Poll: Do you watch anime?

[JediMB]

On occasion, since I don't really find any shows that interest me these days.

Most recently I watched "Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt".

I'd be watching Naruto if I hadn't finally grown tired of the fillers and gone ahead with reading the comic book instead.

 

[spartan231490]

Hello.

I've been a member of escapist for a while now, and it still amazes me how many people here like anime and express it in discussions, or with an avatar, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against anime. The thing I have been pondering is that Escapist is a video gaming site, and doesn't have much to do with anime. Are a lot of "gamers" anime-lovers then, too?
This isn't really a debate-thread, I just wish to satisfy my curiosity.

For discussion value, explain what makes anime interesting/non-interesting to you, and if you watch only a bit or a lot of it.

There should be a poll with some options, if there isn't, don't blame me.

What makes it interesting? So many shows now are basically designed so only the season primere and the season finale have any correlation to time. I love anime because almost every episode has something to do with the overall plot. This is why I can't stand cowboy bebop. The animation style is also very appealing to me.

 

[Angstysquirrel]

My addiction has become rather sad lately. I have started watching shows I don't even like, just to see if something happens. And nothing ever happens, in those ones anyways.
When I do find a series I like though, I become scarey. When Highschool of the Dead was being released, once a week I would go hunting for the best copy of it I could find. And my recent fix has been Bakuman, which I would recommend to anyone.
I would have gone to several Cons by now, but there are none even close to where I live.

 

[ThatLankyBastard]

I used to hate it, but I've recently started watching it some more...

... wait, does Afro Samurai count?

Isn't your avatar Dr. Stein from Souleater?

That's what people tell me...

Actually, I just found it a while ago and thought it would make a good avatar...

Souleater eh... Might have to watch it sometime...

 

[AWDMANOUT]

The style of anime is very fresh and new, and very appealing (especially to someone like me in the US, where the amount of good animated shows is dwindling fast). Though I will say, some anime is the freakiest crap I have ever seen/will ever see. My favorites are (in order of greatest to least) Deathnote, Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing, and Full Metal Alchemist.

 

[Crazy_Dude]

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood,Death Note and Blue Lagoon I watched so far.

I usually only watch animes that seem intresting to me. I will watch 1-3 episodes and then decide if I should watch all the seasons.

 

[carpathic]

Not only do I not watch Anime, I find I really strongly dislike it.

I simply cannot get past the basic styling to even appreciate the story - and I have tried on numerous occasions.

 

[Jonluw]

I just figure there's a lot of overlap in the demographics.
Yes, I do watch anime. Love it. Why? Uhhhh... Beats me?

 

[Chromatic Aberration]

Mhhh...Yesterday, I ordered about 20 DVDs with Animes for about 400 Pounds at Amazon.co.uk....so, yes, I admit it - I have an Anime addiction!

The reasons are numerous but I will settle on the main point, here: I love huge deep storylines and interesting characters. I feel that TV Series are - in principle - able to develop both points better than a regular movie since they just have significantly more screen time. Animes have the advantage of mostly being based upon mangas which means a complete storyline is already in existence and an Animes can be build around it more easily and better. To make my point somewhat clearer just just take the US-TV Series Lost as a comparison: Lost has interesting characters and a broad storyline. However, Lost was produced without any idea of the actual ending before the airing of one of the last seasons which resulted in a huge and disappointing ending (at least for me) and a lot of questions being unanswered. I would see the main reason for that in the usual media policy to tie the continuation of a series to its success in terms of ratings and viewing figures making it nigh impossible to plan the presentation of a continuous storyline.

As for the question of why so many people around here like Animes, I would guess the following:

* Animes and Anime Series are increasingly present as cartoons marketed for children. And given the demographic of this site, this means that almost everyone around here should have had contact with a well made Anime Series during his or her childhood. This point also adds an extra nostalgia factor...

* A lot of high-quality Anime Series were produced during the last decade (E.g. Death Note, Code Geass, Spice & Wolf etc.)

* Marketing: There have been an increase in number of Animes that have been marketed in the US and UK which means that most of the users here have a cheap access to very well dubbed Anime Series in general[footnote] And I would like to point out that this isn't something that you can take for granted: In Germany you currently have to pay 115 Euros for the complete first season of Death Note at Amazon.de which is 3 times the price of said set in the UK. And, also given that the german dubs usually suck as hell...well you get my meaning... [/footnote].

 

[Piorn]

Marketing: There have been an increase in number of Animes that have been marketed in the US and UK which means that most of the users here have a cheap access to very well dubbed Anime Series in general.
And I would like to point out that this isn't something that you can take for granted: In Germany you currently have to pay 115 Euros for the complete first season of Death Note at Amazon.de which is 3 times the price of said set in the UK. And, also given that the german dubs usually suck as hell...well you get my meaning...

I agree, it's a huge problem here. I still haven't bought any Anime DVD because of the price.
Not to mention that, in every store, Animes are in the same shelf as Hentai movies. Talk about reputation...

 

[Lord Devius]

I've kinda been shifting into watching more anime series, but I wouldn't say I have an addiction yet. It's mostly just a time draining thing, but I enjoy them.

I haven't paid a cent yet for anime. Borrowed DVDs from a friend whose brother has tons of anime, downloaded a couple series that aren't for sale anymore or aren't available in the US...

When I get a job, I plan to buy DVDs of the stuff I think is worth the money, though. Gotta support the creators to get more good stuff.

I might be edging closer to addiction, but meh. As long as it's not massively interfering with other, more important parts of my life, I don't consider it an addiction. Only thing it's messing with right now is my sleep schedule, but that'd be screwed up with or without anime, so it's alright.

 

[hyker]

I liked Death note, like, really much

tried watching some others, but I don't really like those, the action and combat scenes are allways interrupted with somekind of flashback, or the characters explain how does XY work etc.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

Yeah, I've watched an Anime or two. The quality of the show itself is a determining in my enjoyment though. I loved Neon Genesis Evangelion, but didn't like Gundam Wing.

Guilty Pleasures such as Dragon Ball Z are at all times exempt from standards: they are called guilty pleasures for a reason.


Right now though we seem to be in a reversal: in the early 90's we had a good slew of Anime and only a few good Western Cartoons (Batman TAS, Beyond, Superman TAS, Spider Man) and yet that trend is inverted now: lots of mediocre Anime has made its way across the pond and our local brothers have stepped up to the mark with the likes of Justice League/Unlimited, New Avengers, Avatar the Last Airbender (sequel series Legend of Korra coming this year), Transformers Animated, Transformers Prime, Batman: the Brave and the Bold, and most recently Young Justice in the past decade or so.

All in all, its just part of the vast rainbow of animated media available, and I think both countries efforts would be poorer without the other to draw from at times.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Hello.

I've been a member of escapist for a while now, and it still amazes me how many people here like anime and express it in discussions, or with an avatar, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against anime. The thing I have been pondering is that Escapist is a video gaming site, and doesn't have much to do with anime. Are a lot of "gamers" anime-lovers then, too?
This isn't really a debate-thread, I just wish to satisfy my curiosity.

For discussion value, explain what makes anime interesting/non-interesting to you, and if you watch only a bit or a lot of it.

There should be a poll with some options, if there isn't, don't blame me.

The Escapist does have an anime review column (granted, I don't think it's that good, mind, since it's only for licensed anime and judging from the ilk that hang around here, myself included, we mostly watch fansubs... or at least that's the feeling I get, who knows, might be wrong). Besides, this site's actually quite varied: movies; comics; random shit. Think it just started off as a gamers' site and just diversified (I genuinely don't know and would like to know, so please, someone enlighten me).

Anyway OT: yes, I watch animes, but I'm picky, preferring arthousy type stuff that makes me look pretentious (Saraiya no Goyou for crying out loud), though to be fair, I watch my share of mainstream stuff. However, series I avoid like the plague (for being so drawn out, and I will invite a lot of derision for this): Bleach; Naruto; and One Piece. (I watched them all for about 30-40 eps, and then got bored... yes, I am of the short-attention span type, though some series, I wish were longer.)

 

[Lost Cause]

Do I like anime?

What do you think?

 

[Chromatic Aberration]

I agree, it's a huge problem here. I still haven't bought any Anime DVD because of the price.

If you don't mind the non-existent german dub just buy them at Amazon.co.uk. They have some incredibly cheap and awesome Anime DVDs on sale right now[footnote]to be precise: Paranoia Agent, Claymore, Noein and some more [/footnote]. If you have some money on your hands you can't go wrong there.

 

[mireko]

Yes, although it is a little bit like saying "Do you like TV?". There are obviously shows you'll like and shows you won't like.

I love the art style, and there are a lot of stories you'd never see in the US. It's a testament to the medium's diversity that I can follow it even though I'm not particularly interested in action, fantasy, mecha or romantic comedies.

As for its popularity on a gaming site, there's a lot of overlap between the subcultures. Both in the fandom and in the industry. If you play Japanese games for any amount of time you'll probably notice that the same VAs show up, which could help.

[sub]I can't stand the fans, though.[/sub]

 

[Evilsanta]

Only the good series.

Though you really have to search for the diamond in the rough sometimes.

 

[Montycarlo]

I've really started getting into it all like 2 years ago when I first saw Bleach, then saw the excellent Death Note. Although I seem to watch anime in "spells" and would usually prioritise gaming time over it anyway. It's only when I'm feeling really lazy and can't be bothered to think that I stick a series on.

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

I watch anime fairly regularly, but it's mostly out of an extreme sense of boredom.