Anime and Aspergers

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I love anime not only because of the storylines and artwork but also due to the fact I can realate to a lot of the characters possibly most NTs cannot relate to.

I really like anime. I was really into it just after highschool. I liked the stories and the characters. I love the exagerated facial expressions in some anime.

I can't speak for 90% of folks on the spectrum, but I can explain my fascination with the anime series I watch (I'm not as knowledgeable on it as some other members, like Bradleigh).

I don't necessarily prefer anime to the American animated shows you mention; Bugs Bunny is my hero, Billy Boy and 3 Little Pups by Tex Avery are among my favourite cartoon shorts of all time, and I watched The Simpsons religiously in the early 2000s (mainly episodes from the 90s, though).
I don't think it's an either/or thing. There are American shows that are to my liking and those that aren't, then there are Japanese shows that I watch and others I don't care about or plain dislike.

I'd disagree that anime cannot appeal to one's sense for logic or science. 2 of my favourite anime, Evangelion and Ghost In The Shell: SAC go into quite some detail concerning the technology featured in the series, although an equal (or greater, in the case of Eva) amount of attention is devoted to the more emotional, human aspect. The themes explored do fascinate me beyond being just pseudo-scientific backdrop to the stories and characters.

I'd also disagree that anime can't be funny. This is also very, very subjective. Humour will differ per country and culture; even Western comedy is not a uniform thing. What's funny in France may not be funny in Germany and vice versa. When I was first introduced to anime, there were jokes that either went over my head or felt forced somehow, but watching it more and more, I got into the general feel of it. Of course, each anime director/writer will have their own sense of humour, so it differs per show. Some things will still go over my head because they're either puns or cultural references, but I find many of my favourite anime feature a good dose of humour, even the ones with a more serious tone. I like the slapstick as well as the inter-character banter.

Meanwhile, I also think that creative styles differ widely from anime to anime. I believe that, as with Western/American animation, trends can be spotted both on a chronological and a lateral plane. The 'all shows look alike' could apply just as easily to American animation, if you grab a handful of action cartoons from the 80s. Thundercats, Masters Of The Universe, Dinoriders, G.I. Joe, same basic designs and style, not much variation beyond the shows' respective thematics. There is a lot of stylisation going on in the more humoristic'shows, like the Cartoon Cartoons, Nicktoons, Hanna-Barbera's classic period, etc., but it could be said to follow basic templates of stylisation as surely as more humoristic or kiddie anime series follow basic templates.

I also find that a major drawing factor in Japanese animation for me is that many series and films feature more mature themes than American animation in general, of which the mainstream tends be targeted at kids. American animated TV series for adults seem to be limited to comedy/satire (Simpsons, South Park, Boondocks, Duckman). Animated action and sci-fi on TV tends to be reserved for the Saturday morning slot. Whereas, with anime, I get this full palette of action, sci-fi, comedy, drama, fantasy, with more mature themes, complex storylines, more well-rounded characterisation, and high quality animation.

I don't think all anime is unique per se; there are many anime series that copy each other or that follow the same basic premise and have similar art styles; however, I think that the appeal in anime for people outside of Japan may also be the sense of unfamiliarity, the aesthetic standards that have grown over the course of the history of Japanese animation that will spring into the eye of the outsider. Aside from that, and it's superfluous to say this, each show will have its own distinct appeal.

So for me, the enjoyment of anime is mostly personal preference per series/film. I'll enjoy each Japanese anime on its own merits if it strikes a chord with me, same as with American animation.

I get this with Neon Genesis Evangelion, oh so very much. Curiously, show creator Hideaki Anno intended the character Ayanami Rei to be creepy and unrelatable, yet I recognise so much of myself in that girl. Especially when she says: "I'm sorry, I don't know what to say or do in a situation like this" (when another character is crying)

This. Exactly this.
Rei actually seemed sympathetic to me and I was surprised how familiar her behaviour was to me, I could "understand" that fictional character.

Oh and I'm not crazy about anime but I like to watch it. The last anime movies I saw were Jin Roh and the Neon Genesis Evangelion movies.

(my responses to your quotes are the ones in bold, just so ya know)

I hate anime. I like looney tunes. I learned facial eggspressions from looney tunes.

I like anime, to an extent. I have limits.

I cannot sit long enough to watch most anime, except One piece, the anime I like the most.
I prefer to read manga more than to watch anime, and read all details even the smallest details. I think I can answer every questions about One piece

All Anime looks alike to me. They have to have different outfits to differentiate and they are too easy to draw.

I dig Japanese stuff like feudal Japan, Ninjas, Swords, Sushi, and certain comics.

However i don't do Anime. If i get a videogame some of the characters may look a lil anime however i judge the game not on how the characters look.

http://www.animecrazy.net/one-piece-anime/ hope you enjoy hehe!

I never understood how you can have "anime" as an interest by itself, it seems so impossibly broad. I like some of the animation that comes from Japan, but certainly not all of it, and I imagine every one who watches anime enjoys their shows of choice for wildly different reasons.

I love anime, despite of my parents banning me from watching it due to its "weirdness". I still watched it at a friend's house.

The only thing I can't stand about anime is the work that the producers do is butchered by English actors who think they can voice act, but suck at it.

Yeah most of the English dubs suck!

eh, I don't particularly like anime.....most of it I don't like. I don't hate it either though............I liked some of the Myazaki movies very much....especially Kiki's Delivery Service.....

I can't stand anime myself. I've tried my hardest to like it because I know plenty of people who are really in to it, but it all just seems so....annoying? The plot lines and the speaking styles in general kind of get on my nerves.