Really, there are some shows on TV (Japanese, America, or other) that are far superior in terms of compelling stories than a good portion of classic literature.
Heh. Not really.
Actually, to be honest, I've never been particularly fond of anime. I'm not sure if it's destroying society (because to make such a claim you'd have to presuppose that America had much of a society to begin with, which is rather doubtful), but I've never found it to be particularly compelling. Miyazaki I've found alright, but even he is just that. I don't suppose that American cartoons can outstrip him for the most, but if you're bringing forward a comparison of TV to lierature, I'd have to disagree. I've yet to see any TV show, American, anime, or whatever, that can accomplish that. I suppose the definition of 'compelling' can be a bit variable, but nonetheless, I think at most they are comparable to a Tragedy in story, perhaps to one of the old Epics... but only because their stories were shorter in some regard. Then again, what story on TV matches the Oresteia? These are good stories, you must remember. And in that I'm only considering pre-novel. Once you get into the novel, the complexity of the stories become manifoldly greater (though one might well argue that complexity doesn't really mean something is a better or more compelling story. But if not, then you could claim the Iliad, or the Eumenedies, or yet even something like the Thebaid, as a compelling story.)
Actually, and this comment will likely get me a lot of flak, but it's what I do believe. Now, I've not really see too much anime, but I've seen Miyazaki at any rate, and he's considered to be pretty good, and you know... he's not the equal of the great authors. Not by far. He's not a bad storyteller, but just like Rowling doesn't have the deft and power of the greats. His skill lies more in mood than in actually telling something, I'd think. Now, going otherwhere, the worth of Crono Trigger, I think, was pure entertainment, not too much more. Now, heh, of course you're probably wondering why I played and liked Crono Trigger. Well, to some extent I have different eyes now. I've read a bunch of Classical literature since then, and I can see better concepts of philosophy and theme and all. Now, Trigger and Cross are fun stories, but their themes don't run too deep. Trigger isn't too much more than a saturday morning cartoon: nice themes of courage and heroism, but rather black and white. The most complex you get is the anti-hero of Janus, who at least went beyond this a bit, but more or less it was cliche, which worked for entertainment value... but not literature. But at least Trigger and Cross both have nostalgia and mood going for them - a good soundtrack that gives them a certain feel, and the like. Something like Xenosaga... I must say that that exemplifies what I see in anime. I hear people talking about anime, and talking about the things in them, and to be honest, it sounds like they're written by children. The themes I've heard aren't complex: they're depressing. Anyone can write depressing: it requires no skill nor world-sense. Whatever happened to tragedy? We've forgotten it, and I can bet you there's not a single truly tragic anime.
Heh. Sorry about that bit of a rant, but I just have never seen all that much quality in the literature of anime. Story, maybe, but not literature. I've yet to be shown how their stories are so good. I think my impression of their inherent immaturity is exemplified by the following comment:
But the one thing that really bugged me the most was the fact that you have these ninja's with al of these cool weapons and all of them used their weapons except one...Leonardo. This guy has dual katana's and he is the leader, yet he doesn't cut people or stab people with his swords. All he did was cut the enemies weapons in half. Now imagine if there was an anime about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles....need I say more. Over here in America, they dumb down alot of stuff because they still believe that anything "animated" is more for children than adults. Whereas Japan has realized that adults and older teenagers can also enjoy that medium with more mature storyliines and visuals.
Precisely. This is what anime espouses. Tell me, what is it that makes violence 'better'? More 'realistic'? That's an amateur's view of literature, and to those who study it we'd consider it in fact second rate. Look at the great works of the world. If you wish, take Shakespeare; I prefer the ancients. Either way, it's the same. The violence in any of the great old works is reserved. In Aeschylus, or the other antique playwrites of the early 5th century it's almost nonexistent, because it's unneccessary. You want to instruct, and show the high and noble so as to make us better. True, evil things happen, but there is no reason to dwell on the blood and gore. That wasn't the Greek way, and it resonates better in their literature. Take in contrast a more second rate tragedian, my beloved philosopher Seneca. I really like the guy, but his tragedy is terribly bloody. It speaks so much of the gore it actually can't be considered 'true' tragedy, and becomes more a precursor to horror. For, indeed, tragedy is not meant to invoke a dismal horror but a brilliant fear. Quite a distinct emotion. The blood of Seneca is an all too easy and amateur device to create some sort of emotion in the audience, and shows a lack of skill on the part of the author to develop power via more reserved means. Some knowledgeable of the ancients might bring up the Iliad and its violence, but again, a distinction. Here it's entirely show without apology, always the teeth getting cut out by spears and all that, but it's different. Why? Because the style and meter is stately. It's reserved, and if it's violent, it's heroic violence. A very difficult effect ot achieve, and I dare say almost no author these days would be capable of it. It is done in such a way that the violence is shown gloriously, and in that way requires a sort of war-culture that we are not comfortable with in our age. Anyway, if one wishes to talk Shakespeare, I think we are all aware of the inferiority of his Titus compared to something like Hamlet. We don't consider Titus more 'adult' by virtue of its violence. Indeed, in exhibiting this is show a height of childishness, rather than maturity. Something truly adult would never show violence in the manner of in anime: it wouldn't be neccessary.
Let's not forget, actually, the ampitheatres of Rome, the famous Flavian most of all (let's not call it the Colosseum, please.) Tell me, did the display of blood (and for a moment lets remove the fact that it was true people that died, and lets just look at it from the perspective of display) make it more inherently adult? And if I say more, I must add a contrast. Let us ask... what is the more mature, what would be the more adult to watch: the fight of gladiators in Rome, or the watching of an Aeschylean play in Athens? Furthermore, and I'll add a more modern comment, let us not forget that the highly considered Lord of the Rings saga was considered by critics 'childish' for this very reason you name anime mature: that it lacked the level of violence and blood and sex that supposedly 'adult' works had. Yet I daresay in retrospect none of those other works ever achieved the level of maturity or power that Tolkien accomplished. Violence is absolutely irrelivant to the issue of how adult something is, and the desire to include it implies the very opposite.
Alright, I'll accept it though. Anime is the next hot thing. I needn't like it though. Just like Cato of old, that guardian of morality as he was called, I'll be wary of it, and cast my own lot in favour of the hallowed works of old in contrast to what is not likely lasting. Fact is, something like, oh, Prometheus Bound has been around for around... 2550 years. I don't think the majority of this anime is that lasting. Longevity generally says something (just don't mention to me Martial's epigrams or the Satyricon... yikes! Sometimes even the gutter lasts a long time) about literary quality. I just can't see anime having anywhere near such lasting value, because it never seems to strike as deeply. Even Miyazaki can't reach the heights. He paints wonderful mood, but his stories don't have half the power of an Aeschylean play. They don't have half the philosophy, or the theology. Until anime is capable of that, I'd rather just stay away.
Heh. Man, I'll catch flak for that, but it's my opinion. That doesn't mean it's right, because opinions are merely an attempt to view an absolute, the truth, which can never be entirely free to apprehend - but through the exchange of opinions, hopefully a clearer view of this truth becomes apparent to all. Please, feel free to challenge it. Rant if you wish, but I've argued this before only to be met with more fanboyish rage than actual critcism. I know people say that the themes of anime are deep but... to be honest, I think the people who say this simply aren't knowledgeable of truly deep literature, and so have no standard to compare it to. I could be wrong, however.
