A topic that has been bugging me for a while: Trend of female anime characters

[Lego]

<font color="red"> Warning: Topic May Be NSFW or contain spoilers </font>

This topic has been bugging me for a while now. While I'll probably get a few rolled eyes, or even a few flames my way, I felt that instead of going back and forth thinking about it, I would make a post about it here.

Now most of us as anime fans are used to the fanserivce, sexual situations, and even some of the gags such as in GTO. Female anime fans also have men to look at and fawn over(nothing wrong with that), but since I'm male, I wanted to focus on this subject. It seems with a recent rise in all things "moe", from shows like Canvas, Lamune, and others, we're straying away from characters like Mai from Hime, Motoko from GITS, and even Robin from WHR.

Instead of characters like these, we seem to be getting younger characters, such as in Kamichu(great show, but wanted to mention it due to age). Now don't get me wrong on Kamichu. I didn't go into the show looking for a fanservice extravaganza(something like Girls Bravo or Love Hina). But I raised a eyebrow when they went from this (http://www.webpost.net/bi/Bigmario/kamichu03070.jpg) to this (http://www.webpost.net/bi/Bigmario/kamichu07028.jpg) in Kamichu. I'm talking about Mitsue(long hair and glasses) and not Yurie. Now I'm not going to disregard the show just because of some "interesting" proportions used in the cliche beach episode. But it left me, again, with a raised eyebrow. At no other point in the show is it shown or eluded to from various shots that she is that "well endowed".

Now I'm not just picking on Kamichu. Kamichu is one of my favorite shows of 2005, and I even want it licensed in my sig. But recently I've found myself going back to moments in some shows, with characters that don't have the appearance of being someone like Natsuki/Mai from Hime, or going back to someone like Robin from WHR. It'll be someone like Mikoto from Hime, or another character that you can tell is in the low teens.

I don't have a problem with fanservice at all. Fanservice in shows like Love Hina for Naru and others is fair game. Same for Hime where you have characters that are in shape "proportion wise". I don't even mind something like Full Metal Panic or in Fumoffu where we got a couple almost full nudity shots during the hot spring episode. Again from the series and the designs, no one is going to confuse them with someone younger.

I'm not here to bash what genres or characters people are into. I guess you could say having a "guilty" conscience lead to the post. After watching something like say PetoPeto, which is completely innocent(fun show), you do get this weird vibe from certain parts. I haven't been one in the past or now to favor the younger characters(most know what I'm talking about). It's a given that most anime contains teenage female and male leads and characters.

Although I guess it's just a feeling I have where I tend to get annoyed, or stray away from shows where I know the main draw, or one of the draws is younger characters for that certain set of fans.

I'm sorry if this comes off as a blog like post, but it's something I've wanted to get off my chest for a while.

[Suwako Moriya]

Honestly it sounds like you're taking the long route to say "I don't like fanservice for characters below a certain age". Then again everyone has their limits. Either way personally the fanservice for some of the younger females doesn't bother me that much. Err let's leave it at that.

[Lego]

[ QUOTE ]
Mimi Masuko said:
Honestly it sounds like you're taking the long route to say "I don't like fanservice for characters below a certain age". Then again everyone has their limits. Either way personally the fanservice for some of the younger females doesn't bother me that much. Err let's leave it at that.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess you could go that way(Still want to call you Alyssa or Asa heh). Like I said im fine with a shot here and there, like in Jigoku Shoujo where we have a couple scenes of Ai fully clothed, but sitting in a spring/pond relaxing. It hasn't bothered me before, it just seems that we're getting more and more shows like this. Normally I wouldn't even think about it unless it was blatant(like a panty shot or some of the things in Girls Bravo or Shuffle).

I mean if you start purposely going out and looking for scenes or shots, anything can seem that way if you're in that mind set. I have nothing against people who like certain characters or genres. But as you mentioned in shows like Peto, Canvas, and so forth, it just rubs me the wrong way.

Let me set the recrod straight though on Kamichu. I watched that episode, found nothing wrong or "risque" with it. Was just surprised how "well endowed" she was considering the tone of the show and her apperance through out the show(well except a scene in episode 1 where they kind of show you). The episode itself is pretty good.

[Suwako Moriya]

Now wait a minute here. You state Shuffle as an example. Yet from what I remember most of the girls in the series are around Mai's age or older. In fact Primula herself is the closest we have to an underage female.

Also in my experience when it comes to some anime, they have what is known as variety. I mean take My-HiME. You have young adult (Midori), older teen (Shizuru), middle teen (Mai), young teen (Shiho), and loli (Alyssa). Okay maybe that's a bad example since Shuffle is more open about fanservice, but yeah even Mashiro gets fanservice in an Omake related to her.

Still the point remains that in many cases fanservice is spread across multiple ages. Of course the level of fanservice varies. For example sometimes the fanservice is low level. Ie they are just providing the audience with an 13 year old female to look at for example. Beyond that she may just wear plain clothes that are not much fanservice. Other times they increase the level a bit by having her wear swimsuits, kimonos, dresses and etc. Still they may pump it even more by showing her in her undergarments. Or yet take it too a really high level by showing her naked. 13 being only an example age. This can apply to girls much younger or much older.

Then there are times a series is a package deal. I mean for example if a family goes to the beach you'll see all of them in swimsuits. If the magical girls in a show vary by age then if the older girls got the fanservice style transformation then so will the younger ones. I could go on. Still in the end you shouldn't worry much about it.

Heck a very real example of a package deal is "Gedou Otome Tai". The ages of the girls are 5, 10, 14, 16, and 18. All get the magical girl transformation scene. Heh if you think that's fun wait until you find out which of the girls is 10. All I can say is I'm not sure what i should be thinking.

[Lego]

True. When I mentioned Shuffle, I meant that you don't(or in my view won't see) that level of fanservice in a show like Kamichu, or one with "younger" characters. I was using Shuffle as a example, like Mai from Hime. You can look at the girls from shuffle and immediately go "Ok, these girls are a certain age" and etc. You expect fanservice from something like that, and it generally goes over well.

I also know what you mean when you say variety. In a lot of shows like you have a "variety". Where you'll have a older character, a teen character, and a loli/young girl their. I'm mor partial to the older teen or adult characters, but again that is just me. Everyone likes different things, and I'm not one to comment on peoples tastes or anything of that sort.

I guess I wasn't expecting that "level" of fanservice from a show that has characters around that age(talking about Kamichu). While it isn't "pumped up" fanservice as you mentioned, you do get the common place "bouncing breasts" from Mituse. Although taking another look at her, she seems more grown up. Now if they had Yurie like that, then it would raise a eyebrow. I guess with the recent rise in dating game shows and "moe" shows, it's something that has come up again for me.

I guess the issue we keep coming back to, as you mentioned is different peoples "comfort levels" when it comes to fanservice or characters in general. It necessarily isn't to much of a worry, just something that I've been tossing around mentally for a while, and wanted to get it off my chest. I find myself to be to concerned with what others will think, or what others will take from certain scenes or certain anime shows. I guess the reasoning for it is a fear of a backlash, or something to that degree when we get fanservice from someone like Alyssa or Mashiro as you've stated.

[Suwako Moriya]

[ QUOTE ]
Lego said:I guess the reasoning for it is a fear of a backlash, or something to that degree when we get fanservice from someone like Alyssa or Mashiro as you've stated.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are honestly worrying way too much about stuff like this. Besides if you ask me the same people who would be the source of backlash for fanservice of someone like Mashiro would be the same way I bet even for someone like Midori for example.

[Lego]

That seems to be what I do, over worry about things. But I felt it was a legit topic to bring up. I mean I'm not that paranoid to think that just because Mikoto has a panty shot, that anime will be banned or etc. It's just something that I've been noticing and thinking about lately.

I agree with your last sentence. It would be a umbrella effect, rather than one thing.

[Fencedude]

I'd say you were making mountains out of molehills, but some my take the comment as insulting...

[Suwako Moriya]

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Lego said:I agree with your last sentence. It would be a umbrella effect, rather than one thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. This would especially be true of package deals such as Gedou Otome Tai. You can see the girls in question here (http://www.gedou.net/gedou/chara.html). Utano has to be one of the youngest magical girls I know of.

[Lego]

[ QUOTE ]
Fencedude said:
I'd say you were making mountains out of molehills, but some my take the comment as insulting...

[/ QUOTE ]

Point taken Fence. I dunno why I would find that insulting, since you're saying what you think of me and the topic. Granted I acknowledge that I end up as you put it "making mountains out of molehills" when it comes to a subject I care about.

But hopefully a post here and there like this one won't make people think of me as a "chicken little" or that I don't have other interesting things to say. I take it as criticism and as disarm has told me many times, try to stop worrying/being paranoid about things.

I thank Mimi for their responses(which were informative).

[Scaramanga]

[ QUOTE ]
Fencedude said:
I'd say you were making mountains out of molehills, but some my take the comment as insulting...

[/ QUOTE ]
The mole-people are insulted.

Man seriously Lego, I don't see what the issue is. Moe is a legitimate draw for a LOT of people, and moe fanservice (although that may be a bit redendant) is bound to happen (especially in shows that feature young girls as the main characters.) I don't see what the problem is? It's an animated show; you're not wacthing actual loli girls in their underwear, so I don't see the reason to be bothered by it.

Also, this seems like a permutation on your earlier thread about fanservice, except adding an age factor in there. Don't get me wrong I like a lot of your threads as they spark interesting debates/discusions, but this seems pretty much redundant considering a lot of things have already been adressed in the previous thread(s).

[Lego]

Again like Fence, point taken Scaramanga. I actually agree with you on a couple points. Like I said, I wasn't out to villinify "moe" or shows that feature young characters. Hell, Anita from ROD TV is one of my favorite female characters, even though she is a little on the young side. I wasn't necissarly "bothered" about it, it was something that had been kicking around in my head a while, and after reading Cinnamon's blog about moe this year, and checking out a couple episodes of Shana, I thought I would give it a post.

Yeh, I do seem to be pre occupied on this issue this week. Perhaps it's all the egg nog or just having tons of free time for my mind to wander due to winter break. I also agree that I've had, say 3(think it has been 3) threads in a similar vain.

Like I mentioned in reply to Fence's post, I don't take it as a insult or a personal attack. I won't go off on ya because you said something that was true. With all the new series that Rogue has been posting, hopefully there is something to get my mind off this and etc.

I thank everyone for telling it like it's. So if you see me post something like this in the future, feel free to let loose with the posts about me being redundant /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif.

[Suwako Moriya]

[ QUOTE ]
Lego said:I also agree that I've had, say 3(think it has been 3) threads in a similar vain.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's too bad we can't just merge the three topics together. It would have been better to stick to one topic and just well use the subjects in the other two threads to add to the discussion. Ie make it deeper. In any case one thing I would suggest is redirecting your energy. Ie use that energy to analyze aspects of anime besides fanservice. Or maybe even use that energy to analyze specific series or whatever. I mean there are definitely other subjects to cover.

[Lego]

Exactly. Maybe it's because of the normal between season "lull" also. I'm sure when it comes to the winter season in Jan/Feb, I'll be going back in after new shows. With things like Ergo Proxy and Fate/Stay Night, it shouldn't be to hard.

On all three topics(especially the first one) the fanservice issue has been discussed pretty well, so I don't think that there is a real need to merge or go deeper in them. Maybe lock all but one, or just lock em all since they all discuss the same thing. I don't really mind either way.

[YUAchip]

The whole MOE thing leaves me more baffled than bothered. The point of fanservice is to spark some sexual undercurrent in the show and the viewer. If the show is any good then I have made some investment in the characters and am viewing them as characters rather than as moving pictures. They are not anonymous drawings but characters that I "know". In those circumstances I don't see how I'm supposed to find some 10 year old little girl sexy. I just don't get it. But then, I don't get a lot of popular trends.

Frankly, a lot of the MOE excesses seem so forced and perfunctory that I'm not sure the writers and artists get it either. They're chasing a commercial trend without any real , excuse the expression, desire. I pretty much ignore it simply because it dosen't have the intended effect on me. And I'll ignore a lot of Skulds to get to one Urd. Of course, if a show spends too much time trying to convince me that some little kid is a real hottie then I just find another show. At 44, I prefer women, not girls, even if they are computer generated. /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

Chip

[treatment]

I don't think you can actually say that you're that used to anime-fanservice and then be weirded out more than necessary by the lolis at the same time.

To tell you the truth, it's really getting irksome and quite annoying to find your GA-threads having the same theme of fanservice-angst over and over again. Anime is just all fantasy and stuff.

Maybe you just need to do a blog or something. Maybe you need to go out more often and do other stuff since you seem to have lots of time worrying about fanservice. You need another hobby to channel all that worry you're building up within yourself.

And finally, honestly, just get over it.

[Gatts]

Closed at original poster's request