Anime is weird

Anime personally isn't really my thing, but it's not really "weird".

It's moreso aimed for a different audience, y'know since most anime is made in Japan I imagine Japanese people are the first demographic on the animator's minds.

Like northivanastan said, Japanese people probably find western animation weird as well.

REJECT A N I M E, EMBRACE sand

8 hours ago, leejacksonaudio said:

I'll shock the hell out of all of you right now.

 

I am an avid Sailor Moon fan.

 

There. Go play with that. ^_^

 

Seriously, you should see my anime collection. It takes up half a wall in my house.

sheesh

4 minutes ago, bluemoss said:

REJECT A N I M E, EMBRACE sand

YES

3 minutes ago, SLOTH MARINE (CB) said:

YES

5 hours ago, Omniarch said:

Oh, no. Ohononono

 

You fool, what have you done!? You've DOOMED (heh) us all!

 

My rant demon, it stirs. I can't control it...

 

!!! WARNING - OMNIRANT INCOMING - WARNING!!!

 

To generalize about an entire medium is a fool's endeavour. One can no more describe anime in its totality as 'weird', in a generic sense, any more than one can cartoons, or, say, live-action television. All the mediums I've just described have certain tedencies, some general, some region-specific, that distinguish them beyond the technical.

 

Now, with regards to American or Anglo-sphere (I'm using this instead of 'Western' since I have little insight into continental european views on the matter) viewers in general, anime as a medium does broadly manifest certain tendencies that may be considered 'weird'. The most obvious example would be the hyper-sexualization of anything and everything. While by no means omnipresent, this tendency so common that it has become broadly associated with the entire medium.

 

This, combined with the fact that animation is strongly associated with children's media in the Anglo-sphere, can cause discomfort in many viewers from that cultural background. However, it is important to note that anime, by and large, is not aimed at children, but at teenagers (especially boys) and young adults. This explanation doesn't excuse the signiifcant number of borderline pedophillic shows made by older men for older men, but it does explain the discrepency somewhat.

 

Another major difference between anime and Anglo media is the former's lack of adherence to what I like to call the 'aesthetics of maturity'. What do I mean by this? Well, we all know that cartoons are, broadly, considered to be children's fare, not specifically because of their content (anyone here watched The Clone Wars?) but simply because animation in general is considered 'childish' for entirely arbitrary reasons.

 

Another way in which this manifests is the (perceived) ability of audiences to take certain premises 'seriously'. A good example of this would be Death Note. For those that don't know, DN is a manga (and anime) about a justice-obsessed sociopath who gets a magical book that kills anyone whose name is written within its pages. Sounds pretty silly, right? WRONG. Well, not entirely, but its not silly for the reasons you might expect.

 

As soon as the protag starts to use the book to kill off known criminals in vast numbers, an international investigation is called to find out the root cause of all this. Long story short, the series evolves into a high stakes thriller, detailing the increasingly complex mind games between the protag and the detective sent to track him down. The titular notebook also has many rules governing its use, which allows the series' to maintain a coherent plot for most of its runtime.

 

And the story is taken completely dead seriously, both in-universe by its characters and irl by its audience. Now, Death Note is an amusing example, because it actually conforms to the aesthetics of maturity in every way save for its premise. It is dark, grey, self-serious, cynical and frivilous with the lives of its supporting cast.

 

This is why I consider the show kind of silly, not because of the premise, but because despite all its posturing and faux-depth, it is neither deep nor particularly well-written. It is highly entertaining, don't get me wrong, and shows glimmers of genuine brilliance in the first eleven-odd episodes, but in the end it'd be lucky to get an 8/10 in my book.

 

One show I consider to be more 'mature' than Death Note actually illustrates my point perfectly: that show is Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. TTGL is, on the face of it, beyond ridiculous, a series where the protags start out battling furry-piloted mini-mecha in the desert and ends with them throwing galaxies shuriken-style at the metaphysical manifestation of death anxiety. It is zany, cartoony, hypersexualized and loud, all the things usually associated with trashy anime. And it ROCKS.

 

The series is an absolute roller-coaster ride, encompassing a wide range of emotions. It can by funny, tragic, thrilling, joyful and above all triumphant. It can be staggeringly idiotic and yet strangely brilliant and insightful at the same time. This is because TTGL is built around a rock-solid thematic core, covering things like loss, death anxiety, evolution, self-sacrifice, courage, redemption, all conveyed through this absurd narrative.

 

And the kicker? TTGL is only 26, 20-minute episodes long, the kind of thing that can be binge-watched in a matter of days. Such a density of action and ideas is seldom found in any medium.

 

And even if TTGL isn't one's cup of tea, there are so, so many brillaint and original anime out there. Here's a few of my personal favourites:

 

Black Lagoon - excessive, violet, over the top, and a vivid portrayal of broken people in a broken world. Set in the criminal underworld of south-east asia, Black Lagoon is drenched in post cold war '90s cynicism, and yet retains a strong human touch. Also, the waifus/husbandos are all a) really good characters and b) adults, so that's good.

 

Cowboy Bebop - this show's reputation likely preceds it. Atmospheric, funny, exceptionally produced and filled with low-key existential angst, I cannot recommend this show enough.

 

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - one of the best anime out there, and a good place to start if you have never really gotten into anime. Thrilling, heart-breaking, funny, tense, cathartic, FMAB has it all. A great story, well told, with many layers to dissect.

 

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - no, not the recent cgi atrocity, nor the '90s film and definitely not the Hollywood adaption *shudders*. I am talking about the 2002 anime. SAC is fantastic in every way, production, writing, world-building, you name it. One of the best works of post-cyberpunk I've seen, with its artfully-portrayed and semi-believable dystopia. A must watch for fans of the genre.

 

Gintama - don't watch Gintama, just don't. It takes a 150 episodes to get good, most of the comedy (which is 70% of the series btw) doesn't make sense to non-Japanese viewers and the characters are arseholes. Once you reach the tipping point, though, there is no way back, the series has wormed into your soul and it will never leave. Gintama is simultaineously the dumbest and most ingenious anime in existence, equal parts crude and profound, tragic and hilarious, awesome and boring. It is impossible to convey the sheer scope of the themes and ideas Gintama covers in a single paragraph, so I won't even try. Suffice to say, this is the only anime that has ever had a deep emotional and philosophical impact on me, and I am not easily affected by media.

 

Hunter x Hunter - the battle shonen for people who hate battle shonen. HxH is faster-paced, more intelligent and more original than most of its contemporaries, while still retaining the epic fights that make the genre special. It may not seem like something special early on, but one of the later arcs is legit one of the best stories I have seen in any medium. Just be warned: this series can be frustratingly dumb at times, and the 2011 adaption has a very contrived 'ending'.

 

Note: If you really like the main four after finishing the 2011 version, consider watching the 1999 adaption, since it is very atmospheric and adds tremendously to the cast.

 

Legend of the Galactic Heroes - a vast, sprawling space opera, covering a variety of political and military topics, as well as a close examination of autocracy. Serious, but with a light touch, realistic in style and totally devoid of half-naked anime girls, this is the anime for people who don't like anime. Be warned, though: the pacing is glacial at times, so feel free to speed it up.

 

Monogatari - actually, this one is pretty degenerate, ngl. If you can stomach some of anime's worst excesses, though, this is one of the cleverest, most visually distinctive works I have ever seen.

 

Revolutionary Girl Utena - surreal, stage-like and incredibility original, Utena covers themes of abuse, power, lionization and... well, I can't say really. Its very metaphorical. Watch it and you'll see.

 

Trigun - post-apocalyptic space western, charming, zany and surprisingly tragic. An exploration of pacifism in a violent world, from the mind of a Japanese catholic. Its also relatively wholesome, as anime go.

 

 

So, is anime weird? Yes, yes it is. But it is also wonderful.

Hmm, I´m kinda surprised you haven´t mentioned Mobile Suit Gundam

My favorite anime are following:

Ghost in the shell: Stand alone Complex

A ton of studio Ghibli movies

Mobile Suit Gundam

Hellsing Ultimate

Sould Eater (realy fucking underated)

Azumanga Daioh (all time classic)

Patlabor, Ghibli, Cowboy Bebop, Macross and Akira are all great.

8 minutes ago, bluemoss said:

 

yay sand :)

5 hours ago, Dark Pulse said:

Darkside Blues.

I have watched it, several times. I know of what you speak.

4 hours ago, hybridial said:

Surprised Bubblegum Crisis isn't on there, along with another one I just got the blu ray of because I was feeling a little nostalgic, Outlaw Star.

I have Bubblegum Crisis. I just didn't consider it one of my "harder" anime shows. As for Outlaw Star, I tried watching it, and I never could get into it. Sorry.

tbh tho the last anime I watched was og naruto and jojo, pretty good stuff

I got a love/hate thing with alot of Japanese media

Sometimes its a hit, sometimes its just downright gtfo of my mind

All very weird tho, 100%

Nah, I just don't really like it

12 hours ago, Bridgeburner56 said:

Spoiler

 

Ew. I can't watch Helsing with English dubs. Everyone sounds so goofy and stupid. They probably sound like idiots in Japanese too but not knowing the language makes it easier :P   (fyi I loved the show but I watched the whole thing subbed)

11 hours ago, SLOTH MARINE (CB) said:

I'm just done with this thread now, and I can't give two shits about it, we can all have our opinions and get on with our lifes, and honestly now I would talk about doom than anime 

Yeaaahhhh.... welcome to Doomworld buddy. We could have got on with our lives in 1996 when Quake was released but did we?

7 hours ago, Dark Pulse said:

I actually used to get up at 6 AM to watch Sailor Moon before going to school.

I should say that I helped get my son into anime back in late elementary school/early junior high by showing him an episode of Hand Maid May a day before the school bus came to pick him up. The version with subtitles. He was transfixed.

One of my other all-time favorites: "Onegai Teacher." It's got one of the best soundtracks out there. KOTOKO is one hell of a singer.

Anyone who dismisses the whole medium out of hand clearly hasn't seen any Studio Ghibli films. Disney wishes it had the emotional layers of Miyazaki's films. 

15 hours ago, haruko haruhara said:

doom guy will beat up a anime girl

Doomguy would never do that. He is a gentleman ;)

Whenever I say Anime looks weird or I don't feel like watching it, my weeb friend always gets super angery and he is like: "You only like Doom. You hate Anime just because you like Doom. Doom is Temporary, but Anime is Eternal, learn that you idiotic Doom fan"

I mean cmon, I don't hate Anime that much and Doom isn't the only thing I like. Why is he taking it so seriously?

1 hour ago, magicsofa said:

Ew. I can't watch Helsing with English dubs. Everyone sounds so goofy and stupid.

... It's Hellsing. Anything else would be completely out of step with the quality of the rest of it :P

Anime is not weird. Simple as that.

2 hours ago, Teo Slayer said:

Whenever I say Anime looks weird or I don't feel like watching it, my weeb friend always gets super angery and he is like: "You only like Doom. You hate Anime just because you like Doom. Doom is Temporary, but Anime is Eternal, learn that you idiotic Doom fan"

 

I mean cmon, I don't hate Anime that much and Doom isn't the only thing I like. Why is he taking it so seriously?

probably cuz he bases his identity around it

Anime will never be cool until they have a fanservice-heavy furry anime. 

2 hours ago, Teo Slayer said:

Whenever I say Anime looks weird or I don't feel like watching it, my weeb friend always gets super angry and he is like: "You only like Doom. You hate Anime just because you like Doom. Doom is Temporary, but Anime is Eternal, learn that you idiotic Doom fan"

 

I mean cmon, I don't hate Anime that much and Doom isn't the only thing I like. Why is he taking it so seriously?

Because he has an unhealthy relationship with anime, but that's only a really small amount of the anime fans, really, but holy shit that person is weird as shit

10 hours ago, leejacksonaudio said:

Gunsmith Cats (Kickstarter version)

I looked into this because I wasn't in the loop, but I was able to get the premium editions of both Riding Bean and Gunsmith Cats from AnimEigo's website. I guess thanks for mentioning it because I may very well have remained ignorant. I really should keep an eye and an ear out more. Least I didn't miss the Devilman/Devilman Lady releases by Discotek. 

3 hours ago, Teo Slayer said:

Whenever I say Anime looks weird or I don't feel like watching it, my weeb friend always gets super angery and he is like: "You only like Doom. You hate Anime just because you like Doom. Doom is Temporary, but Anime is Eternal, learn that you idiotic Doom fan"

 

I mean cmon, I don't hate Anime that much and Doom isn't the only thing I like. Why is he taking it so seriously?

obsessive fans of anything are weird if you're not one of them. sports, star wars, a singer or an actor, video games, religion.... it's usually just a loud minority

19 hours ago, SLOTH MARINE (CB) said:

(also weeboos, doomguy could beat your favorite anime character in 2 seconds)  

Giorno Giovanna and most importantly Golden Experience Requiem would like a word with you.

Japan is weird so anime is.

It is important to note that Anime, Manga, and Video Games are merely sub-cultures, meaning there are just as many Japanese people who actually are indifferent to or even hate those sub-cultures.

It's just another form of media, you can say it's weird, but weird it's not the same as BAD.

8 hours ago, leejacksonaudio said:

I have watched it, several times. I know of what you speak.

This pleases me greatly. God I wish more anime had as great of a soundtrack as that. I rank it pretty much up there with Cowboy Bebop, but that got a LOT more music for obvious reasons.

Kara no Kyoukai has Yuki Kaijura, if that happens to swing your motivation at all. The opening of Episode 6 still makes me tear up and cry most of the time.

For a long time I was not interested in watching animé (spell it correctly, people!), all I saw was the tropes and the complaints from people that hated it so I just assumed that animé was a cohesive pot of similar shows and movies.

Then my brother watched Evangelion, had an existential crisis and had to show it to me so I could help him get over it.

Since then I guess you could say the floodgates opened. I've watched most Studio Ghibli films and have become rather fond of Studio Trigger. my favourite show is probably Kill la Kill, which ironically contains most of the elements that I initially avoided animé for in the first place. I might give Sailor Moon a look at some point, the fact that Lee Jackson is a fan has dramatically increased my interest.

I've always hated the subs before dubs attitude. It always felt so toxic and unimportant. I don't like needing to read when I'm watching something for the first time, though if I like it enough I will probably go back and watch it subbed later (as I've done for Girls und Panzer)

Now I don't treat animé any differently than I would any other show or movie, if it catches my attention and I like its artstyle I'll give it a look. There is a list of shows I refuse to watch, mostly because I hate the artstyle and partly because its fans have actually insulted me for not expressing interest (Dragon Ball, Jojo and Attack on Titan are on that list. They could truly be the greatest pieces of entertainment of all time but I'm still not going to watch them).

1 minute ago, Skeletonpatch said:

Then my brother watched Evangelion, had an existential crisis and had to show it to me so I could help him get over it.

Evangelion is in a weird place with regard to my anime tastes. It has all the tropes that usually make me stop watching, and yet I can't help but like it.