Cliches

[ainsoph9]

-Transformation sequences
-Overly happy girls
-Girl with crush on some pretty boy
-Girl who is a crybaby
-Mascot
...

Just watch Dai Mahou Touge, Excel, or Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan if you want to see the major cliches.

[b0mb3r]

^ Is Shugo Chara! considered one?

[ainsoph9]

That is definitely masou (ahem! mahou) shoujo.

[Poke2201]

Isnt Magical Girl Genre/Shounen genre populated with determined people who never give up in situations where its pragmatically a good idea?

[ainsoph9]

Naw, not necessarily. That really covers a wide gambit of anime, especially shounen series where the word "wisdom" fails to be in any of the characters' dictionaries.

[b0mb3r]

^ cause we know that half the problem heroes faces are created by themselves and can be easily avoided with some wisdom.... then again most romantic anime would have ended. Are the anime industry that afraid to show a relationship? Yes the development and chase is fun but we need more couples. Only recent in mind that succeeded was bakemonogatari.

[ainsoph9]

The problem is that an underlying assumption exists in pop culture today. The assumption is that the chase to become boyfriend and girlfriend is an end of itself because sex is the only thing at the end of that tunnel. Unfortunately, this assumption precludes the concept of marriage, effectively taking it out of the picture. If marriage is in the picture, it generally comes after the couple has had sex together, only to find out that the girl is pregnant or something of the sort. However, many men are not willing to assume the responsibility and effectively "toss the baby out with the bathwater." This happens on TV, in anime, and in real life. The sad thing is that the assumption takes away from the sanctity of life (i.e., abortion) and that of the individual's freedom (i.e., doing things responsibly within a set of rules or laws), not to mention that of marriage. Once people assume that marriage is no longer necessary, it becomes practically impossible for couples to trust one another, especially if everybody is sleeping with everybody. Who is to say that I can trust my lover to be faithful when I myself am not faithful to them? And vice versa. It is little wonder why our society has so many problems on this end. Anime or any sort of production does not want to show this because they assume that having extra-marital relations is the norm, and they do not want to be held accountable for showing a functional relationship. Functional relationships do not sell, which sadly means they become the expense of the relationships that do sell: the dysfunctional ones. About the closest to seeing a functional relationship is the kind that is semi-stable like in Itazura na Kiss or Clannad. However, these are definitely exceptions to the "rule." It is amazing how 40-60 years ago these kind of shows would have been closer to the norm. We have come a long ways from the moral standards that were once held.

[Poke2201]

Well really the best shows tend to take whats the norm and warp it into something awesome.

[b0mb3r]

The source of this collapse in marriage, the freedom of sleeping with everyone, the distrust between spouses, is because of its acceptance and moral relativity?

[Poke2201]

What?

[ainsoph9]

b0mb3r, the best way I can give an answer to that question is for you to read a short book called "Assumptions That Affect Our Lives" by Dr. Christian Overman. It is a book written by a Christian for Christians, but the scope of the book goes beyond Christianity as a whole. (So, for a Buddhist like yourself, I am sure that you will be able to appreciate it.) It compares the typical Western(Greek) mindset with that of a Hebraic mindset and forces the reader to think about the assumptions that they have come to base their lives upon. Most people cannot claim that they have not been affected by Westernization at all in any cultural sphere. So, also b0mb3r, this will answer a lot of your questions you have been having about moral relativity and the like. The book is cheap, is easy to read, and is available here. While I realize that you or anyone here may or may not be interested in reading this book, this book is an investment that will pay itself back while you read it. I also realize that you may or may not agree with or understand everything the book has to say. I do not ask you to agree with everything it has to say or even read it with that in mind. Rather, just read it with an open mind and enjoy it. If you do decide to read it, feel free to PM me if you have any comments, questions, remarks, etc.

[b0mb3r]

What?

no young to understand.

ainsoph i appericate the help as always, i don't mean to sound like a broken record.

[ainsoph9]

No. You do not sound like a broken record. If I heard the amount of appreciation out of people that you show in a year, it seemingly would be a miracle. Pretty pathetic, right? Personally, I feel that manners have gone out the window. Why? Living in a Post-Modernistic world leaves people unable to connect with one another because they do not know what is up as they suffer identity crisis issues and too preoccupied with their own train-wrecked lives. Therefore, when people say, "How are you doing?" they do not actually want to know how you are doing as a person on a personal level. It has become a greeting that has cheapened the value of life and relationships. People are too whatever to care about their neighbor. Instead, they ask, "Who is my neighbor?" or "How much do I have to care for the other guy?" This is not loving and completely lacks any sort of connection with others. We have a responsibility as human beings to care for one another on an intimate level, but nobody wants to take up that responsibility because nobody wants to be held accountable for doing so. Then, people wonder why they are lonely and feel so cold and disconnected from everybody else, even if they have a "happy" family and good friends. Hence, the loss of manners is just a symptom of this problem. Obviously, we have our assumptions out of order here for this to happen. We should be grieving for the loss of our humanity and ability to act and behave as human beings. So, tell me, why are we not crying now?

[b0mb3r]

No. You do not sound like a broken record. If I heard the amount of appreciation out of people that you show in a year, it seemingly would be a miracle. Pretty pathetic, right? Personally, I feel that manners have gone out the window. Why? Living in a Post-Modernistic world leaves people unable to connect with one another because they do not know what is up as they suffer identity crisis issues and too preoccupied with their own train-wrecked lives. Therefore, when people say, "How are you doing?" they do not actually want to know how you are doing as a person on a personal level. It has become a greeting that has cheapened the value of life and relationships. People are too whatever to care about their neighbor. Instead, they ask, "Who is my neighbor?" or "How much do I have to care for the other guy?" This is not loving and completely lacks any sort of connection with others. We have a responsibility as human beings to care for one another on an intimate level, but nobody wants to take up that responsibility because nobody wants to be held accountable for doing so. Then, people wonder why they are lonely and feel so cold and disconnected from everybody else, even if they have a "happy" family and good friends. Hence, the loss of manners is just a symptom of this problem. Obviously, we have our assumptions out of order here for this to happen. We should be grieving for the loss of our humanity and ability to act and behave as human beings. So, tell me, why are we not crying now?

When I look at your words right now in a generalizing context I find myself one of those kids you describe. I find it a bit troublesome to meddle myself with people or rather just strangers in general. Since I currently live in the city I see strangers everyday. I don’t know how to react to them. I just want to get through my day peacefully. I will respect them as I would respect myself. I will try my best to not judge them since I have no idea who they are. Still my first intuition, may be due to social upbringing, is a quick dismissal of these people, that I actually build up walls between them. The only way to break it down is when I interact with them and get to know them better. Still at the end of the day I just want to be alone. Is funny because when I see myself in separation it gives off a mental feeling which I can describe as my separation. That feelings comes with some prejudices but it all breaks down once I talk to them. What I am saying I do have some sort of identity crisis too and I have my own train-wrecked lives, is just not as wreck up or a big crisis for some other people. Then again the identity I have come up with is rather an identity that has no grounding. Is constantly changing due to how I react to the world. I don’t know whether I have a core identity at the beginning since I sort of believe conditioning plays a huge part. If I were born in another part of the world I would have end up worst, with no knowledge and maybe be a prick about it.

[ainsoph9]

Well, one thing that I would suggest is that you become a history buff. If you know your country's history as well as your family's history within the greater context of world history, you will be able to understand your identity much better. Remember that you are the composition of all those who have come before you. This is key to understanding who you are.

On the other hand, what you are describing is a slightly different problem. Seeing that you live in Asia, which tends to have a conformist attitude for the supposed greater good of society at the expense of the individual, what you are probably experiencing is the result of that. This is that the value of the individual is minimized to the point of the individual being made to feel like they do not matter as well as being made to behave in that fashion. When you combine this with the Western culture that was shipped over there, why should you or anyone care about the next person? The conformist attitude ensures that "the peg that sticks up will get pounded down" so that people will naturally want to avoid one another to avoid judging one another or being judged. The Western half of this is trying to make it through each day as painlessly as possible. Have you noticed how impersonal this is? People do not and cannot communicate like this. Rather, life becomes a chain of "coincidental" or "random" isolated events that have no bearing on one another. So, even if two people are have a "conversation," they are not really relating to one another. Person A may be talking about their financial problems; Person B talks about their own financial problems as well, but neither of them have a shared reality where Person A or Person B tries to console the other over the other's financial problems. They just talk as if in soliloquy, but they do not actually listen or engage with one another. Behind all of this lies the assumption that this life is painful and full of evil things that are out to hurt us, but the world or life after one dies is a peaceful much earned respite from the evil physical world because we will all be in the spiritual and good world. This is called Dualism. Although Plato is credited with it, it pervades world philosophy, especially Eastern philosophy and religion in various forms. Just to relate a little (and please correct me if I am wrong), Buddhism teaches that one needs to become more spiritual and ascetic through various forms of discipline that denies the physical and material in favor of the more spiritual. The assumption behind all of this is that since something is wrong in the world, the world itself must be evil or cause a "fallen" state in human beings. Hence, one has to go through various reincarnations that force one to deny the self and reach a virtually impossible goal that does not tolerate failure for the most part. Unfortunately, the assumptions behind Plato's Dualism creates a schism that cannot be bridged, which leaves humanity on the deserted island side of the bridge that has just collapsed. This is especially true when the material and the spiritual are seen as being at odds with one another, and people are constantly trying to be spiritual in order to achieve something that is essentially out of reach and grasp. Effectively, we have set ourselves up for failure. Personally, I like the idea of being able to royally screw up often. Do you? So, how about a system that has a little bit of mercy and compassion implanted into it as part of its character? If you want that, then that is all the more reason to read "Assumptions."