Harry Potter is better than I thought.

[BurningWyvern90]

It's probably because I grew up with it, but I LOVE Harry Potter. Movies and books. Well. Mostly. I don't like the third film. Or even the last three books that much. Don't even get me started on the seventh one; the first time I finished it my immediate thought was 'Well, there's no way they can make the movie WORSE than the book this time'. But I've read them seven times, seen all of them several times except 7.1/7.2, and regardless of how 'good' they actually are in the grand scheme of things I will love them all forever. (Except the seventh book; I only tolerate it because I have to.)

I tend to read whatever's popular at a specific time, just so I find out for myself what it's all about. Hunger Games, the Dragon Tattoo series, and FINALLY Lord of the Rings are the ones I've done most recently, and I'm getting ready to start Game of Thrones. I also try to read books that are being made into movies, preferably before I see the movie but definitely afterwards if I haven't gotten to it yet.

I'd say I tend to avoid TV shows more, but not necessarily actively. Honestly, I just really don't watch much TV in general. All of the shows I would ever want to watch are on Netflix anyway, but sitting down and watching them all is a daunting task. Especially considering a large chunk of what I want to watch includes ALL the Star Trek and, I mean, I've seen plenty of episodes, but I've barely made a dent in that backlog.

I watch movies because my friends say they're good, but that's the one thing where I'll ignore everything else I hear, because my tastes are so different and there are some frankly shit movies being released now that people praise (I'm looking at you, recent comedy).

 

[Olas]

I've always thought Harry Potter is a little overrated, not bad, but not deserving of the endless monumental praise and adoration it gets. Just decent, I'll even say that the last few were pretty good.

Everyone seems to love Doctor Who, I don't. You can't say I didn't give it a try though, I dragged myself through 2 seasons trying to find the magic before giving up. It goes from absurdly cheesey one moment to deadpan serious the very next and I feel like I can't take it seriously, and it's british humour makes me gag a little.

Something I've completely avoided till now? Most TV shows honestly, never seen the Sopranos so I'll submit that one.

 

[Nuxxy]

FireFly is best appreciated for the things most Joss Whedon show are: making a team dynamic work, and a witty sense of humour that isn't in-your-face. The same qualities were evident in The Avengers.

The other things I like: a black warrior woman who kicks ass (in battle and in her personal life), and a culture that successfully integrates Chinese and Western elements. Most shows are too afraid to even try.

I watched a little of Harry Potter 1, but it was too cutesy, and haven't bothered was anymore of it, books or movies.

My dirty secret? I haven't played any FPS since Unreal Tournament. They are just not my type of game. And that includes Portal, but that one I still intend to remedy.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

I... used to be uninterested in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. But then I actually started watching it and well... now I'ma fan. I can't help but wonder what kept me from watching it before...

 

[thesilentman]

Recent example; where I roam the net, people were begging me to try Touhou. I avoided the series like the plague, having heard the tales of the rabid fanbase within.

I started the games out of pure boredom this May. Well.. Consider me a convert. Bullet hell, interesting character designs (different from art), and fucking awesome music? Hell yes. =D

 

[Saqqara]

50 Shades of Grey and the other books. All the mums rave about them so I relented and read the first paragraph of chapter one. I couldn't get past it.

 

[Dr. Cakey]

Still haven't read any Stephanie Meyer. Life's too short for prose that purple, especially in service of ideals I would be likely to find disturbing at best.

You're not missing anything. It's not even monumentally terrible, it's just the literary equivalent of tofu. Without any of the health benefits. And, as you say, purple.

I... used to be uninterested in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. But then I actually started watching it and well... now I'ma fan. I can't help but wonder what kept me from watching it before...

I'm almost the opposite. I am sitting with MLP in my Netflix queue and I am planning on becoming a brony and annoying people with my bro-hoofs and thread-derailing image macros. I just...can't be bothered to start watching, which really throws a wrench in my plans.

On the main topic, hm...there are plenty of games everyone has played but I have not, due both to my limited budget and choice of console. Movies and books, not really, and I don't even watch enough TV to know what I haven't seen, if that makes sense.

In terms of anime, though, there are a few things. Clannad springs to mind. Everyone tells me how tragic it is and how it's the greatest thing ever...and that's a problem, because my emotions work differently from other people. When I watch something, I don't feel emotions, I choose to feel them. If I don't want to be moved to tears, I won't be. And if you keep telling me about how many "feels" you got, I'll want to prove you wrong by not having feels of my own. So it's for everybody's happiness that I don't watch Clannad, at least not until I forget about all the people who say how good and/or tragic it is.

Also, those eyes. Those hollow, soul-sucking Key eyes. I want to vomit every time I see them.

The other thing I can think of is Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. This is much simpler. I do not wish to watch Ghost in the Shell: SAC because I watched Ghost in the Shell the movie and I can not think of a single good thing to say about it

 

[NeutralDrow]

I love the HP books, all of them, and I thought the movies became better over time, for what it's worth.

As for other things...I dunno, that kinda describes just "films in general" for me. I've kind of lost interest in movies, so I haven't seen a few recently that people have liked. Can't really think of an exception, though I am really kicking myself for not seeing Wreck-it Ralph in theaters.

Slightly off topic but I WISH I had not started reading the Song of Ice and Fire books. Not because they suck, because they are so awesome I am pissed about now having to wait for the worlds slowest fantasy writer to finish two more books. And he's not even really nearly done with book six yet! Dear God, what if he DIES?! Why won't he think of the children?!

Just hope he takes a page from Robert Jordan's book, then. The Wheel of Time started in 1990, ended in 2013...and Jordan died in 2007. Just not before leaving behind oodles of notes and plot details.

 

[DanielBrown]

Played the LOTRO game for three years and really loved the movies, yet I've never read any of the books.
I tried getting into it once with my mothers really old Bilbo book, but I found the style of describing every fucking detail annoying to read. It's also in Swedish, so all the names are changed or directly translated... which never sounds good.

Never got past the prologue about hobbits, so perhaps it gets better, though if I ever decide to give it another shot it would be with the English version.

 

[Goofguy]

Yeah, I felt the same way about Harry Potter myself. I used to look down on it, thinking it was just a tale of wizards for kids. My ex got me in to the movies which I thought were fun and charming. I bought the first book at an airport bookstore before flying cross country and had it finished before we landed (it's a really short book). I find the book series to be a fun read that is equally accessible to kids and adults. I'm definitely glad I was able to look past my initial prejudice, it was well worth all those hours of movie watching and book reading.

 

[Crispee]

For me it'd probably be the original Star Wars Trilogy, they sound interesting, but at 19 years old I've heard all the hype in the world about Star Wars from every person I know who's ever watched it, and I don't believe it'll live up to all the hype. I'm sure it would be enjoyable but I'm certain I'll be disappointed in some manner.

 

[Smeatza]

That's like only watching three seasons of The Wire.

I've genuinely stopped watching my box set of The Wire after season 3, what a co-incidence.

Spoiler: In my defense

It seems the Barksdale Organisation plot arc has ended, and the members of the Special Case Unit's individual plot lines seems to round up nicely. Seemed like a good place to take a break and avoid burnout

I have been getting The Wire pangs recently though.

OT: Adventure Time.
I didn't like the character designs at first so that put me off.
I gave MLP a chance and with (being a kids show that's popular with older folks), and the fact I hated that made me less inclined to watch it.
Till a friend practically forced me to watch an episode or two and I realised I couldn't have been more wrong about a nigh-on perfect show.

 

[HellbirdIV]

So, all this to ask: is there a popular movie, TV show, book or band that everyone you know has already watched, read or listened to, except you? Is there a particular reason why you won't touch it?

Game of Thrones. Firstly because mister Martin is a pompous, pretentious douchebag and secondly because the setting is incredibly boring and shallow, and thirdly because I bought into it when people said Firefly was "teh best show evar" and well, that sucked, and then people heaped praise on Battlestar Galactica and that sucked...

I've come to distrust the opinion of internet forumgoers when it comes to TV shows that are "dark and gritty", because it really seems like "dark and gritty" is considered an acceptable substitute for "good quality".

 

[Tono Makt]

So, all this to ask: is there a popular movie, TV show, book or band that everyone you know has already watched, read or listened to, except you? Is there a particular reason why you won't touch it?

Titanic. I've never seen the movie. I know that's not a huge thing, but it came out at a time when pretty much my entire circle of friends went to see it multiple times (granted the guys tended to go with girl friends, girlfriends or girls they wanted to become "friends" with, but they still went to go see it). I was single, interested in a few women at the time, but decided to differentiate myself from the other single guys by not offering to go to Titanic to try to woo the single ladies.

Fastforward like what, 16 years later, and I don't care to see it because it holds utterly no interest for me.

 

[Tono Makt]

I... used to be uninterested in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. But then I actually started watching it and well... now I'ma fan. I can't help but wonder what kept me from watching it before...

MLP:FIM is something I'm eagerly anticipating watching with my daughter when she's old enough to appreciate cartoons. That way I get to be an "involved dad" instead of a "Brony", since I've had some really, really creepy experiences with Bronies after actually mentioning on another site that I saw the first few episodes, liked the show and didn't get what all the hate was about. (I get the hate now; I want to enjoy watching the show without being called a Brony, so I'll wait 2 years to actually buy the DVD's and watch the show with my daughter just so that I've got a defense against being called a Brony)

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

Well the only example I can think for myself is World of Warcraft. At one point my cousin wouldn't stop trying to get me to play it. Glad I didn't. I am never ever ever going to touch it. The last thing I need in my life is a hopeless addiction to that fucking game.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I've genuinely stopped watching my box set of The Wire after season 3, what a co-incidence.

Spoiler: In my defense

It seems the Barksdale Organisation plot arc has ended, and the members of the Special Case Unit's individual plot lines seems to round up nicely. Seemed like a good place to take a break and avoid burnout

I have been getting The Wire pangs recently though.

Oooh. The 4th season is the BEST. You'll be sad at first about no more AB/SB dynamic, but the 4th season is really, really excellent.

5th season is a slight come down, but is very solid nonetheless.

 

[xplosive59]

Eh, MLP:FiM is a 4/10 show to me. First season is 6/10 but the 2nd season was hit and miss and the 3rd was horrible, no point getting into it now really as there is nothing really of substance left. The show died with Lauren Faust pretty much.

Watch Gravity Falls or Dan VS if you want some great cartoons.

 

[Colour Scientist]

That's like only watching three seasons of The Wire.

I've genuinely stopped watching my box set of The Wire after season 3, what a co-incidence.

Spoiler: In my defense

It seems the Barksdale Organisation plot arc has ended, and the members of the Special Case Unit's individual plot lines seems to round up nicely. Seemed like a good place to take a break and avoid burnout

I have been getting The Wire pangs recently though.

OT: Adventure Time.
I didn't like the character designs at first so that put me off.
I gave MLP a chance and with (being a kids show that's popular with older folks), and the fact I hated that made me less inclined to watch it.
Till a friend practically forced me to watch an episode or two and I realised I couldn't have been more wrong about a nigh-on perfect show.

You're missing out. The fourth season is the best by far. It puts the first 2 seasons to shame.