Anime and Adult


Ad: Buy Girls Und Panzer Merch from Play Asia!
QUOTE
Geez...when I try talk my way out of them...they will keep saying "When you become adult you will understand" or something like that...well(do not include the hentai anime though)...Do you think that I will come to understand just as my parent says? Even my friend who is just two years older say so.... sad.gif

I know things have probably gone a little off the main topic by now but... I am an adult who likes anime (wow that made me feel like I was in AA) My problem is similar to yours. Not very many of the adults I interact with watch anime, so it makes things very hard on me to discuss the stuff I like or watch.

Part of it is the perception. In America Cartoons are mostly for kids. Cartoons made here for older audiences are well... very adult in nature. Even anime brought over here tends to be censored and watered down for younger audiences leaving more hardcore fans miffed. (Mention 4kids or "Foxbox" to an otaku and prepare to hear a lengthy angry opinion) I still enjoy some American Cartoons, but a lot of the stuff I grew up watching (even if it was reruns of stuff my parents saw as a kid) is actually being cut and censored due to violence and cultural PC changes. I'm not racist but I don't like somebody telling me something that happened in the past "never happened" even though I was there... Sorry off topic.

Perception goes another way too. I am a male in my late 20's and I like some cutesy anime (I like various genres but I am focusing on this one for a moment) for the sake of it being cute, whimsy, funny and nothing else{see: Kami Chu} I have one friend who is in total agreement with me on the subject
happy.gif
, and I have another friend who thinks that anyone over the age of 15 and is male who likes this stuff has latent pedophillic tendencies.
mad.gif
(My friend is very freudian and ties everything into a sexual matter, he is also into mainly dark, serious, and/or Hentai animes) I tend to refrain from discussing the cutesy ones with him.

Part of it is preference... American Culture (like other countries) is very different than other cultures, Watching anime may be a norm is Japan, but so is eating Blood pudding in Britian. It's going to take awhile for it to really catch on here.

I love anime, but I dislike most sports. I got a friend who loves walker Texas Ranger and thinks all anime is Pokemon and must Die.

I can probably bet you there is some sort of culture thing in Japan that originated from the US and is very popular among the young & certain fanatics but a lot of the older folks thinks it's either Juvenile or offensive. (Country western maybe... Just kidding)
ph34r.gif
 
QUOTE (chookreree @ Sep 28 2007, 02:52 AM)
I know things have probably gone a little off the main topic by now but... I am an adult who likes anime (wow that made me feel like I was in AA) My problem is similar to yours. Not very many of the adults I interact with watch anime, so it makes things very hard on me to discuss the stuff I like or watch.

Don't worry about it, but at the same time, I'm completly sure that a lot of the posters (sounds like paper) have checked out the age poll before thinking adults don't watch anime (it's an old thread/poll). From what I've been gathering, a lot of adults I've been talking with are more along the lines of "closet fans". You know, the kinds that come here, download, but don't post or care about anyone else or just have a few choice series they watch.

While it is true that there are a lot of "kids" out there with parents that don't completly approve of their 12 year old watching Kenshin cut a guy in half, there are a lot of others that simply see anime as another television show that they're either fine with or feel it needs monitoring.

Also at the same time, there are a couple posters (not sure, don't blam me) that probably feel their parents do nothing good for them. It may be true, it may not, but if they feel that way, then they more than likely feel their parents hate everything including anime.

If it really is a problem that adults aren't getting into, willing to understand, or simply blam a forgin animated show, then we'll deal with them the same way we're dealing with them in regards to M-rated games; I don't know how we're doing that but we have to go along the same lines i guess. Sorry, my mind died half way through the typing
huh.gif
 
Out of all my friends, I am probably the only anime addict, perhaps in my whole high school if i have to say it that way! It sucks when nobody around you watches this stuff, hence there's fansub XD.....but whoever says that anime isn't for adults seriously has only been exposed to pokemon and digimon and yu-gi-oh and etc. etc. They've only seen the ones that have been aimed towards the younger generation, so obviously their perception will be of a "childish" nature. Believe me, i face that misjudgement all the time, and its tiresome trying to explain to people, but i still do it....its difficult to explain to those that have never really indulged into this stuff, so therefore i just give up in the end- live and let live, i don't have the time to waste on close-minded people
smile.gif
 
My parents always thought that anime was just another form of cartoons, just with better animation. Luckily after about a few years they seemed to realize that anime can actually be really deep and meaningful, more "Adulitsh" as they say.

I believe it was Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, Gunslinger Girl, and Air Tv that proved it to them. So now I can watch Anime without having to hear the "Aren't you too old to be watching cartoons" lecture again.
 
Strangly enough, my housemate's mom watches Avatar and some anime. I thought that was the weirdest thing ever. Even my housemate doesn't watch anime.
 
My dad always asks me "When are you going to grow out of watching those japanese cartoons?"
mad.gif

first of all, they are not "cartoons", it is called anime dad! He just doesn't get it. He accuses me of being immature because I watch anime, which really annoys me because I don't think that has anything to do with maturity level.
He also doesn't like that I got my brother and sister into anime, he thinks I'm leading them down a dark path
tongue.gif

Anyway, this has something to do with why I can't really watch anime when I'm at home, because if I do, I just keep hearing my dad pick on me and my hobbies, which just brings me down even if I disagree with him. If he actually sat down and watched an anime, I think he would see why I like it, the stories are deep and the artwork is just gorgeous, not to mention the great soundtracks...
 
I am almost 21 and I still watch and collect anime, hardcore I might add. My parents always acted like I was some kind of retard because I liked anime, and to this day I'm the only person in my family that really even knows what anime is all about. I'm not ashamed at all about it and I'm glad I am one of the few people that can enjoy anime. I was even brave enough to help start an anime club at my highschool a few years ago and it went quite well for a while. Almost all of my friends were non anime watchers but they knew I liked it and they also knew that if they made fun of anime that I would beat the crap out of them without hesitating lol. It was hard for me at first to express that I liked anime, especially since a majority of my friends were skaters and school athletes and stuff like that, but when I kept stressing the fact that "Hey I like anime and there's nothing you can do to change my mind" people actually treated me with alot of respect and (I'm not trying to brag or anything) I went from one of the most unpopular to one of the most well known people at my school. The great part is that I didn't have to be Mr. Straight A's in class or the QB for the football team or anything like that. In fact I didn't participate in any extracurricular activites at school at all, and I never made good grades, all I did was be myself and I would threaten to beat any 1 senseless that had something bad to say about me. I hope that all of you guys will be proud of your interests, don't take any crap from anyone at all, that's how you get respect from people who like to try and make fun of you, give them the finger and don't let them gain the upperhand.
 
For all those who have posted here complaining about there families not understanding there love for all things Anime. There is still hope. I am 28 years old and I watch and collect anime, Manga, JPOP, and pics. I love anime and it took a while explaining to my family that it isn’t cartoons that it is Anime and a big part of the Japanese culture. I showed them several Manga's that had references to Japanese history and it allowed me to introduce them to my hobbies and how important they are to me. I was also able to explain how by reading Manga and watching Anime I was able to learn a lot about another country's cultural beliefs and practices. I picked up a book from the library that showed how Anime affected Japan and the USA. Many may not know this but it was Americans that had the biggest impact on Japan when it comes to Manga. I think if you sit down with your family and show them that you’re not just rotting your brain by watching Anime and reading Manga but, you’re learning new things. Here is a good way to show them that you are learning new things. Hand them a Manga and have them try reading it. Give them a few minutes and then turn the book over and show them that with Manga you have to train your brain to read all over again in the way that Japanese people read. I think this will open there minds a little too where you are coming from and perhaps give you a little more respect.

Shilo
 
QUOTE (Shilo @ Oct 31 2007, 12:33 PM) For all those who have posted here complaining about there families not understanding there love for all things Anime. There is still hope. I am 28 years old and I watch and collect anime, Manga, JPOP, and pics. I love anime and it took a while explaining to my family that it isn’t cartoons that it is Anime and a big part of the Japanese culture.
I'm a bit in the same situation, but I've never even problems about that with family and friends.

Firstly, animes is not worst than a lot of grow-ups' hobbies. I don't think animes or manga will teach you something (especially not japanese history or sociology. Just like watching Beverly Hills 90210 will teach you nothing about the life of american teenagers in the 90's), but it's not the main purpose of hobbies. Watching American Idol or CSI : Miami won't bring you anything more than watching animes.

Secondly, I've interests outside animes. Even in my hobbies, everything doesn't revolve around animes. So watching animes one day and reading history books (Yeah! A biography of Richelieu! The plot is far more elaborate than any anime I've seen) doesn't make you look childish.

By the way, animes are cartoons, just like mangas are books. saying otherwise really sounds like a 'special snowflake' argument.
 
I actually haven't had any such problems at all instead it's been kinda reversed. My buddie talked me into watching some anime i got hooked then i just gave my other friends some tips and soon they where hooked as well so in my close circle of friends almost evryone watches anime.

As for my parents well on those rare occasions im actually at their house i don't really watch anime( I eat real food
tongue.gif
).
 
Yeah me as well no probs anymore
biggrin.gif
everyone of my friends are into it now and as to the adults around here they are more open minded as long as it's anime and not hentai
laugh.gif
That reminds me about this 1 guy that came to my house with a stack of dvd's asking if I could burn him some naughty anime hahahaha he was like 42 or something and I had to say sorry man I don't collect that and it's not naughty anime it's called hentai and I gave him my friends number so now my friend burns hentai for him now then
laugh.gif
 
Anime spans a pretty wide range of genres -- to generalize anime as being immature is like generalizing that all kinds of animation are immature.

Given that, though, I've definitely noticed my own tastes changing over the years. I have little to no interest (anymore
tongue.gif
) in series that star middle schoolers looking for puppy love, or for the mundane 15 year old suddenly charged with saving the world multiple times. And that has actually severely limited anything I'm interested in watching anymore. I got so fed up with trying to find something I'd like to watch this season that I gave up and picked up Heroes instead.

It isn't that anime, as a whole, is immature, but it's safe to say that more than half of anime series that are produced are directed at younger age groups.

I want another Nodame or Suzumiya this season, damnit T_T
 
QUOTE (julezia @ Oct 28 2007, 04:23 AM) My dad always asks me "When are you going to grow out of watching those japanese cartoons?"
mad.gif

first of all, they are not "cartoons", it is called anime dad! He just doesn't get it. He accuses me of being immature because I watch anime, which really annoys me because I don't think that has anything to do with maturity level.
He also doesn't like that I got my brother and sister into anime, he thinks I'm leading them down a dark path
tongue.gif

Anyway, this has something to do with why I can't really watch anime when I'm at home, because if I do, I just keep hearing my dad pick on me and my hobbies, which just brings me down even if I disagree with him. If he actually sat down and watched an anime, I think he would see why I like it, the stories are deep and the artwork is just gorgeous, not to mention the great soundtracks...
You know what, I've been watching anime since I was 11 and well, for a lot of people, you just don't grow out of the enjoyment of the artform that is anime.
Don't let a blowhard like your old man get you down, julezia. Try explaining all the different ways anime benefits you.
- Drawing
- Inking
- Story
- Voice acting
- Music
- Possibly depending, the computer graphics
All these contribute to what can/does make up an anime, a good one. Even a closed minded adult can look at atleast one of those reasons and apprecate the quality of something out there.
 
Thank for sharing
laugh.gif


I manage to persuade my parents a bit about anime...well when I said persuade it does not mean they start watching anime nowadays...it is just they give less comment when I am watching
rolleyes.gif
...which is...good. However I am far from satisfy...I want them to watch an anime that can really change the image of anime in their eyes because I know that although they dont comment as much but they still see anime the same way(as being childish and all that stuff). But the problem is I can not find a good and suitable anime to let them watch

the anime must be interesting too both of my parents since I want them to watch together so I can not afford anything complicated like deathnote because my mom wont be able to follow,but I also want nothing too girlish or the romance genre because my father will be bored to death...and I dont want anything that has superpower elements in it because I remember my father comment something like: "whoa...it just doesnt make sense,stop watching all this unreal stuff" when he see...I forgot what anime but it has supernatural and super power sort of scene
sad.gif
.

Actually I am thinking about clannad..but it still has a trace of supernatural...so I am not sure yet...can someone recommend anything better
tongue.gif
??
 
QUOTE
Don't let a blowhard like your old man get you down, julezia. Try explaining all the different ways anime benefits you.

Do animes really benefit us?
I mean, it brings almost nothing, it's a hobby, just like watching a football game, reading a novel or listening to a rock band.

I don't think shady reasons will help people to understand the interest of animes. Let's be honest, even if it's less classy.


QUOTE
Actually I am thinking about clannad..but it still has a trace of supernatural...so I am not sure yet...can someone recommend anything better
tongue.gif
??

Starting with a 26 episodes serie is quite a bad idea imho.
Start with a more classical animation movie (like those of Ghibli): Grave of the fireflies, Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro, Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers...

Animation is just a technical process after all. Then the genre of the anime relies on the director.
 
QUOTE (aquaspirit39 @ Nov 14 2007, 12:55 AM)the anime must be interesting too both of my parents since I want them to watch together so I can not afford anything complicated like deathnote because my mom wont be able to follow,but I also want nothing too girlish or the romance genre because my father will be bored to death...and I dont want anything that has superpower elements in it because I remember my father comment something like: "whoa...it just doesnt make sense,stop watching all this unreal stuff" when he see...I forgot what anime but it has supernatural and super power sort of scene :( .

Actually I am thinking about clannad..but it still has a trace of supernatural...so I am not sure yet...can someone recommend anything better :p ??
My first thought would be "sit them down with Invader Zim!" But then i realize it is American made, so possibly not. :p

Oh man, im looking through my collection with little avail to you.
Seto no Hanayome - 26 episode - comedy/light action anime with a mermaid mafia and an (un)fortunate family

Air - 13 episode, Drama - this is similar to Clannad in the sense of the supernatural

Bamboo Blade - ?? episode, Comedy - kendo dojo leader is trying to get a group of five girls together for a tournament in which his prize would be all-you-can-eat sushi from his opponents shop.

Minami-ke - ?? Episode, Comedy - "This story gives a straightforward account of the three Minami sisters' normal, everyday lives. Please have no expectations beyond that."

Try checking out a few of those and see if they would appease your parents taste. Air is the only one that cannot be downloaded from fansub.tv T.T
Good luck!
 
I'm 24, turning 25 in a month... man I feel old... I work full time, and am currently looking to buy a house... of all my friends who used to watch Anime, worked as fansubbers, and ran large IRC fServs... only about 3 of them still do so. one volunteers regularly to staff at AX, another is still an avid gamer and watches relatively new series (and makes more money than I do T_T )

The rest of them have no more time or lost interest.

However, the best part about being an "adult" and having an interest in anime is that we can finally afford all the "cool stuff" that we saw yrs ago at the cons but didn't have the budget for... my con budget went up 10x from when I first started attending AX in '97. LOL

anyways, I think a lot of the negative response towards the 16~21 yr-old agre group of Otaku/fans is the reaction that these Otaku/Fans give the person asking the question. I've never had any problem with people asking me stuff like "aren't you a bit old to be interested in that?" and "why do you like cartoons?" a nice short answer explaining that anime differs from cartoons due to the different targeted age groups, and if they're interested, telling them that Anime is Asia's (mostly Japan though) response to Hollywood. If you want to make a movie or TV show out of an idea, but either don't have the budget/technology/equipment/space to do so, what can you do? DRAW IT OUT of course! :) want to make a show about an android robot kid or a fantasy world with magic transforming princesses from different plants? anything live-action would've failed miserably, especially w/o computer graphics. (and yes, those were references to Astro Boy and SMoon).

In any case, it's a hobby... like cars, computers, girls, photography, fishing... I don't see a point in fishing... I'll just go buy a fish at the supermarket... yet some people spend thousands on equipment just to catch their own tuna or something... etc.

-----------------------------------------------------

As for good starter titles, try some movies maybe?
-Blood: The Last Vampire
-Jin-Roh
-Princess Mononoke
etc....

might not want to introduce a series right away since it might be too long for them unless they religiously follow tv shows already...
 
QUOTE a nice short answer explaining that anime differs from cartoons due to the different targeted age groups

How fascinating!
I'd love to know the age group targeted by animes and the age group targeted by cartoons.

Please, take into account The Simpsons, Daria, Winnie the Pooh, Elfen Lied a the Moomins.
 
well, as I touched on later in my post, Anime is Asia's answer to Hollywood and American's film industry as a whole. (My high school senior thesis was on the history and developement of Anime)

There are cartoons which target a much much broader age group in the US such as the Simpsons (which has tons of political messages in it but most are oblivious to an 8yr old, and even most adults)... and then there's specific audience cartoons like Daria, which target the rebel/alternative niche of the 16-21 yr-old population. (my numbers may be slightly off here). However, niche cartoons are not very mainstream, evident by their broadcast time slots, and the fact that most of them are only available on cable TV or genre-specific TV channels and broadcasts.

Anime in Japan and Asia if broadcast throughout the day, during "primetime," and accounts more mass amounts of recorded media sales. Anime is much more embeded into the Asian mainstream than here in the US.

There will always be followers of a good anime/manga/cartoon/comic... but it's just a larger % of the population in Asia. for instance... SMoon was a manga targeted at high school+ females when it first came out... the Anime targeted mostly towards grade-school (K~8) kids in Japan, but once in the US, they made it specifically for elementary school kids... (ok, maybe that wasn't the greatest example) but look at full feature length animations such as Jin-Roh, Blood, Akira... you're not going to find cartoons geared towards 18+ age group here (with the exception of Construction Paper freeze-frame photography South Park, and that puppet show: Team America).

Yes, certain Anime targets certain age groups... however, the number of Anime and targeted age groups is much broader... whereas the majority of cartoons are targeted towards kids here in the US.

I would probably say in the US, 90% of the cartoons are G, PG rated, with about 8% being PG-13~R, and the remaining 2% being NC-17 and above...

whereas Anime would have a much broader spread, with roughly 60%? being G/PG and the rest being PG-13+, and obviously a good deal being NC-17 and above....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Playasia - Play-Asia.com: Online Shopping for Digital Codes, Video Games, Toys, Music, Electronics & more
Back
Top