Re: why are there so few asian anime characters?

9:26 AM EST, 11/20/03

On 11/17/2003 4:32 AM, Jeffo Swarthmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote in <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:

> Is it because it's more exciting with characters that look different
> than the audience?

Maybe it's the more appealing way to draw characters in anime now. I 
mean, they can draw them in any way they want, yet most draw in this 
sort of distinct way. American cartoons are the shows which have far 
more varied character art design styles, I think {some good, some bad, 
heh}. With a small, current few being ever increasingly influenced by 
the typical anime char. look. Just watch one day of CN, & you'll see so 
many ways humans are drawn in.

> Of course some of the characters are fantasy characters, with super
> powers and green hair. But even the animes with natural looking
> characters very seldom have characters that look like asians.

If your real question was “why are there so few asian-looking anime 
characters” then I don't know why. Probably because a majority of 
animation companies have adopted a sort of design style that's very 
general and is the most widely imitated form of character art (style) in 
Japan. Whatever looks good, everybody copies, it seems. This form of 
imitation is reaching far beyond Japan's borders as other countries like 
the US are starting to mimic this type of “character design style” in 
current animations/cartoons. See some current TV shows on Cartoon 
Network for examples.
To find characters that might resemble asians onscreen in anime, you 
might find such in Akira or Perfect Blue. Now, these don't exactly use 
the typical anime character style, though (i.e., no big eyes).

> Compare with cartoons made in the western world where it is common to
> use characters that look like the people who live where the cartoon
> was made.

It's all dependent on the art style preference of the animator(s), & if 
they choose to either have everyone in their toon share the same basic 
shape & facial structure or if they do opt for drawing characters that 
are clearly distinguishable from others, especially those from other 
countries like Asia. Also, I think I read there's a greater preference 
towards big eyes as compared to small or normallish-looking eyes in 
Japan & so their shows' animators reflect that idea through their anime, 
whereas here in Amer., it's not really a big deal and so the animators 
of our shows are more comfortable with drawing varied eye styles – big 
or small.
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