[Question] Japanese Culture, Life and Anime.

[JasonTakeshi]

Hello everyone!

I just registered on this great forum, and so far im enjoying the content of it. ^^ Thank you for doing such a thing
Straight to the point, I wanted to ask some questions (if someone has the time to answer) about Japanese culture, life and Anime.

First, i would like to know if someone could explain me hows the Japanese "life-style" and "way-of-thinking". Example.: Reserved in general, liberal, etc.... (this is a very complicated question i guess, but maybe someone can clarify my mind ^^)

Second, is "Anime" related to Japanese life-style? Like, those animes that we see on College/High School, and the people on it, is it related somehow with the reality?

Oh boy, i guess i didnt realy express what i wanted to know, but i will try to do my best if i get some replies. xD

(I did some research, but it didnt realy answer to what i was looking for.)

[Tsuwabuki]

Just stepped off the plane, going to go to sleep, but this caught my attention:

There is a Japanese style, but it isn't necessarily as restrictive as it may appear to people not living in the society. There is a great deal of individualism and creativity within the style. There have been books written on this.

Anime represents perceptions or viewpoints on Japanese society, so in many easily demonstrated ways, the answer to your question is yes. I often watch slice of life anime about junior high school or high school students because as junior high school teacher of Japanese students, what happens gives me insight into my students, and my students' actions give me insight into the anime representations of Japanese students.

[JasonTakeshi]

Originally Posted by Tsuwabuki

Just stepped off the plane, going to go to sleep, but this caught my attention:

There is a Japanese style, but it isn't necessarily as restrictive as it may appear to people not living in the society. There is a great deal of individualism and creativity within the style. There have been books written on this.

Anime represents perceptions or viewpoints on Japanese society, so in many easily demonstrated ways, the answer to your question is yes. I often watch slice of life anime about junior high school or high school students because as junior high school teacher of Japanese students, what happens gives me insight into my students, and my students' actions give me insight into the anime representations of Japanese students.

Thanks for the answer, realy clarified my mind! ^^

[Ryzorian]

Personally, I think The characters in Anime are far more emotional than they would actually be in Japanese culture. I sometimes suspect anime is used as an outlet for actions they would like to do, but are too reserved to do publically. True, that's just spectulation on my part.

[YukisUke]

Originally Posted by Ryzorian

Personally, I think The characters in Anime are far more emotional than they would actually be in Japanese culture. I sometimes suspect anime is used as an outlet for actions they would like to do, but are too reserved to do publically. True, that's just spectulation on my part.

That could be true.

[trunker]

Originally Posted by Ryzorian

Personally, I think The characters in Anime are far more emotional than they would actually be in Japanese culture. I sometimes suspect anime is used as an outlet for actions they would like to do, but are too reserved to do publically. True, that's just spectulation on my part.

very true.

anime is an outlet for what they really think about their society, their lives, their dreams, ambitions, desires, etc, etc. so i suppose you could learn alot by reading between the lines. certainly dont take things literally all the time.

its really no different from media in any other country, its just other countries might do it through tv, or their own comic books, or music.

re the "restrictive-thinking", if youre coming as a foreigner, dont worry about it, you are exempt, but it is very interesting to know about, and will surely help as Tsuwabuki has said.

at the same time, you should bear in mind that the manga artist/writer is probably someone who has stepped outside the restrictive thinking mode, which is why they are/can criticise it so. I'm not sure but i would imagine that deciding to become a manga artist is just as left field here as say, wanting to work for DC or Mavel comics in the US.

[YukisUke]

Originally Posted by trunker

very true.

anime is an outlet for what they really think about their society, their lives, their dreams, ambitions, desires, etc, etc. so i suppose you could learn alot by reading between the lines. certainly dont take things literally all the time.

its really no different from media in any other country, its just other countries might do it through tv, or their own comic books, or music.

re the "restrictive-thinking", if youre coming as a foreigner, dont worry about it, you are exempt, but it is very interesting to know about, and will surely help as Tsuwabuki has said.

at the same time, you should bear in mind that the manga artist/writer is probably someone who has stepped outside the restrictive thinking mode, which is why they are/can criticise it so. I'm not sure but i would imagine that deciding to become a manga artist is just as left field here as say, wanting to work for DC or Mavel comics in the US.

You have a point there, Trunker. Manga usually has characters that are usually more emotional than in reality. It portrays the... how should I say, true feelings or inner thoughts of the Japanese people. It's what they want to say, but it can never be said. Did I get it partially right?

[trunker]

you're right yukisuke.

theres much more anger, violence, crying, etc, than one would normaly see in real life. its harder to pin down accurate representations of japanese life in manga until youre actually here.

you can say that manga displays the truer feelings, etc, but at the same time, it is entertainment, so there is only so much you should take, unless you have the ability to read between the lines like no one else.

think of it this way,.... if i asked " i am going to california and i want to know how true the lifestyle portrayed in melrose place is?" or "i'm going to middle america, how much like smallville is it?" or "i'm going to NYC, how soon after i land do you think i will be mugged or murdered?"

see what i mean?

[Ryzorian]

Heh, as to NY..I suspect how quickly you were mugged would depend on what steet your were on, at what time of day. Being from Iowa myself, I suspect I have a better chance of being hit by lighting than a mugger.

Thanks for verifying my theory on anime, I realize it's not a perfect model, but based on the anime I have been watching. I have always strongly suspected that it was utilized as a picture into the Japanese soul, true it's distorted a bit, but it suggests that while Japan is culturaly reserved on the outside they are pretty much as emotional on the inside as the rest of us.

I suppose the reserved nature of Japan prolly has something to do with such a large population so densely packed together, it's a survival method of getting along under such conditions. Most Americans on the other hand, are loud and as far from reserved as you could get. Again, this would be based on how the US was formed. Although haveing the "American Spirit" is possible for anyone, as is haveing the "Japanese Spirit" I would suppose.

Though that's prolly an issue for a different discussion.

[YukisUke]

Originally Posted by Ryzorian

Heh, as to NY..I suspect how quickly you were mugged would depend on what steet your were on, at what time of day. Being from Iowa myself, I suspect I have a better chance of being hit by lighting than a mugger.

Thanks for verifying my theory on anime, I realize it's not a perfect model, but based on the anime I have been watching. I have always strongly suspected that it was utilized as a picture into the Japanese soul, true it's distorted a bit, but it suggests that while Japan is culturaly reserved on the outside they are pretty much as emotional on the inside as the rest of us.

I suppose the reserved nature of Japan prolly has something to do with such a large population so densely packed together, it's a survival method of getting along under such conditions. Most Americans on the other hand, are loud and as far from reserved as you could get. Again, this would be based on how the US was formed. Although haveing the "American Spirit" is possible for anyone, as is haveing the "Japanese Spirit" I would suppose.

Though that's prolly an issue for a different discussion.

I may be American, but i'm still not getting the gist of the "American Spirit" attitude. I'm not the noisy type, so i guess Japan is the place for me since silence is valued a lot over there. I think. And thank you, Trunker for your evaluation of my answer. I really appreciate it. I sort of thought that anime and manga are the main tools for the creator to express themselves in a society that's taught to have a reserved nature and composure. I love it. If anime and manga didn't exist, I'd just die of boredom. LITERALLY.