GURPS Anime...what should be in it?

[Mgellis]

Just for the sake of discussion...if someone was thinking of proposing a GURPS Anime book to The Powers That Be, what do you think should be included?

[Mailanka]

You absolutely need:

• Giant Mecha
• Kung Fu Heroes
• Tentacle monsters
• cat girls
• school girls
• space detectives
• fighter pilots
• pirates
• zombies
• ninjas
• angsty-awesome vampires
• ghosts
• goblins
• demons
• spies
• sweet gadgetry
• swords
• teleportation powers
• blasty powers
• powering up powers
• schoolyard drama
• overwrought, fashion-challenged fantasy
• toilet humor

And a few more things, I think. I'm sure I'm missing something.

You should be able to do it in 500 pages or so.

[RyanW]

Can't forget school girl ghosts that live in toilets.

We love you Toilet Hanako!

-----

Seriously, though, a hypothetical GURPS Anime would be either uselessly vague, overly specific, or able to crush a bull elephant. Anime isn't a genre, it's so diverse that even calling it a style is a stretch. A single book that tries to cover beat-em-up action series, Miyazaki style dramatic feature films, hard-boiled detective stories, adventure fantasy, situation comedies, romantic comedies, and a bajillion other genres is doomed to fail.

That said, a book (or series of books) that cover a narrow field might fly. I wouldn't be personally interested in a book that handles Dragon Ball Z style powers, or a guide to running a Super Sentai type campaign, but it would make for a much more straightforward project. Those that are interested in them are also less likely to feel they're wasting their money on all that touchy-feely crap that I like.

[shadowjack]

What RyanW said.

I think the easiest solution would simply be to replace all the art in the books with a representative sampling of Japanese-styled animation cels and manga illustration. And even that's an awfully wide range of styles.

(You could also do GURPS Movies, by replacing all the art with movie posters and production stills…)

Individual genre guides, on the other hand, are much more reasonable. And then if you want to combine the Giant Robot book with the High School Romance book, no problem…

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Mgellis

Just for the sake of discussion...if someone was thinking of proposing a GURPS Anime book to The Powers That Be, what do you think should be included?

The trick with this is that anime isn't a genre, and has no content. I've seen anime set in the past, in the mythic past, in the present, in the future, in alternate universes reached by gates, and in freestanding alternate universes; anime fantasy, science fiction, horror, supers, and purely mundane genres; anime emphasizing action, suspense, mysteries and puzzles, strangeness, romance, comedy, and everyday life. So any set of rules that addressed all of it would have to be a Generic Anime Role-Playing System, with content applicable to every genre.

There are two main lines of content I can see as suitable:

(1) A guide to how to run action to gain an anime feel. This would be akin to the material on cinematic games, or to my own sections on four-color campaigns in GURPS Supers. For anime, I suppose the focus would be on "action that makes sense if you can visualize it or draw a picture of it."

(2) A list of common anime tropes and guidelines on how to do them in GURPS.

I would emphasize the first over the second, though. Show how to do anime-style storytelling.

Bill Stoddard

[Refplace]

I agree the genre is to diverse for 1 book, however you can attempt it this way.
I'd write up a core book akin to Supers that covered major trends and some short samples for inspiration and jump off points.
I think if you really broke down the various genres you could cover them better by addressing common themes and setting ideas then sidebars or sections for ispirational examples.

Darn it Bill not only writes better but faster then I ;)

[vicky_molokh]

What Bill said, but I'd emphasize 2 over 1. IME, 1 is in the eye of the beholder.

[Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

• Giant Mecha

• Design the Mecha as an Ally. Also, there's some bits in Spaceships 4 that are handy but not necessary.
  

  Kung Fu Heroes

  Martial Arts and Powers
  

  Tentacle monsters

  Can be designed with the Basic Set.
  

  cat girls

  There are templates in Basic Set and Bio-Tech.
  

  school girls

  *yawn* Basic Set again
  

  space detectives

  Yet again Basic Set, perhaps with some Ultra-Tech or Space for flavor.
  

  fighter pilots

  pirates

  zombies

  Basic Set
  

  ninjas

  Martial Arts
  

  angsty-awesome vampires

  Basic Set, maybe some stuff from Powers, and a shot of tequila to numb the nerves.
  

  ghosts

  Basic Set. Perhaps some pointers from the old 3e Undead or Spirits, but that's not absolutely necessary
  

  goblins

  Guess
  

  demons

  Again, Basic Set can handle it, but there's fun stuff in Fantasy, Magic, and Thaumatology for fleshing out Evil Dark Pacts.
  

  spies

  Still more Basic Set. For Bond-style detail, there's stuff in Mysteries and the Action supplements
  

  sweet gadgetry

  High-Tech and Ultra-Tech. (and just for jollies, 3e's Steam-Tech)
  

  swords

  Basic Set and Martial Arts
  

  teleportation powers

  blasty powers

  powering up powers

  Powers, of course.
  

  schoolyard drama

  overwrought, fashion-challenged fantasy

  That's as much roleplaying as GM work. Look up pointers in the Campaigns half of the Basic Set and in old issues of Pyramid.
  

  toilet humor

  That's an individual (lack-of) taste.

So what exactly do we need a book for?

[Almafeta]

David Pulver's writing.

[Johnny Angel]

Big Spikey Hair