Why is anime considered weird, lewd, or perverted when most Western animation for adults is like Family Guy or South Park and their dozens of clones?

[Anonymous]

[SteveSmith1985]

Because most western animation didn't used to be for adults. It used to be kids cartoons primarily. So Family Guy and South Park both relied on the "shock value" of being so... not for kids. That was South Park's WHOLE thing when it started. (which is why the first season or two... just isn't funny. The whole joke was "little kids, swearing... on TV... in a cartoon! (very controversial).

So when people think "cartoons" (in the West) they are thinking... Old disney movies; and Looney Tunes; and He Man. So "cartoons" used to be synonymous with "kids show."

I'm not into anime myself, but have seen it become ever more popular over time, and ever more accepted.

So as a Western guy, who thinks of "cartoons" (still) more in terms of kids shows than Family Guy or South Park... AND who isn't into anime... I can shed some light on the reaction (fair or unfair) to anime.

It struck me as something that was... different in that... it was something people were REALLY into if they were into it. Not like people can be into South Park. Plus it seemed like this sprawling genre... which could be... I donno... guys with swords fighting... but could also be some weird ass sexual stuff. A layman doesn't know the different divisions within anime (I don't for example). So part of it might be calling stuff that isn't "anime" by that name... incorrectly.

But it's "that style of animation that includes (but isn't automatically linked to) some really messed up sexual stuff. And it seems strange for a non-fan... that anybody could care so much or like a certain style of animation so much.

I always saw it as weird. But don't automatically assume it's all perverted. But... I do think there's something to what you're saying here.

[Hellraiser1984]

Anime is stereotyped. Non otaku view it as a cartoon. Something for children. Animation is a medium. Some anime is very adult with graphic sex and violence. Something like family guy is seen as an adult thing. Where it's ok to have sexual situations and lewd humor. Something non otaku don't know is that the Japanese have a great sense of humor. They love dry , pythonesque , tounge in cheek humor.

[PeachyPie93]

People just see one article or hear something from someone else then spread the lies that that is what it all is, like there isn't a plethora of genres. My mom recently asked me isn't anime just animated porn? Have you been highly into (Anime) porn since you were a kid? I was like no that is hentai wtf 🤣 Most are too lazy or close minded to ever look into it or attempt to watch it. I never really cared what people thought of it since I rather it stayed niche instead of it becoming main stream like it has been because of celebrities and retarded "influencers" since I honestly hate majority of the new fans..

[Nikki1989]

I don't find it like that at all, but I do find it insanely childish and tediously dumb. It is laughable when you see some adults are actual fans of the excrement.

[AI Opinion]

Anime often gets misunderstood due to cultural differences and the variety within the genre. It's a medium, not a genre, so it includes everything from innocent children's shows to mature and provocative content. Certain anime may focus more on fan service, leading to perceptions of it being lewd. In contrast, Western adult animation often relies on satire and humor, which becomes more accepted over time. It's essential to recognize that anime has a vast range, much like Western animation, offering something for everyone. 🎨🎬

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Fan service isn’t a thing in western animation as much as it is in anime

[FunkyMonkee]

Because it IS!!! At least the other cartoons don't all look like they were drawn by the same person for the past 70 years!!

[FunkyMonkee]

@Theodish_Warrior No, not at al. How does that make it ignorant?
I've seen quite enough of it to know that it DOES all look the same! Since at least the early `60's, they've all looked the same!
What good's a story if the production sucks?

[FunkyMonkee]

@Theodish_Warrior Yeah, back in `70's!
Does Popeye look like Tom & Jerry? Does Tom & Jerry look like Bugs Bunny? Does Bugs Bunny look like Rocky & Bulwinkle? Does Rocky & Bullwinkle look like Fred Flintstone? Hell, I can look at just about ANY old Warner Brothers cartoon and tell you who directed it just by the way the characters look! Even if they're all drawing the same character!! Can YOU do that with anime?
Ooooh!! Anime has masterpieces, now!! I didn't know!!
The west has Warner Brothers, the Fleischer Brothers, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones (although I never much cared for his later styles but, that, alone, proves my point!! HIS style in the `30's changed DRAMATICALY by the `50's and `60's!! Anime has STAYED THE SAME for at least the past 70 years!!), Freleng/DePatie (sp?), Hanna-Barbera (at least from the `50's to the early `70's). And, with quite a lot of these, you have to see them in action to be able to tell who made them! With anime, one frame tells you it's anime!! The SAME incredibly huge eyes, the SAME almost non-existent nose, the SAME nearly invisible mouth, the SAME speaking style (the mouth just opens all the way and closes like a ventriloquist's dummy instead of actually forming the words visually), the SAME pointed chin! The SAME goofy hair styles and colours. The SAME freeze-frames at moments of astonishment!! OBVIOUSLY, their directors have NO sense of originality!!
When did Tolkien ever make cartoons?
I can practically guarantee you that the people that made Kimba, The White Lion and Speed Racer are long dead, too but the style they drew them in still continues!! THAT'S the point!! DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!!! BE ORIGINAL!!!

[FunkyMonkee]

@Theodish_Warrior YES, anime ALL looks the same!!
No, it doesn't because the Fleischer's had a different style and technique than Warner Brothers!
None of the cartoons I mentioned ever preached, either!
I learned LOTS of values from those old cartoons, even though they weren't TRYING to teach them!! They were made for FUN!! They were made to make people laugh!! How often does anime make you laugh?
Really? WHAT message? I don't recall them ALL having the same message other than to poke fun at the things that were happening around us at the time so we can forget our troubles for a while!
It's not about changing styles all the time, it's about changing styles across the board! There's, what, 10 or 15 cartoon studios in Japan and they ALL pump out the EXACT same style and the exact same garbage!! ALL the characters look EXACTLY alike, dress exactly alike, act and talk exactly alike! And, you don't ever get bored with that?
Yeah, I know they're gross and they're badly animated, that's why I never watch any of them!! The ONLY one I thought was even MARGINALLY funny was, "2 Stupid Dogs". Oh, "Ren & Stimpy" had a moment or two but I never saw more than the "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" bit.
Who is steven universe? Am I supposed to know?
Then, why does every example of anime that I've been forced to look at over the past 50-some years look and act the exact same way?
Yeah, from about the `70's onward, Disney has consistently been garbage!! They had SOME good cartoons and movies before that! If I had to pick between Donald and Daffy, I'd take Daffy every time!! Donald's hardly ever funny and I can hardly understand a word he says!! That's also why I never watch, "South Park".

[FunkyMonkee]

@Theodish_Warrior I can get philosophy from books and movies! If I'm watching cartoons, I'd prefer they are funny!!
Yeah, because I'm tired of seeing the same characters in everything they make!
My ex-fiance wrote her dissertation on Indian philosophy! Quite a bit of it rubbed off onto me over the decade we were together!! And THAT'S a difficult subject to tackle!! I'll bet your cheesy cartoons never touched on any of that!!
So? Bugs Bunny, Popeye, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Beanie & Cecil, Crazy Cat, Deputy Dawg, Roger Ramjet, Tom & Jerry, The Herculoids, The Fantastic 4, The Impossibles, Droopy and who knows how many others all teach you that!! And NONE OF THEM look they were all drawn by the same person!! THAT'S the point!! We're talking about cartoon drawings, NOT philosophy!!
You must not be watching any GOOD cartoons!! I never saw any of that in the ones I'm talking about except the ones made during WWII when we were FIGHTING the nazi's!!
NO, THEY DON'T!!! MOST of the cartoons I mentioned were originally made FOR ADULTS!! We kids didn't start getting into them `til the late `50's or early `60's!
See? You JUST proved my point!! They never had kids in mind for cartoons until about 20 or 30 years later!
Yeah, it IS an amazing cartoon!! Wanna be a member? They were some of the most creative and imaginative cartoons ever made!! Max & Dave even invented the Rotoscope to make their cartoons more realistic. Japanese cartoons go cheap and use freeze frames and very limited animation! Usually a still frame with only the lower lip moving. Or one drawing shoved into frame equals 5 seconds of screen time! Brilliant!! Just brilliant!! And WHO IS IT that loves anime most? KIDS!! Little girls!!
Yeah? That may be but they still use and reuse and reuse and reuse the same drawing techniques!!
Because I've already seen enough of anime to know what I'm talking about!

[FunkyMonkee]

@Theodish_Warrior When I was a kid, they showed "Alakazam The Great" on t. v. two Christmases in a row and I liked it a lot and then I never saw it again until about 2 years ago when I found several versions of it on YT and got as far as about 20:00 in and it was just too incredibly stupid to bother watching any further!!
Over the next couple years, they showed a Fleischer brothers movie called, "The Snow Queen". I watched it and liked it, although it had one or two stupid moments early on but, now, I have a copy on DVD and like watching it around Christmas time!! And, y'know what? You couldn't even TELL it was made by them!! COMPLETELY different style from their Popeye, Betty Boop and Superman cartoons!! Can't say THAT about anime!!

[jahaims]

Comedy is different from drama etc.