L
LoveTakesManyForms
Student
- Sep 9, 2021
- 175
As per title? Sorry if that's a noob question. Are anime and suicide intrinsically linked somehow?
Sincerely, an anime noob.
Sincerely, an anime noob.
Thank you.Anime is popular, I have seen many series in the past. I cannot answer the question though as I have never had an anime profile picture, both the profile picture I have now and my old one reflect how I feel and I see myself in them.
Slf wndr hw old u r bcse anme = vry poplr w/ ppl in 20s & yngrAs per title? Sorry if that's a noob question. Are anime and suicide intrinsically linked somehow?
Sincerely, an anime noob.
tenma fans versus Johan enjoyersBecause I'm a Johan Liebert enjoyer.
Spot on, especially your first paragraph, I read your first two sentences as I was finishing my own reply and was glad someone else recognized that as a common reason people gravitate toward anime characters. They are often exaggerated versions of what we already find physically attractive in living, breathing human beings…then we project all these other relative and appealing traits onto them, whether they actually possess them or not.Yes, suicide didn't exist before anime.
People like aesthetically pleasing things and people usually like people (whether 3D or 2D). Anime characters are often aesthetically pleasing. There are ugly anime characters and old anime characters and severely disfigured anime characters yet people almost always use young pretty boys and girls. I swear to you if every anime character looked like an old burn victim, almost no one would be using anime character avatars. People will say "I relate to that character" and while that is true, you pretty much never see people relate to those ugly or old or severely disfigured anime people no matter how much they resemble them.
That's like 99% of the reason, the last 1% is that there are so many different anime characters that it's easy to find one who resonates with you. People who are on the Internet instead of partying/socializing/exercising/etc. are often lonely or introverted or sad or depressed or shy or misunderstood or bullied etc. Those kinds of people really want to find someone, anyone - even just a character in an anime - who understands them. They most often have no or little meaningful/good social lives outside of the Internet, so they live through the anime characters or perhaps with them. And in anime/manga there are lots of shy or introverted or sad or bullied or lonely people with whom many Internet users can relate. And even if you had a bit better social life, you can still find anime characters that feel very dear to you.
And because people often bond with anime characters, people often remember them easily. The brain gives priority those characters. Most people when they are told to think of something they'll automatically think of their family/friends. For many people whose life is on the Internet, the anime characters are their family and friends (subconsciously often). And lots of people have the first or one of the first things that comes to their mind be their avatar. Most people don't give much thought to anything.
Remember that watching anime is often passive. For some people it trains the brain and activates it, but for many it just shuts down their brain. For those kind of passive people it's normal to just go with the first thought that comes to their mind instead of thinking hard "What kind of avatar do I really want?" and "How will people react to that avatar?" and "What would that avatar symbolize?".
Note: When I said "no or little meaningful/good social lives" I didn't necessarily mean "a complete basement dweller". A person can have three "friends", go to movies and restaurants and cafes with them three times a week and still hate it and seek better social life in an anime.
I feel like I could have worded this better, but my brain doesn't work.
Can someone explain to me the "fan versus enjoyer" meme lol..? I feel old.Because I'm a Johan Liebert enjoyer.
Exactly, this is far from the only place teeming with anime images.I wonder if there's literally *any* part of the internet that's been untouched by anime…
Or anime *is* the internet itself.
Yup, that's true, most of the anime I've seen was streamed via the internet, it used to be harder to come by any other way, especially the hidden gems.I assume many people enjoy anime as an escape from life. Or people who use the internet a lot are more likely to watch anime and more likely to be on internet forums.
As someone else mentioned too, most anime characters are "aesthetically pleasing" (and neotenous) but not too real to feel creepy in growing attached to them.
This is one of the more unfortunate possible reasonings..as it is indicative of the overall superficiality and shallowness of mankind, I rarely see anyone swoon over an anime character that is drawn to mimic an unattractive human being, even if their characterization is arguably superior to the characters who are "easy on the eyes".
I can understand that feeling. I've grown weary of this kind of thing as well. While the kind of dramatization/stylization is part of the appeal, it can also be one of the greatest weaknesses. There is a lot of superficiality inherent to humans in general and it only seems heightened nowadays. I do dislike there is so much focus in the real world on being attractive/pretty/etc, and people deriving their own value and the values of others based on that, and that just bleeds into the things people create.This upsets me, and sometimes I do become disillusioned with the whole thing, as well as the fandoms, just like I've become critical of the entertainment business in general and who they most often allow to grace our screens (and who they bar from doing so, and why).
Yea it's a shame the more worthwhile aspects can become sullied by those which echo the exclusivity and appearance-obsessed society we live in.You definitely have a point. I have never really liked the "generic cute anime girl" look and art style that is popular with so many people, I find it and franchises centered around that aesthetic boring in general, but there are some anime/manga that don't have that look and have more unique art styles and I tend to be drawn to those.
I think part of it is just demonstrative of a lack of skill or effort, for so many characters to have such a samey or generically attractive look. It is definitely possible draw varied looks under an anime style but I think that points to another problem in the industry which is just churning out as much as could appeal to a certain audience without much concern for quality.
The aesthetically pleasing-ness can be one of the downsides, but it's also one of the things that allows for so much escapism. Everything in anime is beautiful and highly stylized, everything every one does is cool and dramatic, it is removed from real life enough but also appeals to real feelings and heightened emotions.
The uniqueness of anime was what drew me to it at as a kid, the themes and stories were unlike anything in western media I had seen before, which was mostly stuff aimed at kids since I was 11, I was drawn to the more darker/brutal kind of anime because that was what felt real to me. Now, nostalgia is a big factor for me too. It is no surprise that it appeals to a lot of kids and young people, the mix of childishness and adult themes as you said does feel real and appealing to people.
I can understand that feeling. I've grown weary of this kind of thing as well. While the kind of dramatization/stylization is part of the appeal, it can also be one of the greatest weaknesses. There is a lot of superficiality inherent to humans in general and it only seems heightened nowadays. I do dislike there is so much focus in the real world on being attractive/pretty/etc, and people deriving their own value and the values of others based on that, and that just bleeds into the things people create.
Of course this is all rather simplified and doesn't convey all my thoughts or the depths of the complexities at work in the clearest manner or the exact way I want but I felt I had to say I see what you mean.
*Also I wanted to say I think you outlined your thoughts in a very clear and concise manner, well-said.Of course this is all rather simplified and doesn't convey all my thoughts or the depths of the complexities at work in the clearest manner or the exact way I want but I felt I had to say I see what you mean.
What is the manga and the character? It's been a while since I read some manga but I'd be interested in checking out it out if you're fine with sharing. I've rarely experienced media that has suicide have any degree of nuance.It will likely be a manga character I like, who committed suicide torn up from emotional stress. I think this fits quite well.
Depends on the show really. Some of it like berserk, fire punch, texhnolyze, and so on can hardly be child-like positivity.As a fellow anime noob, i have figured out the answer.
Animes are often idealistic, giving hope and child-like positivity which many suicidal people find comforting. Anime is one of the very few enjoyable things in life for many suicidal people.