Ask John: Will America be Getting more Realistic Anime?

Question:
Chance Pop Session is so different from other anime titles that I have watched. There are no mechs and no girls with supernatural powers. So I was wondering is Chance Pop Session an introducion to a new change in anime?

Answer:
Especially based on the variety of anime that’s most often imported to America, and the commonplace American stereotypical belief that anime is all girls with guns, giant robots, and pornography, it’s easy to forget, or simply be unaware of the fact that anime encompasses a far greater range of subject matter than most Westerners assume. Chance Triangle Session (or “Chance Pop Session” as it’s been re-named for American viewers) is a story about three Japanese teenage girls that strive to become famous pop singers. There’s no supernatural influence or giant robots or ninjas or things blowing up. It’s a simple, slice of life drama. And it’s not the only anime of its kind.

The Japanese industry actually produces a respectable number of slice of life shows and has done so for years, but very few of them are ever imported to America because without the sensationalism of magic or giant robots or violence, these shows are difficult to market in America. A handful of examples include To Heart- a simple story about a group of high school age friends and their daily lives; Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart, a film about a young girl who meets and falls in love with a boy at her school; Ghibli’s Only Yesterday, a nostalgic film about a young Japanese office lady who goes back to the country to visit her parents; Piano, a story about a Japanese schoolgirl that takes piano lessons; Hana Yori Dango, a drama about a middle class girl trying to fit in to an upper class private high school; You’re Under Arrest, a light drama about the trials and tribulations of a pair of female traffic cops; Azumanga Daioh, a domestic comedy following the high school years of a group of female friends; Human Scramble, a TV series that stars a new character every episode, with every episode devoted to exploring the human condition.

There is also an entire sub-genre of anime called “life-sim,” abbreviated from the “life simulation” computer games most of these anime are based on. Titles like Sentimental Journey, Graduation, Debut, One, Ajimu, Memories Off, and Pendant are all based on the idea of showing the daily lives of typical young people. These types of shows are very popular in Japan, but have yet to find a large audience in America. These sort of mundane, slice-of-life shows have existed, in one form or another, since at least the mid 1980s and continue to be produced in Japan today with current incarnations like the Green Green and (arguably) Happy Lesson Advance TV anime series.

There are a small number of highly realistic anime available in America. The vast majority of Legend of Black Heaven (Kacho Ohji) is about a middle aged family man’s mid-life crisis. Princess Nine is a realistic look at the formation of a girls’ baseball team. You’re Under Arrest features a bit of dramatic embellishment, but still employs nothing impossible in everyday reality. And Whisper of the Heart, Only Yesterday, Azumanga Daioh, Seraphim Call, and Hana Yori Dango have all been licensed for American release. While “realistic” anime hasn’t yet established itself as a formidable recognized genre of anime in America, and doesn’t really look poised to do so in the foreseeable future, there are enough examples of the style available to American fans to more than satisfy curiosity.