Anime's You Find Overrated

[Flamezdudes]

Neon Genesis Evangelion.
I watched it again after a while the other day, and began to notice everything everyone was complaining about. Shinji's a whiny little ***** 'cause his Dad doesn't love him. Asuka delves further and further into insanity (and ultimately a coma) because she's a stuck up *****. And Rei was given no personality whatsoever.

they become more likeable in the rebuild movies (especially Shinji going gar 2.0)

I've seen both the rebuild movies, and while Rei and Asuka are certainly more likeable, Shinji is still a bit of a whiny *****, however when he rescues Rei from Zeruel, He is certifiably badarse.

I really don't understand the hate for Neon Genesis Evangelion. I mean sure, Shinji is whiny but considering he is a 14 year old boy going through the shit he goes through, who wouldn't be like that? Asuka does piss me off a lot but she has her reasons and I still like her as a character. Rei however has reasons for the way she acts.

Yes, Evangelion can seem like it's trying to be all deep and philosophical but I personally think it does it well. Even if the plot can be confusing I personally have been able to figure out the show at least and to be honest, all the battles and everything else in the show is just a tool to show the true intent and meaning of the show.

The funny thing is that NGE is considered so overrated at this point that's its status of 'overrated' is basically null and void since most people (who know about it) hate it anyway.

So you're saying people who haven't even seen it hate it and consider it over-rated without even seeing it, just because of how much people have made it out to be over-rated all this time?

No, no, no, not that... Although.

But if you ask the people who have seen it what they thought about, 8 out of 10 will probably say they hated it. And yet the show is still considered overrated, which strikes me as a bit odd. Maybe the minority (the people who like it) are just very vocal? I know I am.

Oh right, I understand now... Well, two friends of mine love Evangelion as do I however I do have another friend that doesn't like it at all. Maybe it's just one special instance with me though...

(And yeah i'm very vocal about it too!)

 

[keve4433]

Sounds interesting, I will check it out. I liked the general theme of Hellsing, it's just everything about it was done terribly.

Ya....I really have no idea what happened with the original series.

 

[LilithSlave]

The fact that people cannot seem to accept any possible criticism of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, I'm inclined to think of it as overrated. I mean, it's not possible to rate something more highly than Gurren Lagann has been rated.

 

[Broady Brio]

Cowboy Bebop. I watched it and it just... dsljknfedrwdikvbeuskwfbuygt. It was poopy.

 

[Flamezdudes]

The fact that people cannot seem to accept any possible criticism of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, I'm inclined to think of it as overrated. I mean, it's not possible to rate something more highly than Gurren Lagann has been rated.

I admit, people do over-rate it quite a bit. I went and saw all of it myself and loved it and it's definitely one of my favourite anime's, but yes... people do go on about it a lot.

 

[Gigano]

Paranoia Agent.

Not that there was anything wrong with it, it just wasn't particularly engaging either. Several other lauded titles I have no interest in watching, but as I haven't watched them, I can't really say whether or not they deserve their praise.

 

[itsausernamewhatofit]

Also Baccano!, the first episode was awful. It's going to take a lot of convincing to make me watch the rest.

The first episode is the weakest simply because it immediately gives the impression that the series is kind of schizophrenic and jumps around between years and characters without proper explanation. While there is a lot of this throughout the series, trust me it gets better. Once you really start to understand the story you it may validate the first episode. Baccano! is one of my favorite series and if you can get into it you'll never find anything else like it.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Good god, how many people I've seen citing this Anime as one of the, if not the, best Anime in existence. I'd beg to differ: what the series does extremely well is going over the top in each episode, hammering in some cool new development and a fight scene. You can also feel the passion that has gone inside this series at each instance - its so optimistic and positive in its attitude its a joy to see. The problem is, that that's all: there is no shred of credible character development, not much depth as far as I could see and to be honest, there is a point in which a series just becomes ridiculous; TTGL does this on a regular basis. If there ever is a line in your head regarding suspension of disbelief, this series crosses it. All the fucking time. I mean I can live with a lot strange stuff in an Anime (think Claymore or Paranoia Agent for instance) but Giant Robots throwing galaxies at each other? My head hurts just thinking about it....

Dear lord, so much this...

I thought it was OK at best, everything was overdone and a lot of the time it didn't know what it wanted to be. Great concept, poorly executed.

Oh cool, time to vent a little.

1. Fate/Stay Night.

What a complete piece of rubbish. One of the absolute worst things I've ever forced myself to watch. Completely filled with plot holes and things that simply make no sense, characters that I couldn't give less of a crap about and just SOOOooooo boring!
Maybe the visual novel makes sense and is entertaining but, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

3. Gantz.

Just completely disgusting. Boobs and gore, what more could we need? Apparently nothing. Because that's all Gantz is.

For FSN, most people around here will tell you it's crap, Fate Zero being sooooooo much better and being fucking shit compared to the VN. As for Gantz, I saw it, and thought it was the same (i.e. nothing but gore & titties supplemented by crappy characterisation), and could not believe my eyes when I saw the ANN review for it.

And yet, noone will read this list nor give two shits. Why do I bother replying again?

I read it... granted, I can only give you one shit for it, and I agree (apart from FMA, for which comments I'll make a painfully short-lived chimera of you...)

As for my input, aside from TTGL, the big three, anything with Gundam in the name, Samurai Champloo, anything with Dragon-Ball in the name, School Rumble, anything with Macross in the name, Death Note, Clannad, virtually every harem anime ever made, FMP: Fumoffu, every drawn-out-fighting-lots-of-gabbing-between-punches-comebacks-joker-unveiling anime ever made... and Hugh Jackman.

 

[Stryc9]

In before all of them.
I don't like most shonen titles, though I suppose that's rather normal around these parts. I also really do not like the Ghost in the Shell movie. The show was a thousand times better in every possible way. I watched recently with a friend and we were both severely disappointed.

This is because in the 1995 movie they didn't let any of the characters have any personality at all, and while I think this was done on purpose I also think that it kind of brings the whole movie down. It doesn't make it horrible but it keeps it from living up to what it could have been.

Having watched the entire Stand Alone Complex series and Solid State Society again recently along with the 1995 movie I have to say that I wish that the whole thing had been handled by the people that did Stand Alone Complex.

 

[loc978]

The fact that people cannot seem to accept any possible criticism of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, I'm inclined to think of it as overrated. I mean, it's not possible to rate something more highly than Gurren Lagann has been rated.

I'll second that. I went into that show expecting a comedic deconstruction of anime clichés... by the third episode, all I had seen was a ton of anime clichés played straight, so I gave up on it.

I also feel that every anime I've ever watched that ran over 50 episodes was pretty bad. Sometimes they had jokes repeated ad nauseum with minor variation that made 'em sorta work (Ranma 1/2), but usually they just got incredibly boring after the first 2 or 3 seasons.

 

[SpaceBat]

Haruhi has the best set of ideas i've seen, it could be the greatest anime ever but the story just never seems to move forward at all.

It has been quite a while since I watched this anime, but I can't remember a single set of ideas that was more than (slightly)average. Then again, those might have been buried beneath the pile of crap that were the majority of the characters.

Would you mind elaborating?

 

[xXGeckoXx]

snip

Naussicca was a little crude in it's message but I think you are being overly harsh as it is allowed to have creative license. A the end of the day what Miyazaki found most disappointing (and I agree with him) was how the end had to be resolved by a miracle, he made Princess Mononoke to fix that so all is forgiven.

I'm sure you've all seen my posts on the subject at hand, so let me surprise you.

Neon Genesis Evangelion.
I watched it again after a while the other day, and began to notice everything everyone was complaining about. Shinji's a whiny little ***** 'cause his Dad doesn't love him. Asuka delves further and further into insanity (and ultimately a coma) because she's a stuck up *****. And Rei was given no personality whatsoever.

But, I still enjoyed it.

After watching the End of Evangelion movie I understood a little better. That stuff is depressing, these people are not whiny bitches for no reason. They are whiny bitches because they where broken by the world around them. Asuka's trauma easily explains her psychological damage. The only questionable one is Shinji but EoE kinda shows you that he is just as broken and depraved. To elaborate these people where raised with psychological issues. They are in need of some therapy at the start of the program and then they are exposed to a level of stress that no human is really meant to deal with

Spoiler: especially asuka

The bit where she get's mind raped by the Angel. Well that is not something one just get's over.

I think that the point is that I feel that anyone who claims they could do better than the characters in that situation are full of shit. Sure I would not be a pussy like shinji most of the time (i.e. refusing to even get in and pilot) but when the real stresses kicked in I think most people would be just the same.

Edit:

snip

As a quick side discussion you're comments drove me to think about the anime that have actually given insights into the human condition. I guess it is Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell at first thought. Ghost in the Shell is quite open with the idea having the characters dicuss humanity often whilst Evangelion let's actions speak louder than words. What will shinji do today as he is subjected to yet another thing no psychiatrist is capable of helping him with?

Edit:

snip

Vegeta had development. Moving slowly through out the series from Hateful villain, to unwilling anti-hero to being able to admit his insecurities admit that Goku is number one and even take actions for the benefit of someone that is not himself. As a contrast the none progressive characters like Goku give the show character.

Edit: Mine is Akira, I recently believe to have finished all the worthwhile anime that would interest me. I am pretty close to done I think. Akira left me with the least impression compared to the hype. I guess I just did not like the premises all that much and did not find any of the characters actions particularly interesting or surprising.

 

[Paragon Fury]

Death Note and Code Geauss.

Death Note was just uninteresting and boring to watch.

Code Geauss was just.....ugh. There was so much that was un-enjoyable about it, least of all being a totally unlikable main character, that I don't even know how it lasted so long.

 

[Mr Companion]

bleach-the first 50 or so episodes (till the end of the ss arc) and then it just drops off a cliff.

durara!- if you love baccano! you will love this i was told by everyone, i did hated it.

Another for Bleach, I admit to not watching many anime but Bleach is by far the worst I have seen. Does it ever got good? I struggled through 50-60 or so episodes before quitting. It seems to be marketed towards teen girls or something I dunno, its all fanservice is what im saying.

I mean, Naruto was the first anime I saw and this was the second, I gotta say jesus Christ is the combat more compelling in Naruto. In Naruto the combat is at its worst fairly padded and slow. At its best its tactical engaging and meaningful. Bleach combat is slamming two bricks together. In fact here is the formula for every fight I saw in Bleach:
1. Hero and villain attack eachother a bit
2. Villain buffs up and kicks hero ass for a bit
3. Hero pulls unknown power out of their arse forever unbalancing them from the entire world.
4. Villain uses even superer move
5. Hero powers up again again even worsening the balance.
6. Repeat process until both parties are inches away from death then both are saved to be used in plot later.

The story is terrible too, at worst the story for Naruto (until recent episodes where its always terrible) is too message focused and ladles on cheesy friendship crap. At best it focuses on a core ideological or motivational conflict as a backdrop for character development. In Bleach at always the plot is about Ichigo saving a woman by becoming overpowered as all buggery.
As an example of bad characters lets do a comparison between two characters with oversized cleavage obviously inserted for fan servic purposes:

The lady Hokage from Naruto is a fairly old lady who adopts the form of a younger big bosmomed lady because people rely on her supposed physical health and strong attitude for motivation, she harbors self doubt but cannot let on. She needs other self confident people around her to reinforce herself mentally. Her uncompromising personality makes her a perfect Hokage. A fine female character (not such a fan of most woman being healers though its a bit traditional gender roles but what the hell) she commands respect and the people of an entire nation.

Ichigo's female companion is very much the weakest member of the group both mentally and physically. All her powers are based around protecting people and looking nervous bout s**t. Fairies befriend her to give her superpowers without asking anything in return for some reason. If you ever meet a girl with saggers as massive as hers in real life... I dunno send me a picture I guess but you wont because they are ridiculous. Personality wise she is like Hinate, nervous bout s**t all the time without thinking or making any meaningful contribution to dialogue.

Now I know I didn't see as many episodes as most fanboys would like but if a show can't draw me in within over two story archs then its doing it wrong. A show where teddy bears and all manner of soft toys start coming alive and doing cute nonsense every other scene is either targeting a female audience (which is fine but nobody ever gives any indication of) or is just for children or idiots.

 

[Ectoplasmicz]

Death Note.


It's a great show, up until that happens.

Then the series turned to shit.

When that happened, I was bitterly disappointed and felt that it would turn to shit. And that feeling continued for the next few episodes, but it grew back on me. It wasn't nearly as good, but I loved everything up to then so much that I forced myself to enjoy the rest of it.

 

[tthor]

I'm suprised noone said naruto yet O.O
I just don't like how they've strayed too far from the "ninja" aspect of their ninja show. Just because you call it a jutsu doesn't stop it from being magic >>

I would be able to tolerate just how crappy the ninjas are (what fucking ninja in their right mind wears orange?!) and all the magic, but what really kills it for me is just how much GOD DAMN FILLER THERE IS!
Seriously, there literally dozens, probably over 100 even, episode of nothing but filler! They don't progress the plot, the give little to no character development, and many of them rehash the same basic story over and over and over!! Everything else I could tolerate, maybe even enjoy, but the obnoxious filler kills it for me.

The fact that people cannot seem to accept any possible criticism of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, I'm inclined to think of it as overrated. I mean, it's not possible to rate something more highly than Gurren Lagann has been rated.

I loved Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, but I can definitely see that there are things to be criticized about it. It wasn't until about halfway through the second season that things really just got stupidly silly

 

[tthor]

Death Note and Code Geauss.

Death Note was just uninteresting and boring to watch.

Code Geauss was just.....ugh. There was so much that was un-enjoyable about it, least of all being a totally unlikable main character, that I don't even know how it lasted so long.

I'm guessing you just don't like mystery dramas

 

[dalek sec]

Insert flame shield.
I never really get what's the big deal with Neon Genesis Evangelion and this is coming from a mech fan.
Yes I never get the whole religon subtext in the show and I just hate the depression that oozing out of it. If I wanted to watch a emo kid and a girl that went deeper and deeper into depression I would just go back to High School.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who hated that damn show. Thank you!

Count me in for hating both Bleach and Full Metal Alchemist, by the Throne those two series (to me) are just bloody boring to watch.

 

[tthor]

EDIT: deleted

 

[tthor]

Elfen Lied.
OMFG this is probably one of most boring and _cliched_ anime i ever saw, yet there are legions of people who say "maaaaan, this is probably one of most f*cked up, goriest, scariest anime i ever saw"... ;]

Elfen Lied wouldn't have been so bad if the young female characters weren't naked at every opportunity.

and that really confused me as to why they did include so much nudity; it didn't seem like they were doing it for fanservice, in fact most of the time it seemed like severe fan-disservice. I like it when a show feels comfortable to show uncomfortable themes, such as nudity, but most of the times the nudity was just completely pointless; although personally i loved the anime overall,