Anime v. America shows?

[aduialion]

First I'd say theres good and bad of both american tv shows, and anime series

but when it comes down to it anime can usually beat out some of the best american shows,

the thing with most tv shows is that theyre about 20 mins long for each episode, and that each episode is almost an entirely different story,

episode = something happens, crises, resolve (everything starts over for the next episode
and this cycle can be lasting for several seasons and its all just the same stuff over again with only tiny stories and messages

but for an anime series the episode is just a piece to the puzzle, and maybe yes there will be some short stories inside them (dbz word for that "saga"). by doing this i think the anime shows can tell a better story not confined to researching a conclusion every 20 minutes. It just creates a better message b/c the show is able to develop in w/e time frame it need to say its message. And they also know when to end, I've watchd shows ranging from 7 to 300 episodes

but ill still say theres good anime, bad anime, bad american shows, and better than bad american shows, even though i still watch

[Skyfall]

You know, i have almost come to the point where i couldn't care less if all America/whatever shows would disappear You stated one of the reasons - shows tend to drag on, season after season, continuing the same issue and nothing gets resolved in the end, just so they could make another season after a while. There are shows i enjoy (CSI, Twilight zone), but i wastly prefer anime.

Anime tends to address some issues more deeply and on a more mature level than most shows ever could. Anime can actually give me things to think about. Also - attachment to characters. It's strange (or maybe not), but more often than not i care about at least some of the characters in the anime, and sometimes i can get really attached to them. Never has happened during some show. At least for me, emotional impact an Anime is capable of delivering surpases that of shows by far.

So...yes Anime > shows

[Ziv]

One of the biggest reasons I like anime is that the character stereotypes are likable. In US tv shows at least, the most popular stereotypes seem to be: the retarded supermodel, the retarded stoner, and the retarded weightlifter. I don't know but judging from what I see on tv, retardation and ignorance seems to be popular nowadays. On top of that, almost all of the characters constantly feel the need to insult each other as much as possible. In anime, however, most of the characters usually act reasonably intelligent and polite which makes them more likable. Most anime also has some sort of philosophical message as well. I guess I'm just tired of there being nothing on tv but cavemen bashing each other with clubs and arguing over who gets the woman.

[raikage]

I have no idea what kinds of American shows you guys must be watching.

House is an excellent example of an episodic format (the medical mystery of the week) with recurring subplots written in (the police are after House because they think he's a drug addict -- and frankly, there's a good amount of evidence that he is).

Grey's Anatomy is, without question, a show that carries through week after week. (I stopped watching because I missed a few shows, and at that point I was too far behind.)

The X-Men cartoon in the early 90's had storyarcs that lasted over several episodes.
I haven't seen it, but Avatar the Last Airbender is supposed to be an incredible show.

Home Improvement's shows where one of the sons thought he had cancer was far more meaningful and personally relevant to tons of viewers than mob goon Spike Spiegel watching as his best friend killed his lover.

[jedinat]

Can't stand television anymore. Especially the reality shows... ugh.

[kj1980]

Perhaps this may be the one of the reasons why "24" is more popular in Japan than in the U.S. It's a continuous story each episode, just like how our dramas and animes are written like.

[hooliganj]

I've got to agree with raikage on this one - you guys just need to be a bit more selective about what you're watching on American TV. Monday night has Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on NBC, and it's been a while since 2 hours of television was that good. Then you've got House, Boston Legal and Law and Order scattered throughout the week, and those are just my favorites. Before condemning all US TV as stereotypical and unintelligent, make sure you have know the shows that break the mold.

BTW, if Gray's Anatomy is too sappy and soap-like for you (like it is for me), watch Saved instead. And if you want a good middle ground between the intellectualism of Law and Order: Criminal Intent and the sensationalism of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit - The Closer, Cold Case or Without a Trace should all ably satisfy any craving for intrigue and mystery.

[Gundam Zero Force]

I would watch Anime anytime over any American show . . . I love Anime and the way it is.

I have the entire Gundam Wing Series . . . . very long . . .it is like one long non stop Movie with no commercials or breaks.

Also Anime I think has a much broader range of variety and design. There are too many reality shows and junk like that . . . it drives me crazy.

[rooboy]

Originally Posted by kj1980

Perhaps this may be the one of the reasons why "24" is more popular in Japan than in the U.S. It's a continuous story each episode, just like how our dramas and animes are written like.

Is 24 the number one show in Japan or something? I only ask because it's an exceptionally popular show here. It boggles my mind that it could be more popular somewhere else.

[Dagger]

I tend to prefer shows with a continous storyline, and that's why I love Lost--it's the only American TV show I've bothered to follow in years. Of course, it helps that its surreal and mind-bending elements remind me of anime, heh.

[Sorrow-K]

Lost is a really well told story though. I think it's main strength is the same one in the best anime series, or any fascinating story in any medium: compelling, deep characters.

I think if there's one place that American TV has the wood over anime is animated comedy. Sure, The Simpsons has reached its peak a long time ago and has continually gone downhill since, but with the exception of maybe Azumanga Daioh, no anime comedy rivals The Simpsons at its peak. Same with South Park. In fact, I'd almost say that South Park is about a tier above any anime comedy I've seen. I'd say the strength of shows like South Park and The Simpsons is that the humour is topical and at times makes some excellent commentaries on both society and politics. Anime humour tends to have greater focus on its characters or anime as a medium itself. It's very rarely topical or political.

Equally some people may actually say that's a weakness. It's all a matter of taste (isn't everything, though?).

[kj1980]

Originally Posted by rooboy

Is 24 the number one show in Japan or something? I only ask because it's an exceptionally popular show here. It boggles my mind that it could be more popular somewhere else.

I wouldn't say it's number one, but it is the most well known American dramas in Japan.

[Sorrow-K]

Hence things like this:



(Stolen from Random Curiosity)

[DragoonKain3]

I stopped watching american shows mostly, since the genre I'm most interested in are love triangles. I was really into Dawson's Creek when it first came out, and seen all its 7 seasons. However, the ending didn't really agree with me, and because I was following it for such a long time, it really did strike me deep. I watched a lot of other teen dramas, most notably Gilmore Girls, the OC, One Tree Hill. However, with Dean out of the picture, and Marty and Chris in deep water in Gilmore Girls, Theresa and Tate out by beginning of season two in the OC, and Haley out of contention for Lucas from the get go and Brooke as the underdog in One Tree Hill, let's just say that the track record of the couples I root for in american television is nil.

So yeah, it seemed like best friend/childhood friend couples has no place in american television, and as such I turn to anime where they have a significantly better chance to succeed.



Not to say they were bad shows. On the contrary, Gilmore Girls is awesome in my opinion; so good IMO that I had to go through 5 defeats or eventual defeats before dropping it ( Dean vs. Bad Boy guy whose name I can't remember, Dean vs. Logan, Marty vs. Logan, Chris vs. Luke on two different occasions). Rori and Paris as a duo made that show go round for me.

[rooboy]

Originally Posted by kj1980

I wouldn't say it's number one, but it is the most well known American dramas in Japan.

Are there other American shows in that vein that are popular in Japan? (I'm thinking of things like Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, Friday Night Lights, etc)

Originally Posted by Sorrow-K

Hence things like this:

Yeah, I remember that when it happened (second-funniest episode of the show) - I saw a parody of it in another show as well (though I can't think of which one it is ATM). There's references to Star Trek in Pani Poni Dash, so I guess I didn't think much of the 24 reference.

It still boggles my mind that it could be that popular - it's essentially a nationalistic, American drama. I've been sort of interested to find out if people in Japan are watching Heroes (since there are a pair of Japanese characters in the show), but the notion that they like 24 just astounds me, I guess.

[Forbin]

24 actually is expected to be followed in Japan.

Conspiracy
Bombs
Government
Mystery

Except for Aliens (And Demons) and Cartoons, that covers the entire spectrum of things to watch. Look at last years 2005 top Movies in Japan list.
Mission Impossible
National Treasure
Madagascar
Star Wars 3
Ocean's Twelve
Constantine
War of the Worlds.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=8109


I wouldn't be surprised if Lost was a top video in japan.

[MamoruUsagi]

There's a lot of one hour long American drama shows that are really good

Beverly Hills, 90210

Party of Five

One Tree Hill

Gilmore Girls

Beverly Hills 90210

Party of Five

Felicity

Beverly Hills, 90210

Party of Five

Gilmore Girls

One Tree Hill

The Bachelor

Party of Five

Beverly Hills, 90210

Gilmore Girls

One Tree Hill

Party of Five

Beverly Hills, 90210

Beverly Hills 90210

Party Of Five

The Bachelor

One Tree Hill

Party of Five

Beverly Hills, 90210

One Tree Hill

The Bachelor

The O.C.

and a lot more

Beverly Hills 90210

The Bachelor

Party of Five

Beverly Hills, 90210

One Tree Hill

Party of Five

Beverly Hills 90210

Great series.

There are so many great ones.

Romance, love, passion, sex, kissing, relationships, dating.

I like romance/love story/fantasy/romance/drama series.

There's a lot more, too.

I am a huge fan of romance and soap operas and dramas.

I like American soap operas and dramas more than Japanese and there are so many I like, it would take a long time to list them.

My boyfriend is a bad boy.

I love that my boyfriend is a bad boy. I love that my boyfriend smokes and drinks and likes to party. I love that my boyfriend is a bad boy.

[Forbin]

Ummm...shadow bunny (That's what Mamoru Usagi translates too right?)

Take another look at the top 2005 movie list. I don't see any romances listed there. A lot of those shows you listed (Especially 90210 and the OC ) depend on knowing about American culture.

Though I did hear the MTV is huge in Japan so I would think JackAss the movie would be a hit.

[Supergrunch]

Originally Posted by kj1980

I wouldn't say it's number one, but it is the most well known American dramas in Japan.

Is that why it's mentioned in Higurashi? I thought that was odd.

[Lambda]

In my library of hundreds of favourite television shows, only four are American. Three of those are fairly obvious animated comedies. The other is a six-episode comedy (Police Squad!)

I think there are two big problems with the American drama scene which stops it from producing anything interesting. The first is the obvious effect of its production-line-like feedback-based system, which inevitably stresses the safe and familiar. And the second is this race to syndication.

Quite frankly, 100 episodes is just too many for any normal show. The only way you can do 100 episodes is to become a pseudo-soap, to constantly repeat yourself, or to just not do anything of note in the first place. (The only exception to this as far as I'm aware is Doctor Who, since it can completely reinvent itself every few years, changing even the lead actor, and has the ultimate in open-ended formats.)

Aside from Doctor Who, the only 100-episode shows I've found interesting would be The Simpsons, South Park and Child's Toy. All of which are half-hour comedies, and have considerable chunks of their lifetime in which they're just mediocre. Indeed for me, pretty much all watchable anime are 26 episodes or fewer. (Exceptions: CCS, which is about very little, but it's just done so perfectly (better than you could possibly do with live action) that I can forgive it that, Utena, which is only 39 and has a completely disposable arc in the middle, and the aforementioned Kodocha.)

Quite frankly IMO, the only country that knows how to do live-action drama is Britain, and even we've really been losing our touch in recent years. 2005 was a rare modern year in which my show of the year wasn't anime, with the revived season 27 of Doctor Who edging out AIR TV. But this year, S28 falls to the might of Haruhi, Simoun, Death Note, Kanon, NHK, Higurashi and maybe Red Garden. (This is an exceptional year for anime though.)

IMO the only real challenge to anime would come if you looked back at British drama 20 or 30 years ago, before Thatcher destroyed the goodness of ITV.