Anime Why Anime grabs you?

[Guest gooase719]

im doing a research paper and one of the questions i want to answer is what attracts viewers to watch anime. so u anime fans tell me and the world about ur interests in anime.

[Guest Tears Of Joy]

Well, what attracts to me to anime are two very simple things.

1) Alot of anime has beautiful art which is very appealing to the eye's. I often try and pause on certain anime dvd's if I like a certain back ground or character in the dvd and try to draw it though I never am able to draw it the way it shows on the dvd.

2)The second reason I like anime is because unlike most shows which they drag on forever actually ends. Most anime ends at around 26 episodes which I think is an excellent and crucial thing or atleast to me it is. If something just goes on for to long it get's tiring and repetitive.

These are the two major reasons why I enjoy watching anime.

[Gravy Train]

What I like most about anime is that unlike most other cartoons, anime usually has deep or serious plots which make it better than "nickelodeon type crap".

[QuincyArcher]

Aside from shows like Family Guy, i really don't care for american made animation. Most american cartoons are just overly goofy and appeal to a younger audience. I really like anime for several reasons, partly because i've been watching anime for over 15 years (since i was 5 years old) so i grew up on the stuff. But also because anime tends to have much deeper, richer plots and more well-rounded characters than a typical american made cartoon like Spongebob Squarepants or Scooby-Doo. If you want me to be a bit more technical about it, since you're writing a research paper, rather than repeating myself again. I'll just copy a post from a similar thread a few weeks back:

[QUOTE]Originally Posted by: [B]Me (QuincyArcher) [/B] [I]in an earlier thread[/I]

i think the main difference between American and Japanese animation is that in america there are many censorship laws, guidelines and standards for everything that airs on TV as well as in theaters and also for what is released on dvd/video. In america they are constantly having to worry about political correctness and whether it is suitable for all ages. Where as in Japan, the standards aren't nearly as strict as they are here in america. sex, nudity, violence, religious themes and language are much more 'accepted' (for lack of a better word) in japan than they are here and that allows much more flexibility for anime producers, and (IMO) creates and much more entertaining show.[/QUOTE]

[Jonexe]

I like anime for a couple reasons.

1. The art. I'm an artist myself (While not the SAME kind of art, art none the less), and I really just love seeing the different styles of drawing and coloring. Every anime has it's own style, and it's amazing to see those styles in action.

2. The plots. Most anime plots are far deep, and far more enjoyable than anything you see in America. The Japanese are not afraid to go incrediably weird to make a point, or to tell a story; and I like that fact.

3. Some of the things you see are awesome. Serious, have you ever seen anything REMOTELY close to Macross? Or the UC Gundam series? Not on American television. Hell, you're lucky if you get something remotely Sci-Fi that's not a teeny bopper show (Buffy comes to mind... bleh). And while these things are all strange, and awesome, they point back to number 2 and 1 there.

There's probably a hundred other reason I could name while I like anime, but I believe those are the best three.

[Delta]

[COLOR=#B33D79][SIZE=1]First thing I look for in an anime series is good art (and for fantasy-type anime, interesting character designs). This is probably the reason why I only started watching Slam Dunk and Shin Hakkenden far into the series (the art didn't appeal to me at first) and why I am a fan of CLAMP studio (ah, THE haven of pretty boys) and Wolf's Rain.

Second would be the soundtrack; more specifically, the opening and ending themes. I remember sitting through episodes of Texhnolyze so that I won't miss its ending sequence (theme courtesy of Gackt).

The third place is reserved to "plot mojo". Most vital in keeping my attention, it is the summation of everything that makes anime plots interesting like unexpected (but logical) plot twists and interesting conflicts. It has to somehow affect me, make me sigh, cry, laugh, or think. That which makes me empathize with the characters and somehow believe that what they're going through can happen to us. That, love, is good anime.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[kabapu]

1) anime is anime. end of discussion.
2) anime can be about anything, it really is a universal medium.
3) anime is beautifully animated, no really it is. better than picasso any day

[Sea Of Chaos666]

Probly the way the Art is constructed. I love art and have seen my diffrent types of it. But Animes art is diffrent and can be made many diffrent ways. That's basacliy it...

[JenniKate]

It's hard to explain why I think anime is great!

I grew up with fantasy at home, mostly in book form but also as a kid my mother used to make up stories and they all involved fanstasy elements.

The thing that really attracted me to anime was the fanstasy elements being used in a story but not being the story. Most of the live action fantasy type movies spend so much time showing you how great their special effects are and how wonderfully fanstastical they are that the fanstasy elements seem out of place.

A key example is one I've just started watching - Fruits Basket. [spoiler] the main characters turn into animals regularly, and it's just a day to day thing. It's mentioned as something unusual but it's portrayed as being normal for those people. [/spoiler] The portrayal of it is just part of the story and there are more important things going on that are focused on.

The other thing I find is that characters tend to be more developed and more real. Few are all good or all bad they seem very human - even the non humans - which is something you don't always see in live action or especially in other animated shows.

The stories are great for escapism. They contain real emotions but matched with elements that are not of today's world. Which makes them familiar but not real. So while they affect you, you can always rationalise emotions away by remembering these things can't really happen.

Of course the drawing styles, the fact they're usually series so have many episodes to explain a story and bring out characters and the music all contribute but I don't think are the primary reasons for me :)

[Rainbow_Anime]

[FONT=Book Antiqua][COLOR=Purple]What attracts me most about Anime is the characters, and how beautiful they are...They aren't like other charcters, I love the way they come up with their personalities...
As other people have said, I also like the backrounds and the use of colors..[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Loving_Senpai]

What I like about animes:

1)I like the fact that they aren't always silly and goofy. They can be real serious and dramatic, which makes it very intersting because it's not real life, with actors.

2)I like the artwork and the amazing way characters can do impossible things. When I first started watching anime, I always tried to figure out how the characters had special powers without being in some kind of accident.

3)And I like it because I have a very active imagination and it just pulls me into their world.

Animes are the greatest thing I've ever been introduced to and I will love it till the day I die and even in the afterlife.

[r3vival]

I love anime first obviously because of the art. It is BEAUTIFUL. It also does a great job stylewise in conveying the emotions of specific scenes and allowing you to understand how the character feels or even what they are thinking merely by seeing his expressions .

The second reason I love anime is the depth of the stories at times and the humor at other times. In many cases it is a nice mix of both a good share of action doesnt do much harm either :D not at all..

The third reason which somewhat ties into the second is the (at times) amazingly involved character development. The characters often display signs of growing over the course of an anime or rather maturing. You are able to see how a character is effected by the events of the anime and these in depth characters often lead to very meshed story lines. Meaning multiple micro stories underlying the single macro plot. It is amazing to see everything tie in in the end and to get an understanding of each character throughout the course of the anime on a more personal level. Fact of the matter is ANIME ROCKS MY SOCKS =Þ.(for lack of better words)

[Guest Evil_Hikari]

Well, I like anime cause I like the way it looks. It's sooo beautiful and in some cases cute :catgirl: I also love the fact that some anime has good story lines that are easy to follow. My particular genres are comedy/action/romance and a couple more i'm not sure of at the moment. :animeswea anyways... im the only one in my family that likes anime...i dont think my brother really pays attention to the real world anymore :confused: and my parents um...well, they dont think its good, you know, the story line which I think is lame, but thats them, and im not bothered by it cause i dont really care what they think...a little off topic but...im also attracted to anime cause of the hot guy characters, Kaiba and Vash for example...so that's all I gotta say I guess... :animesigh :cool:

[elfpirate]

[b]I guess there are several reasons that are actually tangible enough to explain...[/b]

[b][u]The artwork[/u]-- you just can't find the same styles and quality of artwork in most American-made animations.[/b]

[b][u]The content[/u]-- American cartoons are just so... "meh" as far as story line, details, and character development. [/b]

[b]It's rare to see an American cartoon cater to an adult audience (with the exception of the Adult Swim lineup and The Simpsons) or have reference to true-to-life emotions/situations/personalities.[/b]

[b]Characters in American cartoons are very rarely hypocritical, ambiguous, or enigmatic. Nor do they have a slew of faults in their personality traits or their appearances, which makes them much harder to relate to than anime characters... because real people just aren't perfect.[/b]



[b]There are also reasons for liking anime that I just can't quite put my finger on... maybe it's because I grew up with a lot of Japanese cultural influence-- I can't really say for sure.[/b]

[Cazzilla]

Its beauty really.
Like spirited away for example, each frame is artwork in its self.
Plus I just like cartoons. There is something about them. And unlike american animation, these actually have deep plots, and they are a series. What happened in the last one, relates to the next one- They are not just completely seperate.

[Guest Euphoric]

What attracts me to anime is the uniqueness that it has. The art, storyline, every aspect of anime is fantastic to me. I mean, if it wasn't for anime I would NEVER watch tv because I think everything else is ridiculous... It's a spirit lifter as well. Whenever life has me down, I watch some anime and everything is all good :)

[Guest tracybennett]

The eyes are what makes me attracted to anime.

[Guest BamboozledAnime]

[COLOR=DarkGreen][FONT=Arial Narrow][I]Well, it's often a question I get from people, so, I figured, why not ask the others out there who watch anime as well. "Why do you watch anime?" I watch anime, because I find it to be much funnier than what american television supplies. The ideas that are put into anime, are quite original, and have a quality to them, which everyone can enjoy watching. Such as angst, humor,love, and the fact that the art in them, is not too detailed, but enough to where you know what is going on. I just find it hard to stop watching anime once it comes on. Every saturday night, I deem it my anime night, and all in my family know that I sit and watch it, as do my friends. I just love it that much, that I love spending the time to watch the new episodes or trying to draw fan-art of the characters that the people who created that anime have made-up =) I just think it's so wonderful to watch such a thing. Another thing though, even if it is mostly the japanese who come up with storylines for what we see, I HIGHLY believe it is possible for an american to come up with something just as good as that and do anime in their own style that people would like to read/view on tv as well. But wheather people like it or not, is up to them. So, with all my ranting aside, what do you other anime guru's think about my question? Just why DO you watch anime? =)[/I][/FONT][/COLOR]

[nika2999]

Anime grabbs my attention because it's something thats foreign. I'm a very curious person and if something is diffrent or appears odd I like to get to know it better or study it. But that isn't the only reason I also like the art and the way the stories are put together. Because of anime I decided to start writting manga, since it follows into anime and one day I hope to create an anime just as good as the ones that inspired me.

[SaiyanPrincessX]

[SIZE=1]I've said this many times before.

I preferJapanese manga/anime over American comics/cartoons. To me American comics are dull and predictable. I find them boring for the most part, and I don't like Marvel, DC, artwork.

Japanese anime is diffrent. There are more complex stories and characters. Anime is filled with mixed genres, within each series. You go from comedy to serious and back.

I value the artwork alot. Some anime I dislike simply because its not my style, regardless of the story. I have to feel it. Of course I do value the story, as long as I like the artwork aswell.

I seem to be ranting.[/SIZE]

[Shadow Hikari]

Anime is appealing to me because like SaiyanPrincessX said it looks better than the American cartoons and comics. For me, it is easier on the eyes and more believable in the sense that not all superheroes are muscular brutes, don't get me wrong, there were characters that used brains more than brawn like Xavier, but the fact remains that they all were pretty muscular. NE way.. I like anime because it adresses more realistic situations without the grueling morality and brainwashing tactics that they put into American cartoons. They have to some degree stopped that for the newer cartoons, but they still continue to do that and they censor it, which is what really urks me. I personally believe that we in America, have become morally dead, but I don't think that everything we do, read, write, or watch should reflect that always. At the hours of ten o'clock and later, TV shouldn't still be censored, we should be allowed to curse a little to make the feeling of reality more apparent, but the whole Toonami and Fox thing with making shows like One Piece super censored, make those certain animes less appealing if the only access you have is watching it one tv. (I read it). Like last Saturday I saw some navy captain on One Piece with smoke comming out of his mouth, but no cigarette. I say if things like that don't want to be shown, don't liscence it for children's tv, although I saw all that stuff and more when I was younger and I turned out fine. (I don't smoke, drink, or take drugs).

[Anime Pet]

[FONT=Georgia][COLOR=Plum]I like anime because of several reasons. Some of them are very serious and in-depth, and make me think about things. Others are more light-hearted, that I can watch when all I want is a good laugh.
I like it because it's different, and because most of American shows are complete garbage. With the rise of reality shows and bad rip-offs, I find it refreshing to watch anime. While it's not always greatly drawn, or the plot isn't always wonderful, it's mostly orignal and fun for me to enjoy. :glasses: [/COLOR][/FONT]

[Guest inuyasha2]

why anime grabs me is because its cool and it connects on my own life in most of the ways and here are some of the anime i like: ikki tousen,Blood the last vampire,inuyasha,Ghost in the shell,vampire D hunter,Mouse,Elfen lied,and others i cant think of rite now :animeswea But i love Elfen Lied the most! :animenose

[Guest Tachikoma-Kun!]

Anime takes me away from people at school and how life is truily unfair. My favs. GITS SAC(both 2nd and 1st season),Neon Genisis Evangelion, FLCL, Fullmetal Alchemist, GANTZ, and .Hack//Sign.

[Starwind]

Anime grabs me because it's unlike anything you'll see here in the states. I've officially been an anime fan for seven years now and I don't think I'll ever get over it, no matter how much my dad says I will. I love it because it's unique. There are a lot of standards ( Styles, and story types seen commonly) But these also always have some way of making itself feel different from the others and then you've got the ones that are almost entirely unique unto themselves. Unique, entrancing, and bold that's what I love about anime.