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Why Is Anime Obsessed With Power Lines? (atlasobscura.com)

Posted by msmash on from the random-observations dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Why are there so many shots of power lines in Japanese anime cartoons? The Tumblr Power Lines in Anime is dedicated to appreciating the truly lovely and surprisingly ubiquitous depictions of mundane power lines that appear in a large number of Japanese animation series. The blog is run by Tumblr user whitequark, who first started to notice the trend while watching a romantic comedy anime. Anime series can cover any number of genres, including sports, high fantasy, office life, and, of course, science fiction, but no matter what it's about, it seems that if the story is set on modern-day Earth, it will contain some amazingly detailed images of power lines, telephone poles, and other wired infrastructure. While a number of anime series (and cartoons in general), opt for a style of hyper-detailed backgrounds before which relatively simpler characters can interact, power lines stand out for the detail and complexity required to illustrate them.

8 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. Why are Slashdot editors so obsessed.... by slashdotiscorrupt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    With flooding the feed with irrelevant stories?

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    My karma was manually wiped by site staff https://slashdot.org/~slshdtisctrldbysjws 18 mod up, 10 mod down = bad karma
    1. Re:Why are Slashdot editors so obsessed.... by Kierthos · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "News for nerds" includes anime nerds.

      I personally don't care for stories on pretty much anything Apple does, but they still should be posted. Nobody is making you read them or comment on them.

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      Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
    2. Re: Why are Slashdot editors so obsessed.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Most students are right handed (or, in the past, were forced to write with their right hand), if the light comes from the left (light strips are relatively recent in the grand scheme of 'schools') the drop shadow of your writing hand doesn't obstruct your writing.

  2. Serial Experiments Lain by ziggystarsky · · Score: 4, Insightful

    SEL is a 1998 anime. It is full of power line shots. I'd estimate that around 2-5 percent of the series consist of power lines. It would be interesting whether this was the start of the trend. Can someone please categorize this Tumblr thing into pre and post 1998, please?

  3. Power lines equal western cultural encroachment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Before WWII, outside Tokyo - rural Japan didn't have as many power lines as western countries.
    With culture going back centuries... japanese perceived power lines as western encroachment and the loss of the authentic Japanese self.
    And since nearly all power lines come from and go to "someplace else", they are by definition "invasive" to the local world.
    And since power utilities are authoritative entities... they represent invasive authority.

  4. Art imitating reality by yoda-dono · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If you've ever been to Japan, especially iconic locations like Tokyo, you'd pretty quickly realize that, for how otherwise clean and tidy the Japanese are, the rats nests of power lines depicted in anime are basically true to life. Ubiquitous powerlines (even the type seemingly haphazardly strung between buildings like neglected spider webs) are a normal sight there, so when mirroring or representing reality, it isn't a surprising detail to include to give just that little extra grounding. For those on the outside looking in, it could seem exaggerated, but it is hardly the case.

  5. Ever been to Japan ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Ever been to Japan ? - First time I went down the residential streets of Tokyo - I tought - this looks like like I'm in an anime.
    Anime creators are just copying what they see outside their houses.

  6. Because... by tarokejihi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    there are a lot of power lines in Japan you insensitive clod ! ^_^