Forum - View topicFemale characters in anime = Frighting?
|
|
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
IchigoK90
 Posts: 1634 Location: Scarborough, Ontario |
|
||
|
This thought came up into my mind after watching Love Hina and after rewatching the arc in which Naruto and Ero-Sennin go looking for Tsunade. In alot of anime women seem to be depicted as difficult characters to deal with and in some cases they have tremendous strength. I'm quite curious as to why the in anime female characters are given such qualities. I know from my experiences with some girls that they can be difficult but in some anime they seem to take it up to another level. Just a thought in my head but I'd like to hear your opinions on it.
"Believe it!" - IchigoK90 |
|||
|
|||
morsmaestro
 Posts: 172 Location: Sacramento |
|
||
|
I think its a major aspect of shounen. Creating female characters that are strong as well as attractive makes them more likeable to a male audience, which would ultimately mean more sales. The general consensus is that men like action (which would require tough characters, I think), and of course, men like women. What better way to get good sales than combining these two?
As to a general cultural trend in anime production...Never noticed. "frighting"? |
|||
|
|||
|
IchigoK90
Posts: 1634 Location: Scarborough, Ontario |
|
||
|
Haha the Frighting thing was an error on my part, really tired today so haven't really been thinking properly.
"Believe it!" - IchigoK90 |
|||
|
|||
Azathrael
 Posts: 745 |
|
||
|
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that traditional Japanese women were complete opposites of what you mentioned: Silent, obedient, and well-mannered. So it'd only be natural for Japanese men to fantasize about what-ifs and put it in their art. Or maybe it was a female artist who started this trend.
|
|||
|
|||
|
morsmaestro
Posts: 172 Location: Sacramento |
|
||
Not like I care, just found it amusing, thats all. |
|||
|
|||
jaybug39
 Posts: 552 Location: Oregon, Is it FOOTBALL yet? |
|
||
|
I'd agree with Azathael, otherwise one would think that the anime creators were trying to empower women by writing characters that could take names and kick hind end. Naw, the writers are just hentai in having female characters so out of the ordinary realm of everyday life.
|
|||
|
|||
Stupidman007
 Posts: 394 |
|
||
|
As far as women that kick ass, I feel that it's nothing more than the popular culture that affects pretty much all first world nations. A lot of American shows have women who are strong, independent, and kick ass. There's nothing wrong with that being portrayed in anime since it is pretty much a worldwide concensus that it's the women who run the world, and men are just sideshows.
|
|||
|
|||
|
morsmaestro
Posts: 172 Location: Sacramento |
|
||
Worldwide consensus? I would agree, women do seem to get a lot more accomplished, but theres a lot of people who think otherwise, mainly anti-feminists (sp?) I at least know its an American thing. It took congress a hella long time to ratify womens rights stuff. A lot of the same in Asia, Middle East is riding with the worst on that. Is it different in some European cultures? |
|||
|
|||
TranceLimit174
 Posts: 964 |
|
||
|
Well as far as series like Naruto is concerned, I believe part of it has to do with being able to take the character seriously. If a female character is generally weak in a shounen action series then who's gonna care about her? Especially when it comes to younger fans, a stronger female makes the fans care more about her. Also I think a strong woman ultimatley makes her more attractive. So it also contributes to any sex appeal or any of the other attractive traits the character might have. Even Spike loves a woman who can kick his ass. Anyway I think this is why Temari is much more popular than Sakura and Ino (from what I can tell). She comes off as being much stronger overall compared to the latter two.
|
|||
|
|||
Mexicanime86
 Posts: 135 Location: Dallas, TX |
|
||
|
Well, if you think about it a bit, it makes sense, like for example, would you be more attracted to a weak (physically and mentally), and quiet girl that just rapidly agrees to eveything you say just to make you happy, and like her or to a woman who's straight up with you from the get-go and let's you know that she actually has a mind of her own?
Well, at least thas what I like....
Well, when we see women portayed, at least in western media, they're either the damsel in distress who swoons even at the thought of the male lead, or a kick-butt, take no nonsense person that no man can keep up with, and since this what is in our media, it's this that many foriegners accept that it's "what we like", so it gets translatde into what a international demographic would like.... PLease excuse me if it all sounds like mad rant with no basis for it. |
|||
|
|||
|
Azathrael
Posts: 745 |
|
||
The concept of a "loud" female in Japanese society was probably introduced by westerners. Or maybe it was an explosive effect of globalization and male/female equality in a society where women were shut up for hundreds of years. But "what we like" has no relevance whatsoever with how Japanese people (or any foreign people) make their anime/manga. That last statement seems quite arrogant if you mean it the same way I interpreted it. -_-; |
|||
|
|||
|
Mexicanime86
Posts: 135 Location: Dallas, TX |
|
||
|
I meant, unfortunetly that's how we may get portrayed, but since the the really talented creators of manga/anime series can tell what's good and what's not, they can take those western media as an influence or reference for their own works.
I guess I did'nt make that point clear. Oops  .....
|
|||
|
|||
|
morsmaestro
Posts: 172 Location: Sacramento |
|
||
I would have to disagree on that. Certainly it is a great thing for art to be original and directly from the artist, however, as much as we don't like it, some artists still try to 'supply the demand', which is the whole idea behind pop art. (  And there I go off topic again...)
|
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group