That's interesting. What are the character traits associated with hair and eye colour?
One example is Red Oni, Blue Oni.
That's interesting. What are the character traits associated with hair and eye colour?
Yes. Those who think anime and manga characters look more caucasian than Japanese either need to see more real-life Japanese people or watch this informative video. Hint: not all Asians look alike.
Ok. I'm about to reveal myself as someone who knows nothing about anime or manga.
I read your link on Red/Blue Oni. Did a/m grow out of traditional Japanese stories?
Sorry, I should have explained that better.
It's not so much tropes but the fact that, to me in my ignorance, it seems extremely layered. And it's something that has to be learned to be really appreciated if you're not Japanese. That right?
Yes. Those who think anime and manga characters look more caucasian than Japanese either need to see more real-life Japanese people or watch this informative video. Hint: not all Asians look alike.
As in, no they don't have blonde hair and blue eyes. I don't usually think of animated characters as wearing contacts or having dyed hair, so that could be another reason.
Did you miss the part where it's very common for Japanese youth to dye their hair? In lots of the anime with more realistic hair colors, it's generally assumed characters with blond hair have dyed it, and in some anime this is even a plot point, for example in Toradora! or Clannad, where certain characters' dyeing their hair blond become important issues. In other anime, hair can span the color spectrum and include blue, purple, pink, and green hair, which yes, is generally more along the lines of creative license, but doesn't really have anything to do with race. I definitely say a blue-haired character looks any more caucasian than Japanese.
Did you miss the part where it's very common for Japanese youth to dye their hair?
That's actually what I was responding to. I know japanese youth dye their hair. But I don't assume an animated character has dyed hair and contacts. So I take the distinctly Aryan features at face value.
I think that makes sense. If I show you a drawing of someone with brown skin, you aren't going to assume they're a white person with a very dark tan. Your initial assumption will be that they are a person of color.
You need context to be able to identify them as otherwise and for context you have to be interested in learning more/watching anime.
You know how white people often see MCs as white people by default. Do people of colour do the same? Or is your default your own colour? Or do you not have a default?
I'm interested in how this works.
If I know it takes place on Japan, that's kind of enough context to assume the characters are Japanese unless otherwise indicated. I don't know why one would assume a classroom full of kids in Hokkaido are a bunch of white people just because a few of them have blond hair.
Yeah, I'm gonna have to say that if a character's name is Japanese, I'm going to assume they're Japanese, no matter the hair or eye color.
Now I'm sure some people reading this post are saying to themselves, "Oh well, that's obvious!" But you'd be surprised...
I don't really assume any race if it's not clear. I'll assume the author's race if I know it. Assuming the main character is native American until otherwise indicated would just be statistically silly...
I was only explaining my thinking as someone who isn't into the culture as a whole. It's just annoying to constantly hear "oh my god, why do people think this character is white?"
And the answer is actually really simple: statistically, a person with blonde hair and blue eyes is very very likely to be white. I don't think it gets much simpler. I should probably be embarrassed about this, but I definitely never assumed they all take place in Japan. Sometimes there's just an ambiguously rural setting and decidedly japanese food. Eh, that could be anywhere.
I don't know if miyazaki movies count as "anime" but a lot of his characters are definitely european. And I'm sure there's some context here to explain why his characters are obviously european and the other aren't. But if you hold them up side to side
Well, as pointed out above, if a character's name is Ryuji or Shinji, I think it's safe to assume he's Japanese. If it's Simon or Charlotte, I'd be comfortable in assuming they're maybe not Japanese. If you watch anime with a multicultural cast of characters, it's not that difficult to tell who is who.
In anime with multiracial casts, it's usually not difficult to see the difference. In anime whose cast is primarily non-Japanese, they are often not drawn very differently from the Japanese characters, because that's just the art style. They're used to drawing Japanese characters.
This is helpful because, again, it offers context. Now I know that characters are sometimes drawn exactly like japanese characters, but aren't japanese. Of course that also explains why I get them mixed up
My friend is Japanese and she has blonde hair and blue/green eyes. *Shrugs.* She's mixed, but I think she's more Japanese than whatever else she's mixed with (she told me once, but I can't remember it all; I know she's 1/8 black, but that's it....). Yeah, it's not very common, but still happens, especially if one is mixed.As in, no they don't have blonde hair and blue eyes.