My D&D Game would suffer without Anime!!!!

[Malhost Zormaeril]

As a matter of fact, I believe that an anime/manga that could mesh well with D&D would be Houshin Engi/Soul Hunter (personally, I'd just drop the clown outfits, but you gotta know how to pick and choose). Race of superbeings which perform miracles through the use of treasures: It's just like D&D already! ;-P

Seriously, a Mythic Bronze-Age China campaign with liberal use of magic items (each Immortal has one signature item) would probably make for some interesting sessions. Plus, the politics of it have plenty of potential.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Just out of curiosity: for those who have anime influence in their games, what specifically do you use?

 

[Darth Shoju]

There are? I had no idea.

I knew there're two (possibly more) series related to it - the original Record of Lodoss War and Chronicles of the Heroic Knight - but the Chronicles came later, had a different storyline, and wern't as good. Sort of the Lodoss version of Phantom Menace, but without being a prequel.

There's also Legend of Crystania which is kind of a spin-off of Lodoss War. It is pretty cool but also fairly different than the original source material.

For those who decry anime based on the worst it has to offer, I wonder how many of you enjoy western animation?

 

[InVinoVeritas]

I, for one, enjoy Western animation. Or, at least, don't mind animation in general until the anime influences pop up.

However, I can't say that I hate anime (anymore, at least). When I thought about the same character archetypes being used over and over again, I started thinking of kabuki or noh, and realized that it's much the same idea: certain styles and tropes are put together in multiple ways, but the thematic and stylistic elements are what pull them all together. For me, the elements get in the way of my appreciation of the story.

For a more Western point of view, think of opera or ballet. The stories told within may be haunting, enchanting, gripping, etc. but in many cases, from my point of view, they're totally lost because they're sinigng in Italian or jumping around in tutus. Sure, not all opera is in Italian, and not all ballet involves tutus. It doesn't mean that I'll be able to enjoy the opera or ballet once these elements are removed, though. Same thing with anime's face faults, for example.

Might the Nutcracker give me the idea to use a magical toymaker? Sure. But is the magical toymaker motif owned by ballet? No. Even if I introduce Drosselmeyer himself to my game, I'm not going to call my game ballet-influenced.

So, my games are not anime-influenced, and I prefer it that way. I'll actively work to prevent it from appearing, too, much like I'd nix people singing their characters' motivations in monologues at the table.

 

[Ranger REG]

Just out of curiosity: for those who have anime influence in their games, what specifically do you use?

Face Fault cards.

*gives you a "crossed" angry card to hold up in frustration*

Honestly, I don't use that many anime influence. I prefer an exotic blend of wuxia and jidai geki (basically involves wire fu and high "trampoline" jumps) ... with a dash of bullet-time Matrix aromatic.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Face Fault cards.

*gives you a "crossed" angry card to hold up in frustration*

I used to draw them on post-it notes for that purpose...

 

[I'm A Banana]

Just out of curiosity: for those who have anime influence in their games, what specifically do you use?

For me, much of it comes from plot and pacing. My D&D campaigns tend to be very much like a season of an anime series. A lot of people compare their sessions to weekly television shows: recurring characters, new threats, a big climax each week, and a big change at the end of the "season."

When running it like an anime series, each week depends on the last one, and each builds to a huge crescendo at the end of the season...and eventually, when the story is told, it comes to a satisfying conclusion.

That's the biggest influence. Everything else is cherry-picking like I'd do from any fantasy movie or book: "Ooh! Ghostly figure in a mask who follows you around asking for what he is eerily addicted to! Cool, I can use that!" (Noh Face from Spirited Away)

 

[thedungeondelver]

... with a dash of bullet-time

I've had that in my game for 20+ years - it's called a slow spell!

 

[JoeGKushner]

For those who think that D&D and anime have nothing in common...

Record of the Lodoss War

Berserk

The former is basically a D&D campaign.

The latter is a Grim Tales/Conan/Game of Throne campaign.

Worth checking out if for nothing else than some of the visuals. Very little comedy going on there and some interesting storylines.

 

[Crothian]

There's no "forcing" going on- there's a huge difference between being influenced by anime and trying to emulate it exactly. The influence being discussed here involves story-lines and characterizations, and doesn't effect D&D game mechanics one way or the other.

I'm just saying there are better games then D&D for it.