Why do you like anime?

[Poofs]

i like Anime because i like cartoons and the cartoons in america are dumbed down, stupid, and designed to air for and make as much money as possible
anime on the other hand usually has a defined story arch, character development, rational decisions and it will actually end before it is forced off the air by the network

 

[Lord Devius]

Because it's so varied that it's impossible to hate ALL of it?

Because it entertains me. It's really no different to any other form of media other than the art style and language.

These sum it up for me.

Not to mention, anime runs with ideas that would get dismissed as ridiculous in western animation studios.

Also, not watching serial anime helps immensely. Over the past month I've watched/started watching quite a few different series, and the variety is quite amazing.

Speed Grapher - About a secret club, whose "Goddess" can cause mutations in a select few, granting really weird powers (Main character gets the ability to destroy every time he snaps a shot with his camera). (warning this show is majorly screwed up. within the first 5 minutes you hear a young girl's arm getting hyperextended forcefully. *shudder*)

Welcome to the NHK - About a guy suffering from acute social withdrawal, who meets a girl that promises to help him overcome his issues.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - ....This one's just weird stuff about a high school girl who is way more powerful than she thinks.

And so on.

It's a medium. When better western animation becomes more available, I'll pay more attention to it. (Still need to look into Avatar though.)

 

[kikon9]

I know most people hate the "power of friendship" but I like that part of anime. Provided it is presented in a mature non-retarded manner. I never watch the angsty anime though.

 

[Silvertongue]

I'm of the opinion that anime is merely an art style encompassing many genres, all with distinct tropes and conventions, although there are some that transcend genres to become common in the style.

I love some anime, but some I refuse to touch with a ninety-foot pole or snobbishly look down my nose at as being less than art.

The dilemma is that anime is looked at as a single lump form of entertainment, and there hasn't been enough serious inquiry into what distinct series or franchises bring to the table in terms of artistry. So it is with video games and popular music.

This being said, I don't think I have any real concise answer to the main question. I like it because some series are awe-inspiring works of art, and others are just fun entertainment that caters to my tastes.

 

[Wait...What]

Well if Pokemon (the originals, as far as im concerned there are only 151 pokemon) and Digimon count as anime, then sir i say to you, whats not to like.
In seriousness i only like those becuase i grew up with them.

I mainly dont like anime becuase I'M NOT JAPANESE, its not like its aimed at me. Also the few people i know who are into anime are MASSIVE faggots (no offense to fans)

 

[gabargy]

Basically an anime is like a professional wrestler. Some people like one, some like a different one, and nobody really agrees which one is the best, but the action sequences are all dramaticized, and, in the end, most people dont like any of them out of sheer principle.

 

[SideburnsPuppy]

Because Death Note is smart, Gurren Lagann is fun, Now and Then Here and There is incredibly emotionally powerful, Gankutsuou is, from what I've heard, Count of Monte Cristo in space, and Cowboy Bebop is the second-greatest thing mankind has ever produced, right after me.

 

[Red Rum]

I like the anime that focuses on more mature and dramatic themes, instead of things like DBZ.

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

It covers a wide spectrum of genres for animation, and there are quite a few original stories out there that likely wouldn't work in another format nearly as well.
And with the cuteness factor usually cranked up to eleven, some characters are quite unforgettable when they aren't mere moeblobs.
Plus, I've always liked the art styles.

 

[Sean Hebner]

The anime that I like tends to be Frantic. And sometimes bizarre retelling's of western or well known eastern stories... and the art style intrigue's me.

 

[Xanadu84]

Why do you like books, look at Twilight!

I recommend you go find an episode of Excel Saga. Then, go and find an episode of Serial Experiments Lain. You can't even begin to say that they are even kind of in the same Genre. So there's no way to really properly answer your question, because Anime is too broad a genre.

 

[MegaManOfNumbers]

why the hell did you watch Naruto?! tht's a terrible example of an anime! watch something like FMA. that'll give you a better impression of anime.

 

[Vykrel]

i dont... too weird for me, although there have been several exceptions.

i love Trigun, Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, Dragonball Z, and the original Pokemon Series.

 

[Mordwyl]

It usually takes itself (and in turn the target audience) more seriously than the western animation variant. Of course this also depends on the title, as western shows can be brilliant if they wanted to (i.e. Avatar: The Last Airbender, Gargoyles, The Animaniacs, etc.).

I've began watching anime ever since I could crawl to the TV, with one of my first series being Fist of the North Star. It's still a favourite today and is one of my main sources of inspiration.

 

[Elle-Jai]

I don't necessarily like it; I usually watch because Azure Sky forces me to. It also usually turns out that I enjoy it at the time, but I can rarely remember anything about it, from the characters and storyline to the title, later on. Unless I really did like it; Star Ocean, Nadesico, Furuba and a few others have mostly stayed with me beyond the end of the series

Like many people have said, as in all things, some anime is good, some less good. Personally I continue to watch because either it's funny, there's a cute guy (usually voice for anime as opposed to actual animated cuteness), or because it hooks me in with an interesting storyline. Or there's nothing better to do, since tv is rubbish, reading is antisocial when in a group, and Azure and I violently disagree in musical taste lol.

 

[cuddly kit]

I don't.
I used to, when I was ten, but then I grew out of it.

Besides, there are a lot of people at my school who like anime, and all of them are really weird. They all dress up in black; they make weird expressions with their faces, kind of like they are trying to emulate what anime characters do; and some of them even meow. I'm not kidding, they just randomly meow, because they think it's "anime" or whatever.

I'm sure that you're not all like that though?

My uni has an anime club and a cosplay club so yeah I've met people like that, I have to admit I am a cosplayer so my view is definately leaning towards anime, however some people are just overobessed. I.e. one girl bet up my friend and called me swear words online for him cosplaying as Cyclops from X-men (why would you do that ITS CYCLOPS) and because I wanted to make my own stuff and reject her help. Then complained after i responed i wouldn't apologise (i apologised 6 times) these people are not a good representation.

I prefer the people who do it because a) they are fans and b) they want to get a laugh out of it

I can understand you growing out of it everyone likes there own thing (and sorry about the mini-rant it was not directed towards you at all and I hope your having a lovely day). Plus some people i know do it to meet people. At Avcon there was a kakashi that couldn't walk 5m without 3 girls hugging him, and at mani people stalked littlekuriboh. Different opinions about anime is what makes it good.

I mean if everyone liked the same things then there would be no different forms of entertainment, I personally like anime because it is diverse, although i avoid the rude stuff...
I don't get why people would watch it but each to there own. Deathnote has a really good plot though, and stuff like naruto is good to unwind to if only because of the spoofs and epic battle scenes.

 

[DragonChi]

Anime just has a REALLY artistic, unique way of animation. There have been insanely clever,deep, masterful ideas that frankly I've never seen in typical American animation.

You really cant compare animations like Hellsing, Princess Mononoke, Akira, Last Exile, Ninja Scroll. to say something like...ah hell..ANY American animation. most of which are comedy's. I'm certainly not dissing anything, cause i love all of them. but we don't really have any REALLY Gorey or REALLY brain probing cartoons. or anything that looks like works of masterful art in every scene. Its just awesome. I got hooked immediately and in all honesty, now PREFER over American animation.

they are all just great experiences. Granted..there are probably bad anime's too. but I have two best friends that are passionate about anime and they are my filter system. I only watch the decent to AMAZING anime's. but still..anime's worst is our (American) best in most respects. IMO at least.

 

[suubersnake]

I would say that I like anime in the same way I like American Television, it's like finding Diamonds in an ocean of crap. Anime is like an animated version (that is usually a little quirkier, due to the medium) of regular televised media. In both you find some true Diamonds, like firefly and Gurren Lagann, but you also find a bunch of crappier TV shows, like any reality TV show and Naruto. I personally think that it's incredibly naive to write off an entire genre (would you call is genre?) without looking at it beyond the cover.

I like good storytelling and plots. I like that in everything.

I don't like anime because it's anime. If I like an anime it's because it has a good plot, character development or an interesting theme. Exactly the same as western media.

I don't understand why people don't get that. Only weebo's like everything simply because it's Japanese. I simply don't discriminate on good story telling, just because it came from Japan.

Also, what he said.