Take any anime that isn’t primarily in the slice-of-life genre and chances are it has its fair share of fictional terminology and a family-tree of subplots worthy of any extensive Wikipedia page. From large casts of characters, constantly shifting plots, and a dictionary’s worth of made-up fantasy terms for the anime’s own unique setting, items, politics, and history, anime is constantly pushing the boundaries of what defines an engrossing and passionately detailed fantasy world…
There are tons of anime, probably more than not, that encompass what I just described – they convey a detailed and well thought out fictional world with its own individual list of terms and plot points that can only be fully grasped with commitment on the viewer’s part. Prime examples are Fullmetal Alchemist, Shakugan no Shana, Fate/Zero/Stay Night, Evangelion, Eden of the East, Macross, Code Geass, Gundam, Slayers, Sailor Moon, Haruhi, Eureka 7, Railgun/Index, and many, many more. Some titles such as Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Madoka, don’t have quite as much staggering fantasy elements as the others I listed, but certainly enough to impress anyone who’s not used to hardcore fantasy. Even kids anime like the shonen trio of Bleach, One Piece, and Naruto are like this. In fact, kids anime like the shonen trio has some of the most impressive amounts of fantasy background there is thanks to being ongoing for years and accumulating tons of characters and plot points during that time. With all but strictly slice-of-life anime being so set on creating individualized fantasy for its viewers, it seems like anime has the dual purpose of both telling an entertaining story as well as creating a believable fictional world.
Not only does so many anime pile on the laundry list of fictional terms and subplots, they also don’t spoon-feed these things to viewers either. We all know how common it is for anime to vaguely introduce some term/item/character early on in the series to never be mentioned again until episodes later, or to quickly foreshadow something that suddenly becomes important to the plot way later when only very dedicated viewers will remember it. And in addition to its own unique dictionary of fantasy terms, it’s not unusual for an anime to have its own unique history textbook’s worth of politics and setting exposition (most common for mecha anime). This all seems to point to the fact that anime, unlike the majority of Western cartoons or even other TV shows, assumes a certain amount of commitment from its audience in terms of how they relate to the show. Anime doesn’t make it easy for a casual viewer to haphazardly tune into a series at a random episode and be able to follow it well. The nature of most anime episodes to be small pieces of a whole story rather than stand-alone episodic stories make it so only a dedicated viewer will pick up on all the complicated subplots and terminology.
With that said, what are the advantages and disadvantages to this? Obviously the main advantage for anime having such extensive Wiki-worthy elements is that it assumes a certain level of intelligence in its audience, making it feel like it isn’t insulting our intelligence even if an otherwise serious anime gets a little comedic at times. For most fans, the proficient amount of fantasy in anime challenges our intellect, making us feel like we’re being entertained but also inspired to think and pay attention to details at the same time. And some of us just love being engrossed in a unique fantasy world, whether it’s for escapism or artistic stimulation, and anime offers this immersion in abundance.
On the disadvantageous side however, like I mentioned earlier, having so much complicated fiction makes it difficult for casual viewers to effectively follow the story. Remember Character A from Episode 3 because they become really important in Episode 24, or remember what Item B did in the quick flashback in Episode 4 because it’s mentioned again in Episode 17…stuff like this is fun for dedicated viewers but discourages casual or infrequent viewers of the anime to keep watching it. But perhaps anime companies don’t care about this, since only dedicated fans will buy the anime’s merchandise anyway. But some fans simply don’t like their entertainment to be a brain strain and want to relax with anime instead. Luckily, there are still plenty of simple, easy-viewing anime for people like this. K-ON, Working!!, Azumanga Daioh, Lucky Star, Toradora!, Hayate no Gotoku, Ouran, AnoHana, and most other comedy/romance slice-of-life anime have this covered.
For me personally, I like both kinds of anime and all in between. I can enjoy anime from the seemingly never-ending load of fantasy jargon in Shakugan no Shana to the simple, fantasy-free world of Usagi Drop. Considering all the anime I watch/have watched that have their own extensively written fictional world, it’s more fun than overwhelming. When I watch each one, I think of it as visiting that unique world for a while, whether it’s the sea-faring universe of One Piece or the futuristic, stratified world of Code Geass. Even though I’m not always the best at being able to follow and remember all the fantasy terms and key characters in a given series, as long as I get the gist of what’s going on and can enjoy the anime anyway even if I don’t understand every little thing, that’s what counts ^_^
I think there are two main kinds of fantasy worlds in anime:
1. Ones that take place in the real world, but bring fantasy elements in.
(Cardcaptor Sakura, Suzumiya Haruhi, Baccano!)
2. Ones that create entirely new worlds.
(Tsubasa Reservoir Chroncles, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto)
Personally, I prefer fantasy/supernatural over slice of life any day. It’s much easier for me to get into those shows. I think there are only three or four in my top favorites that have no fantasy elements. (Though I think Cowboy Bebop would be more on the sci-fi side than just fantasy.) I’m pretty good at remembering terms. The only times when I don’t remember is when I don’t care for the show and not really paying attention. :P
That’s actually a very good point that there are two types of fantasy. I believe those two types could go beyond anime to things like movies and books, too.
I used the term “fantasy” in the post loosely, to mean anything that’s not plausible in the real world. So I meant it to cover the realm of sci-fi too, though maybe “fictional” is the better word.
LOL, I wish I had a good enough memory to remember all the fictional terminology in each anime I watch. I used to when I was a new fan and hadn’t seen many series yet, but at some point later on my mind got overwhelmed. I do my best to remember what happens weekly for all the airing anime I watch. The only time I’ll remember fine details in an anime over time is if I’ve seen it many times (like with Slayers) or it’s a beloved favorite of mine (Haruhi). But I’m good at remembering the general story and my feelings about every anime I watch at least.
Very well thought out essay on a subject I’ve actually been straining to understand and put into solid terms. Lately, I’ve noticed a big divide in multiple categories between the “hardcore” and the “casual” viewer. From dedication to watching EVERY episode, to the likelihood of purchasing related-media and merchandise. Also in the appreciation of shorter series versus longer series. And while in some cases it does come down to the viewer not wanting the brain strain, some people honestly don’t like engrossing themselves in “fantasy worlds”, (whereas this is one of the things I love about anime, always pushing the bounds of what’s possible). And then when you show them “slice of life” or otherwise slower anime, they still won’t show the same enthrallment the “hardcore” will, particularly when it comes to extra material and purchasing merchandise.
Thanks for posting, this has definitely helped me wrap my mind around the trends I’m trying to understand.
Thanks, glad I could help ^^
It’s true that the average person (I’d say Westerners but I think it applies to most cultures) doesn’t care to fully engross themselves in a universe of fiction. That’s why stand-alone movies and episodic TV shows prevail for the general audience rather than complex fictional-heavy series. There are exceptions of course, like the international success of Harry Potter, but for the most part “non-geeky” people don’t want to strain their brain for hobbies and recreational activities. But then you have slice-of-life, which is on the whole other end of the spectrum, often not even having a plot to begin with. So that genre is often too foreign and boring for the average viewer (I can only speak for Americans at this point and don’t think it’s as strange a genre to Asians).
So with this in mind, that’s another reason why anime is still niche in the West and why only anime movies like Ghibli get some kind of mainstream attention. I think being geeky about anything to the point of memorizing all the terms and plot points and buying all the merchandise is considered “off beat” in any culture.
True, there’s a fine line between “geeky” and obsessed (I’ll admit, I cross this line on a regular basis :3, regret nothing). And this distinction also seems niche in America (like you, it’s the only place I can speak for). People, in general, are more interested in trends, not innovation or immersion. “What’s everyone doing?”, this does sometimes cross into actual talent or creative works, but it’s also usually feigning.
The more hardcore are also more likely to stay with a particular series or attraction. Again, playing into their likelihood to buy merchandise or commit to mention pages of unique terminology (that mean nothing in real life), but they’ll still do this out of enjoyment for the show.
In the end, that’s what it probably comes down to. We feel no need to memorize or buy into these things, we simply enjoy doing so, it’s our escapism. We also use it to define ourselves, so we are most certainly going to take it farther than the average viewer. (I personally have a figure in the mail and am planning on picking up some manga I’ve already read, just to have the physical copy). So, it’s because we enjoy it more than the average viewer that sets us apart.
Anime is anime! I consider myself a connesiour of anime. But yeah jumping in is impossible you have to start from the beginning. If that’s not your thing there’s always the nichijous(loved it) but you’ll miss out on the soul eaters(pretty good). I like being able to talk politics with my buds though on like Evangelion or what have you because everyone has their own opinion! And i dont know too many casual, strictly uncomplex, anime watchers. Who cares about’m anyway lol. There are times where ghost in the shell makes me roll my eyes and I watch berserk but there are days I can’t wait to tell my bud what I think is going to happen. Some are just too long to catch up on though. Like one piece. Got lazy, 300 chapters and episodes went by and that was it, theres no coming back. But then shows like death note are short enough where if your late to the party you can marathon it real quick. Some complex fantasies you have to be at the party from the start. Each side of the spectrum has like you said it’s own pros and cons.
Yes, though there’s more fantasy and non-episodic stories in anime than not, there are different degrees of it to match any taste. You have Death Note, where there’s fantasy but not too complicated, to long-running series like One Piece that have their extremely detailed world but require dedication to follow it for so long. And then there’s Nichijou, which is episodic, mindless humor. So even if you’re not into really hardcore fantasy, there’s still plenty of anime for you =)
There are actually some US TV shows that require you to enter into the universe and keep track of various odd terminology and characters. The ones I can think of are all science fiction ones, such as Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica, which makes sense since they’re literally creating new worlds for the viewer. Actually, Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon series on Nickolodeon has a pretty detailed and complex world and recurring characters, but one can say that this series is influenced quite a bit by anime. I like anime that has different series or spin-offs that are set within one universe (like the Macross franchise, or Index/Railgun, and most recently Last Exile), because you get to see how things and characters have changed over time. That certainly adds to the believability of the fictional world for me; after all, things don’t just stay the same after episode 26, do they?
I know that there is a fair share of non-anime series that have complicated fictional worlds, just not as many as anime when compared to how many total series there are in that medium (Harry Potter is the example I’m most familiar with ^^) I know about Avatar, but yes, I think it is very influenced by anime.
I actually haven’t watched many anime series that are set in the same universe besides Index/Railgun. Despite how episodic Pokemon is,, there was only one special in the 13+ years the anime has been airing that exclusively featured brand new character in the same universe. I really wish they would do that more often =/
Yes, Avatar is undoubtedly influenced by anime. But my god, it’s so freaking epic. Hell, it’s better than most of the anime that are airing right now.
I love complex anime, the one that gets all the gears grinding in your head and comes up with unexpected endings. That’s what attracts me to anime over some of the latest western works. Hollywood movies and US series just become to predictive. Sure, some Anime also becomes predictive, but they do try to keep implementing elements or something that changes the trend.
I do disagree a bit about the complex ones being for hardcore fans, over the simpler ones. I think a complex story can be for any fan, as long as it is explained properly. And a good example of this is something like Harry Potter or Matrix. Harry Potter is incredibly complex, the world, terminology, everything about the magical world is completely fictional, yet introduced in a way that even kids can understand it. So I never consider complexity as a disadvantage, unless they do not take the time to explain everything clearly.
The problem I see is when they try to create an incredibly complex story, with lots of flashbacks and time lapses and 50 different characters…. In a 12 episode series :S That’s when things get hairy. But as long as they introduce all the different pieces properly, even casual fans will get to enjoy it.
P.S. You misspelled Macross on your 2nd paragraph (you typed in Marcross) :P
Yes, I’ve noticed too that even if anime series are cliche and full of familiar tropes, they at least try to make their fictional worlds believable and refreshing.
I didn’t necessarily mean that only hardcore, dedicated fans can like complex fantasy series like Harry Potter; they’re just more likely to really like them because they’re willing to take the time to pick up on all the plot points and terminology compared to someone who just casually reads/watches the HP series and enjoys only the main points. I think the more vague a series makes its important plot points, and the more difficult they make it for the casual viewer to easily follow the story, the more likely only committed viewers will want to tune in. I actually feel that my beloved Haruhi is a series like this ^^,,,
PS: I’ll fix that typo~
I think the fantasy was what drew me to anime in the first place. I’ve always read a lot of fantasy books (way more so as a kid and before I found anime) and finding something similar in a new medium was amazing. I think that might be the reason why I have no problem with complicated terminology and never did, if anything it makes me like a show more. I was quick to explore other types of anime though and do really enjoy stories of all genres, lots of them being romance and slice of life that have no fantasy elements. I think fantasy will always be a favorite of mine though, considering that’s where I came from ^^
I wasn’t exposed to many really heavy fantasy series as a kid – for some strange reason I didn’t enjoy reading chapter books until I was in high school, and Pokemon was probably the first complicated fantasy franchise I first encountered. I didn’t start to get into the slice-of-life genre until around 2006-2007 with shows like Kanon and Azumanga Daioh. Since then I think that genre has actually overtaken my love for fantasy, though it really depends on the anime. I can still enjoy a fantasy series even if I don’t understand or remember all the terminology. As long as I get the general idea of what goes on, it’s all good =)
Reading your post reminded me of one of the reasons I love anime in the first place: I love how you always are watching a continuous storyline that builds upon itself episode after episode. Not all animes do this, but many do, and those are usually the shows I watch.
A staggering amount of American television is episodic, with too little attention given to developing the world of the show and its plot and most of its time spent on individual plots for each episode to allow viewers to tune in and not feel left out. There are television shows like Lost, 24, Dexter, etc that break this mold, but the majority of network shows follow this pretty closely. There is a place for this, but I hugely prefer ambitious shows that I can feel a gradual progression in the plot and expansion of the universe, which is what anime is great for. It does take dedication from the viewer, but it’s more than worth it for me :)