Anime...What's the big deal?

[Dr. Ticklefesto]

Full Metal Alchemist.
Nuff' said.

 

[Drago691]

Did you see the Japanese animated version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? That is god-awful rubbish and totally ruined TMNT

I mean, what the hell, they transform into robot things and fly in space

http://www.scary-crayon.com/spectare/tmntova1/

Please, Japan, stop doing this to us, we already have suffered enough of your culture shock

omg.. they almost completely ripped off Wolverine's mask. O_O! The bastards!

Naruto = teh pwn.

 

[Dr. Ticklefesto]

...Justice League owns every other show, whether it be anime or not.
It's true, just watch anything in Season 2 😛

 

[Dussicar]

Okay. I'll grudgingly admit, HDS, that Yu-Gi-Oh has a fairly decent plot. Even with it edited like you said. That is the one show that I found that actually uses tactics to overcome adversaries. Most other shows pretty much use the standard monster floating in the air with speed lines in the background while laughing at the good guys about it's insidious plot, which goes into such detail as, talking about it's power, talking about how tough it is, about how it will destroy the heroes, etc. All this time, the heroes are standing there, with their mouths agape wondering out loud about what their going to do.
I never understood that part. While this thing is blabbing, they could easily walk up to it and give it a kick in the crotch about 3 or 20 times. Or better yet, have them force it to outline it's insidious plot in a written essay. It'll be too busy to notice that the kids have saved the day.

Just a thought.

 

[AphroditeRabbit]

Kind of like in the Super Friends when the hero would describe what he's about to do before he does it? (Didn't they make an adult swim parody on this where the team goes to a movie theater and does the same thing?) Or the comic strip where the hero appears:
3 Panel Comic..........
PANEL ONE-Hero: There you are stealing the jewels, you villain, but I am back after you punched me.

PANEL TWO- Villain: Yes, after I stole the jewels I punched you!

PANEL THREE-: *The hero punches the villain*

TO BE CONTINUED!

Lame.

 

[naveltkltr1350]

Kind of like in the Super Friends when the hero would describe what he's about to do before he does it? (Didn't they make an adult swim parody on this where the team goes to a movie theater and does the same thing?) Or the comic strip where the hero appears:
3 Panel Comic..........
PANEL ONE-Hero: There you are stealing the jewels, you villain, but I am back after you punched me.

PANEL TWO- Villain: Yes, after I stole the jewels I punched you!

PANEL THREE-: *The hero punches the villain*

TO BE CONTINUED!

Lame.

lmao! i was just laughing about that while watching superfriends on boomerang over the weekend!

 

[Dussicar]

Kind of like in the Super Friends when the hero would describe what he's about to do before he does it? (Didn't they make an adult swim parody on this where the team goes to a movie theater and does the same thing?) Or the comic strip where the hero appears:
3 Panel Comic..........
PANEL ONE-Hero: There you are stealing the jewels, you villain, but I am back after you punched me.

PANEL TWO- Villain: Yes, after I stole the jewels I punched you!

PANEL THREE-: *The hero punches the villain*

TO BE CONTINUED!

Lame.

Yep. Superfriends sucked. The only time I appreciated it was when I was a kid.
But, nowadays, I watch it for the pure crappy camp effect. And even then, I can't stomache too much.

Nostalgia is one thing, but watching Superfriends for the whole half hour is just plain self abuse.

 

[Tomato_Dragon]

I gotta agree, that other then buying anime dvd's, Adult swim has got some pretty decent stuff on. (Inuyasha, Fullmetal Alchemist, Trigun) the new Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is a great series. The quality and stories are top notch ( though I might be biased cause I didn't really care for the movie.) Cowboy Bebop runs also, which in my opinion, schools all other anime series.😀

 

[piano_er1]

All this time, the heroes are standing there, with their mouths agape wondering out loud about what their going to do.
I never understood that part. While this thing is blabbing, they could easily walk up to it and give it a kick in the crotch about 3 or 20 times. Or better yet, have them force it to outline it's insidious plot in a written essay. It'll be too busy to notice that the kids have saved the day.

Just a thought.

LOL Okay, I might get shot down by a lot of people for this, but I have to say it anyway:

Oh, first let me point out that I am a huge Dragon Ball Z fan, so despite what I say about it, I still think it's cool 😉.

That's the part that really irritates the shnedozzles out of me in Dragon Ball Z, where the villains just stand there talking about how powerful they are and arguing with the heroes about who's going to beat who for 28 GODDAMN MINUTES!

Freeza: Haha, I will beat you Goku!

Goku: No, I will beat YOU!

Freeza: Hahahaha, no, I will beat YOU!

Goku: No I will beat YOU!

Freeza:.....Haha, I will beat you Goku!

Goku: No, I will beat YOU!

Freeza: Hahahaha, no, I will beat YOU!

Goku: No I will beat YOU!

Freeza: ....Oh but this isn't my most powerful form...THIS IS!!

*Freeza then proceeds to morph for the next 78 episodes. Everybody else just stands there fearing for their lives, cutting from shot to shot to shot of everyone, open-eyed gritting teeth making frustrated/frightened grunts. Nobody bothers to just go up to him and kick him in the nuts.*

 

[Dussicar]

YES piano er, EXACTLY!

I used to watch dragonball z when it first came out. All up until Napa and Vegita bit the dust. Then, everything happened EXACTLY as you described it. Basically wasting an entire episode powering up and snorting at each other.

And to those who are reading this post and has no idea what Dragonball z is, I'm telling you right now. Piano er isn't lying. It literally took half a season of worthless bantering between two adversaries to get to the actual battle.

 

[piano_er1]

Hahahaha, the really pathetic part is I used to rush home from school every day when I was 14/15 so as not to miss Dragon Ball Z that ran at the time A LITTLE AFTER school finished for the day. This was during the Freeza saga. Like a moron, I would get home as fast as I could, turn the T.V. on, and be greeted with something like:

"Oh yeah? Well my power level is 2 MILLION. I will beat you!"

and then the next day:

"No! I will beat YOU! For years I have trained in the super secret time saving capsule for 3000 years, so now my power level is 4 bajillion! So therefore that means I will beat YOU! GrrRrrrnnngghhrrhhrr...."

"......nnNNNNNRGhGGHghggHghGhghGHrrrr........"

".....GrrRRRRRRRAAAUUGHHHH!!!!!......"

"....NNNrrnnRrRHAgAHRGGUUUGGFHAGHHHHHHHsnargleNHHRRAAAAgghhfhaazzappffffthhh......"

I ended up doing this for almost 2 WHOLE GODDAMN MONTHS, hoping that one day, eventually, they would just get to the action and FIGHT. MORON IS NOT THE WORD. And to top it off, I think I missed the one (out of the 1,000,000) episode where they DON'T grunt and brag and boast and bitch, and actually FIGHT. Since then, I decided to just read the comics.

 

[zen]

There is much out there...

Anime is not something that a true fan is going to turn on the TV and expect laid out for him. In America, we only use on TV what can be marketable in real life. Considering that any form of animation is immediately considered for children (Including 3d animation, but Pixar, and Dreamworks are trying to re-arrange that concept), it has to be considered marketable. This means that a large percentage of any anime you will see on TV is immediately going to have to be able to appeal to children, so as to make money off of merchandise.

This is why great shows, like the ill fated Escaflowne on Fox, was completely butchered. The series has a storyline involving a young girl in a world of knights, who use giant armor, powered by magic in battle. There is alot more to it, but Fox only decided to use the above. Example being cutting the entire first episode, simply because it had nothing to do with this world. Nevermind the fact, that it was the prologue, and the explanation of how she got to that world, in the first place...

You will never see excellent shows like "Rahxephon" on American TV. An anime that is as beautifullly drawn as it is scripted. My father himself couldn't keep up, but kept asking me questions about it. He felt if it were any more intriguing, he'd be like my mother and her soaps. Heaven forbid. ><

"Berserk", another top tier anime that will never see Television due to it's amazing violence. Which isn't magical in nature at all. The battlefield being littered the hundreds of soldiers, one of which wields a sword capable of cleaving rider and steed. The series has a story that carries the weight of it's action, with the beginning of the series starting off in the future, and every episode after that, a sudden flash back...how did this man in black armor become who he was...with a grin, and a flash of light, the tale is told.

Anime is a Big deal, because those who love it, cherish what is available, and see why the sensation in Japan has little to do with pocket monsters, and what it has to do with film writing. Cultural differences aside, the detail and care placed in these anime series almost ridicules the lack of importance placed in American film. Character development, plot, and ambience. Rarely will you see that in movies at all. With exceptions of course (The most recent being Cronicles of Riddick, which considering it has no movie other than Pitch Black to back it up, created its own world and sound. And The Fifth Element, a movie that shocked me to no end to to it's creativity.).

Some people may not "get" anime. But to those that do, they can appreciate more than just shiny skin, big eyes, and ridicolous hair...

---Ace Riley

 

[nessonite1]

"......nnNNNNNRGhGGHghggHghGhghGHrrrr........"

".....GrrRRRRRRRAAAUUGHHHH!!!!!......"

"....NNNrrnnRrRHAgAHRGGUUUGGFHAGHHHHHHHsnargleNHHRR AAAAgghhfhaazzappffffthhh......"

ROFL!! I used to watch DBZ all the time. This was back when I had about a zillion times more free time on my hands. Glad Im not the only person who found it slightly irritating (slightly?) that the characters just stood around for 5 or 6 episodes in a row, flexing at eachother and trading mean/horrified looks.

 

[nessonite1]

Ah yes...HDS and Jay speak the truth. It's a huge cultural difference there. I read a rather fascinating book a bit ago about the comic industry in Japan. It was either a politician or some sort of governmental type person that produces a periodic manga to reach the people.

 

[Jaynin]

A note on the above: a great many of the people whom I speak with (read: anime dorks) mock DragonBallZ to some extent or another. The incredibly annoying drawing out of the plot is definitely NOT what happens in most anime, mind you. Some animes have a bare twenty-six or even less episodes to the entire series, so lagging along on the plot like that generally doesn't happen.

Now, what HDS said. The editing on anything that appears on American television with the noted exception of Adult Swim (which does as little editing as possible) often produces a hideous Frankenstein that hardly resembles the original. HDS brought up the example of Yu-Gi-Oh!; Pokemon was so horribly butchered that a new take on it was released, called Pokemon Adventures or something where the Pokemon get cleaved in half and so forth. The notorious example of an anime shredded and sloppily put back together through editing is of course Sailor Moon. The edited version hardly bears any resemblance to the original (which contained nudity and some graphic violence). There's a big difference between going on a date, and going on a date to see an X-rated movie. (Edited version vs. original)

In fact, the final season of Sailor Moon was never released in America officially because American censors threw a fit over the transsexual characters that appear in it...

 

[AphxA1]

yo seriously, the anime, dragon ball, z, and gt the American versions bears like zero resemblance to the Japanese versions. The translated version are just horrible dialogue. It just never worked out.

Worst line:

vegeta: wha...holy cosmos..is that...oh gosh

 

[His Divine Shadow]

A note on the above: a great many of the people whom I speak with (read: anime dorks) mock DragonBallZ to some extent or another. The incredibly annoying drawing out of the plot is definitely NOT what happens in most anime, mind you. Some animes have a bare twenty-six or even less episodes to the entire series, so lagging along on the plot like that generally doesn't happen.

There are in fact very few Anime that go on as long as DBZ. Most are either under ten episodes as in a short OVA, around 25 which I think, and don't quote me on this, is the average, around 50-70, or way up at 170 as in a Rumiko Takahashi series, or up in the hundreds, as with Detective Conan, and then a few rare ones that run over 500. Keep in mind this is a broad generalization. There is much variation.

And I guess I am one of the rare ones who enjoyed Dragonball. And it is easy to take potshots at the Frieza saga, "The most repeated saga of all time."

 

[nessonite1]

Pokemon was so horribly butchered that a new take on it was released, called Pokemon Adventures or something where the Pokemon get cleaved in half and so forth.

Pokemon getting cleaved in half you say? Where do I sign up? 😀 I have a subtitled version of the first Pokemon movie and I was really disapointed when I finally saw the dubbed version. It was like Pokemon Lite. 😛

 

[Jaynin]

It really is. I wouldn't know where to find that, Ness, but I've heard of it. >_>

And I know that DragonBallZ wasn't totally bad. It just gets mocked a lot. XD

 

[Dussicar]

It really is. I wouldn't know where to find that, Ness, but I've heard of it. >_>

And I know that DragonBallZ wasn't totally bad. It just gets mocked a lot. XD

Well, DragonballZ wasn't that bad at the start. But, after the Vegeta/Napa incident, everything got really rediculous. Every new bad guy that came on, subsequently denounced the last bad guy as a weakling, and after all was said and done, Goku would die...Again...Only to come back more powerful than ever, and trounce him...Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[morgandee]

We need to go to some place that's completely desolate and, that would never be in real life at all and it's huge and it's a bajillion miles wide and it's nowhere to be found on earth

but it's right over there

 

[Celtic_Emperor]

To be simple about it, the anime we see here in the states, that which is aired on network telivision does not represent the whole of anime, nor QUALITY anime at that. It is merely anime that is trafficed, licenced and franchized so easily into North America and Canada that its not important to executives and producers what level of quality the anime is at, only that it is sellable.

That is why we have shows like Pokemon and Dragonball Z made out to be more than they are, they are overhyped and there are so many products for each that general anime fans and would be fans are sick of it.

These lower-end shows and "kiddie shows" tend to turn off would be otakus and as a result the genre of anime itself is not taken seriously or believed to be more than it appears at first glance. Its a complete misrepresentation of quality, style, and most of all DIVERSITY. Some viewers assume what they see is with one show is what they will get with all anime and it is the best to be had just because its limited in the sense that its one of several animes that are most prevalent in the U.S and elsewhere and just because it seems popular enough that it is considered by other fans to be the industry standard or the genre's greatest achievement.

Like someone here said earlier, if you want really good anime, you have to look for it yourself and buy it. Programs like Adult Swim are a nice alternative, but they choose what they think will be good for business, and shows which they feel have proven themselves to the fans.

They base these findings on statistics and figure that if it was good for them (the japanese) it will be good for us.

Its for reasons like this that we get crappy anime over here (not that Adult Swim doesn't air good anime, it does and it has). They are not interested in quality, music, subplots or detailed characters that fans can relate to. They (other than Adult Swim) are interested in whats going to sell, even if thats not necessarily what the real fans want.

Otakus, over time, gain a sense of refined taste, and each has a particular genre or particular themes which they like over others. And it is these types of shows which will capture their attention and interest.

The shows you see on network tv are in no way the whole of anime and there are many, many more things to see, learn, hear and experience through anime on levels that regular cartoons cannot match up with or offer to you.

This is why otakus insist on not comparing anime to mere "cartoons". While technically they are the same thing, anime is of a different, higher quality in every respect than cartoons.

And again, if you want to experience that quality, you have to take the initiative to go out and find it.

Finally, if people are thinking Pokemon, the other ripoff shows, and Dragonball Z are all anime has to offer, then its a shame, because they're missing out on alot.

 

[piano_er1]

We need to go to some place that's completely desolate and, that would never be in real life at all and it's huge and it's a bajillion miles wide and it's nowhere to be found on earth

but it's right over there

HAHAHAHA I laughed my ARSE off the first time I heard that :laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[gallicus]

There are quite a few anime shows that I like, but most are not shown in Canada or the US. I enjoy different genres of anime, and a couple of my favourites are not shown on TV are Ranma 1/2 (very, very funny!) and Crest of the Stars.

There is one excellent anime that does show on TV called Witch Hunter Robin. It shows on YTV in my area, but I've heard it's also on other channels and networks as well. It's one of the very few anime's that prompted me to purchace the entire series (it's only about 30 eps long). The funny thing is when I first saw it I wasn't all that impressed. The reason was the drawing was quite a bit different from "standard" anime (big eyes, small mouth, etc.) and the first few episodes didn't have much by way of major storyline (and story is key for me to watch anime). However, the story picked up pace slowly and I grew to like the style more and more, and eventually at around ep. 9 the series started to lose the "random adventure" feel and there were some really deep issues that were explored. I won't ruin it, but the episode that really got me hooked involved a man who could heal all wounds at the cost of sacrificing another life. This man healed children and good people by sacrificing drug lords and mobsters. Should he be hunted without prejudice? I won't answer the question, but this is a taste of what is in the series. Also there is excellent character development, and you can tell right from the beginning the main character is on a quest to "find herself", which is something a lot of us do in real life. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys anime and wants to see some quality anime work on North American channels. I bought it and don't regret it. By episode 15, you won't want to wait to keep watching.

 

[AphroditeRabbit]

We need to go to some place that's completely desolate and, that would never be in real life at all and it's huge and it's a bajillion miles wide and it's nowhere to be found on earth

but it's right over there

Didn't the guy who did Zim's voice do that dialogue? I can't remember who it is...