Find the Anime Challenge

[Nifft]

It was a messy photoshop, which the editor admitted fully, and without shame. It still let the female warrior look a little bit less silly than it already is.

Compared to how her male companion is dressed, I find the female warrior a portrait of modesty.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Hussar]

For those of you complaining that I'm being sole judge here, well, tell you what, pony up your sig and we'll let you judge too. Don't like it? Don't play. Too easy.

I'm willing to be convinced, but, that's the point, you have to convince me. There's no more anime influence in most of these images than what you would find in DC or Marvel comics for the past fifteen years. So, whining about the "anime influence" is just that. Whining.

Paizo does not count because it's not WOTC. Seems pretty straight forward to me. Until the digital version of Dragon this week, I can't recall Marc Sasso gracing the pages of WOTC books. UDON does not do WOTC. Chuck Lucacs does not do WOTC (as far as I can remember). Paizo has its own stable of artists and its own art director. Thus, it's not WOTC. Paizo is no larger than say, Mongoose or Green Ronin, and I'm not including them either. This is about WOTC.

The challenge is out there boys and girls. It's on the table. I had the intestinal fortitude to pony up, and whining about the game isn't going to change the rules. Either piddle or get off the pot.

As a side note, I've got no problems with saying you don't like the art. Personally, I dislike WAR. I find his overly detailed characters distracting. Then again, I didn't like Todd McFarlane's Spider Man for exactly the same reason. Too busy for my tastes. But, that's the point. I'm saying that I don't like it and that's fine. I'm not saying, "Oh, I don't like this, therefore it's bad and should never appear in a book".

And that's the difference. For those who cry and bitch about the "anime influence" in the artwork, for the most part, they're trying to say that the art is bad and shouldn't be there. It couldn't possibly be that their tastes are just different and that's why they don't like the images. No, of course not. Their discriminating tastes should dictate to the rest of us what the art of the game should look like and "anime" is the easy shortcut buzzword they use.

The problem is, the easy shortcut buzzword isn't very accurate. For the most part, it's flat out wrong. There is very, very little evidence to support the idea of anime influence in 3e art, and now 4e art as well. This thread pretty much shows that. 5 pages in, nearly 200 posts and we still have yet to see a single clear cut example. NOT ONE.

 

[Hussar]

Hey, I just noticed, Hildebrant's hobbits have pointy ears. They're SO anime.

I see the point about the "wee folk" shapes. Is it anime or is it Hildebrant? The above pic is from the 70's, so, not much anime influence there.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

You are aware, I hope, that the early anime style was directly influenced by exactly the characters you are showing here?

Read The Anime Encyclopedia if you doubt!

RC

Perhaps my humour is too subtle...

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Hey, I just noticed, Hildebrant's hobbits have pointy ears. They're SO anime.

I see the point about the "wee folk" shapes. Is it anime or is it Hildebrant? The above pic is from the 70's, so, not much anime influence there.

That female hobbit's got more "big eyes/small mouth" going on than the Races of Stone gnome that everyone was so on about earlier in the thread.

 

[DandD]

Compared to how her male companion is dressed, I find the female warrior a portrait of modesty.

The "male companion" has horns and is probably a freakish wizard/sorceror/warlock/whateverevilspawn. They always dress silly. That doesn't mean that the female warrior has to be as silly as the horned guy.

 

[Nifft]

The "male companion" has horns and is probably a freakish wizard/sorceror/warlock/whateverevilspawn. They always dress silly. That doesn't mean that the female warrior has to be as silly as the horned guy.

Sure, but she's showing six square inches (none of which are indecent), while he's showing about two square feet.

His hornyness isn't the issue.

Cheers, -- N

 

[DandD]

He's the horned freak with appearently obvious spellcasting powers, and D&D casters always dress silly. And he doesn't even have the excuse to be female.
And to be somehow ontopic, Slain of "Record of Lodoss War" had the decency to wear a complete robe. Therefore, the horned freak-guy isn't anime/manga/whatever.

 

[Hussar]

WizarDru, I guess "anime" is like "sense of wonder"......

.......And Hussar just found his own personal version of the "sense of wonder" thread!

There's a difference though. I'm not actually claiming anything. I'm asking those who claim the anime influence on 3e and 4e art to actually back up their claim. As to whether or not I personally like the art is irrelavent. I'm not claiming any sort of authority. I just want those who've for the past seven years or so, been flapping their gums, to actually show some evidence.

Those who see the anime influence seem to take it for granted that it's somehow self evident. That somehow, everyone sees what they see. This thread, and many before, show that this isn't true. For years, the conversation has gone thus:

3e Anime Critic: Look at 3e art. It's so anime.

Me: What specifically do you mean? Which art?

3e AC: Well, no one piece, just an overall feel...

Me: Well, ok. When you say anime then, what are you referring to? Do you mean body proportions?

3e AC: No... body proportions are usually ok.

Me: Do you mean face faults and "anime" ish facial features?

3e AC: No, you don't see that in the art.

Me: Do you mean the compositions then? I mean, the action?

3e AC: Well, no. Most of that you can see in any Marvel or DC comic for the past twenty years.

Me: So, what is it?

3e AC: It's the art! It's so obviously anime inspired!

Me: *bangs head against wall repeatedly*

About the only reasonable criticism in this thread has been weapon sizes. Then again, oversized weapons are hardly limited to anime. Marvel and DC have been guilty of this for years. As have lots of other artists like Vajello and Franzetta. Having a big freaking sword is cool, regardless of what your ethnic background apparently.

 

[Mad Mac]

It seems to me that the main difference between the former and the latter is the addition of action. Raistlin there looks like he's about to fall asleep, while his opponent looks less like he's summoning up some devastating effect to destroy his mortal enemy, and more like he's pulling taffy.

Come to think of it, I don't recall many "action" shots in 2nd edition. Lots of pre/post battle posing, or just generally scoping out the background, but not a lot of pictures of characters springing into action.