Everything You Know about Anime Is Wrong

[Duruznik]

And I'm wrong?

Hmmm, I need to rethink my entire philosophy on anime now.

[sub][sub]Nice read![/sub][/sub]

Actually... that's sort of accurate. Say what you will about Anime, it sure does love its formulaeic openings.

OT: Great read. As an anime fan myself, I'm no stranger to the variety that comes out of Japan. Then again, there's no denying that a lot of the low-grade shows have a very similar, generic style (and a lot of cheap productions love reusing stale plots, like harem shows). But that's just because the show is bad or unoriginal, not because of the genre itself. Plenty of good shows are unique in style.

The main problem is that the low-grade schlock is all of what some people are exposed to, hence the misguided notion that all anime is the same.

 

[OniaPL]

I do still think that anime is a genre rather than a medium. It is just a Japanese variant of animation/television.

 

[MPerce]

Very nice read. I've seen enough of a variety of anime to know not to treat it all the same. While all Japanese animation has some fundamental differences from American animation due to cultural differences, each anime show in itself is its own thing. I would never think about comparing Ouran High School Host Club to Paranoia Agent. Because the only thing they share in common is their country of origin.
Maybe someday people will stop throwing all of anime into one basket and hating it collectively, and instead hate certain shows on their own.
But that won't happen.

 

[Jestertrance]

Wow, I haven't heard of half of this stuff. I think I need to get out more...

 

[Sandytimeman]

A great read, you should have submitted that article pitch to the escapist, ANN, or 918thefan and get featured XD.

Anyway good read, and I loved the different art style quiz. Though, I've seen all those shows so, I kinda got a pass on them. But lets be honest Shaft sudios does some of the most orginal art direction and beautiful style in the medium second only to Ghibli...hell if I sit down and really look at it, Ghibli may be taking a silver medal for once.

 

[FireAza]

I do still think that anime is a genre rather than a medium. It is just a Japanese variant of animation/television.

I guess we could settle for half and call it a "genrium"?

Very nice read. I've seen enough of a variety of anime to know not to treat it all the same. While all Japanese animation has some fundamental differences from American animation due to cultural differences, each anime show in itself is its own thing. I would never think about comparing Ouran High School Host Club to Paranoia Agent. Because the only thing they share in common is their country of origin.
Maybe someday people will stop throwing all of anime into one basket and hating it collectively, and instead hate certain shows on their own.
But that won't happen.

Thanks, glad to hear you're open-minded!

Wow, I haven't heard of half of this stuff. I think I need to get out more...

Just curious, do you consider yourself a "fan" or are you more casual? I mean, I know I love really niche anime, but if you consider yourself a "fan" and you don't know half of the anime I mentioned... Well, I'm pretty far down the rabbit hole

A great read, you should have submitted that article pitch to the escapist, ANN, or 918thefan and get featured XD.

I have tried pitching stuff to The Escapist before, but I never thought of ANN... Though, this article would be preaching to the choir for them

But lets be honest Shaft sudios does some of the most orginal art direction and beautiful style in the medium second only to Ghibli...hell if I sit down and really look at it, Ghibli may be taking a silver medal for once.

OH GOD I LOVE SHAFT SO HARD. Wait, that sounded kind homoerotic... Anyway, I love studio SHAFT's work so much, while other studios are content to do what's been done before, SHAFT is all "you know what? The hell with it, we're doing something new!" and they continue to do so in everything they work on. I'll even watch series based on eroge if SHAFT worked on it.

Just as a general question for you guys, how many of you were able to read my OP in it's entirety? I know it's long, but I'm curious if I was able to hold your attention all the way though, and why. Thanks!

 

[chris11246]

Thats what came to mind when I saw the title.

OT:

Spoiler: Yea people need to stop judging things before they know what they're talking about

 

[FireAza]

Thats what came to mind when I saw the title.

If I made someone think of Weird Al, then it was a success in another way

 

[Sandytimeman]

Just as a general question for you guys, how many of you were able to read my OP in it's entirety? I know it's long, but I'm curious if I was able to hold your attention all the way though, and why. Thanks!

First Brofist for fellow shaft lover. Also to answer the quote's question

I read it all the way through a really good read. Might not be alot of new info for me personally in their but, I enjoyed the read anyway. I think probably your average escapist reader it might come as news too though.

 

[Irridium]

One big difference between anime and western shows, or at least it's more prevalent in anime (or anime that's available in the US, at least), is that anime actually ends. Compared to western animated shows (or, really, shows in general), which are either cut off before their prime or continue to go on and die slow, painful deaths.

In anime, things change, the story moves forward. In the west, everything stays more or less the same all the time. While that's not a bad thing in and of itself, the fact that essentially all shows ever do that. Which tends to lead to the first three seasons being strong and great, but most after that tend to decline.

Again, not sure if having definitive "ends" in anime is a standard or just what they decide to advertise more in the west, but it just seems more prevalent from what I've seen. Which I find rather refreshing.

Also somewhat related, for another example in adult animation in the west, Archer season 3 starts tonight. So happy. But... it is a comedy, which kind of re-enforced your point of most adult animation in the west being more comedic...

But whatever. I like to laugh. Plus, it tends to make actual serious moments that much more touching (if done well). See: Jurassic Bark from Futurama.

Do wish there were more animated shows that were more "serious" though. For variety's sake if nothing else.

 

[lord.jeff]

I hate using the term anime or foreign film even, being a France film doesn't automatically mean art film, to think a any country is only able to produce one genre of film is just silly.

 

[ZehMadScientist]

Nice read, thanks!

I enjoy anime for what it is, but every season again I can't help but cringe at the quantity of shows that are basically shit. I only watch the quality titles (Or the occasional random show that I happen to like) and try to omit all the harem fanservice ones.

Btw, that Tsutomu Miyazaki serial killer thing was really, REALLY disturbing.

 

[Kotaro]

If you're unfamiliar with anime, but want to consider getting into it, a good series to try is "Eden of the East." I guess the best way to describe it is "The Bourne Identity" if it were made in Japan.
Except, where "Bourne" was generic and forgettable, "Eden" manages to hit the sweet spot where you want to set aside an entire day and marathon all 12 episodes (and 2 movies).

 

[TheDooD]

I like anime because my friends pretty much got me into it. Eventhough I been watching Dragon Ball, Speed Racer, Voltron and Sailor Moon before hand. They showed me Macross Plus which is still one of my all time favorites. Tenchi Muyo, Fatal Fury OVA's, Escaflowne another all time favorite, the DBZ movies Tree of Might and World's Strongest.

Then because of Toonami I got into Gundam Wing which I'll admit was really deep for a kid to understand yet as a adult it's one of the best out of the Gundam series.

When I started watching Adult Swim I got into more mature stuff I watched Inuyasha, Blue Genger, Ghost in the Shell, Samurai Champoo, Just to name a few off the top of my head. Animonday on SciFi I really enjoyed Monster, Desendents of Darkness, MD Geist and Now and Then, Here and There.

Checking anime out online I watched GTO, Berserk, Black Lagoon, Akira, Gantz, 3mm per second, City Hunter, Claymore, Myself; Yourself, Shigurui: Death Frenzy, Blassreiter, Reign the Conqueror just from the top of my head.

 

[DioWallachia]

apple pie

A pie is fine too. However i want you to tell me how the Hanna Barbera shaped so strongly the minds of everyone to the point of believing that all cartoons are children's thing. In fact, how is it possible in this day an age of information to PERSISTENTLY remain ignorant about cartoons when the motherfucking Simpsons have do it for 20+ years(it extends to comics and video games that people think its for children) Hmm... maybe this is why Disney got away with The Hunchback of Notre Dame, no one expected it to be THAT dark.

EDIT: The point of my reply is to know how can you shape a entire generation of people and the next ones into believing something that wrong. Like for example the fact that Aquaman sucks but just because people know him from the 60's cartoon rather than the comics where he is a badass and King of The Atlantis............and yet that little info never makes people take back the fact that Aquaman sucks.

 

[Otaku World Order]

Witch Hunter Robin

Ah, Witch Hunter Robin... Awesome series. Great soundtrack too.

Since we're talking about how anime covers way more then the usual giant robots and magical girl stereotypes, I'll chime in with an anime that as really hard to watch, namely Jigoku Shoujo ask Hell Girl.

This is a series I had a really hard time watching and I watch a lot of horror. I'm not even sure I'd recommend it to anybody. The stories are all genuinely disturbing and there's no light relief anywhere.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

If you're unfamiliar with anime, but want to consider getting into it, a good series to try is "Eden of the East." I guess the best way to describe it is "The Bourne Identity" if it were made in Japan.
Except, where "Bourne" was generic and forgettable, "Eden" manages to hit the sweet spot where you want to set aside an entire day and marathon all 12 episodes (and 2 movies).

As someone who is in the middle of reading the original novel of The Bourne Identity, I'd have to recommend it to anyone who found the movies bland. They're actually /less/ faithful to the source material than the James Bond movies, which is just sad, because those almost never had anything to do with each other aside from the general feel and certain characters. The Bourne Identity pretty much only kept Bourne himself, the name "Treadstone," and the idea that Bourne had amnesia and didn't know who he was. The explanation I remember for the changes at the time was that it was so mired in cold war paranoia that they couldn't just update the time period without reworking the whole story, but it's not true; the book is more "CIA vs. apolitical criminals" than "CIA vs. KGB." Seriously, read the book; it's awesome.

 

[FireAza]

One big difference between anime and western shows, or at least it's more prevalent in anime (or anime that's available in the US, at least), is that anime actually ends. Compared to western animated shows (or, really, shows in general), which are either cut off before their prime or continue to go on and die slow, painful deaths.

In anime, things change, the story moves forward. In the west, everything stays more or less the same all the time. While that's not a bad thing in and of itself, the fact that essentially all shows ever do that. Which tends to lead to the first three seasons being strong and great, but most after that tend to decline.

Again, not sure if having definitive "ends" in anime is a standard or just what they decide to advertise more in the west, but it just seems more prevalent from what I've seen. Which I find rather refreshing.

No, you're pretty right there, most anime do "end", and I think this is what makes the stories a little more satisfying. This is thanks to the fact they're usually based on source material that has already been running well before the anime version, so they know where things are headed. Also, animation is expensive, and can't go on forever unless the name of your show is "Bleach" or "Naruto" in which case, it's a licence to print money.

The downside is sometimes anime have no ending, but end anyway. What sometimes happens is a show will go over-budget, or they simply can't keep going. In which case you're left with the story equivalent of blue balls. If you're lucky, they will sometimes continue the story in a second season or a movie, but that often comes many years later, if it happens at all.

Also with regards to Futurama, I never really found "Jurassic Bark" that sad, I always thought "Luck of the Fryrish" was sadder. "Don't you... Forget about me..."

*EDIT* HOLY NINJA POSTS BATMAN! There's some great posts here, but I really should get to bed, it's 4:30 AM and I'm looking a bit like my avatar at the moment. Hopefully I'll be able to find them again tomorrow and respond

 

[Archer666]

No matter how anime was, its been ruined by this creepy moe stuff that Japan is pumping out. That's why anime has become a huge punching bag on the internet. Grown men watching little girls being KAWAII UGUU or getting obsessed with lolicon and using BUT SHE IS LIKE 1500 YEARS OLD as an excuse is what makes the rest of the internet ridicule anime. The same goes to fanservice shows.

The worse thing is that it sells like hotcakes.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Animation is a medium, anime is a genre within that medium. I'm sorry, but it simply is.

Japanese animation might've been a medium back when we had features like Robot Carnival, Neo Tokyo Labyrinth, and Memories; Features that were pushing the envolope in terms of imagination and animation. But now, all we're left with is cheaply produced garbage that is meant to appeal to teenagers and 30-something nerds. We still have Studio Ghilbi, but that's literally the only company left in Japan that makes above average animation.

I used to love anime for it's different take on the medium, going places American animators never dared or imagined to tread, and creating some of the most iconic scenes in animation on a whole. But now it's become disgustingly complacent in it's fanservice and teenage appeal.