What is so great about Anime?
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It might not be called that but the escapist forums are more or less this anyway.Kris015 said:
Been seeing a lot of "Genre vs Medium" on here.
It's not a medium folks. Its a Genre.
Movies, Television, books, newspapers, video games..those are mediums.
Also to the OP: Anime can be strange. Probably more depending on what age you were exposed. My older sisters think its strange as hell. I grew up with Toonami and Dragon Ball Z. Anime makes more sense to me.(though I don't like all of it).
So yeah. I think age has the most to do with it.
It's not a medium folks. Its a Genre.
Movies, Television, books, newspapers, video games..those are mediums.
Also to the OP: Anime can be strange. Probably more depending on what age you were exposed. My older sisters think its strange as hell. I grew up with Toonami and Dragon Ball Z. Anime makes more sense to me.(though I don't like all of it).
So yeah. I think age has the most to do with it.
Finally. Thank you.Jezzy54 said:
Also, why are we arguing semantics when we all obviously know what we're referring to?
I'll start with saying that anime isn't really trying to be deep. I realize I'm painting with a broad brush, but most anime seems to specifically target the teenage-and-under demographic. there's fun to be had, but if you approach anime with a film snob attitude (which you seem to be) you're not going to get anything out of it. Gurren Lagaan is a show about how awesome robots are when they punch things. As soon as you bring up the term "artistic validity" in relation to it, you've already missed the point.
Also, yes, if you want to watch anime you have to make peace with the sexualization of underage people. That happens a lot.
Also, yes, if you want to watch anime you have to make peace with the sexualization of underage people. That happens a lot.
I don't know about anime now, but the ones I used to watch in the 90's were so much more mature than any of the cartoons or films I was watching at the time. Dominion Tank Police, El Hazard, Ghost In The Shell, Ninja Scroll, My Dear Maria, Guyver, Akira, etc.
The stories were so much more intricate, well thought out and imaginative.
As for it being art, how is Akira no less art than The Godfather or your average painting at an art gallery?
The stories were so much more intricate, well thought out and imaginative.
As for it being art, how is Akira no less art than The Godfather or your average painting at an art gallery?
Did this guy seriously watch a random episode from a show and expect to understand and make an educated opinion of it?
Since when did that ever work? for ANY tv show/genre?
Since when did that ever work? for ANY tv show/genre?
Well, I won't speak for the whole medium, but I could have given you individual reasons for liking the series that I do like. I don't know if you would be interested in that though, but since one of them happens to be Code Geass, here is what I like about it:
The characters. Well, mostly just Lelouch, but also the rivalry between him and Suzaku, and their how their ideals are very simple, but their take on the right methods to achieve those ideals are opposing. In philosophical turns, Suzaku is a classic case of a deontologist - Who values the means as much or more than the ends. Lelouch on the other hand is a utilitarian who sees the ends as more important than the means.
I will admit that I think the show might be very messy and while the characters are at the core, ninety percent of the show takes place in layers around it - some very silly, so I have some mixed emotions about it, but mostly positive.
The characters. Well, mostly just Lelouch, but also the rivalry between him and Suzaku, and their how their ideals are very simple, but their take on the right methods to achieve those ideals are opposing. In philosophical turns, Suzaku is a classic case of a deontologist - Who values the means as much or more than the ends. Lelouch on the other hand is a utilitarian who sees the ends as more important than the means.
I will admit that I think the show might be very messy and while the characters are at the core, ninety percent of the show takes place in layers around it - some very silly, so I have some mixed emotions about it, but mostly positive.
Watch one episode each of BSG, Stargate and Firefly in isolation of the rest of the sci-fi genre and I guarantee that you'll come back going "huh, what's so great about sci-fi? The characters didn't develop, there were loads of random things happening and they have gravity in space?!". Seriously. Heck, even trying to pick up season 1 of BSG with a good grounding in sci-fi without seeing the pilot is hard enough!Texas America Murphy said:
How can you hope to understand something so completely different to the majority of western media, complete with a huge bank of memes and stylistic nuances that are integral to the genre, without significant exposure to it? No wonder you were lost.
That's not to say that it's all good and intelligent stuff - far from it. The majority of anime is vapid and uninspired, getting by on memes and fanservice and with a strong tendency to put style ahead of substance. Want something a bit more serious? Look at Elfen Lied (fan service aside... >.>). Heavy stuff, character development etc etc.
Sorry if you've already addressed that point, 7 pages is a lot to bother reading...
What's so great about anime? Hellsing.
Eh, I wouldn't say I was much of an anime fan, but there are a few gems out there. But I would say anime is so goddamned popular because of the ridiculous amount of fanservice present in most anime series.
I've only ever seen Princess Mononoke right the way through in the 'anime/movie' sort of media, but from the bits I've seen from other movies, anime/movies are weird as hell. And people are nothing if not interested in unusual things.
Eh, I wouldn't say I was much of an anime fan, but there are a few gems out there. But I would say anime is so goddamned popular because of the ridiculous amount of fanservice present in most anime series.
I've only ever seen Princess Mononoke right the way through in the 'anime/movie' sort of media, but from the bits I've seen from other movies, anime/movies are weird as hell. And people are nothing if not interested in unusual things.
Oh God... Isn't it obvious that it is neither a medium, nor a genre? It is not a genre because genres differs in content, and while many of the popular ones may seem similar, there are many genres within anime. Neither is it a medium, because so medium is limited to being from one specific country.Polock said:
Well that is why you cross reference lists. Obviously there is going to be some black sheep but Naurto isn't going to be in top 10 of them all. That is why you look at a variety of lists.UrbanCohort said:
Which is why I said pick more than one and see which ones pop in the top of each of them most and watch them. If you go through enough lists you will see the same few popping up time and time again. I do have to say most of the recurring ones no one has anything really bad about them. I am trying to give him a broader list to choose from but he seems to be from reading posts being a bit childish and judging a series on one episode. I know people can have their own opinion but he went into this never even liking the idea of anime in the first place. He went in with a negative attidue and has thus far come out with a negative attitude. Without realising it he is actively looking for flaws. What he wants is a movie style conclusiveness in an episode looking at what he said about Evangelion which as we all know in an anime is not going to happen.Glaive_21842 said:
So you have basically just said it is one big genre with subgenres from taht description but yes anime really only refers to a certain art style and not a story.WaderiAAA said:
Hint - the series as a whole is more important than any single episode...Meaning that you need to slog through some crap, and occasionally screech in rage because the episode ended on a cliffhanger and your megavid time is up (dramatization).
Unless it's one of those one-off comedy style anime where there's no real set story (like Lucky Star, which is a show that I liked but won't improve your opinion on the subject), then your opinion is going to be uninformed (or incomplete) unless you don't follow through at least one story arc (like I said earlier, 4-6 episodes or so, or until the first major villain/what have you is beaten).
Unless it's one of those one-off comedy style anime where there's no real set story (like Lucky Star, which is a show that I liked but won't improve your opinion on the subject), then your opinion is going to be uninformed (or incomplete) unless you don't follow through at least one story arc (like I said earlier, 4-6 episodes or so, or until the first major villain/what have you is beaten).
Not sure if someone already beat me to it didn't read all 7 pages.
If you'd like to give anime another shot try Samurai Champloo, If you don't at least laugh or enjoy parts of that show your probably not gonna like any anime. Also look into Hayao Miyazaki's Movies (Spirited Away, Princess Monoke, Etc.)
If you'd like to give anime another shot try Samurai Champloo, If you don't at least laugh or enjoy parts of that show your probably not gonna like any anime. Also look into Hayao Miyazaki's Movies (Spirited Away, Princess Monoke, Etc.)
Come on man, you're a film student, yet you judge a film by the country of production? Not all films are the same just because of their country! Not all French and British films are costume dramas, not all Chinese films are martial arts epics, not all Indian films are musicals, not all Japanese films are unconventional horror films, and not all American films are mass produced dross. I understand that you probably already know this, and didn't intend to belittle a culture or anything, but you might want to rephrase thatTexas America Murphy said:
In an attempt to answer your question, I would say that a lot of anime, like manga, isn't age specific, which allows a lot greater freedom in writing and content. Over here in the "west", cartoons and comics are looked down upon as childish, whereas the attitude is different over there. So the initial appeal of these shows is primarily picked up by teenagers, providing them with the perfect bridge between "kids shows" and "adults shows". This is where the interest starts, but the more obscure anime can feature great storytelling, and is perfect for some writers, as there is a far smaller production value. Creating an anime is a lot easier and less labour intensive than classic western animation, which is why so many modern western animators and shows are adopting the general style and theme of anime.
All of this allows great underground writers, with sometimes weird and wonderful ideas and concepts to be able to produce shows that would otherwise be doomed to the scrap heap. I mean, how many good Sci Fi or Fantasy shows are there? Even in Japan? It's a long and difficult production. In Britain, these Fantasy and Sci Fi shows are getting better, and more frequent, but still, they lack the versatility and potential of the animation medium.
I honestly believe that, were our opinions on cartoons as a childs medium different, we'd be doing it ourselves. I mean, it's a huge market, globally. As with all of these things, there's gonna be some rubbish floating about... look at the music industry to see what kinda crap can float to the top! I wouldn't dismiss the whole medium though, because even if it doesn't appeal for you, it fills a very important creative and artistic gap in the film market.
Merry Christmas!
I'm a film student too and in my opinion everything you watched is goddam awful. You're a film student so you should be familiar with Studio Ghibli, watch some of their stuff. I recommend "Princess Mononoke". "Akira" by Studio Manga is good as well. Anime isn't just one genre like Western or Thriller, it's a treatment to many different genres including Crime, Thriller, Horror, Drama, Action, Children's and many more.Texas America Murphy said:
If you're looking for a specific series of anime try the show "Death Note", my dad has no interest in Anime outside of Studio Ghibli but even he liked it.
tl;dr: Anime isn't a genre, it's a treatment to a genre. IMO you watched a bunch of childrens cartoons. Watch something good like "Princess Mononoke"
Dear Nerds, explain to me what the heck the deal with JROTC is.
A little bit of background before we collectively explore this machismo train wreck you call "Military Training."
I'm a Psychology student at the University of Florida. I have never seen JROTC training before yesterday. I like to think that I give everything I watch a fair shake. Hell, I even watched an Irani military training film once. Now, my girlfriend Kieko is a member of our school's JROTC, which meets every Friday night. Normally I don't go with her because my anime club usually meets on Fridays, but last night I was free because it was Christmas Eve (and its Winter Break), and my girlfriend invited me to have an "JROTC Christmas" with her and her squad mates who live in the area.
So I walk into the living room and there are these guys dressed up like they were going off to work and stuff. One of them runs up to me and shouts something like "Welcome sir." So I'm put off, but still determined to see what the big fuss is about. Taps starts playing and I'm treated to what my girlfriend tells me is the most popular marches.
First off we watched the goose step. I've seen German military maneuvers that made more sense than this. I guess it was about marching in step, but they were all wearing Camo? At no point did any of the march make sense or any of the characters actually learn how to fight.
After that we watched two episodes of Fox news. It was like walking into a Mexican soap opera midway through the plot. Everyone was pulling gambits and double gambits and Russian reversals.
I didn't know who was betraying whom, and I don't think those cardboard cutouts did either. Also, why is America invading Iraq? We already did that!
Finally, we watched an airsoft match. It felt like I was six years old and watching Power Rangers again. You'd think this would be a compliment. A sort of return to youth. But even at 6 I was doubtful of the strategic validity of Power Rangers. Also, the fact that every character on that show was sexually attracted to a M16 is incredibly disturbing. Is this okay in America?
Some basic research reveals that these shows are some of the most popular war games both here and in China. Why is it so popular? What is so great about these games? I'm so confused. Nothing anyone does makes any sense, the marches are all cliches, and nothing ever actually happens.
I couldn't help but notice that virtually half the people on this board of some sort of weapon as their avatar, so obviously people here love it and its popular. But for all my education I cannot possibly comprehend why people call this "training." I was hoping that maybe y'all could enlighten me. There must be something I am missing
Edited for spelling.
A little bit of background before we collectively explore this machismo train wreck you call "Military Training."
I'm a Psychology student at the University of Florida. I have never seen JROTC training before yesterday. I like to think that I give everything I watch a fair shake. Hell, I even watched an Irani military training film once. Now, my girlfriend Kieko is a member of our school's JROTC, which meets every Friday night. Normally I don't go with her because my anime club usually meets on Fridays, but last night I was free because it was Christmas Eve (and its Winter Break), and my girlfriend invited me to have an "JROTC Christmas" with her and her squad mates who live in the area.
So I walk into the living room and there are these guys dressed up like they were going off to work and stuff. One of them runs up to me and shouts something like "Welcome sir." So I'm put off, but still determined to see what the big fuss is about. Taps starts playing and I'm treated to what my girlfriend tells me is the most popular marches.
First off we watched the goose step. I've seen German military maneuvers that made more sense than this. I guess it was about marching in step, but they were all wearing Camo? At no point did any of the march make sense or any of the characters actually learn how to fight.
After that we watched two episodes of Fox news. It was like walking into a Mexican soap opera midway through the plot. Everyone was pulling gambits and double gambits and Russian reversals.
I didn't know who was betraying whom, and I don't think those cardboard cutouts did either. Also, why is America invading Iraq? We already did that!
Finally, we watched an airsoft match. It felt like I was six years old and watching Power Rangers again. You'd think this would be a compliment. A sort of return to youth. But even at 6 I was doubtful of the strategic validity of Power Rangers. Also, the fact that every character on that show was sexually attracted to a M16 is incredibly disturbing. Is this okay in America?
Some basic research reveals that these shows are some of the most popular war games both here and in China. Why is it so popular? What is so great about these games? I'm so confused. Nothing anyone does makes any sense, the marches are all cliches, and nothing ever actually happens.
I couldn't help but notice that virtually half the people on this board of some sort of weapon as their avatar, so obviously people here love it and its popular. But for all my education I cannot possibly comprehend why people call this "training." I was hoping that maybe y'all could enlighten me. There must be something I am missing
Edited for spelling.