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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ShinHakkaider" data-source="post: 3971664" data-attributes="member: 9213">I am by no means a 4E booster, but the "anime / manga / video game" feel of 4E isnt one of the reasons why. Someone further upthread did a nice job of backhanding those of us who actually like anime by implying that only children enjoy anime and mature adults look for something better. I can 't properly respond to that because I'd get booted from ENworld. But I will say as someone who has been watching anime for over 20 years that that declaration is pretty obnoxious not to mention wrong. It's the same kind of snobbery that makes people who dont understand our hobby look down on most of us and sneer "geeks". It's a pattern of thought that can be applied to those of us that still read superhero comics (like I do). Not just the trendy, "mature" stuff like Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, Miracleman and Sandman. I'm talking Byrne / Claremont X-men, Giffen / Levitz LOSH, Gruenwald Captain America, Wolfman / Perez Teen Titans. Because if you label shonen as childish, power fantasies then American SuperHero books are right up there. And for that matter so is D&D. I mean sitting around a table rolling strange dice pretending that youre a skilled / brawny / wily swordsman / barbarian / thief ? Gritty or High powered fantasy, it doesn't matter that's pretty strange to a lot of people. Look, I started out on the "geek path" by reading super-hero comics. Then got introduced to D&D, then started reading Tolkien. Then got into Anime (mostly shonen and Mecha shows like Aura Battler Dunbine, Heavy Metal L-Gaim, Macross, Giant Gorg and Kido Senshi Zeta Gundam). But I still love fantasy. The problem here is that for some of you, your fantasy needs to pigeonholed into a specific "feel". That's cool to have a preference, but to imply that anything that isnt your preference isnt really D&D is just kinda dumb. I see where there's room for gritty low magic fantasy (which I've enjoyed from time to time but really isnt my preferred default) to crazy Super Saiya-Jin level, mountain destroying power fests (Which I have also enjoyed, but really isnt my preferred default either) to something in the middle (which honestly, despite my dislike of the idea of 4E, I see it as a middle ground between the two extremes) those of you who are saying that Anime and Manga arent a big influence need to look again. I remember a time in american animation where continuing storylines were almost non existent (and I'm sorry, the five part Gi-Joe where they tried to stop cobra from getting the weather dominator doesn't really count). Where major changes to characters never really happened and character death and dealing with character deaths in an animated show almost NEVER happened. Where animated characters were treated as if that's all they were CARTOON CHARACTERS.  I think alot of the animators who are out there now telling stories were fans of anime and saw how the storytelling could be pushed forward in the types of stories they told. Avatar the Last Airbender being the most obvious one, but even Justice League Unlimited with the season long Cadmus Arc would never have been done with such maturity and seriousness 20 years ago, Teen Titans would have never had a the episode where Robin is hallucinating and getting the crap beat out of him by Slade (an episode that examined Robin's obsession with Slade). Anime despite some of the silliness of some of the shows, really treats some of the themes with a seriousness that American animation prior to anime coming here, would never have done. And lets not even talk about how popular manga is. I live and work in NYC and the closest comic book store to me is a place called Jim Hanleys Universe. When they first decided to have manga in thier store it was mixed in with the rest of the comics. Then they decided to give it a dedicated section, over the past 3 or 4 years that section has continued to grow and grow and grow. The same thing with Manga in major chains, dedicated manga sections and there are always teenage girls and boys in those sections reading the manga. Especially, TEENAGE GIRLS. I only bring this up because ALOT of the anime that get greenlit are based off of popular Manga. Exposure to both of these forms of media is going to have a big influence on teens and pre-teens. This point I'm fairly certain that in 5-10 years the average teen is going to be more familiar with manga and anime than they will with the old fantasy standby's like Tolkien and Moorcock. And teenage girls are a market that D&D has yet to reach in substantial numbers. If 4E feels like it can replicate the stuff that they see/read in shows like SLAYERS! and Magic Knight Raerth then that's what will draw them. The older crowd will play whatever edition that makes them comfortable. But it's not about us anymore. If you dont mind the influence or can find away to work around it great. But it's coming whether you want it to or not.</blockquote>

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