[creb]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

So what do you think makes for good writing, and what do you think makes for bad writing? Is everything equally well-written? If not, what makes the difference between best writing, next best writing, average writing, bad writing, etc...?

Is any approach at all to writing perfectly acceptable?

Every craft has basic standards for what constitutes good craftsmanship. Writing is, at least to some degree, a craft.

It's not that simple. First off, the intent of one's writing matters. If one was writing an ad to sell their car, then yes, I'd agree that there's some basic standards for what constitutes "good" writing.

But, when one is writing to entertain, I don't believe there are set standards at all, as we've moved from a fairly standardized concept (in so much as the vast majority of people who would want to buy a car are looking for some basic info), to a far less standardized concept (in so much that there is far more variety in terms of what individuals might find entertaining). To answer your question, yes, I do think any approach is acceptable. There's a lot of shows that I've come to enjoy that I would never have if I simply wrote them off as being badly written because of X, Y, or Z.

Now, I realize one could argue "good" writing for anime is writing that helps an anime be a financial success. If we look at today's money-spending anime audience, then I guess I would have to admit that there are a set of rules or standards to maximize the chances your anime makes money. Many of those standards would be things I abhor. I suspect, however, that's not quite the definition of "good" writing you were talking about.

Which, I guess is my long-winded way of saying how subjective things can't really have universal standards applied to them, without looking at an objective aspect of those things. Sales, audience ratings, as an example. Viewer enjoyment? I don't think so.

Even in school, when educators use a piece of literary work as an example of "good" writing, it's usually for mechanical reasons. It used to piss me off to no end when I was really young, that they'd always force us to read things I thought were boring as all heck, until I realized the actual plots were insignificant to the purpose behind having us read those stories.

On another note, am I the only one immature enough to lol when blondie with the large boobies said, "It's huge!" Are those swords going to actually serve a purpose, or are they just going to be the most unsubtle phallic imagery in a shounen fighting anime ever?