When did you become so cruel? What changed?
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Summer 2012 Anime |OT2| Of Suspended Anime Due To Olympics
- Thread starter dakkumauji
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When did you become so cruel? What changed?
What you're about to read is a largely uneducated opinion
It could just be me but I think the "these works are generally aimed at pre-teen/teenage boys" is part of the problem people have with shounen. This also ties into the coming of age story. I think most of the shounen I have read/watched all feel like coming of age stores, which is alright, but at the same time some folks probably get sick of the same theme.
Most of all though I think people look at shows like Fairy Tail, Bleach, One Piece, Naruto and think "Over 100 episodes? Hell no."
Good post, it was an informative read.
chickdigger802
Banned
SAO 8
lol I think i've seen a guy that looks like that guard at a internet cafe in china. And come on, Asuna got max cooking, how can anyone think she ain't best waifu?
And have they ever explained wtf is going on in the real world in the anime? I recall desden or someone mentioned that they are in hospitals or something from the LN, but i don't remember any of that from the show.
lol I think i've seen a guy that looks like that guard at a internet cafe in china. And come on, Asuna got max cooking, how can anyone think she ain't best waifu?
And have they ever explained wtf is going on in the real world in the anime? I recall desden or someone mentioned that they are in hospitals or something from the LN, but i don't remember any of that from the show.
I support ya, cosmic. We may not always agree, but I've always liked that you're really really passionate about the things that you enjoy and can defend them articulately. I'll go through your mini-treatise again and see if there's anything that I can parse out to reply to.
dakkumauji
Member
Gintama 79
This episode shows the struggle everyone has when they realize there is no more toilet paper.
This episode shows the struggle everyone has when they realize there is no more toilet paper.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I genuinely thought the premise of SAO was vile though. Other than pigs and poorly designed toilets, I'm not sure I AW has that same rage inducing set up. lol
Although I would agree with your sentiments, I would say that those two factors depend on an extraordinary length - and I consider that to be the biggest detriment of the genre. I'd like to believe that One Piece has a 20-30 year arc planned, but I have a feeling that it's as tightly scripted as any Marvel/DC comic that will get reboot once every ten years because sales are down.
Even Gintama keeps toying with this end game that I know will probably never come. Or, at least, it probably won't come before it starts getting weird for a 40/50/60 year old guy to watch anime anyway. I know that these things are more about making money (merch, anime, jump magazine, collected volumes, and so on) than they are about telling stories, but I wonder if it's okay for these guys to even consider endgames for their projects.
(I suppose it's almost as bad as stupidly long fantasy series that keep getting longer and longer with each new book).
I will say that I would probably be more interested in shounen if the heroes were adults (aka Gintama) or if the main protagonist was female (in my head, that would be shounen Precure I suppose). But again, like having a short running shounen, that's probably antithetical to the genre as a whole.
Unknown Soldier
Member
Aren't you too busy calling people morons in IRC where you think they won't know because they don't hang out there? Next time you're going to call me a moron, grow a pair of balls and say it to my face instead of behind my back.
Should I be glad I missed tonight's little get together?
KO Traveling Hobo
Member
I was totally being a jerk, though. :lol All in good fun, of course.
I don't feel compelled to go out and watch a battle shonen now, but I think you did a good job of laying out the fundamentals of the genre for people(like me) who have limited experience with it.
Because this has worked out swimmingly for ABF.
I said some, not 30.
Jex
Member
It's okay. You'll soon discover it on your own.
KO Traveling Hobo
Member
Slippery slope, brohammed.
This is evil on quite a few levels. Impressive.
First to 50% hp loses.
Hold on, setting up PPV streaming.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
In maid uniforms. Unknown with cat ears, madpierrot with dog ears.
I'll leave that nugget of hope to you!
KO Traveling Hobo
Member
No waifu interruptions allowed.
Unknown Soldier
Member
Yuru Yuri ♪♪ 5:
This episode was about Akarin, kinda. I like how it looked like they were going to have another pool episode but instead it was about Akarin sitting in the waiting area of the train station. The rest of the episode was two shorter stories, one involving Kyouko wandering into the lives of everyone of everyone else who had working A/C before Akarin's solo waiting sequence, and one involving Sakurako and Himawari. The funny part there was when Sakurako started messing with an oblivious Akarin. Poor Akarin, even in an episode that's mainly about her she's still always being bullied. ;_;
This episode was about Akarin, kinda. I like how it looked like they were going to have another pool episode but instead it was about Akarin sitting in the waiting area of the train station. The rest of the episode was two shorter stories, one involving Kyouko wandering into the lives of everyone of everyone else who had working A/C before Akarin's solo waiting sequence, and one involving Sakurako and Himawari. The funny part there was when Sakurako started messing with an oblivious Akarin. Poor Akarin, even in an episode that's mainly about her she's still always being bullied. ;_;
Crash Station
Member
To be fair, a good chunk of the discussion here revolves around shows aimed at the same demographic if not younger. I don't think what age group something is aimed at implies a lack of maturity with its handling of themes. And besides, the cultural differences between the west and Japan kind of makes it a non-issue anyway. You got shounen that is gorier than anything that would be allowed in an R rated movie.
This was a good read. Thanks for putting effort into writing this!
Unknown Soldier
Member
I prefer First Strike duels personally.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
It's like American shit for teenagers though. All action, no sex. Look at all the summer blockbusters this year.
Yeah, but Accel World is all about the execution!
dakkumauji
Member
Gotta agree with this. I do find that battle shounens are very much like JRPGs in terms of what makes me actually like them. Usually not the stories but I just like seeing the variety in characters and their abilities. I like seeing the next new sword, the next version of the fireballs, the 5 minute summon spells. Granted, I haven't really gotten really deep into the wide world of battle shounens besides the big stuff, but I have liked what I seen so far.
I do gotta say the length is probably the most daunting thing about battle shounens. While JRPGs generally have at the very least some end point at some point, it's hard to tell for some series and it's pretty discouraging to start watching only to see the episode count continue to pile up.
Jex
Member
Isn't this all your fault anyway?
Crash Station
Member
The difference between Gintama and One Piece is the former is largely a comedy series where the relevance of a plot point is generally connected to how convenient it is to joke about even at the cost of previously established character development. One Piece on the other hand, is a mostly linear adventure with a very clear endgame that is always getting closer with each passing arc.
I'm not going to deny that many series are not planned out beyond a beginning and proposed ending. However, unlike the American comic book industry, the properties are owned by the authors rather than the companies they work for, so they can choose to follow their vision or milk it for all its worth (or get cancelled, but that's not their choice). Yeah, pesky editors will get in the way, but there's no way to gauge just how prevalent that is in any given story behind what is said in interviews.
Anyway, Toriko and Kenshin both have protagonists in their mid-late 20s. Battle series with female protags include: Soul Eater, Arachnid, Ga-Rei Zero, Battle Angel Alita, Claymore, Corpse Princess, Esprit, Kurohime, Medaka Box, Needless (half), Tokyo Esp, Yozakura Quartet, Yumekui Merry, Zettai Karen Children.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Snaaaaap.
Crash Station
Member
I guess it's important to make a distinction between "mature content" and "mature themes". In which case, I agree, shounen isn't generally trying to tackle the latter with care or subtlety. However, like I said, demographics really don't mean much in manga/anime, so there are more than a handful of exceptions.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Well, even though I'm the #1 Gintama fan, if they get to episode 300 without anything big happening (and I don't think it anything will happen), I'll be pretty disappointed. Constantly introducing "mid-bosses" can only be interesting for so long. Although I suppose the comedy helps save it.
Related to the length issue is that the battles (at least in episodes of One Piece that I saw) are just too long.
And being creator owned doesn't really mean anything. Kirkman has stated over and over again that The Walking Dead will go on as long as it makes money. There's no endgame whatsoever. It's why I have no interest in reading it.
Oh yeah, I watched that one episode of Toriko that everyone was hyped about. I guess that dude could be an adult. lol
I don't really know any of those other series though, but I assume they're not in the middle of 10 year runs like the big 3?
Jex
Member
[Patema Inverted] - 4/Final
Well, that's about wraps up this short teaser/preview/whatever for the new movie by Yasuhiro Yoshiura (Time of Eve) and I have to say that it looks fairly promising. The only thing that concerned me, slightly, was the characterisation of Patema herself. It's hard to put my finger down on what, exactly, bothered me about her except that she seemed a bit weedy in this episode, which doesn't really gel with what we've already seen her accomplish. Hopefully this wont be an issue in the actual movie.
The direction seems pretty good, even a little playful in the way that they mess around with the soundtrack. I can't remember the last time I've seen an anime that does that, which is cool.
In terms of story, all that we've been introduced to who is the movie's big hook. I believe I mentioned earlier how the 'hook' reminds me of classic sci-fi stories where the entire story was based around 'what the world be like if this piece of technology existed'. For Time of Eve you could argue that the story resolved around a similar question, but that show had a very tight, personal feel. I get the feeling that, as a movie, this story is going to have a far wider scope. I suppose the big question to be answered is: will the movie have an interesting story with good characters? I know that this is a question for like, every movie ever, but with this kind of story there's a danger that everything revolves around the central conceit and the traditional storytelling falls to the wayside.
I guess I'm going to have to wait a long time to discover how it turns out.
Well, that's about wraps up this short teaser/preview/whatever for the new movie by Yasuhiro Yoshiura (Time of Eve) and I have to say that it looks fairly promising. The only thing that concerned me, slightly, was the characterisation of Patema herself. It's hard to put my finger down on what, exactly, bothered me about her except that she seemed a bit weedy in this episode, which doesn't really gel with what we've already seen her accomplish. Hopefully this wont be an issue in the actual movie.
The direction seems pretty good, even a little playful in the way that they mess around with the soundtrack. I can't remember the last time I've seen an anime that does that, which is cool.
In terms of story, all that we've been introduced to who is the movie's big hook. I believe I mentioned earlier how the 'hook' reminds me of classic sci-fi stories where the entire story was based around 'what the world be like if this piece of technology existed'. For Time of Eve you could argue that the story resolved around a similar question, but that show had a very tight, personal feel. I get the feeling that, as a movie, this story is going to have a far wider scope. I suppose the big question to be answered is: will the movie have an interesting story with good characters? I know that this is a question for like, every movie ever, but with this kind of story there's a danger that everything revolves around the central conceit and the traditional storytelling falls to the wayside.
I guess I'm going to have to wait a long time to discover how it turns out.
Im not sure you are getting the cultural differences right
anime is considered an immature interest in Japan from what im told, regardless of gore
Jex
Member
I decided I should watch more anime because I never finish a series and summer break ends in a day or two. So, after 4 months or so, I guess I'm back to watching stuff for a bit~
Mawaru Penguindrum 7
DESTINYYYY! Fabulous Max! Seizon senryaku! "Listen up, you lowlifes who will never amount to anything!" Project M x10. Fate. Am I missing anything? No? Good. I can't even grasp how Ringo gets creepier and creepier every episode. And... I kinda feel dumb for not realizing what Project M really was, though. ): Unless there's s surprise twist next episode!
With Penguin Drum there's usually a surprise twist every episode!
KO Traveling Hobo
Member
I will be highly disappointed if there isn't a gif of each of the main characters sobbing while eating by the end of AW.
the tears... are almost as salty as this frozen pizza
Crash Station
Member
Yeah I know, just saying it can be a factor.
Kenshin is finished, Soul Eater anime is finished while the manga is probably in its endgame, Arachnid is 6 volumes in and will probably still go for a while (and hopefully get an anime soon), Ga-Rei Zero is a 13 episode prequel to an underwhelming manga, Battle Angel Alita ended but a sequel is still going strong, Claymore anime was 26 episodes and the manga is still probably gonna go for a little while, Corpse Princess is a 26 episode Gainax show and the manga is still going strong, Esprit ended at 8 volumes and I think was cancelled
, Kurohime ended at 18 volumes and I seem to be the only person that liked the ending, Medaka Box is a split cour anime and both anime and manga consist of Nisio trolling, Needless had a pretty good 24 ep anime and the manga is still going, Tokyo Esp is from the Ga-Rei dude and is still going strong with probably an anime on the horizon, Yozakura Quartet had a 12 episode tv anime and 3 episode ova while the manga is still going, Yumekui Merry had a 13 episode anime and the manga should be in its endgame, Zettai Karen Children had a 51 episode anime with another one coming soon and the manga is still going with some of the most aggravating plot progression ever.Jeez that's a long sentence. Not passing any English tests with that. Only ones that are 10 years old are Claymore and Alita. Soul Eater is closing in on its 10 year anniversary though. Might end before it.
Jex
Member
It's actually worse than that, though. The way her head follows the bag around as it swings makes it look like she's stuck to the bag, as opposed to her reacting to the impact of the bag and being knocked off her feet.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
So basically, a female Naruto/Luffy is probably never going to happen. lol
Crash Station
Member
Esprit.
If you count otaku oriented battle anime is same like battle shounen, you will found many female naruto/Luffy.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Aroo?
I mean a character that can be iconic and last 10-20 years as a manga/anime.
So how bad is Ga-Rei anyway(manga)? I've heard from a a couple of different places that it's extremely pedestrian compared to the prequel and not really noteworthy on any level.
chickdigger802
Banned
Dog Days' 8
Y'all are right, this does have everything. Did Sink ever have to 'henshin' before?
And chf's magic girl transformation was sadly different from before
Y'all are right, this does have everything. Did Sink ever have to 'henshin' before?
And chf's magic girl transformation was sadly different from before
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
Um... I'm just gonna come out and say it.
What in the FUCK?? Okay, I love Hnnnngazawa Kanna's seiyuu voice as much as the next mustache, but she can't fucking SING to save her life! Meanwhile they have Mizuki fucking Nana in the cast, and she is not only a super popular idol, she can really fucking sing!! Like, her singing voice is both gorgeous and powerful. The fact that they have Hanazawa Kanna singing the end and NOT Mizuki Nana is positively baffling.
Femmeworth
Banned
But you see, I love nothing. *looks off into the distance dramatically*
Btw people should make more-non direct adaptation like this.
@Firehawk
Lina Inverse?
She's not less iconic than those name, and such like Gutts.
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