Deleted member 5802
Kraken
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知らぬが仏。- (Ignorance is bliss)
This has been the biggest questions asked about Japanese animation.
Most people would say their characters look like Japanese people. However that’s not 100% accurate.
People are able to make art that is reflective of themselves:
This is how Japanese drew themselves historically before World War 2:
What changed culturally? Some people say its Westernization, some people say its the effect of Nazism on their culture. Japan was a WWII ally of the Nazi.
The Nazi were obsesses with human perfection. Their idea of the perfect person is the Blond hair Blue eyed Aryan, with particular features, this is call Aryanism Definition of ARYANISM. Japanese culture is also perfection oriented. It would seem that some Nazi ideology influenced the Japanese culture. Eugenics in Japan - Wikipedia, Nazi eugenics - Wikipedia
Ernst Schäfer and others measuring Asian facial features as part of Hitler’s Eugenics program :
Japanese Animators are very aware on how they draw their characters, and the preference is for the charters to have “Aryan” features not just European features (Small lips/mouth, a pointed prominent nose, light hair and light eyes).
The very first Image in this post shows how Japanese animators view “Asian” looking charters in a negative light vs one with Aryan features:
Also, the term Mongoloid was prominent Up until the 1980′s. Mongoloid - Wikipedia. The term Mongoloid meant 2 things, having East Asian Ancestry, and having Downs Syndrome. Scientist basically postulated that East Asians were a race of people with inferior genetics. And that Down’s Syndrome was related to the Asian genes since people with Downs Syndrome have “Asian eyes”. This had a negative effect on the self image of East Asian people.
Mongolian idiocy - Wikipedia
One of the top cosmetic surgeries in Asia, Eye lid surgery:
While in college one of my dorm mates was Japanese and I asked him directly. He said Anime was based of American artwork that’s why they look white. Sounds like a simple enough reason.
One show that I like is Dragon Ball Z.
There is one character that’s drawn on the show that looks like a character of a Japanese Samurai, Yajirobe.
Him and a few others are drawn in a way that look less European. However often when they are given small or buffoonish personalities on the series. Non Japanese Asians are often drawn in this fashion.
The main Character Goku isn’t Human but, when he gets stronger his hair and eyes lighten and her turns into a Super Sayan. A Super Sayan is supposed to be their superior form.
Most of the characters are supposed to be representative of Japanese people however they are drawn to look more like an idealistic Japanese version of a Northern European.
One of the drawbacks that I’ve seen is when the Animated story is turned into a live movie. The complaint is “Why are White Actors playing the roles, the characters are Japanese” or “Why are these Japanese actors playing these roles they look nothing like the anime character”.
Some people were upset that All the charters in The Last Air bender where played by White actors (With exception to the bad guy played by an British actor of Indian decent):
Some people were upset that All the charters in the movie “Attack on Titan” where played by Asian actors as they didn’t look like the Anime charters.
Edit:
I friend of mine (Half Japanese) saw my post and said I must mention the Gaijin Complex.
“If you are familiar with Japanese culture, you probably have heard of the word, “Gaijin Compex” (gaijin kumpurekkusu). The basis is that Japanese people generally have an inferiority complex towards non-Asian foreigners.”
“The Gaijin Complex and is a controversial subject and many Japanese avoid talking about it but I am Japanese and I am not afraid to talk about it.”
“Japanese people do not have the Gaijin Complex towards people from other Asian countries, but they do have an inferiority complex towards “certain” (non-Asian) foreigners. Mainly towards Caucasian foreigners from developed Western countries”
This has been the biggest questions asked about Japanese animation.
Most people would say their characters look like Japanese people. However that’s not 100% accurate.
People are able to make art that is reflective of themselves:
This is how Japanese drew themselves historically before World War 2:
What changed culturally? Some people say its Westernization, some people say its the effect of Nazism on their culture. Japan was a WWII ally of the Nazi.
The Nazi were obsesses with human perfection. Their idea of the perfect person is the Blond hair Blue eyed Aryan, with particular features, this is call Aryanism Definition of ARYANISM. Japanese culture is also perfection oriented. It would seem that some Nazi ideology influenced the Japanese culture. Eugenics in Japan - Wikipedia, Nazi eugenics - Wikipedia
Ernst Schäfer and others measuring Asian facial features as part of Hitler’s Eugenics program :
Japanese Animators are very aware on how they draw their characters, and the preference is for the charters to have “Aryan” features not just European features (Small lips/mouth, a pointed prominent nose, light hair and light eyes).
The very first Image in this post shows how Japanese animators view “Asian” looking charters in a negative light vs one with Aryan features:
Also, the term Mongoloid was prominent Up until the 1980′s. Mongoloid - Wikipedia. The term Mongoloid meant 2 things, having East Asian Ancestry, and having Downs Syndrome. Scientist basically postulated that East Asians were a race of people with inferior genetics. And that Down’s Syndrome was related to the Asian genes since people with Downs Syndrome have “Asian eyes”. This had a negative effect on the self image of East Asian people.
Mongolian idiocy - Wikipedia
One of the top cosmetic surgeries in Asia, Eye lid surgery:
While in college one of my dorm mates was Japanese and I asked him directly. He said Anime was based of American artwork that’s why they look white. Sounds like a simple enough reason.
One show that I like is Dragon Ball Z.
There is one character that’s drawn on the show that looks like a character of a Japanese Samurai, Yajirobe.
Him and a few others are drawn in a way that look less European. However often when they are given small or buffoonish personalities on the series. Non Japanese Asians are often drawn in this fashion.
The main Character Goku isn’t Human but, when he gets stronger his hair and eyes lighten and her turns into a Super Sayan. A Super Sayan is supposed to be their superior form.
Most of the characters are supposed to be representative of Japanese people however they are drawn to look more like an idealistic Japanese version of a Northern European.
One of the drawbacks that I’ve seen is when the Animated story is turned into a live movie. The complaint is “Why are White Actors playing the roles, the characters are Japanese” or “Why are these Japanese actors playing these roles they look nothing like the anime character”.
Some people were upset that All the charters in The Last Air bender where played by White actors (With exception to the bad guy played by an British actor of Indian decent):
Some people were upset that All the charters in the movie “Attack on Titan” where played by Asian actors as they didn’t look like the Anime charters.
Edit:
I friend of mine (Half Japanese) saw my post and said I must mention the Gaijin Complex.
“If you are familiar with Japanese culture, you probably have heard of the word, “Gaijin Compex” (gaijin kumpurekkusu). The basis is that Japanese people generally have an inferiority complex towards non-Asian foreigners.”
“The Gaijin Complex and is a controversial subject and many Japanese avoid talking about it but I am Japanese and I am not afraid to talk about it.”
“Japanese people do not have the Gaijin Complex towards people from other Asian countries, but they do have an inferiority complex towards “certain” (non-Asian) foreigners. Mainly towards Caucasian foreigners from developed Western countries”
