The Academy Awards have once again come and gone, and once again I find that I have very little interest. The reason? Because I don’t watch any current American TV shows or movies (besides Disney/Pixar movies). Why not? Because, in all honestly, I just can’t get into live-action actors/actresses as much as anime characters…
People usually watch certain TV shows and movies for one, or both, of two reasons – the appeal of the story, and/or the appeal of the characters (or the actors/actresses who portray those characters). While many of the relatively few live-action shows and movies I’ve seen have been good, I have no attraction to specific actors or actresses. There are some actors I respect for being talented and all, but that’s about it. I was never one of the school girls who squealed over Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp. And because I can’t get into the actors, I can’t get into the characters they play, thus a lot of the appeal in live-action entertainment is lost for me.
I’ve thought about this quirk of mine and I think I know the reason for it. When I see actors and actresses in a show or movie, I know that they’re just pretending to be someone that they’re not. I might like the character that they’re playing, but I can’t get too attached because I know the person I’m seeing who “is” that character is just acting and could have a completely different personality in real life. Often times I’ve started to like certain actors, singers, or other famous people only to later find out things about their real life and personality that turn me off. Any given actor could play similar types of characters or a variety of characters, but either way, I can’t get into them because I don’t know them – all I know is many different “masks” that they display as part of their job, but which is really that person? Unless I personally get to know certain actors (as in, their real personality, morals, etc), which most likely won’t ever happen, I just can’t say that I truly like them.
But for anime (or any other non-live-action) characters, we don’t have that uncertainty of a questionable “secret life” outside of the show or movie we see them in. The character we’re seeing is exactly who he/she is at that moment, without a contrasting “real life” that the fans will never see. Voice actors/actresses could become important parts of a character, but even though I also don’t know them personally, ultimately its the unique looks, actions, and expressions of a character, together with the knowledge that there’s nothing about them that’s hidden from me, that makes them appealing.
John offers his reason for this, too:
“Anime, when compared to live-action, can provide more involvement and interaction than even live-action because anime is so obviously fantasy that it allows for suspension of disbelief, and allows for role-playing with much greater ease than live-action programs do. When watching a live-action program, a viewer may think, ‘I wouldn’t do that,’ or ‘I wouldn’t be there or wouldn’t say that,’ because live-action is so familiar that a viewer can imagine him/herself as a part of the situation on screen, or alienate them self from the characters on screen, i.e. ‘Those beautiful people would never hang out with me,’ or ‘I’d never be caught dead with those dumb people.’ With anime, it’s simply easier to place oneself amidst the action because the action is so far apart from our natural expectations, prejudices and assumptions.”
In addition to actors, this is also why I can’t get too into certain singers, only their songs. While all the other girls ogled N’Sync and The Backstreet Boys back in the day, I passed them by. For example, I love the Beatles but I have no interest in having pictures of or books about them, seeing movies with them in it, etc., only listening to their music. I know enough about them to say that I like them, but that’s about it. It could even go down to people in general. Unless they do or say something that reveals a significant part of their character, I can’t say I like them or not. For example, there were a few guys in high school I developed slight crushes on, only to see them say or do something later on that revealed aspects of their personality and morals that turned me off. This could be another reason why I like animals so much and often enjoy their company more than people. Shame and deception are unknown to them – they hide nothing and don’t create facades, thus there’s no reason to be uptight or awkward around them.
It is tough when friends and coworkers discuss certain shows, movies, actors, and singers I don’t know about. They must think it odd when they ask me about American pop-culture things someone my age should know and I have to tell them that I don’t (and that I have zero motivation to find out). Anime characters provide me with all the fictional fulfillment I need. To each their own.
It’s easier to identify with 2d characters than 3d, for sure! Usually if people remember one thing from Scott McCloud’s book ‘Understanding Comics’, it’s his demonstration of how much more appealing and ‘identifiable’ a simple line caricature of a person is, compared to a photograph or ‘realistic’ drawing of the same person. Dramatically so.
Then on top of that, some of the most talented minds of a generation ( in a faraway country, granted) are working hard to try to make anime characters that appeal, for both cheap reasons and worthy ones.
And – for me at least – there’s charm to a medium and a culture that’s fairly new to me. And Hollywood movies…remind me of the music that I used to listen to fifteen years ago. Okay, but …
@ ojisan
I’ve heard about Scott McCloud’s book but I’ve never read it. I really should one of these days =) I can understand that point he makes – it’s easier, at least for many people, to identify with a simple caricature because it’s so obviously fantasy and isn’t trying to be real, thus it allows for greater belief suspension and possibilities.
Many anime shows are character-driven, which is something that live-action shows, at least in America, are not. They’re all about the characters’ developments and interactions, while most live-action shows focus more on the story/plot and conveying the genre that they are – lots of jokes and sarcasm if it’s a comedy, special effects and suspense if it’s an action show, etc,.
Well, when you compare photography and paintings, photography always seems to be most famous and have most impact where it is capturing reality, or at least purporting to capture reality (as in fakes). Honestly composed photographs are a minority interest, fiction is always drawn or painted or whatever. So it seems rather strange that presenting fiction with moving photographs ever took off in the first place.
The only thing which comes to mind is that once you’ve got narrative, you want suspension of disbelief, and many people are finding the illusion of reality that comes from photography helpful.
That fits in with a self-observation, that once I started primarily watching anime rather than live-action, that’s about the time I became less interested in exciting and “realistic” stories which make you wonder how the hero is going to get out of this, in other words, stuff which requires you to think of the fictional world as something which really exists, and became more interested in stuff which…communicates with you, through themes and representative character journies and so forth, where events have meaning, rather than just happening in order to be dramatic, in other words, stuff which uses the fictional world as an abstract representation of the real world, rather than a substitute.
I’ve thought animation was a better medium for fiction than live-action for some time, now I’m wondering if that’s because it’s inherently honest; it admits its world isn’t real, and so can be more meaningful because it’s more truthful, while live-action is constantly relying on you confusing its world with reality.
As in the common retort to being attracted to an anime character of “they aren’t even real!” For that to be an objection means you either have to believe a movie star is genuinely the character they play on the screen, or you’ve got to believe that you’ve got a real-life chance with them. (Or probably both.) It just means the objector doesn’t truly grasp that they’re fantasising.
This is a very interesting topic. As a scientist, I am reminded of a fact that we have “imprints” when we are children and I question that we don’t grow out of that phase when encountering new things. For live-action roles, the first time we see a person, we identify their look as their character. It could also occur in the opposite way when we see an actor and then a role. I can’t remember the full name of Jim Carrey’s role in Bruce Almighty, but I can remember Steve Carrel was Evan Baxter (because that’s the first time I see him).
Anime also has the benefit that almost no two characters look the same (unless they are meant to do so purposely) thus we are imprinted with that image for one specific character instead of an actor/actress’s image. While you could have the same voice actor play many different roles (Daisuke Ono-san comes to mind), it’s incredibly tough to alter your looks and mannerisms enough to become a different character for a live-action role. There are exceptions such as child actors and roles where the costuming is vastly different, but it almost never happens in Western entertainment (that I’ve seen).
I can’t necessarily agree that all live action can’t be seen as fantasy (look at Star Wars for how fantasy looked in 1977) but I will agree that it appears to becoming more “realistic”. I will also say that some anime try for the realistic approach instead of full fantasy. How would Haruhi look if it wasn’t taken directly from a real high school and town? I will grant the CGI in Day of Sagittarius, the cave cricket, and the fight in Melancholy IV, but other than that, it’s taken place in a “real” environment.
Lastly, I feel the same when I’m at work and my co-workers talk about movies. I’ve said more than once that if the question starts with “Ultimatemegax, have you seen….” then the answer will likely be “no.” and it’s accepted. Ironically, one of my former teachers liked my interest in Japanese music and let me play it in the workspace, much to the annoyance of certain people at 04:45. I don’t think your friends and co-workers will think it odd that you don’t watch western entertainment, much like you don’t think it’s odd about the shows they watch, just something neither side views as interesting to themselves.
You and I must be on the same wavelength. That is exactly my interpretation of animated characters vs. live-action. However, there are few series/genres I am more “drawn” to like sci-fi/fantasy. These days I gravitate more toward documentary films, when it comes to live action media.
@ Logopolis
I think the way dialogue and story play in most works of fiction, both anime and live-action shows included, things are never exactly like reality – in real life, things don’t happen with the prefect sequence and precisely spoken dialogue of most fictional works. So both mediums are pretty equal to that extent, but animation has the extra additive of not even looking like reality, thus pushing the suspension of belief further.
And you’re right, many people who love certain actors don’t love them personally but love them for a fictional role that they play, which is no better than loving an animated character. But as I said, at least that animated character doesn’t have that questionable “hidden life/personality” that actors have.
@ ultimatemegax
What you said about image imprinting is a good point and yet another reason why I can’t get into live-action characters – seeing the same person in different stories ruins the suspension of belief. But with animation, the character design possibilities are endless. I really need an image to feel connected to a character, one of the reasons I can’t get into literature characters very much unless pictures of them are provided. An example, I probably wouldn’t have gotten too attached to the Harry Potter characters if I hadn’t seen the movies and associated the book characters with the looks, voices, etc., of the actors.
I suppose open-minded people wouldn’t think it odd that someone my age prefers animation over live-action. It’s still a bit awkward because most people assume that if you’re a young person in America you automatically like certain mainstream pop-culture things.
@ Dann
Documentaries also make up the few live-action programs I watch too, particularly nature ones like they show on Animal Planet and National Geographic. But I honestly don’t watch much TV at all. I’ve gone weeks without turning on the TV for anything other than video games.
I’m the same way, for the most part. I cannot get into actors and such, never could. I know, mainly during high school, people looked at me odd for not knowing a upcoming actor, even before I get into anime ( I didnot get into anime ’til about 6 years ago, which would of been my 2rd year of high school ).
I never got why girls would scream over this week’s hot guy, yet when I bought a couple prints from an artist I admire, I almost squealed when I got in the mail. I surprised myself with that x3
Oddly though, I would be a bit fangirl-ish to meet an voice actor from an anime I like. I think because, unlike some American cartoons, I feel much more feeling from anime voice actors. When I was watching Ghost Hunt, at one part, a ghost lady moaned and it sounded so real that I kinda freaked. Than I had to go and listen to a few times and even show my dad |3 True, I donot know what these people are really like, but they seem to enjoy their job.
I was into slash from many years ago, and around 2006 when I discovered anime and yaoi my first thought was: “Oh, great. Now I’m pairing CARTOON characters together.” I felt quite self-conscious about it at first. (Then I stopped being self-conscious, under the onslaught of Roy/Ed, Naruto/Sasuke, Gojyo/Hakkai, Shindou/Touya, etc., etc.)
It’s been years since I’ve crushed on an actor myself. No slur on those who still do – it can be a lot of fun. Not sure if what I feel about my favorite anime characters can be called a crush exactly – since they’re so patently not real. Something to ponder. ;)
I kinda understand what you mean, although I am quite interested in the performing arts. Anime characters are more “real” than actors in the sense that actors have other things to do and can only change themselves and adapt to the character, however anime characters only exist as that character and only exist in that role. Their very existance is the character, so they can create more of a realistic role.
It’s hard trying to phrase it exactly but thats what I think. Although I have never had a crush on an actor or an anime character. Well maybe thats because I haven’t seen a harem or ecchi since I wax 15.
Gotta love anime <3!
@ Jan
I don’t think I’ve ever had an actual crush on an anime character, especially not to the extent some girls I knew in high school did, i.e., always saying how cute/hot certain anime guys are, fantasizing about dating them, etc,. My love for certain character consists of having pictures, figures, etc., of them and not so much wanting to actually get intimate with them.
@ Vagish
You’ve done a good job condensing a lot of what I’ve said into one paragraph. Nice XD
@ Yumeka
You actually made me think about it quite hard, I’m writing up my own blog post about something similar. I’m subscribing to this blog now. Wish I could write as well as you though!
I don’t think it’s weird at all! I agree with everything you said!