Rant on anime

[greybeta]

If you watch Cartoon Network late at night, you'll run into its Adult Swim programming. Over half of it is devoted to this "anime", or Japanimation as some call it. I admit that I have watched several of these shows and I don't see the appeal of it.

For one thing, they're cartoons people. Cartoons! I can't take a story seriously when it's in cartoon form. Not only that, they're drawn really weird. They've got these freaking HUGE eyes. HUGE. When was the last time you saw people with eyes as big as their ears?

And I hate the dubbing. People randomly talk and their mouth movements might sync up. That'd be a problem of trying to dub over another language, if they even show their mouths moving at all. Half the time, people will randomly put cups of coffee in front of their mouths or the camera will focus on their eyes when they're talking. Also annoying are those scenes where the camera backs out to focus on the landscape and stays there for a minute or so while the characters talk. I'd like to see the characters talking please.

I haven't even mentioned the stories. How many times can Tokyo burn? Does the world need saving every single day? Why is the main character too good?

Also, you have these unrealistic love triangles/polygons. Ninety nine percent of lead characters are pathetic wimps who couldn't land a girl in real life even if they were handed a manual. Yet you have the entire cast of female characters fawning over this poor kid like he's something to be sought after.

Then there are the endings, which really aren't endings at all. They're usually some sort of philosophical comment on society or they just plain stop. Yes, anime tends to stop right when the story is getting interesting. Argh.

Comments

[iceofpluto.livejournal.com]

This is why you should watch Love Hina and Excel Saga. And not dubbed cause dubbed is the lose. :D Anyway, yeah, the anime on Cartoon Network is really bad, but if it's all you've seen then you should watch more. Granted if it's a "serious" anime, then Japan is going to be destroyed and then the rest of the world, but *shrugs*

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Love Hina and Excel Saga despite the fact I watched them dubbed.

[iceofpluto.livejournal.com]

I say again, dubbed == the lose.

And is that Dom from Megatokyo?

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

This is indeed Dom from Megatokyo. ^_^

[iceofpluto.livejournal.com]

Awsome! do you talk on the forums?

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

I just registered, since I remember one of my suitemates bothering me about it. I tend to lurk for a while before posting in a new forum, though. May I ask which MT forums you frequent?

[usmu.livejournal.com]

You should talk to fub. This guy has seen more anime than is good for any one human being and should be able to hook you up with something you can actually enjoy. And never watch anything dubbed because that sucks big time.

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

I'll check him out, then.

[usmu.livejournal.com]

The website he's got listed has all of his anima reviews, both in chronological and alphabetical order.

[fub.livejournal.com]

I can't take a story seriously when it's in cartoon form.
Why not? It is precisely the stories that attract me to anime. Granted, some anime have really stupid stories, but many series have deep stories (like Haibane Renmei), or just plain fun stories (like Cowboy Bebop).

They've got these freaking HUGE eyes. HUGE.
This is to emphasise the characters' emotions. As viewer, you have to empathise with them.

And I hate the dubbing.
As an original language purist, I fully agree. Subtitled anime is the only way to go!

Also, you have these unrealistic love triangles/polygons.
I see you've been exposed to the various 'harem'-anime, where a total loser is, for some odd reason, surrounded by beautiful women who all fall for him. Yeah, most of those aren't very creative or believable -- they can be amusing though.

Yes, anime tends to stop right when the story is getting interesting.
Some anime have really good endings, some just... stop. Most anime is based on a popular manga, and often there's more manga than there are episodes -- so instead of trying to cram everything in the anime, the directors choose to only do the start of the manga and stop on some non-complete resolution. That's too bad, yes.

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

In actuality, I enjoy anime. I was just ranting against as a favor for a friend. I love the serial nature of anime...it gives it a sense of direction as compared to most American programming.

I'm a sci fi guy, and more of a mechahead than anything else. I enjoy fantasy since I play a lot of RPGS as well.

I'm actually used to incomplete endings after Evangelion and His and Her Circumstances. And especially Berserk...

[fub.livejournal.com]

I'm actually used to incomplete endings after Evangelion and His and Her Circumstances. And especially Berserk...
Evangelion is an original work, and there is no manga-related excuse for the lack of ending! Anno was just sloppy (IMO). Beserk made us go 'WTF!?' at the ending -- to the point where I was almost sorry I watched it.
KareKano is unique in the sense that here, it was precisely the other way around: the series had run out of manga to animate! I'm not aware of any anime series with that problem...

[kidsis.livejournal.com]

What about Saiyuki? Now, granted, it is unfinshed because the manga isn't finished yet, but it could happen to that one too.