Poll: How many on the Escapist dislike anime?

[Cpu46]

I enjoy it. Why? Well I could explain it but stress from midterms have turned my brain to jello... delicious knowledge jello. So instead I will give an example.

Squid Girl. Plot: Anthropomorphic squid leaves the ocean to enslave humanity due to ocean pollution, tries to start with a small beachside restaurant, hilarity ensues. Everything about this anime screams small children from the downright intimidatingly cheerful opening song to how each episode is split into 3 smaller self contained stories and has a definite 'save the environment' vibe... and I am enjoying the hell out of it. It is well written, charming, hilarious, and instead of being painfully blunt and shoehorning environmentalism into every episode it places it in the background. It's there, but it isn't shoved into the viewers face. It makes a small and presumed dead part of me light up again.

Don't get me wrong there are some good non-anime shows out there but Anime as a medium just hits all the right buttons.

Also there is no other medium aside from video games that can give me my mecha fix. [sub]yes I know that G-Saviour exists, but lets pretend that it doesn't[/sub]

 

[acosn]

Most anime shows are aimed at children and pre-teens so I can't say I hate it when I'm not even in the intended demographic.

False.

Japan actually attempts to capitalize on just about every sector of the population. The most widely distributed and popular anime are positioned for people under the age of 21 or so, which is still a huge range of people.

But it's hard to say shows like Ghost in the Shell or Texhonolyze are aimed at kids when they're discussing high brow philosophy and classical art, or that the apologetically violent shows like Black Lagoon and Hellsing are targeted at a younger audience.


Personally I like anime, have since I was a kid. I used to think it was some pretty good shit, but that's mostly because a younger me had no cable, a 56k modem and the only way I really got anime was either Pokemon or whatever my friends deemed good enough to buy on DVD, so I was getting shows like Trigun, Cowboy Bebop and Evangelion.

 

[NoOne852]

U seem to have left out the option to be indifferent. I don't think they good, nor do I think they are bad. Sure I'd watch one, but I'd prefer to do other things.

 

[Hashime]

I strongly dislike anime. I hate the voices (japanese and dubbed) the melodramatic stories, ridiculous premises, irrelevant (to me) cultural references, art style, and music.

 

[NordicWarrior]

I DESPISE anime. I watched some in colelge as just about all of my friends loved it. I hated it with a passion.

 

[DeltaEdge]

Although I do like Japanese anime (mostly manga now), the cliches just kill me inside. One of the big reasons I'm not as into watching anime (especially new anime)as I used to be is because of how many recycled cliches they use in each series. Some series (many of them) manage to get by with just 13 straight episodes of tired cliches being used over and over and this just irritates me to no end. People will come up with excuses like "Oh but I kind of like the plot line and it's a decent show with minimal nudity and innuendo that I barely even notice stop hating on anime you stupid fat American bastard this is why Japan is so much better than us" but I'd like to see them even try watching a show of the same caliber in terms of plot that is nudity and innuendo free. They probably wouldn't even glance at it if they didn't see the term ecchi or harem in the description. I just hate the cliches so much that I've limited my anime and manga to only those series which I think are really good and lack these overly-used cliches. It literally would be an understatement to say that these cliches have been done to death. Anime killed these cliches and now are committing acts of necrophilia with the dead corpses every new season of anime.Anyways, what turned me on to anime was watching it when I was young. Before I knew what anime was or what japan was for that matter I already watched plenty of anime thinking it was all made in the US on Toonami and Some other stuff like pokemon and beyblade and such. It had always been something that I watched and when I figured out that there was a lot more of it I felt compelled to check it out.

 

[gandhi the peacemake]

There couldn't have been more options? No middle ground, such as "I like anime but will furiously tear it a new bunghole in front of my peers" or "I hate anime but get off to its octopus on rabbit porn"?

I, for my part, chose "Like" because, while I absolutely loathe the state the mainstream market is currently in, the gems that rise to the surface like unmarred jewels in a bath of malevolent cancers continually remind me that, for all its Gundams and Narutos and Bleaches, anime is still worth defending.

 

[BaronUberstein]

Not really my cup of tea, though there are a few here and there that I enjoy (Cowboy Bebop & Ghost in a Shell I'll watch when free episodes appear on AdultSwim.com).

Honestly, it's more of a "Those gosh-darned fan-boys and how I hate them" situation for me rather than actually disliking the medium.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Like I have said earlier in this thread, only a few shows have entertained me. After reading through this thread, I decided to experiment. I took a well recognized and acclaimed show, and I gave it a shot. I watched the first two episodes of Code Geass, and I liked what I saw.

The animation was still a little iffy, and the voice acting was stilted, but it did grab me. I was intrigued by the premise of transforming Japan into an Orwellian police state, and there was giant robot combat.

Color me interested.

However, if this pulls a Bleach and drops the intrigue for padding, I'm out. Let's hope it doesn't come to that because what I saw was genuinely interesting.

 

[BarbaricGoose]

I watch the American re-dub version of Shin-Chan because it's awesome. That's the only anime I watch. I dislike the rest.

 

[CmdrGoob]

It's 99% overly expository overly fanservicey melodramatic cliche awfulness. (The 1% is cowboy beebop)

 

[Lyri]

Preface: Do not turn this into a flame war. I didn't start this to bring two separate groups together for an all-out brawl. If that's what this turns into, I'll ask to shut this down before it escalates.

I decided to start this poll to see what kind of company I'm in.

So, how small is the minority at the Escapist that doesn't particularly appreciate what anime is offering?

For those of you who do enjoy anime, feel free to list things that turned you onto it for people who may be curious about it.

Watched some, some of it's ok but generally I hate it and it's obsessive fans.

 

[Chemical Alia]

More like, I find it stupid to discredit an ENTIRE form of media, which you don't seem to understand.

What you don't seem to understand is that it's really not important. I'm not discrediting anime (whatever you mean by that), I simply don't watch it because I have no interest in it. It irritates me and I find anime art styles unappealing. I don't have time to do the things I actually do like, much less trying to find a soft spot for cartoons that don't appeal to my personal or aesthetic taste. Cartoons as a whole just aren't that important to my (or anyone's) life and I'm picky about what I enjoy.

And no, anime is not a separate form of "media", even if there is a ton of it and the visual/storytelling style is generally distinctive from Western animation. Feel free to like what you want, but there's no reason to declare that one specific niche of entertainment deserves to be appreciated and understood by everyone just because it's important to you. I'm sure sports are a noble past-time, but I don't expect baseball fans to shame me for not sharing their enthusiasm anymore than a weeaboo with anime or a gamer. To each his own. |:

 

[WeAreStevo]

You know, I have difficulty answering the poll...

On the whole, I don't like anime. I do like SOME anime shows/movies (Cowboy Bebop, FMA) and I like Miyazaki's films, but that aside I can't really get into the...well....I guess the ANIME animes. You know, crazy over-the-top animations? It's hard to describe what I don't like in anime I suppose, but yea. I like some, but overall I'm not a die-hard fan...

Can someone suggest something? I tried watching Deathnote and found it to be ok...not wonderful but not horrible either...then again I only watched 3 episodes of it on Netflix

 

[drumguy818]

I don't personally dislike it, but the only animes I ever got into were Death Note and DBZ...both of which aren't going on anymore..."sigh"...

 

[DeltaEdge]

You know, I have difficulty answering the poll...

On the whole, I don't like anime. I do like SOME anime shows/movies (Cowboy Bebop, FMA) and I like Miyazaki's films, but that aside I can't really get into the...well....I guess the ANIME animes. You know, crazy over-the-top animations? It's hard to describe what I don't like in anime I suppose, but yea. I like some, but overall I'm not a die-hard fan...

Can someone suggest something? I tried watching Deathnote and found it to be ok...not wonderful but not horrible either...then again I only watched 3 episodes of it on Netflix

Sure, Ill recommend you some. These are my top favorites that I believe to possess the least killer anime cliches and ANIMEness that turns away a lot of people.
Black Cat
Samurai Champloo
Michiko to Hatchin
Baccano

I dunno about the Michiko to Hatchin Dub because I've never seen the dubbed version but the other 2 have really good English dubbing. I dunno about Black Cat either by the way. I especially recommend watching Baccano in English because it goes along with the setting of the show. There was one more major one I think but I can't remember it at the moment. Ill post it if I remember it. (Black Cat is the most Cliche-ish out of the four but it's still not nearly as bad as most anime and I think its still pretty damn good)
Edit: Adding
Canaan
Higashi no Eden (this might be the one I was thinking of.)
Usagi Drop
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To aru majutsu no index (has an average amount of cliches but not enough to make you regret wathcing. Quite a good series though and highly recommended by me. Btw Skipp to around episodes 2-5 for some action if you get bored with the first episode because the first episode isn't that eventful but it does pick up.)
Durarara (You might like this, but I dunno. I think its worth a watch but if the first two episodes don't appeal to you don't bother with the rest of the show.)

 

[Nazulu]

I really like some anime, but a lot of the popular shows are incredibly cliche' with the same long drawn out fights, with the same old taunts, with the same old inconsistent super power levels, with the same old constant time eating flash backs, with the same old predictable responses and fuck loads of boring filler.

I actually managed to enjoy some of those types of anime though like Naruto which has some interesting moments and awesome animated fight scenes, some of the best I've seen in anime. However, it does take awhile to get to some of those interesting parts and it has all the time filling cliche's. You stop watching it at episode 135 I think, unless you want to go through a shit load of fillers.

Hunter X Hunter is another. It starts of quite slow and average but it keeps building up till the Ryodan saga (episode 60 I think) which has some amazing writing for the dialogue and story.

Bezerk hardly has any of the cliche's and progresses perfectly, but unfortunately it was cut short and while the ending of the anime is awesome, it's not satisfying at all.

Best of all though is the Full Metal Alchemist (not Brotherhood) since nearly everything about it is either good or great.

Also, I really enjoyed movies like Spirited Away, Hals Flying Castle and Princess Monoke (which I think is the best out of all).

 

[WeAreStevo]

- cut to reduce clutter -

Hey thanks for the suggestions! I'll be checking those out

 

[Lt. Vinciti]

Depends on what we are talking about in anime terms....

I dislike what it makes people
(awkward fanfic/weeaboos/sudden magical manga art style syndrome/Japan is the best country ever I will move there)


I can like some of them...as long as it keeps the angst levels at a low and the filler isnt 30min episodes of how you were raped by _________ and are now evil and coming to kill my town...

 

[Whispering Cynic]

I tried watching it but couldn't get into it. I simply don't see the appeal of anime. Maybe there are pieces out there I would enjoy but I don't care enough to look for them...