anime?

[blackcat]

I know that this is a funny question but: what defines anime?  Im just curious.  I went to fanimecon last year with my bf and didnt know much about it.  I enjoyed lots of different parts.  This year we hope to attend and I would like to dress up.  I am a costume designer and would like to make some neat costume to wear.  (I am making his first....hopefully I will have time!)  I really like Cowboy bebop but dont wnat to make any of those....I saw a viedo game costume I really like and am going to make anyway...but is tat just goin to get lots of wired looks and questions....I really dont care if it does casue Im makin it anyway...just wanted a defination.  Thanks!

[platinum edge]

Don't worry about asking questions like that.  Well, it'd be kind of long to define anime here, since there are so many different interpretations of what anime is.  However, I believe this site does a good job of defining anime and how it came about.  Hope this helps.

[neko ewen]

As far as costumes and other stuff is concerned, keep in mind that the overlap between anime fandom and video gaming (amongst other things) is huge. The masquerade pretty much always features quite a few video game related costumes, particularly from Final Fantasy, and no one complains about it being "inappropriate." Reactions tend to be more along the lines of "Wow! That (Squall/Cloud/Yuna/Vivi/Chun Li/Shorty/M. Bison/whatever) costume kicks ass!" For that matter Stan Sakai (creator of Usagi Yojimbo) has been a guest of honor once or twice, this year I get to be alongside the likes of Fred Gallagher at the webcomics panel, and gaming rooms have featured the likes of Quake and Dungeons & Dragons.

So in terms of what's permissible at an anime convention, the definition of "anime" is ridiculously broad.

The general purpose definition of anime most people use in the U.S. goes along the lines of "animation made by and for the Japanese," though you'd be amazed by the amount of nit-picking that can go into defining the word.

[SuperKawaiiNeko]

From a technical standpoint, it depends on where you are. In japan, ALL CARTOONS ARE ANIME. Just like all comics are manga. In Japan, anime is more or less the Japanese word for "cartoon" (in spite of what anyone else tells you) and everything from Rugrats to Invader Zim to Sailormoon falls under it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of it, has likely never been to japan, and probably knows next to nothing about modern japanese culture.

Manga is the same way. In Japan, manga is just the Japanese word for "comic" or "comic book" and everything from Minto na Bokura, to Spiderman, to those little intsructional pictures in the manual for your vcr of the VCR and VHS tapes with faces fall under the term "manga."

What Im assuming you want is the common american view of what anime "is."

By the common american "definition," anime is "technically" any cartoon that's been slapped with a "Made in Japan" sticker. If it comes from japan, its anime. The "definition" of manga is similer. Some people consider animation and comics from other countries anime and manga as well, most notably Korean and Chinese, though usually they stick the appropriate country on first (ie, they call it "korean anime" or "chinese manga" instead of just anime or manga.)

Good friends of mine and FanimeCon forum regulars of old Haruka and SpazMegami once cosplayed Rainbow Bright characters at Fanime, because while it was more or less made for american audiences, the actual creation of the episodes took place in Japan, so it could technically be considered anime.

While a commendable outlook, most people, however, arent nearly so liberal with the term, and confine it to cartoons designed by, created in, and marketed for japan and its people.


As for cosplay....whoo boy. Thats almost as big a discussion as to what is appropriate and what isnt. As far as cartoons, comics, and videogames go, anything created in japan (Fushigi Yuugi, Ranma 1/2, Final Fantasy, ect) is fair game.

Its when you get to things created outside of japan that things get sketchy. The biggest one is probably Star Wars. Any anime con of considerable size has at least one or two Star Wars cosplayers, and this always rubs a few people the wrong way. Some say Star Wars is ok (citing reasons such as anime cons originally sprouted from Sci Fi cons, and that there is, in fact, a star wars manga.) Others dont care how much manga there is, its far too american in its roots.  I say if you dont like it, dont cosplay it. If you do like it, enjoy. Either way just shut up, cause its not that big a deal what OTHER PEOPLE ARE WEARING (unless theyre scary o.O)

Then theres american video games. Like Duke Nukem. Now, its certianly well within your rights to cosplay the mighty Duke of Nuke, but most people think that Duke Nukem cosplay has no place at an anime con.

But what about something like Harry Potter? Theres another big one. Y'see, Harry Potter is MONSEROUSLY huge in Japan (duh) and anime style HP fanart is EVERYWHERE. (Famed artist Koge Donbo (creator of DiGi Charat and Pita-Ten has her own fansite dedicated to her HP fanart.) Furthermore, a LOT of people are pulling for a Harry Potter manga and/or anime. But how do people react to HP cosplayers, which have been popping up more and more lately (espiceally Hermiones)? At present, the reactions are very mixed, but that may change.....


Anyway, Ive talked long enough. I'll shut up now and let you draw your own conclusions ^^