Why Anime Captivates People, Including Me

The allure of anime is that while it is meant for children, it also appeals to adults. This is very common in Japan because Japan is very tolerant of its childish cultures and childish values according to Le Blanc. So while the more dark and dense anime may appeal to some adults, there are also the more fun and emotional anime’s that appeals to the inner children of other adults. Now, those animes are crafted from the genius of the Japanese, who are very much proficient in presenting the narrative through childhood perceptions, which renders the feelings of a child with the use of detail. It’s that sweet and naive perspective that captivates the general population and puts them in the shoes of the child. It’s also captivating because everything is viewed from a more simple and innocent viewpoint which is very much pleasant to engage in. Another reason is because many baby boomers continued to read their favorite mangas into adulthood and the nostalgia factor of TV animes that are based off of mangas can prove to be very entertaining to these baby boomers.


(manga)                                                                   (anime)
* http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121230003953/onepiece/images/a/ab/ShanksArm.png
* http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130208234503/onepiece/images/c/c8/Shank%27s_Arm_Original_Anime.png

Another important aspect of anime is its attention to symbolism, emotion, and character design. It has already been brought to our attention that the Japanese favor symbolism over realism, but why is that the case? Well it's because at the root of this love for characters the Japanese has a unique aesthetic sensibility and receptivity for planarity, abbreviation, symbolism, and simplification. I think on the other hand that because anime can be quite simple at times the emotions are what hook the audience. Because the faces are drawn you can't really see the emotions that you would see in real life, but on the other hand what is utilized in anime are some visual cues that are symbols for emotions. This approach is very useful because as the drawing becomes simpler the emotions come across more clear and crisp not complex and muddled like real-life emotions. You will know right away the protagonist is happy if you see a "happy face" which includes a smile and eye lids that are concave down. Because of this emotive expressibility the character appears very much human because being able to express our emotions is the one thing that is fundamental to human life and culture. Although the character may be fictional the emotions are real and that's what we relate to, effectively seeing realism in anime. It's this combination of symbolism, emotion, and character design that allows anime to rival the realism of live-action films and win over the hearts of many people who enjoy this fictitious realism.

 

* http://www.angelfire.com/nj2/animetutorials/expression.html

Another allure of anime is that instead of it being a genre, it is more of a medium in which narrative is told. It has all the genres offered in most media forms and even some more genres that are exclusive to anime, it has a genre for most interests. The only condition that might deter you from anime would be if you don't like anime. Then you're pretty much out of luck. But what you can do is find an anime that fits a genre that you like and enjoy it at your own pace. Who knows maybe after a few shows or movies you may end up loving anime.

I fell in love with anime because in my youth it accompanied me through my sickness and the fantasy elements truly inspired me. Also because I didn't have many friends, watching anime provided me plenty doses of human emotion that I lacked in my lonely days. In the end I made many good friends because of the magnificence of anime.

Some Quotes

“Live action films are so common these days that they’re becoming a part of reality. I don’t think audiences really ‘watch’ live action feature carefully. However they’d be forced to for an anime feature. Because anime captures things we do, and reflects more solid reality than how they actually are.” (Isao Takahata)

"You see, what drives animation is the will of the characters. You don't depict fate, you depict will. Even if fate exists." (Hayao Miyazaki)