Something that's been on my mind: What's with the anime?

[Romaneck]

I can speak for others but for me there are varying degrees of "anime like" pictures out there, for example Final Fantasy Tactics a game I love with all my soul has clearly animeish art with characters having large eyes nonexistent noses and weird anatomy but at the same time the game is very serious not only on the art direction but in the overall tone as can be seen here while some supporters of the series claim it is not anime like... dont lie to yourselves you know its true

Now then, this is generally left down to the personal experience of the roleplayer but while reading some of clamp manga the other day there are stylish choices that leave me baffled and the comic relief interrupt sometimes does come off as annoying and well the genre lends itself to have these moments of power maximum and long ass battles and crap like that, I think its called shonen I dont know

Anyway, if I see an anime picture I think that the general exposition of that player to storylines has been through anime and that the popular ones (say Naruto, DBZ, deathnote, one piece etc) dont really strike me as intriguing or complex and I am already preparing for the roleplayer to take on 10 dudes on his own and take them down like mooks without so much as getting his hairdo rustled, why? because thats what happens on these animes right?

Now as I said this falls solely on experience of each roleplayer, sometimes the anime pictures are replaced by either megan fox or rihana or kate perry and that at times in the romance/highschool genre can be just as bad if not worse depending on who you ask

Now a quick look at deviant art and ive gotten some exhibits for elf chicks in varying degrees of style that go from somewhat realistic (emphasis on somewhat) to cartoonish to what id judge (and I might be terribly wrong) anime looking pictures
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C
Exhibit D
Exhibit E

While I might have not chosen the best examples I somewhat think each shows an elf in different artstyles, now it just might be me but the first 2 come across as more capable to depict a character that would be taken seriously.

Again this is personal preferences speaking, currently I am reading the black company by Glen cook (goddamn good one, give it a try if you can) and the fighting and killing is absolutely deprived of glamor or elegance, people die often, kicks are delivered, deaths of important characters happen offscreen and battle is always the last option that anyone wants to take since all it takes its one lucky shot, one wrong slash or a knife in the back and down you go... something that I dont think ive seen in any anime

So yes, while politically incorrect if a roleplayer uses anime pictures my brain immediately links it with a lack of seriousness, grittiness and realism

[shadowty]

Death note has many character deths,both manga and animie. Only the ending defers a bit. I like the maga better. "Another" would also be relevent in this matter.
That book does sound intresting.

[dumplingRose]

Ah! I stopped reading everyone else's after seeing this....

I'm gonna recommend glancing over this link.

I am a roleplayer that has used anime- and make sure the image doesn't irk anyone off- in roleplays that I have been in. I prefer anime, but I don't mind- not at all, in fact- or even go ballistic when someone uses a more humanly picture. That is unless you take a picture of some guy of the street or take a snap of some popular character in a game, like Midna, in Zelda...

If the leader, GM, whatever, wants/tells me to use a more preferred style/choose a different pic, then I will do it, no questions asked. I just don't like it when people bash on me because I like using that style. I don't really actually watch anime(unless you count skipping to cool episodes of Naruto), I only like using pics. And just because I use anime, doesn't mean I am not experienced. I may also use more human portraits, by the way. Sometimes I may just have roleplayer-block(lolwut).

So yeah, that's all. NO IM NOT ARGUING/BASHING, PUTTING MY OPINIONS OUT THERE TO THE WORLD...

[WadeJackel]

With most rpgs I make I usually specify "Please no Anime avatars/characters"

[Seirei]

I prefer illustrations (whatever their origin) since the selection is just that much greater. It's also a bonus to me that illustrations are fiction, and don't exist as real people. Face claims are embarassing, why ever would I want to play as a celebrity?

I do agree that an illustration of a pink-haired runt with eyes the size of saucers have no place in most RPs, but neither would you use a photo of a 50-year-old man wearing a tutu just because it's 'real'. As long as the picture itself is appropriate, the actual look of it shouldn't matter.

[Alexander Hamilton]

The thing is, there is a difference between art style and writing style. A gritty, realistic writing style =/= a gritty, realistic art style. If an anime girl has realistic hair and eye colors, and an outfit that is reasonable, I couldn't care less if she's anime styled. Having giant googly eyes doesn't mean the character can't act and react appropriately in a gritty, realistic context. Heck, there are plenty of anime out there that combine that style with dark subject-matter.

Then again, I'm one of those people who can read a horror My Little Pony fanfic without finding the juxtaposition of colorful ponies and grotesque monstrosities bothersome. Some people may be put off by that. But remember, just because you personally can't take it seriously doesn't mean that there's anything inherently wrong with it.

[Lexen]

For those who can draw anime, is there even a question?
If you not only get to create every personality or story quirk to your character but also create an image that you LOVE for it, why the hell not?
For some they like how it looks, for others, it's complete control. Realistic drawing styles are harder for some people so, it just makes sense.

[Ion]

For me, it's just a bit more important that if the RP itself is going to have a visual aesthetic at all (and it doesn't have to in order to be good), it should be more or less consistent with itself. If that's "all the images are from a darker type of anime," "all the images are somewhat realistic in art style" or "everybody has technicolor hair and huge eyes," well, it seems like those things are all equally fine. As long as I don't have a Tyrion Lannister face claim sitting next to a Vocaloid next to something from the zombie apocalypse, I'm really not too bothered about it. I, like everyone else, have my personal preferences, but really, what's important is that the story seems to hang together and cohere in all its elements, including if applicable the visual ones.