Anime culture and D&D

[MoogleEmpMog]

Anime-style fantasy is one of the main subgenres I enjoy, the other being pulpy sword and sorcery.

I don't think D&D does either particularly well, which is why I prefer either d20 Modern or Mutants & Masterminds as the core for a d20 fantasy game.

When I say 'anime fantasy,' I'm referring more to Final Fantasy-style sci-fantasy or Berserk/Helsing dark fantasy, not Lodoss War, which was exceedingly D&D.

Anyway, I suppose most of the PCs I create are influenced by one of the types of fantasy I like rather than the Tolkienesque mold, so in that sense there's probably an anime influence on D&D campaigns I'm in about 50% of the time. If I were to run a D&D game, it would be moreso, but I think it's trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

 

[thedungeondelver]

Someone hasn't watched Record of Lodoss War. Other than throwing axes and elf jumping, they can't do anything you couldn't do in 2e. (It was actually based around that game. Or maybe 1e.)

Mentzer Basic, believe it or not!

 

[Breakdaddy]

I've never seen an anime show in my 33 years of existence, so my gaming hasn't been changed by it.

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

A little. I dont tend to do anime style games, but I do get the occasional inspiration from a descent idea (see record of lodoss war or the Scrapped princess).
The one thing that has invaded my game and im making a real attempt to end it, is new players or younger players trying to copy and i do mean direct copies of anime character or amalgamations of characters. Some have the same names and even look the same.
So far any name thats not a real name in this world is banned if its from anime or japanese rpgs. Also any characters even closly resembling FF characters are banned. Dont get my wrong i like FF and the Idea of a possible d20 FF intrigues me but i dont want clouds or sephiroths running around my FR game.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Idea of a possible d20 FF intrigues me but i dont want clouds or sephiroths running around my FR game.

CHECK THE SIG. The thing's darn near in a playable state!

Anime only influences me through Final Fantasy, really, since the anime I tend to like doesn't have a whole lot of typical fantasy elements. I dig the fairy-tale style of Miyazaki, the "magitek" style of something like Full Metal Alchemist, the supernatural mega-brawl of Bleach, the hidden secrets of Naruto, the storytelling style of FLCL, and the narrative music of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. I also groove on crazy mecha and bio-machines to a large degree (which is why True 20's Mecha vs. Kaiju is something I've always wanted to play...)

But FF was my first real exposure to fantasy. While I didn't know what Anime was 'till later, Final Fantasy definately has many archetypes of anime sewn throughout it.

Myself, I agree that someof the time, the anime tropes and the like may get in the way of D&D. I think they can fit (though maybe not in FR...), but it takes a light touch and can end up being unsatisfying.

 

[jdrakeh]

Counting squares and the like doesn't emulate any specific narrative style.

You're right. Which was kind of my point. For many folks, such meta-mechanics get in the way of genre emulation (or play style). Where anime is concerned, I'm one of those folks. Anime is, for me, above all else, fast. Counting squares, planning combat moves in advance, and doing lots of bookkeeping just isn't fast for me and, thus, it's doesn't do anime any justice for me. It feels like, well. . . D&D. Not Bastard!. I don't play Exalted for the same reason.

 

[delericho]

Very little, if at all. There has been more influence from recent films such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "House of Flying Daggers" and "Fearless", but even there the influence is marginal.

What I find is that as soon as my group are playing any d20 game, and notably D&D, they enter a particular mindset, wherein they're almost programmed to think in very mathematical character-building terms, to think about raw combat effectiveness and tactical movement, and into the very narrow LotR version of fantasy (even when playing d20 Modern or Star Wars!). Breaking through this is almost impossible - and it would be a necessity to do justice to an anime-styled game, where there would need to be a lot more emphasis on being cool, and where things need to be fast.

 

[Aaron L]

I've never seen an anime show in my 33 years of existence, so my gaming hasn't been changed by it.

You never saw Speed Racer?

Or Kimba?

Or Battle of the Planets?

Or Voltron?

Or Robotech?

Or GI Joe?

Or Transformers?

 

[Thanee]

So how has the anime culture effected your life and gaming habits?

In absolutely no way.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Desdichado]

You never saw Speed Racer?

Or Kimba?

Or Battle of the Planets?

Or Voltron?

Or Robotech?

Or GI Joe?

Or Transformers?

GI Joe and Transformers were not anime. Both were made in America.