Do you prefer anime picture or a real picture in role plays?

[Manoneno1]

Just a random pool and constructive talking. No "Anime is better than real u stupid!!!111 > ("-kinda comments :3


I prefer picture, because it's easier for me to think expressions and moods for a real person than an anime, as everything is really caricatured. Every time I try to imagine expressions to an anime character it goes all caricature and you know.


(Tried to find similar ones with advanced search and didn't find, sorry if there is similar one already)

 

[Akihito]

I just prefer anime pictures because I watch anime a lot (Too much lol)


However, I have a strong distaste of using real pictures. I think me personally, I see enough of 'real' that I like to be able to get away from that and just use my imagination and go wild.


If I use a real picture, I feel like I'll be limited (I also feel that way for SoL roleplays). When imagine my character or a roleplay, I want to be able to roam free and be creative. That's why I usually do not moderate my plots because I like to see where they go without anyone controlling it.

 

[Manoneno1]

I just prefer anime pictures because I watch anime a lot (Too much lol)
However, I have a strong distaste of using real pictures. I think me personally, I see enough of 'real' that I like to be able to get away from that and just use my imagination and go wild.


If I use a real picture, I feel like I'll be limited (I also feel that way for SoL roleplays). When imagine my character or a roleplay, I want to be able to roam free and be creative. That's why I usually do not moderate my plots because I like to see where they go without anyone controlling it.

I have pretty vice versa basically: I usually draw myself my character if they demand a drawn/anime picture People who look like animecharacters always end up really slapstick when I try to imagine their expressions to certain issues. I like to control my character. What's SoL?

 

[bettsyboy]

I honestly prefer anime pictures when I can have them, I like how they look, I like that it adds that extra element of fantasy to the roleplay.


RL pictures are fine but so often they lack imagination.

 

[Shiro]

So far I'm liking anime more. I'm sure it helps that I like anime, though.


I have seen some nice RL pictures, however.

 

[Lady Sabine]

Ehhh, I don't think this issue is binary so I didn't answer the poll.


Depends on the situation. For a realistic RP, a realistic picture (photograph or realistically drawn) tends to be best. But for something more fantastical, a stylized image (not necessarily anime-style) is more fitting. It also depends on what other people are using- nobody likes that one person who has to have a different sort of image than everyone else.


Most of what I use is a more Western style of art or a slightly altered/enhanced/stylized photo, though most of what I see on here is either generic anime or a generic glam/selfie pic and I'm not too fond of either.

 

[Strude]

I prefer real models the majority of the time.

• I can identify with the image easier.
  
• I find it visually appealing.
  
• I'm attracted to real people.
  

On occasion I allow for realistic artwork or CGI artwork.

• Both still allow me a better sense of identifiability.
  
• Both are visually appealing (if of high quality).
  
• I can see / feel attraction to the artwork.
  

I don't like anime artwork period.

• I can't actually identify with the artwork. I view it with a bit of a stigma of "animu goo goo". I can't personally take any character with an anime image seriously. Mostly due to my own experience and how I use to feel about anime it all lends itself to how I feel about it now.
  
• Most stereotypical anime artwork is so very unappealing to me.
  
• I am not actually attracted to anime images/characters. I don't find the style all htat attractive anymore.
  

In the end I find myself less attracted to an RP if it has a lot of anime images used for characters. I'm less attracted to a character whose image is of an anime character.


I've often pretended a character looks like a real person (often nothing like the anime image implies . . . like the character feels like they should have a different skin color) I'll superimpose this new image in my head on the character, so I can actually visualize them and enjoy the interaction. It makes it so I can see them as something more real in my head (sometimes, very rarely as this is more work than is necessary, I'll find a new image just so I can have a reference point!) 

• Guess to add to my ditty I don't like celebrities as models either. Right there I will not, at all, be able to associate the character to the image. If you have Joseph Gordon-Levitt as your character image I'm only going to think Arthur (from Inception) or Holland Roden I'll only see Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf) all day every day. So when it comes to real images there are limits for me.
  

 

[Sen Pai]

It depends on the roleplay and the type of characters surrounding it. Although I tend to use anime appearances or CGI photos, this is because most of the time that's what the roleplay calls for. I don't rely on the appearances, but I wouldn't like to see a real person in a full out fantasy world roleplay. That wouldn't throw me off, but it would unsettle me a bit.


For example, take my full out fantasy world RP, Tales of Salisonia. I specifically placed in the rules that I only wanted fantasy pictures that weren't real people. In a roleplay like that, I would not like the fact that Selena Gomez is a fire mage or something. That would just make me laugh a little and then look over the character to see if it's good or not.


In the end, I would prefer to use anime or CGI, but it all depends on the circumstances. :]

 

[MonoSpectator]

Eh, I've always leaned towards anime pictures. I just feel like it better represents the characters a lot of the time. I'd rather have an anime picture or no picture and just a really detailed and nicely thought out description than a real life picture. Plus, I feel like the anime pictures can just be a bit more 'magical' than a real life on could be in a lot of situations.

 

[RubbuhDuck]

[QUOTE="Darth Pai]It depends on the roleplay and the type of characters surrounding it. Although I tend to use anime appearances or CGI photos, this is because most of the time that's what the roleplay calls for. I don't rely on the appearances, but I wouldn't like to see a real person in a full out fantasy world roleplay. That wouldn't throw me off, but it would unsettle me a bit.
For example, take my full out fantasy world RP, Tales of Salisonia. I specifically placed in the rules that I only wanted fantasy pictures that weren't real people. In a roleplay like that, I would not like the fact that Selena Gomez is a fire mage or something. That would just make me laugh a little and then look over the character to see if it's good or not.


In the end, I would prefer to use anime or CGI, but it all depends on the circumstances. :]

[/QUOTE]
Haha, I lost it when you talked about Selena Gomez. I think real pictures are strange as well, mainly because... well... it's a PERSON. You are using another real life person's photo to represent YOU in a way... That's like posting a model's photo on your FB or something to me. A drawing is a clean slate, it belongs to an artist, but using it can in no way weird out the picture, or get them in trouble, or whatever the situation may be. It doesn't have life until you give it one.


CGI/realistic paintings are where it's at.

 

[Project Brazen II]

I mean everyone who comes here has access to the internet. You can use google and find pictures of people doing exceptionally well done elf cosplay or go in to Deviant Art and find great drawings of satyrs. Heck I know not everyone will have such games and certain games will not work for every setting but the character building in a game like Skyrim is good enough (especially with mods) that you could use it to build a detailed character face from scratch without much trouble. Honestly unless you're doing a fandom roleplay I'm not sure why you sell your character short on details and use anime. I mean I have no problem with anime as an art form but it has to be admit that most of the time anime is pretty stingy on detail, especially on faces.


Thinking about what you could describe for your character's appearance (probably not an exhaustive list but I'm sure you'll get the picture)


Face - eyes (shape and colour), nose (length and height), cheeks, mouth/lips, chin, jaw, forehead not to mention on how all these features are positioned relative to each other


Style - hair, clothing, make-up, tattoos


Body - height, weight, general shape of body


Age and how it may have impacted your character's appearance


I mean looking at this at best an anime picture is going to give you two out of four with style and age. For facial features it barely gets half of them with nose, cheeks and mouth all tending to be barely discernible in most anime. As for body, from what I've seen most anime characters tend to be super fit or hyperbolically overweight, doesn't leave much room for subtle variations in a person's form (though I will admit I suppose it may be better than Skyrim's every one is super fit limitation).


All that being said, I have to say I also dislike the use of well known actors and have a tendency towards written descriptions of my characters.

 

[The J]

Well if I had to pick one or the other I'd go for anime, real just seems weird. If an RP asks for a specific one, that's fine. But I don't see why it has to be one or the other, like couldn't it be a different art style than that seen in anime, for example?

 

[Vibranteyes]

For some reason I will always prefer anime pictures over real life people, I dunno why. I guess it's because I started off with anime characters in my role plays.

 

[Muffinboi]

I prefer illustrations the most, but since I can't choose it, I'll go with anime. Also I feel rather uncomfortable looking for pictures of real life people.

 

[call me rae]

Well to quote a few other people it largely depends on the roleplay I'm in and what the story is about. I personally preference real pictures for the uniformity but that's if it fits into the storyline.


After artwork tends to have a wide variation in style so that you can have one character that is a super stylized anime character, one realistic illustration, one in the Disney styLe, and so on and so forth.


However with real actors as long as your not stealing something from someone Instagram feed or something creepy like that you'll be able to get a more uniform style. Plus as someone mentioned body style is easier to find in variation with real people, as well as ethnicity and skin color.


If you want something fantastical Deviantart has some phenomenal cosplay and body art images. People that look like fantasy creatures and aliens in very high quality pictures. Like actors in a movie..


Which brings me to my final point which is my view on well known actors or celebrities. I don't mind them because to me they make a living out of playing different people. Now does that mean I don't associate some of them with a specific part?


No Daniel Radcliffe for instance will forever be Harry Potter to me, like Sarah Michelle Geller is Buffy. but that doesn't mean I think they"re in able of representing different people on screen or in a roleplay. I just view it as them playing a different part


Lastly I most often do fandom roleplays where this is all a moot point anyway since I just use whatever style image the original fandom used. Plus I'm obviously playing a particular part which I think helps reinforce the idea of roleplaying being like playing a part in a show.

 

[LegoLad659]

I have always used anime pictures for my characters. I don't really have a specific reason, I just refuse to use anything else. I think it's because, while I'm roleplaying, I imagine everything in an anime style anyway, so I just use what fits my imagination. But that's only a guess. I also tend to use a lot of supernatural characters as well, which helps a bit. You can't really get a realistic picture of a Lamia, after all ( )


I just feel like drawings have a lot more potential than real pictures. If I have a mage, I want their picture to be of them being clearly magical, not just standing there holding a staff and pretending to be. I don't like real pictures, is basically what I'm saying xD


That's not to say I don't like people who use real pictures. If that's what you want to do, that's fine by me. Just be aware that I'm most likely never going to use it as a reference as to what your character looks like, as again, I imagine everything in anime. I'll get as close as I can, but I usually end up imagining something completely different.

 

[TanteRegenbogen]

I prefer anime pictures because I am tired of seeing people using pics of famous celebrities for their characters. I mean characters that are so "flawless" has a bad taste of Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu to me.

 

[Yunn]

Personally, it really depends on preference. I typically like descriptions, but if they require a picture (or I'm lazy) I generally pick the one that others use. If the others use anime, I'll use anime. If realistic, than realistic. I generally leaned towards anime, though it might have been because I was originally interested in mainly a lot of rp's involving fantasy, or have some sort of unrealistic aspect, which made the roleplay not "realistic". Plus, as many had said, using anime, or drawn pictures leave the person with more imagination, as there are countless possibilities it could show compared to realistic pictures.


However, recently, my tastes have changed, in where I am starting to have an attraction towards realistic rp's, with realistic pictures as I can relate to them more towards reality. As with anime pictures, it feels more like I'm writing a story. With realistic pictures, it gives me more of a sense or feel that it is more relatable, and easy to immerse in to.

 

[Boondox]

I prefer real images. I find I can roleplay better when using real images, its easier to think of a scene and what not. I have no issue with anime, but to myself i find them not so appealing to the eye. I know many will disagree with me and some may agree.


When I rp I really get into it and try to picture the scenes in my head and normally they work but when i try to throw in an anime character I feel like my setting switches. IF your trying to make the scene seem like the real world yet you have this character that doesn't really look human at all and as far as "Mary/Gary sues" have you not noticed the anime photo's as well? A lot of them tend to be fairly decent looking individuals as well. Sure they may not be classified as Celebrities in our world. But they are still dashingly good looking just as though the RL Celebrities can be.


^^ Just my opinion.

 

[Huor Spinks]

I prefer anime pictures and as much as possible, I would use them. Though if everyone was using realistic pictures I'd see if I can find some that look like a painting or 3D modeling.


I feel weird using realistic pictures because I feel weird using another, real life person for my character's appearance.

 

[SolarWind]

[QUOTE="Lady Sabine]Ehhh, I don't think this issue is binary so I didn't answer the poll.
Depends on the situation. For a realistic RP, a realistic picture (photograph or realistically drawn) tends to be best. But for something more fantastical, a stylized image (not necessarily anime-style) is more fitting. It also depends on what other people are using- nobody likes that one person who has to have a different sort of image than everyone else.


Most of what I use is a more Western style of art or a slightly altered/enhanced/stylized photo, though most of what I see on here is either generic anime or a generic glam/selfie pic and I'm not too fond of either.

[/QUOTE]
100% agree on this personally! I also think it's important to not use anything you don't have a source for to make sure whatever is being used for the character isn't someone else's artwork or photography (unless they gave permission).

 

[Nero Kunivas]

I prefer Anime, but I'm not opposed to using Real/IRL images for my characters. Anime does have more of a stylised approach and is fitting in many regards, but I recognise that there are just those times where in my head, only an image from say, a Movie like Lord of the Rings, will fit the character in question.

 

[Hinata907]

I prefer anime picture or real picture, I feel more comfortable with anime picture then with real picture.

 

[lyrebird]

I prefer real -


It allows me to get a better sense of emotions and flaws in a character that maybe don't deal with their personality or past as much; maybe the character's nose is crooked or one lip thinner than the other and you just don't get these kinds of natural flaws in a drawing, at least not often. I mean I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm not the biggest fan of anime, but I can definitely see why a lot of people favor it! Either way, it's better to have some sort of picture rather then leaving it up to the reader's imagination with a written description~

 

[Magattahana]

Anime. Real pictures make me feel like I'm looking at someone's yearbook photo. o_O