Growing out of anime

[Infinite Zenith]

Originally Posted by Veritas

I'm finding anime so damn boring these days. I suppose, when you get a medium that's as old as this one, you're bound to find the same ideas being recycled. I was walking around my hometown fair today with my mom, and after remarking that everything being sold was essentially the same crap that has been there every year, she said "There really is nothing new under the sun." And after cruising back home and trying to watch Gurren Lagann, I realized that that maxim applies to anime as well, it had just never occurred to me.

I remember back, hell about 10 years ago exactly, when manga was relegated to one tiny bookshelf in some dingy corner of a bookstore, if there was even any at all. Before Bittorrent, when I used to order series from fansubbers and get them on tape. Ranma 1/2 broke me in, and I still don't even know what struck me as being so awesome about it, but I guess at the time I'd never seen non-superhero comics. Looking back, I realize that I could ignore what would piss off the current me. The juvenile humor, the unnecessary tit shots, the ridiculous martial arts and lack of plot. Now I see a million anime being torrented and see the same thing, only maybe with better animation. Bad dialogue, tit shot, weak story, fake characters, bouncing breasts, stupid misunderstandings, tears, teh bewbs, a huge gun, and more boobs. I wonder who the hell would eat this up, then I start paying attention to what some other people say and realize that this anime is made for those people. And there are a lot of those people. What's worse is some of them seem to be aware that what they're watching is the same thing they've watched before and they're fine with it. I mean, what I was saying before is that you're bound to have some anime be derivative as fuck, but when a huge chunk of it is stuff someone else has made before, well, what the hell is the point? Why do I have to wade through 20 harems a season to find something I might want to watch? Why are people still buying the 60th version of Mario Kart? Does everyone think that sticking a "new and improved" on the same formula actually makes it better? I've lost my patience with the whole world.

Anime shares its similarities with sweets: as one ages, one's inclination to eat them decreases, even if companies come out with new flavours. However, on some occasion, the odd sweet is still welcome. Similarly, anime might not always be as enjoyable as it once was as we age, but the occasional series or episode here and there isn't unwelcome, either. Does that mean we stop watching anime? Not so, if we still eat sweets sparingly. As for things with substance, I contend there's a lot out there to enjoy: the same holds true for entertainment

[Kameruka]

I also want to quit watching anime too, no wonder I'm getting less and less active in this forums. At age 28, I think I'm too old for it. Age is not a factor here as many 30-something people still watching anime religiously but it is more of losing the passion for anime, other than I also hate too see the current issues with the industry, which is a completely different topic anyway.

Psycho-Pass is so far the best anime I ever saw in current times and sadly there's no other anime can match its production values and script-writing after several months later. Attack on Titans is overrated at best, if not disappointing. Rest are otaku and fujioshi craps that I don't want to know about.

[totoum]

Originally Posted by Kameruka

Rest are otaku and fujioshi craps that I don't want to know about.

Which of those is Uchouten Kazoku ?

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by totoum

Which of those is Uchouten Kazoku ?

Or Shin Sekai Yori? Or Wolf Children? Or Garden of Words?

[Kameruka]

Originally Posted by totoum

Which of those is Uchouten Kazoku ?

I googled it and I don't find it to be interesting or promising. It may not an otaku or fujioshi crap and so I got your sarcasm(if you being sarcastic) but it just not my type. I may be biased but it safe to say Psycho-Pass have production values way ahead of most of today's (Summer 2013) shows. Yes PP wasn't perfect but I'm just saying.

[totoum]

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Or Shin Sekai Yori? Or Wolf Children? Or Garden of Words?

To be fair the last two are movies.

Originally Posted by Kameruka

I googled it and I don't find it to be interesting or promising. It may not an otaku or fujioshi crap and so I got your sarcasm(if you being sarcastic) but it just not my type. I may be biased but it safe to say Psycho-Pass have production values way ahead of most of today's (Summer 2013) shows. Yes PP wasn't perfect but I'm just saying.

I'm perfectly fine with it not being your type but in terms of production values it's up there,maybe not as much flashy action sequences and I do like Psycho Pass's chara designs better but it also doesn't have the consistency problems that PP had (they did air an episode unfinished for example) and Uchouten Kazoku's animation work is more subtle but it's there, it's definitely not just mouthflaps moving like plenty of other animes.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by totoum

To be fair the last two are movies.

Well, Kamekura mentioned "anime" so I figured I'll mention movies too as well.


In terms of PP, I do remember a particular PP episode towards the end that was absolute QUALITY in terms of animation. It was so bad that I thought I was watching another series.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Well, Kamekura mentioned "anime" so I figured I'll mention movies too as well.


In terms of PP, I do remember a particular PP episode towards the end that was absolute QUALITY in terms of animation. It was so bad that I thought I was watching another series.

It's the aforementioned unfinished episode. The team behind the show actually came out and apologised publicly for it (the director I believe).

[0utf0xZer0]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

I often wonder how anime studios will survive the declining numbers of adolescents in Japan. Surely they cannot keep churning out cookie-cutter ecchi comedies centered in high schools when the number of people in the 13-24 demographic grows smaller each year. You would think simple demographics would encourage the studios to start targeting 18-34 viewers.

A few thoughts here:

First,I got into anime when I was 18. I'm now 26. While I openly admit to having had fairly "otaku" taste throughout, I want to make it clear that my tastes did change a decent amount in those eight years - and the industry has done a decent job catering to my new tastes.

(BTW, the constantly cited "K-On and Hidamari Sketch are seinen manga" thing? Makes perfect sense to me. I couldn't get into Hidamari Sketch when I first watched it. I can now.)

I do agree the industry doesn't appear to be doing a great job catering to adults outside the otaku demographic recently, and I'm going to forward the same explanation I always do: falling broadcast revenues combined with more light novel publishers (whose works do heavily target teens) looking to promote their works after seeing the success of works like Haruhi. It looks to me like "where the money is" has shifted in a way that doesn't actually line up well with overall demographic shifts.

[speedyexpress48]

Well, most shows just go for the small groups of otaku (light novel promotion to teens is definitely a factor), which, looking at the way things are going in Japan and Asia in general, the single, lonely male otaku which pays for 75% of anime won't be a group that's shrinking anytime soon (it's probably growing now more than ever)

Though looking at those charts, I do wonder about the future of some shonen that are usually aired on weekdays, since those could be in serious trouble.

Either way, it's probably a losing proposition, due to the simple fact that Japanese population is declining in general. Where that will take the anime industry, we probably won't know (either a shift to producing less series with higher quality or a more export-dependent model focused on Asia and maybe North America is my guess.)

[Fireminer]

Well, it take about 10+ years to make Gundam, 25+ years to make Evangelion, 35+ years to make Code Geass and Gurren Lanngan. If you started to count from the original Tetsujin 28, it would take long, long time to make a masterpiece!
Anyway, C'est la Vie, my friend! Manga, Anime... Just another form of Arts. Only the best stay with time, the prime rule of Human's life!

[Archon_Wing]

Yea, the thing is that masterpieces cannot just be made because one wills to, even if it's capable of. I mean just look at one's own forum posts. Even if you were to make a great one once in a while, it would be hard to follow up on it, especially if you've set expectations. Though I suppose a lot of people wouldn't be familiar with making great posts, so it's a bit hard to understand.

On the other hand, I guess it's also reasonable to say that it still doesn't mean one shouldn't try to do stuff that is respectable either. I guess it's fine now, but no market is forever, and few businesses can say that they'll have a model that won't have to change.

Originally Posted by Kameruka

I also want to quit watching anime too, no wonder I'm getting less and less active in this forums. At age 28, I think I'm too old for it. Age is not a factor here as many 30-something people still watching anime religiously but it is more of losing the passion for anime, other than I also hate too see the current issues with the industry, which is a completely different topic anyway.

Psycho-Pass is so far the best anime I ever saw in current times and sadly there's no other anime can match its production values and script-writing after several months later. Attack on Titans is overrated at best, if not disappointing. Rest are otaku and fujioshi craps that I don't want to know about.

It's fine to think that way, but the results of your findings are just going to be as good as the effort you put in finding. While certain things are probably true, I don't really put much value in self fulfilling prophecies.

[BaKaBaKaOtaKu]

I usually watched so many animes before but as I grow older, I find myself losing a bit of interest in it. I still watch some, but not that often as before. I sometimes can go months without watching one when before, I couldn't do that lol.

[Albafica]

So interesting subject. I was bored about anime in 2009, and never be really interested again. I watched so much series that I'm bored with correct anime.
I really need masterpiece anime like Monster (Urasawa). When I was young, I could watch so much series, now it's just impossible. Most of times, I stop the serie because it's too boring.

I searched so much animes with a mature atmosphere/characters/design... but there are so much shitty series like harems/bad shonen etc...
For example, when I look to anime fall, 95% is shit for me...

It's really irritating today. When I was 16-22 years old, it was ok; but now I can't tolerate it anymore.

And when I watch pseudo-mature animes, there are fan service, moe characters or shit like this.

Today, there are not enough innovation/risk taking in my point of view. Japan should think about it.


So I started watching DC animated movies, DC series like Batman/Justice League and I find it really interesting. Well maybe it will be boring when I would see everything, but well....

[aohige]

This month's Aoi Honoo, story went back to focus on Anno, Akai, and the story behind the making of Daicon III.
Cool stuff.

I wish scanlators would pick up manga like this instead of having seven different version of Naruto and One Piece.
This is the kind of stuff that rekindles love of anime.

[Poetic Justice]

I honestly feel like this but there are enough good old anime which I haven't watched which keeps me going. For example I'm watching Last Exile and I'm enjoying it.

Plus there is enough good ongoing manga to read out there which won't bore you to tears. Once in a while you'll get a series like Attack on Titan which is translated to anime form and everyone celebrates the revival of anime. When in fact the story and everything was already there in manga.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Poetic Justice

I honestly feel like this but there are enough good old anime which I haven't watched which keeps me going. For example I'm watching Last Exile and I'm enjoying it.

Plus there is enough good ongoing manga to read out there which won't bore you to tears. Once in a while you'll get a series like Attack on Titan which is translated to anime form and everyone celebrates the revival of anime. When in fact the story and everything was already there in manga.

Yeah, I'm reading quite a lot of manga and light novel stuff. Anime has simply become a much more selective expenditure of time. I don't need to see a rehash of the same plot line or the same matrix of characters *again* if it's a shadow of the cream of the crop. Occasionally, a "rehash" actually does it better so I'm not quite ready to stop looking completely.

Familiar plot lines done *well* are worth my time -- just picking through the weeds for the flower.

[GDiddy]

Originally Posted by Kameruka

I also want to quit watching anime too, no wonder I'm getting less and less active in this forums. At age 28, I think I'm too old for it. Age is not a factor here as many 30-something people still watching anime religiously but it is more of losing the passion for anime, other than I also hate too see the current issues with the industry, which is a completely different topic anyway.

Psycho-Pass is so far the best anime I ever saw in current times and sadly there's no other anime can match its production values and script-writing after several months later. Attack on Titans is overrated at best, if not disappointing. Rest are otaku and fujioshi craps that I don't want to know about.

I know what you're saying...but there's usually at least one or two series each season that doesn't play on the usual tropes.

Though after sitting thru the last of Oreimo's OVA, I"m starting to question myself on why the fucking hell am I still watching this shit.

[Archon_Wing]

You can't use Oreimo as an indicator of anime though.

Well, you can't use it as a indicator of anything. It's like if someone took a dump in the middle of the street*. That wouldn't be fair to say the whole city is full of shit, even if there's a lot.

*I apologize for the crude analogy. It's obvious that Oreimo should not be compared to a pile of dung. I wholeheartedly apologize to piles of dung everywhere.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by GDiddy

I know what you're saying...but there's usually at least one or two series each season that doesn't play on the usual tropes.

Though after sitting thru the last of Oreimo's OVA, I"m starting to question myself on why the fucking hell am I still watching this shit.

Well, it is possible to give up on certain types of anime shows without giving up on the whole of anime.

I haven't watched anything harem romcom-y in a long time. I still find plenty of anime shows in spite of that.

Perhaps a similar approach would be good for you.