A question about anime tropes.

[Eric the Orange]

I've seen a fair number of anime in my time, and played games that use anime aesthetics. So I've see a lot of the common and over used Tropes associated with them (What's that a shounen protagonist who is energetic, eats a lot, and never gives up, never seen that one before). But there are a few that I still don't understand.

For example even in a non supernatural series hair all colors of the rainbow goes unremarked. In for example a fantasy series or other supernatural thing I can understand, but in a series that supposed to be realistic setting it makes no sense.

Another thing is the base look of characters in anime is white. Even if they are supposed to be asian there skin tone is white.

Anyway to the point, what is the reason behind these two things?

 

[SajuukKhar]

The different hair color is because most Japanese people have black hair. Imagine staring at a cast full of black haired people........ yeah...... it would get kinda boring. The crazy hair color/styles are there so characters stand out, are noticeable from a glance, and to make it more interesting.
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Anime characters often look white because they lack stereotypical racial features. Anime characters are like stick figures, if you draw a stick figure and ask someone what type of person it this, most people will identify the stick figure as being of their race because stick figures lack any sort of racial stereotype features that people use to identify people of other races with.

Anime creators have often been asked this question, and many of them dont know how to respond, because, to Japanese people, anime characters look Japanese.

 

[triggrhappy94]

My anime experience is pretty limited--I just haven't had time.
From what I've seen and heard, most anime is actually very influenced by the West. I normally take someone with hair that isn't black (or dark brown) as being caucasian.

 

[Eric the Orange]

The different hair color is because most Japanese people have black hair. Imagine staring at a cast full of black haired people........ yeah...... it would get kinda boring. The crazy hair color/styles are there so characters stand out, are noticeable from a glance, and to make it more interesting.
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Anime characters often look white because they lack stereotypical racial features. Anime characters are like stick figures, if you draw a stick figure and ask someone what type of person it this, most people will identify the stick figure as being of their race because stick figures lack any sort of racial stereotype features that people use to identify people of other races with.

Anime creators have often been asked this question, and many of them dont know how to respond, because, to Japanese people, anime characters look Japanese.

the hair "style" thing doesn't really bother me as much as the color. Take Azumanga daioh a realistic if silly anime set in modern day japan. every character except one has black hair and there all Japanese. So it's just odd that that one character has orange hair.

as for the second one I'm not even talking about distinguishing features (canted eyes wide nose ect.), Just skin color. In Manga all characters are "white" because they don't fill in skin color, which is fine, but when giving them color they go with a light peach color that is in line with a Caucasian skin tone. An Asian skin tone would be a few shades darker.

Errr, I tried to post a few pictures as an illustration but it seems I don't know how to internet.

 

[Dr. Cakey]

Never ask a question TVTropes has already answered:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YouGottaHaveBlueHair

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Mukokuseki

as for the second one I'm not even talking about distinguishing features (canted eyes wide nose ect.), Just skin color. In Manga all characters are "white" because they don't fill in skin color, which is fine, but when giving them color they go with a light peach color that is in line with a Caucasian skin tone. An Asian skin tone would be a few shades darker.

Actually, you've deceived yourself. The real question is: Why aren't Caucasian characters pink?

the hair "style" thing doesn't really bother me as much as the color. Take Azumanga daioh a realistic if silly anime set in modern day japan. every character except one has black hair and there all Japanese. So it's just odd that that one character has orange hair.

A given anime/manga/whatever will generally either adhere to this trope or not, with no in-betweens. There are a lot of factors that seem to go into it, like demographic, art style, how realistic/fantastic the anime is, etc. But there are examples where improbable hair shades are not present, like Psycho-Pass, Steins;Gate, and - I was somewhat surprised to realize - the Fate/ franchise (for the most part). Hair dying is also a bit more common in Japan, I think - though obviously not to the extent that can appear in anime - and blond hair is often used in anime as a kind of visual shorthand for a delinquent.

And lastly, there is a bit of natural hair color variety in Japan. Ichigo's [http://images.wikia.com/bleach/en/images/2/2a/Ichigo_Las_Noches.jpg] hair is supposedly natural, you know.

 

[Eric the Orange]

Actually, you've deceived yourself. The real question is: Why aren't Caucasian characters pink?

Ichigo's [http://images.wikia.com/bleach/en/images/2/2a/Ichigo_Las_Noches.jpg]

the first example that comes to mind was in Samurai Champloo where there was a dutch guy, and yeah his skin tone was practically albino. But look at the picture you got there. Does it look more like Japanese Family [http://www.worldofjapan.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/familia-japonesa-1024x768.jpg] or Caucasian Family [http://www.drjennifermyers.com/images/289_caucasian-family.jpg]. Id say the skin tone is more in line with the second.

Never ask a question TVTropes has already answered:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YouGottaHaveBlueHair

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Mukokuseki

I can see the reason of wanting to make the characters look different. But lets look back at Azumanga Daioh. No one in that series has hair that looks like Chiyos (and shes already distinct by being half the size of everyone else), but her hair is the only non black hair. So why then?

As for the skin color neither of those two explanations really make sense. The problem is that the skin tone they chose for characters that are supposed to be Asian is closer to that of Caucasian. So it's nither to make them seem exotic or to make them distinct.

 

[HardkorSB]

For example even in a non supernatural series hair all colors of the rainbow goes unremarked. In for example a fantasy series or other supernatural thing I can understand, but in a series that supposed to be realistic setting it makes no sense.

I think it's like that because when they started doing it, the drawings and animations weren't all that sophisticated and often, the hair color was the only thing by which you could tell the characters apart.
After a while it became a "thing" and many shows today still do that.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I can see the reason of wanting to make the characters look different. But lets look back at Azumanga Daioh. No one in that series has hair that looks like Chiyos (and shes already distinct by being half the size of everyone else), but her hair is the only non black hair. So why then?

Because Kiyohiko Azuma. Orange is a rare but natural hair color in Japan. Why wouldn't it be? May as well ask why Yomi has light brown hair instead of black.

As for the skin color neither of those two explanations really make sense. The problem is that the skin tone they chose for characters that are supposed to be Asian is closer to that of Caucasian. So it's nither to make them seem exotic or to make them distinct.

Japanese people have quite a large range of skin tones, you realize. Mukokuseki characters also tend to have flatter faces than are the norm for Caucasian features, and eye shape is its own trope entirely.

 

[TehCookie]

Another thing is the base look of characters in anime is white. Even if they are supposed to be asian there skin tone is white.

First of all there are white asians, not to mention most manga only have 3 skin tones, black, tan and white. You're seeing them as white because you want to. This is what a white anime character looks like:

See the difference between him and the average anime character? Most japanese have rounder faces and smaller noses, that may be the style of anime but the style comes from the fact everyone there looks like that and people draw what they know.

As for the hair, that's to mix up a constant brown since everyone has similar hair tones (or at least more similar than places like America) and to help differentiate the samefaces back in the day.

 

[Eric the Orange]

I can see the reason of wanting to make the characters look different. But lets look back at Azumanga Daioh. No one in that series has hair that looks like Chiyos (and shes already distinct by being half the size of everyone else), but her hair is the only non black hair. So why then?

Because Kiyohiko Azuma. Orange is a rare but natural hair color in Japan. Why wouldn't it be? May as well ask why Yomi has light brown hair instead of black.

As for the skin color neither of those two explanations really make sense. The problem is that the skin tone they chose for characters that are supposed to be Asian is closer to that of Caucasian. So it's neither to make them seem exotic or to make them distinct.

Japanese people have quite a large range of skin tones, you realize. Mukokuseki characters also tend to have flatter faces than are the norm for Caucasian features, and eye shape is its own trope entirely.

Well those are news to me. I had no idea that Japanese natives could have natural hair that wasn't black or skin that wasn't this this [http://www.worldofjapan.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/familia-japonesa-1024x768.jpg] skin tone.

But why chose this skin tone then as the norm. it's nothing to do with facial features or eye shape, I understand why they don't do those (for the most part). Why is that particular shade of peach become the standard skin tone for anime characters? If they were trying to choose a neutral skin tone I think it would still be a bit darker than the one they chose.

And as for Yomi... uh right I forgot it's been awhile.

 

[glasgowga]

Hair dying is also a bit more common in Japan, I think - though obviously not to the extent that can appear in anime - and blond hair is often used in anime as a kind of visual shorthand for a delinquent.

 

[Eric the Orange]

Another thing is the base look of characters in anime is white. Even if they are supposed to be asian there skin tone is white.

First of all there are white asians, not to mention most manga only have 3 skin tones, black, tan and white. You're seeing them as white because you want to. This is what a white anime character looks like:

See the difference between him and the average anime character? Most japanese have rounder faces and smaller noses, that may be the style of anime but the style comes from the fact everyone there looks like that and people draw what they know.

As for the hair, that's to mix up a constant brown since everyone has similar hair tones (or at least more similar than places like America) and to help differentiate the samefaces back in the day.

I get it for manga, they don't have color so white people just have non inked hair.

As for the picture I'd be interested if they always do that. facial features are fairly subtle and I can think of shows that don't have detailed enough art work to have things articulated as that.

 

[snagli]

The hair colour I can accept as just a silly thing, it's not that weird, just a little odd. No, what I find annoying is when a character has a strange, inhuman feature (while being human), and no one in the manga/anime ever asks "Why the hell does that guy look like that?", and it's never explained.

Point in case:

Spoiler

Why does that guy have six arms? Why does no one say "Dude, you've got six arms"? Not once is it questioned by anyone.

How is blue hair a bigger oddity than THAT?

 

[TehCookie]

Another thing is the base look of characters in anime is white. Even if they are supposed to be asian there skin tone is white.

First of all there are white asians, not to mention most manga only have 3 skin tones, black, tan and white. You're seeing them as white because you want to. This is what a white anime character looks like:

See the difference between him and the average anime character? Most japanese have rounder faces and smaller noses, that may be the style of anime but the style comes from the fact everyone there looks like that and people draw what they know.

As for the hair, that's to mix up a constant brown since everyone has similar hair tones (or at least more similar than places like America) and to help differentiate the samefaces back in the day.

I get it for manga, they don't have color so white people just have non inked hair.

As for the picture I'd be interested if they always do that. facial features are fairly subtle and I can think of shows that don't have detailed enough art work to have things articulated as that.

I like that picture since it is more obvious, but it is possible to do with less detailed characters.

Spoiler

If anything they make them stand out by almost always giving them blonde hair and blue eyes.

 

[Eric the Orange]

The hair colour I can accept as just a silly thing, it's not that weird, just a little odd. No, what I find annoying is when a character has a strange, inhuman feature (while being human), and no one in the manga/anime ever asks "Why the hell does that guy look like that?", and it's never explained.

Point in case:

Spoiler

Why does that guy have six arms? Why does no one say "Dude, you've got six arms"? Not once is it questioned by anyone.

How is blue hair a bigger oddity than THAT?

Well in that case it's a universe with supernatural elements, so i would assume people are just like "it's some weird ninja thing".

 

[Casual Shinji]

the hair "style" thing doesn't really bother me as much as the color. Take Azumanga daioh a realistic if silly anime set in modern day japan. every character except one has black hair and there all Japanese. So it's just odd that that one character has orange hair.

Not all Japanese people have raven black hair though. There are those who have lighter shades, to what one could consider light brown.

A lot of anime feature an exaggeration of these shades. Like Misato from Evangelion. She has black hair, but it's depicted as a exaggeration of the purple hue some black haired people have. Ofcourse some anime go completely overboard with greens and pinks.

You wanna talk about anime tropes though. How about how most kids in anime have no frikking parents and just live on there own.

 

[Talaris]

You wanna talk about anime tropes though. How about how most kids in anime have no frikking parents and just live on there own.

I'm not certain on this, but my belief was that the lack of parents represents the common situation of Japanese workers working 10-14 hours a day, and rarely being able to spend time with their children, which has gradually led to a disconnection between them. The fact that many anime have parents who have died may be a call out to the reverse situation in that Japan has an aging population with less children.

What is clear however is that having a story with no parents allows the main characters to do a lot of crazy shit which would be much less likely had said characters had any parenting at all. School Days and Yosuga no Sora are prime examples here.

 

[Abomination]

My trips to Asia taught me that white skin is considered beautiful by the majority. I think it also represents social class - an outdoors worker will naturally be more tanned but an "intellectual" and thus "superior" worker will be pale due to their cushy office life.

Then again there are a lot of things I find is strange with Anime and art style is not one of them.

 

[The Funslinger]

(What's that a shounen protagonist who is energetic, eats a lot, and never gives up, never seen that one before).

Yeah, pretty classic. I think with defining tropes like that, people should pick one show involving it so it doesn't run them into the ground.

I may have grown up with DBZ, but for me, it's One Piece. So, to be honest, I see Luffy a bit like Batman. He's actually the least interesting character in the show, as things stand. What makes up for it is his group of companions/his rogues gallery.

As for the hair colour thing, it's already been said, but people need to look distinctive in some way, and hair colour is the easiest way to do that. But also, in modern Japanese culture, colourful hair dying is common. Even more so than the growing 'Scene' culture in the UK/USA. So, maybe to some extent, it represents that.

Although, I have been watching Deadman Wonderland (a character from which is pictured in my avatar) and the characters in that all have 'normal' hair colours, barring the one tanned chick with white hair, and the actual albino woman. They still all manage to look distinctive.