Anime is WANK
Moderator: poppycat
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darknesscalls
- Absolute Beginner
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 1:00 am
hmm...
I'm not sure why I like anime exactly. I love the art and often its an escape from reality for me. Its a "no brainer" pretty much. I can just sit back, laugh, and enjoy. But heh, my mom thinks its totally kiddy too, but Oh well. I am addicted.
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kuroneko
Anime? for kids?
The problem here is that you're failing to understand that there are differences in culture in play.
The japanese produce anime for a broader range of individuals than western cultures typically produce animation for.
On the younger end, you do have quite childish, light hearted series like Pita-Ten (roughly translates to `Clinging Angel'), Angellic Layer and Card Captor Sakura.
However, they don't stop with just Children. They carry on their work for more mature audiences too. You can't tell me that any child would be able to interpret Serial Experiements Lain, Gasaraki or Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex with much success. These two series are just two of many intended for older audiences.
Part of this comes down the source for the stories used for most anime series: Japanese Manga is similarly written for broad audience too - typically older audiences than younger ones. In fact, manga has even been the basis for japanese movies.
The Ghost in the Shell Movie was based upon the Manga by Masamune Shirow. From reading the manga is clear that it was aimed at a more mature audience than your typical western 10.y.o comic buyer.
Similarly, the rather controversial japanese movie, Battle Royale, started as a Manga? And the Manga (which is now available in English translations too) is far more graphic than the movie. Similarly, you seriously be telling me that they were written for young children.
Similary, one of the major appeals of Anime is that the quality of animation in most of the normal TV series is so high - especially compared to the crap that the US animators churn out on a regular basis these days, and then you run across the much higher quality movies, such as Spirited Away (sen to chihiro), and Princess Mononoke (mononoke hime) (both of which, I might add, have been licensed by Disney).
The problem is that so many westerners have gotten into this stupid mindset that all animated and graphic novel work is for children because thats how the western market works.
Not to mention the damage that various american companies like Tokyo Pop and Funmation have done to the artwork and script in Anime by trying to adjust it to American Audiences during dubbing. Don't know what I'm talking about? Most graphic is Cardcaptors (US Licensed Dub) vs Card Captor Sakura (Original Japanese). Other examples are Ursulas Kiss (US) vs the Kakumei Shoujo Utena movie, and the horrible work done by TokyoPop to the Dubbed Initial-D soundtrack in order to make it "cool" to US audiences. Try hunting down fan-subs (or if you can understand japanese, the raws) of the series, and grabbing a copy of the US version from your video store and compare the differences.
Anyway, just because you don't understand it doesn't make it bad. It just means you don't understand it. There's a distinct difference between these two states.
Oh, and Cyberjacques - Robotech isn't a classic - Macross is - Robotech is just another rehashed US Dub
My personal recommandation list is:
The japanese produce anime for a broader range of individuals than western cultures typically produce animation for.
On the younger end, you do have quite childish, light hearted series like Pita-Ten (roughly translates to `Clinging Angel'), Angellic Layer and Card Captor Sakura.
However, they don't stop with just Children. They carry on their work for more mature audiences too. You can't tell me that any child would be able to interpret Serial Experiements Lain, Gasaraki or Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex with much success. These two series are just two of many intended for older audiences.
Part of this comes down the source for the stories used for most anime series: Japanese Manga is similarly written for broad audience too - typically older audiences than younger ones. In fact, manga has even been the basis for japanese movies.
The Ghost in the Shell Movie was based upon the Manga by Masamune Shirow. From reading the manga is clear that it was aimed at a more mature audience than your typical western 10.y.o comic buyer.
Similarly, the rather controversial japanese movie, Battle Royale, started as a Manga? And the Manga (which is now available in English translations too) is far more graphic than the movie. Similarly, you seriously be telling me that they were written for young children.
Similary, one of the major appeals of Anime is that the quality of animation in most of the normal TV series is so high - especially compared to the crap that the US animators churn out on a regular basis these days, and then you run across the much higher quality movies, such as Spirited Away (sen to chihiro), and Princess Mononoke (mononoke hime) (both of which, I might add, have been licensed by Disney).
The problem is that so many westerners have gotten into this stupid mindset that all animated and graphic novel work is for children because thats how the western market works.
Not to mention the damage that various american companies like Tokyo Pop and Funmation have done to the artwork and script in Anime by trying to adjust it to American Audiences during dubbing. Don't know what I'm talking about? Most graphic is Cardcaptors (US Licensed Dub) vs Card Captor Sakura (Original Japanese). Other examples are Ursulas Kiss (US) vs the Kakumei Shoujo Utena movie, and the horrible work done by TokyoPop to the Dubbed Initial-D soundtrack in order to make it "cool" to US audiences. Try hunting down fan-subs (or if you can understand japanese, the raws) of the series, and grabbing a copy of the US version from your video store and compare the differences.
Anyway, just because you don't understand it doesn't make it bad. It just means you don't understand it. There's a distinct difference between these two states.
Oh, and Cyberjacques - Robotech isn't a classic - Macross is - Robotech is just another rehashed US Dub
My personal recommandation list is:
- Gensou Maden Saiyuki (yet another spin on the journey to the west story. With pure attitude)
- Macross Plus 4 episode OVA (not the movie)
- Cowboy Bebop (series and movie, in order)
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand alone complex (one of the current highest budget series in Japan, with excellent stories and an even better underplot)
- Mahoromatic (somewhat ecchi series.
Definately not for kiddies).
Hell...
if you're posting something smart here, you could also register, sheesh 
Edit:
Will definitly check some of the stuff out you mentioned. So far my favourites are Hellsing, Trigun and Scrapped Princess. I can't stand cowboy bebop, tho, dont know why...
Edit2:
i think that fits here, too - they are broadcasting now a dubbed verion of Hellsing on ViVA (a music channel). And it really sucks. They changed the opening and end theme, the voices are horrible. Yet, not as horrible as some other dubbings i've heard, but the series loses easily 40% of its coolness if in german with those lame dubbing voices. I prefer original japanese with subs!
Edit:
Will definitly check some of the stuff out you mentioned. So far my favourites are Hellsing, Trigun and Scrapped Princess. I can't stand cowboy bebop, tho, dont know why...
Edit2:
i think that fits here, too - they are broadcasting now a dubbed verion of Hellsing on ViVA (a music channel). And it really sucks. They changed the opening and end theme, the voices are horrible. Yet, not as horrible as some other dubbings i've heard, but the series loses easily 40% of its coolness if in german with those lame dubbing voices. I prefer original japanese with subs!
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kuroneko
Re: Hell...
Too much effort. I'm only posting because somebody asked me to.gilthanaz wrote:if you're posting something smart here, you could also register, sheesh
Actually - I've been told that the English Hellsing dub was done using English (not american) Voice Actors - so its aparently quite cool since the voices fit the characters reasonably well. Not seen (well, heard I guess) it myself yet.gilthanaz wrote:Edit2:
i think that fits here, too - they are broadcasting now a dubbed verion of Hellsing on ViVA (a music channel). And it really sucks. They changed the opening and end theme, the voices are horrible. Yet, not as horrible as some other dubbings i've heard, but the series loses easily 40% of its coolness if in german with those lame dubbing voices. I prefer original japanese with subs!
And yes, I forgot Hellsing from my list above. I was in a rush this morning.
Heh.
I forgot to mention that it is a GERMAN dub. I haven't heard the english dub yet.