Jake

Idle Thumbs 265: A Chill Hell

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I'd say it's correct in a general sense, but there are tons of examples where that's not the case. Also, becoming familiar with the language and tone of conversation in said language (i.e., Japanese) helps distinguish a lot between one actor and another, even if they're playing the same role. By that I mean, a given actor could give a lot more life to a given role than another might give to the same role. I can think of two recent examples off the top of my head that, although the character was maybe not unique in situation, they felt unique because the voice actors were so good at conveying a sense of personality.

 

Also, while it's true that anime relies a lot on archetypes, I think it's bizarre to act like that's a unique thing to the medium? It's rare for me not to be able to identify some sort of archetype or trope associated with a character in anything, let alone just anime.

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I'm confused. U:

 

Were you not asking if the snippet was accurate? I responded to what the snippet said, so if that's not what you were asking, I responded incorrectly!

 

(snippet is a fun word)

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I believe this is meant to be conveyed in an observational or objective tone, but my brain reads this as intensely negative. As a physical actor and someone interested in the mechanics of acting, those things are very important to me. However, I never would have put a pin straight into that as a reason I am more or less disinterested in anime. Does this read as correct (at least generally)?

 

I think that it's definitely an element at play. In general, anime is a plot- or world-driven medium, with the few character-driven examples being the exception rather than the rule (although, especially in the West, they are often the most popular and recognized classics of their respective sub-genres, like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Revolutionary Girl Utena). The funny thing is that the anime industry has a dedicated role in productions for codifying the appearance and behavior of individual characters (the character designer) and that most voice actors in the industry have their own passionate followings (although the intent is always for the character to disappear into the story, even if the actor doesn't disappear into the character), but characters themselves are subsidiary elements in the vast majority of anime productions, the same way that Western audiences think of the particulars of setting. We're also just coming off the moe boom of the past decade, which prioritized heavily depersonalized characters as ciphers for members of the audience and their desires.

 

It's interesting, I was just reading another post about how the recent movie in the Girls und Panzer franchise, a wildly successful example of the "cute girls doing uncute things" sub-genre, does best when the tanks, with their crews, are interpreted as composite characters, rather than the individuals in the crews themselves. There's definitely a trend that only values characters as part of a functioning whole, whether as a social unit within the fiction of the show or as part of the show itself.

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At the same time, though, there's a strong trend of fighting over who is the Best Character in a given series. Or even across series.

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At the same time, though, there's a strong trend of fighting over who is the Best Character in a given series. Or even across series.

 

Oh, I think the fandom is very character-driven, but I don't think most shows and movies are. Part of the reason that most OVA- and movie-exclusive characters are disliked by fans is that they don't fit in the worlds into which they're forcibly inserted (and also they're usually written poorly). People tend to like characters that work best within their respective shows, not characters that are written best by more absolute standards.

 

That might all be shit I pulled out of my ass, too.

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At the same time, though, there's a strong trend of fighting over who is the Best Character in a given series. Or even across series.

 

If we're operating in the realm where that quote is basically acceptable, it's likely in part because the characters are very projectable. This is also not making the argument that the characters are all the same or completely devoid of characterization, but that those traits are often purposefully muted.

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