Is anime racist !!!

ff7799 · Post by **ff7799** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 8:54 am

I think anime is racist because normally the main character is either white and japanese, also when they do draw blacks they draw horrible features such as big lips. Next check out this japanese video the links below and click Japan One Television: Tokyo Breakfast:

http://raditts.com/phyles/info/tokyob.php

Jebadia · Post by **Jebadia** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 10:10 am

Racist...no..why?...cause how many black people do you see frequently in Japan? Just because there's black people doesn't mean you have to put them in every show. Damn you political correctness!!!!

DJ_Izumi · Post by **DJ_Izumi** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 10:19 am

1) With Japan's lack of importing slaves from Africa, there isn't much of an African decended population in Japan, so it's not like they get to see them much.

2) The Tokyo pop thing isn't racist, it's a praody about the influx of 'Urban' (Hip Hop, Rap, Ect) content into Japan.

3) Open your eyes, the white people in Japan don't even have realistic eyes, noses or mouths, or hair colorto start with. Don't complain about black lips.

UncleMilo · Post by **UncleMilo** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:26 pm

Actually... the Japanese are rather xenophobic... they are racist to a degree...

For instance... Koreans are often drawn in an unflattering way (according to friends of mine who are more informed on this subject than I am)

Of course since Japan is a very different culture than ours, its hard to make certain calls.

Just one example: A series creator might see something here in America and add it to his series... and he will not understand how racist what he has added would be in the view of an American. There was no malice in the added scene...

Also: Imagine you're from Japan and you listen to popular music from America and you hear the "n" word over and over in some hip-hop or rap song... you don't know what the "n" word is... and so the person from Japan starts using the word to mimic the musicians he likes to listen to. He has no idea about the history of that word or why it would offend someone...

Just some quick thoughts.
(And we could go on and on about people here in the US trying to apply our value systems to anime, when the anime are based in the value systems of Japan)

-Uncle Milo

Trident · Post by **Trident** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:29 pm

Since when do people watch anime for its realism anyway? There are some shows which actually attempt to reflect a diverse world (Cowboy Bebop and Shaman King come to mind). But those are also based in a world where diversity is inevitable (Bebop reflects a universe where ethnic regionalism pretty much can no longer exist, and Shaman King deals with a place where Shamans from all across the globe convene to compete and see who will be the Shaman King). Most other series, however, are distinctly Japanese. Even absurdist stuff like Love Hina is set in Japan, not America. America is the exception and not the rule for most countries. We have how many completely different ethnic groups--most other countries, even if there are different ethnic groups within them, generally have the same root heritages...

Voices_Of_Ryan · Post by **Voices_Of_Ryan** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:45 pm

Sadly, to a degree everything and everyone is racist,
It cannot be helped, I mean, it just can't.

No matter how well you're raised, how well you where taught, or how well you think you comply to the naturalistic "non-racist" format.

You're still racist, everyone is, and if anyone say's they're not, they're lieing.

Weather you're white, black, red, purple, clear, blue, pink, grey, or yellow (the simpsons

) you're racist (to a degree, most not as much as the few you see on the news talking about killing people and stuff).

But the thing is, like Trident noted,

"Since when do people watch anime for its realism anyway?"

He's right, I don't watch Kenshin and say
"wow, that 18th century samurai is absolutely historicly correct because he swings his sword up"

Racism is a tricky thing, anime has been called alot of things,
feminist, racist, stupid, for babies, and even the mothers of america called it "Deadly to our children".

But what people seem to forget...
Is when you fall back on it, it's just a cartoon (a japanese cartoon, but a cartoon none-the-less).

...

Anyway, that's my viewpoint.

UncleMilo · Post by **UncleMilo** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 2:21 pm

Voices_Of_Ryan wrote:

Sadly, to a degree everything and everyone is racist,
It cannot be helped, I mean, it just can't.

No matter how well you're raised, how well you where taught, or how well you think you comply to the naturalistic "non-racist" format.

You're still racist, everyone is, and if anyone say's they're not, they're lieing.

Weather you're white, black, red, purple, clear, blue, pink, grey, or yellow (the simpsons ) you're racist (to a degree, most not as much as the few you see on the news talking about killing people and stuff).

But the thing is, like Trident noted,

"Since when do people watch anime for its realism anyway?"

He's right, I don't watch Kenshin and say
"wow, that 18th century samurai is absolutely historicly correct because he swings his sword up"

Racism is a tricky thing, anime has been called alot of things,
feminist, racist, stupid, for babies, and even the mothers of america called it "Deadly to our children".

But what people seem to forget...
Is when you fall back on it, it's just a cartoon (a japanese cartoon, but a cartoon none-the-less).

...

Anyway, that's my viewpoint.

Actually, I have to disagree with you... but I want to explain why.

First: Everyone isn't "racist"

I actually agree with you on the point you're making, but you're using the wrong word and that's why I had to comment. I agree that everyone makes judgements on people... that we all have a bias. We all are unnerved by things that are different (even if we don't like to admit it). We see people from another culture and sometimes make quick sanp-judgements based on stereotypes and our own bias...

So I agree with the point you were making...

However, I have to get a little technical now. Racism means that you are looking down on another people because you believe your race is superior to theirs.

We tend to get sloppy with our words... and I'm guilty of it as well.

However... I think one should be careful when throwing the word "racist" about.

Now... the thing I DISAGREE with you on is the phrase "just a cartoon"
When a story goes out to a large audience... it isn't "Just" anything. These stories (real or imaginitive) leave an impact.

Sure... peope aren't going to watch Kenshin for Historical accuracy (though I actually find the Meiji Era to be interesting and that is one of the many reasons I like Kenshin)

I'm trying to tackle too many points here...

Kenshin is a fictional character... the abilities of the characters in Kenshin are "unrealistic"
but the setting still has to hold up. It is set in the Meiji era... so there shouldn't suddenly be a Lotus sports car zipping down the street. If the sh9ow doesn't latch on to a sense of reality, it wouldn't work as a show.

Many anime work hard to create a world that follows the rules of the series... that's just good writing (and directing)

A lot of care goes into some anime titles...
but that's all I'm going to say about realism...

The important thing is that animation in Japan is as wide and varried as MOVIES are here in America. The stories leave messages... those messages influence the viewer.

There's nothing just about messages.

Hitler was the very first person to make use of mass-media for the purposes of Propaganda... many things can be taken from a movie or tv show...

Look at "M". Some may simply look at the base story of "M" and see it as just a work of entertainment... but "M" was also a movie containing the deeper message trying to warn the people of Germany about Hitler. The last line about knowing where your children were in the movie was actually warning parents to be wary of the values their children were embracing... because Hitler's propaganda machine was turning the children into future fascists... it was manipulating the children's belief in patriotism and warping it with the views that Hitler was instilling into the nation.

Obviously not all animation goes this deep...

Certain parent groups here in America are afraid of Japanese animation because it sends messages to children they don't want the kids to receive.
(Of course, I would be the first to argue that 1) these parents are making the American mistake of assuming that all animation is targetted to children and 2) if they're parents, they should be on hand to discuss the themes with their children or prevent their own children from watching the titles they don't want them to watch and leave the rest of us alone)

It just goes to show that saying "just' is not really very accurate.

Again - I understand where you're coming from and I mostly agree with what you meant to say...

-Uncle Milo

bum · Post by **bum** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 2:39 pm

im just wondering why their hasnt even bein the slightest mention of aussies in any anime ? ive seen british (argentosoma), arabs(gandamn wing), americans, and thats about it. where are the damn aussies damn it ?

UncleMilo · Post by **UncleMilo** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 2:49 pm

bum wrote:im just wondering why their hasnt even bein the slightest mention of aussies in any anime ? ive seen british (argentosoma), arabs(gandamn wing), americans, and thats about it. where are the damn aussies damn it ?

Well... in Gundam, Sydney got blown up.

However... Gundam 0083 starts off in the Federation base in Australia if I'm not mistaken. (I recall the Albion flying over the ruins of where the colony hit in Australia)

In Gundam 0080, Bernie pretends to be from Australia

I'm surere there's got to be other Australians out there!

-Uncle Milo

DJ_Izumi · Post by **DJ_Izumi** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 2:53 pm

In the Read Or Die OVA, the President of the United States wets his pants at LEAST 4 times. And it's only a 3 episode OVA.

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Is anime racist !!!

Is anime racist !!!

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