Dear Fans of Japanese Animation: Fuck You

[The Fake Shemp]

There is no culture.

This simply is not true.  Culture is defined as "... the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group", which definitely applies to the behaviors and characteristics of the Westernized otaku clique.  Whether or not this culture originates from Japan is irrelevant - that is like saying that there is not a gaming culture (there is!).

And like I said, I don't get it.

I blame Arvie.

[Himu]

Go to an anime convention and tell me there's no culture behind it. There is. It's something I've tried to get away from the longer I'm in to this medium.

[The Fake Shemp]

I tend to avoid anything with "con" in the name.

[Mr. Gundam]

Anime fan culture is CREEPY, especially here in the states. Conventions = no thanks.

how many years has the simpsons been on?

Crayon Shin-chan is like The Simpsons, it just keeps going on and on and on.

Hell, Sazae-san has been running on TV since 1969.

[Himu]

Anime fan culture is CREEPY, especially here in the states. Conventions = no thanks.

I went to only two cons. One was hang out with friends after graduation in HS. The other was when I was a huge animu distinguished effete fellow.

I think the main thing that made me decide I'd never go to an anime con again - aside from the ridiculous otakus who wanted autographs of j-pop singers -  was when I was taking an escalator up to the second floor of the hotel lobby at Akon (second floor was for the game center - it was full of arcade games and fighting game tournaments). And some chick cosplaying Felicia from darkstalkers stood in front of me... Fat ass falling out of furry g-string and all.

[Great Rumbler]

I guess what really bothers me is that I find a few Japanese animated properties that I like and they tend to be short lived, singular films or what have you.  For instance, I really enjoy Cowboy Bebop (I think Hitokage turned me on to that), but there are only twenty-six episodes, whereas there are several hundred Naruto episodes?

I usually avoid shows that are really long. They're almost always filled to the brim with filler episodes and you have to wait for years to finally get a proper conclusion, if it doesn't get canceled first. Honestly, I'd rather have a 26 episode Cowboy Bebop than a three hundred epidoes Cowboy Bebop, because 2/3 of the episodes would probably be trash. Keep it tight and lean and know when to break it off.

80s is my favorite, but honestly, the 90s had a lot of good stuff come out. Even the 00s have had good stuff, but it's dwarfed by all the loli/moe crap that's found it's way into every single genre.

I'd like to see a return to what anime was like in the 80's, but I suspect that most of that is nostalgia in general for that period of time. Anyway, I don't think it's necessarily a problem of anime quality on average going down, but a proliferation of anime unlike what's been seen before, whether in terms of what's being licensed or, more broadly, what's available for download. There's a lot of anime out there. There's always been a lot of anime out there. But now we're being bombarded by tones of anime series so it looks more and more like there's nothing but trash simply because there are so many shows available and 80% isn't worth watching.

However, there are good anime series out there. You've got to look and you've got to be willing to wade through a mountain of trash to get there, but it's not like good anime has stopped being made.

[recursivelyenumerable]

I should go to an anime con sometime, I bet it would be fun.

[Bloodwake]

Anime fan culture IS fucked up.

I hate the fact that it's almost mandatory to like anime in order to be accepted into any geek culture. Especially since anime for the most part sucks.

[recursivelyenumerable]

I don't recall any mandatory anime fandom checks required to attend the International Conference on Functional Programming last year.  Maybe they're just transparent.

[Great Rumbler]

Especially since anime for the most part sucks.

Most video games suck too.

[Eric P]

Especially since anime for the most part sucks.

Most video games suck too.

most everything sucks

[youtube=560,345]ALHybzqaWwg[/youtube]

[Bloodwake]

Especially since anime for the most part sucks.

Most video games suck too.

most everything sucks

[youtube=560,345]ALHybzqaWwg[/youtube]

lmfao.

[The Fake Shemp]

Why are there like ten guys in that band?

[Eric P]

it's a ska band.

[The Fake Shemp]

I still don't understand why there are fifteen guys in that band.

[Eric P]

aka what bandfags in highschool aspire to do with those expensive instruments their parents bought for them.

[The Fake Shemp]

Afro Samurai and Bleach are also pretty horrible.  Thanks for helping support crap, dude.

... Also, Eric, were you in a ska band?

[Eric P]

no, but i was in band class.

well, i was on the attendance sheet.

personally, i thought it was way lame and would rarely go.

or would go and just read.

0 desire in my life to play watered down arrangements of popular composer works.

to my understanding jazz band was worse.

[The Fake Shemp]

Samuel L. Jackson doesn't make Afro Samurai any less dumb.  Besides, if anything, Ron Perlman has more geek cred than Samuel L. Jackson.

[Bloodwake]

Samuel L. Jackson doesn't make Afro Samurai any less dumb.  Besides, if anything, Ron Perlman has more geek cred than Samuel L. Jackson.

At this point, yes, yes he does.

[Tauntaun]

Honestly Willco I haven't watched much animu recently, I've been reading manga a lot more.  You should read Berserk it's a lot better and has much more to offer (continues on after the animu stops for one).  Also, read One Piece (there's gold in it).

[The Fake Shemp]

Manga is even worse.

Also, Jackson saved the Star Wars prequels?  If anything - he was the nail in the coffin!  He was horrible!

[Joe Molotov]

I tend to avoid anything with "con" in the name.

I guess BoreCon is cancelled. 

[Eric P]

he's still going to Con on the Cob, aka Corncon.

we're renting a hybrid and will be covering it for our podcast

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

SAMUEL L. JACKSON ASSHOLE. HE MAKES EVERYTHING AMAZING! EVEN THAT FUCKING CAVEMAN MOVIE HE WAS IN.

Actually yes, that caveman movie (The Caveman's Valentine) was one of the better and more innovative mystery films of recent years.  It also has one of Samuel Yell Jackson's best and increasingly rare actual performances.  But then again, I'm a sucker for a good mystery, which brings me to...

I honestly can't think of any anime that's over 100 eps that I liked past that point aside from Yu Yu Hakusho, Detective Conan and One Piece (though this is SERIOUSLY pushing it).

Hells yeah.  I'll admit it, its a family show, it skews young, its repetitive (at over 500 episodes it would have to be).  Its also briskly paced and each episode is usually based on a deviously clever puzzle, usually one involving some hapless character's violent death.  All I'm saying is I think the world would be a better place if every kids show had more headshots, decapitations, and people bleeding out in inexplicably locked rooms.

Anyone here ever seen Perfect Blue?  One of the best IMO.  It's still the only so called 'horror/thriller' anime that is actually creepy.

Damn, I love that movie.  Its like an animated De Palma flick.  Its great (and sick).

[Vizzys]

Manga is even worse.

wat

[TEEEPO]

Especially since anime for the most part sucks.

Most video games suck too.

most everything sucks

[youtube=560,345]ALHybzqaWwg[/youtube]

one of the few proven facts: if there is one thing that sucks more then anime, it's ska.

[Draft]

Only anime worth watching.



Fun fact: Jeru the Damajo quotes Ryuken's opening speech word for word in the intro to The Sun Rises in the East.

[Joe Molotov]

FOTNS

[Himu]

[youtube=560,345]mUlFqL72iV0[/youtube]

.

[TEEEPO]

NOW WERE TALKING

[bork]

There is no culture.

This simply is not true.  Culture is defined as "... the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group", which definitely applies to the behaviors and characteristics of the Westernized otaku clique.  Whether or not this culture originates from Japan is irrelevant - that is like saying that there is not a gaming culture (there is!).

And like I said, I don't get it.

I blame Arvie.

Go to an anime convention and tell me there's no culture behind it. There is. It's something I've tried to get away from the longer I'm in to this medium.

I don't think yo guys get me.  By saying there is a culture, you are recognizing them as having such.  So I'll say it again: There is no culture.  

I used to go to Dragoncon back in the mid-lates 90s, although that was solely for the dealers' room the first few years, and then because I worked there (the game shop I worked at would go set up a booth and demo Japanese games...sold boatloads of Tekken 2 in particular back '96 this way).  Never cared for the other stuff.  Same deal with Anime Weekend Atlanta...just wanted to check out the dealers' room.  Although in AWA's case it wasn't worth it.  I can still remember this 400-pound Goku waddling around with a horrific stench 10 years later.    Quit going to all this crap after 1999, when it became easier to get stuff on the internet, or just download videos/scans and such.  Didn't give a flying fuck after that.

But I'd still get con-goers at my old job, plus there was (still is?) some anime "club" in the ATL called "Anime X."  I met the president of this fine establishment once; this skinny-toothpick dork in a cheesy Hawaiian shirt who came in and then asked me what I liked.  I obliged (sadly I was on the clock) and he goes "good, if you had said Dragonball Z I'd have had to leave at once.  "  I wish I had said DBZ.  Another guy would try to get me to go to the cons' game rooms and bring my shit for all the distinguished mentally-challenged fellows to drool over/get their unwashed shit-encrusted fingers on.  No thanks.

Anime fan culture is CREEPY, especially here in the states. Conventions = no thanks.

how many years has the simpsons been on?

Crayon Shin-chan is like The Simpsons, it just keeps going on and on and on.

Hell, Sazae-san has been running on TV since 1969.

Did you know that Sazae-San is looked at as depressing by a lot of folks?  It's always on on Sundays and serves as a reminder that it's back to work soon.    Boring-ass show, too.  

Manga is even worse.

WTF NO.  

[Himu]

Lyte edge, what's hilarious about those types is that they think just because they watch anime they're cultured because you know, it's a niche hobby, and it's not american!

Manga's better than anime, but the fact is that most of these long ass animes come from mangas that have been going on for 20 years that aren't even close to ending.

Japanese people don't know how to end a fucking story. Then again, we're talking about the equivalents of american comics like X-Men, Spider Man, Batman and shit.

[Robo]

AHHHTATATATATATATATATATATATATAHH! *body combustion* *butt rock guitars*

[Himu]

fist of the north star is amazing

[Draft]

Ray is my favorite.

[bork]

Lyte edge, what's hilarious about those types is that they think just because they watch anime they're cultured because you know, it's a niche hobby, and it's not american!

You don't gotta tell me man, I was dealing with those losers for years before I left that game job behind.  So many bad times.  The elitist-types are even worse.  Used to love drilling logic into them and shutting them up.  "ANIME WAS BETTER BEFORE IT WAS MAINSTREAM.  NOW EVERYBODY CAN GET IT."  Yes, that means more of it and lower prices.  It's a good thing for your hobby.  "NO DRAGONBALL SUX N GUNDAM TOO IT'S ON TH' CARTOON NETWORK AMERICAN CARTOONS LOL LOL."  I bet you liked Dragonball a lot until you saw some other nerds trash-talking it on the internet.  It's a fun series.  I like it.  "BLEACH AND NARUTO R BETTER; MORE MATURE!" All these series are made for 12-year-olds.  Get over yourself, these are fucking cartoons.  

[Eric P]

this is why it's far more fun to be a sentai fan.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

this is why it's far more fun to be a sentai fan.

fuck you manbaby!  Kamen Rider is where the depths of the human/manbug condition are plumbed.  Not that stupid juvenile shit.

[Eric P]

TEAMWORK AND STANDING TOGETHER!

[youtube=560,345]NI0UPMLX8eg[/youtube]

[Oblivion]

Hells yeah.  I'll admit it, its a family show, it skews young, its repetitive (at over 500 episodes it would have to be).  Its also briskly paced and each episode is usually based on a deviously clever puzzle, usually one involving some hapless character's violent death.  All I'm saying is I think the world would be a better place if every kids show had more headshots, decapitations, and people bleeding out in inexplicably locked rooms.

The only problem with Detective Conan (and really any show that deals with solving mysteries) is that repeat watchings are affected to a much greater extent than other shows, since most of the fun is trying to find out who killed who.

[MCD]

fuck that, real men watch Toradora.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

The only problem with Detective Conan (and really any show that deals with solving mysteries) is that repeat watchings are affected to a much greater extent than other shows, since most of the fun is trying to find out who killed who.

Very true.  But with a dozen feature films, and 500+ (near 200 hours) episodes, is the lack of replayability really a problem?  Its probably hindered its popularity in America, as traditional anime selling techniques didn't work for it (3 eps a disc on a bi-monthly release, yeah, I'll get back to you), but the show itself never suffered for it.  Hell, I've been intermittently watching it for years and I'm not even a quarter of the way through it all yet.

and I just love how active the show is.  All the clues are always laid out and very clear, but so very often I've been left slapping my forehead as the whole solution is pieced together while I blankly try to catch up on how exactly that cyanide was distributed.  On the plus side it feels just super when I do figure it out ahead of time.  And on the plus plus side, I've learned much about how to perfectly execute a clean murder, a skill that will no doubt come in handy in my future career as a "security contractor".

[Eric P]

fuck that, real men watch Toradora.

Toradora!'s story begins with the male protagonist Ryūji Takasu who is frustrated at trying to look his best as he enters his second year of high school. Despite his gentle personality, his eyes make him look like an intimidating delinquent, so he is utterly hopeless about his chances of getting a girlfriend anytime soon, and does not have many close friends either. After being greeted by his hungover mother in the morning, Ryūji goes to school and is happy to find that he gets to be in the same class with his best friend Yūsaku Kitamura and a girl he has a crush on, Minori Kushieda. However, it is then that he unexpectedly knocks into "the school's most dangerous animal of the highest risk level"—Taiga Aisaka—who just happens to also be in his class, and is a good friend of Minori.

Taiga has a negative attitude towards others and will not hesitate to snap at people. After meeting Ryūji, she takes an instant dislike of him. Taiga comes from a rich family, but she has moved out to live on her own due to family issues. She is coincidentally living in an apartment next to Ryūji's. When Ryūji discovers that Taiga has a crush on Yūsaku, and Taiga finds out about Ryūji's affections towards Minori, Ryūji suggests that they cooperate to win the objects of their affections. Taiga exploits the fact that Ryūji will do anything to get closer to Minori. She makes him her personal servant, getting him to do all her household chores (cooking and cleaning). Taiga spends a lot of her time over at his house, so much that she could almost be considered a member of his family. Since Ryūji spends a lot of time with Taiga, he has opened up to her world and to a side of her that most people do not see. The two also try to help each other improve the way people view them. However people they know from school start to become curious about their strange relationship and rumors begin to spread about them behind their backs.

sounds wacky

[MCD]

Toradora is the best show this season.

also Ami is a bro.

[treythemovie]

The majority of popular animes are shit just like the majority of anything is shit. You just have to learn how to weed through the bad stuff to get to the quality. Hating all anime just because its anime is just as stupid as people who love anime just because its anime.

Examples of Quality anime -- Cowboy Bebop & FLCL
Examples of Quality manga -- One Piece & Berserk

[tiesto]

I like the anime conventions. I'm a sucker for girls in costume/uniform.. so cute cosplayers are my weakness.

I am gonna submit my mix to the people in charge of the Otakon anime dance rave, and see if I can spin there next year...

[tiesto]

Oh yeah and this:
http://i40.tinypic.com/1j0y9x.jpg

(usually I end up dating the Moralfag, LOL)

[Great Rumbler]

Examples of Quality anime -- Cowboy Bebop & FLCL

Also, Kino's Journey and Mushishi.

[patrickula]

FYI the Akira comic makes a lot more sense (though the last volume or two are pretty much just boring violence orgies, unfortunately).  I liked it quite a lot but it did kinda get dull toward the end.
The movie is incomprehensible and its popularity is kind of surprising... though the animation itself is very nice.

I with more shows were as good as Bebop and FLCL.  I'm pretty much always disappointed by anime... even if it starts out well, it usually turns to bizarre half-animated shit by the second half of a series anyway.

[Lafiel]

short series 

then again, the last anime i saw was kamonozume over two years ago. i just hate what it has become since the early/mid 90s.

I don't hate the anime of the early/mid 90s. I hate what it's become since the early/mid 00s.

I dont think anime has gone downhill, the majority of crap we see now is just more noticeable then it was in 80s \ 90s. (probably because of the internet) There's still alot of great shows that came out in 00, that will probably be considered classics down the road like alot of 80s and early 90s stuff is.
But yeah 80s anime is probably my favorite era because of all the awesome mecha \ sci-fic shit.

[Himu]

Lyte edge, what's hilarious about those types is that they think just because they watch anime they're cultured because you know, it's a niche hobby, and it's not american!

You don't gotta tell me man, I was dealing with those losers for years before I left that game job behind.  So many bad times.  The elitist-types are even worse.  Used to love drilling logic into them and shutting them up.  "ANIME WAS BETTER BEFORE IT WAS MAINSTREAM.  NOW EVERYBODY CAN GET IT."  Yes, that means more of it and lower prices.  It's a good thing for your hobby.  "NO DRAGONBALL SUX N GUNDAM TOO IT'S ON TH' CARTOON NETWORK AMERICAN CARTOONS LOL LOL."  I bet you liked Dragonball a lot until you saw some other nerds trash-talking it on the internet.  It's a fun series.  I like it.  "BLEACH AND NARUTO R BET[iTER; MORE MATURE!" All these series are made for 12-year-olds.  Get over yourself, these are fucking cartoons.  

 

"DON'T CALL ANIME CARTOONS!!!

[recursivelyenumerable]

itt nerds wax elitist about their purported lack of nerd elitism

[bork]

Manga's better than anime, but the fact is that most of these long ass animes come from mangas that have been going on for 20 years that aren't even close to ending.

Anime is either original, manga adaptation, or novel adaptation.  But the reason manga is better is because the medium is cheaper to produce, meaning there's a LOT more of it.  Lots of genres and lots of stories that (sadly) won't ever be animated.  It's far better than anime if you are looking for non-cookie-cutter crap.

Japanese people don't know how to end a fucking story. Then again, we're talking about the equivalents of american comics like X-Men, Spider Man, Batman and shit.

I don't know where you are getting this "going on for 20 years, never ending, can't end a story" stuff from, Himu.  There are only a hand full of series I can think of that have gone on that long; most series go on for a few years and then end.  Usually it's after the 24-26 episode animu has ended, however, so if you just watch that crap, you'd never know it.  Some of the ultra-popular manga series are ongoing, sure, but that's due to demand.  But unlike western superhero (this being the keyword here since there are other western comics out there!) comics, these series will end, characters will actually die and not come back, characters can age, etc. 

Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece have been going on for what, 10 years now?  That's a long time, but those creators are going to retire these series eventually and move onto something else.

[The Sceneman]

I read a plot summary of Akira after I watched it and apparently

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Akira (whatever that is) caused the explosion in the beginning

[close]

When did they say that in the movie?

Uhh, AKira was a kid with telekinetic superpowers which scientists are trying to synthesise from his remains in the movie. Thats how Tetsuo was 'made'. Were you watching the fucking movie or fingering your butt crack?

[bork]

 

"DON'T CALL ANIME CARTOONS!!!

You know what's great?  The word "anime" doesn't even come from Japanese.

FYI the Akira comic makes a lot more sense (though the last volume or two are pretty much just boring violence orgies, unfortunately).  I liked it quite a lot but it did kinda get dull toward the end.
The movie is incomprehensible and its popularity is kind of surprising... though the animation itself is very nice.

It was one of the first movies labeled as "anime" to be brought out in English.  That's why it's so damn popular.  And with the animation being as excellent as it is, it was bound to turn a few heads back in '89/'90.  I remember the "big three" during the mid-late 90s were Akira, Ghost In The Shell, and Ninja Scroll.  Seems like only Akira has lasted.

I still love how the movie is called "Akira" but Akira isn't even in it.   

I with more shows were as good as Bebop and FLCL.  I'm pretty much always disappointed by anime... even if it starts out well, it usually turns to bizarre half-animated shit by the second half of a series anyway.

Everyone has different tastes, but I'd recommend-

-Samurai Champloo
-Michiko To Hacchin (ongoing, ends at #22)
-Bubblegum Crisis (80s anime)
-The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (early 90s)
-Ranma 1/2 (the first season, quality begins to degrade after that)(late 80s)
-Urusei Yatsura (early 80s)
-Maison Ikkoku (mid 80s)
-Project A-Ko (movie, mid 80s)
-The Dirty Pair (late 80s, early 90s[?]) (The ORIGINAL series and not Flash)
-GTO (the manga is better; this one does a good job bringing the comic to life but ends abruptly and nothing like the source material)
-Detroit Metal City (best fuckin' series EVER FUCK!)
-Riding Bean (OVA, late 80s)
-Dragon Half (OVAs, mid 90s) (Wish the comic series came out in English; it's a parody of fantasy stuff)
-Azumanga Daioh (not for everyone; it's a slice-of-life series about some high girl girls.  Another popular show called Lucky Star rips if off in an awful otaku way)

There are some others I enjoyed but not as much as the comics, like The Sorcerer Hunters.  My anime backlog is huge like my gaming one; still need to watch Witchblade, most of The Slayers, remakes like Bubblegum Crisis 2040, and a shitload more.

I saw Gurren Lagann up until the BIG EVENT that changes the show and didn't really like the direction it went in after that, but boy did I love the beginning.  One day I'll watch the rest of the series.

And man, I used to be such a coke-head for Rumiko Takahashi's stuff, but Inu-Yasha just didn't click with me.  She's said that her comics are made for each generation, so once you hit a certain age, the appeal is gone.  Makes sense; if I were a teenager now I'm sure I'd be all over and loving the crap out at the moment.  I miss the 80s/90s stuff terribly.   :'(

[drohne]

the first ghost in the shell movie is still my favorite animu. every several months i have to talk myself out of spending $100 on the import bd

no, maybe jin roh -- and i actually did spend some stupid amount of money on that bd

[bork]

I forget, what is the film that both Jin-Roh and Killzone rips off the armor design from?

I was bored by the first Ghost In The Shell movie.  Read the comics and saw the second movie, and that's pretty much been it.  Have yet to see any of SAC.  Another series I have all of but haven't ever seen...

[EmCeeGrammar]

I don't quite understand why there's such alot of crossover between gamers and peeps who watch anime.  I mean I know why I do it, mostly escapism, but its strange to me how "nerds" often share such a common pool of interests.

Truth be told I haven't watched anime in years. I'm a stickler for good animation and the serials that were being broadcasted we're low budget.  The story arcs were all very formulaic.  I actually have disposable income to explore the selection now but my interest in anime has reached zero since then.  Until the next Miyazaki movie of course.  He's ok in my book.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

the first ghost in the shell movie is still my favorite animu. every several months i have to talk myself out of spending $100 on the import bd

no, maybe jin roh -- and i actually did spend some stupid amount of money on that bd

I'm sure you're aware of the recently released and re-tuned Ghost in the Shell 2.0?  Its the original film with a redone score, 6.1 sound, redone CGI (the CGI was noticably bad in the original release), and all the animation has been fine tuned or CG enhanced.  It was apparently done to make the original film more in line visually with its sequel and TV series.  There's going to be an eventual American Blu-Ray release, you might as well wait on that.  HD sample here.

and The Onion AV Club just ran a somewhat useful self-primer guide to Anime.  Good timing guys.