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What is it about Anime anyway?
Why is that we become "obsessed" with the cartoons on the screen, even though we know they are a series of drawings that came from the depths of some animation artist's mind? Could it be the simple fact that there is no "actor" to validate the falseness of the plot and character?
I believe that it is no coincidence that people get hooked to anime and other well made cartoons. When one watches a movie, they see an actor or an actress pretending to be someone else; and can tell the difference between real and unreal. With anime, there is no validating factor. There is no actor or actress who can make us believe that it is all fake, or that it's all just a play or act. It is real where we are concerned.
It's no secret that the characters in anime are made extremely life-like. There is more to them than a slightly disproportionate drawing of a boy or girl. You see the lines, the colors, the face. Then you see the eyes. Anime eyes are extrememly expressive and then and there, someone can become attached to a character. This is not even taking into consideration their voice, their facial expressions (also very expressive) and their personalities. They are people we can relate to, people we knew, people we wish we knew. They are parts of us that we wish we could be, wish we could hold onto. They also have no life outside their character life which makes their settings and world seem all too believable.
The anime worlds can vary from the past, to the future, to other timeframes and universes altogether. They even draw from our dream worlds. With the lifelike personas we are already hooked to, there is the equally engrossing world. The worlds in anime contrast and compliment the charachters. For example, Trowa Barton from Gundam Wing is a gundam pilot. But his cover is that he is an acrobat in a circus! The contrasting environments coupled with the deep and intriguing personalities create a world we are drawn into very easily. Simply because they stand for all that we wish for and want.
Now to add the cherry to the sundae, we have personalities.
From the outgoing and gregarious to the withdrawn and intriguing, there are a variety of personalities in the anime world. We love the funny characters because they provide comic relief from the often grim themes the characters are dealing with. And we love the suicidal-maniac types because they're just fun to watch, no matter which way you twist it. And then you love, absolutely completely love the intriguing mysterious ones. They're the ones that pull on the heartstrings, they're the ones that you go and watch the show for, they're the ones with all the cool secrets, and they're the ones you'd like to just tell it'll all be okay and hold them forever. But unfortunately it is not so easy. We of thre real world have to deal with our own grim themes, the grim idea that anime is IN FACT not real. It is a difficult concept to grasp since everyone coolly says they know it's not real, its' a tv show. But when you dream about it, write about it, think about it, ALL THE TIME, I believe that there is a part of your brain that won't let go. It can't. After all, why would your brain let go of the world you wish you were a part of, the charachters you wish you could touch and hold, the personalities you wish were had been bestowed upon your friends, the world you love to death?
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