<div dir="ltr"><div>also i think that many japanese comics that exist have more moral ambiguity. Have you read Tezuka's Phoenix series? Characters go from being good guys to evil villages and the evil villains in the begnnings become heroes in the end. It's very weird. <br>
<br></div>American comic books, much like american mentality tend to see the world in a good versus evil black and white kind of way. allies versus axis powers. us versus them. fascists versus democracy. <br></div><div class="gmail_extra">
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, May 27, 2013 at 6:17 PM, Louis Huang <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:louis.huang@aegia.nu" target="_blank">louis.huang@aegia.nu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="auto"><div><div class="im"><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">I want to say luck does come in part with being a superhero, both Japanese or American.</span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br>
</span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">If you look at Goku or my childhood favorite, the Monkey King, they were already deities who learn to harness their power rather than purely hardworking.</span></div>
<div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br></span></div></div><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">I see the character growth more apart of the "path/journey" in life motif found less in US comics.</span></div>
<div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">I do agree with some of the points though, like the power-up found less in American super heroes.</span><br>
</div><div class="im"><br><span>Sent from my iPhone</span><div><br></div><div>Louis T. Huang</div><div><a href="http://aegia.nu/" target="_blank">http://aegia.nu/</a></div><div>+202.445.7258</div><div><a href="mailto:louis.huang@aegia.nu" target="_blank">louis.huang@aegia.nu</a></div>
</div></div><div class="im"><div><br>On May 27, 2013, at 4:00 PM, Romy Ilano <<a href="mailto:romy@snowyla.com" target="_blank">romy@snowyla.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div></div><div><div class="h5"><blockquote type="cite">
<div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://roboheart.com/2012/02/12/japanese-vs-american-hero-archetypes/" target="_blank">http://roboheart.com/2012/02/12/japanese-vs-american-hero-archetypes/</a><br><br>No this isn’t about who would win in a fight between Superman and
Goku. Specifically this is about a particular mainstream Japanese hero
character I see over and over again in Shonen action based Anime / Manga
and how it compares to mainstream American super heroes. Of course I
don’t mean to say there aren’t characters on both sides that break the
mold, only that the type I describe seems interestingly prevalent in
modern mainstream media.
<p><strong>Growth Mindset</strong><br>
<font size="4"><b><span style="color:rgb(39,78,19)">For me, the biggest difference is that Japanese super powers are based
around a growth mindset. The hero must train hard to unlock his hidden
potential.</span></b></font> Even if he is the chosen one of some kind or come from
another planet, it doesn’t come for free, it takes hard work. Most
American super heroes were born with their powers or gained it all at
once through some happenstance beyond their control. They will usually
go through an awkward period of learning how their powers work, but it
will be more about discovery than training.</p>
<p><span></span></p>
<p>The most obvious direct explanation for this difference is the
cultural importance of martial arts in Japan and other Asian countries,
as well as a more strict work ethic. Most of the super powers imagined
are centered around martial arts and notion of building Chi. Many Anime
have their own names for this force. Chakara, Haki, Nen, Raetsu or
Spirit Force, just to name a few. These forces are brought out through
training and will power. Characters are at their most powerful when put
in desperate situations and they are forced into a fit of rage,
protecting the ones they love. I might suggest that American superpowers
are looked at like property, or even like winning the lottery. Japanese
powers are more like the inextricable essence of a person, perhaps not
unlike a Samurai referring to his sword as an extension of his soul.</p>
<p><strong>Magic VS Science</strong><br>
Japanese powers seem more often based in magic, the powerful life force
inside us all. That or at least the laws of the universe are different
from our own. For example, “Full Metal Alchemist” takes place in a world
where alchemy really works. American powers are way more often science
related, and rooted in our own universe, or at least a universe that is
very similar to our own. Unfortunately those powers are often based on
unrealistically huge breakthroughs and severe mishaps, since that’s the
only way to go from the ordinary world to something so amazing. Also the
scientific explanations are usually so flimsy they may as well be
magic. The fact that these Manga superheroes likely exist in an
alternate world yet American ones are grounded in this one, is
interesting to me. I wonder if this means that Manga superpower stories
are a deeper form of escapism. Even if American heroes take part in a
world unknown to us, it usually is supposed to exist in parallel,
somewhere under our noses, hidden from the notice of us ordinary people.</p>
<p><strong>Dynamic Power Ups</strong><br>
The ability to power up when they need to defeat a stronger opponent
isn’t in and of itself isn’t unique, but some Japanese characters take
this to a whole new level. Some even quantify their power ups by calling
them gears or levels. The prime example is Dragon Ball Z. The idea that
you can turn these various states of power at will like shifting gears
on a car isn’t something I can ever remember seeing in an American
character, with the exception of when a character somehow borrows or
steals another characters powers for a particular fight.</p>
<p><strong>Intuition</strong><br>
This Japanese hero is not very bright, but somehow always does the right
thing when it matters. They are ruled by powerful and accurate
intuition. As in the way of the Samurai, all decisions are made in the
space of seven breaths, or much less. Because of this their decisions
sometimes seem rash to those around them, though over time people grow
to have faith in them. American heroes will often struggle with the
right thing to do. Also, the main hero in Manga always seems to have
simple powers, simple attacks, compared to the other characters in that
world anyway. He may sometimes use them in a clever way, it is much more
likely for the villain to have complicated or tricky powers. I think
it’s somehow related to honor, that simple powers befit an honest hero.</p>
<p><strong>Care Free Attitude</strong><br>
This is related to their intuition I think. These Manga heroes tend not
to spend a lot of time worrying, and may even seem careless. They have
been know to randomly fall asleep at inopportune moments, and
accidentally say the wrong thing at the wrong time. They have an
innocence about them. After all they usually are teenagers. This quality
may also be related with the way of the Samurai, treating matters of
grate importance lightly and small matters with the utmost seriousness.</p>
<p><strong>Strength From Friendship</strong><br>
Unlike a lot of American heroes, they are not usually tormented loners,
forbidden from personal relationships. Often their friends and family
have lesser powers themselves. They focus very heavily on being able to
protect their loved ones, but often have faith in them to take care of
themselves. American superheroes always seem to be carrying around a
grate weight on their shoulders, like their power is burden. Anime /
Manga characters usually seem to treasure their strength, their ability
to protect people. For them, the ones they love ARE their strength,
instead of their weakness. They often reach a new level of power up
through the rage of a loved one being threatened or hurt. The American
superhero is surrounded by ordinary humans. They are infinitely more
capable than everyone around them, so they are infinitely more
responsible and isolated. It also makes me wonder if the American
mindset is that it’s only worth having power if it is far far greater
power than anyone else. The Japanese hero is surrounded by other super
powered people. They don’t start at the top. There are always more
powerful people who drive them to advance and become the best.</p>
<p><strong>Enormous Appetite</strong><br>
I really have no Idea about this one, but quite a few of these Manga
heroes seem to be able to eat an absurd amount of food. I guess they
need the energy to fuel all those power ups. The most extreme examples
of this are Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, and more recently Toriko, which is
largely based around eating.</p>
<p><strong>Purity<br>
</strong>This isn’t necessarily a difference, but the Manga heroes seem
to be very pure hearted and noble even if they seem brash on the
outside. Plenty of American Supers are noble, but there seems to be
slight distinction in my mind. American heroes are either totally super
noble like Superman or Captain America, or they have some kind of
character flaw that they must overcome to rise to the heroes call. Their
Japanese counterparts flaws aren’t usually flaws at all. They don’t get
in the way of them being a hero, they are part of their personality and
may actually make them better at what they do. They don’t seem to be in
conflict with themselves. Their apparent character flaws are a product
of their innocence instead of their corruption or weakness. Again this
may have a lot to do with their relatively young age.<strong></strong></p>
<p>I can’t really say what this all adds up to, or even why I felt
compelled to TRY and quantify it, only that I think it is interesting to
see the kinds of fictional characters that our very different cultures
idolize. I enjoy superheroes on both sides of this analysis, but I find
that they access different feelings. I think the Manga hero archetype is
a more joyful and passionate, where as the American one is more about
wish fulfillment, with a bit of “Careful what you wish for.” thrown in.<strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> Just responding to some comments on <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/pnps8/japanese_vs_american_hero_archetypes/?sort=new" target="_blank">reddit</a>
that there should be more specific American comics references. I admit
it is a bit one sided in that regard, but I kind of figured if you’re
reading this in English you probably know more than you care too already
about popular American superheroes from the many Hollywood movies of
late. Maybe that was a mistake. This wasn’t supposed to be an unbiased
essay, just some observations I made that were interesting to me. I do
have more interest in Anime in recent years, but I’m definitely not
trying to convince anyone of anything. I don’t have an agenda, I don’t
think. I’m not trying to bend facts to suite an argument, however I will
fully concede to the possibility that I may be seeing patterns where
there are none, or looking too deeply in too narrow a spot. Humans are
particularly good at this in general. In the end I’m just surprised
people actually wanted more information on this. I always assume people
will find these posts long winded. Anyway, criticism taken.</p>
<p><strong>Update 2:</strong> Okay, I don’t think I have the patience to
expand this into a full essay with citations equally on both sides. I
did adjust a few minor phrases to be a BIT more specific and
disclaimatory, if that is even a word. So I will just list below the
particular hero characters I was referencing between the lines. Apply
what you know, maybe that will clear this up a little. Not every point I
TRY to make applies entirely to each character, but hopefully they hold
generally true. Generalizations definitely aren’t the only thing
important in an analysis, but at least initially, they can be the only
way to see a pattern. Of course I know they can also be used for evil.
With great generalization come great responsibility. Now, I don’t want
to think about this ever again.</p>
<p><strong> Japan</strong><br>
Goku – DBZ, obviously, really seems like the precursor to the next 5.<br>
Monkey D Luffy – One Piece<br>
Natsu – Fairy Tail<br>
Gon – HunterXHunter<br>
Naruto, Shippudden or otherwise<br>
Toriko<br>
Elric Brothers – Full Metal Alchemist, mainly just to exemplify an
alternate world with different rules. Not as many similarities to the
others.</p>
<p><strong>USA</strong><br>
Superman<br>
Spiderman<br>
Ironman<br>
Captain America<br>
Thor<br>
Green Lantern<br>
Batman, probably the most growth mindset oriented of the group</p><br></div>
</div></blockquote></div></div><div class="im"><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>sudo-discuss mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org" target="_blank">sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org</a></span><br>
<span><a href="http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss" target="_blank">http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss</a></span><br></div></blockquote></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>