Western bodies in japanese anime

[ILOVEJAPAN]

Originally Posted by ichigoichie

Dear ILOVE JAPAN

I also think your ideas are so intriguing. Especially when you said,

>The only thing that bothers me (and I cant beleive no one has said this yet) is the fact that almost all anime characters are white and not asian...The only explenation I can think of is that in Asia lighter skin is (or used to be) a sign of being wealthy, because people with light skin are like that because work in an office all day and dont get tan, while people with darker are like that because they were working out in the feild all day. That is an explination I have heard before, but it seems like kinnda a strech to me.

I'm so interested in this because I (an average japanese) also internarised 'whiteness' by viewing 'white' characters as Japanese. As I said in my first post, as long as they speak Japanese or/and Japanese names, the characters are often recognised as 'japanese'. Yes, in reality, 'to be white' by using cosmetics was a fad in Japan. I don't want to say it's good or bad. What I am mostly concerned is how whiteness or west-ness? with racial remarks have influenced viewers perspectives and consciousness about their identity.

I'd like to hear more about your ideas and responces to my idea from other members are also more than welcome.
Thank you!

Well I gotta say, it does depress me a little that many Japanese try to reject there looks. I think Japanese are a very buetiffull race of people. But I dont want to judge anyone. Whatever people need to do to make themseleves feel comfterable is fine with me.

While I dont think that its sexcist to find certain things attractive, I do think its sexcist to value how a woman looks over other things. Although, I deffinatly cant say that anime is sexcist, they do show lots of woman who are very strong, and kick ass

I do think there are some western features that some Japanese have more then others. It just depends on a lot of things. I think all kinds of people are buetifull.

[MMM]

ILOVEJAPAN

you are saying a lot of things here.

First, I don't think Japanese women are generally upset that they don't have the bodies of Western women, or anime women.


To be honest, what you are trying to say in your comments isn't always clear to me...but we can talk it out.

We can't say "anime is sexist"...that's too general. There is sexist and misogynistic anime out there, but that is true with movies, TV, music, etc....

[Yggdrazzil]

Im a westerner, and dangit I still have to meet the first woman here that is both 6ft+ and has cup-E

I think they do it to attract men to watch/read their stuff, as I cannot think of any story-related-necessity for them to look that way. I doubt that it's a way for japanese to express anxiety over their own body. It's a bit like how most movies show only beautifull people? It's a fantasy world, as the artist/director you can "idealise" or shape your characters the way you want them to look...

[yuko356]

I agree with you, girls in anime hardly ever look Japanese. I don't have a problem with it. Even some manga girls don't look Japanese.

[ILOVEJAPAN]

Ok well I agree about anime being used as a fantasy world. I think the whole point is to escape reality.

Also Im not trying to make any specific points...Im just jumbeling a lot of Idea's into lots of diffrent paragraphs. I dont think this really has to do with sexcism...Im not even sure if its relevant...I just thought I should throw a few Ideas about that in somwhere. I think you would see sexcism in anime VERY rarley. I cant think of ever seeing anything sexcist in anime except hentai...and hentai is just weird like that...its a WHOLE diffrent story.

Anyway, the main point I am trying to make is that a lot of factors just came together and made anime the way it is...thats all.

Im sorry if my Idea's are a little jumbeld and confusing I will try to orginize them and make them connect in the future.

[ichigoichie]

Originally Posted by Yggdrazzil

>as the artist/director you can "idealise" or shape your characters the way you want them to look...

Yes, I think you got the point. I agree that characters in anime/manga (I mean fictional or not 'real' medium) tend to be represented as 'ideal' others. It's true to both male and female characters, but maybe female characters tend to be used more to embody 'ideals'. But what interested me most is that ideal bodies or features are represented as non-Japanese, non-Asian-like looking characters...... Some said, no one in anime/manga look like real people. Yes, it's true. But I'm interested more in the way the characters are constructed by borrowing features which have more western representations (double-edged eyelid, western-like profile (long nose etc.)), which still are not what average japanese have, although there are many young people who have such eyes and long nose etc.

[Yggdrazzil]

what the heck is a double edged eyelid? 0_0 I was wondering, is Nordic a more appropriate description of their looks, as opposed to westerner?

[YennonCrow]

No one has eyes like that o.O


Or hair like this... although, it is kinda neat ^.^

[fara7]

Originally Posted by YaksokuDa

I don't think the art is meant to look like westerners. It's meant to look Anime. The only "western" thing about them is their hair colour.

Yah ur right the hair color, i havent seen any japanese with blonde hair (only if he dyed it) i only saw japanese with black hair, now cloud from final fantasy has this blonde hair he doesn't look japanese.

[zerojustice315]

I've seen a guy that looks like Hercule from DBZ