So what makes for an "anime" rpg?

[Krensky]

But that is what I am saying...and you did to an extent...there is no one thing that makes anime, even your list doesnt cover everything that is out there for anime, but that which you could make a game form might as well just be D&D as-is.

Not quite.

What makes a game (not system) anime, or more accurately, ala anime (ah, glorious English) is how things play at the table. It's the game matching the tropes and vibe of the series or type of series you're trying to emulate.

Now, some systems were built with that intent so can make thing easier, but typically what makes a game like Mekton or Teenagers From Outer Space or BESM 'anime' is the advice in the book about matching those tropes and feel.

I've run anime style games using Mekton Z (Macross, Operation Rimfire, and a home brew or two), Fuzion (Bubblegum Crisis), SilCore (Jovian Chronicles, and a home brew), and WoD (a game set in Osaka involving anything that made sense at the time, primarily a group of vampires, a bunch of shapeshifters, some ghosts, and a bunch of mages).

It's not the system as much as it's the style and feel of the game.

 

[DumbPaladin]

The BESM thread has me wondering: what actually makes for an "anime" rpg.

I cannot answer that, but I know one thing for sure: you will do the voice for your character when you play, but in the US version, your character will instead sound like the guy from Cowboy Bebop.

 

[MichaelSomething]

I have no idea how this would work despite being among the most "Otaku" here. However, if you wish to do further research, may I suggest the Maid RPG?

 

[GreyLord]

This classic should help define it:

HOW STAR WARS WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF IT WERE ANIMEE

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-New-Hope-Manga/dp/1569713626/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1295503743&sr=8-2]Amazon.com: Star Wars: A New Hope Manga Volume 1 (9781569713624): George Lucas, Hisao Tamaki: Books[/ame]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Empire-Strikes-Manga/dp/1569713901/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295503743&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back Manga, Volume 1 (9781569713907): George Lucas, Toshiki Kudo: Books[/ame]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Return-Jedi-Manga/dp/1569713944/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1295503743&sr=8-3]Amazon.com: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Manga, Volume 1 (9781569713945): George Lucas, Shin-ichi Hiromoto: Books[/ame]

I think they already did this...

 

[ProfessorCirno]

You pick an anime and make a game out of it. Not all anime is about the fantastic or supernatural. Some are simply daily modern life.

Many anime and manga directed towards the younger female audience is about life issues and relationships. Not really sure how you would turn that into an RPG, but it is a part of anime.

Yuuyake Koyake is a tabletop game wherein all the players are animal spirits that can shapeshift into humans, and the goal is to make people in a nearby town happy. And that's it. The example given in the game is a group that helps a schoolboy overcome his fear and investigate a dark alleyway only to find a puppy, and then help him adopt the puppy, with it ending on them all playing with the puppy.

It's basically the most heartwarming game that could ever be created.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

I have no idea how this would work despite being among the most "Otaku" here. However, if you wish to do further research, may I suggest the Maid RPG?

I've played it once, and sorta know Ewen.

It's light-hearted as all hell, and is meant to be played so un-seriously it becomes anti-serious.

 

[shadzar]

Not quite.

What makes a game (not system) anime, or more accurately, ala anime (ah, glorious English) is how things play at the table. It's the game matching the tropes and vibe of the series or type of series you're trying to emulate.

Fairly easy, given that, many anime could fall in the realm of Monty Python, and DO!

If you play out the anime it is really no different for many series that a giant Monty Python skit.

As mentioned before the "tropes" would have oversized breasts on a mecha bishojo in a sailor suit, with a partner who is the loner that acts like they are from the bad side of the tracks and a gang leader, but who is very emotionally scarred and sensitive, both of which have magic powers each with animal form the Chinese zodiac, fighting Illpalazo type of BBEGs.

The point is there is no real one trope, that stylizes and covers all of anime as it simply is ALL cartoons of a China/Japan/Korea/etc origin.

Things that fit anime tropes then would be Transformers, GI Joe, Sin City, Leon (the professional), Plastic Man, Wonder Women, TMNT, Hillstreet Blues, Robocop, Teletubbies, etc.

I can go on for days and match an anime to each of those shows or a trope that could be assigned to them.

Now, some systems were built with that intent so can make thing easier, but typically what makes a game like Mekton or Teenagers From Outer Space or BESM 'anime' is the advice in the book about matching those tropes and feel.

I've run anime style games using Mekton Z (Macross, Operation Rimfire, and a home brew or two), Fuzion (Bubblegum Crisis), SilCore (Jovian Chronicles, and a home brew), and WoD (a game set in Osaka involving anything that made sense at the time, primarily a group of vampires, a bunch of shapeshifters, some ghosts, and a bunch of mages).

It's not the system as much as it's the style and feel of the game.

But what I am saying is, there isn't much style outside of anything else done, such as Rifts, as the artwork. The stories really cross cultures very easily, and can be styled very easily back and forth.

Without the art styling, you have VERY little that makes "anime" different than any other animated program.

Name something that you think is anime only, and I can come up with literature or film/TV versions of any of them from the western world. Be sure to include what you think makes the program anime-only that you name.

Yuuyake Koyake is a tabletop game wherein all the players are animal spirits that can shapeshift into humans, and the goal is to make people in a nearby town happy. And that's it. The example given in the game is a group that helps a schoolboy overcome his fear and investigate a dark alleyway only to find a puppy, and then help him adopt the puppy, with it ending on them all playing with the puppy.

It's basically the most heartwarming game that could ever be created.

Includes supernatural, which makes for an EASY RPG translation. Sounds cute, but not really my cup of tea for an RPG. Is it something for the DSi?

 

[Krensky]

Fairly easy, given that, many anime could fall in the realm of Monty Python, and DO!

If you play out the anime it is really no different for many series that a giant Monty Python skit.

As mentioned before the "tropes" would have oversized breasts on a mecha bishojo in a sailor suit, with a partner who is the loner that acts like they are from the bad side of the tracks and a gang leader, but who is very emotionally scarred and sensitive, both of which have magic powers each with animal form the Chinese zodiac, fighting Illpalazo type of BBEGs.

The point is there is no real one trope, that stylizes and covers all of anime as it simply is ALL cartoons of a China/Japan/Korea/etc origin.

I'm sorry, what are you trying to argue here?

As cirno pointed out, anime is a media. Much like Pulp. Yet when people go looking for a certain set of tropes and atmosphere they use the name of the medium to describe them because those elements were so common in that medium that they're linked for most people.

There are certain elements, primarily differences in Japanese (and to a fair degree Chinese and Korean) story telling and dramatic styles (and to a much smaller degree comedic ones) that contribute to a rpg feeling like a certain type of anime series. What those elements are varies greatly depending on what type of series you're going for.

The list I gave though covers a very wide swath of shows and movies, especially the sort that are typically the ones people are looking for in an "anime" game. It doesn't cover everything or even try to.

I may be crazy, but I feel confident that when almost all tables sit down to play a anime themed game they're looking for something that feels like SDF Macross or Scrapped Princess or Rurouni Kenshin or even Urusei Yatsura or Tenchi Muyo! and not Wandering Son or Aishiteruze Baby or Paradise Kiss.

I can go on for days and match an anime to each of those shows or a trope that could be assigned to them.

Proving what?

Name something that you think is anime only, and I can come up with literature or film/TV versions of any of them from the western world. Be sure to include what you think makes the program anime-only that you name.

Now I'm confused. What exactly have you decided is the position I'm arguing here?

 

[ProfessorCirno]

As mentioned before the "tropes" would have oversized breasts on a mecha bishojo in a sailor suit, with a partner who is the loner that acts like they are from the bad side of the tracks and a gang leader, but who is very emotionally scarred and sensitive, both of which have magic powers each with animal form the Chinese zodiac, fighting Illpalazo type of BBEGs.

That sounds more like a western comic book then anything else, quite frankly .

Includes supernatural, which makes for an EASY RPG translation. Sounds cute, but not really my cup of tea for an RPG. Is it something for the DSi?

No no, it's a tabletop game. Characters have connections to each other and to the town which let them use their supernatural powers. After an "adventure" ( I forget the word used in the game) you gain Memories, which can also power supernatural abilities, but can only be used once. It's significantly lite and even more significantly heartwarming.

 

[jbear]

I'm not sure if this is on or off topic, but when I read the title of the post it reminded me that when I was watching the anime series Naruto, I was thinking the whole timehow muchit reminded me of D&D, especially 4e.

They have their home base town and a guild leader who assigns them missions, so it's a bit sand box like. But there is a main storyline running through it which ties it together.

All the characters gain experience and train to level up. They have powers of varying levels, the more powerful ones are limited in use because they consume more chakra. Fights aren't dissimilar from the at will, encounter and daily powers structure except some characters have a 'dangerous' power they can call upon but at great personal harm, risk or sacrifice to themselves.

As characters level up they gain new and more powerful abilities.

The characters form a team. They split up a lot however to deal with different threats, and 3 is the standard number as opposed to 5.

The charaters fight and are struck a lot, the loss of chakra could almost be related to the idea of hps, which is very abstract. You know when a character is in serious trouble because finally a blow will draw blood. Like when a characteris Bloodied. From that point on the wounds received seem more physical and life threatning.

Instead of having races you have different countries/clans; a clan will have a hereditary power that can't be learnt by others. This power will continue to increase in level and power and is the characters most defining feature usually. The clan in more general terms seems to define the elements available to the character: The Clan of the Sand have air and earth; sand seems to be a more powerful combination of the two. The Clan of the Leaf seems to have more flexibility with elements available, but water and wood seem like a common element. Maybe elements are like Domains, each Clan has access to certain domains, or domains which are stronger than others. Of course the elements are the oriental elements, not just the western four: earth,wind and fire. If you fight in an area where your element is abundant, your powers are affected positively. If you fight in an area where your element is limited your powers are reduced.

Roles and class are less defined than in D&D, the variety is endless. General roles are somewhat defined by the kind of jutsu the character uses; physical, illusory, or ninjutsu which is a kind of miscellaneous category. The second defining feature of the role is the range used: long distance attacks, middle to short distance attacks, or hand to hand combat. Very long distance attacks are reserved for very powerful characters, and if they can fly then they are off the scale powerful.

Some characters have features in common, like a theme, that perhaps groups them together a little more: medic ninja (most easily defined), tracker, tactics/leadership are a few that spring to mind.

All characters have basic attacks with shuriken and dagger.

All characters gain common utility/skill powers like exchanging your body for a log of wood when attacked, or walking up walls, long distance running, leaping through trees/semi-flying, walking on water etc.

The characters often dip into some of the others area of expertise so multiclassing must be fairly unrestrictive.

There are some powers like the conjuration of monsters that are special but anyone can do them given the training. However the animal summoned is personal and in line with the characters class/role/theme/element.

The only non-human things that exist are demons, conjured animals like talking ninja frogs or dogs that smoke cigars, and the odd very rare ghost/spirit.

In Naruto there is a strange mix of no technology/technology. There are no cars or even horses for that matter, the only transport system is running, walking, being carried or an old ox with a cart. This makes flight even more powerful. They do have radios, walkie talkies, photos, cameras and neon light billboards. But no telephones, only messenger birds. But those details are more campaign specific.

In summary, I think you could use 4e as a pretty solid base to build a Naruto Anime RPG upon.