Why is anime so popular with Escapist readers?

[RandV80]

It isn't as noticeable anymore with the rise of the Western shooter type genre on consoles, but I'd say traditionally as a medium games and anime have always been fairly close. Consider some games like Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry, Shadow of the Colossus, or Metroid, to name a few notable ones at random. They'd make for crappy movies (time differential), poor books (lack of depth), or poor live action TV (budget concerns), but would be perfectly acceptable to convert to animation or comic book format. Actually I believe Devil May Cray even has an anime and Metroid a manga.

Yeah some anime can go off the deep end and it's developed it's own unique culture, but there are still plenty with parallel entertainment values to certain genre's of video games.

 

[Grimlock Fett]

because we all secretly wish we lived in an anime world!

 

[nbamaniac]

Anime has been my life and yet I'm not its fanboy. Just look at all the creepy otakus out there/ I certainly wouldn't want to be in that bunch. *shudder*

Don't know about anime but I like hentai alot, I'll let you guess why

Penises and vaginas. (and maybe tentacles if your into that sort of thing)

 

[Mr Pantomime]

Because everyone on this site is a Japanese Teenager roleplaying as a Westerner. Didnt you read the terms and agreements before you made an account?

 

[Randomologist]

I think that a lot of it has to do with the fact that the biggest developers come from either North America or Japan.

Maybe this is a contribution towards why I, a European, just haven't seen any anime around. I remember seeing a few episodes of Pokemon and getting bored, and the adverts for Dragonball Z which looked even weirder.

Just had an odd thought, the thing I didn't like about Dragonball was that the stunts were so ridiculous that it immediately broke the fourth wall- where as Ed's antics below didn't.

[youtube]HKxP91f0ny0[/youtube]

Any other European/ British people seem to have missed this particular fad? Or am I living in my own little bubble...

 

[sinny777]

-snip-

You can't really judge the whole of anime by the likes of Pokemon or DBZ. Those are cash cows, bilked franchises as it were.

As a side note, Ed, Edd, n Eddy was one of the few American cartoons I still have respect for. Even as I am older now, it still makes me laugh.

 

[Aurgelmir]

First, before I have anyone trolling this post about how I "Just don't get anime", you can see by my avatar that I'm guilty as well. Code Geass ftw!

Anyway, about 80% of the avatar's I see are anime characters. Any idea why?

'


Because most of the Readers are between 16-22, which is also where a huge part of the anime demographic is?

Pluss Escapist = Nerdy
Anime = Nerdy


Thats my story, and I am sticking to it.

 

[Kiefer13]

I've honestly never really watched any anime (except Pokemon when I was younger). Not due to any kind of bias against or disinterest in the medium, but mostly just because I wouldn't know where to start anyway, not knowing what's good and what would appeal to me.

 

[wildwind1290]

-snip-

You can't really judge the whole of anime by the likes of Pokemon or DBZ. Those are cash cows, bilked franchises as it were.

As a side note, Ed, Edd, n Eddy was one of the few American cartoons I still have respect for. Even as I am older now, it still makes me laugh.

Ed, Edd, n Eddy outclasses Chowder and any of the failures that came after. Storm Hawks also deserves some props. I'll take flying motorcycles over ones that you can play card games with...but it's close. Real close, like a gnat's wing.

Personally, I just think we all like anime because it's something that we're all attracted to and can appreciate without anyone having to ramble on about Looney Toons (like my dad) or can watch without anyone's head (or nose) exploding. We're kinda like a fusion of geth and Trekkies that way.

Then again, it all depends on whether you're showing someone Azumanga Daioh or High School of the Dead.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I have never liked Anime. It just has a whole "pedo" feel to it. creepy even.

 

[sinny777]

I've honestly never really watched any anime (except Pokemon when I was younger). Not due to any kind of bias against or disinterest in the medium, but mostly just because I wouldn't know where to start anyway, not knowing what's good and what would appeal to me.

Just check one of the regular recommendations threads that pop up here. Cowboy Bebop has always been my advised starter anime, its one that is hard not to like.

 

[wildwind1290]

I've honestly never really watched any anime (except Pokemon when I was younger). Not due to any kind of bias against or disinterest in the medium, but mostly just because I wouldn't know where to start anyway, not knowing what's good and what would appeal to me.

Just check one of the regular recommendations threads that pop up here. Cowboy Bebop has always been my advised starter anime, its one that is hard not to like.

I'd also highly recommend Gurren Lagann and GaoGaiGar, being the self-proclaimed mecha expert that I am.

 

[Detective Prince]

Because it's cool and very pretty? XD I love anime simply because I grew up watching it (Tenchi Muyo, Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing actually).

But anime is cool. That's all I can think of really.

 

[sinny777]

I'd also highly recommend Gurren Lagann and GaoGaiGar, being the self-proclaimed mecha expert that I am.

While awesome, the greatness of Gurren Lagann and GGG might be a bit much for a newbie. That much manliness must be handled with care.

 

[JemothSkarii]

I guess it just fits in with the whole nerd profile. Personally I loved anime before i REALLY got into anime. I'm a story writer, and I've found that anime seems to have the better ratio of good stories (to me)
Also need to see moar Dokuro-chan...so cute and weird.

 

[norwegian-guy]

Because it's awesome
it has action (and the biggest damn sword ever)

and plenty of WTF? moments
<youtube=2vBUaGP7L3w>

What? What? What? WHAT? You just broke my brain!

 

[Artina89]

A friend of mine likes it because it is more "intellectual" than western cartoons (her words not mine) as myself and a group of friends settled down to watch Spongebob squarepants, Ren and Stimpy and Lucy the daughter of the devil. One person said to her "What so intellectual about a house that moves?" (I think she had been watching Howl's magc castle before we walked in). I also like anime, not to the extent that some people do, but I do have soft spots for certain anime, for example, I like watching FLCL and Death note. I know they could be considered "mainstream" but I just don't have the energy or the will to try and sort out what the hell was going on with the ending to Neon genesis evangelion and things like that as, in my experience, some anime's can be damned near incomprehensible towards the end. When I am sitting down to watch cartoons, I am not looking to search the depths of my soul all the time, most of the time when I am sitting down to watch cartoons I want some brainless fun for half an hour.