Well… Not on all facets of them yet anyway.
Just starting with TV program first.
At least that’s what I understand after reading the blog from AltJapan and LightSabre.
The top chart reads out that males’ top 5 anime preferences are
- K-On!
- The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi
- Lucky Star
- Gundam (all series)
- Saki
Whilst for girls, theirs are
- Gundam (All series)
- K-On!
- Code Geass
- Macross Frontier
- Evangelion / Toradora
After reading the above blogs, there’s a somewhat general consensus that we’re seeing a ‘reversing’ trend of male vs female otakudom. Males are usually(and always will be) attracted to high-tech items, gadgets, toys, male-leading roles in various animes whilst girls are attracted to several romance, gentle characters (both male and female), and teenage-type dramas in several anime.
Couldn’t reach a final comment to say this is necessarily a good thing or a bad thing….
All I can say is that it’s a different kind of the generation for the youth in this modern day. Tastes have certainly changed (or rather, evolved) and many people within the anime business community will have to be smart enough to follow where the youth market of the future is heading to (and capitalize on their changing needs). It’s bold step for them to engage new types of anime business activity for the youth of both sexes.
Perhaps it’s also another way of breaking down the barrier in gender differences for the first time in history and that both sexes don’t have to feel awkward when exchanging tastes between the two? Perhaps they’re more open-minded now than they were many years back…
Source: AltJapan, LightSabre
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December 18th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Well, it needs to be said that mecha shows aren’t really mecha shows anymore. Macross Frontier spends way more time on the pop singer careers of 2 female characters than anything else. Gundam 00 followed the Gundam Wing formula of 5 pretty boy main characters (who get cosplayed by girls at cons) and Code Geass, from all I hear, spends a lot of time on high school issues and not so much on mech/military concerns.
In light of this, I have to ask “In what drawer did the writers and producers of mecha shows leave their balls? Where’s the action? Where’s the focus on anything even remotely adult in nature?”
December 18th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
one thing for sure is that… People is more open minded nowdays and it applies to otaku as well.
Somehow I’m not surprise by the girl’s result. My gf and a few female friends are so excited over Code Geass, macross frontier and gundams. Mostly because of the male characters and the interesting story development.
What freak me out is the result for guy otaku. IMO it shows that more and more guy prefer 2D than real human girl friend… How do you think?
December 19th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
That’s the thing I noticed about these modern mecha shows within the past few years.
Their themes’ emphasis are more on the sides of the youth’s common issues of today ie high school students, exams, puberty, getting bf/gfs etc, etc. Less on the action with lack of military presence.
I mean. I used to remember watching great 70s/80s mech shows ie Getter Robo, Voltron, Transformers G1 (including Japanese-spin offs), etc and they certainly brought out all the coolest fights/action sequences many people just get hooked watching them. This is the true essence of what mecha shows supposed to be! (Gosh! I missed them terribly now, when looking back).
Let’s not forget that in old mecha shows format, we used to monster-of-the-week feature on TV every week (all credit goes to Go Nagai). That’s got me(and many other guys) hooked to watching them several mecha anime during my childhood years.
Now, we see much less of that. It’s somewhat sad reality, if looking at another angle.
Too much eye-candy presence. No substance.
January 3rd, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Hello to all. This blog I am liking much. I am Lars in the US for holiday wishing all a Happy New Year to you also.