Current Events > Why are anime characters Caucasian? Super Saiyan is literally just Aryan race.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Always found it weird how Japan draws all their characters as white people.

And then white people obsess over anime. Some weird backwards culture obsession going on here.

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>9GAG

MemeDaddy posted...

Always found it weird how Japan draws all their characters as white people.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/09/why-do-the-japanese-draw-themselves-as-white/340084/

They don't.
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The Admiral posted...

MemeDaddy posted...

Always found it weird how Japan draws all their characters as white people.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/09/why-do-the-japanese-draw-themselves-as-white/340084/

They don't.

Came to post this :P
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Why'd the interview an Indian guy for that tho lmao

The Admiral posted...

MemeDaddy posted...

Always found it weird how Japan draws all their characters as white people.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/09/why-do-the-japanese-draw-themselves-as-white/340084/

They don't.

This is bullshit Cloud is definitely white.
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MemeDaddy posted...

Why'd the interview an Indian guy for that tho lmao

You'd think they'd ask a Japanese anime worker
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MemeDaddy posted...

Why'd the interview an Indian guy for that tho lmao

Unbiased perspective?
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Also Sora is really fucking white as well. There's no fucking way either of them could possibly be confused to be any other race.
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_OujiDoza_ posted...

MemeDaddy posted...

Why'd the interview an Indian guy for that tho lmao

Unbiased perspective?

Useless article really.

Some random Indian guy has no bearing or insight on the industry

Howl posted...

This is bullshit Cloud is definitely white.

He doesn't look white to me. But I suppose you could see it either way.
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bruh he has blonde hair and blue eyes, what else would he be

The Admiral posted...

Howl posted...

This is bullshit Cloud is definitely white.

He doesn't look white to me. But I suppose you could see it either way.

What? He doesn't look white to you? Lol
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Howl posted...

What? He doesn't look white to you? Lol

It's Admiral.
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The Admiral posted...

MemeDaddy posted...

Always found it weird how Japan draws all their characters as white people.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/09/why-do-the-japanese-draw-themselves-as-white/340084/

They don't.

Bullshit, try telling me that the mom from Spirited Away isn't a plain Jane white woman. Not even wasting my time reading this because if it says that they don't then it's wrong. No disrespect or anything but that article is full of shit bro.
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_OujiDoza_ posted...

Howl posted...

What? He doesn't look white to you? Lol

It's Admiral.

Sorry we disagree. Here's another image from AC. He looks like a J-Pop singer to me.


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Cloud looks like Justin Bieber

actually i agree with admiral. i spend a lot of time with japanese people due to my job and that image of cloud very much looks like the idealized images of japanese male popstars, and reminds me of some of the younger guys i interact with who are into that culture. obv blonde hair and blue eyes are not natural to their genetics, but many dye their hair and some even wear colored lenses.

the facial features are very much japanese, and while americans have this automatic sense that japanese skin tones are like those of cantonese or vietnamese people, their tone is actually very light for asians, close enough to our perception threshold that the tone presented for cloud might look white to a white person or japanese to a japanese person

what we can definitely say is that cloud is neither black, hispanic, nor southeast asian. but japanese, specifically? sure.
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Darkman124 posted...

actually i agree with admiral. i spend a lot of time with japanese people due to my job and that image of cloud very much looks like the idealized images of japanese male popstars, and reminds me of some of the younger guys i interact with who are into that culture. obv blonde hair and blue eyes are not natural to their genetics, but many dye their hair and some even wear colored lenses.

the facial features are very much japanese, and while americans have this automatic sense that japanese skin tones are like those of cantonese or vietnamese people, their tone is actually very light for asians, close enough to our perception threshold that the tone presented for cloud might look white to a white person or japanese to a japanese person

what we can definitely say is that cloud is neither black, hispanic, nor southeast asian. but japanese, specifically? sure.

Yeah, from the article

The Japanese see anime characters as being Japanese. It is Americans who think they are white. Why? Because to them white is the Default Human Being.

If I draw a stick figure, most Americans will assume that it is a white man. Because to them that is the Default Human Being. For them to think it is a woman I have to add a dress or long hair; for Asian, I have to add slanted eyes; for black, I add kinky hair or brown skin. Etc.
The Other has to be marked. If there are no stereotyped markings of otherness, then white is assumed.

Americans apply this thinking to Japanese drawings. But to the Japanese the Default Human Being is Japanese! So they feel no need to make their characters “look Asian”. They just have to make them look like people and everyone in Japan will assume they are Japanese – no matter how improbable their physical appearance.

You see the same thing in America: After all, why do people think Marge Simpson is white? Look at her skin: it is yellow. Look at her hair: it is a blue Afro. But the Default Human Being thing is so strong that lacking other clear, stereotyped signs of being either black or Asian she defaults to white.

Most western internet users are just extremely blinded by ethnocentrism.
Also, TC you've been living in China right? You haven't seen that many drawings on Chinese products imitate the "anime style"? I would think you would know just how stupid the OP is, unless you're just trolling of course.

http://wiki.teamliquid.net/commons/images/5/59/Bonchan.jpg

Oh shit, blonde hair. He's white too!
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Marge's hair style is a fro? Lies!

@Holy_Cloud105 your link doesn't work.
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japan has always had a fascination with blonde white people. try it. become white and blonde and go to japan. everyone will worship you

I just assume that it's from the old days of western animation. using the lightest of colors made stuff like people and gloves/shoes made it easy to distinguish it from grainy film when compared to the backdrop. within Manga, you're probably limited to maybe 4/5~ colors if going monochromatic with skintone, lining, the color of the paper itself (being the neutral) and maybe mid-tones for actual clothes/objects/whatever. it probably predated mass printing, or at least prescise printing, so they can't be too extravagant.

a weekly Shonen Jump could have like 500 pages. so it's not like they can afford for full color manga.
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lol at everyone saying cloud looks japanese. no he doesnt. if he looked japanese, he would have the epicanthic fold. he doesnt. ergo, he looks white.


why cant everyone just accept the fact that the japanese have an obsession with white people's beauty.

I was going to post the article that Admiral posted, but the fact that he posted it and agrees with it is making me rethink my stance
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Endofall posted...

Also, TC you've been living in China right? You haven't seen that many drawings on Chinese products imitate the "anime style"? I would think you would know just how stupid the OP is, unless you're just trolling of course.

I lived in China for 2 years and the only anime shit that's really common is Hello Kitty, Doraemon and One Piece.

idk what you're getting at tbh

BlackHorse6969 posted...

japan has always had a fascination with blonde white people. try it. become white and blonde and go to japan. everyone will worship you

100% truth. Happens a lot in Asian cultures, not just Japan though. If you're a natural blonde, people won't hesitate to take your photo without permission.

They are all Asian. Most Japanese are fair skinned, but most anime does have its fair share of dark skinned characters too.
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MemeDaddy posted...

I lived in China for 2 years and the only anime s*** that's really common is Hello Kitty, Doraemon and One Piece.idk what you're getting at tbh

I'm talking about Chinese products are still very "anime style" compared to the west. For example, http://s3media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/alfonso-wong-2.jpg .
Do the characters besides the one in the middle look more Asian or Caucasian to you? This is an adult comic too, ones targeted towards children are even more blatant.

Admiral is right guys.

Considering the hair color we see in Anime it's pretty irrelevant to say that blonde means they're white.

White people in Anime tend to be drawn more like this;


So how he looks so stereotypically American? Sorta like how we define Asian animated characters with stereotypes?

In Fire Emblem you can see this sorta style used with Arthur

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I fail to see what traits make Pegasus from Yugioh look white.
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Endofall posted...

MemeDaddy posted...

I lived in China for 2 years and the only anime s*** that's really common is Hello Kitty, Doraemon and One Piece.idk what you're getting at tbh

I'm talking about Chinese products are still very "anime style" compared to the west. For example, http://s3media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/alfonso-wong-2.jpg .
Do the characters besides the one in the middle look more Asian or Caucasian to you? This is an adult comic too, ones targeted towards children are even more blatant.

I've never seen products with anything like this in my entire time in China, honestly.

Endofall posted...

MemeDaddy posted...

I lived in China for 2 years and the only anime s*** that's really common is Hello Kitty, Doraemon and One Piece.idk what you're getting at tbh

I'm talking about Chinese products are still very "anime style" compared to the west. For example, http://s3media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/alfonso-wong-2.jpg .
Do the characters besides the one in the middle look more Asian or Caucasian to you? This is an adult comic too, ones targeted towards children are even more blatant.

Yo, fucking lao fu zi! That was the shit. I've only ever seen this mentioned on English speaking sites one other time in 2012.
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Darmik posted...

Admiral is right guys.

Considering the hair color we see in Anime it's pretty irrelevant to say that blonde means they're white.

White people in Anime tend to be drawn more like this;


So how he looks so stereotypically American? Sorta like how we define Asian animated characters with stereotypes?

In Fire Emblem you can see this sorta style used with Arthur

This is true. Most of the white guys aren't drawn as soft as the ones that are supposed to be Japanese.
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KStateKing17 posted...

Darmik posted...

Admiral is right guys.

Considering the hair color we see in Anime it's pretty irrelevant to say that blonde means they're white.

White people in Anime tend to be drawn more like this;


So how he looks so stereotypically American? Sorta like how we define Asian animated characters with stereotypes?

In Fire Emblem you can see this sorta style used with Arthur

This is true. Most of the white guys aren't drawn as soft as the ones that are supposed to be Japanese.

Unless it takes place somewhere like America where most people would be white.
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Endofall posted...

MemeDaddy posted...

I lived in China for 2 years and the only anime s*** that's really common is Hello Kitty, Doraemon and One Piece.idk what you're getting at tbh

I'm talking about Chinese products are still very "anime style" compared to the west. For example, http://s3media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/alfonso-wong-2.jpg .
Do the characters besides the one in the middle look more Asian or Caucasian to you? This is an adult comic too, ones targeted towards children are even more blatant.

Lol shit I think I have a comic of that somewhere in my room.
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DarkDragon400 posted...

Unless it takes place somewhere like America where most people would be white.

How many are like this? Phoenix Wright is one I guess. Even that is just some alterations to the original script to appeal to Westerners. Overall people who play them in Japan see them as Japanese characters. That's exactly what they did when they did a live action adaptation.
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Darmik posted...

DarkDragon400 posted...

Unless it takes place somewhere like America where most people would be white.

How many are like this? Phoenix Wright is one I guess. Even that is just some alterations to the original script to appeal to Westerners. Overall people who play them in Japan see them as Japanese characters. That's exactly what they did when they did a live action adaptation.

Attack on Titan is set in an exclusively European society where one of the characters being half-Japanese is notable.

Although they still made them all Japanese for the (Japanese made) movie.
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Darmik posted...

DarkDragon400 posted...

Unless it takes place somewhere like America where most people would be white.

How many are like this? Phoenix Wright is one I guess. Even that is just some alterations to the original script to appeal to Westerners. Overall people who play them in Japan see them as Japanese characters. That's exactly what they did when they did a live action adaptation.

I think Ace Attorney was set in Japan and as you mentioned, the localization is what moved it to California or, as some call it, Japanifornia.

Fullmetal Alchemist is an example of something that's set in a place with heavy western influence.
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ThePrinceFish posted...

Darmik posted...

DarkDragon400 posted...

Unless it takes place somewhere like America where most people would be white.

How many are like this? Phoenix Wright is one I guess. Even that is just some alterations to the original script to appeal to Westerners. Overall people who play them in Japan see them as Japanese characters. That's exactly what they did when they did a live action adaptation.

Attack on Titan is set in an exclusively European society where one of the characters being half-Japanese is notable.

Although they still made them all Japanese for the (Japanese made) movie.

wow, how shocking

a Japanese movie whose target market is Japan casting Japanese people

MemeDaddy posted...

ThePrinceFish posted...

Darmik posted...

DarkDragon400 posted...

Unless it takes place somewhere like America where most people would be white.

How many are like this? Phoenix Wright is one I guess. Even that is just some alterations to the original script to appeal to Westerners. Overall people who play them in Japan see them as Japanese characters. That's exactly what they did when they did a live action adaptation.

Attack on Titan is set in an exclusively European society where one of the characters being half-Japanese is notable.

Although they still made them all Japanese for the (Japanese made) movie.

wow, how shocking

a Japanese movie whose target market is Japan casting Japanese people

Gee it's almost like I acknowledged that
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wow it's almost like i was agreeing with you

golly
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MemeDaddy posted...

Endofall posted...

MemeDaddy posted...

I lived in China for 2 years and the only anime s*** that's really common is Hello Kitty, Doraemon and One Piece.idk what you're getting at tbh

I'm talking about Chinese products are still very "anime style" compared to the west. For example, http://s3media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/alfonso-wong-2.jpg .
Do the characters besides the one in the middle look more Asian or Caucasian to you? This is an adult comic too, ones targeted towards children are even more blatant.

I've never seen products with anything like this in my entire time in China, honestly.

I don't think you've paid much attention to your surroundings. This comic was on a lot of billboards. Most kiosks and libraries have things like this and general anime prominently displayed front and center. There so many weird anime style books that I remember taking pictures of them once in a bookstore, not sure if they're on this computer or not. Most of them don't look to be from Japan either, I think they were Chinese-made, Manhua they're called though Japanese mangas are called manhua too.
GiftedACIII posted...

Yo, fucking lao fu zi! That was the shit. I've only ever seen this mentioned on English speaking sites one other time in 2012.

SGT_Conti posted...

Lol shit I think I have a comic of that somewhere in my room.

Haha I didn't expect anyone to recognize it. I think the creator died recently.

Endofall posted...

I don't think you've paid much attention to your surroundings. This comic was on a lot of billboards. Most kiosks and libraries have things like this and general anime prominently displayed front and center. There so many weird anime style books that I remember taking pictures of them once in a bookstore, not sure if they're on this computer or not. Most of them don't look to be from Japan either, I think they were Chinese-made, Manhua they're called though Japanese mangas are called manhua too.

I don't know about China since I've never actually been to the mainland but it's here and there in Hong Kong. The nursing home my grandma stays in has posters of Old Master Q everywhere showing stuff like proper handwashing procedures and general hygiene tips. And yeah, the author died back in January of this year. Manhua is just a Chinese term for comics, really. It's like Japan's manga and Korea's manhwa.

Don't know if I'd call it anime, but construction signs like this are also common:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2018/2080703123_2b8ed17881_z.jpg?zz=1
The elevator in my apartment and signs around it also had anime-styled posters about watching out for pickpockets and elevator safety. If we're talking moe in Asia, though, don't even get me started on the KRT Girls in Taiwan.
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SGT_Conti posted...

Endofall posted...

I don't think you've paid much attention to your surroundings. This comic was on a lot of billboards. Most kiosks and libraries have things like this and general anime prominently displayed front and center. There so many weird anime style books that I remember taking pictures of them once in a bookstore, not sure if they're on this computer or not. Most of them don't look to be from Japan either, I think they were Chinese-made, Manhua they're called though Japanese mangas are called manhua too.

I don't know about China since I've never actually been to the mainland but it's here and there in Hong Kong. The nursing home my grandma stays in has posters of Old Master Q everywhere showing stuff like proper handwashing procedures and general hygiene tips. And yeah, the author died back in January of this year. Manhua is just a Chinese term for comics, really. It's like Japan's manga and Korea's manhwa.

Don't know if I'd call it anime, but construction signs like this are also common:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2018/2080703123_2b8ed17881_z.jpg?zz=1
The elevator in my apartment and signs around it also had anime-styled posters about watching out for pickpockets and elevator safety. If we're talking moe in Asia, though, don't even get me started on the KRT Girls in Taiwan.

That is exactly what I'm talking about. Don't even get me started on arcades (aren't you an avid arcade player TC?) There were touhou and a whole bunch of things I couldn't recognize on wallpapers at a busy arcade I went to. That was something I certainly took a picture of too but this was in 2011 and the computer I had them stored on had long died so I have to dig through my backups if I want to find it

Endofall posted...

I don't think you've paid much attention to your surroundings. This comic was on a lot of billboards. Most kiosks and libraries have things like this and general anime prominently displayed front and center. There so many weird anime style books that I remember taking pictures of them once in a bookstore, not sure if they're on this computer or not. Most of them don't look to be from Japan either, I think they were Chinese-made, Manhua they're called though Japanese mangas are called manhua too.

Oh yeah? Tell me more about a place you've never lived.

I've never seen that comic on a billboard in Shanghai. Never been to a library in China though, you're right about that I guess.

As I said earlier, the most common shit you'd see is Hello Kitty, Doraemon (fucking everywhere) and One Piece (every Family Mart / Lawson has OP branded snacks).

Endofall posted...

That is exactly what I'm talking about. Don't even get me started on arcades (aren't you an avid arcade player TC?) There were touhou and a whole bunch of things I couldn't recognize on wallpapers at a busy arcade I went to. That was something I certainly took a picture of too but this was in 2011 and the computer I had them stored on had long died so I have to dig through my backups if I want to find it

Where are you talking about exactly? Lie Huo Game Center is the main arcade in Shanghai, which is grimy af and run down. The entire place is plastered with old DouYu Cup / Capcom Cup posters and old promo material with XiaoHai on them.

BlackHorse6969 posted...

lol at everyone saying cloud looks japanese. no he doesnt.

Bro, you'd have to be blind to say he doesn't. This isn't the PS1 days anymore, there is no ambiguity.
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MemeDaddy posted...

Oh yeah? Tell me more about a place you've never lived.I've never seen that comic on a billboard in Shanghai. Never been to a library in China though, you're right about that I guess. As I said earlier, the most common s*** you'd see is Hello Kitty, Doraemon (f***ing everywhere) and One Piece (every Family Mart / Lawson has OP branded snacks).

I thought my post made it obvious I've lived in China before. As SGT_Conti said, these things pop up on billboards and ads everywhere. Are you sure you don't see them rather than actually just not recognizing them? Old Master Q's work is very famous in China and his characters are all over the place. It helps that China's copyright laws aren't very good so random cartoon and anime characters are put on grocery items without caring about trademark.
MemeDaddy posted...

Where are you talking about exactly? Lie Huo Game Center is the main arcade in Shanghai, which is grimy af and run down. The entire place is plastered with old DouYu Cup / Capcom Cup posters and old promo material with XiaoHai on them.

The arcade I was talking about was in a mall in Guangzhou. But I'm surprised to hear Shanghai's arcades are in that condition. I've been in mall arcades throughout Yunnan and Hunan and I've seen similar stuff.

Endofall posted...

I thought my post made it obvious I've lived in China before. As SGT_Conti said, these things pop up on billboards and ads everywhere. Are you sure you don't see them rather than actually just not recognizing them? Old Master Q's work is very famous in China and his characters are all over the place. It helps that China's copyright laws aren't very good so random cartoon and anime characters are put on grocery items without caring about trademark.

No idea, could be that the areas of Shanghai I lived in just didn't feature it prominently. French concession and Jing'An were where I spent most of my time. Sometimes I'd trek to Pudong, but rarely. I was also deep into the startup community, so it's possible that the places I hung around most often were more Western influenced.

Endofall posted...

The arcade I was talking about was in a mall in Guangzhou. But I'm surprised to hear Shanghai's arcades are in that condition. I've been in mall arcades throughout Yunnan and Hunan and I've seen similar stuff.

Arcade scene in that city is good, it's just that the arcades themselves are quite old. LHGC had dozens of KoF cabs, half a dozen 3S, half a dozen AE, KoF13, etc.