I seem to having real trouble being understood, or maybe I'm having trouble understanding.

Although I ran out of patience with the storyline, I think FMA is quality stuff. Don't know about Naruto; I'm reacting more to reports of its popularity and the look of its art.

My point is: if D&D ends up being illustrated with art that looks like FMA or Naruto, it will not be because WotC is pandering to middle-aged otakus. It will be because that's the style of art that 14-year-old kids associate with fun & adventure, because America has so thoroughly embraced and mainstreamed a particular style of anime (what I think would be called "Shounen") that it's not a foreign thing anymore. On the other hand if D&D ends up looking more like Sett described in the OP ("ultra-kewl-ultra-sexy-big-eyed-big-titted girls") then I would agree with him: I doubt that stuff is what 14-year-olds want to play, even if they might like to look at them.

Quote from: RPGPunditI really don't think so, Sett. Wizards had the opportunity to do that long ago; and frankly the average geek is mostly against mixing anime images with his D&D for some reason.  

If they're making it manga-esque in its art styles, its to appeal to the kids.  The stupid Gen X dungeonpunk garbage, that was to appeal to the now-30something geeks.

RPGPundit

You know it's stupid, because he said so. ^

Quote from: Elliot WilenOn the other hand if D&D ends up looking more like Sett described in the OP ("ultra-kewl-ultra-sexy-big-eyed-big-titted girls") then I would agree with him: I doubt that stuff is what 14-year-olds want to play, even if they might like to look at them.

Million dollar question: To which of the two constituencies does Exalted cater?

Another uneducated guess: to both. And that is what WOTC is shooting for (if they are indeed shooting for it).

Quote from: SettembriniWhat audience are Manga-Cheesecake/Beefcake (Bishonencake?)-esque pictures aimed at in D&D products?

Um. Have you considered asking someone at WotC this question? We might get an actual real answer and then we can skip most of this speculation.

Quote from: Elliot WilenI seem to having real trouble being understood, or maybe I'm having trouble understanding.

Um, sorry. I didn't really mean to direct that at you so much as submit it for Sett. And what I'm talking about is that there's some demographic cross-pollination, but something like FMA or even Naruto is directed pretty heavily at youth who want something to watch.

There's a pretty healthy amount of anime that isn't really any worse then any other programming, even though it does share some common visual features.

Meanwhile, the lawncrapper segment fetishizes anything that isn't directly threatening to their own egos, and they attempt to turn everything into something that doesn't threaten their ego. So, you've got a bunch of unwashed creeps jerking off to underage cartoons, but something makes me wonder if it's the anime, or if they'd just find something else unthreatening to wank to if it wasn't readily available media.

On a different note: So Settembrini played an anime-esque PAIZO module. So what? Who cares about Paizo?

Is there any indication that the actual, official, WOTC-created D&D art will be remotely like it? I'm not following this closely, so I may be off, but none of the 4E artwork I've seen is anime-esque. Not even close.

QuoteIs there any indication that the actual, official, WOTC-created D&D art will be remotely like it? I'm not following this closely, so I may be off, but none of the 4E artwork I've seen is anime-esque. Not even close.

I´m not saying the sky is falling. The picture, which I had to look at the whole evening just produced some questions.

I´m more concerned with sloppy, non-sequitur lines of argumentation and principle than actual conclusions about 4e right now.

I want to be able to field a sufficiently differentiated opionion on that regard, and that thread already helped a lot.

I don't think it has anything to do with 30+ Fatbeards or 17- youngsters.

Asian Culture/Cinema/Art/Comics/Asthetics have been invading America slowly for a long time. It' part of our make-up these days. The Matrix (released what...10 years ago!) cemented that and changed our popular Media ever since.

All of our action movies have wire fighting, crazy ass outfits and Gun-Fu.

All of American Cartoon shows are heavily anime influenced (Avatar, Powerpuff Girls, Dexters Lab, Star Wars: Clone Wars), if not outright imports (InuYasha, Naruto).

Just look at our Horror flicks now...Resident Evil (wire fighting, Kukhri Knives etc.), SAW (torture porn, influenced by Asian horror cinema), the Ring (Based on a Japanese Movie).


Oh, and Manga outsell American Graphic novels 10 to 1.

But someone makes a decision. WAR for example can draw like a young Angus McBride, or he can draw "Oh-My-Dungeon-Crawling-Godess", just as he is ordered to.
Someone is making the calls, and I´m suspicious of their motives (But I´m also suspicious of mainstream American aesthetics nowadays.).

And I think it is an interesting thing to ponder online.

So, is there a possibility, that WotC/Paizo etc. decision makers are regularly exposed to contemporary comic books and shows?

Quote from: SettembriniSo, is there a possibility, that WotC/Paizo etc. decision makers are regularly exposed to contemporary comic books and shows?

Yes, I'd say definitely. The primary art group for Paizo was doing manga comics for the US like Megacity909 and Mu right before they became the go-to guys for Paizo art.

(Of course, since I'm at work, fuck-all if I can remember their names...)

Quote from: jeff37923Yes, I'd say definitely. The primary art group for Paizo was doing manga comics for the US like Megacity909 and Mu right before they became the go-to guys for Paizo art.

UDON

They also worked on Exalted.

Edited to add:
Official site: http://www.udonentertainment.com/