Hello and sorry for the delay! I usually don’t like going days without posting, but I’ve been feeling somewhat ill recently. However, I’m not going to let that stop me from bringing you guys a post today! Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a sour one.
Recently, I’ve been looking for a new anime to watch. Usually the series I find are by chance only; I’ve never really set myself out to watch a certain anime. At a glance nothing in the 2013 list looks interesting to me. I can’t get myself to watch much, and the ones that I’ve seen just put me to sleep.
When I look at the previous titles I’ve watched, I feel like I shouldn’t talk. A bunch of my favorites are somewhat generic. For example Negima is your usual harem, but the action and magic bring interesting aspects to the plot. Naruto has almost little to no originality, but still remains as one of my favorites. While it takes place in the world of ninja, the problems addressed are present in the real world. The pattern is pretty clear, but common. Take something cliche, and add on to it. Twist it around and make it even better.
I can’t really say why there’s a lack of originality as I’m not sure myself. I’ve seen many of the same plots and reiterations over the course of many manga, anime, and so on. I feel like producers are just redoing the same old things. There’s so much of the same plot, you can even predict how some will end.
There’s your slice of life, usually revolving around high school. There’s the generic shonen, with an underdog main character who eventually reaches his goal. We have the horror genre with blood, killings, psychos, and other random stuff thrown in. Don’t forget the ecchi or harem genre which basically throws fan-service in your face. We even have classifications for characters; Tsundere, Dandere, Yandere, and so on.
Now don’t get me wrong, I know most anime bring more to the table than what I’ve mentioned, but it seems like the overall concept is the same. There’s nothing unique, nothing that seems to stand out about recent series. It’s almost as if they’re afraid to bring something new to the plate, like a character that doesn’t fall into one of the generic classifications. Why not mix it up and combine two types?
So what’s the answer? How about some new ideas? Sure with the thousands of titles out there it may be hard to come up with something completely original, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Just being an anime fan doesn’t mean we should sit back and watch. We have a voice, and we can use it. How about creating something ourselves? We rant and complain about the things we dislike, but do we do anything? Do we do anything to change the anime scene?
Then again, it could just be me. I could’ve lost my taste in anime without knowing it! I could be seeing things wrong. Perhaps others think the new anime is the best of all time. What do you think? Is this a good year for anime?
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About half a year ago the same thing happened to me. I couldn't get through much more then 3 episode of almost any anime without dropping it. I stopped posting on this site and for the most part gave up on anime. When this spring season started I picked up some of the series and I am excited as ever to watch anime once again. I probably just needed a break. I doubt you have lost your taste in anime for good, it will come back just give it some time.
The answer to your woes.Shingeki No Kyojin.
i would have to agree with that, if you haven't watched any of it Rekari, I would recommend giving it a try
Hmm okay then, I'll take a look. Thanks you guys!
Oh ho…someone seems to realize how, aside from a few aesthetic differences, the anime you watch is largely the same. That's why people get tired of it, and cry for something new and different. You have fallen into this trap Rekari!!!…I think xD
The thing is, anime companies have to rely on what actually sells for them in Japan. They don't exactly have the highest of budgets and can barely pay animators as is. So taking a chance on something essentially requires a leap of faith, and unless you're a successful studio, you'll have to stick with what works. Aside from that it comes down to what material out there is available to adapt, and most anime have been adapted from manga and light novel series, so they're confined to that material.
My recent post Anime Time And Allegedly Being Busy
Darn! No one shouted "It's a trap!" Haha, sorry for taking so long to respond.
I completely understand, taking such a leap can lead to the downfall of a company. I guess I feel that maybe someone new needs to come around and set the stage. A new company or so that isn't afraid of taking chances? Maybe something like that will happen soon huh?
Well, supposedly the new studio that's attracting a bit of hype is Trigger, with their work with Inferno Cop and Little Witch Academia, and they're finally doing a full TV production in Kill La Kill. I do like both of those works, so will be curious to see how they'll do with a series adaptation.
My recent post Manga Review: The V Sign!
Oh yeah, I've been hearing quite a bit about them. They also did production cooperation with BRS, SAO, and Idolmaster. Very interesting!
Oh. Another one of those "looking for originality" buffs eh? Sorry dood. I honestly have no idea how to help you or which shows to recommend as I am not going through an anime (or animation in general) burnout or slump. Whether or not you will retire from anime is up to you.
If this comment sounds insulting, my bad. It's just that I've seen and read this kind of article many times already. I've taken a chill pill years ago. Besides, I'm (as of this writing) 25 1/2 years old. I have seen enough of what the anime world has to offer to not demand anything new anymore. Give me whatever show you have to offer and if I'm interested, I'll pick it up and stick around. If not, meh.
Oh no it's totally fine! It was just a little rant I had at the time. Basically a bunch of things I'd noticed in every other anime just kind of got to me. I'm not retiring from anime any time soon, but sometimes too much of a good thing is bad.
I have a sort of unique outlook when it comes to choosing things, usually I like what other people don't. Not to mention I'm examining anime from a writer's viewpoint. It's just hard for me to be entertained by things I don't care for, or things I've seen too much.
Don't worry about sounding insulting; I love hearing different viewpoints!
Ah. You mentioned being a writer. That explains everything.
You're in luck. There are some great series this summer season.
-Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C³-bu (starts out as your typical slice-of-life moe fare, but then some amazing BB gunplay)
-Kamisama no Inai Nichiyoubi (it's a little hard to explain, so it's best if you watch it for yourself)
-Blood Lad (a HILARIOUSLY over-the-top comedy where a vampire has to bring a girl back to life. As ridiculous as it sounds)
-Danganronpa ("special" students are trapped in a school by an evil teddy bear and are forced to kill each other)
I'm sure you've already heard of "Attack on Titan", right? If not, WATCH IT. NOW.
Btw, I'm Kenta Misaka, a senior here on Wanabrar. Pleased to meet you! ^_^