What changes to anime would you make?

[Agayek]

Hell, this is how weird I apparently am with this: I genuinely liked the Bount arcs. It was only after I'd seen them that upon looking on the internet I found out they're apparently widely reviled but I honestly couldn't tell you a good reason about why. Sure they don't technically need to exist for any grander reason but I like them. They tell a decent story, the action's pretty damn good, and I actually think the show's overall pacing would be worse without them.

The Bount arc is actually pretty good, IMO. It's got some of its own issues, but it fits within the established bounds of the story and does actually contribute to the overall story, albeit only thematically. It's an example of filler done correctly.

The problem Bleach has is that that arc is pretty much the only time they do filler correctly. Everything else is shoehorned in at inappropriate places during the invasion of Hueco Mundo and the Deicide arc. Those are sequences that really can't be interrupted and still be told coherently, but they keep doing it anyway. It's really kinda depressing.

Also, you should totally read the manga. It's great. If you do though, make sure you stop at chapter 424, preferably on page 17. That's a damn near perfect ending that everything afterwards promptly proceeds to utterly ruin.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

Hell, this is how weird I apparently am with this: I genuinely liked the Bount arcs. It was only after I'd seen them that upon looking on the internet I found out they're apparently widely reviled but I honestly couldn't tell you a good reason about why. Sure they don't technically need to exist for any grander reason but I like them. They tell a decent story, the action's pretty damn good, and I actually think the show's overall pacing would be worse without them.

The Bount arc is actually pretty good, IMO. It's got some of its own issues, but it fits within the established bounds of the story and does actually contribute to the overall story, albeit only thematically. It's an example of filler done correctly.

The problem Bleach has is that that arc is pretty much the only time they do filler correctly. Everything else is shoehorned in at inappropriate places during the invasion of Hueco Mundo and the Deicide arc. Those are sequences that really can't be interrupted and still be told coherently, but they keep doing it anyway. It's really kinda depressing.

Also, you should totally read the manga. It's great. If you do though, make sure you stop at chapter 424, preferably on page 17. That's a damn near perfect ending that everything afterwards promptly proceeds to utterly ruin.

My main problem with the Hueco Mundo arc that I'm on right now is how they split up the individual fights the characters have so it's impossible or really difficult to keep any sense of time or narrative flow because what any character is doing at any given moment is a bit fluid. Best I can tell they're all happening roughly at the same time but when you have 5 different characters all having 5 different fights and the person in charge of the show seems really weird about which one it wants you see most at any given moment it gets a bit confusing.

I lost track of the amount of times the show insisted on showing me Arroniero's release form reveal after focusing on a different fight entirely for an episode or so. It's really off-putting, is all.

I understand the limitations of not really being able to show 5 different events exactly as they happen within a 22-minute episode without it being really schizophrenic, but it is still jarring the way they choose to inter-cut what they have.

And those three random Hollows they meet that insist on following them around can sod right off. More than once I've found myself saying angrily to my laptop "they're Hollows, just shove your sword into their face and be done with it!"

I considered buying the first volume of the manga today when I saw it in a bookstore. Decided against it, but I'm probably gonna go back and pick it up eventually.

 

[debtcollector]

This is really a philosophy that would work toward any medium, but with anime in particular: "If you don't have an idea that's at least 50 percent original, don't do it." That means no more Gundam knockoffs, no more Gundam spinoffs, no harems, no ecchi fanservice wank-fests, etc. And for fuck's sake, if your idea involves Oda Nobunaga in any way, get the fuck out. Shit's been done to death.

Similarly, get a bit more adventurous with your art styles and genres. I just got done watching the Tatami Galaxy, which is the most delightful little experimental comedy you'll ever see. Unconventional art style, unorthodox storytelling--THIS is what anime can be. It's a medium wherein literally anything is possible, but only the most market-proven things get made. It's saddening.

 

[Agayek]

And those three random Hollows they meet that insist on following them around can sod right off. More than once I've found myself saying angrily to my laptop "they're Hollows, just shove your sword into their face and be done with it!"

Hey now, Nel is freaking awesome. The other two are completely useless and forgettable, to the point where I can't remember their names, but Nel is amazing. You'll see precisely why in the quasi-near future.

As for the fights, I can't speak to that cuz it's been years since I saw the anime version of them. It's handled fairly well in the manga, if memory serves, with each fight being told to its conclusion before it switches perspective to the next, even though they're all occurring simultaneously. I'm not sure why they'd do the cut back and forth thing you mention, that just seems like a recipe for disaster.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

And those three random Hollows they meet that insist on following them around can sod right off. More than once I've found myself saying angrily to my laptop "they're Hollows, just shove your sword into their face and be done with it!"

Hey now, Nel is freaking awesome. The other two are completely useless and forgettable, to the point where I can't remember their names, but Nel is amazing. You'll see precisely why in the quasi-near future.

One's called Pesche and the other I always remember as Ottogunga but I'm sure that's wrong I just don't care enough to remember exactly what it is. And I'm a guy who remembers Arroniero Arruruerie's name perfectly.

I'll take your word on Nel being awesome because all I can remember her doing so far is scream and cry at the drop of a hat.

As for the fights, I can't speak to that cuz it's been years since I saw the anime version of them. It's handled fairly well in the manga, if memory serves, with each fight being told to its conclusion before it switches perspective to the next, even though they're all occurring simultaneously. I'm not sure why they'd do the cut back and forth thing you mention, that just seems like a recipe for disaster.

If I had to guess I'd say it's because splitting them up like that lets them fill more time (by replaying the last couple of minutes from the last time we saw a fight when they decide to cut back to it again) and have more dramatic cliffhangers than they would if they just ran the fight through from start to finish.

It's kind of annoying. Some I can tolerate because really Uryu, Chad and Renji's fights haven't been all that massively impressive. But I'd have loved to see Ichigo's first fight against the dancing Espada who's name I forget and Rukia's fight against Arroniero Arruruerie (seriously, I love that damn name) without them being interrupted at all.

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

I've been waiting AGES to complain about this:

1. I don't know why, maybe it's just how people respond normally in Japan, but the way that characters will always respond to people by repeating a word they said slowly as a question. Even when it's completely obvious. Unfortunately I can't think of a specific example, but it generally follows this form.

" was just stabbed by a sword!"

"A... sword?"

Little thing, but it bugs the hell out of me.

2. The second one's a little more of a common issue, and that's absurdly weak and submissive female characters. Largely the reason why I liked Attack on Titan so much, they have a whole assortment of actually capable female characters. Same deal with FMA: Olivier Armstrong, Lan Fan, and Riza Hawkeye are all great characters.

 

[Alterego-X]

I can't think of any.

Some of the criticisms mentioned above here (such as clichéd characters, bad fanservice, visual sameness, etc.) are simply subjects to Sturgeon's Law. These are not unique things that the anime industry alone "strives towards", but the inevitable results of most writers sucking more than the best few writers. The solution for avoiding these, is simply to filter your viewing to the better series instead of getting dragged into the average.

The others (such as the focus on teenagers, or the lack of traditional western Hard Sci-fi and High Fantasy genres, or the abstract characterizations instead of realism), are some of the reasons why I watch anime in the first place, with their unique perspective compared to western stories.

I would rather see a mature western animation scene rising and filling in the demand for such stories, then the current anime industry pandering to western sensibilities.

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

I love anime despite any faults some may have, but I do think they need to cut down on fan service a bit.. even serious shows seem to throw in a boob joke now and again and it serves no purpose. Whether it be Yoruichi being naked after transforming into her human form and sitting cross legged in front of Ichigo, having a close up of Lust's bouncing breasts on FMA Brotherhood, or even having the under-aged Satsuki and Mei in the film My Neighbor Totoro naked and getting into the bath with their dad.. most anime has unneeded and unwanted fan service.. anime without fan service wouldn't make that series bad or loose any appeal and I wish it wasn't so much of it in anime.. i'm not going to stop watching shows like Bleach or Naruto Shippiden but I still wish fan service was lessened.

 

[bojackx]

I don't mind a lot of stuff in anime, and with each new block of anime I always follow about 15 different series, so there's not a lot I have to complain about. The one major thing that annoys me would be Mech Anime. There's way too many of them and they are all really boring.

The mechs are ALWAYS stupidly colourful and use awful 3D models and animation that just doesn't seem to fit into the typical 2D art style. They also just feel really generic and samey, like there's no significant difference between any of the mechs other than having a bigger gun or whatever. I guess it just comes down to the fact that fleshy, organic lifeforms taking a beating has a much more satisfying feel than watching two metal boxes smashing into each other.

 

[AustinN]

Yeah, there's nothing huge like AoT, on the horizon, I feel like this year will just be a bunch of very well executed shows that will be remembered fondly, but not obsessed over or talked about after they end. Noragami is what I have in mind. JoJo might be an exception.

I don't watch much anime, or keep track of the hot new shows, but I've noticed in regards to shonen that nothing seems to be able to catch on as much as the Big Three and their predecessors did. Fairy Tail is long running, has a distinctive identity and a solid fanbase, but it's failed to become as popular as it's sister series. It seems like it's not a matter of exposure, people just don't think it's as good. Toriko was hyped up as being the replacement for Bleach, but it's sales aren't that much better, and it's anime was cancelled after only three years, which is...pretty pitiful. Are we perhaps reaching the end of mega popular action series that go on for more than a decade? Are people burnt out on them?

It seems like everytime I post in an anime thread, I always go off on a tangent about something only loosely related to the topic. What can I say, I wonder about this stuff.

ANYWAY

My changes wouldn't just be stylistic changes, but would require the writer be capable of writing more complex fights. But let's just say for the sake of argument they could pull it off.

I'd like to see a shift away from characters gaining raw power, and focus more on strategy and using their powers creatively. This would help avoid the fights feeling cheap, either because a character is just too damn powerful, or because the heroes have to be totally ineffective against a new antagonist until they get new abilities. This would also make it easier to keep the weaker characters relevant.

Relating to that, I think a problem with Shonen (And it might be a problem with action series in general) is that there's no middle ground between "completely outclassed" or "dead even". Just because a character is weaker than another doesn't mean they can't get a few shots in, or even win if they find an advantage and press it. I'd like to see more balanaced fights, even if it ends up with one character totally getting their ass kicked.

Shonen series like their power ups, and it's common for abilities to become worthless after a few arcs. I would prefer that new abilities supplement the old ones, instead of completely replacing them. After all, more abilities means you can have more spectaculer fights.

Instead of all important fights coming down to one-on-one encounters, I'd like it if more fights had the supporting cast fighting alongside the main character. Since many series have problems with using the supporting cast effectively, I think this would help prove their worth. Sometimes it can feel contrived on how everything comes down to the main character, so I think that would solve that problem too.

Aside from fights? I'm tired of female-on-male abuse always being played for laughs, even if the male hasn't done anything to deserve it. Let's have less of that, shall we?

 

[StriderShinryu]

Anime is a medium, not a genre. Any kind of sweeping change won't be applicable to all anime unless you were to say something silly like, "make it live-action".

That's my immediate response as well.

But beyond that and taking the question on a more specific angle? My biggest issue has always been bloat/filler. Obviously in movies it's not as big a deal but longer series, particularly if you're talking TV shows, it can really hurt even the most promising premise. Interstitial episodes are okay to provide a little extra character progression but when a season of shows amounts to Introduce Premise -> Tread Water for 20 Episodes -> Conclusion there's a clear problem. There have been many series I've enjoyed the premise of but have totally lost interest in (sometimes without even watching them) because I saw they were created as TV series instead of a more focused format.

 

[Something Amyss]

I saw an interview with Hideo Kojima recently, and apparently one of the reasons they released Ground Zeroes seperately (apart from the obvious one) was that they wanted a high profile Japanese game for when the PS4 launched in Japan. Since less and less Japanese people are consuming foreign media.

I saw a Gaijin Goomba video recently where he was talking about something Keiji Inafune said on the matter and GG talked about personal experience in which he taught in Japan and roughly experienced the same thing.

I mean, I take GG with a grain of salt[footnote]Especially after his "In describing Japan I have described them as fitting pretty much every category of xenophobia, but they're not xenophobic, dammit!" rant[/footnote], but this is a recurring theme we've been seeing: a huge disinterest in external media.

Again, that's fine, but there's a pretty big issue when you're trying to sell to a foreign market.