Find the Anime Challenge

[Hussar]

People have posted what they felt are good examples. You have stated they are not. But, as you say, people see what they want to say. What is the burden here? Solid evidence? Or persuading you to personally admit you were wrong?

I would say the burden is on solid evidence. Just posting something and saying, "Hey, this is anime inspired" without a single shred of explanation isn't evidence. Presented with images that are convincing, such as the young gnome, will certainly get me to revise my opinion. Simply dropping pictures and assuming that the influence is self evident is sloppy in the extreme.

I point back to the imaginary conversation I posted last page.

Oh, and as far as finding images with no anime influence? Not a problem:

What anime influence is there in this image from the Spell Compendium?

Or this one from Tome of Magic:

 

[schporto]

Oh, and as far as finding images with no anime influence? Not a problem:

What anime influence is there in this image from the Spell Compendium?

Or this one from Tome of Magic:

First let me say that I don't care if there is or isn't anime influence. In fact I think it's a silly argument as of course there are influences, just like there are comic book influence,s 1e influences, heck there's probably even Picaso influences...
As for those two images...
The first one the feathered head looks like the deer creature from Princess Mononoke which I consider anime so therefore is.
The second one the creature looks like it belongs in Spiritied Away or Final Fantasy. While the artisitc style isn't, I think there's clearly influence.

And I'm sure you disagree. And that's my point. You are arguing about art in a way that is highly subjective. I think your definition of anime influence (face faults, eyes too big, etc), is different then other folks (posing, action scenes that obscure background, etc). And because this entire discourse is so subjective I don't think there will ever be an agreement.
-cpd

 

[wedgeski]

As a whole, the artist seems to rely too much on photographs of static poses as his models for his paintings, and merely splices together an action sequence out of a bunch of unrelated static poses. There is no real attempt to actually study or portray the motion or collision of people in actual conflict. That is pretty sloppy and lazy, which is a shame, since otherwise the artist's technical aptitude is pretty good.

I could not be more in disagreement with you. Easley in particular is still pretty much unsurpassed when it comes to full-page fantasy action, and while I don't normally like Elmore, that Dragonlance cover remains one of his best works IMO. I remember just staring at that dracolich picture, drinking in every detail. 2ed PHB if I recall?

Edit: sorry for the hijack Hussar.

 

[Cadfan]

Can we just declare this contest over? The conclusions are obvious.

1) D&D art isn't anime influenced in anything more than trace amounts. It has been influenced by comic art, which has some cross pollination with japan, but that's an anime influence several times removed at best, and diluted by so many other influences that its pointless to mention.
2) Still, D&D art has changed over the years.
3) It is now more character oriented.
4) And more action oriented.
5) And scenery shots tend to be just scenery, without characters in them.
6) Some (usually older) players don't like this change.
7) So they complain about it.
8) Because they're old players, they slur the changes by calling them "anime." This is the gamer equivalent of an old man proclaiming that "music this days isn't music, its just noise!"
9) Even though they choose to verbalize their complaints through comments that reveal them as completely out of touch, their preferences are legitimate and should be balanced against the preferences of other players.

 

[Nifft]

The second one the creature looks like it belongs in Spiritied Away or Final Fantasy. While the artisitc style isn't, I think there's clearly influence.

Since that particular creature has a history, we don't need to disagree about influences. We can just look them up.

In this case, the critter hails from classical European mythology.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Since that particular creature has a history, we don't need to disagree about influences. We can just look them up.

In this case, the critter hails from classical European mythology.

Cheers, -- N

So, does this put the "it looks like anime to me, therefore it's anime" theory to rest? I mean, if a creature from 16th Century European mythology makes people think it's been influenced by anime, then all definitions of what is or is not anime, based on personal opinion, are automatically trivial. Literally anything can remind someone of anime. My avatar becomes anime. The board emoticons are anime. The letter K is anime. To steal from another thread, "If everything is anime, then nothing is."

 

[Nifft]

So, does this put the "it looks like anime to me, therefore it's anime" theory to rest? I mean, if a creature from 16th Century European mythology makes people think it's been influenced by anime

Nah. That particular case was just general ignorance regarding sources.

schporto is partly correct -- the creature does appear in Final Fantasy, as noted in its Wikipedia entry. However, he's incorrect in assuming that Final Fantasy was its source. Final Fantasy took this critter from European mythology -- it's a case of "anime" being influenced by Western art and history.

All this one proves is that kids need more Art History!

Cheers, -- N

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Nah. That particular case was just general ignorance regarding sources.

schporto is partly correct -- the creature does appear in Final Fantasy, as noted in its Wikipedia entry. However, he's incorrect in assuming that Final Fantasy was its source. Final Fantasy took this critter from European mythology -- it's a case of "anime" being influenced by Western art and history.

All this one proves is that kids need more Art History!

Cheers, -- N

zOMG! You mean that artistic influence isn't a one-way street? This whole anime business isn't some South Park-esque Japanese plot to control the minds of our impressionable offspring? The Japanese borrow from Western fantasy just as much if not more than Western fantasy artists borrow from anime? Zounds! Who would have thought such a thing could be true?!

 

[schporto]

Nah. That particular case was just general ignorance regarding sources.

schporto is partly correct -- the creature does appear in Final Fantasy, as noted in its Wikipedia entry. However, he's incorrect in assuming that Final Fantasy was its source. Final Fantasy took this critter from European mythology -- it's a case of "anime" being influenced by Western art and history.

All this one proves is that kids need more Art History!

Cheers, -- N

And just cuz...
1. I did take art history. (well 10 years ago I did.)
2. Knew some of the image's history. I did know it was from European myth. Didn't know it actually did appear in Final Fantasy.
3. It proves my point, things are interconnected. Proving something has or doesn't have influence from X (anime, comics, movies, pop culture etc) is awkward at best. If I've seen something then chances are it has influenced what I do. (Unless the artist is intentionally trying to avoid such influence.)
=cpd

 

[Nifft]

And just cuz...
1. I did take art history. (well 10 years ago I did.)

Okay, if that's the case, then I don't feel bad at all taking you to task for claiming that a basic vegetile stylization somehow originated with Princess Mononoke.

3. It proves my point, things are interconnected.

If that's the entirety of your point, I don't think you can be proven wrong.

But it has nothing to do with D&D turning into anime, or rather, no more than it has to do with anime turning into D&D.

Cheers, -- N