D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 is Anime! Wait, what?

[EATherrian]

Here is some information about real, historical greatswords:
http://www.thearma.org/essays/2HGS.html

And here's a video of actual swordplay with a historical replica:
http://www.thearma.org/Videos/mov37.mpg

In short: Greatswords were not so heavy as some authors wanted you to believe (not George Martin, he knows his stuff), and they are devastating weapons...

Thanks for the reply Amphimir. I knew that at least Valyrian Greatswords were light, because of their make, I always wondered how useful the weapon actually would be, even when light enough to use. Your links help greatly.

 

[YourSwordIsMine]

I would like to point out that Conans DM used encumbrance rules and modifiers as well.

8)

Actually its GURPS Conan...

 

[Moon-Lancer]

It would be totally awesome ... but languish in development heck.

-The Gneech

I wouldn't classify this as anime, or Japanese anime.... It has a distinct western influenced comic book feel. But Its pretty awesome. thanks for the link.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Here is some information about real, historical greatswords:
http://www.thearma.org/essays/2HGS.html

And here's a video of actual swordplay with a historical replica:
http://www.thearma.org/Videos/mov37.mpg

In short: Greatswords were not so heavy as some authors wanted you to believe (not George Martin, he knows his stuff), and they are devastating weapons...

that second link looks like German longsword. Its possible I am wrong and the stances are just similar.

 

[Arnwyn]

Okay. I know (and am glad) that the "4e=Video game/Anime/(insert)" arguments have really died down lately.

Paizo has announced they're sticking with 3.5+ (whatever you want to call it). So, clearly they're rejecting the stuff that is 4e.

Isn't that... like, raging anime? Spikey hair, HUGE sword, etc? So what the hell? I thought Anime influence into D&D was BAD. That it distracted away from D&D's roots and its feel, and all that.

Actually, the original argument was that 3e is too anime (any 4e complaints are simply a continuation of that). And, in fact, it was Paizo (notably Dungeon mag) that was pointed out the majority of the time (even though that previous [foolish] thread decided to say that Dungeon mag wasn't "3e", wrongly and inappropriately).

Where have you been? [And no, they're not rejecting "the stuff" that is 4e, if you're referring to WAR. That much is abundantly clear, and has been for quite some time.]

(I have no comment otherwise one way or the other on anime=bad in D&D, or if the noted picture even is anime.)

 

[Jedi_Solo]

And, in fact, it was Paizo (notably Dungeon mag) that was pointed out the majority of the time (even though that previous [foolish] thread decided to say that Dungeon mag wasn't "3e", wrongly and inappropriately).

If I remember correctly it was "WotC" and anime that was at issue in that thread; not "3e" and anime. That was why Paizo's stuff was dismissed; but this is really beside the point.

 

[Hussar]

If I remember correctly it was "WotC" and anime that was at issue in that thread; not "3e" and anime. That was why Paizo's stuff was dismissed; but this is really beside the point.

Glad someone has better memory skills and doesn't like reinventing history.

Heck, if I wanted to show that 3e was anime, I've got Living Imagination's Pirates and Broadsides! books sitting on my shelf which are absolutely chock full of anime art.

Showing that there was anime art in 3e is ridiculously easy. Showing that WOTC was pushing that art wasn't.

 

[Arnwyn]

If I remember correctly it was "WotC" and anime that was at issue in that thread; not "3e" and anime. That was why Paizo's stuff was dismissed; but this is really beside the point.

Absolutely true. But the complaint was never "WotC is too anime", so indeed - completely beside the point. That thread was laughable from the beginning.

[/hijack]

 

[Simon Atavax]

You want Anime? Open up the Pathfinder preview PDF and browse the races section for the art. Doesn't get much more anime than this.

Holy moley. That gnome chick is total jailbait.

 

[TwinBahamut]

I don't think the Japanese themselves define the term "anime" as pertaining only to their own animation; they use it to mean cartoons in general. So yes, the animated Conan movie is anime--at least a Japanese person would label it so. Maybe we should clarify by specifying Japanese anime for the purposes of these discussions in the future.

I've never liked using the word to mean Japanese cartoons. To me, "anime" is an Italian word that refers to armour like this:

http://www.myarmoury.com/albums/displayimage.php?pid=4293&fullsize=1

http://sl-armours.com/patterns/MI10067d11a.jpg
...as it was hundreds of years before there were any cartoons.
It is regrettable that most of the world thinks the word means only "Japanese animation."

What is wrong with borrowing words from other languages? The Japanese language stole the English word for animation and modified it, and then the English language steals it back for use in differentiating different types of animation. Similarly, the Japanese use the quasi-english word "mecha" to refer to any kind of machine that is used in anime, but most English-speaking anime fans only use that term to refer to giant robots. Any use of the word "anime" by an English speaker is going to mean "Japanese animation", not just "animation", so the term "Japanese anime" is redundant. How it is used in Japan is irrelevant. The words anime and mecha may have their roots in Japanese usage, but they are English words now.

Meanwhile, your definition of anime does not have wide usage in such circles, and is thus far less relevant of a definition, especially in our current discussion. I also doubt that the Italian definition of "anime" can be compared to the Japanese animation usage, since it isn't used so widely as a full loan-word, only as a direct use of an Italian word.