Anime or no?

[Dr Mario]

There's a hell of a lot less good anime than good other shit, though.

I doubt it. There's a shitload of good series that run under most peoples radar.

There's also a shitload of bad stuff as far as western media goes (Seriously, have a gander through the average bookstore. Look at what all the latest fads and rush genres are. It'd be sad if it wasn't so pathetic).

[Pienne]

I doubt it. There's a shitload of good series that run under most peoples radar.

There's also a shitload of bad stuff as far as western media goes (Seriously, have a gander through the average bookstore. Look at what all the latest fads and rush genres are. It'd be sad if it wasn't so pathetic).

Good shows like what?
And of course there's bad stuff when it comes to western media. It's just that it's a lot easier to make something decent because they don't require as big a budget (or can cut down on a lot less at least).

[kwg phoenix]

I personally love anime, Bleach, Witchblade, Claymore, (mostly action-based anime or hentai)
however my gf cant stand it and doesnt see how i can watch all of it.
it just keeps me entertained just as a game would.
also i never really liked FLCL, maybe it was because at the time i saw it on adult swim when i was like 12. i did watch a few episodes though, but i wasnt a big anime fan back then.
i think that the more anime u watch, the more they grow on u.

[Dr Mario]

Good shows like what?

Tell me what genres you like, I'll tell you what's good out there.

And of course there's bad stuff when it comes to western media. It's just that it's a lot easier to make something decent because they don't require as big a budget (or can cut down on a lot less at least).

Define "western media". Are we talking books, tv (Live-action and/or animated), movies (hollywood and/or indy)?

[Pienne]

Tell me what genres you like, I'll tell you what's good out there.



Define "western media". Are we talking books, tv (Live-action and/or animated), movies (hollywood and/or indy)?

I'm down with anything - or at least trying anything.
Hollywood movies I'm pretty sure are in the same boat as anime. Animated television i'm pretty indifferent about because it's mostly for children.
(Oh, anything other than those two, pretty much)

[Dr Mario]

I'm down with anything - or at least trying anything.

Lets see, off the top of my head:

AIR
Banner of the Stars
Boogiepop Phantom
Cowboy Bebop
Jin-Roh
Noir
Serial Experiments Lain
Texhnolyze
Hoshi no Koe
Perfect Blue
Millenium Actress
Princess Mononoke
Cowboy Bebop

Grave of the Fireflies
Saikano
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien

One of those has to appeal to you, at the very least.

Hollywood movies I'm pretty sure are in the same boat as anime.

Hollywood movies cost a lot more to make (per minute of footage) than anime series. Anime series are generally more in line with the average live-action TV show.

Both are orders of magnitude more expensive to create than the average novel.

[Megalith]

Hate runs cold in this thread.

[Pienne]

Lets see, off the top of my head:

AIR
Banner of the Stars
Boogiepop Phantom
Cowboy Bebop
Jin-Roh
Noir
Serial Experiments Lain
Texhnolyze
Hoshi no Koe
Perfect Blue
Millenium Actress
Princess Mononoke
Cowboy Bebop

Grave of the Fireflies
Saikano
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien

One of those has to appeal to you, at the very least.



Hollywood movies cost a lot more to make (per minute of footage) than anime series. Anime series are generally more in line with the average live-action TV show.

Both are orders of magnitude more expensive to create than the average novel.

For some reason, I always figured it would cost more that that. Hollywood movies aren't that surprising, though.

Studio Ghibli films don't count. > =O
I actually found Lain kind of pretentious, but it was pretty fun anyway.
The same guy who made Hoshi no Koe made Byousoku 5cm. It was alright, but 5cm's a lot better. Cowboy Bebop's alright too but it's been ages since I've seen it, but thanks, I'll check some of those (that I haven't seen and aren't made by Key) out.

Hate runs cold in this thread.

It's more jaded kiddy elitism than hate.

[Dr Mario]

I actually found Lain kind of pretentious, but it was pretty fun anyway.

It is kind of pretentious. But it gets a pass from me because, unlike most pretentious works of hipster pseudo-art, the people behind Lain had at least a solid grounding in the ideas they were appropriating.

Gnosticism/Transhumanism/Psychology based stuff works great when the people involved know what they're doing and go to the effort of showing that off. Lain, for example, had all sorts of little background details hidden throughout it, like the computer code on the blackboard being a legitimate but incomplete block of C++ code.

Use it when the writing staff doesn't really get it and you end up with Evangelion.

[Mistral]

Good shows like what?
And of course there's bad stuff when it comes to western media. It's just that it's a lot easier to make something decent because they don't require as big a budget (or can cut down on a lot less at least).

Or just as probably, being a part of the Western culture and immersed in Western media, we've desensitized ourselves to certain normalized "fridge logic" (for lack of a better term) aspects and conventions of the mediums in question that otherwise make little sense to one seeing these same aspects and conventions for the first time from an outside perspective. As we possess this outside perspective with relation to the particular expression of medium that dominates anime (i.e. Japanese media aspects and conventions), we are more inclined to notice the discrepancies and irregularities. That is to say, we don't notice things like a revolver shot throwing a grown man across the room in Hollywood films nearly as much as we will notice if a sword slices through a steel pole in an anime, though if anything, the former is more unrealistic (conservation of momentum versus more-complex/handwavable metallurgy). That is actually probably part of what plays into developing a taste for it. As you watch more anime, you develop the suspension of disbelief necessary to the tropes particular to this medium as well.
EDIT: Of course, it's easier just to watch the good stuff. Good shows use their conventions well, subverted and avoided as desired.

Cost is also a lot cheaper for anime. Animators are cheaper than blue screens or travel, animation cells or computers cheaper than film and cameras, one can hire VAs purely on voice rather than requiring them to look the part (which also costs more). You can cut costs further, but then you start running into things like drawing a head of lettuce as a perfect sphere, which caused...actually, it gave me a good laugh to see that show's fans vent, but the point remains. You can't cut as much out of an anime budget without making it more obvious, while you can pull something like a Jonas Quinn in TV.

By the way, to point out another way things differ even between anime fans, I didn't like FLCL, for all that many others did. Some of the things I like, especially in the magical girl genre, are viewed by many others as being extremely cliche-ridden, and rightfully so. Heck, I even disturbed a friend by looking at a character on a series I had never seen before for a couple seconds and figuring out "She's student council, possibly president, and definitely in love with the male protagonist. May not fully admit it. Little shy, but still dangerous to established rivals. Oh, and probably a second-tier character." Apparently I only missed the Masquerade. But, still, you really have to pull to drag out a series as badly obvious as that. I just wish I had caught the name of it, now.

[Maya_Amano]

I used to be keen on anime, but now I'm not that fanatic about it. Still I love certain anime, like Vamire Hunter D or Elfen Lied, but now I don't searching like mad for it anywhere.

[Elmdor Rizer]

I gave it a chance, I didn't like it, oh well. Nothing's going to change my mind about it. Just not my cup of tea.

Darth is right though. Gotta have an open mind.

Anime humour pretty much comprises of references to otaku culture which aren't even witty, shounen shows are generally mindless violence with a retarded concept of heroism, moe is a stupid substitute for real relationships for otaku, and the rest is random bullshit (FLCL) that people who are new to anime like because it's the first thing they find and they still like the (cheap) novelty of the art styles. Also, EXPOSITION EXPOSITION EXPOSITION.

That said, Kino's Travels and 5cm (maybe some other stuff too) are exceptions and rock face.

Oi, I'll have you know I watched FLCL with the director's commentray, so I knew full well what was going on. Guy likes spicy curry, he's strong! Guy is left-handed, he's strong!

Honestly though, you're probably right. I'm, like I said, not a big anime fan and I tend to only really enjoy shows focusing on humor, such as FLCL. Oh, I watched the first and second season(I think, not really important) of Ranma too, along with my sister when we were spending a summer at our dad's. It was kinda cookie and fun, but it got old very fast. Too sitcomish.

[Gare]

Used to watch a lot of anime, even the mediocre/crappy ones. Now I only watch it once in a while, and only the better shows (think Death Note or Seto no hanayome). I'm not even sure what to watch, actually, since I'm not too up-to-date about all the new/good shows and stuff. So, to answer the OP, I don't love all anime, neither do I hate it in general. I just have a couple of seres/movies I like, and that's it.

Also, what Hypnos/Ahkei said. The "I watched 20 minutes of Naruto therefore all anime ever created sucks donkey wang" argument is pretty ridiculous.

[BellGoRiiing]

I like it...but I'm not all crazy about it, lol. As long as its sci-fi and/or its funny and stuff its ok for me. (with the exception of Ghost in a Shell...it bores me )

[justhelpmepleas]

Also, what Hypnos/Ahkei said. The "I watched 20 minutes of Naruto therefore all anime ever created sucks donkey wang" argument is pretty ridiculous.

All I meant was I don't like anime and I think it sucks. Other people like it, whatever, doesn't bother me one bit. Plus I stated I've seen a few others, and based on what I saw, I didn't like it, so I labeled anime as suckage, IMO.