Anime and Autism: Correlated?

[Catoneinutica]

I thought this was kinda interesting. Japanese culture does, in fact, have a certain "autistic" quality to it, though I wouldn't go so far as A.A. Gill and say that the Japanese are like aliens who've landed on earth and attempted to mimic human behavior:

http://partialobjects.com/2011/05/why-do-so-many-people-on-the-autism-spectrum-like-japanese-anime/

[Kanchou]

Why do nerds like Star Wars?

This is probably correlation and not causation.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Why do nerds like Star Wars?

This is probably correlation and not causation.

Did you read what was written? It doesn't claim anime causes autism. It claims that there are features common to most anime that attract autistic people. The writer doesn't really offer any proof that this is true though. I think it's just pure opinion based on anecdotal evidence.

[Kanchou]

Yes, I read it.

Causation in this case would be that autism itself causes the autistic to like anime, whereas I think if anything it would be that the people who tend to like anime (nerds) are somewhat more likely to be autistic.

The autistic are probably just as likely to enjoy live-action sci fi.

But there isn't any evidence to even suggest that the basic premise is even true, so...yeah.


Anime is a colorful, exaggerated fantasy world portrayed generally in a pseudo-realistic manner (ie, why American cartoons almost always have four fingers but anime characters always have five). I would think that would apply to a lot of people (and children). Especially nerds.

[Iraira]

Had a chat with a friend last night (this is going slightly off topic) about American amine vs. J-amine. It was 3 am, so maybe I went completely off kilter, but here it is any way.
In American anime (ie. Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, Venture Brothers, Drawn Together, etc.) the characters often tend to be stereotypical representations of certain types of people in society. We are presented with their positive attributes which are usually so intense that they also are the character's negative attributes, only the character is often completely unaware that what they perceive as their own strengths and good deeds tends to cause more harm than good. It being anime, all of society can be destroyed by their perceived "good intentions", only to be easily re-born (forgotten) in the next episode, and yet, these characters are still deemed as "our heroes". Japanese anime tends to only show the strength (and maybe inner turmoil of the hero), or the hero attempting to right a wrong, and any ignorance of self that the hero may have is corrected by the end of the show through the hero's deeds, etc.,
....not that I've watched more than 15 minutes of any J-amine other than Speed Racer, but this is the gist I got from the 3am drunk doctoral dissertation last night.

[cstaylor]

....not that I've watched more than 15 minutes of any J-amine other than Speed Racer, but this is the gist I got from the 3am drunk doctoral dissertation last night.

I think AML might have hacked Iraira's account...

[Catoneinutica]

My nephew is apparently autistic (I think the diagnosis might be a little dubious, and wonder if it isn't just a pretext to indulge the kid). I sent the link to my brother and he said it's definitely the eyes of anime characters that seem to transfix ASD kids. The link and its comments seem contradictory to me, though: the cheap-ass quality of anime (the low frame rate, static background scenes, lack of emotional nuance) are argued by some to be congenial to autistics because they don't "overstimulate" viewers. But wouldn't the big, intrusive eyes of the characters be overstimulating, given that autistics characteristically avoid eye contact?

As I mentioned before, Japanese culture could be plausibly be described as having some "autistic" characteristics: the "shyness," the lack of eye contact, the extraordinary level of inhibition they seem to display, etc. Then again, these are likely just mechanisms that have evolved to cope with the Japan's historical overpopulation.

-catone

-Sometimes I wonder if I'm the autistic one here, though, when I wince at the punishing noise pollution (I have to wear headphones on the train to tamp down the ball-bearing-on-sheetmetal quality of the incessant announcements), as well as the evil pong (Evil Pongi?) of the Tokyo sewers that SJ mentioned in another thread.

[Samurai_Jerk]

But wouldn't the big, intrusive eyes of the characters be overstimulating, given that autistics characteristically avoid eye contact?

I don't know if it's the same thing since animated eyes aren't really eyes.

[Catoneinutica]

I don't know if it's the same thing since animated eyes aren't really eyes.

And animated tits and genitalia aren't real, either, but there seem to be certain, uh, connoisseurs here who are willing to overlook the difference...

[Mike Oxlong]

Recent research from South Korea suggests that more people than commonly assumed may be autistic...

[Samurai_Jerk]

Recent research from South Korea suggests that more people than commonly assumed may be autistic...

Cue rambling semi-coherent rant from rooboy ...

[Iraira]

Cue rambling semi-coherent rant from rooboy ...

In his case, the physicians might just be confusing the state of being autistic with the state of being one of the village idiots.