# How does Anime compare to American TV?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-anime-compare-to-american-tv/127319>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 6, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-anime-compare-to-american-tv/127319 "2002-09-06T18:49:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-anime-compare-to-american-tv/127319/21 "2002-09-10T16:29:12Z")

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Good point about the manga. That is probably a fundamental difference between Japanese and American culture. But maybe graphic novels will catch on in the US as well. For instance IIRC Road to Perdition is based on one.

Having thought about it a bit more I think that the closed format may be less suited for broadcast than video at least for some people. Both the anime I have seen were on video and I am not sure I would have had the patience and discipline to see each episode week after week for months.

Anyway the bottom line is that the best Anime shows fill a big hole when it comes to epic story telling especially in sci-fi and fantasy. I don’t anyone can complain about having more choice.

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**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-anime-compare-to-american-tv/127319/22 "2002-09-16T07:17:46Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \*  
> \*\*It might be because of the story elements that could be considered almost commonplace in Anime, but are almost unknown in U.S. shows. i.e. Main characters dying (Aside from when an actor wants to leave the series), sympathetic villains, marked character development, heroines who don’t fall and break their ankles every five minutes, etc. \*\*

I just wanted to bump this thread to mention that while I was over at a friend’s the other night I happened to catch a few minutes of some anime show she was watching and the heroine _tripped and fell while running from the baddies_! She then asked the hero to carry her to safety. I instantly thought of this thread. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-anime-compare-to-american-tv/127319/23 "2002-09-20T02:03:24Z")

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**Anime compared to the Simpsons:** The Simpsons  
**Anime compared to the Sopranos:** Don’t know  
**Anime compared to Cops:** Anime  
**Anime compared to Teletubbies:** Anime  
**Anime compared to Star Wars:** Star Wars  
**Anime compared to 2001: A Space Odyssey:** 2001  
**Anime compared to the collected works of Akira Kurasawa:** Kurosawa.  
**Anime compared to the collected works of William Shakespeare:** Shakespeare  
**Anime compared to the collected works of William Shatner:** Written or acted?  
**Anime compared to the collected works of Ginger Lynn:** Pass  
**Anime compared to a McDonald’s hamburger:** Anime  
**Anime compared to fine single-malt scotch:** Scotch  
**Anime compared to a summer’s day:** summer’s day  
**Anime compared to the miracle of childbirth:** childbirth  
**Anime compared to photosynthesis:** photosynthesis  
**Anime compared to special relativity:** special relativity  
**Anime compared to Australia:** Australia

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