Whats your opinion on Japanese Animation?

FIR3

New Member
<span style='color:BLACK'>I used to be a BIG fan of Japanese Animation, Also known as anime. My hatred of the artform started when my firnd recommended a anime called Excel Saga. I watched it and liked it until the last episode. During the show a professor who builds robots who destroy the 'bad guys' help the 'good guys' out. Well that professor always has little girls around him (...I think you may know where im going with this...) Well anyways the last episode of the series was very very bad. Well you find out the professor is a pedophile and takes a girl (about 10) that was helping them to a "love hotel' (they are real in Japan). This disgusted me. Also there is anime pornography called "hentai" which means pervert in Japan.


Whats your opinion this garbage? I hate it!</span>
 
Anime can usually be defined by the age rating it gets.. the stuff suitable for families is great.. The stuff that is adults only is nasty.
 
Yup I agree with rizz there is different stuff for different ages.

Plus the Japanese culture is very different than ours, our taboos aren't the same as theirs.

U can't group consider all jap anime bad because they have hentai and stuff, that would be like saying all american movies are bad because they make porn too.

Also haven't we had this topic before
 
So you refuse to watch movies or read books or look at pictures because pornography exists?
 
You shouldn't generalize and say that all anime is bad, because it isn't. Films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away are fantastic creations, lush with creativity and animated innovation. Of course, there are other anime creations that are pretty perverted and disgusting, and I don't like them either.

On the topic of hentai, pornography is, I believe, illegal in Japan, or at least has sever limitations on it, so hentai is their main outlet for such things. Not that that makes it ok, just fyi.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (MaxX @ Dec. 11 2004,1:07)]So you refuse to watch movies or read books or look at pictures because pornography exists?
...who ever said that?
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dude uve made this topic like 3 times havent u? but yeah the hentai stuff is pretty sick in my opinion, but overall i love anime. ive almost recorded 3 seasons of inuyasha and the whole season of wolfs rain to my computer
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[b said:
Quote[/b] (SirThom @ Dec. 11 2004,4:06)]
[b said:
Quote[/b] (MaxX @ Dec. 11 2004,1:07)]So you refuse to watch movies or read books or look at pictures because pornography exists?
...who ever said that?
rock.gif
That's the logical conclusion. If you hate anime because of anime pornography, you should hate movies and pictures because of graphic and movie porn too.
 
lets just hate everything huh?

how about... just dont watch the stuff that offends you. If you like the PG rated stuff then go for it.
 
<span style='color:black'>I have several anime DVDs. Princess Monoake, Apirited Away, Akira, all the FLCL DVDs, and one of the King of Bandit Jing DVDs (if your into anime get KOBJ-best anime Ive ever seen).

I will now list all the animes I have seen
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and explain why I hate MOST animes.

DragonBall Z-Nothing really bad in it (then again I have only seen the english version

Hellsing It has a good message (about God..Message is that even though people worship God in different ways, they are still good people...well thats what I got out of it) A bit too bloody, but still a very good and (somehow) religous anime.

Excel Saga-this anime just pissed me off with the last episode, beginning my hatred of anime. The last episode shows pedophiles raping 10 year old girls. I hate pedophiles and stuff, and I got very mad at the japanese. Other episodes were OK.

FLCL-nothing very bad in it. Let my little brother watch it. Although quite a bit of panty shots.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (most)-confusing as heck, has to do something with Christianity but I have no idea what. I also havent seen the movies of it,

Samurai Deeper Kyo (almost half)-Samurai anime series. Kinda bloody, still OK.

Ronin Warriors-Kids show. Classic series. Nothing wrong.

that anime that was on Nick Jr.-Anime fairy tale show.

King of Bandit Jing-GET IT NOW! Best anime I have ever seen in my life. Nothing bad at all. Just awesome in every way.

Puni Puni Poemi-where to start? Well its a spin off of Excel Saga (see above) and well....its disgusting.

Midori no Hibi-cute series about a girl who is attached to a guys hand that she likes. Nothing too bad. Some mild nudity.

Green Green-Ecchi series based on a hentai game. It wasnt that funny but very perverted.

Maburaho-nudity. About a boy with magic powers who goes to a magic school and 3 girls "want his seed' to have the most powerful magican baby in thw world.

Princess Monoake-bit bloody.

Akira-Bloody, breift nudity

Kiki's deleviry service-nothing wrong at all

King of Bandit Jing OVA 1-3-The movie of King of Bandit Jing. Its like a acid trip. Only avaible to download.

Green Green OVA-wasnt as perverted as the series, actually was the piolet. Oh did it suck!

Ninja Scroll-good story, but kinda.....sexually graphic.

Spirted Away-nothing wrong
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The ones in BOLD are the ones that I refuse to watch. I have changed my ways. Those (and many others) are like this. In Japan even pokemon and yu-gi-oh have swearing and nudity in them. Japan will never stop. I bet Osamu Tezuka (practically the father of anime-made it popular with Astro Boy) is rolling in his grave right now. The Japanese have ruined the nice, sweet colorful animation that it once was. I know they have different genres, but when it gets to provocative ans even has pronography..people have crossed then line!</span>
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Well see, the thing that you need to take into consideration is that anime is no longer a kiddy thing, and this is especially so in Japan. A lot of Japanese anime is geared towards children, but a lot of it has adult themes. These would be the equivilant to our R rated films. You have to consider the cultural differences. Of course I am not saying that this makes sexually leud and gory anime films ethical; I'm just putting you in perspective. Anime isn't some foreign evil atrocity to mankind; it's a genuine art form.
 
Oh, man, you watched the last episode of Excel Saga? Ouch. There's a reason why the episode was banned from the Japanese airwaves (if I remember correctly).

The last two episodes of the series ruin what is otherwise an often funny and witty series, mocking various genres of anime. I agree, the last episode should be packed up, sealed with duct tape, launched into outer space, then blown up with a giant missile.

Now, as for my opinion an anime in general, it remains consistent with my opinion on any art form: The large majority of any given art form (music, animation, literature, etc.) is sub-par and detained for the trash heap.

If you were to bring me two people that have never watched anime before, I could name ten series that would cause one person to swear off anime forever. Conversely, I could name ten series that would inspire the other person to pledge their undying love to the art form.

Imagine if the only rock and roll you ever heard was a modern garage band with the typical teen angst motif. There's a fair chance that, if this was the first time you heard a guitar, you would say that all rock and roll was complete and utter trash (unless you're into that sort of tripe). Conversely, if you were introduced to rock and roll by way of such legends as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Claption, you would likely love what you heard and go run out to find more music in the same genre. You would then find that the large majority of rock and roll tracks aren't worth a 4MB slot on your hard drive.

Now then, moving right along.

I think the issue of explicit content in anime has received so much attention for a few reasons:

1. The American assumption that animation is intended solely for children persists today. The Flinstones aired in prime time forty years ago and the Simpsons have been on the air for over thirteen (right?) seasons, yet this assumption survives. Why, I can't say.

2. Anything with explicit content is going to receive more attention from American mass media. It's not a flaw with media; it's a flaw in human nature. If a series features rich characters, a complex story, and fully developed settings, it won't get as much coverage as a series filled with naked Japanese schoolgirls. Sad, but true.

3. Parents are slacking. I have yet to see a series including explicit content without a relevant warning on the packaging. Parents who let their 10-year old watch "Hellsing" are likely the same parents who bought Doom 3 for their children. Somehow, when the parent walks into the room and a character is being decapitated, it's not the parent's fault for not reading the packaging. It's the industry's fault for producing the material. This is called "passing the buck." It is also called "bad parenting."

Now I, of all people, understand that your local Best Buy or Blockbuster is not the only source for anime. In fact, it is perhaps the worst source as very few great series are brought to the US. Terrible series stand the best chances of making it to television (e.g. Dragonball Z, Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh). There are, of course, exceptions (Cowboy Bebop airing on Cartoon Network during Adult Swim), but they are few and far between.

Retail stores and television are only two methods of obtaining anime. Parents can most easily monitor these sources. There is a third source which parents are less likely to monitor--the Internet. Sites such as AnimeSuki offer downloads for fansubbed anime. Fansubbed anime is anime which has been subtitled by fans and, except in cases of some very foolish groups, does not include series licensed in the US. (AnimeSuki refuses to list any anime that has been licensed in the US.) Though this source may be harder for parents to monitor, it does not free them of the responsibility. The Internet can be a dangerous place for even informed users; it is a hazardous place for curious children.

That all being said, I would like to ask everyone not to immediately dismiss all anime because of a few terrible series. If I had sworn off anime after watching Neon Genesis Evangelion, I would never have discovered and fell in love with Read or Die TV. (Truth be told, I still cannot determine if I like Evangelion, three years after watching the series. All I know is that the End of Evangelion movie should never be viewed by human eyes.)

I suppose I would be slacking a bit if I only gave a general explanation. The following opinions are solely my own. Please keep in mind that I tend to be more critical of artistic expression than anyone else of my generation.

Anime To Avoid As Though Your Life Depended On It
- La Blue Girl. Because it's hentai (i.e. animated porn).
- Revolutionary Girl Utena. Probably my male bias here, but I would rather watch paint dry for two hours than watch the first four episodes again. Teenage anime fangirls love this series and, for the life of me, I have no idea why.
- Hellsing. I'm sorry. I know I'm going cause a ruckus with this one as it seems to be a favorite among teen males, but I have to pan this series--not for its explicitly graphic violence, which is itself reason enough to kick it to the curb, but for the absolute laziness of the writers. It is yet another formulaic rehash of the vampire story, using the same "The occult is cool! Let's use it to gloss over our obvious lack of storytelling skill!" sentiment that made Doom 3 such a hit. The series offends me both as a Christian and as a writer.
- Perfect Blue. True, it's a movie, not a series, but it does feature explicit material. Children should not approach this movie within ten feet. Adults over 18 should also keep away as this particular suspense thriller will scoop out your brain and leave it on the floor.
- End of Evangelion. Just the movie. Not the series. This movie is perhaps the worst movie ever made, with the exception of "Nadesico: Prince of Darkness." While the art is gorgeous, this mindless parade of Jewish and Christian symbology was intended as "revenge" on fans of the series who refused to accept the psychological resolution of episodes 25 and 26 as a proper ending. No. I'm not kidding.
- Nadesico: Prince of Darkness. Another movie, this one takes place after the end of one of my favorite series of all time, Nadesico. This movie is just plain evil. It takes the lighthearted yet sincere heart of a terrific series and buries it under confusing plot mutilations and an angst-y atmosphere. If you watch the series--and you should--avoid this movie like the plague.
- Ebichu: The Housekeeping Hamster. Contains very, very naughty humor and other, well, naughtiness. The art looks very cute, but don't be fooled--this is about as perverted as anime gets.
- Spriggan. I describe this as the Japanese attempt at making an American action movie--complete with all American action movie faults. Confusing and generally formulaic plot, pointless violence, and flat characters toss this to the bottom of the heap. If someone built a computer to automatically generate an action movie, this would be the result. Bland, boring sludge.
- Ninja Scroll. Yuck. Just...yuck. This movie features some of the most disgusting scenes in anime, including one where a soldier's arms are torn off. But it's just not gore, oh no! There's also sexually explicit material. If people cite cases of extreme violence in anime, they'll likely mention this title.


Anime to Skip
- Naruto. While this series features some great battles, it also features far too many flashbacks (sometimes recounting events earlier in the same episode) and leaves too many promises unfulfilled. This series, minus a few of the great fights, is better as a manga.

Anime to skip: Those Who Hunt Elves, Fushigi Yuugi, Hunter X Hunter OVA 2, Hunter X Hunter: Greed Island, Escaflowne, Kono Minikukumo Utsukushii Seka, Prince of Tennis.


Anime I Could Take Or Leave
- Akira. Yes, yes, it's an anime classic. It's also utterly confusing to the anime initiate. The result of trying to pack too much manga into too little movie, this movie left me saying, "Whaa?" after it was over. I would probably have enjoyed it more if I hadn't seen far better beforehand. Also contains explicit violence.
- Neon Genesis Evangelion. This was one of my first ventures into anime and I wasn't scared away, so it must do something right. The atmosphere of the series, the hint of something constantly lurking under the surface, and the lack of a real "hero" sets this apart from Western art. The long silences, confusing plot twists, and dominance of Freudian and Jungian theory may cause some Western viewers to swear off anime forever. This is a series to watch because it is part of the anime essentials--not because you'll particuarly enjoy it. Imagine it as the "1984" of anime.
- Hunter X Hunter. While this series features the same "Can we please get on with this?" action as Naruto, it ends with episode 60-something and then continues in a second and third OVA. As long as you stop watching after the first OVA, you're set.

Other anime I could take or leave: Slayers, Slayers Next, Slayers Try, Outlaw Star, Grenadier, Last Exile.


Anime I Would Recommend
- Rah Xephon. This series features some of the most beautiful art I have ever seen in anime. The plot is a bit confusing at times, but still worth a watch. Should you decide to skip this series, I still recommend watching episode 19. It is one of the saddest and most well written episodes of anime I've ever seen.
- Hamtaro. Yes, that's right. I said Hamtaro. While I'm not a huge fan of the series, it does contain a certain charm that makes it a fitting introduction to anime for children.
- Scryed. While not the best series out there and occasionally suffering from formulaic plot development, this series presents two lead characters, neither of which is suited to the title of "hero" or "villain." The series seems to end early in episode 24, making the end a bit anticlimatic. Still, a good series overall.
- Vandread, Vandread: Second Stage. I did not include this series in the "Series You Must Watch" list only because I seem to be the only one of my friends who loved it. It features an interesting premise (men and women live on separate planets and the genders are at war with each other) which the writers execute quite well.
- FLCL. It seems people either love or hate this series. I, as you can tell, loved it. I didn't mark it as a must-see because it seems to polarize anime fans. I enjoyed the humor, the artwork, and the animation style. I watched the series in a time when I was in desparate need of something new and it did not disappoint. It also features one of the coolest villains ever.

Other anime I would recommend: Ghost In The Shell (caution: adults only, contains nudity and violence), Ghost In The Shell 2 (not for children, but for different reasons than the first--more cerebral and mature than children would enjoy), Ghost In The Shell: Standalone Complex, Ghost In The Shell: 2nd GIG, Jubei-chan, Jubei-chan 2, Bleach, My HiME, Samurai 7, Samurai Champloo, Panda Z.


Anime You Must Watch
- Read or Die OVA, Read or Die TV. Can't watch one without the other. Start with the OVA. This series is my favorite of all time, featuring the character development, plot complexity, and emotional involvement of the viewer that represents what anime can be at its best. If there is one series I could recommend to the world, it would be Read or Die.
- Cowboy Bebop. The series that breaks all the rules. It was licensed in the US and it still rocks. The English voice actors are better suited to the characters than the Japanese voice actors, making the dubbed version enjoyable to watch. The series received tons of attention in the US; Cartoon Network even picked it up for its Adult Swim programming. The Cowboy Bebop movie also rocks. Yep. It breaks every rule. The only shortcoming of this series is that the mythology is only presented in three episodes: 5, 25, and 26. Highlight of the series? Episode 17: Mushroom Samba, one of the funniest episodes of anime ever.
- Trigun. Another series that inexplicably received due attention in America, Trigun features some of the best humor and loveable characters in anime. This is anime for the masses--not too deep, not too shallow, and intriguing to the public at large. This series has something for pretty much everyone.
- Nadesico. Now, I seem to be the only one among my friends who truly fell in love with this series. Of course, some of my friends also thought Hellsing was fantastic. Nadesico features loveable characters, an intriguing plot, enough anime standards (standard swimsuit episode, standard episode 14 recap, etc.) without succumbing totally to formula. Most importantly, the series does not take itself too seriously, even mocking the space opera saga by means of the "series within a series," Gekiganger. If you thought Evangelion was too heady and the characters too whiny, Nadesico is the cure for what ails you.
- Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu?. This series is hilarious. The comic follow-up to "Full Metal Panic," the series is well-suited as a relief from more "heady" anime but still features loveable characters and entertaining stories.


Heh. This post is about four pages longer than I planned. I hope this gives those curious about anime a good starting point.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (FIR3 @ Dec. 11 2004,11:37)]Also there is anime pornography called "hentai" which means pervert in Japan.
Actually, "hentai" can be transliterated as transformation, metamorphosis, abnormality, or pervert. But, yes, it typically means "pervert." Just an interesting note there.
 
You can't lump a genre as being bad, pretty much every form of expressive art has it's up's and down's, and will have clean family content, along with offensive and down right evil material.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]The only shortcoming of this series is that the mythology is only presented in three episodes: 5, 25, and 26. Highlight of the series? Episode 17: Mushroom Samba, one of the funniest episodes of anime ever.

So very true the only real story within the show happens on one of about 5 episodes, the rest being filler. Though it is still my favorite anime and one of the few I acctually watch anymore. My favorite episodes are of course the story filled episodes 1, 5, 23-25, but for pure comedy gold you can't beat #22 Cowboy Funk.
 
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