Does anime get off easy just because it's anime?

[kajarainbow]

Do any of you ever find yourselves tolerating subject matters in anime you might not tolerate in other works? I'm speaking of the more squirm-inducing conventions of the more borderline (or not so borderline) skeevy works.

Is it the conventions that makes a difference? Or the distancing from real-life that being drawn rather than actual actors gives it? Or is it all unacceptable to you regardless?

Comments

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

It's not exactly what you're talking about -- I don't watch too many skeevy works these days -- but I do tolerate some things in anime that I don't elsewise. Chibi sequences in otherwise serious works, is one thing that comes to mind.

[kajarainbow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Though Osamu Tezuka's excesses in this area put me off his work. It seems like he consistently didn't treat his subject matter with sufficient gravitas. He's just one of the more extreme examples I can think of, mind you.

[bossgoji.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say that. The magic of his work, to me, was that he was able to bring such an epic quality to what would otherwise be regarded as a fairly silly medium.

[kajarainbow.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't doubt he was great for his time. For example, I recall enjoying his Black Jack series when it was serialized in one of those American manga magazines (put out by Viz, I think). But while he took on magnificent scopes, it seemed to me that he still retained a bit much of the cartoony exaggerations of his forebears, and it was only over time that those cartoony elements got refined into the overused but overall more moderate stuff of today.

But I'm not going to deny him his well-earned status as an important pioneer.

[bossgoji.livejournal.com]

Well, not even "for his time." Stuff like Astro Boy has, to me, this utterly timeless quality. Hell, the art in his stuff is part of what's so endearing. It's a mark of quality: it says "this was made by Osamu Tezuka." You should really see Metropolis if you think his art doesn't lend itself to an epic setting or tone.


Then also there's the fact that so many of his works have been straight-up jacked by Disney. Watch Kimba the White Lion back to back with The Lion King if you don't believe me. Same. Damn. Cartoon.

[kajarainbow.livejournal.com]

I'll admit to limited exposure to him, and actually, despite what I've said, I'm still curious about him. I didn't like Phoenix, but that isn't to say that I won't like certain others of his works. And I already heard about Kimba. Forgive me for being curt, but my back hurts.