Saying "go and read the manga/light novel instead" immediately and irrevocably makes you an arsehole who should keep your opinions to yourself. If I wanted to be reading a book I would be reading...
Saying "go and read the manga/light novel instead" immediately and irrevocably makes you an arsehole who should keep your opinions to yourself. If I wanted to be reading a book I would be reading a book. However the bigger arseholes are the companies who produce a single season of an anime telling nothing but the beginnings of stories as a bullshit ad for people to go and buy things that aren't anime.
That and the obsession certain anime/source material writers and fans have with certain topics: paedophilia (sorry, lolicon), father-daughter relationships turned sexual, incest in general, sexual relationships as a reward for being powerful...blech.
I completely agree with your latter point. I had a problem with a friend in the past who was very into what he called lolicon, and I never really found a way to properly respond whenever he...
I completely agree with your latter point. I had a problem with a friend in the past who was very into what he called lolicon, and I never really found a way to properly respond whenever he brought it up.
And I completely agree with your former point. When I'm in the mood for reading I read an actual novel from the list of countless books I keep meaning to get around to. I watch anime for the...
And I completely agree with your former point. When I'm in the mood for reading I read an actual novel from the list of countless books I keep meaning to get around to.
I watch anime for the full-color 1080p audiovisual experience, and unless the plot is spectacular, I'm not interested in squinting at the same story in black and white panels the size of a playing card.
I'm surprised to find anyone who doesn't just give me a self-satisfied smirk for thinking so, though, so nice to meet you.
A lot of manga has really great art, and you probably shouldn't be reading on a device the size of a playing card. Personally, I would recommend getting an e-reader for reading manga. There are a...
A lot of manga has really great art, and you probably shouldn't be reading on a device the size of a playing card.
Personally, I would recommend getting an e-reader for reading manga.
There are a lot of anime with comparably worse art/overuse of CGI, in which case I would actually recommend the manga over the anime. One notable example is season 2 of One Punch Man.
People probably smirk at you because you're missing out on a lot of high quality content because you dismiss it's value so quickly.
Oh, it's not quickly at all. I've been into this stuff for decades, and each panel in a normal manga is, in fact, small like a playing card (talking about reading it on paper here, so not sure...
Oh, it's not quickly at all. I've been into this stuff for decades, and each panel in a normal manga is, in fact, small like a playing card (talking about reading it on paper here, so not sure where you got the idea of "your device.")
Occasionally the manga has better artwork than the anime. Like maybe 5% of the time.
Sorry, when you said the size of a playing card, I assumed you meant you were reading on smartphone, which is the size of a playing card. For me, I don't have any trouble seeing the panels on a...
and each panel in a normal manga is, in fact, small like a playing card (talking about reading it on paper here, so not sure where you got the idea of "your device.")
Sorry, when you said the size of a playing card, I assumed you meant you were reading on smartphone, which is the size of a playing card. For me, I don't have any trouble seeing the panels on a regular sized manga page. I don't have to squint to see them or to discern details, so that may be a reason you don't like it.
Occasionally the manga has better artwork than the anime. Like maybe 5% of the time.
In my experience, a lot of Anime is just an advertisement for the manga, in which case the animation is usually not a good as the manga's art. For more popular series', the animation is usually better, but that's not always the case. I would say it happens more like 25%-50% of the time.
You probably already know this, but I wanted to pick on your choice of example as a way to advertise to other folks about the other work by ONE, Mob Psycho 100. ONE is the author of the...
There are a lot of anime with comparably worse art/overuse of CGI, in which case I would actually recommend the manga over the anime. One notable example is season 2 of One Punch Man.
You probably already know this, but I wanted to pick on your choice of example as a way to advertise to other folks about the other work by ONE, Mob Psycho 100.
It was remade as another series by Murata with better visuals which is what the anime tries to replicate.
So comparing the One-Punch Man anime to the manga isn't the best comparison. I agree that Season 2 visually is not as good as Season 1, but Season 1 was pretty good and about equal or better than the both versions of the manga.
On the other end, Mob Psycho 100, both the manga and anime, aren't the best visually (usually intentionally) but the comedy is top tier in my opinion with likeable characters and entertaining story.
Yeah Mob Psycho 100 is great. I've actually read the entire web comic for both Mob Psycho 100 and One Punch Man. Personally I think ONE's art has a sortof charm that I don't see in a lot of other...
Yeah Mob Psycho 100 is great. I've actually read the entire web comic for both Mob Psycho 100 and One Punch Man. Personally I think ONE's art has a sortof charm that I don't see in a lot of other manga. Murata's art definitely blows ONE out of the water though, quality wise...
Season 1 of OPM was incredibly well animated. I was comparing season 2 to Murata's manga, which I think is a pretty good comparison, since they both cover the same source material.
I hope this isn't too off-topic, but I wanted to say that I've made this exact same point when it comes to video games. If it dumps a lot of text on you to read, I think I could just read a book...
If I wanted to be reading a book I would be reading a book.
I hope this isn't too off-topic, but I wanted to say that I've made this exact same point when it comes to video games. If it dumps a lot of text on you to read, I think I could just read a book instead. If there are hours and hours of cutscenes, I think I could just watch a movie instead.
Eh - that is just a different sort of game, and doesn't have to be for everyone. What would be different is someone telling you that the hack and slash you were playing had a deep storyline and...
Eh - that is just a different sort of game, and doesn't have to be for everyone. What would be different is someone telling you that the hack and slash you were playing had a deep storyline and you needed to go off and read the books to make sense of it.
Yeah, it depends on the game. The example I was thinking of was some Fire Emblem game I played a while back. I was expecting a whole lot of tactical combat. There was some cutscene, and that's...
Yeah, it depends on the game. The example I was thinking of was some Fire Emblem game I played a while back. I was expecting a whole lot of tactical combat. There was some cutscene, and that's cool, it progresses the story... but it just went on, and on, and on. Not even so much as a dialogue choice.
I only watch dubbed anime. I don't want to read subtitles, and I just don't enjoy watching the subs. It feels like a chore. I know other people think that the dubs are weird, and they are probably...
I only watch dubbed anime. I don't want to read subtitles, and I just don't enjoy watching the subs. It feels like a chore. I know other people think that the dubs are weird, and they are probably bother by it the same way I am bothered by subs, but I just don't see anything wrong with dubs. It's completely subjective, and I don't get why most of the people I know insist so much that it is not.
For me, at least, when I watch subbed anime (or anything else with subs for that matter) after about a minute I totally forget the subs are there and it just feels like the voice actors are...
For me, at least, when I watch subbed anime (or anything else with subs for that matter) after about a minute I totally forget the subs are there and it just feels like the voice actors are speaking in English. Sometimes I alt-tab away and realize I don't actually know what's behind said.
When I watch badly dubbed anime (which I find is pretty common), it's actually more immersion breaking, as it doesn't feel like the characters are actually the ones speaking.
I know this is super subjective, but I imagine many anime fans who denounce dubs feel the same way I do.
Based on my experience, this is super usual to those of us who grew up watching foreign language (often English) shows subbed. We do this pretty much automatically, and the alt-tab confusion I...
Based on my experience, this is super usual to those of us who grew up watching foreign language (often English) shows subbed. We do this pretty much automatically, and the alt-tab confusion I have heard from most of my friends who watch anime.
Yeah, sometimes I'll have a "you're now breathing manually" moment in the middle of an episode in regards to reading subtitles, but it goes away after like thirty seconds. I actually watch a lot...
Yeah, sometimes I'll have a "you're now breathing manually" moment in the middle of an episode in regards to reading subtitles, but it goes away after like thirty seconds.
I actually watch a lot of English shows subbed as well, so I don't misunderstand words. It also helps me focus on the dialog more.
I have some friends that do this and it drives me up a wall. So much of the intended pacing and delivery is lost which can have a large effect on the impact of the scene, on top of being visually...
I actually watch a lot of English shows subbed as well
I have some friends that do this and it drives me up a wall. So much of the intended pacing and delivery is lost which can have a large effect on the impact of the scene, on top of being visually distracting. For foreign language (or nearly incomprehensible native language) content, the difference in quality between original audio and dubs usually makes dealing with subs worth it.
I hate having to adjust volume while I'm watching because the cycle of loud stuff, then inaudible talking, then loud stuff drives me crazy. I agree that it kills pacing, but I prefer that to the...
I hate having to adjust volume while I'm watching because the cycle of loud stuff, then inaudible talking, then loud stuff drives me crazy. I agree that it kills pacing, but I prefer that to the alternative of bad sound mixing.
Yeah, that's also a real pain and a volume dance I know all too well. I've found getting a dedicated sound system can reduce or even eliminate the problem for all but the worst mixed content....
Yeah, that's also a real pain and a volume dance I know all too well. I've found getting a dedicated sound system can reduce or even eliminate the problem for all but the worst mixed content. Modern TVs have small, crappy downward or backward firing speakers, which will muddy the sound overall, but have a greater effect on higher frequencies (e.g. dialog) vs lower (e.g. explosions), making it even worse. A basic 2.1 setup would let you at least fire forward, getting you back to the mixing itself. A full 5+ setup would let you adjust the center (usually dialogue) channel specifically.
Other than that, dig around your tv settings. Most modern smart TVs have one or more audio adjustments that attempt to improve dialogue. For example, my Bravia has something like "Clear Voice" that tries to lower background sounds, as well as a "Night Mode" that's supposed to do something similar. Other than fancy settings, you can experiment with lowering bass and increasing treble.
I'll have to check out my sound settings, for sure. Spent all that time getting the picture right, never thought to bother with the sound for some reason
I'll have to check out my sound settings, for sure. Spent all that time getting the picture right, never thought to bother with the sound for some reason
I understood that is how they felt. It's just I had a hard time getting across that I felt the opposite way, and that's where a lot of the disagreement happened between me and the people I talked...
I understood that is how they felt. It's just I had a hard time getting across that I felt the opposite way, and that's where a lot of the disagreement happened between me and the people I talked to. They just couldn't see from my point of view.
I think what ignited the sub vs dub war is the awful quality of earlier dubs. 4Kids and Nelvana generally did a horrible job at dubbing anime due to the wacky voices they used, the sheer amount of...
I think what ignited the sub vs dub war is the awful quality of earlier dubs. 4Kids and Nelvana generally did a horrible job at dubbing anime due to the wacky voices they used, the sheer amount of censorship and the total disrespect they've have for the original series. Cardcaptors, Shaman King and One Piece are generally great examples of how a dub butchered the original source material.
Funimation have been hit-or-miss in my opinion. Some of their dubs are phenomenal (Fullmetal Alchemist) while others miss the mark by quite a bit (Dragon Ball Super.)
This is sort of unrelated, but I’ve found one benefit of subs is that they force me to devote my full concentration to the show. I know it’s a bad habit, but I rarely watch TV without multitasking...
This is sort of unrelated, but I’ve found one benefit of subs is that they force me to devote my full concentration to the show. I know it’s a bad habit, but I rarely watch TV without multitasking nowadays. For anime series with complex storylines and emotional beats, I think having full concentration has greatly improved my enjoyment of them. Not to mention, I love taking a closer look at the art and thinking about all the time and effort that goes into each hand-drawn frame.
I know this isn’t necessarily a benefit of subs, and it’s mostly the fault of my short attention span, but it is one reason I prefer subs over dubs.
I actually have the opposite effect with subs. I found myself getting distracted reading that I had to go back to enjoy the art. But I agree with you, the effects are tied to the individual.
I actually have the opposite effect with subs. I found myself getting distracted reading that I had to go back to enjoy the art. But I agree with you, the effects are tied to the individual.
I believe most original dubs are superior to localization. This is not to say that Japanese voice artists are necessarily better than the ones from other countries, but original dubs for top IPs...
I believe most original dubs are superior to localization. This is not to say that Japanese voice artists are necessarily better than the ones from other countries, but original dubs for top IPs usually have a bigger budgets (relative to their markets), and also benefit from the fact that the voice artists are somehow closer to the rest of the creative chain.
But I certainly won't judge anyone for avoiding subtitles. These things are supposed to be fun, that's the golden rule ;)
Paranoia Agent just isn't very good. Almost all anime is shallow as hell garbage that you should have grown out of by 16. Gokusen is actually good, and needs a live-action western remake series.
Paranoia Agent just isn't very good.
Almost all anime is shallow as hell garbage that you should have grown out of by 16.
Gokusen is actually good, and needs a live-action western remake series.
I think it's unfair to state that "almost all anime is shallow as hell garbage". In reality, most media produced isn't very good, and is usually designed for mass market appeal rather than...
I think it's unfair to state that "almost all anime is shallow as hell garbage". In reality, most media produced isn't very good, and is usually designed for mass market appeal rather than quality, and it's up to the viewer to find the gems. This is true for both anime and western media.
I'd say your second take is wildly popular in most anime communities. We seem to have a self-hate problem where very few allow themselves to genuinely love anime without finding a way to feel...
I'd say your second take is wildly popular in most anime communities. We seem to have a self-hate problem where very few allow themselves to genuinely love anime without finding a way to feel superior to other anime fans, putting themselves down, or just justifying it as all "dumb fun".
Yes, most anime is shit. I realized that early on. But, if you think about it, isn't it true about every medium? The main difference is that many anime fans are so fascinated that they think...
Almost all anime is shallow as hell garbage that you should have grown out of by 16.
Yes, most anime is shit. I realized that early on. But, if you think about it, isn't it true about every medium? The main difference is that many anime fans are so fascinated that they think everything coming from Japan is necessarily good.
ARGH! I'm triggered. You don't insult the work of Satoshi Kon! In all seriousness, though, unless you are Japanese, Paranoia Agent isn't really meant for you. It's a critique (several of them,...
Paranoia Agent just isn't very good.
ARGH! I'm triggered. You don't insult the work of Satoshi Kon!
In all seriousness, though, unless you are Japanese, Paranoia Agent isn't really meant for you. It's a critique (several of them, actually) of Japanese culture, so it's just not quite going to work as well when viewed by people from other cultures.
And honestly, the episode Happy Family Planning has a lot of personal meaning to me. When I was coming to terms with my sexuality there were some gay characters in media, but this was the first time media had actually given me the message that it's OK to be gay and that there was still going to be a life I could build.
I know. It's pretty good, and if people haven't seen it they might enjoy it if they check it out. The one I saw had pretty comprehensive cultural notes which helped me out.
I know. It's pretty good, and if people haven't seen it they might enjoy it if they check it out.
The one I saw had pretty comprehensive cultural notes which helped me out.
That is true about lots of "philosophical" works of art. They're not meant to teach you philosophy, nor to rival the knowledge of any undergraduate student. Among other things, Evangelion uses...
I also kinda hated Evangelion. I thought the philosophy, one the the aspect's of the show that get's the most praise, was something out of a Philosophy 201 elective.
That is true about lots of "philosophical" works of art. They're not meant to teach you philosophy, nor to rival the knowledge of any undergraduate student. Among other things, Evangelion uses mystery, a meditative rhythm and dialectical montage to provoke an anguished expectation in the viewer. As a curiosity, the only school of thought that Hideaki Anno expressively used as inspiration was not exactly philosophy, but Freudian/Lacanian psychoanalysis.
I must also point out that there are many qualities other than its symbolism that make Evangelion worth of notice. I'm actually writing an extensive analysis on the subject, which I intend to post it later this next week.
The pacing was uneven, even for an anime,
It is true that the pacing is uneven, but it is also true that some of the pacing problems people point out are not problems at all. They're part of an artistic strategy that successfully creates an atmosphere of apathy and detachment that mirrors Shinji's inner state.
and the show's treatment of every single female character was straight-up gross
That is probably true, but I wouldn't say it is any grosser than other anime of its time. There are obvious issues, of course, but the treatment of sexuality is quite mature for an anime released in 1995. Besides, we are talking about very few scenes. I wouldn't hold it against it.
It would be productive if you detailed your point, though. With the obvious exception of some Asuka scenes (and, more seriously, the naturalization of Kaji's sexual interest for her), I have no issues with female representation in Evangelion.
which is made even weirder due to the fact that half of them are 14.
True.
That said, you are not forced to like Evangelion. I'm just answering to your motives.
There is certainly too much of that, but in many cases that’s in harmony with the story. I find it particularly justified in the characterization of Misato.
There is certainly too much of that, but in many cases that’s in harmony with the story. I find it particularly justified in the characterization of Misato.
Although I have spoke out against 3d animated anime here before, I actually thought Nobunaga Concerto looked pretty good. I'm really suprised by how popular Overlord is within the anime community....
Although I have spoke out against 3d animated anime here before, I actually thought Nobunaga Concerto looked pretty good.
I'm really suprised by how popular Overlord is within the anime community. Personally it seems incredibly bland, and the story doesn't actually go anywhere.
More recently, Shield Hero, was relatively popular when it first started airing, due to an interesting premise presented within it's first few episodes. I thought the premise was totally wasted later though, and the show devolves into another boring isekai power fantasy. This opinion is probably becoming less and less unpopular over time though.
I can get Overlord. It's basically another Isekai except with the power fantasy turned to 11. I found it really engaging when it started, but then the plot screeched to a stop and then started...
I can get Overlord. It's basically another Isekai except with the power fantasy turned to 11. I found it really engaging when it started, but then the plot screeched to a stop and then started delving into the personalities of the subcast who are all bland and unrealistic. It happens to so many series. And it doesn't help that Madhouse went bankrupt around the time the series first came out.
I don't want to offend anyone, but I noticed that a lot of anime fans tend to latch on to an Anime and won't let go no matter how far off the rails or how slow the plot moves. When SAO first came out, it was super fresh and interesting, but then the plot went absolutely crazy, rebooted itself midway through the season, and has been kind of going on a loop since then. But there are still plenty of fans left. And then there are super long-running shows that go very slowly but retain lots of fans - it's typically shonen style properties like One Piece, Naruto, and the like.
I don't think less of people who stay on these shows, but I just don't understand the appeal.
A lot of shows borrow from the Elfen Lied playbook of shocking first episode, and then just kinda shuffling around until trouble shows up mid season. That's kind of a principle of all media, in...
I noticed that a lot of anime fans tend to latch on to an Anime and won't let go no matter how far off the rails or how slow the plot moves.
A lot of shows borrow from the Elfen Lied playbook of shocking first episode, and then just kinda shuffling around until trouble shows up mid season. That's kind of a principle of all media, in that you are introduced to characters and you're willing to put up with some sloggy plotting because you're are already invested with it. Anime is a pulp format, so it gets really formula plots with interchangeable characters, but they are the ones that you know and are willing to follow, and it's everyone else's faves that are boring.
We've reached the point where CGI can closely resemble hand drawn animation. Dragon Ball FighterZ, RWBY (more anime-inspired than actual anime) and even Knights of Sidonia are phenomenal examples,...
Although I have spoke out against 3d animated anime here before, I actually thought Nobunaga Concerto looked pretty good.
We've reached the point where CGI can closely resemble hand drawn animation. Dragon Ball FighterZ, RWBY (more anime-inspired than actual anime) and even Knights of Sidonia are phenomenal examples, though the latter has an awful framerate that makes it hard to watch.
If anything CGI is a necessity to keep quality relatively high and keep costs and production time down. Anime costs a shitload to produce and it's largely the reason why the industry is so cutthroat, why blu-rays are so damn expensive and why merchandising is so heavy.
Studio DEEN is extremely underrated. And it's not just because they've got some great shows like Konosuba and Log Horizon under their belt. It's mostly because they have the best BL anime out...
Studio DEEN is extremely underrated. And it's not just because they've got some great shows like Konosuba and Log Horizon under their belt. It's mostly because they have the best BL anime out there. :P
Edit: I also liked Neo Yokio. It's technically anime.
I actually enjoy Neo Yokio and thought the Christmas special was one of the funniest things I've ever watched. I don't think I've ever met anyone who liked that show, though. A pity, because I was...
I actually enjoy Neo Yokio and thought the Christmas special was one of the funniest things I've ever watched. I don't think I've ever met anyone who liked that show, though. A pity, because I was really hoping it would have a second season.
Neo Yokio is in on the joke, which turns off a whole lot of people that either want to take it seriously as a class consciousness parable, and leaves a bad taste in the mouth of anyone seeking out...
Neo Yokio is in on the joke, which turns off a whole lot of people that either want to take it seriously as a class consciousness parable, and leaves a bad taste in the mouth of anyone seeking out So Bad It's Good material. But the Christmas Special is pretty good in that Kaz's lack of self awareness is actively pointed out by the format, and it's probably the best that the show has to offer.
Hmm... what's your rationale re: FMA:B? I'm guessing you watched the first FMA, yes? I watched the first 10 episodes or so and dropped it, but came to Brotherhood some time later and quite enjoyed...
Hmm... what's your rationale re: FMA:B? I'm guessing you watched the first FMA, yes? I watched the first 10 episodes or so and dropped it, but came to Brotherhood some time later and quite enjoyed it. I've always thought that if Brotherhood didn't have to adjust their pacing in the early episodes to contend with much of their audience having already seen the same content, they would have probably made a masterpiece.
End of Evangelion is a completely unnecessary addition to the series which only simplifies the ending for no real gain. Its only value is in being gorgeous to look at. Related to my response to...
End of Evangelion is a completely unnecessary addition to the series which only simplifies the ending for no real gain. Its only value is in being gorgeous to look at.
Related to my response to another comment, but anime fans need to ride a better line in their relationship to anime. We're so obsessed with making sure we're self aware that we constantly call ourselves "weebs" (guilty), "Anime was a mistake" is posted regularly, we disguise our love for it irl, we put each other down for being part of the community, and we avoid uncool anime which would make us look immature. I'd love to see us defeat that insecurity at some point and just let ourselves enjoy things. We need to be more critical of anime and less ashamed of it.
Agreed. It turned a series that was an introspective character study and turned it into spectacle. It's kind of like how The Empire Strikes Back was a polished 'Hollywood' sequel to the fairly...
End of Evangelion is a completely unnecessary addition to the series which only simplifies the ending for no real gain. Its only value is in being gorgeous to look at.
Agreed. It turned a series that was an introspective character study and turned it into spectacle. It's kind of like how The Empire Strikes Back was a polished 'Hollywood' sequel to the fairly experimental and imaginative original Star Wars.
Here's one counterargument from someone who didn't particularly care for NGE - EoE gave the characters more room to breathe than the 24-minute-per-episode, monster-of-the-week format the series...
End of Evangelion is a completely unnecessary addition to the series which only simplifies the ending for no real gain. Its only value is in being gorgeous to look at.
Here's one counterargument from someone who didn't particularly care for NGE - EoE gave the characters more room to breathe than the 24-minute-per-episode, monster-of-the-week format the series followed, and went a looooooong way in making them more believable. The controversial hospital scene with Shinji, for example, I saw as one of the few things that gave him some much-needed depth, and would argue for its inclusion on that basis above and beyond any fan reproach on Anno's part.
I always thought so, and was not aware this was an unpopular opinion.
End of Evangelion is a completely unnecessary addition to the series which only simplifies the ending for no real gain. Its only value is in being gorgeous to look at.
I always thought so, and was not aware this was an unpopular opinion.
Oh, I'll throw in another: Anime is as good as it ever was. This means that I'm the annoying shit that says old fans should like new stuff and new fans should like old stuff more.
Oh, I'll throw in another: Anime is as good as it ever was.
This means that I'm the annoying shit that says old fans should like new stuff and new fans should like old stuff more.
Toradora has some of the most insufferable characters out there. Reddit anime community loves to fawn over that show but that show is a pure drag from a casual viewer's pov and tries hard to be...
Toradora has some of the most insufferable characters out there. Reddit anime community loves to fawn over that show but that show is a pure drag from a casual viewer's pov and tries hard to be both comedy and shitty Indian soap opera. Sorry but there is nothing likable about someone as abusive as Taiga. I would seriously never recommend it to anyone.
Eva being overrated was already discussed, so I'll skip that. Important for its time, and worth watching for anime historical context, not that great now. I think FLCL is also highly overrated....
Eva being overrated was already discussed, so I'll skip that. Important for its time, and worth watching for anime historical context, not that great now.
I think FLCL is also highly overrated. I've watched it twice, once as a late teen and again years (and may animes) later as an adult, hoping it would click. While I can agree that the Pillows soundtrack is good, as well as the animation, I didn't like much else. The characters were annoying, the lol-random was offputting, the metaphors were obvious, and it was a bit of a jumbled mess. I get what they were going for, just not particularly well executed. A big boost in popularity likely came from being one of the earlier animes coming to a mainstream western teen audience via AdultSwim gained it an audience.
Not wanting to be totally negative toward Gainex, I loved Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Though, unlike Eva and FLCL which were original works, their involvement in Gurren Lagann was animation.
Saying "go and read the manga/light novel instead" immediately and irrevocably makes you an arsehole who should keep your opinions to yourself. If I wanted to be reading a book I would be reading a book. However the bigger arseholes are the companies who produce a single season of an anime telling nothing but the beginnings of stories as a bullshit ad for people to go and buy things that aren't anime.
That and the obsession certain anime/source material writers and fans have with certain topics: paedophilia (sorry, lolicon), father-daughter relationships turned sexual, incest in general, sexual relationships as a reward for being powerful...blech.
I completely agree with your latter point. I had a problem with a friend in the past who was very into what he called lolicon, and I never really found a way to properly respond whenever he brought it up.
And I completely agree with your former point. When I'm in the mood for reading I read an actual novel from the list of countless books I keep meaning to get around to.
I watch anime for the full-color 1080p audiovisual experience, and unless the plot is spectacular, I'm not interested in squinting at the same story in black and white panels the size of a playing card.
I'm surprised to find anyone who doesn't just give me a self-satisfied smirk for thinking so, though, so nice to meet you.
A lot of manga has really great art, and you probably shouldn't be reading on a device the size of a playing card.
Personally, I would recommend getting an e-reader for reading manga.
There are a lot of anime with comparably worse art/overuse of CGI, in which case I would actually recommend the manga over the anime. One notable example is season 2 of One Punch Man.
People probably smirk at you because you're missing out on a lot of high quality content because you dismiss it's value so quickly.
Oh, it's not quickly at all. I've been into this stuff for decades, and each panel in a normal manga is, in fact, small like a playing card (talking about reading it on paper here, so not sure where you got the idea of "your device.")
Occasionally the manga has better artwork than the anime. Like maybe 5% of the time.
Sorry, when you said the size of a playing card, I assumed you meant you were reading on smartphone, which is the size of a playing card. For me, I don't have any trouble seeing the panels on a regular sized manga page. I don't have to squint to see them or to discern details, so that may be a reason you don't like it.
In my experience, a lot of Anime is just an advertisement for the manga, in which case the animation is usually not a good as the manga's art. For more popular series', the animation is usually better, but that's not always the case. I would say it happens more like 25%-50% of the time.
You probably already know this, but I wanted to pick on your choice of example as a way to advertise to other folks about the other work by ONE, Mob Psycho 100.
ONE is the author of the original/source material of One-Punch Man. It started as a web manga/comic series that looks like this:
https://i2.mangareader.net/onepunch-man-one/32/onepunch-man-one-4340773.jpg
It was remade as another series by Murata with better visuals which is what the anime tries to replicate.
So comparing the One-Punch Man anime to the manga isn't the best comparison. I agree that Season 2 visually is not as good as Season 1, but Season 1 was pretty good and about equal or better than the both versions of the manga.
On the other end, Mob Psycho 100, both the manga and anime, aren't the best visually (usually intentionally) but the comedy is top tier in my opinion with likeable characters and entertaining story.
Yeah Mob Psycho 100 is great. I've actually read the entire web comic for both Mob Psycho 100 and One Punch Man. Personally I think ONE's art has a sortof charm that I don't see in a lot of other manga. Murata's art definitely blows ONE out of the water though, quality wise...
Season 1 of OPM was incredibly well animated. I was comparing season 2 to Murata's manga, which I think is a pretty good comparison, since they both cover the same source material.
I hope this isn't too off-topic, but I wanted to say that I've made this exact same point when it comes to video games. If it dumps a lot of text on you to read, I think I could just read a book instead. If there are hours and hours of cutscenes, I think I could just watch a movie instead.
Eh - that is just a different sort of game, and doesn't have to be for everyone. What would be different is someone telling you that the hack and slash you were playing had a deep storyline and you needed to go off and read the books to make sense of it.
Yeah, it depends on the game. The example I was thinking of was some Fire Emblem game I played a while back. I was expecting a whole lot of tactical combat. There was some cutscene, and that's cool, it progresses the story... but it just went on, and on, and on. Not even so much as a dialogue choice.
I only watch dubbed anime. I don't want to read subtitles, and I just don't enjoy watching the subs. It feels like a chore. I know other people think that the dubs are weird, and they are probably bother by it the same way I am bothered by subs, but I just don't see anything wrong with dubs. It's completely subjective, and I don't get why most of the people I know insist so much that it is not.
For me, at least, when I watch subbed anime (or anything else with subs for that matter) after about a minute I totally forget the subs are there and it just feels like the voice actors are speaking in English. Sometimes I alt-tab away and realize I don't actually know what's behind said.
When I watch badly dubbed anime (which I find is pretty common), it's actually more immersion breaking, as it doesn't feel like the characters are actually the ones speaking.
I know this is super subjective, but I imagine many anime fans who denounce dubs feel the same way I do.
Based on my experience, this is super usual to those of us who grew up watching foreign language (often English) shows subbed. We do this pretty much automatically, and the alt-tab confusion I have heard from most of my friends who watch anime.
Yeah, sometimes I'll have a "you're now breathing manually" moment in the middle of an episode in regards to reading subtitles, but it goes away after like thirty seconds.
I actually watch a lot of English shows subbed as well, so I don't misunderstand words. It also helps me focus on the dialog more.
I have some friends that do this and it drives me up a wall. So much of the intended pacing and delivery is lost which can have a large effect on the impact of the scene, on top of being visually distracting. For foreign language (or nearly incomprehensible native language) content, the difference in quality between original audio and dubs usually makes dealing with subs worth it.
I hate having to adjust volume while I'm watching because the cycle of loud stuff, then inaudible talking, then loud stuff drives me crazy. I agree that it kills pacing, but I prefer that to the alternative of bad sound mixing.
Yeah, that's also a real pain and a volume dance I know all too well. I've found getting a dedicated sound system can reduce or even eliminate the problem for all but the worst mixed content. Modern TVs have small, crappy downward or backward firing speakers, which will muddy the sound overall, but have a greater effect on higher frequencies (e.g. dialog) vs lower (e.g. explosions), making it even worse. A basic 2.1 setup would let you at least fire forward, getting you back to the mixing itself. A full 5+ setup would let you adjust the center (usually dialogue) channel specifically.
Other than that, dig around your tv settings. Most modern smart TVs have one or more audio adjustments that attempt to improve dialogue. For example, my Bravia has something like "Clear Voice" that tries to lower background sounds, as well as a "Night Mode" that's supposed to do something similar. Other than fancy settings, you can experiment with lowering bass and increasing treble.
I'll have to check out my sound settings, for sure. Spent all that time getting the picture right, never thought to bother with the sound for some reason
I understood that is how they felt. It's just I had a hard time getting across that I felt the opposite way, and that's where a lot of the disagreement happened between me and the people I talked to. They just couldn't see from my point of view.
I think what ignited the sub vs dub war is the awful quality of earlier dubs. 4Kids and Nelvana generally did a horrible job at dubbing anime due to the wacky voices they used, the sheer amount of censorship and the total disrespect they've have for the original series. Cardcaptors, Shaman King and One Piece are generally great examples of how a dub butchered the original source material.
Funimation have been hit-or-miss in my opinion. Some of their dubs are phenomenal (Fullmetal Alchemist) while others miss the mark by quite a bit (Dragon Ball Super.)
This is sort of unrelated, but I’ve found one benefit of subs is that they force me to devote my full concentration to the show. I know it’s a bad habit, but I rarely watch TV without multitasking nowadays. For anime series with complex storylines and emotional beats, I think having full concentration has greatly improved my enjoyment of them. Not to mention, I love taking a closer look at the art and thinking about all the time and effort that goes into each hand-drawn frame.
I know this isn’t necessarily a benefit of subs, and it’s mostly the fault of my short attention span, but it is one reason I prefer subs over dubs.
I actually have the opposite effect with subs. I found myself getting distracted reading that I had to go back to enjoy the art. But I agree with you, the effects are tied to the individual.
I believe most original dubs are superior to localization. This is not to say that Japanese voice artists are necessarily better than the ones from other countries, but original dubs for top IPs usually have a bigger budgets (relative to their markets), and also benefit from the fact that the voice artists are somehow closer to the rest of the creative chain.
But I certainly won't judge anyone for avoiding subtitles. These things are supposed to be fun, that's the golden rule ;)
Paranoia Agent just isn't very good.
Almost all anime is shallow as hell garbage that you should have grown out of by 16.
Gokusen is actually good, and needs a live-action western remake series.
I think it's unfair to state that "almost all anime is shallow as hell garbage". In reality, most media produced isn't very good, and is usually designed for mass market appeal rather than quality, and it's up to the viewer to find the gems. This is true for both anime and western media.
Is it still unfair if it's true, then? They didn't necessarily say it was garbage compared to western media.
I think the implication, at least the way I read it, was that the statement was in contrast to other forms of media. Correct me if I'm wrong I guess.
The way I see it, you're both right.
I'd say your second take is wildly popular in most anime communities. We seem to have a self-hate problem where very few allow themselves to genuinely love anime without finding a way to feel superior to other anime fans, putting themselves down, or just justifying it as all "dumb fun".
It's kinda sad.
It's either that we criticize ourselves or the media we see ourselves in, and as Star Wars taught us, one of those is much easier than the other.
Yes, most anime is shit. I realized that early on. But, if you think about it, isn't it true about every medium? The main difference is that many anime fans are so fascinated that they think everything coming from Japan is necessarily good.
ARGH! I'm triggered. You don't insult the work of Satoshi Kon!
In all seriousness, though, unless you are Japanese, Paranoia Agent isn't really meant for you. It's a critique (several of them, actually) of Japanese culture, so it's just not quite going to work as well when viewed by people from other cultures.
And honestly, the episode Happy Family Planning has a lot of personal meaning to me. When I was coming to terms with my sexuality there were some gay characters in media, but this was the first time media had actually given me the message that it's OK to be gay and that there was still going to be a life I could build.
I know. It's pretty good, and if people haven't seen it they might enjoy it if they check it out.
The one I saw had pretty comprehensive cultural notes which helped me out.
That is true about lots of "philosophical" works of art. They're not meant to teach you philosophy, nor to rival the knowledge of any undergraduate student. Among other things, Evangelion uses mystery, a meditative rhythm and dialectical montage to provoke an anguished expectation in the viewer. As a curiosity, the only school of thought that Hideaki Anno expressively used as inspiration was not exactly philosophy, but Freudian/Lacanian psychoanalysis.
I must also point out that there are many qualities other than its symbolism that make Evangelion worth of notice. I'm actually writing an extensive analysis on the subject, which I intend to post it
later thisnext week.It is true that the pacing is uneven, but it is also true that some of the pacing problems people point out are not problems at all. They're part of an artistic strategy that successfully creates an atmosphere of apathy and detachment that mirrors Shinji's inner state.
That is probably true, but I wouldn't say it is any grosser than other anime of its time. There are obvious issues, of course, but the treatment of sexuality is quite mature for an anime released in 1995. Besides, we are talking about very few scenes. I wouldn't hold it against it.
It would be productive if you detailed your point, though. With the obvious exception of some Asuka scenes (and, more seriously, the naturalization of Kaji's sexual interest for her), I have no issues with female representation in Evangelion.
True.
That said, you are not forced to like Evangelion. I'm just answering to your motives.
There is certainly too much of that, but in many cases that’s in harmony with the story. I find it particularly justified in the characterization of Misato.
Although I have spoke out against 3d animated anime here before, I actually thought Nobunaga Concerto looked pretty good.
I'm really suprised by how popular Overlord is within the anime community. Personally it seems incredibly bland, and the story doesn't actually go anywhere.
More recently, Shield Hero, was relatively popular when it first started airing, due to an interesting premise presented within it's first few episodes. I thought the premise was totally wasted later though, and the show devolves into another boring isekai power fantasy. This opinion is probably becoming less and less unpopular over time though.
I can get Overlord. It's basically another Isekai except with the power fantasy turned to 11. I found it really engaging when it started, but then the plot screeched to a stop and then started delving into the personalities of the subcast who are all bland and unrealistic. It happens to so many series. And it doesn't help that Madhouse went bankrupt around the time the series first came out.
I don't want to offend anyone, but I noticed that a lot of anime fans tend to latch on to an Anime and won't let go no matter how far off the rails or how slow the plot moves. When SAO first came out, it was super fresh and interesting, but then the plot went absolutely crazy, rebooted itself midway through the season, and has been kind of going on a loop since then. But there are still plenty of fans left. And then there are super long-running shows that go very slowly but retain lots of fans - it's typically shonen style properties like One Piece, Naruto, and the like.
I don't think less of people who stay on these shows, but I just don't understand the appeal.
A lot of shows borrow from the Elfen Lied playbook of shocking first episode, and then just kinda shuffling around until trouble shows up mid season. That's kind of a principle of all media, in that you are introduced to characters and you're willing to put up with some sloggy plotting because you're are already invested with it. Anime is a pulp format, so it gets really formula plots with interchangeable characters, but they are the ones that you know and are willing to follow, and it's everyone else's faves that are boring.
Did you watch Houseki no Kuni? It's 80%-ish 3D, with I think 2D work on the character's faces.
Man, shield hero had so much potential. The starting hook of an underpowered isekai protagonist and they blew it in what, 4 episodes?
We've reached the point where CGI can closely resemble hand drawn animation. Dragon Ball FighterZ, RWBY (more anime-inspired than actual anime) and even Knights of Sidonia are phenomenal examples, though the latter has an awful framerate that makes it hard to watch.
If anything CGI is a necessity to keep quality relatively high and keep costs and production time down. Anime costs a shitload to produce and it's largely the reason why the industry is so cutthroat, why blu-rays are so damn expensive and why merchandising is so heavy.
Studio DEEN is extremely underrated. And it's not just because they've got some great shows like Konosuba and Log Horizon under their belt. It's mostly because they have the best BL anime out there. :P
Edit: I also liked Neo Yokio. It's technically anime.
If it were only because of Konosuba and Log Horizon I'd agree on those points alone.
Those are gems, and anyone involved in their creation is a saint.
I actually enjoy Neo Yokio and thought the Christmas special was one of the funniest things I've ever watched. I don't think I've ever met anyone who liked that show, though. A pity, because I was really hoping it would have a second season.
Neo Yokio is in on the joke, which turns off a whole lot of people that either want to take it seriously as a class consciousness parable, and leaves a bad taste in the mouth of anyone seeking out So Bad It's Good material. But the Christmas Special is pretty good in that Kaz's lack of self awareness is actively pointed out by the format, and it's probably the best that the show has to offer.
Hmm... what's your rationale re: FMA:B? I'm guessing you watched the first FMA, yes? I watched the first 10 episodes or so and dropped it, but came to Brotherhood some time later and quite enjoyed it. I've always thought that if Brotherhood didn't have to adjust their pacing in the early episodes to contend with much of their audience having already seen the same content, they would have probably made a masterpiece.
End of Evangelion is a completely unnecessary addition to the series which only simplifies the ending for no real gain. Its only value is in being gorgeous to look at.
Related to my response to another comment, but anime fans need to ride a better line in their relationship to anime. We're so obsessed with making sure we're self aware that we constantly call ourselves "weebs" (guilty), "Anime was a mistake" is posted regularly, we disguise our love for it irl, we put each other down for being part of the community, and we avoid uncool anime which would make us look immature. I'd love to see us defeat that insecurity at some point and just let ourselves enjoy things. We need to be more critical of anime and less ashamed of it.
Agreed. It turned a series that was an introspective character study and turned it into spectacle. It's kind of like how The Empire Strikes Back was a polished 'Hollywood' sequel to the fairly experimental and imaginative original Star Wars.
Here's one counterargument from someone who didn't particularly care for NGE - EoE gave the characters more room to breathe than the 24-minute-per-episode, monster-of-the-week format the series followed, and went a looooooong way in making them more believable. The controversial hospital scene with Shinji, for example, I saw as one of the few things that gave him some much-needed depth, and would argue for its inclusion on that basis above and beyond any fan reproach on Anno's part.
I always thought so, and was not aware this was an unpopular opinion.
Yeah, it's regularly considered the best part and one of the great anime movies. It's strange.
Oh, I'll throw in another: Anime is as good as it ever was.
This means that I'm the annoying shit that says old fans should like new stuff and new fans should like old stuff more.
Hmm. Well, I enjoyed Macross F much more than I did the original Macross series.
(I really want to watch Macross 7, though. Damn you, Harmony Gold!)
Toradora has some of the most insufferable characters out there. Reddit anime community loves to fawn over that show but that show is a pure drag from a casual viewer's pov and tries hard to be both comedy and shitty Indian soap opera. Sorry but there is nothing likable about someone as abusive as Taiga. I would seriously never recommend it to anyone.
Eva being overrated was already discussed, so I'll skip that. Important for its time, and worth watching for anime historical context, not that great now.
I think FLCL is also highly overrated. I've watched it twice, once as a late teen and again years (and may animes) later as an adult, hoping it would click. While I can agree that the Pillows soundtrack is good, as well as the animation, I didn't like much else. The characters were annoying, the lol-random was offputting, the metaphors were obvious, and it was a bit of a jumbled mess. I get what they were going for, just not particularly well executed. A big boost in popularity likely came from being one of the earlier animes coming to a mainstream western teen audience via AdultSwim gained it an audience.
Not wanting to be totally negative toward Gainex, I loved Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Though, unlike Eva and FLCL which were original works, their involvement in Gurren Lagann was animation.
Gintama sucks. There, I said it. It's unfunny garbage that tries too hard. It's the Adam Sandler movies of anime.
It's just cartoons.