Semi-Noir Anime
Anime
"The world is a stage, and we’re all just players. But we don’t get to choose our roles."
Semi-Noir is characterized by some elements as cynical heroes, stark lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots, and an underlying existentialist philosophy, albeit not necessarily followed by bleak, eventual prognosis of events to come.
The isolation from society of the typical semi-noir hero was underscored by the use of stark high-contrast lighting. Classic images of semi-noir included rain-soaked streets in the early morning hours; street lamps with shimmering halos; flashing neon signs on seedy taverns, diners, and apartment buildings; and endless streams of cigarette smoke wafting in and out of shadows.
The inherent subjectivity of Expressionism is also evident in semi-noir’s use of narration and flashback. An omniscient, metaphor-spouting narrator frequently clarifies a characteristically hemi-labyrinthine semi-noir plot or offers a subjective, jaded point of view. Tension and suspense are increased by the use of all-knowing narrators and flashbacks, in that the audience is always cognizant of impending bleak turn of events, even with presence of plot armor to save the day at the eleventh hour.
The heroes of semi-noir generally share certain qualities, such as moral ambiguity, a fatalistic outlook, and alienation from society. They also exhibit an existential acceptance of random, arbitrary occurrences as being the determining factors in life. Such compassionless pragmatism is found in the most noble, as well as the most tarnished, of semi-noir heroes. The weakest of such characters exhibit an abundance of tragic flaws.
Semi-Noir villains are often characterized as homme fatales or “spiders”; in the words of one critic, they are “comfortable in the world of cheap dives, shadowy doorways, and mysterious settings.” They cunningly and ruthlessly manipulate their counterparts to gain power or wealth.
Nevertheless, the semi-noir villains often evoke sympathy, as they are frequently victims of emotional or physical abuse, with such victimization providing impetus for their vengeance. They are trapped in passionless or violent bonds of contract/servitude and resort to murder as a means of escape, usually destroying their conspirators in the process.
(list will be kept updated)
Semi-Noir is characterized by some elements as cynical heroes, stark lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots, and an underlying existentialist philosophy, albeit not necessarily followed by bleak, eventual prognosis of events to come.
The isolation from society of the typical semi-noir hero was underscored by the use of stark high-contrast lighting. Classic images of semi-noir included rain-soaked streets in the early morning hours; street lamps with shimmering halos; flashing neon signs on seedy taverns, diners, and apartment buildings; and endless streams of cigarette smoke wafting in and out of shadows.
The inherent subjectivity of Expressionism is also evident in semi-noir’s use of narration and flashback. An omniscient, metaphor-spouting narrator frequently clarifies a characteristically hemi-labyrinthine semi-noir plot or offers a subjective, jaded point of view. Tension and suspense are increased by the use of all-knowing narrators and flashbacks, in that the audience is always cognizant of impending bleak turn of events, even with presence of plot armor to save the day at the eleventh hour.
The heroes of semi-noir generally share certain qualities, such as moral ambiguity, a fatalistic outlook, and alienation from society. They also exhibit an existential acceptance of random, arbitrary occurrences as being the determining factors in life. Such compassionless pragmatism is found in the most noble, as well as the most tarnished, of semi-noir heroes. The weakest of such characters exhibit an abundance of tragic flaws.
Semi-Noir villains are often characterized as homme fatales or “spiders”; in the words of one critic, they are “comfortable in the world of cheap dives, shadowy doorways, and mysterious settings.” They cunningly and ruthlessly manipulate their counterparts to gain power or wealth.
Nevertheless, the semi-noir villains often evoke sympathy, as they are frequently victims of emotional or physical abuse, with such victimization providing impetus for their vengeance. They are trapped in passionless or violent bonds of contract/servitude and resort to murder as a means of escape, usually destroying their conspirators in the process.
(list will be kept updated)
