Quote:
Originally Posted by relentlessflame
So, as a result of on-going discussions in various anime and episode threads recently, we've stumbled upon a bit of a side-topic conversation that some felt might be worth discussing on its own.
When you hear the word "critic", what comes to mind? As you participate on this forum discussing the shows you watch, do you consider yourself a "critic"?
The Princeton WordNet online dictionary (first result on Google!) offers this rather interesting set of definitions for the word "critic":
- a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art
- anyone who expresses a reasoned judgment of something
- someone who frequently finds fault or makes harsh and unfair judgments
I think that, depending on which definition you go by, you get an extremely different take on the topic.
Here's why I think it's important:
I'm my experience, not everyone participanting in the forum has the same approach in their conversations. Some writers seem to be more focused on conveying their personal experiences, while others seem more focused on analyzing the show and describing its strengths and weaknesses. In some cases, this can result in some conflict, when people perceive certain posters as deliberately watching shows only so they can troll those who enjoy it, and other posters perceiving the fanbase as being mindless fanboys incapable of "reasoned judgement". This conflict between "I have the right to express my opinion, even if it's unpopular" vs. "If you hate the show so much, why are you even watching?" tends to result in some measure of animosity, especially over periods of prolonged exposure. And I think it all comes down to what people perceive their role to be in the discussion: informing, persuading, relating, critiquing, etc.
So, anyway, here are some possible questions for the thread (and if it sounds survey-style, it's only to help start the discussion -- you don't actually have to answer the questions if you don't want to):
- When you think of the word "critic" in this context, which of the definitions above tends to spring to mind?
- Based on that, do you consider yourself an "Anime Critic"?
- When considering which shows to watch, what factors into your decision? Do you tend to watch shows you think you'll like, or will you watch anything that seems popular or technically interesting?
- When considering which shows to discuss on the forum, what factors into your decision? Do you tend to discuss shows you like, or do you tend to discuss any show where you feel you have an interesting/differing argument/perspective?
- How do you decide when to drop shows? What factors into the decision? Does forum popularity/participation factor into your decision-making?
- Which of these two problems seems more troublesome to you: that people feel unable to present contrary/opposing opinions and arguments, or that people feel unwelcome/uncomfortable posting in threads due to fear of having their personal preferences unfairly questioned?
I hope that through this discussion we can all get to know each other a little bit better and appreciate our differing personalities and points of view! |
I've only just started "critiquing" anime I've been keeping up with, but I'll go ahead and give this a shot.
Going into these forums and expressing your thoughts and opinons on a certain episode of a certain anime is definetely where the charm in these forums lie, and it's definetely one of the main reasons I keep coming back. Going into a topic and reading "I loved the episode of Anime X this is the greatest show ever" doesn't really leave a good taste in my mouth, because it's hard to believe what they're saying is actually true. I find it more interesting when people point out the good and bad parts, what they enjoyed and what they didn't. Not only does it make for much more interesting discussions, but if someone sees that someone else like a certain aspect of a show that they also did, then it could make for some much needed friendship.
1. How do I define "anime critic"? A pretty good summary of how I define it can be seen above, but I'll repeat it here as well. I define an "anime critic as someone who expresses their thoughts and opinions on said anime. What they liked, what they didn't like, what were their favorite moments, and what didn't exactly click with them.
2. Yes, yes I do.
3. I'm open to almost every genre of anime that's out there. Drama, Slice of Life, Mecha, Comedy, Horror, you name it. As long as the basic premise of the show is interesting, and I like what I'm seeing in the trailers that come out, I'll at least give it a chance and watch the first episode. Popularity also has a big part of it for sure. If a certain anime is getting lots of buzz, I'll be sure to check it out to see what's all the hubub is about.
4. I have no limits when it comes to discussing anime of a forum. No mater how good or bad it is, I'll point out those moments and scenarios without hesitation. Whether or not it brings up any good points of discussion, or if anyone agrees/disagrees with my points, I just go with the flow of the topic. Apparently some people have a hard time swalloing the fact that their perfect anime isn't so perfect in the eyes of someone else, but that's just another one of the fun parts of being able to discuss these things with other people.
5. No one else plays a factor into what I decided to drop besides me. No matter how many times someone tells me "why don't I just drop the show if I'm not enjoying it"?, as long as there's
something in that particular show that keeps me entertained, I'll keep watching it. As long as the good point outweigh the bad, I see no reason to not follow the show until the very end.
6. Second one by a long shot.