It is hard to ignore if you are a fan of anime. Each season, you can expect the same type of shows with the same types of characters to come out, and it seems like they are not even trying to differentiate themselves. Ano Natsu de Matteru bears a striking resemblance in name, character design, and setting to Ano Hana from the summer season. Even tropes as specific as “shy, well-endowed, red-haired girl” show up over and over again. Why is this?

It may have something to do with a fundamental aspect of Japanese culture. Anime is created for and aimed towards the Japanese themselves. Remember, we westerners do not hold much sway over what goes into making an anime and what does not. For the Japanese, and indeed throughout many Asian cultures, copying, imitation, and repetition is highly valued.

Katana are forged by a student imitating the exact process that their master uses.  Also, Chinese characters have one correct way to be written and must be written over and over again to perfect the flow and the form.

This obsession with perfection through repetition bears itself out in many visible ways in Asia. Think of the notorious Chinese copies–fake iPads, fake Louis Vuitton, fake Starbucks, fake Mercedes-Benz, fake everything. The Japanese themselves have rarely invented anything themselves in the course of history, but they have adopted the inventions of other countries and vastly improved upon them.

Whereas in the west, we put a high value on original concepts and are quick to yell plagiarism or copyright infringement. The Japanese seem comfortable with the truth that we all must stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before us. We must learn from the best, and the best way to learn is to copy. The endless parade of slightly tweaked anime, then, is a culturally instinctual pursuit of perfection, even if to us westerners, it can feel exasperating and boring.

Perhaps it is instinctual, rather than intellectual, judging from a poll done by BigGlobe.jp, which asked readers to rank the most important aspects of anime when deciding whether they would watch a show or not.

The top three were story, character, and seiyuu. The next highest ranked were design, music, and cinematography. Considering the popularity of anime based on four-panel comic strips, moe characters, and high school settings, it is curious that story and character are ranked so high.

It is possible that the anime fans responding wanted to appear to have deeper tastes than they do in reality. At any rate, it seems ratings speak louder than polls, as there is no sign of a lull in shallow, moe-driven, and trope-heavy anime for the next season or those to come. Still, if you enjoy that sort of thing, there is plenty to look forward to. For the rest of us, a new season of Kore ha Zombie Desu ka? is also on the horizon, a show that takes all those ubiquitous tropes and turns them into hilarious self-parody.

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Dave Matthews Band Caravan will be bringing their folk rock musical style to a weekend-long performance on New York City’s Governors Island. The show will kick off on Friday, August 26 and will run throughout the weekend until Sunday, August 28. The outdoor concert will be a great way for New Yorkers and fans of Dave Matthews Band to enjoy the summer season as it winds down.

Dave Matthews Band will perform a full set on all three nights at Governors Island. The band will also be joined by other top notch opening acts, giving concert goers the chance to enjoy a large amount of musical talent in one spot.

The musical lineup on Friday includes O.A.R., Citizen Cope, Wood Brothers, Soul Live, and Vieux Farka Toure. The second day of the concert series will host the talents of Dispatch, The Head and the Heart, Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Dave Wax Museum and Moe.

Rounding out the final day of the festival, Sunday will usher in the performances of Elew, The Roots, Gogol Bordello, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds. Dave Matthews Band will be headlining the show on all three days. The star-studded lineup is sure to bring fans from all over the New York City region to the outdoor venue on Governors Island.

From their native city of Charoletsville, Va., Dave Matthews Band has been creating well-loved music since 1991. Frontman Dave Matthews, with the collaboration of his band members, has released seven studio albums throughout his career. One of the band’s most famous songs, “Crash Into Me,” was released on their second studio album entitled “Crash.”

The popularity of this album led to a platinum certification seven times. Their most recent studio album was released in 2009, entitled “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King,” which has also gone platinum. The band has also released more than a dozen live albums, creating a solid set of songs and loyal fans from around the world.

Dave Matthews Band has been touring internationally for decades, often during the summer season. Along with special guests, the Dave Matthews Band Caravan is showcasing their music on Governors Island, a popular summer spot for New Yorkers.

Just a short, and free, ferry ride away from lower Manhattan, Governors Island has hosted an array of concerts and performances. Many other activities are ongoing on the island, including miles of bike friendly paths, miniature golf and picnic areas. With its proximity to New York City and Jersey City, Governors Island provides stunning skyline backdrops for all its outdoor concerts.

Tickets are available at the rate of $65 per day, or $325 for the three-day package. The Dave Matthews Band Caravan has already performed in Atlantic City, NJ and Chicago. The concert has maintained an environmentally friendly stance throughout its course, encouraging fans to be as conscious of the environment as possible.

With the assistance of concertgoers, more than 200,000 bottles of water have been spared from landfills by using reusable bottles and filling up at the concert’s water stations. The event also promotes the idea of recycling and carpooling to venues. Dave Matthews Band Caravan is sure to attract fans from all across the tri-state area for a weekend of outdoor excitement and popular music.

Image Courtesy of  Dave Matthews Band’s Profile

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