“Should Anime Have a Message?”
- Categories: Anime, News
- Date: May 14, 2011 06:34 JST
- Tags: 2ch, Comparison, Moe, Otaku, Production Controversy, Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Anime fans have lately been discussing whether anime should have a “message,” with the general sentiment apparently being that it is better off without it.
The exchange:
“Do you lot think anime should have a message? If it’s pushy then I’d rather it didn’t…”
“Who cares if it’s good.”
“They usually get too preachy. Whether it makes any impression depends on the viewer.”
“Any kind of title has a message. It’s something someone made, after all.”
“I hate messages. I preferred the very first Gundam. Anime is for entertainment so it’s no good to lose sight of that.”
“I prefer it to have a message, but it must still be entertaining first and foremost.”
“Viewers may like a message, but the makers must remember making it entertaining is their top priority.”
“Ones which leave you with a message to think about after finishing are good. Without a message it is just empty.”
“Real drama does leave you with a message. This is what’s so good about Madocchi – it has a formal tale of spiritual growth, and the fun parts too.”
“As far as messages go, the ones in TV commercials are enough for me.”
“Eroge anime may have messages but they still just cause you to droop. If people like that sort of thing, let them.”
“Lately there are anime which deliberately quash their message element, like Geass – it seems interest in them wanes a bit faster that way.”
“Does Madoka have a message?”
“‘Life isn’t that soft’ or something like that I think.”
“Madoka’s message is ‘Don’t love anyone’ or some such.”
“Anime is more entertainment than art. It doesn’t need to have any message. That said, it’s probably best not to have them promoting the depraved.”
“Right, those who feel a message can pick it up and appreciate it, others can just enjoy the show.”
It is interesting to speculate as to how closely the “message” and “no message” camps correspond to the so-called Type A and Type B otaku factions…
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The message behind Madoka is obviously: "If a white cat-fox thingy asks you to make a contract, just say no kids".
Madoka's message is quite clear: before you sign a contract, read the fine prints.
Clearly you missed that ;)
More like strangle the terms and conditions out of that white furball of death since he wont tell if you don't ask :3
Except for strangling one won't affect that thing much.
Not enough to kill him, that is.
Just gonna torture that poor fucker till it wished itself dead.
I thought the message was "If it's not in the law then it's not illegal."
OH no, I sense another friendship speech incoming...
i though it was, ya know, heart of the cards = friendship
Or better, hire a lawyer before making the contract.
I thought the message was drink Morning Rescue. :3
The key to not losing in FML is to not make a contract with QB
FML = Full Metal Loli?
Not the same anon, but most anything has a message in it if you look in the right place. Take south park for example. Of course this is balanced by scroty mc boogerballs...
You don't need a message in anime, but seriously, if they go out of their way to not have a message that approachs The Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog, where they decided since they had no message they'd shoehorn one in at the end via sonic sez.
@12:41
I totally agree, that's what I love so much about so much about anime! It gave the medium of animation more meaning instead of the american way where they thought that meaningless and endless repetitions of adventures and jokes could go on forever(of course with a tiny variety. Man! did Evangelion ever gave them a scare in 1995 when it came out ).
People found this out the hard way when it didn't exist people only stuck to American cartoons or comics but when anime and manga came, they wanted nothing less, ironic isn't it!? Of course American animated show had their exceptions like a lot of disney's works but in the end they were never as complicated, diverse(or arousing) as anime came to be.
To idiots who can't get the plot's or even just appreciate them just stick to Dora the Explorer and have a stupid mouse cursor to point you to the answers! Erotic or Not, Plot filled or just Slice of Life one thing is for sure anime was never intended for actual retards!
@12:41
"The medium is the message." - Marshall McLuhan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message
Learn to quote properly, for fuck's sake.
I don't think that anime needs to have a forced message since the anime itself IS the message.
Its just whiners that bitch since they are too dumb to connect the dots. Go watch Barney and Sesame street instead, idiots.
If they would put these obvious messages in anime, it would bend the personalities of the characters just to "SHOW" the message to dumbfucks who needs to be spoonfed information (unless its for kids, or a disney show)
@Diemeow23 : The thing is, the disney stories that don't suck are always those that were stolen by the Americans like Snow white or the Lion King, they were never created by the Americans to begin with but just stolen to rip off the peoples money.
The Americans can never do anything creative(just look at the stupid looney tunes or Animaniacs or Tex Avery and the whole other shit. Even things like Scooby Doo make you ask yourself why you watched them after you've seen Case closed(Meitantei Conan)/Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro or Spiral because the cases (in Scooby Doo)sucked and weren't anything near to suspense/horror at all).
Well, it's not surprising,though,because many Americans are stupid and stupidly patriotic to say: "All that's not American is not worth enough to watch it or to see it as a role model to enhance ourselves" and keep doing the same crap over and over (not surprising thoungh,because their genes derive from people who were kicked out of their home country (the socalled "Purigans") because they were a stupid sect and millions of people that were either prosecuted because they were criminals or betrayed their homecountry when the times were hard and fled to an easier lifestyle,from latetime slavedrivers and Black Slaves from Africa; that tried to exterminate the indigenous Americans(the Indian tribes) to gain control over the whole land and started wars with Europe although they never did drop a single Bomb on America).
They have inherited all the scumgenes from all around the world so it's not surprising that the outcome is the way it is and that they can't do any better than this...
@above,it's a typo,should have been "Puritans", not Purigans
@12:58
I think him being able to kind of able to quote that was just coincidence I don't really think he was trying.
Heck that's the first time I've heard that!
Maybe I'm just not Literary enough(or something)
you gotz it backwards, its telling you to say yes, oh yes - YES YES!!
-to the dark side, give into your desires and be yourself.
On a slightly more serious note, the reason why Madoka exists is simple.
You see all those girls making contracts with otherworldly beings, interdimensional avatars that looks like teddy bears or even goddesses of multiverses and I think it's post modern look at just how serious that kind of a contract is. That if taken at any kind of serious light, girls would get killed, and bad, world shattering intergalactics would happen. I'm pretty sure that at this point, most Precure at their highest power could destroy most galaxies. XD
That's like asking "Should food have calories?" All art carries a message regardless of whether or not it is planted consciously.
Exactly, what makes an anime popular to someone is how much of an impact it has on them or what it makes them think about after it completes... It may not be a message, but it's something to think about.
All Japanese Anime have social messages, even the dumbest corniest badly animated - subbed/dubbed ones have a message.
As long as you can observe it without your troll senses kicking in.
You will come away with something - sad, happy, comforted, or in some cases more horny than before you watched it.
^_^
2D = Good
3D = ....
Humans are the real invaders of course.
Is it sad that I actually enjoyed Mars of Destruction?
What was the message in Mars of Destruction?
I barely notice any messages in anime at all. We do have the same conception of a message, right? Oh well, perhaps it's just me.
Just had to say...
"BELIEVE IT"
or whatever the fucks ;D
(yes, Bleach and Naruto have messages... zzz)
BELIEVE IN THE ME THAT BELIEVES IN YOU!!!
Dattebayo
Except the new wave of anime is all about making plot-less shows with cute characters. The message is as follows:
"HERPA DI DERP, CUTE WOMEN ARE CUTE, WHO WOULD'VE GUESSED?"
I remember watching anime back when I was a kid and having my first deep thoughts, nowadays it's all about not thinking, apparently. Thinking is hard, it makes sad people... sadder?
Grow up, otaku scum.
Come off it. Even K-On has messages. (How wonderful it is to goof of with your best friends. That you can achieve something, even if you start out as a total noob. How formative and character shaping even seemingly wasted time is. And so on, there are many more.)
that's more like "Should Sankaku write something without missleading titles?"
are you implying "who is edititng the editors?"
are you trying to incite a mutiny?
Misleading title is misleading.
Hahaha We're not confused you idiot, or are we?
confusing
LOL...Now that would be impossible!
But in fairness this title does seem to be actually what the article is about..
@Yourtime
That statement and your Avatar are in perfect sync.
That is true & they should, it increases the overall satisfaction after you finish watching it...
For better, or for worse...
I was thinking about this....then Panty & Stocking came to mind.
I was typing a long message but this one post of you made me delete it all and upvote yours.
Veritas est
Agree, anyway my short answer to the question would be: "sure, why not?"
Sure, however the question was asked with the implication that a message be intended.
For example, Vladimir Nabokov wrote Lolita with the intention of plunging the reader into a state of "'aesthetic bliss,'" and was against an intended message. On the other hand, Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange had a clear cut intention of preaching the message that being evil by choice is better than being programmed to be good.
All food contains calories, but there's a difference between celery and chocolate cake.
The issue is how explicit and/or profound a message an anime should have.
Of course anime needs a message, the problem is everyone on that board seems to be using the word "message" in this case like "Moe." Like some kind of useless buzz word.
Preachy is when a message is written badly and not weaved into the actual actions and plot of the characters and story. It it's written well, then the message is whatever the protagonist does to handle the situation, and affects you however it affects you. Technically a story has a preachy message in any case where something takes place in modern times and doesn't have extreme sci-fi elements, because it's unavoidable commentary on modern society at that point.
And hell, even porn needs a 'message.' Porn without a plot or scenario is kind of like watching a piston at a car factory. About as much noise and about as much entertainment.
It does not necessarily follow that because food has calories then art carries a messages.
In some cases, a work may be just a guilty pleasure to consume. Anything you decide to take from it would be your interpretation.
Sometimes it's good to be able to watch something without having to think.
Well it is true that do you apreciate way more an anime with a message when it is surrounded by shallow shows ñ_ñ