Why Do I Like Dark Stuff in Anime?

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen of the Internet!  Welcome to this week’s Talkative Thursday after postponing it many, many, many times as I’ll be wrapping up October with something that may or may not be personal.  Well, if nothing else, you might get an understanding of my personal preferences when it comes to anime and what I tend to look for in what I do get around to watching.  Getting straight to the point here, why do I like dark stuff in anime?

Given that Halloween was yesterday, it seems like an appropriate question to ask.  But looking back at not only the shows and movies that I’ve reviewed on Hanime on Anime, but also those that I’ve personally watched.  Looking back, there seems to be a pattern.  Most of what I watched in my anime repertoire and have thoroughly enjoyed have some sort of dark theme or element to them.  I did an entire month on Evangelion, a show known for exploring the troubled psyche of its main characters and not shying away from a bleak reality.  Hellsing Ultimate is known as one of the bloodiest animes out there and holds nothing back in some pretty gruesome deaths.  Even Black Butler has a dark premise when you consider that the show focuses on a boy who sells his soul to a demon in exchange for avenging the death of his parents.  And over the years, I’ve had bleak shows like Berserk (considered one of the crème de la cremes of grim and gory anime) on my to watch list.  There are even shows out there that I don’t even consider favorites that have similar elements to them that I always enjoy.  For instance, I loved the nihilism on display in Devilman Crybaby as well as the sense of hopelessness and distrust felt throughout Attack on Titan.  And on top of that, if you look back at my countdown of my favorite anime characters of all time, my top three picks are all villains or antagonists.  But why would I find these dark elements so enjoyable and entertaining?  If you were to meet me in person, you’d be surprised that I’d like stuff like this.

I’m actually a very upbeat and positive person and always tend to find something positive in even the grimmest of situations and good in even the worst of human beings.  I’m also very friendly and hard to anger, though I do think I’m a bit sensitive.  And even to some degree, because of this bright and positive outlook I have on life, I’ve even come off as being very innocent.  So, at first glance, you wouldn’t even know that shows like Hellsing Ultimate are some of my favorite anime shows of all time.  This does not mean that deep down I’m incredibly cynical and have a negative view of the world while playing up this false innocent facade.  To some degree, I think it has to do with the fact that I have no first-hand experience in dealing with these darker areas and want to know more about them.  Admittedly, I feel like having Asperger’s Syndrome (which I’ve been open about very frequently on this blog) and have no way of interpreting expression and social cues I lack the limiters that tell me to stay away from certain subjects.  Socially speaking, this is kind of a given, but I think it also comes into play when talking about research into these subjects.  To put it more simply, I tend to not know when to avoid certain subjects because I have no mental limit.  Being an Aspie is one explanation, but I would also brag and say that I tend to be too smart for my own good.  I love intelligent discussion, though you could probably figure that out by reading my blog.  But at times, the most intelligent of that discussion comes from the darker side of life.  And yet, no one seems to talk about these dark topics all that much.  Why is that?  Well, honestly, it’s because we tend to ignore the dark and somber.

It’s not that everyone is so upbeat and positive.  I think it’s by human nature we tend to avoid things that make us uncomfortable or look away from those who are inherently negative.  As human beings, we don’t like things that makes us feel that way.  In spite of what I’ve said earlier, I can honestly say I feel the same way.  But at times, whether for research or just out of pure curiosity, I actually find some of these certain topics of negativity and discomfort fascinating.  They offer a different story and take on life that is often not seen or discussed.  It’s not that negativity is a taboo, it’s just not something we want around.  And in a day and age where we try to find countless ways of staying positive and upbeat, it’s not hard to see why we tend to avoid topics and issues that upset us.  But like I said, it’s fascinating because it offers a different side of the story.  That’s why I tend to gravitate toward shows like Evangelion or Hellsing or love characters like Naraku, the Major, or Tetsuo.  They all have dark elements and characteristics to them that I find utterly fascinating and have no fear in examining them for what they are.  Plus, another great aspect to these characters and shows is that often times they have no limits. 

I remember watching coverage from the 2016 Ohayocon Attack on Titan panel where Brett Weaver was quoted saying that the hero/protagonist often plays the role of the host, the secondary characters run the show, and the villains/antagonists do whatever they want.  And that seems to be a trend with the darker shows and characters; they have no limits and all the freedom they could ask for to do as they please.  So really, when it comes to darker shows, there’s no guarantee what you’ll be getting or how far things will go.  And with characters, they have no rules.  Going back to being an aspie again, as someone who lives her life through structure, routine, and rules, it’s fascinating to see a character or story that isn’t bound by that.  For me, it almost makes me wonder how they can live like that at all.  It’s only until you start peeling back the layers you find the heart of the story or character that you understand why.  And I think that’s another fascinating point to dark shows and characters; besides not having any limits to their overall story and actions of the characters, they tend to play things out the way that they do because there’s something going on behind the scenes.  Shows like Evangelion do this very well in the overall discussion of Shinji’s mental state as well as the mental stability of everyone else at Nerv.  In the first episode, it plays out like a typical mecha anime.  But by the last half of the series, we start to see the trauma that the events of the series are causing.  Even shows like My Hero Academia do this well as they introduce characters but gradually peel back the layers of it to expose the underbelly.  One of my favorite examples of this was Todoroki.  In season one, we know nothing about this kid except for his powerful quirk.  But it’s not until season two that we learn that the result of him being the powerhouse that he is comes from the selfish ambition of his overbearing father and the abuse he suffered from him.  Still, let’s face it, the darker moments in My Hero Academia were far and few in between, and the show can’t really hold a candle to some of the other shows I’ve mentioned already.  But does that mean it’s not worth discussing? Absolutely not!  It’s just not dark enough.  That being said, does that mean I find that darker shows are the only worth while watches with in-depth discussion? Of course not!

Shows like My Hero Academia are wonderful and fun to watch.  They’re just not dark enough.  So again, to make it perfectly clear, I don’t entirely avoid shows like My Hero Academia.  I just prefer the darker and grittier stuff.  And that’s not just because it’s more fascinating and may have some depth to it.  It’s also just more entertaining for me.  But at times, it’s more fun when it’s grittier, and darker shows tend to have more of that grit.  Some tend to go all out and have more blood and guts than you know what to do with.  Still, that’s not to say I won’t watch something lighter like My Hero Academia.  As long as there’s a good story, I’m all in it, but a little PG-13 or R rated violence doesn’t hurt either. 

So in all of this, why do I like darker content in anime?  Well, to sum it all up, it’s fascinating and entertaining.  It shows a darker side of life that we tend to avoid and sometimes even tries to be smart by making the audience dig and think about the information that they’re given.  Plus, it’s just damn entertaining!  I’d like to think I’m a shonen girl at heart, but that’s only because I like a good fight or action scene.  It’s something that gets your attention.  So yeah, I may come off as positive and smiley on a day to day basis, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like a little dark with the light.

And that wraps up this week's Talkative Thursday!  What do you think?  Do you like venturing to the dark side every now and then?  Let me know what your thoughts are on this.  Again, apologies that I kept forgetting this, but I had a lot going on in October, so it slipped.  Be sure to stay tuned this Sunday for the official start of Novembflix with a review on Netflix anime film with a legendary Japanese icon!

-Hanime on Anime