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So, you watch Anime?
If that is the case, you must be familiar with some of the myths surrounding it and perhaps you even believe some of them. But, I’m sorry to say that some of those bubbles are going to burst soon.
I’ve been watching Anime for a long time now. So, I understand it’s not just another medium of entertainment; there is a huge amount of emotion surrounding it, which ultimately draws the people towards the medium and make them stick and the severity of its impact makes it different from other forms of entertainment.
But, influenced by those emotions, some often harbor some myths, to such a point where they almost seem real.
Now, the actual list is extensive, but I’m going to take five, and ‘desu-troy’ them.
1. Anime characters teach us the value of friendship, or
Anime teaches us life lessons better than real people
No.
When one assumes that the story of an anime is practical, that its depictions of events and character shadows the real world, one makes a fatal error. Otherwise this myth is harmless.
This myth is especially strong among Narutards, although most of the ‘lovers’ of mainstream Anime more or less believe it.
Looking at it with a clear and practical mind, one realizes that those Anime don’t make themselves. There’s actually real people who write the story, no matter how unrealistic it is. So whatever you believe you are learning from an Anime, you’re learning from real people. This basic fact makes this argument invalid.
The next time you like/share a meme which states one of those myths, think again.
2. Watching Anime makes us smarter
Again, this myth is also as much true as for any other medium of entertainment. If you watch shows which offer a particular intelligence, you might gain some intelligence. But if you watch some SoL/Ecchi shows, or worse, watch Psycho-Pass, and expect some drastic development in your IQ, then trust me, even that excess IQ cannot help you.
I repeat, Anime, as a medium, does not improve your intelligence.
3. Old Anime is better than new Anime, or
Hand-drawn Anime is better than CGI Anime
It’s not that simple.
What’s the thing that you like most about Anime? Is it just the fact that it’s animation (Cartoon, but I’m coming on that later), hand-drawn, at that? Does that mean you’ll watch anything and everything that an Anime offers, even if it’s poor?
What actually matters, is the story. Yes, visuals are important, but if the story is not captivating, then the presentation doesn’t matter. Surely you remember that Anime named Boku no Pico, right?
You don’t?
Good for you.
So, the actual fact is, good stories are still being written. But since the area of animation has improved drastically in the last decade, CGI is the better choice now. ‘Old is good, new is bad’ is not a new viewpoint, and it’s totally your personal choice if you prefer one over the other. But please, do not allow yourself to miss good shows/films because of that.
4. An ‘Otaku’ doesn’t commit crime/suicide
But I still want to die.
This myth is not much widespread; but the people who came in contact with this meme, or other articles surrounding it, are prone to believe it. The irony of this myth is that Japan, the country where Anime is produced, is a suicide-prone country, whose suicide rate is sixty percent higher than the global average, according to WHO. Some of you may even know about the infamous Aokigahara forest.
I’ll be blunt here. Being a fan of something doesn’t change you situation, or who you are. Sure, it serves a momentary escape from the problems of one’s life, but sadly that is all it does. It can change neither you nor your surroundings. The demons will be waiting for you, when that show/film ends. Anime, or no form of entertainment is the solution.
For example, I’m a big fan of Doctor Who; and it’s a show which is not going to end anytime soon. But does that fandom asserts that everything in my life will always be all right? Sadly, nothing is that powerful.
5. Anime is not Cartoon
Lets take a look at the definitions- Cartoon:
A film using animation techniques to photograph a sequence of drawings rather than real people or objects.
Anime:
A style of Japanese film and television animation, typically aimed at adults as well as children.
Both according to Oxford.
Thus, by definition they are the same.
All forms of animations, whether it’s made in Japan, or Philippines, or Thailand, are Cartoons. ‘Anime’ is what we call the animation made in japan. We can say that all Anime are Cartoon, but not all Cartoon are Anime.
So the next time you get into an argument with someone, proudly stating ‘Anime is not Cartoon!’, remember, it’s like saying ‘It’s not a dog, its German Shepherd’!
(Hypocritical writer’s note:- No matter how many myths I ‘desu-troy’, the fact remains that not all myths are false. Just like my waifu is real, no matter what any of you say. And oh yes, she will definitely beat up your waifu.
Deal with it. 😎 )
