Why do you like anime?

[Seldon2639]

I don't like anime.

Don't get me wrong. I loved D.N Angel, Full Metal Panic, Ouran High School Host Club, and a slew of other anime.

But I don't like anime writ large. The problem with asking whether someone likes "anime" is that it's roughly equivalent to asking if someone likes "television". It's too general; it's an entire medium. There's some great anime, emotional anime, anime that makes me cry or laugh, feel good or feel bad. And anime itself doesn't do that better or worse than anything else.

It's worth noting that anime is better than a lot of western series, because western series tend to be episodic, and expecting to be longer-running, where anime expects to be a half-season - two seasons (usually) at most. Anime is forced to actually create an entire narrative in the time it expects to have. Largely because all of the costs are upfront, they know how much they can make.

But, there's also good and bad. Full Metal Panic is just fantastic, with great characters, development, arcs, all of that good stuff. Dragon Ball Z is pulp. The difference is between The West Wing and WWE. In western television, I like The West Wing, I hate WWE.

See how it works?

 

[rex922]

i usually just need a time sinkhole and anime is just that

 

[rokkolpo]

because it's fun......?

why do you like gaming, watching tv.

 

[GodofDisaster]

To be honest I moved onto anime, because I really can't stand today's TV.

I like it for it's humor, action, storyline and even general silliness.

I'm willing to give most shows a try and will watch everything, from action, slice of life to even shoujo anime.

Although right now Fairy Tail is starting to become a favourite the soundtrack, the characters and even the story arcs are all excellent.

 

[Cowabungaa]

I don't like anime as a group, but I like certain anime series and movies because I simply appreciate good fiction whether it's anime or not.

le snip

Actually no, you're missing 2 important types here; the proper mature anime, as in not emo bullshit (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kurozuka, Grave of the Fireflies to name some) and the fairytale-like work of Studio Ghibli.

 

[DSK-]

I'm not too sure. Anime is entertaining and interests me in general (it's also 'acted' a lot better than some of the stuff on TV ). I wouldn't say I was fanatical over it though.

 

[Hap2]

Philosophical reasons for one part, stimulating my thoughts and my imagination. I am an artist, so I really appreciate the craftwork involved in creating a compelling original series that in turn inspires my own passions. And there is the simple fact is that I enjoy watching what I watch. My favourite series is probably G Gundam, for its over-the-top, not to mention fun, action, writing, and philosophical messages. Who could resist such a brilliantly awesome and tragic character like Master Asia?

By the way, I disagree with labeling anime as a genre, as it is ignorant on many levels. Anime after all, like paintings, photography and other art forms, is a medium, not a genre.

 

[laynaface]

...gahh, all you silly people that don't like it because the fanbase. I mean, really. Okay, here's an example. So yeah, it's really fun to randomly cosplay in public, and if people think that's weird, then good. And it doesn't mean that someone is wrong in the head if they don't conform to what people think is the norm, it just means that they're willing to have fun without caring what people think of them, and if you all think that's a bad thing, fine.

...okay, that was my rant about nonconforming and that stereotypes are stupid. For the record, I am a hardcore anime fan, but I also have 94 GPA and lots of friends that hate it, and I may be insane, but that has nothing to do with anime. Sorry.

Why I like anime, hm. Well, yeah, I'll admit that most of it is complete crap. But asking that is like asking why people like any sort of entertainment, either because it's entertaining or because it makes you think about things. And anime is nice because, living in the US, it offers a different experience in both style and plots. The action-y anime where it's just fight scene after fight scene, yeah, that gets old after like a minute, and same with the romance and the ridiculously cheesy ones. But there is exceptionally good anime, like Durarara!!, Kuroshitsuji, Pandora Hearts, even mainstream ones like Death Note. They're rare, and very few in number, but they exist. And ones like death note, which raise questions about what is good and evil, that someone can have an intelligent conversation about, or like Durarara, which also makes you think about the monotony of everyday life, or kuroshitsuji, which not only is animated very prettily, but it offers humor and an interesting plot, excellent character development and lots and lots of plot twists.

...but you can't really ask "why do you like anime," because it's far too broad a subject, there are so freaking many of them, and there is a lot of diversity with some of them.... in general, though, yeah, it sucks. But there is like 1 in a hundred that is amazing enough that makes it worth it.

 

[faceless chick]

anime is the last form of good animated shows on tv today. since american cartoons have more or less gone to the dark age of the 60s-70s of piss-poor animation quality, self-plagiarism, immature jokes, extreme censorship and complete lack of originality, anime is a breath of fresh air.

sure, a LOT of animes suck badly, but even those are better than most of the western world has to offer.basically, i'm waiting for america to re-learn how to do cartoons while keepign an eye for some actual shows worth watching in japan.

 

[Ubermetalhed]

Because Disney sucks now and anime provides the only good animation with well written storylines and characters.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

I don't watch much Anime (very little), but from what I've seen it doesn't shy away from adult themes and issues like mainstream western animation (which is seen as a children's medium). They also look nicer in many cases and are better/more imaginatively animated.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Its the zealous fans that turn me off it. I like some, like Cowboy Bebop or Afro Samurai, but its the fucking weaboos who like to take a shit on North American programming that push me away.

 

[Novelist557]

I like anime because there are no limits to the possibilities. On non-anime shows you have certain limits when things become too unrealistic but in anime anything can happen. Take Dragonball Z for instance (my favorite show when I was a kid) if you put half of that stuff in non-anime then it would be completely ridiculous but in anime its almost natural.

 

[The Stonker]

Tentacles! Wait, that's already taken isn't it?

But what I like about anime is that they have okay storylines, I guess and they don't reak of corruption from other mainstream media.
Well except for the Shonen Jump series but that isn't anime that's for wussies.

 

[Tanis]

I like it because I treat anime the same way I do any medium that's trying to tell a story or entertain me.


When you stop thinking of something as 'just for kids' or 'just a cartoon', you get a lot more out of it I think.

 

[Angry Asian]

Even though I'm Japanese/hardcore anime fan, all I really can say is because watching anime's unrealistic plots and characters entertains me.

It's the same reason I play games, and why I read books and such. But How people entertain themselves varies so I have no say in them, and honestly I don't even care. I'll still keep watching anime. If you've only seen Jump animations (Naruto, Bleach, Reborn, etc.) and judge the whole anime industry by those... well that's your choice and all I'm gonna say is that you're missing out.

Spoiler

Well... So I say, but I've gotten into anime so much I used few hundred dollars (if not thousands) into anime related goods, remember voice actor names, and animator names.

like the animator that did ep.1 of nanoha first season (yeah that dining scene, you know which part I'm talking about if you've seen nanoha) was done by same animator that did Eureka SeveN ep.48-ish Holland's epic kamikaze attack on the battleship. The said animators' name is Kou Yoshinari, older brother of one of the main animator at Gainax (anime company that did Evangelion, FLCL, Gurren Lagann, Mahoromatic, etc.), You Yoshinari.

oh and oh! the voice actor for Hakuoro from Utawarerumono is the same voice actor that does Jack Bauer in Japanese dubbed 24

Oh god, don't make me rant on about these stuff

 

[skips]

Spoiler: For anyone who describes anime as childish or dumbed-down.

Serial Experiments Lain, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Monster, Akage no Anne, FLCL

 

[Azure Sky]

I like it because I treat anime the same way I do any medium that's trying to tell a story or entertain me.


When you stop thinking of something as 'just for kids' or 'just a cartoon', you get a lot more out of it I think.

Very much this.

All the cheapshot jokes aside, lots of anime cover some very deep and adult themes. (No not THOSE themes, jeese... -.-)

It is indeed an unfortunate stigma that comes with the medium.