Joined: Jan 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 2,074 Location: Canada
Oh West, How You Make Me Smile ;) « Thread Started on Sept 16, 2009, 9:02pm »
I just saw something that just tickled my funny bone in the right way.
We all know how most people in north America (and I would suppose other parts of the 'Western" world though I could be very wrong) misunderstand anime and manga and such. The general idea is: cartoons are for kids.
Well, today I saw yet another confirmation of such views, because a local department store had a bunch of mangas in the kids section. So I thought, well, maybe they're nice G rated mangas. Fist one I picked up: Death Note. So I think well... well, maybe it's a butchered abridged version. I opened a page and there was someone getting shot to pieces.
And there were some other ones whose names I can't remember, but I opened and found some violence in them as well.
Now, I'm all for kids reading and watching violent (serious) cartoons. But I doubt the store people are. I wonder what they'd think if they knew what they'd done.
Next moment, he was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him... "To die will be an awfully big adventure." - Peter Pan
Joined: Apr 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 18,258 Location: London, England
Re: Oh West, How You Make Me Smile ;) « Reply #1 on Sept 16, 2009, 9:21pm »
You'd be very wrong. That bizarre idea of 'comics are for kids' only has serious traction in North America. The rest of the world thinks you are pretty weird about that...
I did think it was only the US, though. I'm surprised that Canada has that problem, too.
« Last Edit: Sept 16, 2009, 9:22pm by Elliot Kane »
Joined: Jan 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 2,074 Location: Canada
Re: Oh West, How You Make Me Smile ;) « Reply #2 on Sept 17, 2009, 1:18am »
Oh, I have no idea about the opinions of "comics". Well actually, I think they are becoming more and more commonplace and respected as a writing medium.
Nono, I meant "Cartoons". And if I understand the mentality properly, at least for the more old-fashioned people (whom I know are those working at that store), they follow this chain of thought: Manga = Anime, Anime = Cartoon, Cartoon = For Kids. It seems like manga is seen as separate from "comics", and since it has similarities to anime, they link them together. And since they already think anime is just another cartoon which they believe is for kids... we have our chain of insanity.
Next moment, he was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him... "To die will be an awfully big adventure." - Peter Pan
Joined: Apr 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 18,258 Location: London, England
Re: Oh West, How You Make Me Smile ;) « Reply #3 on Sept 17, 2009, 3:06am »
Ahhhh! With ya! Well, judging from some of the cartoon/newspaper strips I've seen, 'for kids' is not really part of the British perspective on them. Sure, many are, but then there's stuff like Alex (Aimed at bankers, mainly), Modesty Blaize (Think female James Bond type...). They're usually kept somewhat non-alarming as they ARE newspaper strips, but still. The idea of 'cartoon strips for adults' is definitely there.
If you mean the animated stuff, those ARE almost entirely aimed at a younger audience. Fortunately, though, I think most of us realise Anime isn't...
Joined: Jan 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,167 Location: Melbourne, Australia
Re: Oh West, How You Make Me Smile ;) « Reply #4 on Sept 17, 2009, 3:34am »
You'd think they'd have a look at the classification before putting it in the kids section... But then, my experience of department store staff is that they don't think. They'd do so much better with some training.
Next moment, he was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him... "To die will be an awfully big adventure." - Peter Pan
You'd think they'd have a look at the classification before putting it in the kids section... But then, my experience of department store staff is that they don't think. They'd do so much better with some training.
I doubt the store owners/managers generally know much about manga either.
Yeah, in department store work, I think they just want you to act, get something moved and done within the limits of the guidelines, and thinking is not much needed beyond that. Aside from dealing with customers.
Next moment, he was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him... "To die will be an awfully big adventure." - Peter Pan
Joined: Apr 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 18,258 Location: London, England
Re: Oh West, How You Make Me Smile ;) « Reply #7 on Sept 17, 2009, 3:40am »
There is also that...
I think HEF has it right, though. The number of times that shops get specialist stuff and never bother to instruct their staff is... well, huge. And pretty much universal, I'm sure.
You'd think they'd have a look at the classification before putting it in the kids section... But then, my experience of department store staff is that they don't think. They'd do so much better with some training.
I doubt the store owners/managers generally know much about manga either.
What more do you need than a big red logo stating Rated MA15+: strong violence, gore, horror themes, and sex references?
Re: Oh West, How You Make Me Smile ;) « Reply #9 on Sept 18, 2009, 5:43pm »
Hmm... I heard from some friends in places like Turkey and certain parts of Europe that people in the nearby regions(where they live in) still think that "manga = for children".
I doubt the store owners/managers generally know much about manga either.
What more do you need than a big red logo stating Rated MA15+: strong violence, gore, horror themes, and sex references?
Ooo, shoot. I was going to check if they had that on them, but I forgot. I don't seem to remember any sort of warning... I should be able to check this weekend (if I remember >_<).
Next moment, he was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him... "To die will be an awfully big adventure." - Peter Pan
What more do you need than a big red logo stating Rated MA15+: strong violence, gore, horror themes, and sex references?
Ooo, shoot. I was going to check if they had that on them, but I forgot. I don't seem to remember any sort of warning... I should be able to check this weekend (if I remember >_<).
Killerzzz
Oh yeah! Forgot to mention that last weekend, I went ahead and checked the mangas. They have no rating warning on any of them. I dunno, Death Note, Bleach, Naruto... I don't read them, should they have a warning?
Oh, and apparently they're moved back to the general book section of the store, though I doubt its because they realized they were violent. Probably just shifting stuff around, like department stores do.
Next moment, he was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him... "To die will be an awfully big adventure." - Peter Pan
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So I think well... well, maybe it's a butchered abridged version. I opened a page and there was someone getting shot to pieces. 
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