert my friends with ‘stupid entertainment choices’ into an anime fan, Not a lot can be talked and said in the time I am around them so I decided to make a post, just for explaining what I meant, In brief, So here goes...
What is anime?
The term anime is a Japanese abbreviation for the word animation. To the people who are new to anime, they might confuse it with any other cartoon, but it is not so. Anime has a distinct form of visuals that are unique to most series. They comprise of intricate storylines, fully fledged-out character arcs, catchy intro and end credit songs, beautifully composed soundtracks, captivating visuals and more. They come in many arrays of genres like sports, action, adventure, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, horror, comedy, romance, etc.
Manga’s are Japanese comics created by various artists in the Japanese language. They comprise of many genres. People of all age-groups read manga in Japan. Over the past few decades, manga’s have been available in various languages, so as to capture a larger target audience. Many anime that you see today, are adaptions of manga’s that became widely popular.
How I came under the influence of anime? When I came to college I thought I was the only weird one who used to watch Japanese cartoons (I didn’t know they were referred to as anime back then) in English. But when I joined my college I got to know that there were others like me, and I got my first anime (Naruto) in Japanese which is a popular name in anime world which I had already started in English in my school days and then watching it opened a completely new world of excitement. From that time I have seen over fifteen anime series, I still don’t read manga much because, I think that I can't savor the series properly if I read it, so I prefer watching it, but that is just one guy's opinion.
Now after I have completed my college there is a complete Facebook group of dedicated anime fans which has compiled different anime's over hundred and serves as anime database where new fans can find the collections and share their passion and people are talking about an opening club for college students who follow different anime and manga comics.
What I have observed is that people are coming out of the shell and accepting their interest and finding likeminded people surely helps a lot in the process.
Recently there was a comicon in Bangalore, India where loads of people turned up, dressed as different anime characters.
Now after I have completed my college there is a complete Facebook group of dedicated anime fans which has compiled different anime's over hundred and serves as anime database where new fans can find the collections and share their passion and people are talking about an opening club for college students who follow different anime and manga comics.
What I have observed is that people are coming out of the shell and accepting their interest and finding likeminded people surely helps a lot in the process.
Recently there was a comicon in Bangalore, India where loads of people turned up, dressed as different anime characters.
Anime and My escapism? One of the main reason I started liking and watching anime is that it provided me a form of escapism from my life. I did not have a lot of friends during college and my grades were pretty average so I sort of sunk into the sweet embrace of anime.
Why do I like anime? Well, because just like everybody else here, I like stories. I love them, as a matter of fact. But I also love animation. And above both of those individually, I love them together. Anime gives me both the stories I'm looking for, and animation and art that I can appreciate and enjoy. Anime is not really separate from the genre of 2D animation, if one even considers animation a "genre" in the first place (so perhaps it would be more accurate to say that "anime is not separate from the visual medium of 2D animation"), but it is so much more diverse than other examples of animation, that it - in its own way becomes something totally different.
How the state of Indian TV and cinema has decreased drastically?
Most people in India still think anime is for kids and cannot differentiate between anime and cartoon.
Parents do not encourage this, not most of them. I could convince my parents because they thought cartoons were the reason I could speak better English than my counterparts. Manga, I never found, I read from some online sources.
Parents do not encourage this, not most of them. I could convince my parents because they thought cartoons were the reason I could speak better English than my counterparts. Manga, I never found, I read from some online sources.
Indian audience and anime. India is all about cinema and cricket. Almost no one around me ever knows the essence of anime. Do you know how it feels when people around you talk and laughs about their mutual interests in entertainment but you can't? When you finish an awesome anime, you can't even express it to your nearby acquaintance or a friend as they might turn a deaf ear to you. Even if they listen, they won't pay attention. Even if there are many online anime forums and chats, you can't mingle for a reasonable period when you enter into the busy world. When everyone's lifestyles are heavily influenced by the actors and actresses in media, die-hard anime fans often get influenced by the anime style of life. Apart from a conceptual discussion, the prime source of interaction and communication are usually about entertainment in reality. So, I feel totally out of place here. But you know what? Almost every day, I feel as if I am the luckiest person in my environment because I have caught the most beautiful and satisfactory thread of my life - ANIME! India is definitely not a good place for being an anime fan. Many might get offended by this but these are my opinions according to my perceptions
Why does Indian TV SUCK? The state of the Indian television has declined drastically over the last few years, and I don’t feel any sort of apprehension in declaring that it needs a radical change in the form of entertainment that is being produced to cater to audiences. While Indian cinema has grown by leaps and bounds in producing not only popcorn and candyfloss entertainers (even though most have the same recycled storylines), but also independent and original storylines, Indian television seems to be stuck in the bottom of a black hole whose gravity has sucked out all its creativity, and all that is left is the mud for all its viewers to chew on and on.
Why anime is great? Anime to me is an extension of what I enjoyed as a young child. I loved the often colorful, vibrant appearance of a good number of cartoons (several of which coincidentally were anime, such as Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z) as well as the stories they told. Watching a kid around my age travel the world to capture and train wild creatures as he aspired to become the best of the best was awesome. Waking up every Saturday or whatever day to this week's installment of overpowered guys yelling and fighting at hyper speed to decide to fate of the universe was amazing. Breaking away from anime, shows like The Fairly Odd parents were/are hilarious and had great episodic tales of magic, wishes, and some of the struggles of childhood. As I've matured, I still love a great comedy series or an overpowered guys yelling and fighting at hyper speed to decide the fate of the universe series, but I've also sought mature romances or philosophical action-adventures, but the difference is that as I've grown up seeking these new narratives. It still primarily targets young children, and even when it strays from that audience, it remains bound to the genre of comedy for the most part.
What anime has to offer? Anime and animation, in general, provides a couple of related things that live-action (or CGI meant to stand in for live action) television and movies can't:
-- Removal from reality. Watching animation takes you out of the real world in a way that live-action, even live-action fantasy, can't. The forms and faces you see are only symbols of real forms and faces, allowing you immerse yourself in the story without being losing your sense of disbelief when you are unexpectedly "pulled back" into the world by a form or face that reminds you too much of something you know or have encountered in the real world (or, in the case of bad special effects, reminds you too much that what you're watching isn't real).
-- Freedom of expression. As an art form, the animation isn't bound by the rules that we place on live action or CGI meant to present live action. Even with fabulous special effects, when we watch something that is supposed to be live action, we expect from it a certain level of realism that, when it's not delivered, immediately alerts our brain to seeing "bad effects". With animation, however, these constraints are removed, so that the artist can present anything in their imagination without having to worry about whether or not it "looks real". This enables them to concentrate on the stories and characters that draw us into their world and to follow their vision in creating that world the way they want us to see it.
-- Freedom of expression. As an art form, the animation isn't bound by the rules that we place on live action or CGI meant to present live action. Even with fabulous special effects, when we watch something that is supposed to be live action, we expect from it a certain level of realism that, when it's not delivered, immediately alerts our brain to seeing "bad effects". With animation, however, these constraints are removed, so that the artist can present anything in their imagination without having to worry about whether or not it "looks real". This enables them to concentrate on the stories and characters that draw us into their world and to follow their vision in creating that world the way they want us to see it.
Anime has something for just about everyone. It's full of cute things, scary things, and pretty things. It pulls you into the story and sometimes makes you sleep with the light on, or will put you in a bad mood for the rest of the day. But it is also full of humor and fun. That extreme change in thought can happen all in a single series--full of highs and lows. And I think that's why people watch anime. Despite the fact that some of it is about as far from real life as possible, it reminds us of ourselves and makes plays on reality giving people an escape from the constant everyday routines in our lives. More than anything, it makes us feel something.
More than that, the deeper you dive into anime, the more you realize that you've joined a secret club of people who all have a similar interest. It's like having a secret key to a bunch of friends you never even knew you had. Since some of the anime watchers are actually very shy people who are otherwise socially awkward, having something to talk about with any group of people is part of what makes anime so attractive.
More than that, the deeper you dive into anime, the more you realize that you've joined a secret club of people who all have a similar interest. It's like having a secret key to a bunch of friends you never even knew you had. Since some of the anime watchers are actually very shy people who are otherwise socially awkward, having something to talk about with any group of people is part of what makes anime so attractive.
Anime is deep or just entertainment? The debate of whether “anime is deep or just entertainment” is a complex one. What is “deep” and what is “entertaining” can have different meanings to different people? But from what I’ve seen, and from what most people would define as “deep” and “entertaining,” I believe that some anime try to evoke a sense of depth in their audience while some are pretty much only focused on the entertainment factor. The term “anime” covers too wide a range of genres, stories, and perspectives to have just one adjective (“deep” or “entertaining” in this case) to describe the entire entity. It’s like saying “movies are deep/entertaining” or “books are deep/entertaining”; the word encompasses too many themes to narrow it down to such a broad description. There are so many different anime series, saying that “anime” in general is such and such is just too vague…
Ok, so I’ve made my general opinion about this topic clear – some anime are deep and some are just entertaining, but these adjectives are too vague to be attached to the general term “anime” alone. So what makes some anime deep and some not, or some both deep and entertaining?
Ok, so I’ve made my general opinion about this topic clear – some anime are deep and some are just entertaining, but these adjectives are too vague to be attached to the general term “anime” alone. So what makes some anime deep and some not, or some both deep and entertaining?
As an anime fan, it initially took a lot of explaining to do why you are watching "cartoons". Believe me, my family had gone into complete shock as their 22-year old son started watching Eren Jaeger fight bunch of Titans. The issue lies with grown-ups watching cartoons, it isn’t about what type anymore. But things seem to be changing given that once people get used to the fact that "cartoons" can have various facets, they seem to finally accept it and even indulge in it. The popularity of Death Note, Dragon Ball Z in colleges across the nation are a testament to that fact.
Another problem faced by me is the dearth of options when it comes to finding reading material. Leaving aside the e-commerce retailer, in my city there is only one proper bookstore which has a dedicated Manga section and by the looks of it will be slowly merged with the graphic novels shelf.
But on a happier note, I find anime to be in the same position as English TV series were maybe 8-9 years back. With access to near-simultaneous releases and free downloads shows like GOT, TBBT have almost become mainstream, and hopefully a few years from now, discussions on Full Metal Alchemist, Initial D, Tokyo Ghoul will have a much larger audience. In other words, being an anime fan came with its own set of prejudices in the mind of others and explanations on your part (at least initially) but ultimately it is LIBERATING.
Another problem faced by me is the dearth of options when it comes to finding reading material. Leaving aside the e-commerce retailer, in my city there is only one proper bookstore which has a dedicated Manga section and by the looks of it will be slowly merged with the graphic novels shelf.
But on a happier note, I find anime to be in the same position as English TV series were maybe 8-9 years back. With access to near-simultaneous releases and free downloads shows like GOT, TBBT have almost become mainstream, and hopefully a few years from now, discussions on Full Metal Alchemist, Initial D, Tokyo Ghoul will have a much larger audience. In other words, being an anime fan came with its own set of prejudices in the mind of others and explanations on your part (at least initially) but ultimately it is LIBERATING.
My dear friend, if you haven’t gained a whole new perspective about anime, after reading this, then I have failed miserably, please contact me. I can try a little more...
Thanks for reading this whole post.☺
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