Moe? In my anime?
This week’s Answerfans topic poses an interesting question about something close to my heart. I’m still contemplating whether I want to submit this to the column. Nonetheless, it’s food for thought. Enjoy:
Of itself, there’s nothing wrong with moe elements in anime. Titles like My-HiME and Higurashi show that it’s possible to have a significant moe presence in an anime, but still have a good plot. There are numerous other examples of good moe anime as well. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya parodied moe archetypes and put an interesting spin on the phenomenon, Zero no Tsukaima was filled with moe characters that played off a strong male lead in a way that was enjoyable to watch, and we all know about Kanon which I’d argue had a number of genuinely dramatic moments. Hell, one could make arguments that Nodame Cantabile and Maria-sama ga Miteru are moe anime, a result of the fact that “moe” has different meanings for different people.
If it’s possible to make enjoyable anime with well written plots and good characters that just happen to have moe elements in it, then there’s no problem with the phenomenon, of itself. The problem is that, with moe, comes the (largely correct) impression that moe anime don’t push boundaries. This is probably true in the majority of cases, and a result of the popularity of the subgenre (we can argue semantics, but that’s what I consider it to be), but the same can be said of the majority of other popular genres, not just in anime, but in film and literature in general.
Moe elements are just like any other form of fanservice – when it doesn’t interfere with the plot or characters, there’s nothing wrong with it, but if it starts becoming so prominent in an anime that it becomes intrusive and distracts from the larger story, it’s a problem. Ultimately it’s incumbent upon anime producers and writers to make series that are unique and interesting and/or push boundaries and if they can do this and still have moe elements as the listed titles do, then that’s fine. Nine out of ten moe anime are inevitably going to be generic and pander to LCD, but that’s just Sturgeon’s Law. As for its effect on the fanbase, well, in my opinion, that’s a moot point if good anime are still being produced at a reasonable rate. Pessimists and old-school loyalists like to predict that the runaway growth in popularity of the phenomenon will poison anime as a whole, but I can’t see anything in the past or present that indicate that. Outstanding non-moe anime like Gankutsuou, Mushishi and Monster are still being made, and the moe genre is starting to learn how to break boundaries, as evidenced by Higurashi and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Good anime in both genres will always continue to get made; fans just have to know where to look to find them and be willing to scratch at the surface of the medium a bit.
I dunno, Sorrow. Moe is a personal thing; everyone’s moe is different from the next guy’s.
That being said, the overload on fanservice certainly doesn’t make for very good watching. This is probably one of those rare times that we agree =P I watch moetan not because I think it’s good; I watch it because it’s hilarious to see how BAD it is.
You’re right; good anime is being made, and unfortunately, (you know I’m going to say it), titles like BOKURA GA ITA (our personal favorite XD) fly WAY under the radar to hyped-up bullshit like School Days and Moetan. It’s unfortunate, but true.
Then again, I’m moe for girls with small voices. So I guess Bokura ga Ita is my moe. >_>;
I think that the word “moe” is getting filtered throuh a specific, English which underminds the actual meaning of the word. Much like the term “Otaku”, the word “moe” used in the English context automatically insinuates a genre involving lolis, maids, etc; wheras in Japanese, the word simply refers to a “turn on”.
As for Bokura Ga Ita… Better voice actors please.
Yep…pretty much agree on everything there…
I don’t see how one can argue that moe itself is a problem. Obvoiusly there are going to be people who dislike moe itself (first episode of Kanon2006 nearly made me drop the series) but if they can’t enjoy the excitement of Suzumiya Haruhi, insanity of Higurashi and drama of Kanon, all because of the mere presence of moe, then it’s neither pessimism or old-school loyalty, but simply close-minded.
And yea…voice acting in Bokura ga ita could’ve used more range…
I generally agree with Sorrow-kun. Moe is fine as long as it doesn’t become either too distracting or the whole purpose for the show’s continued existence. Then again, you can have a moe show in disguise as a legitimate good time. Potemayo comes to mind. The damn thing is chocked full of moe shit but fuck me if I don’t enjoy the hell out of it.
I think there can be a balance. Mai-HiME was a good mention, because that takes most of the best elements of moe’ness and kicks you in the nards with a solid plot and characters. Hell, it’s not as if moe is a new concept anyway. Go back to your earlier shows and you can find moe elements everywhere. They just didn’t really refer to it back then.
And that might be moe’s biggest downfall; too much intentional referencing. I don’t need some fuckface to tell me that “Pote-chan is so moe!”. I know she’s moe, that’s the point, assmaster. Haruhi Suzumiya did this to a fault as well. It still maintained it’s greatness despite it, but if I had to watch 20 more episodes of Haurhi deliberately trying to get everybody’s moe goat, I’d probably turn the shit off (but don’t listen to me, KyoAni, second season please!).
Just my thoughts.
To clarify, what I mean by intentional moe references is stuff like Dokoro-chan. “Yes, YES, I GET IT. Thank you! Now move on!”
I suppose we can’t really look at this without lookin at the alternatives tho. I think there are some damn fine anime out there that don’t lower themselves into the moe cesspool. Berserk, Seirei no Moribito, Count of Monte Cristo, etc. I look at moe as a real cop out; an easy way to make a buck. I don’t look at it and see true creative artwork.
The only “moe” I know is that annoying indian kid with a fucked moustache at AA. Maybe I’m a terrible anime fan but what the hell are you talking about?
Y’all don’t update soon and I’ll have to hijack this place again.
Neither of us want that.
@Seven:
Moe was once a term used to refer to a specific type of anime character/female type. Nowadays it is used to refer to something that turns you on. Seven, your moe would be 12 year old boys.