New Gundam announced!

[ainsoph9]

Well, I do not know exactly how the Japanese target audiences. I have noticed the among the Japanese I have spoken to that anime seems to be considered childish, even series such as Gantz and Hellsing. Unlike what many Westerners view as inappropriate, the Japanese do not in many instances. Ergo, what many Westerners would not let their children watch (i.e. things with sexual content), many Japanese would not see a problem with this.

[Jumpyshoes]

Well, I do not know exactly how the Japanese target audiences. I have noticed the among the Japanese I have spoken to that anime seems to be considered childish, even series such as Gantz and Hellsing. Unlike what many Westerners view as inappropriate, the Japanese do not in many instances. Ergo, what many Westerners would not let their children watch (i.e. things with sexual content), many Japanese would not see a problem with this.

For some reason, in America, violence is intergrated in our culture. On the other hand, if you watch porn, and you're underaged, you can get up to 10 years in prison (the same as 3rd degree murder). In Japan and many other culture, this seems to be reversed. Maybe because we can get guns so easily in America.

[ainsoph9]

Jumpyshoes wrote:

For some reason, in America, violence is intergrated in our culture. On the other hand, if you watch porn, and you're underaged, you can get up to 10 years in prison (the same as 3rd degree murder). In Japan and many other culture, this seems to be reversed. Maybe because we can get guns so easily in America.

Yeah, I have heard that Japan is not alone on this matter. I have heard that it is this way for many European countries, although I do not know how true this is (no offense to anyone in Europe). Below is a post I wrote for the "Study Japanese with Suzumiya Haruhi" thread that supports this.

Spoiler! :

The_naming_game, you stated that you wanted an example of how important it is to tie the language and the culture together, right? Here is one: An English-speaking Japanese student was invited to a party. He goes to the house that he thinks the party is at. After he rings the doorbell, a man opens the door. Upon seeing this, the student starts to walk in without explaining himself, thinking it is the house where the party is at. Unfortunately, he, of course, is at the wrong house. The owner of the house is startled by the student's sudden entry and grabs his gun. The owner shouts, "Freeze!" but the student does not stop. He shouts, "Freeze!" again, but the student continues to enter. The owner of the house then shoots the student on the spot, killing him. This was an incident that occurred in the early 1990s I believe; it caused an uproar in Japan, making many think that all Americans were gun-toting nut cases. In any event, the student, because he was unfamiliar was English slang (an inherent part of a culture), lost his life. This is despite the fact that the student knew academic English perfectly well. Unfortunately, things such as slang are not taught normally at an academic level. Ergo, the language became removed from the culture, especially since the student unwittingly trespassed on private property. However, in Japan, what the student did would have been more acceptable to my knowledge.

[Jumpyshoes]

Another story I heard was this guy (that wasn't from America) came and stayed at a hotel. At the hotel, he heard someone scream, "Look out below!" So, naturally, he stuck his head out the window. Then, a bucket of pee landed on this face. Language and culture is very important. Like how Asians take off their shoes when going inside a house.

[Byakko]

Yeah, what matters is the theme. Things like Gundam is barely above Naruto in term of main themes - think that little red strand that guides the whole scenario, even if you think the characters are more developped, Gundam is well inside the shounen range (young boys). Things like Gantz or Parasite are closer to the seinen genre, more for somewhat older teenagers but still not necessarily with really developped themes (Parasite will be "above" Gantz though thanks to its highly philosophical preaching) even if it has a content we judge to be really mature (Gantz is sold in a wrap-up in France, which happens really rarely), and things like Vagabond are clear seinen, for people much closer to 20 y.o. and a little above.