Who the hell came up with this crap?!?!

[Kyle]

As long as iv been into anime iv never once seen some of the weird stuff
seriously questioned.Yeah yeah i know anime is always been weird but honestly who came up with rainbow colored hair?Blue, green,white,purple and lets not forget the oh so cute pink.

And its not just hair,any one whos seen a NORMAL hentai has at least thought about "why a tentical?why a frog?why a cockroach?"I mean japs come up with so much cool tech but when it comes to anime i really think they all just sit in a room and drop acid until they come up with the most F@$#ed up things they can think of.And if you dont think so go watch EOE.It was not a 'clean' mind that thought that up.

Im not complaining and have nothing against the japs.I just would like to hear more disscusion about these type of things.And a another thing,how come we only see catgirls and not doggirls?Puppys are cute too.
NEKO CHAN!!!

[MaggotMaster]

In before Mai-Chan's daily life.

O wait

[The Eva Monkey]

Generally, Japan is a very homogeneous, conformist, "normal" society.

To quite World War Z:

I was an "otaku." I know that term has come to mean a great many things to a great many people, but for me it simply meant "outsider." I know Americans, especially young ones, must feel trapped by societal pressure. All humans do. However, if I understand your culture correctly, individualism is something to be encouraged. You revere the "rebel," the "rogue," those who stand proudly apart from the masses. For you, individuality is a badge of honor. For us, it is a ribbon of shame. We lived, particularly before the war, in a complex and seemingly infinite labyrinth of external judgements. Your appearance, your speech, everything from the career you held to the way you sneezed had to be planned and orchestrated to follow rigid Confucian doctrine. Some either have the strength, or lack thereof, to accept this doctrine. Others, like myself, chose exile in a better world. That world was cyber space, and it was tailor-made for Japanese otaku.

Japan's culture produces a vast number of people who are picture perfect normal. Most people who aren't "normal" gravitate to a polar extreme. Like "I'm not normal? Fine. I'll be the most abnormal person I can be." This sentiment really characterized Kubo in Otaku no Video. He didn't understand what was so wrong with being interested in anime or manga, but if people wouldn't accept that, he would just have to spite society by become the otaku of otaku. OTAKING!

It's like... they try and make up for lack of numbers with potency.

[Mr. Tines]

Coloured hair helps distinguish the characters who are otherwise drawn much alike (like coloured costumes in sentai series).

Tentacles and the like are work-arounds to Japanese laws about obscenity in visual media.

There are squeaky dog-traps in Utawareromono. Also Liru from Magipoka.

[The Bastard King]

The fact that Eva Monkey answered the question with a quote from a book about zombies automatically wins him the thread. Also, I think the hair color is less involved with the character distinguishization [real word?] then the hairstyle.

[The Eva Monkey]

rainbow colored hair?

To further address this. Most people in Japan have black/dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Very homogeneous. So, to go against the grain, anime/manga characters often different color hair to be different from one another. It's been said, but often it's necessary when the characters are so simple.

Even Eva does it:

Shinji: Brown/Purple
Asuka: Red
Rei: Blue
Misato: Purple/Violet
Ritsuko: Yellow
Touji: Black
Kaji: Green
Kaworu: Grey
Fuyutsuki: Sliver
Gendo: Brown

With Eva, it's more functional, and many of the characters that have colored hair are simply shaded or a dark tone of color. Like Misato. She has characteristically dark hair, but they gave her some purple tone for distinction.

The fact that Eva Monkey answered the question with a quote from a book about zombies automatically wins him the thread.

Daaaaammmmn straight.[/pimp Gendo]

[Sailor Star Dust]

Fun fact with the meaning of otaku: "your house" or a polite form of "you".

In terms of the word "otaku", yeah it has negative vibes due to that crazy guy back in the 80s, however, anime fans are trying to take that word back away from the negative meaning. Basically in Japan, it is negative in the sense of being an obessive anti-social nerd while in America it's looked at as being "cool" despite being a nerd; ie: the term isn't anywhere near as bad as how it'd be used in Japan.

But, um, anyway...where was I going with this? ;

Edit: W00t, 700 posts and a 4th box added below my avatar.

[Mr. Tines]

Fun fact with the meaning of otaku: "your house" or a polite form of "you".

It got attached to the current meaning because it was the archaic/very formal usage that the early clusters of socially introvert SF fans used when meeting other groups of like-minded individuals, way back in pre(internet)history - when they all had to get out into the big blue room in order to meet up.

Amusingly, so I gather, one can also declare "otaku" in the sense of "(let us all behave as members of) one household", meaning "please everybody, let us use informal honorifics amongst ourselves".

And yes, it is about time that the word got reclaimed with pride, like "queer" has been.

[Defectron]

I've come up with weirder stuff then what I've seen in most anime and I live in america. But I am half Japanese, not sure if that counts?

[BobBQ]

I come up with stuff that would make perfect anime, and I'm not Japanese at all!

zOMG nature vs. nurture!

[Sailor Star Dust]

Off-topic: BBQ, Is that a pic of you doing the Gendou pose in your avatar? Whoever it is is kinda hot. ;

And yes, it is about time that the word got reclaimed with pride, like "queer" has been.

I'll start. I'm here, I'm queer, I like my anime, get used to it! :mrgreen:

[BobBQ]

Off-topic: BBQ, Is that a pic of you doing the Gendou pose in your avatar?

はい、そうだ。

I'll start. I'm here, I'm queer, I like my anime, get used to it!

And we love you all the more for it.

[Kyle]

Since when did this thread get about zombies(witch i hate)gay people(nothing against them),and who the mysteriously handsom stranger in BOBBQ avatar is?What the hell it's on a weird topic so go ahead and talk about whatever.Not that it's my choice...

[zephyr72]

I've come up with weirder stuff then what I've seen in most anime and I live in america. But I am half Japanese, not sure if that counts?

I've come to the conclusion that teenagers are the ones that come up with the most truly fucked up things. I was listening to a few of my friends the other day come up with a "Saw" scenario that would put most hentai to shame. One of my other friends has made a hypothesis that carbon (the element) is a slut because it can bond with four things at once.

anyway, the hair coloration is unique and i like it (except when they go over the top and the hair looks neon like C.C. from code geass). I've read that it is for distinguishing purposes as well.

[Hexon.Arq]

And yes, it is about time that the word got reclaimed with pride, like "queer" has been.

I'll start. I'm here, I'm queer, I like my anime, get used to it! :mrgreen:

Reminds me somewhat of Nigger vs. "African-American brother". Reverse one-word renaissance, or ass-backwards lost-and-found cause?

[Reichu]

Who the hell came up with this crap?!?!

I think the same thing when I look at the animation made by Americans, for Americans.*

It's all a matter of perspective.

* Well, it tends to start with, "MY GOD MAKE THE FUCKING GLORIFIED FLASH CARTOONS AND TALKING CG ANIMALS WITH CELEBRITY VOICES STOP", and then dealves into specifics from there.

[Space Penis]

Tentacle sex is awesome hot.

[Sailor Star Dust]

Who the hell came up with this crap?!?!

I think the same thing when I look at the animation made by Americans, for Americans.*

It's all a matter of perspective.

* Well, it tends to start with, "MY GOD MAKE THE FUCKING GLORIFIED FLASH CARTOONS AND TALKING CG ANIMALS WITH CELEBRITY VOICES STOP", and then dealves into specifics from there.

Disney really just sucks nowadays. Espeically considering their making sequels to all the films that were fine just how they were (not that I've really seen any of the sequels, except for the 3 Aladdin movies.) One of the few recent animated (though it was CG, not cel-animated) movies that I think is brilliant is Shrek and it wasn't even by Disney but Dreamworks.

There, is that getting things back on topic? ;

And we love you all the more for it.

Though perhaps my anime loving is part of the reason why I feel like I don't really fit in with the BLGTQ community? It's odd, I've met only a handful of anime fans that happen to be queer. :( And I would be more active with the Bi community if I could only get involved locally more... College is downright evil at timesl!

[MaggotMaster]

I like the outraged tone in the OP.

It makes this thread funnier.

[KingSpider]

As does the grammar.