Anime Comedy vs U.S. comedy

[Sierra Lorna]

For the most part, I can't really single out separate comedy styles into separate countries or cultures, because even within a country, there are separate styles of humour.

I don't like slapstick. I just don't find it funny, most of the time anyway.

I love casual humour. Cowboy Bebop's got that awesome sense of casual, laid back humour.

I've seen some pretty good stuff coming from Britain, though. Mr. Bean is one of the funniest I've seen, and Chicken Run was just hilarious! I've also seen some really funny anime humour (Eva, Trigun, Bebop, Escaflowne and many others all had their funny moments).

[Alucard_FoN]

I like anime comedy and american comedy. I don't go out of my way to watch american comedy shows though, as I'd rather be watching anime.

[CaTaClYsM]

mony python...

O lord bleseth thy hand grenade, that with it htou may blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in they mercy.

[(NERD Studios) Arturo]

Character based comedy is what I like the best. Ironically enough the funniest moments I've ever seen in anime and video games have all been from decidedly non-comedic characters. Guts from Berserk, Saitoh from Kenshin, Wolfwood from Trigun, and Snake from Metal Gear Solid have some of the funniest lines I've ever heard and they fit perfectly with their character. I still like normal humor but it can't even begin to compare to character humor in my eyes. I suppose I'd like American comedy more if the characterization was better but I've yet to see anything that even comes close to those titles.

[Tsuji Mania]

This goes back to the cartoon thing. There are a helluva lotta different comedy styles, but when it comes down to it, you essentially have several specific types that appear in both socities.

Physical, Situational and Cultural.

These three basic forms exist in many cultures and of course they're present in Japanese and American cartoons.

The Simpsons is essentially the same type of cultural, physical and situational comedy that appears in many Japanese cartoons like Excel Saga. (Yes cartoons) For instance, without the culture pop-ups, I doubt very many of you would understand any of the jokes because they're dripping with cultural refferences that are impossible to understand unless you've spent heavy-duty time in Japan. Even many Japanese people who watch a series such as ES can't understand all of the jokes. Likewise, most people who watch the Simpsons won't understand all the jokes and refferences.

The difference is not within which is funnier, rather it is which is employed more often.

In Japan I strongly believe there are a great deal of cultural and situational comedies. Naturally there is physical as well. Lina Inverse smacking Gourry, Naru decking Keitarou (which becomes incredibly annoying) Kagome sending IY plumetting to the ground, etc. But there are a greater number of cultural related jokes in the average program.

This is why The Simpsons is so popular, because it plays with things that are important to our cultural and that we all can understand. It's like a nation-wide in-joke.

Okay I'm late for class.