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Answerman - Why Is There Still So Much Smoking In Anime?


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ParaChomp



Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 1018
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:07 pm Reply with quote
Remember kids, smoking is only cool if you're a fictional character.
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cloud8100



Joined: 30 May 2010
Posts: 550
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:10 pm Reply with quote
I never understood why people thought smoking looked cool. Its just someone... smoking...
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Shadowrun20XX



Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Posts: 1935
Location: Vegas
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:13 pm Reply with quote
California has tried really hard to stop Vegas from smoking which is a hilarious feat considering what Sin City stands for.

I enjoyed smoking Malboro Reds but it became an annoyance when I had to find time to smoke, taxes on cigarettes and then I just didn't care for it anymore.

After a few years you can definitely smell a smoker from across the room.
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TheRahi00



Joined: 20 Aug 2013
Posts: 154
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:13 pm Reply with quote
Personally I also agree with the fact that smoking does make a character looks cooler. Not exactly sure why and I personally really hate it when people smoke in real life, but it's different in anime.
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mangamuscle



Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 2658
Location: Mexico
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:16 pm Reply with quote
I do not know if it was the tv station or the government, but jotaro's face was censored (using a black brush) when he smoked in Jojo's bizarre adventure (which is a very well known series) broadcast. I doubt this was an individual exerting his power, so at some level there is a ban on smoking (by non adult characters) in new animes.
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BVerfG



Joined: 23 Oct 2015
Posts: 43
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:29 pm Reply with quote
I don't think there is anything wrong with showing someone smoking. And yeah, some characters look cooler. The only time I can remember that I went "wait. What?" because of a smoking character was in The Wind Rises. The main character just continues chain smoking while in the same room as his coughing wife who has tuberculosis. I mean, really?

Otherwise nothing wrong with it. Worse things have been shown and glorified on TV. In Germany there are alcohol commercials that a) air during Formula 1 commercial breaks and b) purport that every beer case you buy will help save some part of rain forest. Captain Smoker and Kogoro are the least of my worries.
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ParaChomp



Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 1018
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:30 pm Reply with quote
The fact that it could kill me was drilled into my head with my grade school's drug prevention program. The fact that my grandparents were smokers who both came down with Alzheimer's was the icing on the cake. As an asthmatic, I can't stand around smokers without breaking into a cough.

Despite this, I do find that smoking does make people look cool in media (cartoon or live action). Casually putting oneself at risk and the sight of breath is very intimidating. Despite this effect, Americans ban smoking from media because it is a bad influence that doesn't make you look cool in practice.

Keeping in mind that Japan is Japan and hasn't caught up with the rest of the world, it all makes sense.

By the way, nice choice for the image.
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Touma



Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 2651
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:42 pm Reply with quote
Greed1914 wrote:
The main situation where smoking sticks out to me in anime is when we see a character exercising and then lighting up right after their workout. The contradiction between the two activities always seemed like an odd writing choice.

It is not just a writing choice. That does happen in real life.
Not all smokers will light up after exercise, but many do. I did before I quit smoking.

It is not really a good idea to do so because nicotine is a powerful stimulant and not something that you need when your pulse and respiration are already elevated by the exercise, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. That could be said of smoking in general.
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Hoppy800



Joined: 09 Aug 2013
Posts: 3331
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:44 pm Reply with quote
I don't mind smoking in anime, smoking happens in real life and it isn't illegal for adults to smoke in Japan or the US.
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wonderwomanhero





PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:51 pm Reply with quote
Ritsuko Akagi smoking in Evangelion never really bothered me. I think she smoked to relive stress, and in one particular scene you see cigarette butts on her ashtray stained by her lipstick.

There really is a broad difference in opinion with smoking amongst "good" and "bad" smokers. Smoking is smoking, so there really is no good or bad. Bad maybe in terms of damaging your health, but its your choice. I hate it. But I will not pressure someone to quit unless I know for a fact they are in serious danger.
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ReifuTD



Joined: 19 Sep 2009
Posts: 171
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:17 pm Reply with quote
wonderwomanhero wrote:
Ritsuko Akagi smoking in Evangelion never really bothered me. I think she smoked to relive stress, and in one particular scene you see cigarette butts on her ashtray stained by her lipstick.

There really is a broad difference in opinion with smoking amongst "good" and "bad" smokers. Smoking is smoking, so there really is no good or bad. Bad maybe in terms of damaging your health, but its your choice. I hate it. But I will not pressure someone to quit unless I know for a fact they are in serious danger.


At one point people in America people was allowed to put any substance in their body they wanted, The main reason these first kind of laws where past was because white people thought black people were getting high and rapping white people. Now it has to do with taxes I think.

Before if you had substance issues you go to or get sent to a clinic to detox or better your self. Now people just go to jail and learn to become criminals.

Don't get me wrong if drugs were legal we probable might have some more drugged out homeless people. But less people with criminal record that could get good jobs and stuff.
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BadNewsBlues



Joined: 21 Sep 2014
Posts: 5886
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:28 pm Reply with quote
ParaChomp wrote:
Remember kids, smoking is only cool if you're a fictional character.


Provided you're not an underage character in anime.
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Hoppy800



Joined: 09 Aug 2013
Posts: 3331
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:39 pm Reply with quote
BadNewsBlues wrote:
ParaChomp wrote:
Remember kids, smoking is only cool if you're a fictional character.


Provided you're not an underage character in anime.


I don't think there are any lolis or shota characters outside of the ones that are over 20 that smoke.
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zrnzle500



Joined: 04 Oct 2014
Posts: 3767
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 5:10 pm Reply with quote
Hoppy800 wrote:
BadNewsBlues wrote:
ParaChomp wrote:
Remember kids, smoking is only cool if you're a fictional character.


Provided you're not an underage character in anime.


I don't think there are any lolis or shota characters outside of the ones that are over 20 that smoke.


I think they meant under the smoking age not the age of consent. Someone else mentioned the scene in Stardust Crusaders where Jotaro is smoking being censored. Also the reason behind high school age anime characters getting drunk on "juice"
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BadNewsBlues



Joined: 21 Sep 2014
Posts: 5886
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 5:12 pm Reply with quote
zrnzle500 wrote:


I think they meant under the smoking age not the age of consent. Someone else mentioned the scene in Stardust Crusaders where Jotaro is smoking being censored.


Yep .
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