What are your thoughts on ANIME's influence on D&D?

[D.Shaffer]

And as for anime being influenced by early american animation, the previous poster is correct whether you can see it or not. Early japanese animators were strongly influenced by warner bors animation in general and Disney in particular. I'd venture to say if you saw early anime like Kimba the white lion and early disney shorts and features and you couldnt see the similarities then, then I don't know what to tell you.

Tezuka can be quoted as saying he was influenced by Disney in his character designs. Since he was one of the most influential artists when it came to anime, his style became a big part of what we see now.

As for comparisons...

On a related note, you can blame US Superhero comics for the glut of Sentai shows out there too.

 

[Aaron L]

Huh? If anything, Batman: TAS reflects the style of the 1940s Fleischer Superman Cartoons -- and film noir -- but with even simpler, cleaner lines. The emphasis is on simple figures moving fluidly, not on detailed figures with many fine lines.

Yes, Fleischer's style almost exactly... combined with elements of anime influence.

 

[buzz]

Yes, Fleischer's style almost exactly... combined with elements of anime influence.

What are those elements?

 

[Nuclear Platypus]

What are those elements?

"A Japanese style of motion-picture animation, characterized by highly stylized, colorful art, futuristic settings, and sexuality and violence."

And ruthless efficiency. And a fanatical devotion to the Pope! Maybe not.

But that's just a circular argument.

I'm watching Drunken Master II (Legend of the Drunken Master) with Jackie Chan on Spike and during his first Drunken Boxing fight, he was shouting out his moves. Jet Li's version of Wong Fei Hong did the same, mainly with the No Shadow Kick, and in Kung Fu Hustle ("The Lion's Roar" and "Buddha's Palm") as an afterthought. So why couldn't a player? I'm in a gaming group where one mage uses Latin for his verbal components instead of "I cast Magic Missile" or even "Fireballs coming online, BA". I've chanted like Uncle from Jackie Chan Adventures casting curative magic but also when turning undead. All of which are more original than "I cast fireball at the orcs."

So what's the difference? More importantly, who cares? Anime's influence on D&D is no less than Tolkien, Moorcock, Lieber, Lovecraft, Howard, Wells, Verne, pulp fantasy, religious texts, Star Wars and the kitchen sink before it. Tolkien may have been first but that doesn't mean he's the best and definitely not the only.

 

[BRP2]

My final comment on this argument. Like someone said: It's elitist to cast out the entire style so easily. A lot of things that inspired anime also inspired DnD, which is why there is a lot of common in the first place.

I bet you could trick someone in playing a copy-and-paste anime character or plot or ect, and they wouldn't know.

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

I bet you could trick someone in playing a copy-and-paste anime character or plot or ect, and they wouldn't know.

Sucker's bet. I've done it, using pre-gen'd characters for a cyberpunk game, and borrowing heavily from Dominion: Tank Police and the original Bubblegum Crisis series. The guy really got his knickers in a twist when a passer-by commented on how interesting the scenario sounded and noted the influences of those two anime (we were playing in a local game shop), and that the one grognard was playing a copy&paste of Britain from D:TP, up to and including the "armored tactical response vehicle."

Was rather fun watching his brain melt as he tried to reconcile his hatred of "all things anime" with what he had called "one of the most fun pre-gen'd characters he'd ever played."

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

As for the topic, maybe it's just because I've got a broader exposure to what "anime" actually is than those who despise it on principle, but some of the artwork aside, I really don't see much influence on D&D in that regard.

If anything, it'd be the other way around, from the serious tones of Record of Lodoss War to the slapstick of The Slayers.

That's not to say that players don't bring such influences to the characters they run or the campaigns they play in. But it's not directly in the core material, at least not from what I've seen. But then again, the last two actual D&D products I bought was Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and the Eberron core book (the latter of which has a definite steam-punk vibe, which also turns out to be a fairly popular genre for anime and fantasy alike).

 

[blargney the second]

Was rather fun watching his brain melt as he tried to reconcile his hatred of "all things anime" with what he had called "one of the most fun pre-gen'd characters he'd ever played."

That's awesome.

 

[The Shaman]

I think wuxia as presented in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess is perhaps more influential on 3e D&D than anime.

I agree with the notion that many players are strongly influenced by anime and manga, and seek to emulate what they know and enjoy.

As a side note, after the other thread about anime recently, I decided to sit down and give it another spin: I spent about ten days watching every anime I could find on cable (no way I was going to pay real money for DVD rentals. . .). I watched as many episodes as I could, and managed to see at least one each of Eureka 7, Samurai Champloo, Trinity Blood, Mar, Bleach, InuYasha, Basilisk, Mirage of Blaze, Lupin the Third, and Ghost in the Shell, plus one or two others whose titles I forgot to write down. Honestly, it sucked - most of it was ugly and infantile, and when it wasn't, it was disgusting (Trinity Blood and Mirage of Blaze, I'm looking at you).

In fairness, Ghost in the Shell didn't suck quite as bad as the rest of the lot and I did steal one idea for our Traveller game, but it certainly didn't grab me enough to keep staying up until oh-dark-thirty to watch it.

 

[blargney the second]

Try Slayers. It's a fun series.