Kyoto Animation: Studio discussion, speculation, and whatnot.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Now, here's a question for you - Why can't KyoAni be the same?

Because they're an animation production company, not "KyoAni's Variety Hour Show". It's not even like all their shows are funded by the same production partners, whether or not KyoAni is one of the major investors.

If you're talking about Kyoto Animation as a "brand", there is not necessarily much to be gained by "fishing" miscellaneous genres/styles outside of one's core area of expertise (at increased cost) to try to randomly attract people to one show, only to lose those same people the next show because it's vastly different. Rather, it arguably makes more sense to hone in on a certain market or style (to build a certain brand loyalty), but broaden the appeal by including elements from other genres too in the interest of variety. Just because "hey, American Idol is popular" doesn't mean it should be the pattern. There's a lot of the other popular entertainment on TV that exists firmly within a given genre/style, and that's what people expect when they watch it. In fact there's a lot more like that than the other way around.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Magical girl, sci-fi, and mecha are genres for which their are plenty of recent well-selling anime shows. It's not some huge commercial risk for KyoAni to make a show in such a genre.

You're only cherry-picking the top-selling examples of each genre to prove that "popular shows in said genres can exist". And you're again ignoring that doing things outside your core area of expertise increases production time and cost, and so perceived risk. It's not as if "all things are equal" and potential disc sales are the only thing that matters. If the production is outside your area of expertise, it can also distract from the central progression of the animators' core skills. If KyoAni were a studio that liberally outsourced shots to other studios and animators, like many others do (including SHAFT and Gainax), it may be a different story. It may also be different if you had a leader like Akiyuki Shinbo who often values pure artistic expression and "style" over technical excellence, on-time/on-budget delivery, and visual consistency -- qualities that Kyoto Animation shows tend to stress. There are always trade-offs.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Yet again, it's a perfectly good comparison. Hint: Pure pizza places sometimes enlarge their menus to include non-pizza items. I've personally seen it before myself.

Because K-On is exactly like Hyouka is exactly like Free is exactly like Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu is exactly like FMP:TSR is exactly like Kanon is exactly like Chuunibyou is exactly like Munto is exactly like Air? Do you really think the only thing differentiating all their repertoire as it is now is the "toppings", or are you just being really insistent on making this analogy stick?


In the end, if I were given the task of managing this team of skilled experts who do most of their work in-house without outsourcing, I think I'd want to focus on projects that capitalize on their expertise, while still allowing room to grow and experiment. Maybe it will lead to new directions in time, but I wouldn't expect massive "mood swings". They don't have to be on the constant lookout for the "next big thing" (and risk huge flops while incurring additional time/expense in the process); they can survive and thrive purely on base hits and the occasional home run.

[Pocari_Sweat]

I've preordered my serving of Kyoukai no Kanata pasta which I'm speculating will be due in Winter 2013/2014

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

I've preordered my serving of Kyoukai no Kanata pasta which I'm speculating will be due in Winter 2013/2014

It came with an order of Free bread sticks...?

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

It came with an order of Free bread sticks...?

Unfortunately I didn't like the flavour of said bread sticks... so I gave them to my female friends instead who gobbled them up instantly and kept asking for more

[brocko]

I'm particularly disappointed that they havn't had a follow up to their gourmet Haruhi pizza series yet. My favourite menu update was when they only allowed you to order the one topping for eight weeks straight

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by brocko

My favourite menu update was when they only allowed you to order the one topping for eight weeks straight

But each week it was cooked by a different chef, so it tasted a bit different! I liked seeing how each chef added their own subtle taste even when using the same basic ingredients. And it was also kind of fun in a twisted way to watch everyone else get so mad about it.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by brocko

I'm particularly disappointed that they havn't had a follow up to their gourmet Haruhi pizza series yet. My favourite menu update was when they only allowed you to order the one topping for eight weeks straight

They actually did. They compensated it with a deluxe pizza called the "Dissappearance" not too long after that.

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

But each week it was cooked by a different chef, so it tasted a bit different! I liked seeing how each chef added their own subtle taste even when using the same basic ingredients. And it was also kind of fun in a twisted way to watch everyone else get so mad about it.

More like subtle food poisoning

[Tyabann]

The funny thing is that I'm not even a KyoAni fan. I'm not "sakuga-obsessed" or any of those things.
I merely recognize quality for what it is.
Being the best animation studio has very, very little to do with the genre or even the story content they produce; it just means that they're the best at animation production, which is impressive regardless of what that animation is being used for.
Shinkai was brought up earlier... frankly, I think he's a terrible writer, but the backgrounds and sheer detail in his work are absolutely incredible. Garden of Words is among the prettiest things I've ever seen, and that helps to make up for how dull its storytelling was.
Conversely, most of the content KyoAni has produced, regardless of genre, has always been entertaining to me in some small or large way, the major exceptions being the Naoko Yamada shows... Don't get me wrong, I would absolutely love to see KyoAni do a series set in deep space, or a fantasy adventure, or Rewrite, but KyoAni is going to do whatever they want to do, especially if doing whatever they want to do continues to make them money.
And that's fine.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

If you're talking about Kyoto Animation as a "brand", there is not necessarily much to be gained by "fishing" miscellaneous genres/styles outside of one's core area of expertise (at increased cost) to try to randomly attract people to one show, only to lose those same people the next show because it's vastly different. Rather, it arguably makes more sense to hone in on a certain market or style (to build a certain brand loyalty), but broaden the appeal by including elements from other genres too in the interest of variety.

So did Sunrise lose its core mecha fanbase by doing a very different show in Love Live? Or was Love Live! a huge success for Sunrise, while its core mecha fanbase continued to show its support through Valvrave sales?

And you're again ignoring that doing things outside your core area of expertise increases production time and cost, and so perceived risk.

I'm not ignoring this argument. I just think you're overstating it. If great action scenes are outside of KyoAni's core area of expertise then why did they try to shove in as many of them as possible into Chuunibyou? If sci-fi was outside of KyoAni's core area of expertise then why did they do the Disappearance movie?

As for "central progression of the animator's core skills", there's only so much progression that can be achieved from a narrow focus alone. At some point, that's been refined to the point of perfection or near-perfection, and I would say that Hyouka represents that. Once this point has been reached, I would argue that its generally more useful for the artist to branch out and try to master skills somewhat similar to these core skills, but skills that are also somewhat different.

Because K-On is exactly like Hyouka is exactly like Free is exactly like Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu is exactly like FMP:TSR is exactly like Kanon is exactly like Chuunibyou is exactly like Munto is exactly like Air?

I'm not saying that. After all, is Doki Doki Precure exactly like Gen'ei is exactly like Fantasista Doll is exactly like Vividred Operation is exactly like Card Captor Sakura is exactly like Madoka Magica is exactly like Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha? These are all magical girl shows, but there are significant differences between them. You can have a fair bit of diversity within a genre (just like you can have a fair bit of diversity when it comes to pizza), but that doesn't necessarily mean much for fans of other genres.

In the end, if I were given the task of managing this team of skilled experts, I think I'd want to focus on projects that would grow their range of expertise, while still ensuring a relatively "safe" project per year to ensure that their existing expertise doesn't get rusty. It may not lead to a definitive new direction, but it would likely catch the attention and support of a wider range of viewers. They don't have to be on the constant lookout for the "next big thing", but certainly I'd want them to be influenced by major trends and sales success stories in the industry just as our own sales success stories (Haruhi, K-On, and the Key anime) have proven very influential themselves. I'd alternate between safe base hits and swinging for the fences.

Originally Posted by Kaisos Erranon

Being the best animation studio has very, very little to do with the genre or even the story content they produce; it just means that they're the best at animation production, which is impressive regardless of what that animation is being used for.

I totally disagree. If KyoAni's story content was consistently weak then nobody would consider them the best animation studio. Few would dispute that Guilty Crown has exceptional visual quality, but it also is a widely hated show. On the other hand, Monster is not a particularly visually appealing show, but it is widely loved and acclaimed.

Like many KyoAni defenders, you put far too much emphasis on animation quality alone and not enough on the many other aspects of a good anime show.

What you're arguing is akin to someone saying that the best/fastest-skating hockey team is also the best overall hockey team, period. But hockey is about far more than speed and fluidity of skating, just like producing animated works is about far more than speed and fluidity of animation. So the best/fastest-skating hockey team is not always the best overall hockey team. Likewise, the anime with the best animation quality is not always the best anime overall.

Don't get me wrong, I would absolutely love to see KyoAni do a series set in deep space, or a fantasy adventure, or Rewrite, but KyoAni is going to do whatever they want to do, especially if doing whatever they want to do continues to make them money.
And that's fine.

In other words, you believe that KyoAni is completely above criticism and can do no wrong. After all, isn't that the logical end-point of your argument here? If it's perfectly fine for KyoAni to do whatever they want to do then what legitimate criticism can one ever make of them?

KyoAni is the only animation studio that I see that gets this ridiculous "totally above criticism" standard applied to them. This sort of KyoAni exceptionalism is truly getting out of hand, and I really think it should stop. The studio should be no more exempt from criticism than any other animation studio is.

[cyth]

It seems as if their fans, while consciously recognizing that the studio isn't just a hand for hire, like J.C.Staff or Sunrise are, unreasonably apply the same standard to them when it comes to evaluating their work. Because obviously they are a great studio judged solely on the merit of their production. So they shove the thought of them picking up terrible projects to the back of their minds. And when it's hard to defend them on that front, they switch up their argument to "they can do what they wish" and back that up with a solid "because it makes them money." This thread is educational.

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

So did Sunrise lose its core mecha fanbase by doing a very different show in Love Live? Or was Love Live! a huge success for Sunrise, while its core mecha fanbase continued to show its support through Valvrave sales?

People who actually understand how Sunrise is constructed won't be the least bit upset about them doing Love Live over more mecha, because Love Live is produced by Studio 8, who also produced Mai-Hime, Xenoglossia, SoraKakeGirl, Horizon, and Accel World, and have been referred to as Sunrise's "moe" studio (though that implies little about the genre of their expertise, and more that they are particularly good at animating cute girls, regardless of the context in which those cute girls are animated in).
In other words, like Archon Wing alluded to, Sunrise is capable of diversifying in this way because they are so large as to be divided into several substudios, each capable of working on projects independently of each other.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I'd alternate between safe base hits and swinging for the fences.

This has been explained to you before by less confrontational people, but KyoAni's current projects are actually quite risky, due to not only KyoAni being the primary rights holders for those projects, but also because they are either completely original or utterly obscure IPs.
This is why 15k sales of Chu2Koi mean so much more than 54k sales of Haruhi, because not only does KyoAni recieve a bigger cut with the latter, but the former was already a highly popular series beforehand.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

If KyoAni's story content was consistently weak then nobody would consider them the best animation studio.

I never said that their story content was "consistently weak", just that I felt that it has very little to do with animation and attention to detail and other things that KyoAni excels at, which is what they are praised for.
I think that their original stories have been adequate (and even, in the case of the first halves of Chu2Koi and Free, highly amusing) given the content at hand.
I never said that was something they didn't need to work on (because they do, and given their interviews regarding Chu2Koi2 they seem to understand so) but that is the responsibility of the writing staff, not the animators. I thought Hyouka was told very competently and in a way that the animation served to accentuate, which has to do with Gatoh's ability just as much as it has to do with the source material, in addition to KyoAni's typically high-tier production quality.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Few would dispute that Guilty Crown has exceptional visual quality, but it also is a widely hated show. On the other hand, Monster is not a particularly visually appealing show, but it is widely loved and acclaimed.

Okay, but nobody sane would credit Production IG or Madhouse with the success or failure of the narrative in those shows, right?

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Likewise, the anime with the best animation quality is not always the best anime overall.

You know, all I really said was that their shows from 2007 still look better (from a purely visual standpoint) than many shows made by other studios today, and that I feel they are, consequently, half a decade ahead of everyone else.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

If it's perfectly fine for KyoAni to do whatever they want to do then what legitimate criticism can one ever make of them?

Maybe you should criticize their works for what they are and what they are trying to accomplish with them, rather than what you think the studio should be working on instead.

Originally Posted by cyth

This thread is educational.

I'm glad you learned something.

[Triple_R]

Kaisos, I think you're approaching KyoAni from the perspective of someone looking to hire an animation studio to do animation work for them. In other words, looking at them as a contractor. Yes, from that perspective, I can understand why someone would hold them to be the best animation studio (i.e. the best contractor to hire for this sort of work).

I'm approaching it from an anime fan perspective, where fans will evaluate animation studios on the perceived overall quality of their full body of work. And when fans evaluate the quality of any given anime work, animation quality is just one piece of the puzzle, albeit a very large piece for many of us.

One other point - Yes, there is risk involved in switching from adaptation-focus to anime-original focus. This is a point I've made about KyoAni before myself, at least two or three times. That's part of my overall argument - KyoAni's current approach isn't without risk as it is.

[Warm Mist]

I don't see why it's so important to determine who's the "best" and who's the "worst". In terms of animation quality, nobody can compete with Ghibli anyway so why even try?

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I'm not ignoring this argument. I just think you're overstating it. If great action scenes are outside of KyoAni's core area of expertise then why did they try to shove in as many of them as possible into Chuunibyou? If sci-fi was outside of KyoAni's core area of expertise then why did they do the Disappearance movie?

Because there's a big difference in throwing in one scene in an episode and making an "action show". And because of the way Disappearance was told, it very much played to Kyoto Animation's artistic strengths anyway -- plus, it had a large publisher backing it financially.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

As for "central progression of the animator's core skills", there's only so much progression that can be achieved from a narrow focus alone. At some point, that's been refined to the point of perfection or near-perfection, and I would say that Hyouka represents that. Once this point has been reached, I would argue that its generally more useful for the artist to branch out and try to master skills somewhat similar to these core skills, but skills that are also somewhat different.

But they already are branching out. For example, as was mentioned before, they have an entire team focused on just the way water is animated in Free because it's not something they've really focused on before and is a central element of this project (that is also being led by a director from Animation Do, also a first). And it's not as if their other recent shows did not contain elements of other styles (as you yourself pointed out). The difference is that the departures just aren't radical enough for your liking. Their approach seems more conservative and incremental than wildly experimental, inserting various elements into shows that otherwise aren't total departures.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

In the end, if I were given the task of managing this team of skilled experts, I think I'd want to focus on projects that would grow their range of expertise, while still ensuring a relatively "safe" project per year to ensure that their existing expertise doesn't get rusty. It may not lead to a definitive new direction, but it would likely catch the attention and support of a wider range of viewers. They don't have to be on the constant lookout for the "next big thing", but certainly I'd want them to be influenced by major trends and sales success stories in the industry just as our own sales success stories (Haruhi, K-On, and the Key anime) have proven very influential themselves. I'd alternate between safe base hits and swinging for the fences.

Again, the difference is only in the extent of the risk you want them to take. Rather than risking by going for entirely-different styles/genres/approaches, as you want, they're risking by going for properties that they choose and groom in-house that don't have the benefit of a large established fanbase. From a business perspective, this is much more challenging (it's like throwing away the safety blanket), but also much more potentially rewarding. And given they're already taking such a heavy business risk, there's no need to also incur a whole lot of extra costs on the production side as well to also experiment in widely different genres that would cost more to produce. These sorts of additional risks can be incurred in time, as good opportunities arise.

(In terms of growth, it's arguably more prudent of them to continue to work towards Animation Do handling full projects on their own, which allows the two teams to eventually branch off and specialize. As I alluded to before, one might argue that this is also part of what Free is about.)

Originally Posted by cyth

It seems as if their fans, while consciously recognizing that the studio isn't just a hand for hire, like J.C.Staff or Sunrise are, unreasonably apply the same standard to them when it comes to evaluating their work. Because obviously they are a great studio judged solely on the merit of their production. So they shove the thought of them picking up terrible projects to the back of their minds. And when it's hard to defend them on that front, they switch up their argument to "they can do what they wish" and back that up with a solid "because it makes them money." This thread is educational.

Surely you could have made the same point in a way that was more constructive and objective, and wasn't just taking swipes at other people while inserting your opinion as fact. This thread has gone around the same circles enough times now that I think we can move beyond this childishness.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Because there's a big difference in throwing in one scene in an episode and making an "action show".

Chuunibyou had far more than just one flashy action sequence in a random episode. It had a fair number of such sequences for an one cour show. I doubt that an actual one cour action show would be substantially more taxing or costly than what Chuunibyou likely was (especially when you factor in the flashy slapstick comedy in Chuunibyou).

You know, I'm amazed that you seem to be arguing that KyoAni can't handle an action show. The vast majority (if not all) of the other major animation studios can handle an action show, and have shown that they can by actually doing one (or more). So this bizarre argument that KyoAni doing an action show, or a sci-fi show, or a magical girl show, would represent a "radical" departure is honestly a bit much.

So KyoAni just doing what numerous other studios do without a second thought would represent a radical departure for KyoAni? In all honesty, some of the defenses of KyoAni are more insulting to them than anything that I've wrote.

[Warm Mist]

Chuu2 didn't really have a high standard for action though, the only scene that I could see in a serious action show without immediately thinking "this is cheap" is the one in episode 2.

I do think they can handle an action show. Kigami, Ishidate, the Ikeda sisters and probably Kitanohara can certainly do action scenes and have experience. As for the others, it's all about honing their skills. They ARE producing an action show after all!

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I doubt that an actual one cour action show would be substantially more taxing or costly than what Chuunibyou likely was

Chuunibyou rarely had more than one action scene an episode, if that, and it never lasted more than a few minutes at most. I don't think you could make a full "action show" with that approach. This means you'll need more of your animators to spend more of their time working on more action content, which is not something they routinely do, which adds time and cost. It's not insurmountable, obviously.

On the other hand, there are other studios and animators that specialize in this content, so it would be more cost-effective to allow those sorts of studios to do that sort of work. This is why, for example, 8-bit gets projects that blend CG with traditional animation for action sequences, because this is their speciality. They can then outsource the other parts that aren't their speciality to other studios/animators. This is how most other animation studios routinely work, but Kyoto Animation rarely outsources. So there are reasons why they may not gravitate towards this content.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

You know, I'm amazed that you seem to be arguing that KyoAni can't handle an action show. The vast majority (if not all) of the other major animation studios can handle an action show, and have shown that they can by actually doing one (or more). So this bizarre argument that KyoAni doing an action show, or a sci-fi show, or a magical girl show, would represent a "radical" departure is honestly a bit much.

So KyoAni just doing what numerous other studios do without a second thought would represent a radical departure for KyoAni? In all honesty, some of the defenses of KyoAni are more insulting to them than anything that I've wrote.

You always like to use this sort of "turn around" to try to make it seem like your opinion is the more "reasonable" one. How many debates do you think I've had with you?

I used "radical departure" to describe what you seem to want them to do: to try things in all sorts of different genres/styles for the sake of departing from what you see as their norm. This is only in light of your accusation that they're not demonstrating enough variety as it is (and I've already asserted that I don't think that's quite accurate either). You're the one suggesting that there's a "problem". My point is that your opinion of what they should do isn't any better than what they're already doing, and in fact could be worse (because it adds additional cost and risk). You obviously keep wanting to downplay that cost and risk, because you want to make your proposed course of action seem like the best choice for them. Not that either of us are in a position to make that choice anyway.

I honestly don't care about "defending KyoAni" because, as I said before, I don't think they claim to be "the best animation studio", nor do I make that claim. But I don't see their current decision-making as illogical either. It seems prudent, logical, and progressive in the way that it plays to strengths while gradually expanding horizons on both a business and target-audience front. That doesn't mean they're perfect or infallible by any means, but if you ask me to pick a business plan, I don't think I'd pick yours.

Obviously, the studio can do whatever they want, and they're going to do it regardless, so this entire discussion is academic. And honestly I don't care what they do either way; it's not like I'm opposed to them doing shows in other genres. If they decide in the future that they want to produce a show with lots of action or elements outside their more common expertise, they'll find a way. They can always hire more people or contract as necessary; it's not like they're in a "bind". But from my perspective, these are all solutions to an invented "problem", and you haven't provided any compelling reason for them to deviate from what appears to be their current course. It's mostly just "I'd like to see them to do it", "I think they need to display that variety to be claimed as the best animation studio", and "I don't think it would be a problem for them". Meanwhile, you're downplaying that they probably do have compelling reasons to do what they're already doing. I'm quite sure they've spent an awful lot more time considering their own business strategy than either of us have. The fact that they appear to have come up with a different answer than you would have suggests that there are other issues at play in their minds that weigh more heavily than the priorities you wish they ascribed to. I think we need to consider that there may in fact be wisdom in what they're already doing.

Anyway, I've said more than enough by now.

[Tempester]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Chuunibyou rarely had more than one action scene an episode, if that, and it never lasted more than a few minutes at most. I don't think you could make a full "action show" with that approach. This means you'll need more of your animators to spend more of their time working on more action content, which is not something they routinely do, which adds time and cost. It's not insurmountable, obviously.

Action anime, and not just the cheap long-running battle shounen ones, often involve a lot of build-up to the action scenes that get a lot more screentime than the action itself. The faux-action sequences in Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai don't take up a significantly smaller proportion of an episode than the action sequences in Darker than Black or Neon Genesis Evangelion. Your recent posts push the assumption that action anime are 70% action and 30% other stuff, which is not only fallacious but also wrong.

In a lot of cases, the difference between a ChuuniKoi episode and an episode of a few legit action anime comes down more to the tone of the work and the stakes involved in the action sequences than the minutes of action itself.

I doubt Kyoukai no Kanata will have extended action sequences that aren't significantly split up by characters talking or something else. But that won't mean it won't be impressive, since seeing serious action that is actually happening in the characters' world will certainly be something to look forward to.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Tempester

Your recent posts push the assumption that action anime are 70% action and 30% other stuff, which is not only fallacious but also wrong.

I never ascribed some sort of percentage. But if there's no significant difference in the balance of the content, and all that's different is the tone and direction of the work, it makes me wonder even more how it is not already being solved by what they're already doing, and how this too wouldn't just qualify as "different toppings". But again, I already see their existing repertoire as sufficiently and significantly diverse, even if "but they haven't done <x> yet!" may be true. They don't need to cover the gamut of possible story topics/styles to be considered a "real animation studio", particularly if you're asserting if there's little functional difference compared to past animation projects. It all comes down to "I want to see how they'd treat my favourite genre", and not an actual "criticism".

(When I was thinking of action anime, I was thinking more of FMP:TSR, which it seemed to me had significantly more and more-extended action sequences than Chuunibyou. But I suppose I didn't count the scenes.)

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Chuunibyou rarely had more than one action scene an episode, if that, and it never lasted more than a few minutes at most.

Tempester is correct. This is fairly similar to some serious action shows.

You always like to use this sort of "turn around" to try to make it seem like your opinion is the more "reasonable" one. How many debates do you think I've had with you?

We've had many. But this isn't just some debate tactic on my part. This is me conveying my honest opinion. Obviously I consider my own opinion a reasonable one, and here as well I don't see anything unreasonable about my opinion.

I just don't see how KyoAni doing an action show would be a radical departure for them when pretty much every other major animation studio doing an action show is no big deal to those animation studios.

I used "radical departure" to describe what you seem to want them to do: to try things in all sorts of different genres/styles for the sake of departing from what you see as their norm.

I don't want them to do shows in every genre I listed. Just one of them. Just something outside of Iyashikei-style. Or at least something that's half another major genre, and half Iyashikei-style (similar to how Haruhi is a close to even mixture of sci-fi with slice of life-esque content).

My point is that your opinion of what they should do isn't any better than what they're already doing, and in fact could be worse (because it adds additional cost and risk).

That's a highly debatable point. What if KyoAni made a great anime-original magical girl show, and it made Madoka Magica-esque money? That would certainly constitute greater success than what any of their recent properties have enjoyed. And it's quite conceivable that KyoAni could pull this off if they hired a good script-writer for the show, ensured one of their top directors worked on the show, and just put their typical amount of effort behind the project. And it would be in line with what I'm suggesting, and different from their current course.

But I don't see their current decision-making as illogical either.

I'm not saying its illogical. I'm just saying its open to criticism, and there are questionable aspects of it.

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

I never ascribed some sort of percentage. But if there's no significant difference in the balance of the content, and all that's different is the tone and direction of the work,

For action scenes, "tone" is pretty important. An action scene played for drama will have a feel and impact considerably different than an action scene played for comedy and/or pure spectacle.