Do you read anime reviews?

[Ichihara Asako]

Originally Posted by Cats

You should focus more on what you want to say rather then expanding the "its good" / "its bad" sentence to several paragraphs. Its not so much a review as random thoughts printed in a value pair system ("good", "brilliant", "love" only really work in proper context). Also, to be honest you are shipping it more so then reviewing it. The anime'ski IM talk like writing style isn't helping either, its very hard to follow for a review and your punctuation seems to rather make it hard for people to breathe rather then serve a purpose.

Well that's how criticism sounds like, so don't give me "I like criticism" talk, all you want is comments and views, just like the other 99% of the blogging/reviewing population. Oh, and possibly the "its just a little bad, your doing great" little white lie =P

Actually, that's exactly the kind of stuff I want to hear. I'm not after views (what do I gain from it? No advertising to be had or any such) but I'm happy to hear opinions, whether they coincide with mine or not.

I said from the start, it's just putting my personal feelings on the series in to a review-ish style format, primarily so friends know to read it instead of asking me directly. When they do I refer them to the entry about the series, if it's something I've completed.

I am lost on what you mean by IM talk, though. If you could elaborate on that it may help me in the future.

[Socke]

Which one you trust more? DVD reviewers or fansub reviewers?

Actually I tend to trust DVD ones better than any fansub ones since they bought anime DVDs with their hard-earned money. Unlike fansub reviewers who don't have physical copies, they just got them for free and simply drag all "sucky" anime shows into recycle bin, which DVD reviewers may never do.

Back then in 2001-2004 when internet fansubbing still not as great as today, the anime review sites explode in the internet but most, if not all of them are limited on DVDs. At 2005 an onwards to this day and perhaps the future, most of this sites either died or inactive because most anime fans no longer trust them since they had fansubs. I dare say that some anime websites like Myanimelist and Anime-Source are killing anime websites in DVDs.

I'm not spreading Myanimelist and Anime-Source hate, I'm just want to point on why people no longer care about anime review websites anymore.

[Ichihara Asako]

Originally Posted by Socke

I dare say that some anime websites like Myanimelist and Anime-Source are killing anime websites in DVDs.

I'm curious why you think this. How do anime communities harm DVD sales? They're still going quite strongly, the sales in the 00s were stronger than ever before (peaked in 06 iirc?) though the declining sales since then can hardly be attributed to the likes of some English anime communities. I was actually surprised to see how strong sales remained through the whole "GFC" where many other industries really did suffer.

And for the record, I'm an avid DVD collector. Fansubs will never change that unless the industry moves to a streaming only delivery system.

[WanderingKnight]

Actually I tend to trust DVD ones better than any fansub ones since they bought anime DVDs with their hard-earned money. Unlike fansub reviewers who don't have physical copies, they just got them for free and simply drag all "sucky" anime shows into recycle bin, which DVD reviewers may never do.

Actually, if you put it like that, I'd always prefer people who watch as much as they can since they have a broader knowledge of all the anime out there instead of buying 1 or 2 DVDs a year and considering yourself knowledgeable on the medium. What does a price tag have to do with how much knowledge you have on the subject at hand?

[felix]

Originally Posted by Ichihara Asako

I am lost on what you mean by IM talk

IM = Instant Messanger (ie. Yahoo, Msn, Google etc etc). Over use of smilies rather then proper construction of the thought process in the writing so as to lead to the feeling/tone naturally etc.

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

Actually, if you put it like that, I'd always prefer people who watch as much as they can since they have a broader knowledge of all the anime out there instead of buying 1 or 2 DVDs a year and considering yourself knowledgeable on the medium. What does a price tag have to do with how much knowledge you have on the subject at hand?

Watching 10 or 100 won't make you any smarter. Watching stuff you like and stuff you don't doesn't make you smarter either. There's a reason why they call people that abuse stuff (be it what it may) "junkies". In that idea, I'm pretty sure what he refers to is fansub watchers will tend to treat it like throwaway junk and are very impulsive and quick to judge in a black and white perspective. Its the difference in answer to the question: Do you like anime or do you like to watch anime? A lot just fall in the like to watch variety. I won't pretend there's some "right way" but typically not having any attachment to what you are reviewing is definitely the wrong way regardless of subject; the only exceptions being satirical reviews. Most of the so called reviews out there would do better if labeled as blog posts or tweets.

[Ichihara Asako]

Originally Posted by Cats

IM = Instant Messanger (ie. Yahoo, Msn, Google etc etc). Over use of smilies rather then proper construction of the thought process in the writing so as to lead to the feeling/tone naturally etc.

Two or three smilies is overuse now? I've never been a large user of smilies. I throw them in for emphasis occasionally (and very limited use, at that. Only a handful I use). I've seen them used a fair bit more even in official reviews and other published material, though yeah, they probably are unnecessary and I could do a better job of articulating my feelings instead of throwing them in. I probably won't, though, since they're not meant to be professional reviews, and are generally just for friends and other interested parties. I'll keep it in mind next time either way.

[WanderingKnight]

Watching 10 or 100 won't make you any smarter.

Never said it would make you smarter. It makes you more knowledgeable. Big difference there.

[DragoZERO]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

Never said it would make you smarter. It makes you more knowledgeable. Big difference there.

Yes. Big difference in being smart and having knowledge. It's something that's misunderstood a lot.

[felix]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

Never said it would make you smarter. It makes you more knowledgeable. Big difference there.

Yes, it no longer fits to what you were saying earlier. Well, I'll just correct myself and say "wiser" instead of "smarter" and call it even.

[npcomplete]

Originally Posted by Cats

I won't pretend there's some "right way" but typically not having any attachment to what you are reviewing is definitely the wrong way regardless of subject; the only exceptions being satirical reviews.

Being detached from what you're reviewing is also a valid attitude to take. Heck, detaching from yourself is also another way.

And when you combine that perspective with a broader knowledge like with what WanderingKnight mentioned, you might actually end up with a more useful review. For example, a reviewer can say, "I personally did not enjoy X,Y,Z portions of the anime much because of such and such, but those who enjoyed other titles like A,B,C would probably prefer X,Y,Z more"

edit:
I'm also curious about the strategy of sampling the first few episodes. If there are elements that absolutely turns you off, then I can understand dropping the show immediately, but I usually try to stick it out if only because I'm curious about the story progresses, even when I don't enjoy the show. There have been shows that started off pretty dull but improved later on (e.g. Night Wizard). Conversely sometimes first impressions can be misleading where a show starts off great but ends terribly (e.g. Kare Kano), which I think is worse than former.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by npcomplete

Being detached from what you're reviewing is also a valid attitude to take.

I disagree.

The best anime reviews I've read are, by far, by people who clearly became attached to what they were viewing, and in a meaningful way (not necessarily a positive way; it's also true that the best scathing reviews I've read where by people who became attached to the anime they were reviewing and knew it inside-out). Such attachment tends to lead the viewer to notice all the little details more; details such as subtle foreshadowing of future events, artistic or animation deviations from one episode to the next, and how several different subplots eventfully interweave into one overarching plot.

Many key elements of an anime can be missed by a detached eye; they are more likely to be picked up on by an attached eye.


Now, there is value in having seen a large cross-section of anime, because that can give you a more complete frame of reference (which can be valuable in some cases) when evaluating a new anime.

But this value is not worth it if it comes at the expense of continuously detached viewing of anime shows. For example, I've read a few different anime blogs where the blogger will write a brief blurb or two (a paragraph at most; often just a line or two) for each of a dozen or more different animes. The value of this is very limited and often superficial, and reflects a detached viewer in most cases. It tends to be very black and white, too, like Cats said.

Some animes... like NGE, Serial Experiment Lain, Ghost in the Shell, the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, an anime based on a Ryukishi07 work, etc... will have many facets to them that will be completely missed out on by the detached viewer.

And when you combine that perspective with a broader knowledge like with what WanderingKnight mentioned, you might actually end up with a more useful review. For example, a reviewer can say, "I personally did not enjoy X,Y,Z portions of the anime much because of such and such, but those who enjoyed other titles like A,B,C would probably prefer X,Y,Z more"

Such an observation can definitely be valuable, yes... but it doesn't require either a viewer detached from what s/he's reviewing, or a reviewer who is detached from himself/herself.

All such an observation requires is a person who's aware that his or her own tastes aren't everyone's tastes, and that there's fans of certain elements that he or she may dislike.

I'm also curious about the strategy of sampling the first few episodes. If there are elements that absolutely turns you off, then I can understand dropping the show immediately, but I usually try to stick it out if only because I'm curious about the story progresses, even when I don't enjoy the show. There have been shows that started off pretty dull but improved later on (e.g. Night Wizard). Conversely sometimes first impressions can be misleading where a show starts off great but ends terribly (e.g. Kare Kano), which I think is worse than former.

If you're enjoying a show, then it probably is a good idea to watch it all the way through in case it takes a turn for the worse, yes. You wouldn't want to give an anime a rousing review based on a few episodes if the show ends up jumping the shark at the middle, or at the end.

However, I'm less sure about the other side of the coin, at least with modern anime. Anime series are increasingly short, with there being more and more 12 or 13 episode animes. If these animes start off with 3 bad episodes... that's pretty bad. That's a quarter of all of their content.

A 12/13 episode anime really ought to have the viewer hooked and/or impressed and/or entertained by the 3rd episode, at least.

[WanderingKnight]

Yes, it no longer fits to what you were saying earlier.

wut

Originally Posted by me

Actually, if you put it like that, I'd always prefer people who watch as much as they can since they have a broader knowledge of all the anime out there instead of buying 1 or 2 DVDs a year and considering yourself knowledgeable on the medium. What does a price tag have to do with how much knowledge you have on the subject at hand?

Well, I'll just correct myself and say "wiser" instead of "smarter" and call it even.

PS: Also, I have no idea how this turned into an argument in favor of detaching yourself from series. While I won't weigh on my opinion on that subject, it has absolutely nothing to do with how many series you watch.

[roriconfan]

Detach, WTH? I review any series I have something to write about other than "it's good/bad".
What does detachment has to do with anything? Being objective? Isn't it enough saying how a fan of the genre and a hater whould think about it?

[Woopzilla]

I only read reviews after watching the anime in question. I check the reviews posted on AniDB to see how others felt about the show.

I feel some reviewers can be trusted to not have some biased opinion but what I don't trust in anyone is the ability to keep them spoiler free... hence I stopped reading them.

I never even read the 'summary' plot outline of the first episode that they have under each anime entry on AniDB. I choose my anime by genre and tags. Then I just check if it isn't rated less than 6.0 with a considerable voter number and begin watching.

[Kafriel]

Being objective? Isn't it enough saying how a fan of the genre and a hater whould think about it?

Pretty much. Objectivity in anime is useless...I think that most people who watch anime can tell what's good and what's bad from an objective point of view regardless of whether they actually like it or not ( for example, One Piece and Casshern SINS gave me the feeling that they're on a different caliber than other anime, which I have liked more).
Pointing out what makes an anime good, bad, boring, funny, interesting or dramatic for YOU is what matters the most; that way others can appreciate the anime from another point of view and authors can take your points into consideration in the future. I'm not saying that they are driven by fans, but having the general idea of what made series X a hit or had it plummet is an important factor for success.

[roriconfan]

I just write my opinion about something and then mention how others will probably think about it from the other side of the spectrum. I leave the reader to deside which one he likes more. For example, this is a part of my Code Geass review

Spoiler for review portion:

Animation
The changes in the second season are mostly aesthetic, as everyone got himself a new set of cloths, mecha upgrades, and the battles got aerial and more grand-scaled. Oh yes, and fan service increased 300%…

I almost disliked all that subtle erotism, just for the sake of pleasing the fans. The characters were already imposing or cute looking and this element gave a shallow carnal-fan side to them that damaged the seriousness of their presence. Oh, sure, the average otaku’s opinion states that boobs and underwear raise enjoyment but remember that this was supposed to be a serious story. Adding fan service ruined that said seriousness. Not to mention the gray propaganda. Pizza Hut anyone? I understand that sponsors want to advertise themselves through anime but this was ridiculous. I now dislike instead of liking Pizza Hut for using such blunt methods of advertisement.

The above two reasons were not serious enough to deduct points (not in this section at least). The animation section is not a 10, just because there are some repeated scenes and several static cells that simply yell “This ain’t Miyazaki level, pal”.

[Patch&Quilt]

I occasionally read reviews on MAL.

[yoropa]

I usually like reading them after I've seen them just to see what people thought about the show.

[Theowne]

I feel some reviewers can be trusted to not have some biased opinion but what I don't trust in anyone is the ability to keep them spoiler free... hence I stopped reading them.

I agree with you on the spoiler-free part. Many bloggers in particular, will title their post "review" when it is actually more of a "final impressions" post that gives away final plot points.

As for the biased part...I'm fine with biases. Everyone is biased, some people just pretend they aren't. I follow psgels' blog, and hes biased - but I'm familiar with his bias, enough to know if I will also like or dislike something based on his opinions. I take the same approach when writing my own reviews.

[Liddo-kun]

Voted "No" on the poll.
I prefer finding things out by myself.