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Why do JRPGs love anime aesthetics so much?

And related anime RPGs go here.
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Why do JRPGs love anime aesthetics so much?

Post by rusty_shackleford »

I don't buy the "it's their culture!!!!" bullshit or whatever, imagine if nearly every western RPG looked like Looney Toons or a CalArts abomination.
It's not even something uniform to the japanese gamedev industry as a whole, most non-JRPG jap games have more realistic art styles.
Last edited by rusty_shackleford on January 28th, 2024, 06:38, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by KnightoftheWind »

Because it's the most popular aesthetic in the region. Japanese games always tended to follow trends in anime and manga design, and the JRPG genre has roots in both traditions creatively speaking.
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Post by rusty_shackleford »

KnightoftheWind wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:40
Because it's the most popular aesthetic in the region. Japanese games always tended to follow trends in anime and manga design, and the JRPG genre has roots in both traditions creatively speaking.
Most japanese games don't have anime aesthetics. Japs pretty much created the survival horror genre, and there's not a hint of animango in it.
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Post by KnightoftheWind »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:42
KnightoftheWind wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:40
Because it's the most popular aesthetic in the region. Japanese games always tended to follow trends in anime and manga design, and the JRPG genre has roots in both traditions creatively speaking.
Most japanese games don't have anime aesthetics. Japs pretty much created the survival horror genre, and there's not a hint of animango in it.
What works for one genre may not work for another. A franchise like Resident Evil has roots in old western B-Movies and comic books, while JRPGs were influenced heavily by Dragon Quest. Which remains a very successful franchise to this day. And who was heavily involved in Dragon Quest?, why none other than the popular Manga artist Akria Toriyama. Who draws things in a colorful, cartoony style. Other creators followed suit, and thus many JRPGs are visually inspired by popular manga and anime. If you're a creative person, you tend to be influenced by things you've seen or enjoyed before. And for many Japanese, those things are manga and anime. Especially the Otaku types who tend to be involved in JRPG development.
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Post by rusty_shackleford »

KnightoftheWind wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:48
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:42
KnightoftheWind wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:40
Because it's the most popular aesthetic in the region. Japanese games always tended to follow trends in anime and manga design, and the JRPG genre has roots in both traditions creatively speaking.
Most japanese games don't have anime aesthetics. Japs pretty much created the survival horror genre, and there's not a hint of animango in it.
What works for one genre may not work for another. A franchise like Resident Evil has roots in old western B-Movies and comic books, while JRPGs were influenced heavily by Dragon Quest. Which remains a very successful franchise to this day. And who was heavily involved in Dragon Quest?, why none other than the popular Manga artist Akria Toriyama. Who draws things in a colorful, cartoony style. Other creators followed suit, and thus many JRPGs are visually inspired by popular manga and anime. If you're a creative person, you tend to be influenced by things you've seen or enjoyed before. And for many Japanese, those things are manga and anime. Especially the Otaku types who tend to be involved in JRPG development.
Dragonquest was just wizardry+ultima: jap version tho, neither of those are animango.
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Post by Dead »

I'm guessing it's relatively cost-efficient to hire anime-style artists. Generic anime art styles are perfunctory but don't offend JRPG enthusiasts.
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Post by KnightoftheWind »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:50
KnightoftheWind wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:48
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:42


Most japanese games don't have anime aesthetics. Japs pretty much created the survival horror genre, and there's not a hint of animango in it.
What works for one genre may not work for another. A franchise like Resident Evil has roots in old western B-Movies and comic books, while JRPGs were influenced heavily by Dragon Quest. Which remains a very successful franchise to this day. And who was heavily involved in Dragon Quest?, why none other than the popular Manga artist Akria Toriyama. Who draws things in a colorful, cartoony style. Other creators followed suit, and thus many JRPGs are visually inspired by popular manga and anime. If you're a creative person, you tend to be influenced by things you've seen or enjoyed before. And for many Japanese, those things are manga and anime. Especially the Otaku types who tend to be involved in JRPG development.
Dragonquest was just wizardry+ultima: jap version tho, neither of those are animango.
Wizardry and Ultima were influences from a design standpoint, but they weren't made by Japanese devs, so obviously they wouldn't be influenced by trends in the region. What are you trying to get at?.
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Post by rusty_shackleford »

KnightoftheWind wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:54
What are you trying to get at?.
That jarpigs are as offputting to me as a My Little Pony RPG.
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Post by KnightoftheWind »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:55
KnightoftheWind wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:54
What are you trying to get at?.
That jarpigs are as offputting to me as a My Little Pony RPG.
Well you are right to dislike the anime aesthetic, especially nowadays, but I don't see it changing anytime soon. At least we have Avowed to look forward to ;)
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Post by Vergil »

It's a common and popular art style in Japan. The survival horror games you mention are made by westaboos copying western aesthetics. JRPGs are a primarily Japanese thing so they're going to be more rooted in Jap pop culture/aesthetics.
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Post by Nammu Archag »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:37
I don't buy the "it's their culture!!!!" bullshit or whatever, imagine if nearly every western RPG looked like Looney Toons or a CalArts abomination.
It's not even something uniform to the japanese gamedev industry as a whole, most non-JRPG jap games have more realistic art styles.
go to Japan and you will understand why
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Post by Roguey »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 06:50
Dragonquest was just wizardry+ultima: jap version tho, neither of those are animango.
Wikipedia's sources say they hired Toriyama to do the art to get a larger audience because Dragon Ball was so huge even in its early years. It worked, so monkey see, monkey do.
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Post by Humbaba »

Is rusty seriously asking why japanese games look japanese?




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Post by rusty_shackleford »

Humbaba wrote: January 28th, 2024, 12:07
Is rusty seriously asking why japanese games look japanese?
Most japanese games don't look like children's cartoons, just jarpigs.
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Post by Humbaba »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 12:08
Most japanese games don't look like children's cartoons, just jarpigs.
Yeah they do, are you blind?




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Post by rusty_shackleford »

Humbaba wrote: January 28th, 2024, 12:15
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 12:08
Most japanese games don't look like children's cartoons, just jarpigs.
Yeah they do, are you blind?




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from software games in general(king's field/…, dork souls has some berserk inspiration in design), capcom(devil may cry/resident evil/…), silent hill games, yakuza games, metal gear games, the evil within 1&2
most Nintendo games are styled heavily after western cartoons

that's what, 90% of the jap game industry?
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Post by Humbaba »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 12:26
from software games in general(king's field/…, dork souls has some berserk inspiration in design)
Doesn't look like an animu in the slightest nah

Image

Also fucking lol at "some berserk inspiration" when Da Soulz is one huge berserk reference in itself.
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 12:26
capcom(devil may cry/resident evil/…)
Yes, these people very clearly lack the quintessentially large animu eyes and pointy chin, it's just 3d bro don't worry about it

Image
mfw rusty has a point on that one

Image
Grey zone, because the people in it are just literally japanese.
This is NOT an anime protagonist, move along!

Image
Never heard of it so irrelevant.
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 12:26
most Nintendo games are styled heavily after western cartoons
Yeah look how western Zelda looks

Image






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Post by rusty_shackleford »

Humbaba wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:39
Doesn't look like an animu in the slightest nah
Souls games were inspired almost entirely by western sources
https://www.eurogamer.net/souls-survivor
What did inspire the game was a combination of European mythology and artistic sources outside of the world of videogames. "There aren't any other games [that I'd cite as inspiration], but there are films like Conan the Barbarian and Excalibur, and Frazetta's fantasy art," Miyazaki explains. Demon's Souls' medieval horror aesthetic is itself a product of the back-to-basics approach behind its punishing gameplay; where Japanese action-RPGs are traditionally fond of a historical Japanese setting, From's designers found their inspiration elsewhere.

"The worlds of the games we used to play, the ones that made us tremble with excitement, were all Western worlds," says Miyazaki, "like series of fantasy game books like Wizardry and Varitmu. When we made Demon's Souls we took a back-to-basics approach, and so it turned into that kind of world - it was perfectly natural... It isn't widely known overseas, but lately in Japan games with that kind of world have all but disappeared."


The crumbling forts and gothic dungeons of Demon's Souls' world have a European aesthetic to them that Miyazaki thinks is entirely understandable, citing inspirations from Arthurian to bloodsoaked old-Germanic myth. "Aren't all of us, especially those involved in the actual making of games, influenced by the West? It's only my personal taste, but I'm very much drawn to things like King Arthur and Beowolf, and also the Nibelungen, because they're classics. They show the good and evil in the human psyche and you're made to breathe the unvarnished stench of humanity... [Medieval tales] are not trying to put on airs."

Miyazaki also explains the game's surprisingly authentic, untranslated scriptwriting and the use of predominantly Scottish voice actors, which has long been a point of personal curiosity (I'm Scottish). "As you'd expect, with medieval Europe as our base, American English wouldn't do. We're Japanese so we don't know the particulars, but in Japan, in period pieces and such, there are very distinctive [linguistic] expressions. We thought these probably existed in English, so we went to the [SCE] co-ordinator and explained this, and they cast to suit our needs."
Humbaba wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:39
This is NOT an anime protagonist, move along!
It's not. Cherrypick all you want.
Humbaba wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:39
Yeah look how western Zelda looks
Are you retarded? BotW is heavily influenced by French impressionism.
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Post by Segata »

They're for teenagers.
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Post by UnfairTradeCoffee »

What are anime aesthetics? Is it Tezuka? Doraemon? Pokemon? Dragon Ball? Death Note? Beserk? Golgo 13? Gundam? Naruto? Code Geass? Attack on Titan? Fairy Tale? Konosuba? Made in Abyss? Gintama? Golden Kamuy? Vinland Saga? There is seriously so many anime and anime styles and it's literally a spectrum on how cartoony and how realistic the artist portrays the characters.

Anyway are you just focusing on a specific line of jrpgs? Like the Neptunia or Disgaea series or something? There's final fantasy, dragon quest, Falcom stuff, Atlus stuff, Tales Of series, Atelier series, POKEMON!?!?! just to name a few series/companies.

To answer your question, maybe it's to respect tradition and their customers, those boomers who grew up playing this kind of game expect a certain art style? If Dragon Quest XI didn't look Toriyama-inspired, people would be royally pissed.

And that is not 90% of the jap games lol, not by market share or domestic cultural relevancy. I think westerners like those more than the japs overall. Japs love their gatcha and their nintendo.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/ ... twork-poll
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Post by Wretch »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:48

Are you retarded? BotW is heavily influenced by French impressionism.
You are gonna hurt yourself trying to make that leap :lol:

Obviously the media forms of a cohesive culture like Japan are going to have a lot of crossover. Many animators and manga doodlers even work for video game companies as artists.

Anime is also unfortunately the main export of Japanese culture and is more popular in the west now than it is in Japan. With the possible exceptions of a few particularly seedy towns in Japan the more degenerate parts of troontoon culture are also much more socially accepted in the west.

The next iteration of the switch or psp will likely come with a dilation function to support their customer base.
Last edited by Wretch on January 28th, 2024, 14:00, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by rusty_shackleford »

Humbaba wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:50
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:48
BotW is heavily influenced by French impressionism.
Wretch wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:55
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:48

Are you retarded? BotW is heavily influenced by French impressionism.
You are gonna hurt yourself trying to make that leap :lol:

Obviously the media forms of a cohesive culture like Japan are going to have a lot of crossover. Many animators and manga doodlers even work for video game companies as artists.

Anime is also unfortunately the main export of Japanese culture and is more popular in the west now than it is in Japan. With the possible exceptions of a few particularly seedy towns in Japan the more degenerate parts of troontoon culture is also much more socially accepted in the west.

The next iteration of the switch or psp will likely come with a dilation function to support their customer base.
botw was just an iteration upon skyward sword's art style, which Miyamoto himself has said is based upon impressionism. Eiji Aonuma, the producer of botw, is a fan of impressionism.
https://www.nintendojo.com/features/spe ... -the-sword

You guys have access to Google, right?
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Post by Humbaba »

Rusty seems to be pro trans because he just believes people when they say something is something it clearly isn't.

*sees pastel colors* WOW is this FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM???



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Post by rusty_shackleford »

Humbaba wrote: January 28th, 2024, 14:01
Rusty seems to be pro trans because he just believes people when they say something is something it clearly isn't.

*sees pastel colors* WOW is this FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM???



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*be zoomer who has no idea what he's talking about*
*get defensive for being outed as a retard*
https://www.google.com/search?q="Eiji A ... essionism"
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Post by Wretch »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:59

botw was just an iteration upon skyward sword's art style, which Miyamoto himself has said is based upon impressionism. Eiji Aonuma, the producer of botw, is a fan of impressionism.
https://www.nintendojo.com/features/spe ... -the-sword

You guys have access to Google, right?
It’s an anime style. I don’t care what the dev said to sound deep and cultured to westerners. I also don’t require google because I have eyes and can clearly see that it is an anime styled game.

If you see BOTW and think pablo picasso you might be mentally ill.
Last edited by Wretch on January 28th, 2024, 14:05, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by rusty_shackleford »

Wretch wrote: January 28th, 2024, 14:05
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:59

botw was just an iteration upon skyward sword's art style, which Miyamoto himself has said is based upon impressionism. Eiji Aonuma, the producer of botw, is a fan of impressionism.
https://www.nintendojo.com/features/spe ... -the-sword

You guys have access to Google, right?
It’s an anime style. I don’t care what the dev said to sound deep and cultured to westerners. I also don’t require google because I have eyes and can clearly see that it is an anime styled game.

If you see BOTW and think pablo picasso you might be mentally ill.
Wait until you find out that Monet & Renoir are still wildly popular in Japan.
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Post by Humbaba »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 14:12
Wait until you find out that Monet & Renoir are still wildly popular in Japan.
They're not.





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Post by maidenhaver »

rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:59
Humbaba wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:50
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:48
BotW is heavily influenced by French impressionism.
Wretch wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:55
rusty_shackleford wrote: January 28th, 2024, 13:48

Are you retarded? BotW is heavily influenced by French impressionism.
You are gonna hurt yourself trying to make that leap :lol:

Obviously the media forms of a cohesive culture like Japan are going to have a lot of crossover. Many animators and manga doodlers even work for video game companies as artists.

Anime is also unfortunately the main export of Japanese culture and is more popular in the west now than it is in Japan. With the possible exceptions of a few particularly seedy towns in Japan the more degenerate parts of troontoon culture is also much more socially accepted in the west.

The next iteration of the switch or psp will likely come with a dilation function to support their customer base.
botw was just an iteration upon skyward sword's art style, which Miyamoto himself has said is based upon impressionism. Eiji Aonuma, the producer of botw, is a fan of impressionism.
https://www.nintendojo.com/features/spe ... -the-sword

You guys have access to Google, right?
You lost this round, just learn from your mistakes.
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Post by rusty_shackleford »

guy who makes the game: "yeah it's influenced by impressionism"
butthurt weeaboos: "NO IT'S NOT!!!!"

ok
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