Realism in anime

[Brian]

I think one of the things I liked best about Full Metal Alchemist was the way they treated the military. Each of the military characters had their own distinct personality and their own way of doing things. Even when they were carrying out orders, they were still human beings. Too many movies and anime just turn the military into stereotypical robots - the generals insist on doing it their way (which always turns out to be wrong) and the lower-ranking people march mindlessly to their deaths.
I just finished watching an episode of EVA, the one where the aircraft carrier battle group was ferrying the EVA across the ocean. An Angel began attacking the fleet.... and not a single airplane was launched. Yah, I know it's anime, not Top Gun. But that really detracted from my enjoyment of the episode, because it was such a dumb and glaring oversight.
And as much as I really really like Elfen Lied, you would have thought that after the first couple of times all the guys with rifles got slaughtered, they would have realized that it wasn't working very well.
*climbs down from his soapbox*

[Mac]

Yup o.o;

I think that when it comes to 'non-primary' (Or indeed non-secondary) characters, most script writers and plotters of anime don't really see the point or purpose in giving characters who otherwise spend something like a minute every five episodes on screen distinct and separate personalities from the other people that appear one minute every five episodes.

I'd assume to them it would be a waste of time and money, and very few people would take interest or even notice it. (unlike you, obviously)

I do like realistic characters though. Not in art, obviously, but just when characters have a distinct persona from everyone else that just stands out in both their personality and how they speak. The only way I can really support that is in Samurai Champloo, as I've only seen a few episodes of Full Metal Alchemist; I just see character in Champloo that I don't see in most other anime.

Maybe it's just me. Stereotypes can be amusing but are sadly overrated and overused. =/

[Brian]

Well... I didn't mean to say that each character on the screen has to have a life story. But when it starts getting unrealistic, it detracts from the overall story. A fleet under attack that doesn't even to go battle stations diminishes the story because it's a distraction. And I can imagine the briefing room before the guards go after Lucy for the third time: "Men, there's a diclonius on the loose. Your weapons are useless, and all the other guys were horribly ripped apart. We're going to go do the same thing again. I need volunteers."

[Mac]

That's my point.

I don't expect background characters to have full life stories. However, what I do expect them to do is behave in a believable and realistic manner in response to situations presented by / to the main / secondary characters, as if they did.

An army who doesn't learn from their mistakes is an army that shouldn't exist, even in anime. A character who doesn't attempt to run away from something trying to kill everything shouldn't exist, either.

Damnit, War of the Worlds scared the crap out of me with the first moment you see the Tripods. THAT's what's supposed to happen. o_o; (I know that's not anime, but it's relevant. xD)

[Brian]

Combustible Campus Guardress - it's silly, but there's some cool stuff in it. The heroine knocks people through walls, and executes mega-attacks that cause buildings to collapse. Later on you see the same room, and the enemy-shaped hole in the wall is still there. And the students have to study outdoors, 'cause "someone" got over-excited and destroyed the building. I love that continuity and attention to detail.

[Brian]

Grrrr.... Blood+. Great story, great characters. And every time they fire a gun it reverts to being a cartoon, because apparantly the animators don't know that firearms recoil when you pull the trigger.

[Takai]

I am currently watching Otogizoushi, and i have to say the realism in it (not the story's realism; it -is- historical fantasy) is very pleasing. In episode 4 Hikaru's tear fell on the paper with a poem and one of the kanji smudged a little. Now, several episodes later, she opened that poem again and the same kanji was still smudged (i saw quite a few examples of the opposite things happening. like the car being shot at, and then it looks new like nothing happened -- annoying) I don't know why it caught my attention, but thought it was kinda neat :roll:

As for the overall series, i think Monster was the most realistic anime i've ever seen. The characters, the story, the ending, it was all so brilliant. Even the side characters were all like real people. There wasn't a single character who was 'just there' -- if someone new was introduced, then for sure (s)he would be explored in detail.
(ending spoilers follow)
And especially the fact that in the end, when he finally found Johan, doctor Tenma couldn't shoot him and ended up saving his life yet again. If he was able to shoot him, that would kill all the built up realism in one go, because a dedicated doctor such as himself can't just become a murderer. Like Roberto said, a doctor's job is saving people, not killing them. And it was a perfect and very realistic ending.