Anime you hate but everyone seems to like?

[DuelGundam2099]

Adding the first Patlabor series and the first movie to this list because they were incredibly boring as hell. I was just expecting a silly cop story and got.... Almost nothing of entertainment value.

[Fuyuno]

Please don't bring School Days to this thread. It's a shit to begin with and talking about it, even a bad one only to make it even more popular.

Back to the thread I think Higurashi need to have a dishonorable mention.

[NK_500]

^Okay and I should stop bitching about School Days, which is beloved and hated at the same rate at the same time. All thanks to that stupid but massively popular meme that came after it.

By the way I think Maria+Holic also need to be mentioned here. Yes it's true that not everyone seems to love this show but at same time I don't see any haters either except myself.

I have two main reasons to hate it. First it mocks yuri fanboys. See no further than its title, which basically a parody(more likely kick-to-the-nuts) to Maria-sama ga Miteru, a show which acclaimed by yuri fans. It also made the genuine lesbian girl(Kanako) unlikeable as possible like being perverted, desperate and just plain stupid. What if there is a similar show that mocks yaoi fangirls instead? I'll doubt it can be as popular.

Second it glorifies bullying instead of against it. There are plenty anime that glorifies bullying than this one like Clannad for example but in Clannad it was done as unrealistically as possible and more importantly Sunohara really deserves to be kicked by Tomoyo as he usually started it first. However not in this show as Maria bullied Kanako no obvious reasons except for his(yes Maria is he) amusement. Kanako did nothing to Maria except perhaps Kanako discovered his biggest secret(a crossdressing boy who disguises as a girl) but I still don't think that is a legitimate reason for everything Kanako have been through.

I don't want to blame anyone for this shit except those who produced, made and directed it. It's not impossible to think yaoi fangirls and fujioshi made this show popular than most of its counterpart for similar genre and demographic just because it mocks yuri and its fanboys.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by NK_500

I don't want to blame anyone for this shit except those who produced, made and directed it. It's not impossible to think yaoi fangirls and fujioshi made this show popular than most of its counterpart for similar genre and demographic just because it mocks yuri and its fanboys.

I think you're over-reading into it. I wasn't really into this show myself, but it's a comedy, and it basically makes fun of itself. Enjoying it basically depends on whether you appreciate its sense of humour (and as you pointed out, a lot of it was parody). Some people will appreciate the jokes, and some people won't, but I don't think it was intended to be as cynical and hateful of any fanbase as you took it to be. (And I'm pretty sure the primary target audience for this show was, in fact, young men, not "yaoi fangirls and fujoshi".)

[Ichuki]

I guess Oreshura (I'm not too sure on its reception but), I find that show incredibly slow moving and dull.

[animesky]

I hate death note but i know most people love it..

[Cheerful Orange]

Oh god where to begin.

Haruhi. It's not an awful show, but the whole "out of sequence" episode structure was an awful idea- twists and plot points in future episodes get spoiled in prior ones, there is just no coherent pacing or rhythm, and it just doesn't work. I concede this is less of a problem on the DVDs, when you can watch them chronologically. Unlike in the light novels, where the cast is given a decent amount of depth (though admittedly it mostly builds up throughout the novels, which can be hard to replicate in a show just over a dozen episodes long), most of the cast (AKA: Pretty much everybody but Kyon) felt rather flat. Haruhi, who was really designed to be a deeply flawed character ends up feeling like a bland Mary Sue. Also, Endless Eight why.

Another. Like, I don't even really get why people like the show that much. It's basically Final Destination except a pseudo-solvable mystery (I refuse to consider that twist fair play), and a hyper-complicated plot that required 3-4 episodes of exposition to actually explain. I get that the show was going for shock value, but I never cared about any of the characters that died, which just made the scenarios hilarious rather than disturbing.

Madoka Magica. The cast isn't fleshed out enough, really rushed pacing towards the end, and a pretty painful ending. I honestly thought that I'd like the show- I really liked Nanoha, and that was pretty clearly the kind of feel they were going for. But it didn't work for me. I wouldn't call it awful (there were moments I enjoyed), but I don't get why it's so insanely well-liked. It also ruined the word "deconstruction", which I will never forgive it for.

Death Note. The protagonist is unsympathetic with an incredibly unrealistic character arc, most of the cast is mediocre at best, and the second half was just painful. Also, Misa.

[sa547]

Another. Like, I don't even really get why people like the show that much. It's basically Final Destination except a pseudo-solvable mystery (I refuse to consider that twist fair play), and a hyper-complicated plot that required 3-4 episodes of exposition to actually explain. I get that the show was going for shock value, but I never cared about any of the characters that died, which just made the scenarios hilarious rather than disturbing.

It's twistedly popular because we actually picked fun at that show for trying to make itself look like Final Destination with a Battle Royale ending.

Madoka Magica. The cast isn't fleshed out enough, really rushed pacing towards the end, and a pretty painful ending. I honestly thought that I'd like the show- I really liked Nanoha, and that was pretty clearly the kind of feel they were going for. But it didn't work for me. I wouldn't call it awful (there were moments I enjoyed), but I don't get why it's so insanely popular. It also ruined the word "deconstruction", which I will never forgive it for.

Episode 3 made the show an overnight sensation after what appeared to be completely generic first two episodes. However, perhaps the reason why the characters weren't fleshed out well was this being an original series not based on any other medium, they weren't sure if the show would sell easy, and so to reduce the risk of possible financial failure they limited it to 12 episodes. Also, through Urobuchi's writing it broke away from the traditional template pattern of a typical magical girl show, which inspired a great deal of thinking and debate, with some even going as far as to put it in the same category as Eva. Not surprisingly it's so hyped much that the show is open to criticism.

[Cheerful Orange]

Originally Posted by sa547

It's twistedly popular because we actually picked fun at that show for trying to make itself look like Final Destination with a Battle Royale ending.

Are you talking about the sample size of this site or in general? Because if you mean this site: fair enough, I can see how that could be fun. Overall though, I have seen plenty of people who have seen the show and genuinely think it's good and I just don't get why.

Originally Posted by sa547

Episode 3 made the show an overnight sensation after what appeared to be completely generic first two episodes.

I've never quite gotten that. I mean, obviously there is a great divergence from the first two episodes and the rest of the show, but I've honestly felt like there were plenty of undercurrents of what the show was going to become even that early on. It may be confirmation bias though: both because I did have a vague idea of what kind of show it was, and because I knew Urobuchi was behind it.

Originally Posted by sa547

However, perhaps the reason why the characters weren't fleshed out well was this being an original series not based on any other medium, they weren't sure if the show would sell easy, and so to reduce the risk of possible financial failure they limited it to 12 episodes.

Completely valid point.

Originally Posted by sa547

Also, through Urobuchi's writing it broke away from the traditional template pattern of a typical magical girl show, which inspired a great deal of thinking and debate, with some even going as far as to put it in the same category as Eva. Not surprisingly it's so hyped much that the show is open to criticism.

The problem is that what Eva has going for it (Though speaking of massively overrated anime...) is that the show did do a whole bunch of things that hadn't quite been done before. That's not as true with Madoka. While it's certainly not completely derivative, many of its aspects had been (at a minimum) touched on by Nanoha prior, and several other aspects had already been done by Bakurano (while not being a magical girl show). I mean, I get what you're saying, but I'm not sure I completely agree.

[GDiddy]

Originally Posted by Cheerful Orange

Oh god where to begin.

Haruhi. It's not an awful show, but the whole "out of sequence" episode structure was an awful idea- twists and plot points in future episodes get spoiled in prior ones, there is just no coherent pacing or rhythm, and it just doesn't work. I concede this is less of a problem on the DVDs, when you can watch them chronologically. Unlike in the light novels, where the cast is given a decent amount of depth (though admittedly it mostly builds up throughout the novels, which can be hard to replicate in a show just over a dozen episodes long), most of the cast (AKA: Pretty much everybody but Kyon) felt rather flat. Haruhi, who was really designed to be a deeply flawed character ends up feeling like a bland Mary Sue. Also, Endless Eight why.

PREACH IT *brofists*

I loved it the first season, but the second season was unwatchable. Especially the Endless Eight or worst episodes EVER.

Characterwise, the best characters were Kyon and Nagato anyway.

Another. Like, I don't even really get why people like the show that much. It's basically Final Destination except a pseudo-solvable mystery (I refuse to consider that twist fair play), and a hyper-complicated plot that required 3-4 episodes of exposition to actually explain. I get that the show was going for shock value, but I never cared about any of the characters that died, which just made the scenarios hilarious rather than disturbing.

I dropped it halfway because I accidentally spoiled myself and all I kept thinking was, 'Final Destination: the Anime'

Madoka Magica. The cast isn't fleshed out enough, really rushed pacing towards the end, and a pretty painful ending. I honestly thought that I'd like the show- I really liked Nanoha, and that was pretty clearly the kind of feel they were going for. But it didn't work for me. I wouldn't call it awful (there were moments I enjoyed), but I don't get why it's so insanely popular. It also ruined the word "deconstruction", which I will never forgive it for.

I agree with you on the characters, but I think the reason why MM is super popular is due to its stylish art and the fact that it's a darker version of a well known anime trope that's usually more lighthearted.

Also, I"m guessing it's due to the fact that the fanboys love the cute girls....though Homura was a badass.

Death Note. The protagonist is unsympathetic with an incredibly unrealistic character arc, most of the cast is mediocre at best, and the second half was just painful. Also, Misa.

First 20 episodes or so are great....

Spoiler:

until L dies.

As soon as L died, so did the show pretty much.

Misa didn't bug me as much as others though....I actually felt bad for her in the end.

[totoum]

Originally Posted by Cheerful Orange

but I don't get why it's so insanely popular. It also ruined the word "deconstruction", which I will never forgive it for

Madoka didn't become popular just because people were watching the show,it became popular because people were watching the show and having endless debates about what would happen next.

It was a fun show to speculate on so it became a popular topic to discuss online and SHAFT made sure people had stuff to speculate on with things such as the runes, people were trying to find out where the show was going,there were many many theories thrown around.Some of the most populars didn't even come true.

Also,there really was nearly no interesting anime airing in winter 2011 so it really stood out.

[GDiddy]

I don't hate it exactly(I do like the characters, and not for the looks either) but if people thought K was bad? Hakkenden is actually worse.

There's like very little plot, characters keep popping up and leaving and nothing really is getting developed.

[Cheerful Orange]

Originally Posted by GDiddy

Characterwise, the best characters were Kyon and Nagato anyway.

Eh, yeah. Nagato was decently done; I just wish the writers had done more with her before Disappearance, because she's definitely my favorite character aside from Kyon.

Originally Posted by GDiddy

I agree with you on the characters, but I think the reason why MM is super popular is due to its stylish art and the fact that it's a darker version of a well known anime trope that's usually more lighthearted.

Oh, absolutely, SHAFT did a really good job with the animation, and the character designs are quite pretty. And Yuki Kaijura's score is excellent. Aesthetic-wise, the show is quite well done.

Originally Posted by GDiddy

Also, I"m guessing it's due to the fact that the fanboys love the cute girls....though Homura was a badass.

Possibly a factor, though I've found the fanbase to be pretty evenly divided among males and females. And Kyoko was more badass than Homura. Trufax.

Originally Posted by GDiddy

First 20 episodes or so are great....

Spoiler:

until L dies.

As soon as L died, so did the show pretty much.

Spoiler:

Oh, I'd say that L pretty much carried that show. In my opinion he was the most interesting, charming, and overall likeable character by far. So when you get rid of him... yeah, everything just kind of fell apart.

Originally Posted by GDiddy

Misa didn't bug me as much as others though....I actually felt bad for her in the end.

Eh, I can understand sympathizing with her, but I just couldn't find her likeable. And I really did try.

Originally Posted by totoum

Madoka didn't become popular just because people were watching the show,it became popular because people were watching the show and having endless debates about what would happen next.

That's fair, and speculating on shows can be a lot of fun, regardless of quality. "Popular" was honestly probably the wrong word to use- replace it with "well-liked". I'll actually edit the post for the sake of clarity.

Originally Posted by totoum

It was a fun show to speculate on so it became a popular topic to discuss online and SHAFT made sure people had stuff to speculate on with things such as the runes

Wow, props to SHAFT for that one.

Originally Posted by totoum

Also,there really was nearly no interesting anime airing in winter 2011 so it really stood out.

Also true. Honestly, the last couple years have been pretty lean when it comes to quality anime, in my opinion.

[NoemiChan]

Did I mentioned Detective Conan... When will Ran ever graduates and when will Shinichi grow up literally!!!!

[Cheerful Orange]

Originally Posted by GenjiChan

Did I mentioned Detective Conan... When will Ran ever graduates and when will Shinichi grow up literally!!!!

Yeah, DC really runs on Comic Book Time (it kind of needs to for the sake of plot). Heck, holidays have been celebrated more than once, yet Conan never moves on to second grade! To be fair, Aoyama has even acknowledged this himself. I guess what it boils down to is that Detective Conan is an episodic mystery series first, and... well, pretty much anything else second. And thus verisimilitude is basically only utilized wen it's convenient or will set the stage for said episodic mystery (or the plot, those few times Aoyama decides it can rear its head).

The same is true with the plot, really. It'll be utilized when it is convenient for Aoyama to utilize it, no sooner, which is really detrimental to momentum. I think everybody agrees that DC's plot really lags because of its episodic structure, which can be quite irritating. So it more comes down to trying to just view it as something like Columbo; a mystery-of-the-week show with an overarching story that pops up every now and again.

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by Cheerful Orange

To be fair, Aoyama has even acknowledged this himself.

I hope he ends it already... not only that I pity the couple, I'll be damn if he becomes one of the those author who dies without finishing their works.

[Traece]

Originally Posted by GenjiChan

I hope he ends it already... not only that I pity the couple, I'll be damn if he becomes one of the those author who dies without finishing their works.

Detective Conan is just like Pokemon. Conan has been going on 19 years now and little to no progress made in terms of years and aging. As always anime characters really do have eternal life (beyond timeskips and, well, being made dead).

I would classify Madoka as being popular. I've met people who don't regularly watch anime but know Madoka, or have watched it. Apparently it appeals to non-fans of anime.

[MisaoFan]

Originally Posted by GenjiChan

I hope he ends it already... not only that I pity the couple, I'll be damn if he becomes one of the those author who dies without finishing their works.

I do remember that I really enjoyed DC as a kid and I found the mysteries fun, but I'll agree that it gets irritating with its little to no progression.

[Shyni]

Originally Posted by Cheerful Orange

The problem is that what Eva has going for it (Though speaking of massively overrated anime...) is that the show did do a whole bunch of things that hadn't quite been done before. That's not as true with Madoka. While it's certainly not completely derivative, many of its aspects had been (at a minimum) touched on by Nanoha prior, and several other aspects had already been done by Bakurano (while not being a magical girl show). I mean, I get what you're saying, but I'm not sure I completely agree.

Very little of the stuff in Madoka is truly original. Like, at all. Ever since I've watched Kamen Rider Ryuki (yes, I know that's not an anime), the comparisons made with that show become even clearer. I like the show, but honestly, there's very little that I can't find in other stories. I think Madoka gets compared to My-HiME a lot as well, but it hasn't been completely clear to me why that is.

Originally Posted by Cheerful Orange

Oh, absolutely, SHAFT did a really good job with the animation, and the character designs are quite pretty. And Yuki Kaijura's score is excellent. Aesthetic-wise, the show is quite well done.

I like the soundtrack, but at times it felt like Kajiura was trying too hard. There have been occasions when the music was a little too... dramatic for the scene. Like every time there was dramatic chanting when the characters were sitting and talking. Granted, there weren't too many such moments, but they're a flaw for me.

[Cheerful Orange]

Originally Posted by Shyni

Very little of the stuff in Madoka is truly original. Like, at all. Ever since I've watched Kamen Rider Ryuki (yes, I know that's not an anime), the comparisons made with that show become even clearer. I like the show, but honestly, there's very little that I can't find in other stories. I think Madoka gets compared to My-HiME a lot as well, but it hasn't been completely clear to me why that is.

Hmm, that's an interesting source for Urobuchi to take material from, though it does motivate me even further to look into watching some tokusatsu; something I've been meaning to do but always end up procrastinating on. I can't comment on similarities to Mai Hime, as I haven't seen the show. But yeah, sounds like I was giving the show a bit too much credit, if your assessment is right.

Originally Posted by Shyni

I like the soundtrack, but at times it felt like Kajiura was trying too hard. There have been occasions when the music was a little too... dramatic for the scene. Like every time there was dramatic chanting when the characters were sitting and talking. Granted, there weren't too many such moments, but they're a flaw for me.

Yeah, well, that's just, like... your opinion, man.

But seriously, I see where you're coming from, but I always felt like those scenes were going for a touch of melodrama regardless. Heck, I honestly feel that way about much of the show; I wouldn't go so far as to say that Madoka is driven by melodrama, but it certainly does have a good deal of it. So in my opinion the hyper-dramatic classical pieces really did fit tonally, but I can see why somebody would feel like they felt off.