The Premises of “Real” and “Fake”
While watching The Cabin in the Woods with my sister and some of my friends, it certainly had been a horrifying experience indeed, to the point that my sister was forcing her eyes closed at times, and even took off her glasses so to purposely avoid looking at the screen.
It’s weird though, since I know she likes bloody anime like Mirai Nikki, Another, High School of the Dead and so on. She even plays Saya no Uta, which makes me wondered why is she so scared of The Cabin in the Woods? I asked her a little later, and she said “Because anime’s not real, it isn’t as scary.” I argued back that both anime and movie isn’t completely real either way, since both are created imaginatively by the minds of men.
Then, further thoughts lead me to Nisemonogatari, and especially it’s concept of real and fake. Anime may be fake, but the emotions displayed in the anime, are truly genuine. For instance, can one even smiles like this in real life? If you ever seen an anime girl giving her beloved one a packet of chocolate, or if she receives a gift in return, chances are, she will be showing that facial expression. Her smiles in return are always the most innocent and cheerful; the most genuine expressions one could ever hope for.
For anime’s portrayals of crying and tears, is likewise, fake, but at the same time, can be also more real then real cries. Tears of joy, tears of regret, tears of sorrow, anime showed us the cries of different perspective, each cries expressing their own unique genuine emotions. It is easy to feel and sympathize the feelings of these powerful expressions, due to it’s relentless.
All these amounts to Nisemonogatari’s uncanny concept: fake, can be more real then the real thing. When a never-ending imitation attempts to be real, it will never succeed because it’s fake originally, however, it’s genuine objective of wanting to be real, is “real”, which perhaps, makes it more real then the real thing itself.
Judging from my contradictory observations, an anime and the movie can be both real and fake at the same time. In the end, just how do one perceive the level of truth and deception? Just what is absolute truth, and what is imitated falseness? I think there probably won’t be a clear, accurate answer to that, just like how the mystery of souls will always be a mystery.
deluscar 
I think you’re fake! The real Kai wouldn’t have thought something so insightful. :P
How rude~ D: Don’t underestimate the jack of all trades :D
noooooo.. Cabin in the woods was horrid haha.. nice post as always :)
Yes I agree. It’s funny though, we are supposed to watch Avenger originally, but due to some unforseen incidents with our tickets, we didn’t get to watch Avenger and had to choose some random alternatives.. and so off we go with cabin in the woods..
I think the concept of real/fake when it comes to anime and live action is that there are real people playing the roles in live action (not just voices). So it comes across more “real” to the human mind because these people actually do exist, though they are acting out a story that for all intent and purposes, doesn’t. One can identify more with another that looks just like her/him.
True, and when looking like that, it’s easy to see that both are fake technically.
I didn’t think Cabin in the Woods was that scary? At least in comparison to most horror films. Despite some “spooky moments”, the comedy really helped to never making the film too dark, but who am I to judge what’s scary for someone else…
Anywho, I can agree with your main point that anime can be more real than reality if it is done more genuinely. A perfect example is with the director behind Toradora, AnoHana, and Honey & Clover. He has mastered the ability to create anime with genuine emotions. His stories are much more emotional than any love story done by Nicholas Sparks!
I actually think it’s scary, though I can tackle them more better then my sis of cause. Not a lot of comedy though, and those horror sequences completely overpower anything hilarious in the movie, at least, I can’t remember anything funny during the “outbreak” towards the end.
Those are really nice and perfect examples you’ve given! Nicholas Sparks is overrated.. anyhow :\
Death by unicorn? Death by Merman? Maybe I just have a dark sense of humour…
The unicorn’s the less scarier thing about Cabin in the Woods indeed, but there ARE scarier ones.. D:
Though I have my favorite ‘live action’ films, I’ve found I “connect” with some anime more and far more consistantly than I ever have ‘live action’ shows. I think the reason is because anime tends to match what I have in my head more closely.
Same as me. I watch a few live action movies but anime seems to attract me more like a magnet. This is a reason why I seldom even watch any live drama.. though I may try out the Mirai Nikki drama..
Man, cabin in the woods got some good reviews. now im itching to watchit. don’t often see both comedy and le horror. :) while for the truth…the truth is a narrow road but worth following. xD
There are only one or two scenes funny for me though.. nothing biggie.
And you speak da truth :D
It’s interesting that we even talk about real vs. fake when it comes to fiction, because both of the are, after all, fiction. And yet the fakeness of fiction (whether it’s movies or books) can reveal something hidden in the actual reality that surrounds us.
And that’s why how real or fake it is is stuck within the middle. By revealing something not actually there in actual reality, the boundary between real and fake is blurred.
Ha! And they say Nisemono was all fan service, lol
In essence, anime, movies, and all sources of fiction have a dash of realism to them. The thought behind any fictional work should have come from what the creator sees or thinks or feels about the world (and Inception ain’t possible..or so we’re told :D) so we can say that, as you have said, it can be both fake and real at he same time.
As for what’s true, well, I’ve heard once that there as many truths as there are people.
Indeed it’s not all :D
Yea true. Any sorts of work are always created with a concept in mind, no matter what, it’s within the realm of realism. And I wonder about inception.. :D
If there are as many truths, then there will be as many lies as well, like yin and yang, light and darkness. It is impossible to have none of these and one would always surface to balance the other half.
I’ve always considered anime “less scary” not because of how it looks but how it presents fear. I find that a lot of live-action films depend on something jumping out at you to scare you, while in anime it’s the characters’ actions or forseen events that scare you.
Ooh interesting.
I think it’s the most scariest when an anime character went to a 180 degree chance in their personalities, like most yandere. The first time I saw a yandere in an anime, I was so scared I peed my pants… uhh wait no.. I didn’t do that…
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