What's so great about anime?

Dennis Toy · Post by **Dennis Toy** » 2003-09-08 01:23am

mr Wong , do you watch anime on Saturday Morning because i think that you are judging all anime based on them. General rule, Avoid all Saturday Morning Anime because companies like 4kissmyass(4kids sorry) really likes top fuck up great anime like "Shaman King".

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2003-09-08 01:27am

I don't like anime for it's own sake, I just like good stories and characters. If an anime happens to have those, I'll probably enjoy it. However, as someone else said above, ninety percent of everything is crap.

Right now the only anime I watch is Big O, which I think I enjoy mostly for the characters and their development. I couldn't really care less why everyone in Paradigm lost their memories, for example. I'm much more interested in whether Angel is trustworthy, what Dorothy thinks of her own capacity for emotion, and why a flashy but decent guy like Roger doesn't seem to have any friends. The giant robot fights are almost beside the point, have been very brief in the last few episodes anyway, and aren't featured at all in some of the best fanfics.

On the other hand, you'd have to pay me money to get me to sit through Inuyasha. That's just me.

(And speaking of Big O, is it just me, or is it bloody WEIRD to see someone wearing a Yankees cap in an anime?!)

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-09-08 01:32am

Darth Wong wrote:Why is everyone so hot about it?

Because it's a nice break from the generic crap being pumped out of American television studios?

Most of the anime I've seen (movies and series both) have more plot, deeper characters and better style than the moronic lowest-common-denominator pandering and meandering garbage put out by the likes of Hollywood and the major Networks.

I like anime because it respects my intelligence. I also like it because it's a lot more fun than watching a half-rate actor bumble over his lines, say a witty catchphrase and drink from a can of Product Placement Cola. I also like animation because they can do things that would normally not be easy to do in something that's live action with apparently little effort.

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2003-09-08 01:40am

Dennis Toy wrote:mr Wong , do you watch anime on Saturday Morning because i think that you are judging all anime based on them. General rule, Avoid all Saturday Morning Anime because companies like 4kissmyass(4kids sorry) really likes top fuck up great anime like "Shaman King".

I'm interested in knowing what shows he's referring to that have 'song and dance numbers'.

For one thing, I want to be able to verify whether or not any of them top Transformers: The Movie's "Dare to be Stupid".

Damaramu · Post by **Damaramu** » 2003-09-08 01:58am

MKSheppard wrote:Excel Saga rocks. And so does Jin-Roh. Jin-Roh, if it was ever made into a live action movie would rock so fucking much it would rule, utterly.

Shep, TWO live action Panzer Cop movies were made: Jigoku no Banken: Akai Megane and Jigoku no Banken: Keruberosu.

Check out THIS page.....just scroll to the very bottom.

Grand Moff Yenchin · Post by **Grand Moff Yenchin** » 2003-09-08 02:47am

According to some anime research otaku group the number of audience in Japan has reduced heavily in recent years. I'm not suprised. I personally see the adaption of Pokemon and those game/toy related anime a heavy damage on the industry. During that time I could only find 2 or 3 good anime shows on TV, and before that almost everything was cool: There were at least 2 anime specific stations on cable and that wasn't enough!

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-09-08 03:12am

Grand Moff Yenchin wrote:According to some anime research otaku group the number of audience in Japan has reduced heavily in recent years. I'm not suprised. I personally see the adaption of Pokemon and those game/toy related anime a heavy damage on the industry. During that time I could only find 2 or 3 good anime shows on TV, and before that almost everything was cool: There were at least 2 anime specific stations on cable and that wasn't enough!

Only a small percentage of the anime that are shown on TV are good.

I think OVAs and movies have a bigger proportion of better anime.

Note: I think.

Rubberanvil · Post by **Rubberanvil** » 2003-09-08 03:42am

zombie84 wrote:i used to watch a lot of anime in the mid-90's, when it was still considered "underground"--to me it was different, original and cutting edge.

Funny thing is anime have been on American and European tvs for decades. Btw time of anime underground was in the mid-1970s to early-1990s.

Rubberanvil · Post by **Rubberanvil** » 2003-09-08 03:46am

Durran Korr wrote:
Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Production IG. An animation company.
The best one, in my opinion, except for Ghibli.

Animation wise they're probably the best but without Oshii [should he leaves], they'll be just another studio.

Rubberanvil · Post by **Rubberanvil** » 2003-09-08 04:08am

zombie84 wrote: Its not that all anime sucks now--indeed, some of the best anime that has ever been seen has been created in the last 5 years or so,

Most of the best have been made before 1999.

zombie84 · Post by **zombie84** » 2003-09-08 10:19am

I think another important point to bring up:

anime is not really created for adults.

Most anime is meant for children and teens. Shows like Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion are mature but it seems to me that their primary audience is still teenage boys. The derogatory term otaku comes to mind to describe nerdish japanese teens and single men who sit around and watch anime. Its true that most of anime can be enjoyed by adults as well--any given anime show generally features more intelligent plotting and themes than any given "American"-style animated show--but to my knowledge there doesnt seem to be anything in anime beyond futuristic bounty hunters and superhero vampire hunters and gratuitously nude women. Grave of the Fireflys comes to mind as an utterly realistic dramatic movie, but even that takes place from the perspective of children and therefore seems to be marketed more towards a younger crowd.

Is there anything out there that is geared strictly for adults and not just teens and comic-book geeks?

Xisiqomelir · Post by **Xisiqomelir** » 2003-09-08 11:05am

Kimagure Orange Road is a love story.

From the tone of your post though, I get the impression that you are looking for an animated About Schmidt. I fear this can only lead to disappointment for you.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-09-08 11:17am

zombie84 wrote:I think another important point to bring up:

anime is not really created for adults.

Most anime is meant for children and teens. Shows like Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion are mature but it seems to me that their primary audience is still teenage boys.

Thing is, I suppose that everyone has an "inner teenager" - which explains why shows aimed at 16-yr olds often enjoy much wider popularity than expected

The derogatory term otaku comes to mind to describe nerdish japanese teens and single men who sit around and watch anime.

The Japanese equivalents of The Comic Bookstore Guy?

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-09-08 11:21am

Rubberanvil wrote:
Durran Korr wrote:
Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Production IG. An animation company.
The best one, in my opinion, except for Ghibli.
Animation wise they're probably the best but without Oshii [should he leaves], they'll be just another studio.

I disagree. Kenji Kamiyama is a pretty talented young director. Although Oshii leaving would be a big blow.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-09-08 11:25am

Simon H.Johansen wrote:
The derogatory term otaku comes to mind to describe nerdish japanese teens and single men who sit around and watch anime.
The Japanese equivalents of The Comic Bookstore Guy?

More like the Japanese equivalent of John Hinckley Jr., but often without the more violent tendencies...

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2003-09-08 11:27am

Xisiqomelir wrote:Kimagure Orange Road is a love story.

From the tone of your post though, I get the impression that you are looking for an animated About Schmidt. I fear this can only lead to disappointment for you.

Now that was a damn good movie

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-09-08 11:29am

The Yosemite Bear wrote:Besides the Frank Miller/Dark Horse republishing of the entire Manga with a new translation team?

I meant movie.

Andras · Post by **Andras** » 2003-09-08 11:33am

Patlabor 2 is a great movie. Very tense.

The original BGC series was very musically inclined. It has a great soundtrack.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2003-09-08 01:32pm

Andras wrote:Patlabor 2 is a great movie. Very tense.

The original BGC series was very musically inclined. It has a great soundtrack.

They even did a live tour of it.

The DVD collection has videos from it on the soundtrack disc..

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-09-08 02:06pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:
Simon H.Johansen wrote:
The derogatory term otaku comes to mind to describe nerdish japanese teens and single men who sit around and watch anime.
The Japanese equivalents of The Comic Bookstore Guy?
More like the Japanese equivalent of John Hinckley Jr., but often without the more violent tendencies...

Who's John Hinckley Jr. ???

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-08 02:12pm

Simon H.Johansen wrote:Who's John Hinckley Jr. ???

The guy who tried to kill Reagan to impress Jody Foster.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2003-09-08 02:48pm

GrandAdmiralPrawn wrote: (And speaking of Big O, is it just me, or is it bloody WEIRD to see someone wearing a Yankees cap in an anime?!)

Just as weird as realizing that Paradime City is really what's left of NewYork and the Burroughs.

I'm just waiting for when Roger discovers *EXACTLY* what happened 40 yrs ago. All the hints leads to Wincroft (sp), who seems to have all his memories as well as control over Paradime Corp. But Angel is really making me wonder, especially after last night's episode with her reaction to the red balloon. Everytime that red balloon is seen, someone from outside Paradime City has had something to do with the episode. Hell, in the season opener, when the Bigs from elsewhere attack, Angel herself is holding the red balloon.

Umm... sorry. Didn't mean to hijack the thread, Wong. Still, this is one of the things that makes certain anime so compelling: the Storyline. If you could watch several back-to-back episodes of Big O, you'd see that the whole series is a tribute to Film Noir, from the cut of the clothing to the slow jazz music playing in the background.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-09-08 02:53pm

It pays homage to Batman: The Animated Series pretty heavily, as well. The Japanese seem to be quite fond of that one (justifiably so).

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2003-09-08 02:58pm

Durran Korr wrote:It pays homage to Batman: The Animated Series pretty heavily, as well. The Japanese seem to be quite fond of that one (justifiably so).

Yes, that series marked a change in how WarnerBros did their animation. I watched it constantly, because the visuals, the dialog, and the voice acting was just that fantastic. Unfortunately, everytime I see the Joker in a comic now, I hear Hamil's voice.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-09-08 03:14pm

Durran Korr wrote:It pays homage to Batman: The Animated Series pretty heavily, as well. The Japanese seem to be quite fond of that one (justifiably so).

IIRC, they're the ones that animated it.

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What's so great about anime?

Re: What's so great about anime?