Anime European Japanese Characters Look the Same

Anime European Japanese Characters Look the Same

The argument of whether anime characters Expect white or Japanese has been going on forever now. And the debate never seems to  end, no thing HOW far each side takes it.

Putting all the irrational bullsh*t and agenda-driven comments aside, at that place is some good points on both ends of the stick.

But as with every argument or debate….

There are two sides to the same story

I've written about this before, so I'grand non new to this topic.

In my first article: I talked almost the MYTH of anime characters looking white. By and large to supremacists and some white people who retrieve the earth shines out their rear-cease.

And to a degree – asmallportion of fans in general.

I explained in that commodity that I "understand" why people believe this.

I'yard black. So naturally if I run into a brown character, bias will kick in and "merits" that character looks like me, and IS similar me.

Nosotros all do it to an extent, because that's how we relate to the characters and fifty-fifty understand them.

I also mentioned how anime characters are inherently Japanese, and well-nigh Americans, courtesy of bias, will find "blonde" characters to prove their arguments (even though there are examples of Japanese looking characters to destroy the argument).

But in that location's another side to the story that has "truth" to it

And that's the side I'k gonna address in this postal service. Highlighting the dark truth of why anime characters don't look Japanese.

And everything connected to that in Asian and Japanese civilisation.

Let's get to it.

1. Self-hatred in Asian civilisation (non simply Nihon)

The things I'chiliad gonna get into aren't covered by Anybody in the anime industry. And that'due south because it's an uncomfortable truth.

And so what am I implying when I say "cocky hatred", you might ask…

Take the image higher up as an example. It'due south a comparison of a Chinese woman who went through "surgery" to make her eyes more "Caucasian". Because she hates the way her eyes wait.

THIS is the kind of comments that drove her to do it:

"There is the infamous story of Julie Chen in the 90s, the Chinese-American idiot box personality who underwent double eyelid surgery after her boss said she'd never make it equally a top news ballast because her optics fabricated her await "disinterested". And because she was Chinese."

Source: Eye Lid Surgery

I mention this because it's a semi-common thing in Asian culture.

Now let'southward go into Japanese culture itself.

This article from Business Insider highlights some disturbing facts about Japan.

"Nippon and other Asian countries accounted for more than a fifth of the 1.3 million eyelid procedures performed worldwide.

The trend has grown steadily over the by decade, and it's led some experts to claim that Asian patients are using the procedure, known formally as blepharoplasty, as a way to plow the Asian "monolid" into the double eyelid of Europeans."

The article So says:

"They desire a Caucasian-looking eyelid with a fold or a crease of the upper eyelid, every bit opposed to the archetype Asian lid which doesn't have what we call a tarsal pucker."

Source: B.I

This is what I mean by "cocky hatred" in Japanese and Asian culture

Equally far as things stand up, only a small percent of Japanese or Asians are having these kinds of surgeries to make themselves look "white" or westernized.

In a lot of cases – information technology'southward the older generation who convinces Japanese people to get plastic surgery, or in this case: eye lid and nose surgery to make their features more than European.

Insecurity and being ridiculed is the convenance ground of this, depending on the context and not existence happy with their natural looks.

And even though a lot of Japanese creators, animators, and business people in the anime industry WON'T say it out loud, information technology's the damn truth.

Not all of them think this fashion, merely it has a MASSIVE influence on anime designs, characters, and their tendency to look anything BUT Japanese.

It's the reason why you take so many blonde characters with blueish eyes, or red-haired characters who don't look the slightest scrap of Japanese.

It'due south easy to apply the excuse of "Simply it'south harder to make anime characters look Japanese" but in reality – they've proved it's possible already.

Take a look at the characters in the images above. They have a "natural" Japanese expect. And I Dearest these designs because they're authentic.

As an outsider, I sentinel anime to experience Japanese culture. That also means to experience Japanese people in animated form.

This isn't a strict need obviously, but a expert addition.

So when so many anime characters await annihilation but Japanese, as an anime fan – information technology can feel strange.

If I wanted to see a western character, I'd picket American cartoons or the equivalent. I don't watch anime to see characters that DON'T correspond Japanese people.

And then when characters are designed in this way because of bias or false ideals, it makes me scratch my head a footling.

2. The propaganda of so-called "dazzler standards"

You can go to nearly countries across the world, and 1 thing is common in all of them: racism.

What does that even mean? The media portrays the epitome of "calorie-free skinned tones" existence superior and darker skin tones inferior.

Or in the case of Nihon: "Asian" peel tones not being as cute equally westerners.

At that place's no excuse no matter how you wanna put it for anime characters non looking Japanese. Or Asian at the least. Considering as I already said – it'southward been done before.

Nodame Cantabile is ane of 100's of anime shows to do a good job of drawing realistic Japanese characters.

For this reason, it's one of my favorite designs in anime.

Haven't You Heard? I'1000 Sakamoto! is another anime that does a adept job, besides. The principal character feels Asian to me, and there's no hint of trying to look "white" at all.

It feels authentic, as it should be.

Only propaganda is a disease

Yeah, there is such a thing as "white supremacy" even though it's not something I mention or ponder on.

Whether this group of people are few and far betwixt or not, this is function of the propaganda that's been spread all over the globe.

Mostly past powerful media companies rather than individuals.

Japan isn't the only culprit either.

Bharat as an example has their ain racism. And the darker you are, the more than looked downward upon yous are as an individual.

This stretches to Jamaica, UK, America and many other countries in some variation or another.

Then yous accept beauty magazines, which to me – is a Large function of the reason so many people equate "white" or light skin with dazzler.

Yous'll struggle to find anyone of a sure skin tone in beauty magazines or media. Because that's non what the media wants you to believe is platonic.

Nippon is no unlike. The lighter you lot are according to Japanese pare tones, the more revered you'll be as a person.

Being pale is admired in Japan.

QUOTE from Wikipedia:

" Bihaku  (美白) is a Japanese term meaning "beautifully white" which was coined in the early 1900s with the emergence of skin whitening products and cosmetics."

Source: Wikipedia

When y'all blend that with the fact so many Japanese are getting surgeries to look western, and how that trend is on the ascent, information technology paints a clear movie of anime grapheme designs.

And knowing this kind of affair ALSO happens in Korea, China, and and then on, simply adds more than pressure and propaganda across Asia.

You lot'd be a fool to believe this doesn't affect the designs of anime characters, and how they're portrayed in 100's of different anime shows.

Even if it's only on a micro level.

Not everything is about "diversity" when information technology comes to anime designs.

Sometimes it runs deeper than that. And information technology'due south more almost fitting an ideal internally (for the animator), than it is nearly making an anime grapheme stand out, visually.

Related: vii Visually Pleasing Anime With A Realistic Art Style

3. The obsession with blonde hair and European features

This is an extension of what I've mentioned already. But information technology's stunning how many anime characters take blonde, red or ginger hair in anime.

Or a mixture of light-green eyes, bluish eyes, and a "bigger" chest than is normal in Japanese culture.

Sometimes it'south then obvious that it's happening every bit well. Even if some fans will deny it.

Japanese people have straight hair, commonly black or brown. No different to every other race exterior of the WEST in general.

So if the anime character's backgrounds or historical references holds no clout (when it comes to European features), than it's null more than than proof of the obsession Asians have with European features.

With characters similar Saber from Fate Stay Nighttime, it makes sense because it's based on logic.

Saber is a delineation of "King Arthur" from United kingdom. And so information technology's right to give her blonde hair and what not.

Only a lot of the times there's no logic or reason to an anime characters designs. Other than to portray a disconnect of how the Japanese want to look, Vs how they really look in real life.

Or simply an over admiration for European features.

And yep – sometimes it'south used for "differentiation" but that'southward also the point I'grand making.

Related: The Ultimate List Of Fate Stay Nighttime Quotes

Practise ALL anime characters look westernized?

The obvious answer is no.

The signal of this post is to bear witness the bias, insecurities, and obsessions associated with characters that Practice look westernized. And some reasons behind information technology.

Maybe I should say observations, since non all reasons tin can be proven with concrete evidence.

But whether we wanna deny it or non – a lot of anime characters are designed to look anything other than Japanese. Even if that's not ever the Full intention.

Volition this e'er change in the future?

I doubt it. Merely maybe it doesn't need to.

Remember what I said? Merely a Small portion of Japanese and Asians live this way, deed this fashion, and even call up this style. Regardless of whether they're in the anime industry or not (statistically).

But I would dear to see anime creators, designs and studios work on characters who feel and wait more Japanese in future. Unless relevant.

It'south what I love virtually older anime designs in particular. It felt so genuine to me.

I'k sure some of usa wouldn't mind that.

–

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Anime European Japanese Characters Look the Same

Source: https://animemotivation.com/why-anime-characters-dont-look-japanese/