I wonder… why does “angst” get such a bad rap among anime fans?
I suspect there are a number of factors at play here. For one, anime fans, in me experience, are more likely to be left brain sort of people. That is, logical and rational in their thinking. Hence, they’re more likely to be overly analytical in their understanding of the sort of emotional subject matter common in your typical dramatic anime series. I’m not saying they’re cold and heartless, by any means. Rather, I just don’t think your typical left brain anime fan connects with characters in drama series the way a more emotional right brain person might.
At the same time, I think the sort of myth-making that makes anime such an attractive diversion for fans gives rise to hero worship. And heroes don’t have problems. Well, not anime heroes, at least. Heroes in Greek mythology often have obvious flaws which they must overcome, but with the exception of the Gundam franchise and its copycats, anime heroes are more likely to be the heroes of our childhood: perfect and invincible. Clearly, there is no place for weakness in the story of a perfect hero. And there is no place for uncertainty in the world of the perfect hero. Black and white. Good and evil. Nothing in between. Of course, the real world doesn’t work that way, and a lot of dramatic anime reflects that fact. Even shounen fighting shows have trended toward presenting flawed and complicated protagonists. It’s probably lost on the kids at which those shows are targeted, but for adult anime fans nostalgic for the heroes of the their childhood, the trend is likely frustrating.
Another factor to consider is that of cultural differences. What anime fans in the West often label as “angst” in a show is, in many way, reasonably normal behavior in Japanese society. After all, we’re talking about a culture where things are more often left unsaid than said, and where frank and open expression of feeling and emotion is rare, if not discouraged. From a Western point of view, it may very well seem absurd for a character to stew over a seemingly minor problem alone, perhaps to the point of anguish. From the Japanese point of view, however, it can almost be considered expected behavior. This is a culture, for example, where’s its not entirely uncommon for a bullied and tormented high school student to throw himself off the roof of his school without ever having confided in a single soul. The same student being unable to express his love for the girl across the room, or being unable to decide what to do with his life after graduation, or whatever internal conflict common in “angsty” anime… well, it seems positively quaint compared to a leap from four stories up.
Yes, there are dramatic anime series that regularly crank the “angst” level up to eleven, so much that you can’t help but laugh in response. But not every drama series fits this mold, and not every troubled character or emotional story is an angst factory.
Sometimes, “angst” is just a reality check.
I think one problem with angst for many fans is that we’ve plain seen too much of it, to the point where there’s nothing unique about it anymore. We’ve seen the various cliches played out a million times to the point where they don’t raise a reaction anymore. Not to say anime fans are unemotional, I just think it takes something unique to make us able to connect with character angst and there’s still a few new shows a year that can do that. The angst being cranked up to eleven is also a part of it, along with the prevalence of eroge anime has made angst a lot more commonplace, hence the aformentioned oversaturation. I don’t really see a problem with fans making light of most angst when really there’s nothing to feel about it anymore.
The problem I can see is that the line between making light of angst and failing to take a show seriously is a thin one. This is further complicated by the fact that ninety percent of anime don’t deserve to be taken seriously. Ironic distance, such as mocking angst, can really prevent you from connecting to and enjoying a show. If your response to every characters’ turmoils is “stop bitching”, then you’re not really engaged with what you’re watching. However, I do think it is a two way street, and not many anime seem planned or focused enough to honestly get this reaction out of a viewer. One of my main problems with anime is that honest and meaningful plot and character development can be hard to come by, and without it emotional engagement is going to be hard.
I use anime as a form of escapism; it’s a 25 minute reprieve that I don’t want to spend watching a fictitious person wallowing in or experiencing his or her own grief. It could be considered a form of hero worship in it’s own way—not so much that I want the characters to be flawless, but rather I want the characters to be able to eke out their own sense of happiness. Plus, it doesn’t help that I’m a hormonal, emotional pile of goo and decidedly not one of these fabled left-brainers.
A couple of comments that came to mind as I read this:
- Angst can be equated with drama. Overall, I think a lot of people in general don’t like drama in their entertainment because they get that in real life. It’s much easier to see the world in black or white aspects, and they don’t have to spend time thinking about entertainment as they do real life. So people don’t appreciate more drama when they’re trying to escape it. That’s why many people see Batman as a more interesting hero than Superman, yet Superman is still popular today. Eroge games are also a good example, as it’s typically a pick and work with one girl scenario instead of dealing with girls meeting and arguing with each other.
- Demian mentions a good point which I’d like to expand on. Entertainment tries too hard to force the effects of angst to the point that it seems too fake. There are still movies and anime that do it right, so for me it seems that there are way too much shows that do it wrong to the point where we catch it. Some of us are more forgiving than others, while the others have become more jilted.
I just don’t think lately, anime has done angst right. More often than not it just hasn’t.
YHK has sort of right when it comes to the distance. I have that problem with Minami-ke right now… Which has nothing to do with right-brained or left-brained people.
I don’t know, personally I think this rant is a little over-reactive anyways. People have problems with bad anime more so than angst, and to be honest I rarely hear people complain about angsty anime characters.
Personally, I adore angst in my anime. Moreso in my manga. More than that, I like the stories about overcoming angst. That’s why currently my favourite manga is Life, by Keiko Suenobu. Sure I joke about it, calling it my “emo manga”, but I really just get a kick out of it, since Japanese bullying is just unbelievably cruel.
It’s annoying to see characters deliberate over their actions for 3 episodes.
Reading some of the paragraphs in the above entry made me feel like I’m some sort of abnormal freak. :p I don’t just use left or right when it comes to brain usage in watching my anime, I use both. I mean, good grief, eight out of ten of my current Top10 animes contain a palatable amount of angst, but it did not stop me from enjoying my emotional investment in them, despite any personal analysis I might have done on them.
To me, the presence of angst itself is not a problem. Used correctly, it can propel character development in realistic (or at least believable for a given degree of “Suspension of Disbelief”) ways. What usually happens is that angst is NOT used correctly and any development that results from its improper usage becomes a mockery and an insult to the intelligence of the watching audience.
Note that I am only referring to anime in which they are actually making an attempt to be serious. Anime targeted at tykes will obviously have a different set of judging criteria, if I bother to judge them at all…
Rescue Wings and Futakoi Alternative are two examples from my linked list in which the male leads have TONS of angst, but their eventual overcoming of it is done masterfully and instead of bashing them for being “whiny losers”, I, as the audience, ended up cheering them on and wanting to give them encouragement.
Again, angst is not the problem, and should never be blamed for “poor anime”. Execution matters.
Cheers.
‘Suffering and doubt are necessary.’ Honinbou Kuwabara, Hikaru no Go, on Hikaru’s breakdown after he passes the pro-exam.
“Overall, I think a lot of people in general don’t like drama in their entertainment because they get that in real life.”
From my experiences with anime fans, that seems to be a main thing, but it depends on who you’re asking. As said before, there’s also the people that don’t like angst/drama because it’s not done well, or if you feel like the angst is suddenly forced on you (making you respond to it) rather than coming naturally.
At the same time, I also know plenty of people (including myself) who love drama when it’s done well, or at least well enough that I can connect with what the person is feeling with. It adds a dimension that makes the show relate to us more than expected. Which explains why I like shows like Hitohira maybe more than I should, where you could say that the drama was forced on at the end (I didn’t see it like that though). :P
I think I can agree with the logical thinking fan theory; very often I see people acting as High Judges of Everything disregarding what is supposed to be sad and/or intimate moment as filler and/or pointless. This kind of fans usually look down on people who cry at a show/episode, simply because they don’t like the show or think it is “bad”.
Yes, execution matters, but to me, most of the time it seems to be a simple matter of different taste.
BTW, I love that Lucky Star picture.
Not read all the comments here, so apologies if I am repeating, but… I think you’re over-analysing.
For me, and some other people I have talked to, it’s not the idea of the angst at all, just the way it is portrayed on screen. Anime often portrays angst in an overly melodramatic way that doesn’t appeal to our tastes, making us cringe and turn away.
Do we really need 30 seconds of someone pulling strange faces and whining the same two or three words to himself over and over again? No.
That is not the definition of angst. That is the definition of anime angst.
I agree with name in that the problem with angst is that the display of angst is not particularly exciting. What do people do when they are depressed and not crying? They sit/lay around and do nothing (or at least that is what it looks like to outsiders). While I like angst in fleshing out characters, too much of it in an anime series can be boring.
I think there are ways to show that angst has been going on a long time without actually having a billion angsty scenes. However, that takes more storytelling skill.
Of course I really like seeing people break out of angst, whether it is in real life or on the screen. You can’t have the highs without the lows.
I would agree with the “anti”-angst crowd in that after watching a 100+ shows, I’ve learned to generally pull away or just stop watching angst driven shows. I’m with Ashley on this point. When I do watch an ‘an(gst)ime’, I’ll lose interest when the solution appears to be stupid simple (talk to girl for example) and there aren’t any external barriers keeping the main character from that act.
Agreeing with Skane here, its the execution of the story leading up to the angst that, when falling short, leaves me rolling my eyes. Take for example Gundam Seed where Keira and his best friend find themselves on opposite sides of the war. Hard to talk to each other in that situation and plenty of angst to go around. I dare say the angst is what made it so great.
Lots of great comments. I should point out that I’m not suggesting fans should view “angst” the same way as I do - everyone responds to emotional stimuli differently, obviously - but it’s still something I hoped people would give some thought to, given that I see the term so often applied to shows and characters that aren’t really all that angsty to begin with, often in a disparaging manner. It’s kind of similar to “moe” in that regard. The term has become a scarlet letter of sorts.
That said, I fully agree that a lot of anime series play the angst card excessively at times, often for no more reason than to fill time and play on the viewer’s emotions. However, at the same time, I really do agree with Kabitzin’s statement that, “you can’t have the highs without the lows,” and I think that’s an important thing to keep in mind the next time you’re watching a show that takes a sudden turn for the dramatic or the next time you get frustrated with a character who can’t seem to find a solution to his/her problem as quickly as you’d like.
And, of course, experience counts for a lot… you can’t fully understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes and all. I think this applies to both real life people and fictional characters. And I also think this is a point on which the cultural differences between Japan and the West are extremely important.
I like to see angst. I am an angsty person, and I like to see relatability. Angsty characters are real ones, as angst i felt by all.
“For one, anime fans, in me experience, are more likely to be left brain sort of people. That is, logical and rational in their thinking.”
You sure about this.
On second thought…
lol, last two comments are great.
Perhaps it isn’t the angst alone. Angst should be acceptable, but what it makes it more acceptable is when a character has a source of the tension (vs angst via thin-air). Even more acceptable, angst that has a really good source (from the viewer’s perspective). [This is probably a really obvious statement.]
If the story is going to hit the angst-factor, it needs to hit the source as well, and make it relative to the viewer, so the viewer can say, “I totally understand that feeling.”
I often find myself bored with character angst simply because I cannot relate to “the why”.
A good example of angst done right, “Asatte no Houko”, IMO. I’m not female, and I have no Idea what feelings or problems may come when changing from child to adult, but the storytelling worked.
Jeff, I do agree that the cultural differences can lead to a refute of angst, simple due to lack of understanding. Interesting post!
Cheers
“It’s kind of similar to “moe” in that regard. The term has become a scarlet letter of sorts.”
It’s a buzzword that shouldn’t really have the power it does. I remember when scheduling shows for my college anime club, people tended to shun series that were considered “angsty” or “depressing”, even if they’re considered to be good shows like Gunslinger Girl or Saikano. I remember back when people were watching Futakoi Alternative many harped on the middle series as being it’s weakest point because the lead protagonist was being “angsty”. But then again, what does “angst” mean? Finding a definition for that isn’t as bad as finding one for moe though. :P
Why dislike angst? It could be a cultural disconnect, it could lack of connecting with the characters feeling that angst, it could be overdone angst, it could be a desire for angst-free anime, and so on. Who knows? Anime covers most, if not all grounds, and the sadder/painful ones are important too. :P
“I really do agree with Kabitzin’s statement that, “you can’t have the highs without the lows,” and I think that’s an important thing to keep in mind the next time you’re watching a show that takes a sudden turn for the dramatic or the next time you get frustrated with a character who can’t seem to find a solution to his/her problem as quickly as you’d like.”
I sort of understand this, but it’s definitely unnecessary. I never stood on a stage with a wig and sang my heart out, but I have a special place in my heart for Priss Asagiri…or her angst.
#1 If my memory serves, the picture is a parody of Urusei Yatsura Movie #2 “Beautiful Dreamer”, still considered by many as one of best anime movies in history.
#2 The cultural tendency in Japan has sufficiently diversified to the point that old generalization cannot be applied to many schools there. Timidness of the characters cannot be said to be representative of today’s Japan, but more as a plot device. As with all plot devices, if applied correctly, it works great. The trouble is, in order for this to work and engage the viewers even further, the anime producers needs to place great deal of attention to the plot, dialogue, and how each scene is portrayed. Unfortunately, most animators would rather make quick buck with flashy graphics or pretty faces, thus good logical plot and dialogue is usually last thing of interest. This leads to insufficient emotional developement with puzzling or overly dramatic changes in psychological state of the characters, thus breaking the suspension of disbelief among the viewers.
#3 I believe good piece of art and entertainment needs to let viewers explore internal conflicts of the characters in various light, leading them to better understanding and appreciation of the real world. Even ARIA often shows the doubts and insecurities character feels and how they affect others, but one of things that makes ARIA special for me is that the story let’s the characters face their worries and show how they come to live with it, if not overcome it. SOLA in other hand, failed to explore the full depth of diverse internal conflicts shown by all characters, thus missed a chance to achieve greatness. It is likely that animators did not wish for the characters to appear too ‘Angstsy’ thus lose their moe value. I think Anime needs to better explore internal conflicts of the characters. If such depiction of troubled people is denounced as being too angsty by the viewers, well ‘Those are the viewers.’
I suppose I’m guilty of being one of those who “don’t like angst”, and I’m also guilty of wanting to attach a boatload of qualifiers to that.
For example, Gunslinger Girl was brought up. I do think it’s depressing and possibly angsty (although it would be stretching my definition of “angst” a bit), and I don’t like it. However, I also think that it’s a very good anime.
Or the Obvious Target, Neon Genesis Evangelion. I think it’s a hugely influential anime. I also think it’s far too angsty for my tastes. I also also think that the angst in the series is not quite well done, since it hijacked (and got hijacked by) the Mysterious Uberplot, resulting in something neither fish nor fowl.
For me, Angst = I don’t like it, which != Bad.
Now, there’s also overdone angst, or Wangst. This is seen in Final Fantasy 8, where Squall’s belief that nothing in the world is worthwhile is but one step away from self-parody. A recent replay of the game provided me with great amusement by imagining him going “ZETSUBOU DA!” and it fitting perfectly.
It’s a thin, subjective line, between having “realistic” (because I have my own tangential rants about whether merely being angsty is being realistic) doubts and worries, to wallowing in them.
And then there’s the cases where the character’s angst is justified by the situation, but the situation itself borders on the ridiculous, with horrible events happening the the character in quick succession, almost deus ex machina style. After a very short while, I get tired of watching karma defecate on a character, and so I stop watching.