What is Anime? To people who don’t watch it, they may just see it as another cartoon, but to those who do, they are fully aware it is much more than that. Anime is hand-drawn, or computer animated, work that is associated with Japan. The word Anime itself is the Japanese word for animation. Now, there are two different types of anime a person can watch, known as subtitled and dubbed. The major difference between these two is the languages and drawings. Subtitled is the original content in Japanese, subtitled in whatever alternate language one chooses. As for dubbed, this is the same show with new voice acting in a different language and can sometimes result in changes other countries may see as inappropriate. Now, what does all of this have to do with anything? This article will be reviewing some of the ways Anime is a benefit for any individual.
The first thing that we are going to go over is the fact that Anime can improve language skills. If someone is to watch the subtitling style, then they are listening to the Japanese language while reading the subtitles. If they were to keep listening to the subtitling version and become invested in a certain show, there is no doubt that they would pick up a phrase or two from just listening to the show. They may not be fully structured sentences, but many people learn basic greeting or catchphrases used by the characters in Japanese. This is a great way to learn Japanese and maybe even a whole new culture that is completely different from ours.
Like American TV shows, Anime may try to teach their audience important morals, however, some of their morals may not be as upfront as some of ours. For instance, we try to teach our children to be nice to each other and respect those around them by showing them fun cartoons that give them that lesson. However, in Japan, their morals are a tad different. As many people are aware, Japanese culture holds high values on honor and integrity and they tend to show it in more violent and inappropriate manners. For example, Naruto is a show that is based in a world of ninjas and its main point is about never giving up and sticking to one’s guns no matter what other people say.
Of course, with it being in the ninja world, there is plenty of violence to witness and some scenes can be uncomfortable for viewers, but it was also one of the most popular Animes at one point both in Japan and America because of its strong lessons and characters. The morals may be different, but the reason this article argues that Japanese morals are more beneficial is that they are more relevant for our timeline. Yes, it is important to teach the young ones on sharing and caring, but they also need bold messages about life on love, respect, and unity through our upbringing. Japanese culture just teach their kids something more passionate and something that even the adults can learn through Anime, it isn’t just something someone can see once and forget about, it is a lesson that the animators want to stay in the heart for the rest of their lives.
Anime is a very bold style for learning culture and learning more about oneself. It has a very different approach from our television, but it is definitely worth the watch. Anime has multiple genres, such as our entertainment does, that can get anyone invested quickly into the show. They have different ideas then we do when it comes to respect, honor, love, and loss, which is why that Anime is one of the fastest ways to open the doors to a whole new language and culture. So, maybe instead of watching something a person may watch every day, try to find an Anime that intrigues a person. Who knows? Maybe someone will become an Anime fanatic before they know it.
Photo Courtesy of Kodansha Ltd.
