Anime is a genre of Japanese-style art and animation generally enjoyed by a good majority of people. In fact, in the U.S., about 72% of people watch anime regularly. However, anime is often disregarded as a kind of “art,” and more of a derogatory stereotype by those who have not indulged.
Even though many have watched anime, it still has a negative connotation surrounding both anime itself and the people who choose to watch it.
Although the typical stereotype is depicted as more of a basement-dweller with a body-length pillow with a printed character on it, this has evolved into more of a dangerous assumption about a lot of people.
Anime fans can be portrayed as those with unhealthy obsessions with the sexualization of characters, particularly females, and even children. It would be optimistic to assume these people don’t actually exist, but there are much fewer than the media make out to be. Fan service, or animating a character in a more revealing or sexual manner, is present in the genre. Despite this, most fans do not typically enjoy it as it is usually translated as softcore pornography.
It is also true that women are typically drawn in anime with more curves and in revealing clothing. This is just the nature of the art, and it’s not exclusive to women, as men are also often drawn to attract an audience. This style is also not exclusive to animation, as we see the sexualization of female superhero costumes and the casting of notably “attractive” persons in live television.
The reason for such an attractive route to character design is simply aesthetics. It is generally agreed upon by mainstream audiences that it simply looks good. Anime is truly a unique style of animation that has captured audiences through the use of just pretty design and colors.
Additionally, not all anime styles are like this. Studio Ghibli is not only regarded as one of the best art styles in the genre but it is often known for its realistic and feminist portrayal of female characters. Ghibli films are geared toward children but have grown in popularity with adults as well. The protagonists are mainly female and through the use of colors, magic storytelling and a whimsical style, this style is not only a good watch for anyone looking to dip their toes into anime, but also for those looking for something less extreme.
Despite Japan being conservative when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ community, queer themes are still present in anime. According to a survey, 39% of anime fans identify as LGBTQIA+ and are generally popular with the anime world.
There has been LGBTQIA+ representation in anime for years, as characters are never really created with a particular sexuality in mind, which is why it’s so common for characters in anime to be associated with so many others in a romantic context.
The negative connotation here lies with the traditional Japanese view on LGBTQIA+ relationships, despite the art style being so popular in the community. Many characters have also started breaking gender norms, identifying as gender-neutral.
A popular shonen, or fighting anime directly defined as “manga for boys about 12-18 years old,” “Attack on Titan” was created in 2013 and introduced the main character, Hange. In season one, the character used “she/her” pronouns, but the creator has since confirmed those have been revoked as Hange does not have a canon gender, proving furthermore that anime is more progressive than many tend to think.
The negativity surrounding anime should shift its focus to the abuse and underpayment of animators in the field. Instead of focusing on whether fans are introverts or fetishizers, there is a genuine crisis over animation studios barely paying employees enough to survive, even as the industry continues to bring in millions of dollars a year.
Abby Jenkins is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Abby know by tweeting her @abbyjenks18 or emailing her at aj205621@ohio.edu.
