What is so great about Anime?
- Thread starter Texas America Murphy
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Hmm, Cowboy Bebop always seemed to me to be a great recommendation for people new to anime. Would you mind elaborating on why it was difficult to get into? I might have to come up with a new way to get people hooked.thublihnk said:
Also, I was thinking about what I told you on anime as a promising artform, and I was trying to figure out some examples of western animation that could be argued as artistic. The only thing that comes to my mind is Disney's Fantasia, and I'm not sure it really counts, no matter how much I <3 it.
Honestly though, I believe this thread needs more of Mr. Texas' snarky analysis of different shows. Heck, he might become the ZP of anime!
This discussion has me wonder if manga, when they can compare to the quality of graphic novels, are not a better introduction to japanese culture for people who expect their entertainment to contain an actual plot, characters, and perhaps even *gasp* subtext! Would you people who dislike anime, be willing to try out the comic book form?
I've singled out your list, but this is something that bugs me out in a lot of the posts here - you guys are trying to recommend stuff that is objectively no better than Bleach or Naruto to someone who has explained what he hated in them. What I'm saying is, you (and many others) are trying to recommend more shonen/shoujo to someone who came here to trol... er, who came here to find out if there was anything more to anime.Stoogie said:
Well, to be fair, I'm really just annoyed to see Highschool of the Dead come up as a recommendation in this thread - HotD is today's single best example of everything that can go wrong in an anime. Of each episode's 20mn, you have approx 5 minutes of recap, 10 minutes of fanservice and 5 minutes of plot. It is even worse than a shonen - it is a harem manga set in a zombie apocalypse, and for pretending to actually be about the zombies, I absolutely hate it. Actually no, even without the zombies I'd hate it, but at least it wouldn't have sucked away the couple of hours it took me to realise how bad it was.
Lately I can't stand anime. If you watch enough of it you realize every single one deals with the fact that the antagonist is much more powerful than the protagonist. Said protagonist than mutters to him/herself I am not powerful enough I need more strength. Then the antagonist goes yes you cannot defeat me you are much too weak. Then a person on the sidelines says no you gotta believe in yourself and then the protaganist goes I NEED TO BELIEVE. and then energy starts flowing out of them and the antagonist goes no how is that possible and then he dies this may or may not take 7 episodes to finish). Just watch a random anime with fighting and you will start to see that this pattern. Doesn't matter if it is Naruto, One Peace, Bleach, Claymore, Inuyasha, Full Metal Alchemist, Dragon Ball, Pokemon, Yugioh, that tennis anime.
@Texas America Murphy: I think the problem is that most of what you watched is meant for a younger audience. I would recommend you check out the Miyazaki films, Cowboy Bebop, Berserk, Ergo Proxy, The Place Promised in our Early Days and Voices of a Distant Star. In my opinion these are some of the more interesting anime series/movies.
Anime is anything animated in Japan. There are kiddy shows, there are mature shows, there are convoluted shows, and there are shows that are so improbably simple as to bore you to death. It's only a categorization for art style, and even that has a large variance. There's so much anime out there that there's bound to be at least one you like, and at least one you hate. Don't hate all anime based on the ones you didn't like; hate Naruto for it. I mean...hate the ones you didn't like, and keep looking.
People tend to mistakenly worship anything foreign as better than the local equivalent simply becuse they are not yet tired with the cliches. Even something that may be completely overdone and lame to the locals may provide a curious cultural insight to a foreign viewer. Anime has its fair share of crap just like any other production... field, like Hollywood tripe. It also has its fair share of gold, like the Miyazaki films: the man is likened to Walt Disney for a damned fine reason.
When comparing 4 hours of Western animation and 4 hours of equivalent quality "anime", the latter may even tip Western films in a modern setting simply because long running story arcs as opposed to Western "shorts" styles adapt very nicely to DVD marathon sessions.
Problem is that the whole culture of watching it tends to overlook the flaws and incessantly defend them instead of accept that an overseas viewer may simply not be attuned to recognising them. Can make anime devouts an utter pain in the butt to endure. Case in point: I'm sure you enjoyed a lot of cliched rubbish when you were a child, not because you were stupid but because you simply couldn't recognise a horrible cliche (or were blinded by a new artistic style when you'd otherwise be noting a lack of plot cohesion).
When comparing 4 hours of Western animation and 4 hours of equivalent quality "anime", the latter may even tip Western films in a modern setting simply because long running story arcs as opposed to Western "shorts" styles adapt very nicely to DVD marathon sessions.
Problem is that the whole culture of watching it tends to overlook the flaws and incessantly defend them instead of accept that an overseas viewer may simply not be attuned to recognising them. Can make anime devouts an utter pain in the butt to endure. Case in point: I'm sure you enjoyed a lot of cliched rubbish when you were a child, not because you were stupid but because you simply couldn't recognise a horrible cliche (or were blinded by a new artistic style when you'd otherwise be noting a lack of plot cohesion).
It is popular because people like it. The genre is easy to access, different than what most Western audience is used to seeing, and tends to present a long-running series with real character development.
But, as a film student, I'm sure you're well aware of the differences between "cliché" and "archetype"; and "intended demographic" and "foreign audience." Never mind the pervasiveness of advertising, and capitalising the "Other" element of foreign film (otherwise, why on earth would you claim that you watched an Irani film like it's some sort of achievement?.
Anime is a medium and style, not a genre. Within anime-as-a-medium are the genres. The medium is popular in the West because it is an exposure to a different culture, different style, and different set of pretenses that aren't devolved to "cartoons are for children". You'd have a better discussion specifying a genre within the medium ("why is Naruto popular?" or "Why is this fantasy equivalent of [insert Western film of choice] more popular?") rather than generalizing.
You're asking "why are video games popular?" rather than "why are MMO/RPG/RTS/FPS games popular?"
But, as a film student, I'm sure you're well aware of the differences between "cliché" and "archetype"; and "intended demographic" and "foreign audience." Never mind the pervasiveness of advertising, and capitalising the "Other" element of foreign film (otherwise, why on earth would you claim that you watched an Irani film like it's some sort of achievement?.
Anime is a medium and style, not a genre. Within anime-as-a-medium are the genres. The medium is popular in the West because it is an exposure to a different culture, different style, and different set of pretenses that aren't devolved to "cartoons are for children". You'd have a better discussion specifying a genre within the medium ("why is Naruto popular?" or "Why is this fantasy equivalent of [insert Western film of choice] more popular?") rather than generalizing.
You're asking "why are video games popular?" rather than "why are MMO/RPG/RTS/FPS games popular?"
Never compareRed Rum said:
2 things:thublihnk said:
1) Your comparison is fairly accurate, but you miss the point. When I say film, I mean anything that interprets a scene through moving images. Anime fits into that category. Also, a painting and a photo basically do the same thing, they show a scene through a still image; the difference between the two is how the product is made.
2) I acknowledge that people do not share the same tastes me, but I find it hard to excuse people who pick on anime stereotypes as a means of disproving anime's credibility as a type of medium. That's what point I was trying to make.
Well, let me try and explain. It's like... people... now brace yourself for this, have their own personal interests that could quite possibly varry from yours. Now don't be alarmed. I hate the colour Grey, but shockingly enough some people like it. I mean, it's like they have... interests that vary from my own and I should accept that instead of asking why and complaining about it.
Anyways, Anime's anime. It's just a thing, some people like heights, some hate heights. If you don't like it, fine. But don't complain when others like it just because you couldn't find an appeal for it.
Also, I hate people who say "kawaii desu" for the sake of your Otaku'ness. You are beating up a poor and defensless language! Have you no shame?
Anyways, Anime's anime. It's just a thing, some people like heights, some hate heights. If you don't like it, fine. But don't complain when others like it just because you couldn't find an appeal for it.
Also, I hate people who say "kawaii desu" for the sake of your Otaku'ness. You are beating up a poor and defensless language! Have you no shame?
neon genesis is more personal preference. i found it too long, too whiney, and altogether unrealistic and horribleDaystar Clarion said:
Depends what you like. Anime is good as it is the only teen/adult Drawn series(no disney is not for grownups) there is to see. Which is not some slapstick comedy.
There's some real depth to most of the programs. They also hugely vary in quality and plot.
One of my fav's are the love hina series. But that's romance series. Full metal alchemist is also kay. Not the standard actionpacked cyborgninjas.
If you want a twisting plot and deep character development animated the anime is your bag.
Blind plot where faceless main characters always wins, action packed tetesterone see hollywood/disney.
There's some real depth to most of the programs. They also hugely vary in quality and plot.
One of my fav's are the love hina series. But that's romance series. Full metal alchemist is also kay. Not the standard actionpacked cyborgninjas.
If you want a twisting plot and deep character development animated the anime is your bag.
Blind plot where faceless main characters always wins, action packed tetesterone see hollywood/disney.