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What draws you to animanga rp?

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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 16, 2023 0:48:12 GMT
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With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
It's something that I'm curious about since I know the irl community is much bigger than us— why is animanga your preferred medium?

I guess for me, it's because it's where I'd started. Very embarrassing, but some of my first RPs were Hetalia. Eventually, I did branch out to original. I had tried maybe one or two irl sites, but I felt a little off having a whole folder dedicated to Park Shin Hye. 

As for why I stayed with animanga, I really like the medium. People could be using the same FC, but if they select different art, you could totally change up the character. The art also kinda adds to the immersion— maybe it's just me, but I find that it feels like I'm reading a storybook or imagining a video game when I'm reading posts on an animanga site.

Maybe it also just helps that I acknowledge I'm a weeb, but that's another story.

As much as the community is small and we all have our personal stories, I still just love this little corner of the internet. It's always been a constant for me and a bit of a home.

So yeah, why animanga!
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 16, 2023 1:06:16 GMT
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I personally still enjoy the animanga community for a few reasons. I won't go into being too big of details for each since they are pretty self explanatory.

1) I started with animanga RP forums. I just remember mine was original a Zelda one in the wild, wild west of early proboards.

2) I honestly feel awkward using RL pictures. Part of me just feels weird using another person's face to roleplay and another is that... who knows their reputation and how it's going to go. At least with animanga, regardless of what happens, I don't feel like I'm impersonating an actual real life person. And honestly, I don't know how these people would feel if they found out.

3) I agree that I enjoy the much smaller community, for good and bad. It helps me stay more interconnected.


I just realized two is probably the primary reason I never move off from animanga/illustration/video games. LOL
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 16, 2023 1:08:06 GMT
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i can't vibe with rl fcs. there's nothing morally wrong about it ofc but, me personally, i'm just wigged out by the thought of using some stranger's face for my character.

i also feel there's less room for fantastical (is that the word i want) plots on rl rp...like i can't get silly
last edit on Dec 16, 2023 1:10:32 GMT by ace.
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 16, 2023 1:20:09 GMT
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Because weebness, and because roleplaying with the visage of IRL people will always be weird lol. Doesn't matter how famous they are. I've only used IRL fc's in one site and I did it in the name of diversity because there were, as usual, white faces everywhere. The one white guy I use, who was mostly a meme because he was an internet personality, turned out to be a big AH so I took that down fast. So I had Tessa Thompson, Pedro Pascal (who I really only ended up using bc the Filo actor I wanted just didn't have pics I can use, so he was the closest), a black actor I forgot bc I just found him to replace Chadwick Boseman when he passed, and Chella Man, a trans actor, and another trans model who, for some reason, isn't in my pinterest anymore so I forgot their name. Oh and I had a K-pop face lmao because I needed someone with white hair and I was only really comfortable using Asian faces (black isn't asian but racially closer to us here although i'm actually one of the paler filos around but that's nothing unusual here)... though either way, I am down to just using aesthetics for them.

Weebing aside though, art just has more expression. There's no way IRL pics can compare to it. Animanga also tend to be less serious, and when doing the reverse, like animanga imitating life or IRL imitating animanga, the former feels perfect. IRL feels more stuck in its scope, which, you know, is part of it. It can't compare to animation.

last edit on Dec 16, 2023 1:27:20 GMT by add the regression tag
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 16, 2023 1:24:22 GMT
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Short answer: art!

I prefer illustrations/etc for faces, I don’t have any interest in RL RP and don’t like using those face claims. I tend to draw my characters! Drawing and writing goes hand-in-hand for me, so it’s important to me that I can draw my characters (and others’ too). And my style usually fits decently into the general aesthetic for anime-manga boards.

When I started RP, I only really played humans with friends, and they all either used their art, were description-only, or used illustrations. On the other hand, the Animal RP I used to be on, used illustrations as well quite often, typically had a mixture of art and photo manips as acceptable. So, it’s also what I’m more used to overall.

An aside which amuses me: I really don’t know who most face claims are. It’s amusing growing used to seeing a character as a character on an RP forum and then stumbling upon fan art of them in the wild and being all...Wow! That’s [RP character]?! I’m definitely not up to date with anything, ha

last edit on Dec 16, 2023 1:34:02 GMT by Wraith
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 16, 2023 1:54:46 GMT
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idk lmao

nah i really dunno. the first RPs I ever did was animal rps, and then eventually transitioned to "animanga" very briefly (really more just illustrated). my first actual dedicated rp forum was mfc, back in the days where there was no real distinction between the two communities. but since my last major long term site closed down, i've switched purely to animanga. like others have said, i like the freedom and range that animanga/illustrated gives than RL does. but it's also just like... people choose FCs based on the vibe?

And less so if they're actually a fan of the FC itself. like, idk who anyone in hollywood really is outside a lot of the big name actors. i don't really watch live action TV. but i will still laugh if i see someone using the supernatural boys as FCs, or anyone from the MCU. but anyway, like it's been said, RL FCs feel a little more restricting. there are still a handful of RL FCs i have tucked away in my back pocket, for when the time finally comes but until then...

i also think animanga rp'ers are like, more willing to go with the general goofyness of the genre?? i also love the creativity of the animanga rpc, even if some specific genres or fandoms aren't to my taste, yall always seem to be having something new going on!! idk, the vibe is just overall better on the forum animanga rpc to me. so that's why i stay.

Now serving!
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 16, 2023 2:14:48 GMT
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i'd dabble in the real life roleplay field more. but my main turn-off is that using face claims of real people on most if not all rl sites i've found is a chore with too many rules. you can't use them if they're too much older than the picture or too much younger from their current age. if they happen to die all of the sudden, oh well, you can't use them! even if you don't agree with their views, if they were / are slightly problematic, likely can't use them.

... and the fact that they are real people. there is a whole morality slider that can go either which way with both types of face claims so i won't touch on it. but it does feel more wrong to me on a moral scale than using a real person's artwork.

regardless of that and on a way more positive note --

the animanga community in general has been a very nostalgic, homey place for me. i started here and i bet i'll end here. i'm familiar with a lot of the people in it for better or for worse. while i'm not very present in it anymore, it keeps me coming back every time.
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 16, 2023 3:13:50 GMT
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1) I find anime characters more visually appealing than real people.

2) I find anime characters more visually distinctive than real people.

3) I don't follow real-life celebrities at all, and in tandem with 2), I find that I can remember what anime characters look like much better than real people, even if I know nothing else about their background. This makes it easier to pick a fc, or to remember what someone else's fc looks like when I'm not looking directly at their profile.

4) I find it weird and offputting to collect pictures of real people and turn them into my ocs.
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 17, 2023 0:25:51 GMT
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I prefer playing nonhuman characters or characters with otherwise strange designs that you do not see on real people. I also prefer fantasy/sci-fi settings, and I feel like pictures of celebrities takes me out of it.

I also prefer having my own original likeness of the character, and animanga is more likely to not prohibit original art. I get very strong mental images in my head of what my characters look like, and it'd be nice to be able to just make my character look how I desire and not search high and low for the perfect pre-existing character or celebrity.

On a regular human RP I prefer IRL faces if we HAVE to have face claims, but my ideal RP site does not have face claims period.
last edit on Dec 17, 2023 0:29:33 GMT by illidan main

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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 17, 2023 0:55:45 GMT
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So, too, is Death possessed of infinite strategies and a gaunt nature.
short answer: u are what u consume

better answer: as someone who actively dabbles in both communities, it really depends on the rpg in question. face claims are largely not my concern - i prioritize an interesting concept/story first and foremost, and if the hooks sound gucci only then do i begin to hunt for a face claim.

if i want to write camp, comedy, etc, my imagination cannot exaggerate toon force (cartoon logic) without animated face claims. other times i'm looking for something a bit more esoteric / high concept, and usually i can only find that in the rlrp sphere.
 
rp politics does also influence my rp decisions but idk, animanga rpc seems to be providing better setting ideas than rlrp these days. southern gothic is not my scene ok O_o
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 17, 2023 3:33:38 GMT
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i'd probably do okay with one of the models-only irl fc sites... but i have a harder time separating real life people from a character. i don't really watch anime / play many anime-inspired games, so i typically don't know face claims outside of the character. plus if you're using fan art, especially commissioned art, you can get really far from the face claim & become a unique character. the aesthetics of animanga sites also appeal to me more -- less to hovers/images and more the skins and vibes.

irl roleplay communities are cool though, i used to do 1x1s in that sect.



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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 17, 2023 4:05:53 GMT
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I prefer animanga style and to be completely honest, I really struggle to find RL face claims I feel suit my character. I do a lot better using animanga face claims and finding face claims that suit them. Also, with me having a character I wish to commission art for, depending on forum, some forums may allow me to use original art. I find animanga can be more flexible with supernatural traits as well.
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 17, 2023 9:49:40 GMT
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i tend to write kinda edgy characters (ex child soldier, unethical politician, war criminal) and using real people's faces for that icks me. i don't judge people who rp those tropes in rlrp obviously but psychologically it's hard to get over it.

i also like that animanga art has more of a "vibe" or "mood." rlrp can do that with fashion photography but it's harder to find exactly what i'm looking for. i also think illustrations encourage my brain to think beyond what the hover looks like, and more what the actual character looks like. photographs feel more "solid" and "settled" if that makes sense. i also play a lot of gender non conforming characters and i feel like that's easier with anime art.
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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 17, 2023 10:07:13 GMT
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i know you see yourself as a fighter. well, i see myself as one, too.


animanga is actually not my preferred medium. i don't have one! i flop back and forth between animanga and real life all the time, because for me, each one has very specific genres/site types that i like. i know that, in theory, both could do either. it really is just the face type that changes. but in my head, i think different types suit one or the other. i don't know how to explain it!

i've been in my animanga era for a few years now, though, but it's not like i feel tethered here. i just have a bigger pull to the faces currently. they're a bit easier for me to vet, and i can imagine some characters a bit easier in animanga form (though that doesn't exactly stop me from mentally fancasting some with rl faces. i do that on occasion for fun). i am pretty picky though, i think, so rl is a bit harder in that regard. it also does have a bunch of rules, which was previously mentioned. age limits, being mindful of their reputation, etc. which, chill. i don't usually mind. but some people get weird about wanting to use faces under 18 and that icks me out.

animanga is fun and that is why i stay, but the site type itself is what really makes or breaks my decision-making, not really the medium.

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What draws you to animanga rp? written Dec 17, 2023 17:09:07 GMT
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Well, because as  said it, "You are what you consume." And it just happens so that animanga content by far makes up the bulk of the media I consume - and they influence my preferences. That being said, I just find animanga as a whole more aesthetically pleasing than live-action. Aesthetics aside, I also feel that the culture surrounding animanga FCs (in general anyway) is more positive than the culture surrounding RL FCs. 

Now, I'm not bashing the premise of using RL FCs, but I've found myself noting that the culture behind animanga and RL faces are quite different based on my experiences as a RPer.

For starters, I noticed that generally animanga players tend to view their FCs as little more than placeholders/references for what their characters look like. Whereas I tend to get this "fantasy dream-casting" vibe from sites that use RL faces. As in, they tend to attract players who view their FCs as more than just a reference for their characters' appearance... they feel like they're literally envisioning their character being played by that specific actor/actress as if the RP were a movie or TV series.

My apologies to RPers who prefer RL faces who do not fit the above bill; you are cool people and have my respect!


Though that being said, I've never grasped the idea of 'claiming' faces to begin with, drawn or RL. Like, I've been in this hobby for a long time, long enough to remember a time when nobody batted an eyelid when half a dozen characters were running around a site with Sephiroth FCs. Sure, I understand the sentiment behind wanting a distinct look for one's character - but this is an instance of where Reality is Unrealistic. i.e. Look-alikes and mistaken identities are not that rare (Though they're by no means common either!) in the real world. Like, I still chuckle at how my nephew said I looked like Benedict Wong; (when portraying Wong from Dr. Strange) and social media has their fair share of cases of celebrity look-alikes. But somehow, we just can't have that in fiction?
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