There are eternal questions over which the arguments never cease. Who is stronger than Batman or Superman? What’s cooler than an iPhone or a Samsung? Where to find Best Online Casinos: Google or Yahoo? To watch or not to watch anime?
We’re sure everyone has friends who really love anime and are always ready to share the latest, as well as those who can’t stand anime and are ready to walk away right in the middle of a conversation when the topic comes up in conversation. And, best of all, everyone has an argument in their favor.
Where Did the Arguments Begin?
In general, this topic has always caused a great deal of controversy. This is because anime is not limited to any one audience or one genre. In simple terms, anime has approximately the same drawings, and without detailed study, it is impossible to say, what is the age rating of the work.
However, the age rating is not the only argument against anime. But if a person is confronted with this genre for the first time, he should understand what pluses and minuses it can carry for him.
The Clear Pros of Anime
- Plot. Perhaps no film industry can not compete with the imagination of the authors of manga and anime.
- Graphics. Bright and colorful, around the world, it has won many hearts. The Sailormoon series from 1992 is considered a cult masterpiece of its time precisely in terms of visual performance.
- Important themes. Themes such as courage, bravery, friendship, and rivalry are often raised in the anime. But the anime does not stop there, and sometimes goes further, raising the most acute social themes. The most prominent representatives of acutely social anime: “Grave of the Fireflies,” “Barefoot Gen,” “Princess Mononoke”.
- Immersion in another culture. Elements of Japanese culture and mythology often serve as the basis for the ongoing plot of the work. In this interesting and curious way, one can learn a lot about the country.
- Musical accompaniment. There are simply no extra words here. Some of the opening and closing musical accompaniments of an episode remain forever in the hearts of the audience.
- Promotion of music, creativity, and sports. Often the main characters of anime feel the need to realize themselves in a particular sphere, thus spurring the viewer to show interest in spheres that may unexpectedly interest them as well.
- Freedom of expression. Anime is also attractive because there are no restrictions on freedom of expression. Well, that is, of course, there is censorship, but by and large, it lies in the need to put the appropriate age rating work. You can find such highly specialized anime as relations only between men, relations only between women, disability, and mockery of peers.
Minuses of Anime
The global disadvantage of anime, from which all arguments against watching it are rooted in one way or another, is the mismatch between the age of the viewer and the age rating. In most countries, every anime is rated accordingly, and a child cannot watch something he or she is not supposed to because of his or her age. In Russia, in most cases, anime comes from the Internet, in addition to this often in the voiceover is not of the highest quality.
Of course, all this goodness is freely available. Thus, when a child says he watches anime, it may be “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Death Note”, or even something from the production of the genre of ethno. Nevertheless, there are several quite significant counterarguments that opponents of anime bring to the table:
- Alcohol and tobacco use are often shown as the norm. Just as some anime genres promote sports and a love of music and creativity, other genres are equally successful in instilling normal attitudes toward tobacco and alcohol. As an example, many cite the iconic TV series Fairy Tail Tale. The main characters of the series constantly drink alcohol in huge quantities, swearing, cursing, and beating each other and everyone who comes across. In the end, the main character’s attitude towards death and satanic activities was very similar to that of the Tail of the Fey guild, and the characters’ attitudes towards the world were very similar to those of a tavern or brothel.
- Attitudes toward death, satanism, and gray morality. It is not uncommon for anime works to be condemned for their portrayal of a positive evil that is not to be fought, but which can, and should, be joined. In addition, it is necessary to do this because there is no other way out. Also, the attitude towards death in the anime is often for unknown reasons joyful, gives rise to laughter, a smile, and even serves as an occasion for cynical black humor. The bright representatives in this controversial issue are “Black Butler” and “Tokyo Ghoul”.
The question of gray morality, however, is that the upheaval of standards does not stand still, and while evil is presented as sympathetic and understanding, good is shown as cruel and heartless. The most striking example here is the anime, which at its conclusion gave viewers the image of God in the form of a child who resents the whole world, who created the universe, and kills people for fun. We are talking about the anime “Angel Beats!”, in which the leitmotif is the idea that God must be fought.
- The image of parents. Except for Hayao Miyazaki films, you won’t find an anime in which the protagonists have living and healthy parents who help the protagonist with his goals and achievements. In the best-case scenario, the parents would just be somewhere far away by default. In most cases, however, the parents are either dead or shown in an extremely negative light. You don’t have to go far for an example: the father of the protagonist of “Fairy Tail” bullied his daughter all her childhood with inattention and rudeness, and later paid one guild to bombard the other guild and kidnap the main character. As a reminder, the age rating of the “Fairy Tail” is 13.
- Sex and Perversion. It would seem that there are age ratings here. Yes, on the one hand, we’ve already mentioned that there is no quality filter for audiences of different ages. And it’s not the anime authors’ fault. But on the other hand, even in those works that are positioned as children, there are hints for an older audience, such as too short or inappropriately spiked skirt, regular shots of the main characters from downstairs, and the like. And that, in turn, is already setting the fashion tone for young anime fans. After all, if you don’t dress like the main character, you don’t look like her enough.
What Is the Summary?
Whether or not to watch, it’s up to you to decide. But it may be worth a try and immerse yourself in this unusual world.
