I don't mean this as an insult (although it's obviously a provocation given that there seems to be lots of D&D players who dislike anime and manga). 
I am a huge fan of anime and manga. I would say that, in several ways, the combat system in 4E (and to a lesser extent, in 3E) makes it easier to replicate a lot of the common traits of fights in anime and manga.
In traditional old D&D (up through 3rd edition), battles were basically won by attrition. Like in a wargame -- your forces go down, your resources go down, and you die. Or you manage those resources well, and you're lucky, and you don't die. The toe injury from the beginning of the day will come back and haunt your fighter at the end of the day when he takes another toe injury which pushes him over the brink to 0 hp and kills him. (One of my friends jokingly described this as the "Slavic March to Death" model of D&D.) Furthermore, there is a great emphasis on choosing your resources wisely in advance of the encounters, and conserving those resources. Spellcasters have to choose what spells they memorize for the day. You have to have the right stuff -- if you're fighting a wraith and you don't have a magic weapon, or if you're fighting green slime and you don't have fire, you better run. The game is organized around attrition (including attrition of characters -- characters are assumed to die in a fairly cavalier fashion in older editions), careful management of resources (such as spells -- the major gripe of every D&D newbie who ever played a wizard and found out they had to cherish their per-day spells like they were precious gems), and long-term strategy.
On the other hand, in D&D4e, it's more about tactical choices in individual combat encounters. Of course there are still "per day" powers, but they have been reduced in impact. And of course there are still monsters which are more vulnerable to certain attacks or weapons than others, but the necessity of having prepared in advance and brought "just the right thing for the encounter" is (from what I've heard) reduced. Instead, what's the model for 4e combat? Everyone's on their feet as much of the time as possible, and everyone can do effective stuff as often as possible! Wizards no longer have to view their "wizardly" powers as a carefully guarded commodity. Hit points are no longer quite as zealously guarded either, since now everyone can "second wind" and get back their hit points to a certain extent. And there is a much greater emphasis on interplay of powers, and to a certain extent, on teamwork -- "character roles" and classes like the warlord and all, although Wizards tells us that certain classes are still "selfish."
And what does this make me think of? Anime and manga with lots of teamwork-oriented fight scenes, like Naruto, Zatch Bell, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, etc.! Just think about it -- characters who hardly ever die, although they are frequently on the BRINK of death and then manage to pull themselves back. The whole concept of "second wind" which can be roleplayed as a dramatic "Arggh... I must keep fighting! Must protect my friends!" and the idea that certain classes and abilities can grant additional "second winds" via inspiring deeds rather than literal physical concepts like healing. A greater emphasis on martial characters, in keeping with the general Asian-pop-culture-influenced emphasis on super martial artists and swordfighters, as opposed to the traditional Vancian/Tolkien D&D idea that spellcasters are the "big guns" and everyone else is, frankly, sort of the cannon fodder. And of course the increased number of powers which are designed to work in conjunction with other characters' powers and even react to the actions of the enemies.
When I think of the model for D&D4e combat, I instantly think of the super-melodramatic, martial style of battle-oriented anime and manga. I'm sure this isn't the only thing which influenced the designers -- frankly I think it's probably part of a general cultural shift over the last 40 years away from the "wargaming" model and towards a more cinematic model -- but I'd be surprised if it wasn't an element. Anyway, although I like the old style of attrition-based, resource-managing D&D, I think that this style of D&D4e, unless I'm totally misinterpreting it, bodes well for the popularity of the new game.
I am a huge fan of anime and manga. I would say that, in several ways, the combat system in 4E (and to a lesser extent, in 3E) makes it easier to replicate a lot of the common traits of fights in anime and manga.In traditional old D&D (up through 3rd edition), battles were basically won by attrition. Like in a wargame -- your forces go down, your resources go down, and you die. Or you manage those resources well, and you're lucky, and you don't die. The toe injury from the beginning of the day will come back and haunt your fighter at the end of the day when he takes another toe injury which pushes him over the brink to 0 hp and kills him. (One of my friends jokingly described this as the "Slavic March to Death" model of D&D.) Furthermore, there is a great emphasis on choosing your resources wisely in advance of the encounters, and conserving those resources. Spellcasters have to choose what spells they memorize for the day. You have to have the right stuff -- if you're fighting a wraith and you don't have a magic weapon, or if you're fighting green slime and you don't have fire, you better run. The game is organized around attrition (including attrition of characters -- characters are assumed to die in a fairly cavalier fashion in older editions), careful management of resources (such as spells -- the major gripe of every D&D newbie who ever played a wizard and found out they had to cherish their per-day spells like they were precious gems), and long-term strategy.
On the other hand, in D&D4e, it's more about tactical choices in individual combat encounters. Of course there are still "per day" powers, but they have been reduced in impact. And of course there are still monsters which are more vulnerable to certain attacks or weapons than others, but the necessity of having prepared in advance and brought "just the right thing for the encounter" is (from what I've heard) reduced. Instead, what's the model for 4e combat? Everyone's on their feet as much of the time as possible, and everyone can do effective stuff as often as possible!
Wizards no longer have to view their "wizardly" powers as a carefully guarded commodity. Hit points are no longer quite as zealously guarded either, since now everyone can "second wind" and get back their hit points to a certain extent. And there is a much greater emphasis on interplay of powers, and to a certain extent, on teamwork -- "character roles" and classes like the warlord and all, although Wizards tells us that certain classes are still "selfish."And what does this make me think of? Anime and manga with lots of teamwork-oriented fight scenes, like Naruto, Zatch Bell, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, etc.!
Just think about it -- characters who hardly ever die, although they are frequently on the BRINK of death and then manage to pull themselves back. The whole concept of "second wind" which can be roleplayed as a dramatic "Arggh... I must keep fighting! Must protect my friends!" and the idea that certain classes and abilities can grant additional "second winds" via inspiring deeds rather than literal physical concepts like healing. A greater emphasis on martial characters, in keeping with the general Asian-pop-culture-influenced emphasis on super martial artists and swordfighters, as opposed to the traditional Vancian/Tolkien D&D idea that spellcasters are the "big guns" and everyone else is, frankly, sort of the cannon fodder. And of course the increased number of powers which are designed to work in conjunction with other characters' powers and even react to the actions of the enemies.When I think of the model for D&D4e combat, I instantly think of the super-melodramatic, martial style of battle-oriented anime and manga. I'm sure this isn't the only thing which influenced the designers -- frankly I think it's probably part of a general cultural shift over the last 40 years away from the "wargaming" model and towards a more cinematic model -- but I'd be surprised if it wasn't an element. Anyway, although I like the old style of attrition-based, resource-managing D&D, I think that this style of D&D4e, unless I'm totally misinterpreting it, bodes well for the popularity of the new game.
Sounds like a rough DM. For us it was 'manage well or get lucky, or you're getting to wish you could die'
