The Middle East In Anime

[Mirabilis]

 This is something I've noticed in several animes, predominantly in the various Gundam series and/or other mechas. That is, whenever the Middle East is portrayed, the natives of the land are seen as nothing more than a bunch of resistance fighters. They're also portrayed in a Western like manner though. Fighting alongside women, treating everyone with respect and dignity, and everyone has equality. It's like they're really nothing more than westerners who just so happen to be in the Middle East during the conflict. I find this not to be an accurate depiction of the Middle East or those various cultures. I'd be much more interested in an actual Middle Eastern resistance group than a westernized one. We see westernized resistances all the time; a different type of resistance group, I think, would be pretty cool and interesting to see. Seeing their perspective on things, their strengths as well as their weaknesses. I don't know. But why do you guys think this is? Is it ignorance on the part of the story creators and of the manga? Are people so gullible that they think all resistance fighters are the same? Or maybe it's an attempt to make their culture relate-able? I dunno. It just bugs me sometimes when I watch these episodes. I just wish they were more realistic and displayed accurately. Thoughts?

[Matt Bellamy]

I think you're expecting a little too much from a medium that regularly features super powers/giant robots/magic all being used by preteen girls.

 

Especially when poorly or truthfully portraying Middle Eastern people sometimes comes with Death threats that aren't just rabid fanboys.

 

That and it's probably not something they think is popular right now. Japan creates Anime for the Japanese, and nobody else. If they don't think that is a popular subject, they won't make anything about it.

 

The times where you see it, it is usually used as a reasoning for: 1. Quick and easy bad guys. Everyone knows they have extremists and usually doesn't require much explanation; or 2. Quick shorthand for maladjusted young men to have combat skills and a stoic/violent attitude ( see FMP! and Gundam 00)... But in a lot of cases you'll also find that they are still oddly Japanese in some aspects, and not 100% middle eastern descent.

 

Sure, occasionally we'll get a high quality anime with some aspects that really stand out... But those are few and far in between, and by the law of percentages, rarely ever deal with Middle Eastern issues ( again, cause Japan does Japan)

[H222G981]

 This is something I've noticed in several animes, predominantly in the various Gundam series and/or other mechas. That is, whenever the Middle East is portrayed, the natives of the land are seen as nothing more than a bunch of resistance fighters. They're also portrayed in a Western like manner though. Fighting alongside women, treating everyone with respect and dignity, and everyone has equality. It's like they're really nothing more than westerners who just so happen to be in the Middle East during the conflict. I find this not to be an accurate depiction of the Middle East or those various cultures. I'd be much more interested in an actual Middle Eastern resistance group than a westernized one. 

 

I think there has been so much controversy and the wide spread of Muslim terrorist groups. They water it down to nothing just to avoid it. Possibly to keep viewers. Some movies will avoid depicting a religious group of people just to keep from losing viewers.