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Tropes/Archetypes in Anime




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How often do you see tropes/archetypes in anime?
Always
30%
 30%  [ 4 ]
Usually
38%
 38%  [ 5 ]
Sometimes
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
Depends
7%
 7%  [ 1 ]
Rarely
15%
 15%  [ 2 ]
Never
7%
 7%  [ 1 ]
Total Votes : 13

Author Message
nobahn
Subscriber



Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 5120
PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 3:47 pm Reply with quote
As per DuelGundam2099.







EDIT: I forgot to mention that that this poll will run for 10 days.


Last edited by nobahn on Fri Apr 01, 2016 5:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Alan45
Village Elder



Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 9809
Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:05 pm Reply with quote
I put "Depends" If a review or a forum post points them out I can see them. However, I was never good at spotting that sort of thing. This is complicated by the fact that I really don't care and don't bother to look.
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Touma



Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 2651
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:15 pm Reply with quote
I selected "Rarely."
It probably should have been "Never" but I try to avoid absolutes, because there might just be one time that I forgot about.

I also do not notice them because I do not care.
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DuelGundam2099



Joined: 07 Dec 2014
Posts: 533
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 9:02 am Reply with quote
I went with "never" and I have several reasons why:

-At best most of it is just a bunch of coincidences, so much so you have to wonder if they really exist (and I don't believe they do). I acknowledge the existence of tradition and formulas, but not tropes (IE "mcguffins" or "plot devices"). Plus it appears that thinking such things exist make stories easier to nitpick.

-Even if I believed they existed, what is the point? Being more miserable? And since I am no longer in school I will never be tested for it.

-Are they really there or do people say they do? That is why I try on purpose not to see metaphors/symbolism/de or re constructions of any kind, the consensus on something might be incorrect and I'd rather get it from the creator(s). If they say nothing I see nothing. There is no benefit to seeing them especially when I already have 27 rules when judging any work of fiction.

-I prefer to see something myself before judgment, not just see a consensus or a detailed review.

-I don't like rewatching things ever. Compilations and clipshows don't count though. Razz
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Ggultra2764
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Joined: 21 Jan 2004
Posts: 3863
Location: New York state.
PostPosted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 9:27 pm Reply with quote
I voted for Usually. In many instances, the typical tropes and archetypes in an anime can be clear as day from reading up its premise, seeing promotional images for it and/or previewing its first episode thanks to seeing so much anime over the past 14 years to notice ongoing trends and traits of certain genres and demographics.
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Akane the Catgirl



Joined: 09 Oct 2013
Posts: 1091
Location: LA, Baby!
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 3:03 am Reply with quote
I voted Always. This is because, in my opinion, I have to. You guys are probably aware that I run an analysis thread where I post my interpretations on plots and characters in anime. My dream is to become either a writer or critic, and so I am pretty much semi-permanently in this mindset of noticing every little thing. Also, it's a hobby and I like receiving feedback from my readers.

When it comes to tropes and archetypes, what's important to me is what you do with them. Let's take a trope I intensely dislike for the sexism behind it- Female Teacher Who Can't Get Laid. Now, I will usually commend something if they subvert or deconstruct this very misogynistic archetype. (Hi, Takako Shimizu from Chobits. Hello, Kazuko Saotome from Madoka Magica). I will complain if I see this trope played unironically. (See Haruna Sakurada from Sailor Moon or Yoko Littner from Gurren Lagann for more information.)

My favorite characters are the type who don't fit into any at all. You can't describe Holo or Lawrence from Spice and Wolf as a tsundere-and-wimp pairing because they aren't. You can't describe Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul as a whiny loser boy because he isn't. I want people in my stories, not talking cliches.

Now, I will be honest and say that the OP's statements concerning writing rubbed me the wrong way. As someone who's been writing for years now and actually has the entire plot planned out for a story I really want to publish eventually, what the OP said bothered me immensely. Instead of throwing a tantrum or something unprofessional, I decided to share my experiences as a writer, what I learned, and how to write a good story. I hope this helps, Future Writers of the World.

1. You need to have a good idea of what you're doing.

For a three-act structure like what I'm currently doing, you need to know all your major details. You should know what your beginning, middle, and end are going to be like. You should know your characters inside and out, make sure you don't have any gaping holes in logic, and get rid of any unnecessary characters or scenes. And if you don't think this doesn't apply to episodic-based stories, no, it does. You just have to apply the formula on a more individiual basis.

2. You're going to be bad at one point. Deal with it.

I used to write a lot of Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction. Really, really BAD fanfiction. This was all the way back in junior high, back when I was more naive and inexperienced. It wasn't until I was older when I realized how awful these stories are. This was mostly because I was making things up when I went along and had no idea of where I was going. I'm still not sure if I'm "good" yet, but compared to back then, I feel like I've come a long way.

3. The best stories comment on old trends.

Why'd y'all think Shrek was so popular when it first came out? It was because it was a commentary on the by then dry and stale Disney Renaissance Movie formula that every animation studio wanted to cash in on. For a more anime flavor, I'm going to write a trapped-in-another-world story. What do I do to make my plot stand out? Let's make our hero a grade-school boy instead of a teen. He and his entire class are stuck in a foreign land where they can't speak the language, have powers they barely comprehend, and most of the children are homesick and scared. The only adult with them is their teacher, the monsters are a lot more dangerous, and back in our world, we get to watch the parents worried sick because their kids never came home from their field trip. THAT is how you breath fresh life into an increasingly-cliched genre. You can do a lot more with story-telling without resorting to a paint-by-numbers plot or characters.

As for my personal philosophy, I believe in free thought. I don't believe there's Only One Righteous Way of interpreting something. Look at Grave of the Fireflies, for example. Even with Takahata's own words and knowing what was going to happen, I still finished the film with my own interpretation of what the story meant to me. I'm not going to discourage anyone else's ideas on what their favorite stories mean to them. Besides, sometimes, a story just wants to entertain you, and whats' wrong with that? Some of my favorite anime series are just simple sitcoms or fun thrillers.

So, those are my thoughts on the topic. Now, I've been procrastinating long enough on Akane Analyzes. Now that I got my Leonard Bernstein ear worm out, I can focus on writing. See you there. Smile
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ParaChomp



Joined: 10 Dec 2010
Posts: 1018
PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 9:59 pm Reply with quote
After watching IHateEverything's videos on "I Hate Animé", watching BobSamurai's vidoe on "Things I Hate in Animé", and many hours of my life wasted on TVTropes I can't stop seeing the tropes. They're EVERYWHERE and severely bog down my experience. It's not that they're all bad, it's that they either bland or appear too frequently.

Americans aren't risky enough to casually tell a coherent story (possibly aimed at an older audience) using animation but I think the Japanese are worse since they can't let go of their tropes.
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Jose Cruz



Joined: 20 Nov 2012
Posts: 1767
Location: South America
PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 2:14 pm Reply with quote
American stuff is full of tropes too. But you don't notice it because they appear to be the "normal" way of writing.

Overall I would say I think some shows are less creative than others. For instance, stuff like Is the Order a Rabbit is full of tropes copied from other manga of cute girls doing cute things. While Paranoia Agent is more original but still is heavily influenced by previous stuff. Its impossible for stuff to be made without reference to the past, so it's impossible for a story to exist without using "tropes".
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motokokusanagi002





PostPosted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 8:56 pm Reply with quote
Jose Cruz wrote:
American stuff is full of tropes too. But you don't notice it because they appear to be the "normal" way of writing.


Surely all media is composed of tropes, by definition?
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EmperorThor



Joined: 03 Dec 2023
Posts: 11
Location: Ivory Tower
PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2023 5:27 am Reply with quote
Some shows are nothing but tropes and others are have more nuanced characters that do not conform to the stereotypes.

Never shows have their own new recurring tropes that probably need some term to describe them. On the other hand calling them Karens would be appropriate. I miss the times when they were dere types and not 50 shades of Karens.
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