The art of the gun

I'd like to think that I'm not a very violent guy.  In real life, I feel bad when I squish a bug.  I don't like seeing my friends get hurt.  I fired a gun once, and I really didn't like the feeling at all.  I'm just a big, hairy and lovable guy.  The world of violence is not one for me.  At least, not the real world anyway.  The worlds of video games and anime are a completely different thing.

When it comes to traditional movies and TV shows, I've grown very tired of content that packs a lot of firepower.  It seems like every primetime show in America involves cops that love to shoot wildly at one another.  Lots of shooting, lots of explosion and it all goes nowhere.  You see that week after week and it just gets boring.  If this is what passes for 'action' content in the states, you can count me out.

Now let's flip over to the anime side of gun fights.  Anime seems to take the topic of firepower and turn it into something sexy.  I'm not talking about shooting/killing of people, but instead, the way guns are shown in an anime.  They are intricately detailed, completely over the top and almost always used stylishly.  It takes a topic that scares me in real life and turns it into something that is a feast for the eyes.

The gun fights in anime are absolutely amazing.  The way guns are fired and bullets are dodged, it's almost like watching a dance.  There's a certain rhythm to the action...a method to the madness.  In tradition shows its fire, shoot and kill.  In anime, it's more about the mechanics of the gun and showing off the sheer power of the firearm.  It's almost a way of showing a bit more respect for the gun itself.  Guns are ridiculously powerful and can end a life in an instant.  They definitely need to be respected, and I think anime creators get that.

Do you guys have the same feelings that I do?  CSI and its gun showdowns bore the hell out of me, but the gun battles in Cowboy Bebop are extremely engaging.  Almost beautiful in a way!  It's not about the violence, but the understanding and respect for the weapon.  Do you get the same vibes from anime gunplay that I do, or am I just a weirdo?