As we all know, Japanese culture, since the emergence of anime as more or less a mainstream form of entertainment, has an incredibly large impact on the American society. Conventions, anime themselves, anime-themed or styled games… it’s becoming quite a huge thing! This week in anime club we’re going to be celebrating the influence of anime on american culture with several homegrown cartoons made in glorious anime style! We’ll be watching Teen Titans, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. More info after the jump!
*Also, our cosplay contest and the ever popular Lobo Brawl are coming up soon, keep an eye out for details on Lobo Brawl and if you haven’t seen the post on our cosplay contest, go back and read it!*
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Set in an age where the world is divided into four types of people based on the elements, follow the quest of Aang, a reincarnation of the Avatar, a powerful airbender capable of controlling all of the elements.
Teen Titans
Follow Robin, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Beastboy as they fight their way through both evil super-villains and they day-to-day chore of being a teenager.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Yup, we’re actually gonna show it, as the last anime of the evening, but we’re showing it. You’ve heard about it, you already know if you like it or hate it, if you’re a bronie or not. Set in the mythical land of Equestria, follow the daily adventures of Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash as they learn the values of friendship.
PONIES IN ANIME CLUB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /)^ɛ^(\
yay!
/)^ɛ^(\ OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH! /)^ɛ^(\
The Anime Club should NOT show My Little Pony for various reasons, mainly because it is not an “anime”. It is a cartoon made for children(ages 10 and up) and doesn’t relay the mature aspects of “anime”. A major part of “anime” is that it comes from Japan, which this cartoon is made by Hasbro, a USA company.
Anime consists of intricate plots that require a person to analyize the scenario and leave a person guessing, most of the time. It has a scheme that is a mature level of understanding (ie. romance, sexual situations, and over-dramatic plots) which Hasbro does not incorporate into the cartoon. I also believe that this cartoon focuses too much on projecting a stereotype of the homosexual community. I don’t approve of how they portray the ponies in a manner that is almost offensive.
I really enjoy this club therefor I hope my opinion and stance on this subject matter are taken into consideration. Hope to see everyone tomorrow at 4:00pm!
Love and peace, Love and peace, Love and peace!!
Sincerely,
Michael Myers
[Comment: I wish to inform you that the “big eyes” is not from Japan culture, but actually inspired by Disney. I don't believe you need most of what you stated because it was repetitive and insulting. You wish to inform people of an education opinion, not berate them with insults.]
Teen Titans and Avatar do not come from Japan either, so that point doesn’t stand. Also, while I haven’t seen enough of the show to make the judgement, I doubt it would have such a large following of males in their teens and twenties if it was pandering towards children. But I do agree that they should not have shown it (I wasn’t there, so I don’t know). I can’t see any Japanese influence at all. While it isn’t required that MLP target an older demographic (a lot of anime do not have intricate plots), it should have something to do with anime. You could have shown Dexter’s Lab or Adventure time…seriously, those have as much to do with anime as MLP. But again, I haven’t seen the show, so I’m probably missing something. It may very well have some pretty quirky anime-related jokes thrown in.
In any case Michael, your best potential argument is the one about show projecting homosexual stereotypes that could be offensive. If that is the case, then I hope the club considers this the next time a day like this comes around.
So, lots of points have been made. Let me try to comment on them all individually, but forgive me if I miss one or two.
First off, My Little Pony has as much to do with anime as Avatar or Teen Titans. The creator of the show, Lauren Faust, cited several animes as an inspiration, including Sailor Moon and other magical girl shows. There are several episodes that really play out more like a magical girl anime than an American cartoon, including the first two episodes.
And yes, we are the Anime Club, but Smash Bros. isn’t anime, nor is Catan, Dominion, League of Legends, Magic the Gathering, BlazBlue, Marvel Vs. Capcom, Mario Party, or Mario Kart. Today, we decided to show some American shows inspired by anime. There were no complaints about Avatar or Teen Titans being “not anime,” not even by those who refused to watch MLP on the same grounds.
Saying that Anime only tackles adult subjects is just blatantly wrong.There are no mature themes in Ika Musume, Sgt. Frog, Kill Me Baby, Toradora, Working!!, or several dozens, if not hundreds more animes, many of which are some of our members favorites. You have to realize that it’s not because MLP is a children’s show that it’s devoid of “mature themes” it’s that it’s a COMEDY. There’s no real mature themes in Seinfeld, is it for children?
And now to the last argument, the big one. “I also believe that this cartoon focuses too much on projecting a stereotype of the homosexual community. I don’t approve of how they portray the ponies in a manner that is almost offensive.”
Excuse me but… what the hell does that even mean? There’s nothing even remotely stereotypical about this show. Not even one small bit is offensive to the homosexual community. We have homosexual members who love My Little Pony who found your comment infinitely more offensive than the show. There is nothing offensive about the portrayal of the ponies in MLP. I really want to hear your arguments on this. I have not found even a single thing offensive in my many, many viewings of the series.
I appreciate the discussion on the matter, but I believe that you are letting the social stigma of watching things “age-inappropriate” cloud your judgement. You’re letting the fact that you’ve been indoctrinated to hate children’s programming by the “mature” society block out any possibility of enjoying the show. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic takes it’s audience seriously. Sure, it’s targeted demographic is children below the age of 10, but you know what? So was Avatar. Is it wrong to enjoy Avatar because it’s “for kids”? No. It’s got great characters, an amazing plot, a creative world, and occasionally adult subject matter. MLP is no different. This argument is the same as gamers who play only Call of Duty or Madden saying that games like Super Smash Bros or Mario Kart are for babies and anyone playing them above the age of 12 is gay or a manchild. It’s just offensive. Not just to the fans, but to the entire genre, to the entire medium of animation. Saying that a show can’t be made for children and adults alike is just offensive to the people who have poured their hearts and souls into creating it. Because, at the end of the day, shows like My Little Pony, Teen Titans, or Avatar: The Last Airbender are made by us. Adults who love cartoons, American or Japanese, and want to impart that sort of magic they feel into their own creations, to give something for future generations to love, and maybe inspire them to make more. If their adult creators can enjoy their own creations, why can’t we, as adult animation fans, do the same?
Love and Tolerance.
~digi