Serious question about Japanese games...

[QUOTE="Miketheman83"][QUOTE="rjdofu"] And they're better than whatever the hell Western devs come up with.rjdofu

Why do they mostly use an ethnic group other than their own (most Caucasions) as the main characters in their games. Is it because they feel white people are superior or is it a simple matter of trying to appeal to more consumers?

StrongBlackVine

edit: 

*Reads thread pages*

Okay, TC is being an ass.

[QUOTE="bbkkristian"][QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

Is it because they feel white people are superior or is it a simple matter of trying to appeal to more consumers?

StrongBlackVine

What is the reason? I don't see Western developers filling their games with Asians or blacks. I seriously want to know the reason. Why is Nintendo's biggest character an Italian?

The TC makes a good point. I've always wondered this myself. The characters they make clearly aren't Asian.Miketheman83

Why do they mostly use an ethnic group other than their own (most Caucasions) as the main characters in their games. Is it because they feel white people are superior or is it a simple matter of trying to appeal to more consumers?

StrongBlackVine

It's no wonder people here have either insulted you, or added practically nothing to the subject (except sh*tting on Japan and generalizing the entire country, as usual for some of the people around System Wars that i can arguably compare to irrelevant strands of pubic hair). 

Instead of a stupid ass question, which is also trollish and reeks of missinformation on your part, why don't you provide a more informative and descriptive point of view so people can actually give you their opinion?  

Like, i don't know, providing some non-biased examples. More than 20, so we know that your exageration is not actually an exageration.

[QUOTE="Gue1"]

I don't know in what world you live in but I have never seen a caucasian that looks like this:

 

StrongBlackVine

Look more Caucasian than Asian. Just a brunettee white girl with oversized eyes.

You know japanese people can have pretty light skin, right? Also, cartoons. Why are the Simpsons yellow?

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

[QUOTE="Gue1"]

I don't know in what world you live in but I have never seen a caucasian that looks like this:

 

the_bi99man

Look more Caucasian than Asian. Just a brunettee white girl with oversized eyes.

You know japanese people can have pretty light skin, right? Also, cartoons. Why are the Simpsons yellow?

Japanese games are hella cool, i wished more people would stop judging it, and just try it instead, they are missing out :oops:

[QUOTE="Miketheman83"]The TC makes a good point. I've always wondered this myself. The characters they make clearly aren't Asian.rjdofu

[QUOTE="rjdofu"][QUOTE="Miketheman83"]The TC makes a good point. I've always wondered this myself. The characters they make clearly aren't Asian.Miketheman83

[QUOTE="KarateeeChop"]

gotta love these exclusive japanese anime dating sims for the ps3 crowd. those guys know their audience. :lol:

Tessellation

My first time looking at System Wars aside from the lounge and PUSH in months, and this is one of the threads I see...

Because that's how they imagine their characters?

I might be wrong. I've heard that early anime/manga was influence by disney and the large eyes and pale tones disney used. After time this tradition stuck.  Also larger eyes are more expressive in animation. This is just what I've heard and it sounded plausible enough. Might be wrong, but don't care enough to research.

[QUOTE="Tessellation"][QUOTE="KarateeeChop"]

gotta love these exclusive japanese anime dating sims for the ps3 crowd. those guys know their audience. :lol:

faizan_faizan

The idea that Anime (and Manga) represents their characters as caucasian is actually just a MYTH. Let me say again, a widespread misconception.

To clear things up that the art is very much representative of Japanese characters. They aren't trying to "westernize" or emulate caucasian ethnicity as many people believe.

The style of the illustrations, namely with the large eyes is merely a design choice because large eyes are more expressive. We see this in a lot of western animation as well. Not so much the action cartoons like GI Joe, but more stylized characters, especially animal charaters (Bugs Bunny for example). The Japanese audience that views these programs don't see the characters as western or caucasian, they see them as their own people, just in an illustrative stylized fashion, again the large eyes are more expressive.

And here's a video that illustrates the misconceptions in the differences in faces of ethnic backgrounds (even pointing out how caucasion eyes aren't always wider than asian eyes)

The idea that Anime (and Manga) represents their characters as caucasian is actually just a MYTH. Let me say again, a widespread misconception.

To clear things up that the art is very much representative of Japanese characters. They aren't trying to "westernize" or emulate caucasian ethnicity as many people believe.

The style of the illustrations, namely with the large eyes is merely a design choice because large eyes are more expressive. We see this in a lot of western animation as well. Not so much the action cartoons like GI Joe, but more stylized characters, especially animal charaters (Bugs Bunny for example). The Japanese audience that views these programs don't see the characters as western or caucasian, they see them as their own people, just in an illustrative stylized fashion, again the large eyes are more expressive.

And here's a video that illustrates the misconceptions in the differences in faces of ethnic backgrounds (even pointing out how caucasion eyes aren't always wider than asian eyes)

AdobeArtist

Is it because they feel white people are superior ?

StrongBlackVine

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

Why do they mostly use an ethnic group other than their own (most Caucasions) as the main characters in their games. Is it because they feel white people are superior or is it a simple matter of trying to appeal to more consumers?

DarthJohnova

edit: 

*Reads thread pages*

Okay, TC is being an ass.

[QUOTE="whiskeystrike"]

Because you're watching the wrong ones.

GarGx1

Just look at your sigs!

The proportions the animators/artisits use are child like, large forehead, big eyes etc.

I'm not seeing it. A large forehead indicates a man looking like a woman and a woman looking like a young girl?

[QUOTE="timbers_WSU"][QUOTE="DarthaPerkinjan"]

After Japan's defeat in World War II they adopted alot of American culture.  They got their animation from America,  and those in American cartoons look white.

Hideo Kojima is a good example.  He admires American film,  so his main character,  snake,  is a white guy with a mullet.

Its like how some whites find Japanese culture fascinating,  and only draw anime style characters,  or only watch anime.  Many people in Japan admire American entertainment and cartoons,  so they make their characters look white.

MLBknights58

How come it took this long to get a legitimate response?

I was generally curious as well, I don't know shit about eastern culture.

Because people here are socially inept and can't discuss anything outside of games. Also they want to pretend that racsim doesn't exist in art.

[QUOTE="DarthaPerkinjan"]

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

Why do they mostly use an ethnic group other than their own (most Caucasions) as the main characters in their games. Is it because they feel white people are superior or is it a simple matter of trying to appeal to more consumers?

timbers_WSU

After Japan's defeat in World War II they adopted alot of American culture.  They got their animation from America,  and those in American cartoons look white.

Hideo Kojima is a good example.  He admires American film,  so his main character,  snake,  is a white guy with a mullet.

Its like how some whites find Japanese culture fascinating,  and only draw anime style characters,  or only watch anime.  Many people in Japan admire American entertainment and cartoons,  so they make their characters look white.

How come it took this long to get a legitimate response?

I was generally curious as well, I don't know shit about eastern culture.

.ShoulderOfOrion

:lol: this!

Why do they mostly use an ethnic group other than their own (most Caucasions) as the main characters in their games. Is it because they feel white people are superior or is it a simple matter of trying to appeal to more consumers?

StrongBlackVine

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

Why do they mostly use an ethnic group other than their own (most Caucasions) as the main characters in their games. Is it because they feel white people are superior or is it a simple matter of trying to appeal to more consumers?

Riverwolf007

Thanks for your worthless contribution. Another dork that can't just answer a question.

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

[QUOTE="-Snooze-"]

Look how white girls have evolved, they all want to be tanned with big arses.

X_CAPCOM_X

Getting ass implants! :lol:

Tanning until they get skin cancer and their skin looks like leather.

[QUOTE="Frostbite24"]

[QUOTE="X_CAPCOM_X"]

Ditto on the ass implants. Ass implants are the worst thing to happen to plastic surgery; why can't they just excercise?

X_CAPCOM_X

As an example, when I gain weight the first area that is affected is my gut and lower body. If I thought to myself that I'd like to lose some fat off my arms and face I would have to work off my mid to lower body fat deposits first. There's no way I could do anything to specifically lose fat from my face.

[QUOTE="GarGx1"]

[QUOTE="whiskeystrike"]

Because you're watching the wrong ones.

whiskeystrike

Just look at your sigs!

The proportions the animators/artisits use are child like, large forehead, big eyes etc.

I'm not seeing it. A large forehead indicates a man looking like a woman and a woman looking like a young girl?

http://www.dannychoo.com/post/en/25282/How+to+Draw+Anime.html

Honestly, none of that looks child like to you? Perhaps it's an age thing, I have no idea how old you are and I'm a long way past childhood.

http://www.drawinghowtodraw.com/drawing-lessons/drawing-faces-lessons/na-proportions-children-kids.html

This one will explain the facial proportions of children and my reference to large forehead and large eyes will be more understandable. It's an art technique based on reality and widely used in cartoons due to the 'that's cute..awww!' factor (Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, Mickey Mouse etc.) but it is completely out of place when used on a teenager or adults body. To me it's like sticking an 8 year old's face on the body of an 18 year old, it just seems so wrong. To me there is very little difference in art style between 'normal' Anime and Lolikon (a form of Anime which is truely and utterly sickening) although fortunately content is.

I would agree to a point. Here is a example

Final Fantasy

Eternal Sonata

The Last Remnant

RE

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

Why do they mostly use an ethnic group other than their own (most Caucasions) as the main characters in their games. Is it because they feel white people are superior or is it a simple matter of trying to appeal to more consumers?

Riverwolf007

[QUOTE="-Snooze-"]

[QUOTE="Bigboi500"]

Look at how Beyonce has "evolved" over the years. Look at her pics from when she started in the business and look at her now, she's been transformed into a skinny blond white girl.

StrongBlackVine

Look how white girls have evolved, they all want to be tanned with big arses.

Getting ass implants! :lol:

Tanning until they get skin cancer and their skin looks like leather.

Also I'm laughing at all of the people who are uncomfortable with the question to the point where they insult the OP. It's just a question. Bravo, boys; Immaturity never hides.

[QUOTE="X_CAPCOM_X"]

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

Getting ass implants! :lol:

Tanning until they get skin cancer and their skin looks like leather.

Frostbite24

[QUOTE="AdobeArtist"]

The idea that Anime (and Manga) represents their characters as caucasian is actually just a MYTH. Let me say again, a widespread misconception.

To clear things up that the art is very much representative of Japanese characters. They aren't trying to "westernize" or emulate caucasian ethnicity as many people believe.

The style of the illustrations, namely with the large eyes is merely a design choice because large eyes are more expressive. We see this in a lot of western animation as well. Not so much the action cartoons like GI Joe, but more stylized characters, especially animal charaters (Bugs Bunny for example). The Japanese audience that views these programs don't see the characters as western or caucasian, they see them as their own people, just in an illustrative stylized fashion, again the large eyes are more expressive.

And here's a video that illustrates the misconceptions in the differences in faces of ethnic backgrounds (even pointing out how caucasion eyes aren't always wider than asian eyes)

josephl64

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

Because people here are socially inept and can't discuss anything outside of games. Also they want to pretend that racsim doesn't exist in art.

Lucianu

You missed Articuno's response that raped your missinformed thread.  

They don't. The majority of Japanese games feature Japanese protagonists and are often set in Japan. The thin slice of games we get translated over in the west are not really representative.

You also have to consider that whilst fair skin is considered beautiful that isn't to say that the characters are actually caucasian. They only look that way to non-Asian people who see a character with non-black hair/eyes and assume they aren't looking at an Asian character. The real question is why do so many westerners assume that because the character does not appear with black eyes/hair that they are not Asian? Seems to me they are failing to correctly read the visual language that many Asian's tacitly understand.Articuno76

Ofcourse you ignore it, because your childish mentality cannot admit, like mature responsable adults, that your limited perspective was wrong.  

Articuno's response looks good enough to me.  Still going to be hard to see what those animators intend for me to see though, too stuck in my ways.

[QUOTE="MLBknights58"]

[QUOTE="timbers_WSU"] This sounds about right. My visit to Asia was awesome. Like the people and the culture. But like I said.....the games are shit. No offense. They just fell way behind American and European development.StrongBlackVine

How come it took this long to get a legitimate response?

I was generally curious as well, I don't know shit about eastern culture.

Because people here are socially inept and can't discuss anything outside of games. Also they want to pretend that racsim doesn't exist in art.

Ive always seen anime characters as being kind of raceless, or a race in themselves. Didnt think it was such a big deal O.oIantheone

Yeah, I kind of feel the same way.

I guess people just made out Anime characters to be what they want since they saw no other form of objection of exactly what specific race they are (White skin, no slanted eyes, big boobs? Cleary Caucasian).

They are Japanese, you can tell because when they animate/create white people or black people they tend to be extremely stereotypical.

They are Japanese, you can tell because when they animate/create white people or black people they tend to be extremely stereotypical.

GD1551

No Asian woman looks lke Lightning. This preference in character models has become in more pronounced with improved graphics. Ada Wong even looks like half-white in RE6 compared to previous models. It is not just anime.

[QUOTE="GD1551"]

They are Japanese, you can tell because when they animate/create white people or black people they tend to be extremely stereotypical.

StrongBlackVine

No Asian woman looks lke Lightning. This preference in character models has become in more pronounced with improved graphics. Ada Wong even looks like half-white in RE6 compared to previous models. It is not just anime.

Looks close enough to me.

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

[QUOTE="GD1551"]

They are Japanese, you can tell because when they animate/create white people or black people they tend to be extremely stereotypical.

GD1551

No Asian woman looks lke Lightning. This preference in character models has become in more pronounced with improved graphics. Ada Wong even looks like half-white in RE6 compared to previous models. It is not just anime.

Looks close enough to me.

Are you seriously using cosplay with fake blue eyes really standing out? Either way that woman is clearly of Asian descent and Lightning isn't.

Are you seriously using cosplay with fake blue eyes really standing out? Either way that woman is clearly of Asian descent and Lightning isn't.

StrongBlackVine

[QUOTE="GD1551"]

[QUOTE="StrongBlackVine"]

No Asian woman looks lke Lightning. This preference in character models has become in more pronounced with improved graphics. Ada Wong even looks like half-white in RE6 compared to previous models. It is not just anime.

StrongBlackVine

Looks close enough to me.

Are you seriously using cosplay with fake blue eyes really standing out? Either way that woman is clearly of Asian descent and Lightning isn't.

Wow, your observational skills leave a lot to be desired. Take a look, I mean really examine the face of the cosplayer and the render of Lightning. Ignore the pink hair as that's obviously artificial. Closely look at the facial structure, the jawline, the cheekbone structure and nose. They are remarkably close to the CG render.

And if that real person dressing up as Lightning is asian. on what grounds do you say that Lightning isn't? It seems to me (and what so commonly happens) is that it's really assumptions that are being made on a fictional character's ethnic background based on cultural perspective. That is the point made in the video I linked and the "self identity" theory that was responded to it.

The Japanese audience that plays these games views the characters as Japanese, not caucasian, just as caucasian people see them like themselves. This is especially the case wityh stylized characters with large eyes (designed that way to be expressive) Your assumptions are based on racial stereotypes of what you seem to think asian people are supposed to look like.

Now I'm trying to give this topic, which touches on a sensitive subject, a chance to be open for real discussion. Please don't make me regret this.