Viewpoint Realistic vs. Anime faceclaims. Which do you prefer?

[Mera]

I had another interesting question because I've always wondered this myself as well. I love comparing viewpoints with people :')

In my case, I always prefer anime/drawn/cartoon faceclaims all the way and always avoid RPs that require realistic faceclaims. My reasoning is that I don't really feel comfortable using a real person's picture and face for my fictional OC :'). I think people who like realistic FCs over anime think it more as "actors" of their characters? But for me, I always try to keep my RPs away from reality as much as possible, so this is probably why I enjoy fictional faces for fictional characters more, but I think that if I enjoyed the RP enough I'd be willing to use a realistic FC.

But I'm also a weeb, so I'm also super biased LOL. What do you guys think? ^^/ which ones do you prefer?

 

[bobamilktea]

I'm the same way. Both a weeb and a little uncomfortable borrowing someone's personage for my RP shenanigans. At least with an obscure manga, I can mentally visualize the character as being one of my own.

But it really is a matter of preference and where you fall in the RP community. If you've always RPed from movies or preferred OCs that looked like real people, chances are an anime character would feel rather jarring, and vice versa.

 

[Mera]

I'm the same way. Both a weeb and a little uncomfortable borrowing someone's personage for my RP shenanigans. At least with an obscure manga, I can mentally visualize the character as being one of my own.

But it really is a matter of preference and where you fall in the RP community. If you've always RPed from movies or preferred OCs that looked like real people, chances are an anime character would feel rather jarring, and vice versa.

Yeah I definitely believe it's preference as well! I've always RPd with anime faces or my own art as faceclaims, so I'm sure it's all about how used we are about it ^^

 

[Windsock]

I prefer no faceclaims and just let people imagine how my dudes specifically look. Of course, anee-may faces are a bit more bearable than real ones if faceclaims are 'necessary'. Only ones I absolutely can't stand no matter the context are ones looking right at me!!

 

[Idea]

I always ask for anime faceclaims, though depending on the partner I can accept descriptions instead (and some characters / roleplays, I end up using realistic art. This is typically if I'm playing some kind of creature rather than a humanoid being, as there is simply a lack of good images otherwise). There are two main reasons for this:

1. It works as a filter for people who may have a closer mindset to my own, making them easier to work with. This is typically because if someone is willing to use an anime faceclaim, they at least aren't actively hostile to anime, and probably are at least acquainted with the most mainstream stuff. Given how much of my entertainment anime is, it inevitably has an effect on my style of storytelling and preferences, so it'd be nice to have someone who won't look at that and be find it completely off the rails.

This is also why all of my 1x1 interest checks have a bonus (something which earns brownie points with me, but is ultimately not mandatory in my partners) that reads "have a cute anime profile pick". Even more than accepting it in a CS, if you're making your profile pick anime, chances are you are at least somewhat into anime.

2. I like looking at anime images. When I read a CS, or I scroll through someone's posts, if there is an imagine, I would like that image to be one I like to look at. I just don't like looking at photo images, not to mention they don't have nearly the degree of freedom anime pictures have in what and how they can portray things.

 

[Mera]

I prefer no faceclaims and just let people imagine how my dudes specifically look. Of course, anee-may faces are a bit more bearable than real ones if faceclaims are 'necessary'. Only ones I absolutely can't stand no matter the context are ones looking right at me!!

Woah that's interesting! :0 I like knowing specifically how a character looks just for sheer curiosity and amusement, but it's interesting when people think differently of the OC's appareance depending on the description!

 

[Mera]

I always ask for anime faceclaims, though depending on the partner I can accept descriptions instead (and some characters / roleplays, I end up using realistic art. This is typically if I'm playing some kind of creature rather than a humanoid being, as there is simply a lack of good images otherwise). There are two main reasons for this:

1. It works as a filter for people who may have a closer mindset to my own, making them easier to work with. This is typically because if someone is willing to use an anime faceclaim, they at least aren't actively hostile to anime, and probably are at least acquainted with the most mainstream stuff. Given how much of my entertainment anime is, it inevitably has an effect on my style of storytelling and preferences, so it'd be nice to have someone who won't look at that and be find it completely off the rails.

This is also why all of my 1x1 interest checks have a bonus (something which earns brownie points with me, but is ultimately not mandatory in my partners) that reads "have a cute anime profile pick". Even more than accepting it in a CS, if you're making your profile pick anime, chances are you are at least somewhat into anime.

2. I like looking at anime images. When I read a CS, or I scroll through someone's posts, if there is an imagine, I would like that image to be one I like to look at. I just don't like looking at photo images, not to mention they don't have nearly the degree of freedom anime pictures have in what and how they can portray things.

Omg memememe I agree with everything in this. I prefer group roleplays rather than 1x1s, but I also always seek out for people who have anime pfps because chances are they like anime too LOL. Given I don't enjoy hyper-realistic RPs and stories, anime people usually include stuff like powers and fantasy and I'm all for that.

And yeah, anime FCs definitely have more variety and choices than realistic FCs :'). I think a good middle ground I'd accept, though, is semi realistic art but that's it

 

[Idea]

Omg memememe I agree with everything in this. I prefer group roleplays rather than 1x1s, but I also always seek out for people who have anime pfps because chances are they like anime too LOL. Given I don't enjoy hyper-realistic RPs and stories, anime people usually include stuff like powers and fantasy and I'm all for that.

And yeah, anime FCs definitely have more variety and choices than realistic FCs :'). I think a good middle ground I'd accept, though, is semi realistic art but that's it

I love that hyper excitement XD

Personally I love group RPs and 1x1 RPs alike. Groups are a lot tougher to manage (as a player or a GM), but the potential interactions are much more vivid. 1x1s let me go more in depth with many ideas, and some if not the best people I've worked with were in 1x1.

 

[Chordling]

It highly depends on the setting for me. I'll use either.

 

[rae2nerdy]

I worry more about whether or not proper credit is given to creators than style. I think it’s slightly easier to credit dollmaker (anime style) but you can certainly credit realistic face claims (public domain images) is you need to.

 

[Mera]

I worry more about whether or not proper credit is given to creators than style. I think it’s slightly easier to credit dollmaker (anime style) but you can certainly credit realistic face claims (public domain images) is you need to.

Yeah I definitely see this as a problem! Most of my OCs are drawn by me and thankfully my skill is good enough to it be considered "anime fc", but I'd feel iffy about someone stealing my OC's appearance and making their own character with it. I think with credit, I wouldn't mind, but I know that in anime RPs this is rarely the case ;;

 

[Crow]

I go for animesque FCs. Also helps that I can easily find sources for those. I can't exactly say I feel uncomfortable with using rl pics, because I have used them on rare occasions.

 

[Cosmo]

Depends on the setting or feel of the story. For more whimsical RPs like Pokemon or *insert magic school*, anime FCs work good. I prefer realistic for more contemporary RPs, although Anime FC work okay for those and for Sci-Fi and less whimsical Fantasy I prefer realistic art.

But I do prefer some level of uniformity. So I prefer RPs to decide the FC style and everyone use that kinda style.

 

[Onmyoji]

I've rped with no face claims for my whole life.
I always thought description was enough, and that's how I always did until I came back to rp a few years ago and found out people use face claims a lot.
Even now when rp partners require face claim it makes me flinch because I can never find the right one easily, I'm not used to doing that.

As for anime vs realistic, I would prefer anime or drawn fc.
With realistic I find it awkward. I don't really know many actors or media people, and I wouldn't want to grab someone's personal photo. And besides, I usually rp fantasy and my characters are not always human which makes it harder to find a human fc.
So anime or drawn - there are doll makes that I can use to make something similar to what I have in mind. And I have a friend artist who can draw some of my characters in anime style if I ask nicely XD

 

[Crayons]

I definitely prefer artwork character pictures 90% of the time. Not necessarily anime though.

Fantasy and/or historical RPs: Illustrations that are semi-realistic (as in, more realistic than anime tends to be)
Anime fandom RPs: Anime pictures
Modern fantasy: Semi-realistic illustrations or photographs
Modern realistic: photographs

Since most of my RPs these days fall into the top two categories I hardly ever use photographic images and don't particularly enjoy the types of RP that specify them. (This is mainly because twenty characters who are all represented by pouting, blonde, 18 year old models is boring as heck and this is what most of those RPs end up with.)

I think it's all to do with tone, and reading the room. Pictures out of keeping with the tone of the RP are jarring. If everyone has a realistic-looking image and someone steps in with an anime picture it is extremely hard to take that character seriously as in my mental image there are lots of real people ... and a cartoon character. A bit like when Spider-Ham shows up in Into the Spiderverse. Likewise I find it pretty weird in an anime fandom RP with photographs... I just can't picture a real person wandering into an anime universe.

As a visual person I enjoy character pictures/faceclaims (although I'm not super keen on the word "faceclaims" - there are proprietary overtones that don't sit well with me) but if someone only uses written descriptions then that's fine. But be warned I would probably try to draw them and then use that as my mental image for the duration of the RP.

 

[Cosmo]

I definitely prefer artwork character pictures 90% of the time. Not necessarily anime though.

Fantasy and/or historical RPs: Illustrations that are semi-realistic (as in, more realistic than anime tends to be)
Anime fandom RPs: Anime pictures
Modern fantasy: Semi-realistic illustrations or photographs
Modern realistic: photographs

Since most of my RPs these days fall into the top two categories I hardly ever use photographic images and don't particularly enjoy the types of RP that specify them. (This is mainly because twenty characters who are all represented by pouting, blonde, 18 year old models is boring as heck and this is what most of those RPs end up with.)

I think it's all to do with tone, and reading the room. Pictures out of keeping with the tone of the RP are jarring. If everyone has a realistic-looking image and someone steps in with an anime picture it is extremely hard to take that character seriously as in my mental image there are lots of real people ... and a cartoon character. A bit like when Spider-Ham shows up in Into the Spiderverse. Likewise I find it pretty weird in an anime fandom RP with photographs... I just can't picture a real person wandering into an anime universe.

As a visual person I enjoy character pictures/faceclaims (although I'm not super keen on the word "faceclaims" - there are proprietary overtones that don't sit well with me) but if someone only uses written descriptions then that's fine. But be warned I would probably try to draw them and then use that as my mental image for the duration of the RP.

I imagine a real person wandering into an anime universe would be like Who Framed Roger Rabbit... just with random people screaming about friendship.

 

[Lorsh]

I don't watch anime, so too many people using anime faceclaims is a dealbreaker for me. I do prefer other art compared to real pictures though.

 

[Crayons]

I imagine a real person wandering into an anime universe would be like Who Framed Roger Rabbit... just with random people screaming about friendship.

The ultimate isekai RP.

 

[Araellion]

I usually make a faceclaim myself using Picrew, because finding a picture that is similar to what I have in mind for a character is almost impossible for me.

If someone insists on having a realistic faceclaim then AIs do a pretty good job of generating faces that don't really exist.

 

[Delinquent]

I almost exclusively use anime face-claims, mostly because I stumbled upon an article a couple of years ago about pictures of people's kids that had been used in roleplays and how uncomfortable that had made their parents.

 

[BELIAL.]

I find realistic ones are fun simply because I can live in the idea that the rp is like a movie, or a tv show, or more realistic than the words written on a site. I love gifs of actors / actresses because it gives a 3-D life to characters.

that being said I would never do some rando on the street. Actors, actresses and models only. Once again, gettin the ~~Hollywood~~ vibes with a production.
But realistic art is always nice too.

 

[Murdergurl]

I greatly dislike anime face claims. I won't do it. EVER. And I'm hesitant to get into an RP where these types of characters abound. But I don't care much for real life pics, either. IF (and that's a big "if") I were to use irl pics, I will not use one of a well known celebrity or public figure because it's too cliche and recognizable. But overall, I avoid it.

So artwork for face claims is great. Realistic, cartoony, comic book styled, whatever.... as long as it isn't anime.

 

[laceanddoodles]

I draw literally every "faceclaim" I use, myself. When somebody requires a realistic fc, I will give them one (1) image of a real person, and then probably flood them with my own art, anyway. Because I love to draw, and drawing my characters is instrumental to how I figure out their body language, facial expressions, general vibe, etc. My pfp is one example of my artwork. I have a thread in the creativity section with plenty more.

 

[Delinquent]

So artwork for face claims is great. Realistic, cartoony, comic book styled, whatever.... as long as it isn't anime.

Can I ask why?

 

[Murdergurl]

Can I ask why?

I just really don't care for anime style. It's the faces. They are so corny and cheap. Like, sometimes it doesn't even match the rest of the art. The body, background, etc. can be really detailed and textured and have a lot of realism to it... and then you get to the character face and it's like... what happened? Did the budget run out? lmao The noses are the worst. It's just this cheap lil' slope and done! wtf? Now, I HAVE seen a very, very rare few instances where this isn't the case. But this is the exception and not the rule.