Has anyone else here never gotten into anime?

[CyberCubed]

Sure, when I was a kid/teenager I watched Pokemon, DBZ and Sailor Moon like everyone else, but that was mainly because of the initial anime boom in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Other than that though, I've never actually gotten into anime. I was always more of a fan of the DC superhero cartoons, TMNT, and Marvel cartoons to ever get into anime when I was younger.

Pokemon and Dragonball Z were the only ones I consistently watched, but I never got into any other anime. Is anyone else like this?

[PAAATE]

I'll make something constructive of this thread and give you two anime tips:

Azumanga Daioh, for bizarre, but emotional comedy (I cried when watching the last ep, so... BUT IT'S VERY FUNNY, if you like surrealist comedy)

Suisei no Gargantia, if you like robot fights and existential anxiety.

I mean, those are kind of specific :p But please check them out if they sound interesting.

[Peanut]

You watched the wrong anime.

[Slade]

I watched DBZ, Poke'mon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Digimon. Never got into anime that big though. Oh and Inuyasha.

[Icebot]

Not sure if these count as anime but I like Mega Man ('94), Avatar The Last Airbender and The Legend Of Korra.

[Ultimate Ninja]

I like DragonBall, DragonBall Z, Sailor Moon, and Gundam Wing. I'm a fan of Toonami classic shows. I also like the new Toonami, but I don't really care for the anime on there.

I could force myself to watch One Piece and I would enjoy it, but that is pretty much the only current anime I would consider watching. DragonBall Z Kai is great, but I consider it the same show as DragonBall Z.

For animation that isn't anime, I like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

[AT-Man]

I liked Neon Genesis Evangelion. Forced myself to watch Fullmetal Alchemist until the end, after I realized it was pretty boring mostly. I guess I rather watch anime movies than series...es.... :-?

[snake]

I like DBZ and DB, but that's about it. I want to start One Piece but 500+ episodes and multiple dubs that never finished are kind of intimidating. I guess you can say the same about DBZ, but that had a consecutive dub that covered every episode.

[Fjaj]

I have no desire to read manga or watch anime, mainly because I'm not really a fan of the art style, and all the fans seem to be really f***ing obsessed with it.

[CyberCubed]

Growing up I'm glad I never became an anime/otaku type guy. Its because of anime fans that people don't make fun of Trekkies or Superhero geeks anymore.

Also why is so much of modern anime based on harem schoolgirl shows where like 5 girls all want the same guy? And the show is about nothing but dull fanservice with various hints of incest or lesbianism going on? Is this what the Japanese really care about aside from the action shows?

No wonder why the anime boom in the U.S. died down around 2005.

[pennydreadful]

Growing up I'm glad I never became an anime/otaku type guy. Its because of anime fans that people don't make fun of Trekkies or Superhero geeks anymore.

Also why is so much of modern anime based on harem schoolgirl shows where like 5 girls all want the same guy? And the show is about nothing but dull fanservice with various hints of incest or lesbianism going on? Is this what the Japanese really care about aside from the action shows?

No wonder why the anime boom in the U.S. died down around 2005.

Dude, c'mon - you can't make generalisations about otaku... there are weird and creepy people in all fandoms and all walks of life.

Yes, there's a subgenre of anime out there that's based on girls and their bits - but there's also some great stuff out there. I view anime as a culturally unique art form which is used to convey emotion in a very beautiful way. *shrugs* Then again, you'd probably consider me one of those creepy otaku. :lol:

I used to watch a lot more anime than I currently do... just haven't had as much time for it in the past few years. I don't know which genres you might like but perhaps you could try Vampire Hunter D, Hellsing, Devil May Cry, Cowboy Bebop or Trigun, if you were so inclined? They're all very good.

Like most other people, I started out on Sailor Moon, Neon Genesis and DBZ (I've got to be honest, Vegeta is about 95% of the reason why I watch DBZ... I know I'm a total peasant but I really have no interest in DB because no Vegeta.) :P

[TurtleTitan97]

Also why is so much of modern anime based on harem schoolgirl shows where like 5 girls all want the same guy? And the show is about nothing but dull fanservice with various hints of incest or lesbianism going on? Is this what the Japanese really care about aside from the action shows?



You can't be serious. You do realize that not all anime out there now isn't like this at all, right? Like pennydreadful said, there are plenty of great ones out there.

[Prowler]

I like anime/manga, but I can understand why you and many others can't get into it. I admit that it took me a while to get into anime and get rid of my pre-conceived and notions and discriminatory views of it. "Why are the japanese so weird?", "why do anime characters look white/european when they are supposed to be japanese?"... yea I used to think like that when I was 12. But since I've always been a big video game fan, and most of those games were made in Japan, it seemed silly for me to completely write off anime. Not to mention as I got older I matured a bit and stopped letting stereotypical views of mine regarding Japan to get in the way.

Indeed a lot of anime sucks, but same applies to any medium, honestly. Those harem anime you mention aren't all that anime is about. I'd recommend you to watch Cowboy Bebop if you haven't. Also Monster and possibly Legend of the Galactic Heroes, if you're into an epic space opera full of politics, great dialogue and backstabbing that's pretty much Prussians vs. the U.N in space.

As for the fanbase yes plenty of anime fans, the so called "otakus"(which is stupid that they label themselves that, since otaku is not a positive word at all) can be annoying and embarrassing, but there's also plenty of regular folk who are anime fans. And honestly, no offense, but the way you act sometimes would give an outsider a bad impression of the Ninja Turtles fandom. You come across as obsessed as some anime fans at times.

[Allio]

Though I am a Tokusatsu fan right, yeah I have gotten into anime

as a kid I watched the typical stuff; Digimon, Pokemon, Yugioh, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Card Captors ... and looking back on it now, it really does sicken me how terrible the dubs were

Though I mainly read manga now couple of my main reads are: Assasination Classroom and Monster Musumue

[pennydreadful]

As I said, there's a freaky mouth-breather contingent in nearly any group, from My Little Ponies to people who like to grow ferns or collect stamps. :lol:

[Prowler]

I liked Neon Genesis Evangelion. Forced myself to watch Fullmetal Alchemist until the end, after I realized it was pretty boring mostly. I guess I rather watch anime movies than series...es.... :-?
Did you watch the original or Brotherhood? I've heard the original FMA was a pretty bad adaptation from the manga while Brotherhood did it right. That being said, I've read FMA's manga and wasn't big on it. Found the first 40-50 chapters pretty boring. It picked up near the end.

[PAAATE]

Growing up I'm glad I never became an anime/otaku type guy. Its because of anime fans that people don't make fun of Trekkies or Superhero geeks anymore.

Also why is so much of modern anime based on harem schoolgirl shows where like 5 girls all want the same guy? And the show is about nothing but dull fanservice with various hints of incest or lesbianism going on? Is this what the Japanese really care about aside from the action shows?

No wonder why the anime boom in the U.S. died down around 2005.

There's a lot of **** like that, yes, but first of all, anime isn't popular in Japan, so no, that's not what the Japanese really care about, and second, check out the two I recommended. Granted, the comedy sometimes is a bit on the pervy side, but mostly not.

[AT-Man]

Did you watch the original or Brotherhood? I've heard the original FMA was a pretty bad adaptation from the manga while Brotherhood did it right. That being said, I've read FMA's manga and wasn't big on it. Found the first 40-50 chapters pretty boring. It picked up near the end.

It was the original. I've heard good things about Brotherhood, so I guess I could check that one out sometime.

Totally forgot about Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin earlier. Now that's a great show!

[JakeSully]

And about fanservice, what do you think of stuff like Urotsukidoji? do you think that stuff gives anime a bad name?

Have you seen Akira, Ghost in The Shell, Ninja Scroll etc.?

[CyberCubed]

Its so difficult to get into anime where even respected shows go for boob or panty shots on the female characters. Can someone explain to me what the appeal of this is?

I'm all for well designed female characters, but I don't need to see the camera closing it on body parts for no reason. No wonder why anime gets such a bad rep.

[PAAATE]

I think the appeal of the "boob" and "panty shots" is that a lot of the viewers are probably teenagers. Also, it is the old saying that "sex sells." When I was younger I liked the panty shots in DragonBall, but I have since grown up and realize how creepy, immature, and probably immoral it is. So I think it is called "fan service" because it is probably like this: Hey do you like Bulma? If so, hey fans, here is a shot of her panties.

So it is basically just a way to corrupt the audience, and a cheap way to get some people to watch.

A lot of anime is designed for teens and adults, and I have also read that Japan has more relaxed standards for what kids watch.

That is just my explanation, since you asked.

Again, with corruption and immorality. I'm no fan of the fan service, that's for sure, and I'm very picky about which animes I watch (cos 95% are trash according to my probably equally trashy standards), but seriously... If anyone is corrupted by cartoon panties*, they were already mentally ill to begin with.

* "corrupted" in this case refers to them basically going on a raping spree, not fapping over it, which obviously is more than okay. Hey, whatever, I don't judge.

[Storm Eagle]

My interest in anime is rather limited as well. I'm a fan of Voltron (aka GoLion/Dairugger) and Digimon and own all the DVDs. I've watched other anime series on Netflix such as Spice and Wolf and Sekirei, and checked out other series like Dragon Drive and Wolf's Rain. While I might have enjoyed them to some extent, I'm not much of an anime guy in general. I do like the art style, however.

[PAAATE]

Hey, that is my personality, and I'm not going to change it. I watch TV and I know what is out there. You are entitled to your opinion, and I'm entitled to my opinion. I thought my post was pretty mild. No one can say there is anything good about drawing an anime girl's panties while she is wearing them. Sure, they might be nice to look at, but if you really think about it, it is exploiting women. A drawing isn't a real person, but this does remind me of Jessica Rabbit from the Roger Rabbit movie. She's not bad, she's just drawn that way. The imaginations of our mind can be expressed through entertainment.

Dude, I didn't say cartoon panties would corrupt someone, and if I didn't. I didn't mean to. In my opinion, anime panties can be a gate way into something much more intense, like real p0rnography. Now, that is corrupt.

As for "fapping," I consider that a person's right, and a health decision. Anyways dude, lol, I didn't want to get back to a weird conversation on here. I doubt I will be logging on to this message boards in the future. Too much drama fro my liking, and nobody really understands me. If you met me in real life, I'm a very easy going and nice person. I probably watch a lot of the same movies as you, and play a lot of the same video games as you, assuming you play video games. I'm an average American male (I know you're not American, right?) and I really don't stand out from anyone else. I'm just noticing that TV likes to push the limits.

Dang......

And I thought my post was pretty mild. Didn't mean to upset, sorry! :)

And porn isn't corrupt. Watching other people having sex has been a part of life since forever, before movies existed. Try to ban it, and it will still exist, the government will just waste money trying to ban it. It's a normal part of life for most people (yes, I'd dare say most people watch porn at least occasionally).

But I don't wanna derail this more than I already have, so I'll just shut up about it :p

[Peanut]

What the hell are you guys even talking about in here? Dragonball Z? At least have the self respect to watch One Piece, you slobs.

[sdp]

American animation and Anime have as much crap as they do quality, they both have their pros and cons. We all have preferences.

[Prowler]

Its so difficult to get into anime where even respected shows go for boob or panty shots on the female characters. Can someone explain to me what the appeal of this is?

I'm all for well designed female characters, but I don't need to see the camera closing it on body parts for no reason. No wonder why anime gets such a bad rep.
While anime is certainly known for fanservice, you mustn't forget that "fanservice" is all over the place in American and western media in general as well. Look at House, per example. How many times have we seen close up shots of Cuddy's rear, or House making remarks about it? The thing is, anime consists of animated drawings, something which makes the whole fanservice thing stands out more since western animation rarely depicts animated characters in sexual situations. Although, it's not uncommon to come across female superheroes dressed in suggestive outfits. And if you're looking for a video game example, then what about Lara Croft from Tomb Raider? If that's not fanservice then what is it?

[Leofan26]

What the hell are you guys even talking about in here? Dragonball Z? At least have the self respect to watch One Piece, you slobs.

I like One Piece, it's my all time favorite Anime :D
It has no romance and rare fan service, if your against that type like me I'd suggest that one. It's more about comedy / adventure, has good character development and some amazing arcs.

I'd give Adventure / comedy Anime a shot, that type hardly has fan service.

I don't know why your only searching for Harem type Anime, course you'll find it if your looking for that. You have a bunch of different kinds of Anime besides that type, older or not.

I'm with yah on the fan service thing, makes me sick! So I try to ignore that stuff as much as possible :D

[RaphAndDonnie]

I'm not really into anime. I can only list about a handful of animes I'm into like Pokemon, FMA, Silver Spoon, DBZ Kai, My Bride Is A Mermaid, Air Master, Girl's High, Half-Broken Music Box, K and select episodes of Naruto and Hetalia but that's it. I'm also not really into more popular ones, like Death Note or One Piece and really the only reason I started watching Naruto and Hetalia was because it was recommended to me.

[Prowler]

What the hell are you guys even talking about in here? Dragonball Z? At least have the self respect to watch One Piece, you slobs.

It's been a while since I've watched that. Never got to finish the Fishmen arc. As for the manga, I'm still at the beginning of Skypiea.

[T-U-R-T-L-E POWA!]

I've never been an anime fan myself but I respect it for what it is. I have a friend that really loves it and I mean big time. There are a few that I do like though. I love Death Note a LOT and I love what I have seen of Hellsing and Full Metal Alchemist and Cowboy Bebop. I also love Miyazaki's films but I'm not sure if they actually qualify as anime in the sense that we are talking about. I've always felt like anime was a lot like jazz. It is an acquired taste and for those that do acquire the taste for it they are fiercely loyal to it and consider it superior to all other forms of music or animation. I can stomach the stuff that is a lot more "westernized" than the stuff that is much more "japanese" I guess would be the way I would explain it. My main quibble is that I've always felt like it was some times more style than substance. I've just felt that more time was put in to the actual animation and the action than in to the stories and the characters.

[Peanut]

It's been a while since I've watched that. Never got to finish the Fishmen arc. As for the manga, I'm still at the beginning of Skypiea.

I think the Arlong Park arc is actually where I fell in love with the anime. The one scene where Luffy gives Nami his hat and then everyone strolls up to Arlong's joint all fierce. It's been gravy for me since then.

[Prowler]

I think the Arlong Park arc is actually where I fell in love with the anime. The one scene where Luffy gives Nami his hat and then everyone strolls up to Arlong's joint all fierce. It's been gravy for me since then.

That's the same for most, actually. Although, unlike many people, I did like all of the early OP arcs, even though they have not aged that well compared to the latter ones. But yes, Arlong's arc was great and made me really hate the villains and pity Nami. It's rare for a work of fiction to connect me emotionally with the characters.

What are your favorite villains? Mine are Crocodile and Buggy.

[Netkeeper]

Not sure if these count as anime but I like Mega Man ('94), Avatar The Last Airbender and The Legend Of Korra.
None of these are anime.

I have a lot of anime I really like. Not gonna lie, I'm a sucker for a lot of 80's and 90's shonen. My shelf has the entirety of Dragonball Z and Dragonball GT [forgive me, I found the complete series for sale at $23], still working on Dragonball, some Pokémon, YuYu Hakusho, Yugioh Duel Monsters, and some of Dragon Drive's manga. Transformers Armada, every Digimon series, Ranma 1/2, and Medabots occupy my Amazon wishlist. I really wish Zoids Chaotic Century had a box set release, though. I'd murder for it. :tsad:

I also really enjoyed Inuyasha [my guilty pleasure], Ginga Nagareboshi Gin, Case Closed/Detective Conan, Rurouni Kenshin, and Wolf's Rain. I'm interested in and been needing to get around to watching Serial Experiments Lain, Trigun, Gurren Lagann, and Cowboy Bebop.

Aaaaand for the record I prefer dubs to subs. I don't like having to read my screen since I read very slowly. Even if the dub of an anime is known to be bad, I will probably still watch it over the Japanese version just because I'm a big multitasker. So sorry to any Dragonball, Digimon, or Yugioh sub loyalists [except not sorry, the dubs are way better get the **** over it].

[Peanut]

That's the same for most, actually. Although, unlike many people, I did like all of the early OP arcs, even though they have not aged that well compared to the latter ones. But yes, Arlong's arc was great and made me really hate the villains and pity Nami. It's rare for a work of fiction to connect me emotionally with the characters.

What are your favorite villains? Mine are Crocodile and Buggy.

I like all the early arcs too. Looking back on them and revisiting them paints it all with a lot of innocence, which I think is the best thing about One Piece. It's just constantly escalating. Maybe there's a fork here or there, but for the most part the universe, the characters and the narrative continue to grow and grow, which is entirely unlike a lot of other shonen anime, wherein the entire thing feels like it's running on a never-ending and un-evolving cycle.

Generally I really dislike the One Piece villains. They're built up in ways that make you hate them for such a long stretch of time that you're begging for Luffy to put their lights out by the end. That said I really like Buggy as well, and for some reason I really dug Kaku from the Water Seven arc.

[JakeSully]

Its so difficult to get into anime where even respected shows go for boob or panty shots on the female characters. Can someone explain to me what the appeal of this is?

I'm all for well designed female characters, but I don't need to see the camera closing it on body parts for no reason. No wonder why anime gets such a bad rep.

What do you think of the naughty tentacle stuff?

[Prowler]

I like all the early arcs too. Looking back on them and revisiting them paints it all with a lot of innocence, which I think is the best thing about One Piece. It's just constantly escalating. Maybe there's a fork here or there, but for the most part the universe, the characters and the narrative continue to grow and grow, which is entirely unlike a lot of other shonen anime, wherein the entire thing feels like it's running on a never-ending and un-evolving cycle.

Generally I really dislike the One Piece villains. They're built up in ways that make you hate them for such a long stretch of time that you're begging for Luffy to put their lights out by the end. That said I really like Buggy as well, and for some reason I really dug Kaku from the Water Seven arc.
One Piece is the only of the big 3 shonen that I follow. I've watched 12 Naruto episodes at best but never bothered to keep on watching it. As for Bleach, I haven't watched a single episode or read a single chapter of it in my entire life.

Yeah, that's shonen being shonen, and indeed it takes the double amount of episodes/chapters to get something done with in OP that could have just get done in a few episodes.

Other than Crocodile and Buggy, there really aren't many villains I like. Unless Smoker applies despite being a Marine, technically making him a good guy. And I guess I like Rob Lucci and Mihawk. And Bon-Chan doesn't count as a villain anymore, obviously. Gotta love that dude.

[pennydreadful]

I'm not really into anime. I can only list about a handful of animes I'm into like Pokemon, FMA, Silver Spoon, DBZ Kai, My Bride Is A Mermaid, Air Master, Girl's High, Half-Broken Music Box, K and select episodes of Naruto and Hetalia but that's it. I'm also not really into more popular ones, like Death Note or One Piece and really the only reason I started watching Naruto and Hetalia was because it was recommended to me.

How could I have forgotten Death Note?! *slaps forehead*

None of these are anime.

I have a lot of anime I really like. Not gonna lie, I'm a sucker for a lot of 80's and 90's shonen. My shelf has the entirety of Dragonball Z and Dragonball GT [forgive me, I found the complete series for sale at $23], still working on Dragonball, some Pokémon, YuYu Hakusho, Yugioh Duel Monsters, and some of Dragon Drive's manga. Transformers Armada, every Digimon series, Ranma 1/2, and Medabots occupy my Amazon wishlist. I really wish Zoids Chaotic Century had a box set release, though. I'd murder for it. :tsad:

I also really enjoyed Inuyasha [my guilty pleasure], Ginga Nagareboshi Gin, Case Closed/Detective Conan, Rurouni Kenshin, and Wolf's Rain. I'm interested in and been needing to get around to watching Serial Experiments Lain, Trigun, Gurren Lagann, and Cowboy Bebop.

Aaaaand for the record I prefer dubs to subs. I don't like having to read my screen since I read very slowly. Even if the dub of an anime is known to be bad, I will probably still watch it over the Japanese version just because I'm a big multitasker. So sorry to any Dragonball, Digimon, or Yugioh sub loyalists [except not sorry, the dubs are way better get the **** over it].

Hey Net, don't apologise for owning GT - I do too, again, purely because Vegeta was in it and I am the worst kind of fangirl. Sorry, not sorry! :lol:

Wolf's Rain is great but
that ending! I love the anime, but I find I mostly rewatch the first episodes because I can't deal with the sad parts!

Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai X are good too, though Kenshin does have a few too many filler episodes sometimes.

I loved Inu Yasha but stopped watching after Season 3 due to time restraints, and starting to get a little frustrated with the plot.
I really would've liked it if they'd spent a bit more time on Inu Yasha's demon side - it was my favourite part of Season 2, probably my favourite batch of episodes actually... it would've been ace to have seen more of it. Also I was never really happy with the ending, cuz I just don't ship IYxKagome.

[Netkeeper]

Hey Net, don't apologise for owning GT - I do too, again, purely because Vegeta was in it and I am the worst kind of fangirl. Sorry, not sorry! :lol:
Bah, I'm a huge Vegeta fan too and the way he's written in GT is the biggest reason why I dislike it. All his Z development went down the damn drain. He had a few good moments in it, but everything else is awful.

Especially the haircut. I will forever be butthurt over it.

I loved Inu Yasha but stopped watching after Season 3 due to time restraints, and starting to get a little frustrated with the plot.
I really would've liked it if they'd spent a bit more time on Inu Yasha's demon side - it was my favourite part of Season 2, probably my favourite batch of episodes actually... it would've been ace to have seen more of it. Also I was never really happy with the ending, cuz I just don't ship IYxKagome.
Yeah, Inuyasha drags on a lot. To be honest, the monsters of the week were what I liked the most about it, alongside some of the filler episodes. Say what you will about the existence of filler in general, Inuyasha and Dragonball had hilarious filler episodes.
And not gonna lie, I was on team InuKag. **** Kikyou with a hot poker pls.

[pennydreadful]

Bah, I'm a huge Vegeta fan too and the way he's written in GT is the biggest reason why I dislike it. All his Z development went down the damn drain. He had a few good moments in it, but everything else is awful.

Especially the haircut. I will forever be butthurt over it.

I'm more bothered by his continuing relationship with Bulma - I never could understand that relationship. I understand she was a more fleshed-out character in DB but as I've only watched DBZ and GT, she just always came off as intensely annoying. My headcanon is that he just paired up with her to carry on the Saiyan bloodline. (I know, I'm an awful person. :lol:)

Re Inu Yasha, personally:
I don't think he should have ended up with either one of them. That being said, it IS Rumiko Takahashi - it is a little silly of me to complain too much about the romance.

Also, Shippou annoyed the living bejesus out of me.

[Netkeeper]

I'm more bothered by his continuing relationship with Bulma - I never could understand that relationship. I understand she was a more fleshed-out character in DB but as I've only watched DBZ and GT, she just always came off as intensely annoying. My headcanon is that he just paired up with her to carry on the Saiyan bloodline. (I know, I'm an awful person. :lol:)
Yeah, she's more interesting in DB. Trunks always described his getting with her as a bit of a one-night-stand kinda thing, but the continued relationship might have been because of Trunks, you know? Vegeta doesn't know how to express emotions properly so it's hard to tell with him, but by the Buu saga it was obvious that he cared about her. I will admit it's one of the harder aspects of Vegeta's personality for me to crack. I like to think part of his initial attraction to her was her innate aggression; I feel Saiyans probably find those qualities attractive because they desire aggression in their offspring.

****, my Vegeta roleplayer side is showing, isn't it.

Re Inu Yasha, personally:
I don't think he should have ended up with either one of them. That being said, it IS Rumiko Takahashi - it is a little silly of me to complain too much about the romance.

Also, Shippou annoyed the living bejesus out of me.
Pfft, yeah, if it wasn't obvious from the author and the writing that one of those two ships wasn't going to be endgame, I would have picked a third option myself. Knowing me, probably Inuyasha and like, Kouga or something weird because I find that sort of thing amusing. Who said I had to take shipping seriously.
Also sob I loved Shippou. He was so cute.

[electric_sheep]

First cartoon i remmeber watching is DBZ and the First movie is Princess mononoke and i still love those but besides that i never really goten into Anime, except Miyazaki and couple of things here and there i just can't get into it...

[pingclang]

Anime was all I watched when I was a teenager and about the time I hit my 20's I just stopped liking it. I have went back and watched all the stuff I loved and can't get into any of it and my friends who still like it try to get me into the stuff but for some reason I just don't like it. The only ones I can still watch are Record of Loddoss War and a movie called Green Legend Ran. Nothing else interests me.

[pennydreadful]

Yeah, she's more interesting in DB. Trunks always described his getting with her as a bit of a one-night-stand kinda thing, but the continued relationship might have been because of Trunks, you know? Vegeta doesn't know how to express emotions properly so it's hard to tell with him, but by the Buu saga it was obvious that he cared about her. I will admit it's one of the harder aspects of Vegeta's personality for me to crack. I like to think part of his initial attraction to her was her innate aggression; I feel Saiyans probably find those qualities attractive because they desire aggression in their offspring.

****, my Vegeta roleplayer side is showing, isn't it.

That actually makes a lot of sense. I always did dislike the "nagging shrew" approach that DBZ took with ChiChi and Bulma, so again, I never really could understand the appeal of a relationship with either of them.

Part of me always wondered whether another reason Vegeta took up with Bulma was as a competitive/spite thing with Yumcha. It is the kind of thing he'd do. :lol:

[Peanut]

All this Dragonball talk makes me agree with Cybercubed. Anime stinks.

[Netkeeper]

That actually makes a lot of sense. I always did dislike the "nagging shrew" approach that DBZ took with ChiChi and Bulma, so again, I never really could understand the appeal of a relationship with either of them.

Part of me always wondered whether another reason Vegeta took up with Bulma was as a competitive/spite thing with Yumcha. It is the kind of thing he'd do. :lol:
Nah, I don't think he did it as a competition thing. He didn't consider Yamcha worthy of even a glance, much less some weird "alpha male" thing that didn't exist in canon. :V

[Darth Knuckles]

I would not say I'm an anime fan at all (because there are tons of other people that are anime fans out there) but I do really like Dragon Ball Z. I also own the last two seasons of Dragon Ball (because of Piccolo) as well as Dragon Ball GT and all of the movies. I'd never say I was an anime fan but I do consider myself at least a Dragon Ball Z fan. Also another Vegeta fan here!

Just like what Icebot said, if the Ruby-Spears Mega Man series counts then I am a fan of that show too. I actually really enjoy that cartoon. The only other anime I watched at all were Sailor Moon, Pokemon, Digimon, and a little Yu-Gi-Oh.

[pennydreadful]

All this Dragonball talk makes me agree with Cybercubed. Anime stinks.

http://31.media.tumblr.com/2f982de1e395c0b4310dcbc9c50e8b37/tumblr_ms2edkFW1x1sxevmpo1_400.gif

Nah, just kidding. :) I think anime's just one of those things that's not for everyone; joking aside, I've got no beef with people not being into it. And I fully expect to get sideways glances when I start geeking out over it. :lol:

[arkangel]

Considering I graded high school in 89, I missed the 90s anime boom completely, but tell me if this counts...
When I was in lower grade school (late 70s), I used to run home for lunch to watch Battle of the Planets religiously (Jason, Mark, Princess, Keyop, Tiny? and the rest of G-Force fighting Zoltar). It was years later when I found out that it was based on on even older anime from the early 70s called Gatchaman. Apparently the North American remake was a lot less edgy and risque, but Zoltar still had a batman like mask and wore bright red lipstick. His general demeanor and voice made it even more ambiguous as to his gender. Even as a little tike I remember thinking, "Is this dude a dude or not?" and it used to creep me out a bit. :lol:

[pingclang]

Considering I graded high school in 89, I missed the 90s anime boom completely, but tell me if this counts...
When I was in lower grade school (late 70s), I used to run home for lunch to watch Battle of the Planets religiously (Jason, Mark, Princess, Keyop, Tiny? and the rest of G-Force fighting Zoltar). It was years later when I found out that it was based on on even older anime from the early 70s called Gatchaman. Apparently the North American remake was a lot less edgy and risque, but Zoltar still had a batman like mask and wore bright red lipstick. His general demeanor and voice made it even more ambiguous as to his gender. Even as a little tike I remember thinking, "Is this dude a dude or not?" and it used to creep me out a bit. :lol:

I loved G-Force as a kid. They used to show it and Speed Racer a lot for some reason. Zoltar was seriously strange, even now I'm weirded out by him.

[sdp]

Figured I'd ask here, so I'm thinking about getting into One Piece. I've heard plenty of people mention it as one of the best anime's out there. I've never actually tried getting into it since to me it seemed like a typical Shonen anime with a pirate theme and character designs I didn't care for. I thought the same of the theme/designs of Avatar:TLA and I gave it a chance and it became one of my favorite shows. But my time is definitely limited and I find it hard to get into shows that have hundreds of episodes, especially ones like One Piece that seems it will never end. So yeah, my question is mostly about being able to go through hundreds of episodes....will my ride be enjoyable enough to make it worth the investments of literally hundreds of hours of my life?

[CyberCubed]

The only anime I watched with hundreds of episodes was Pokemon and DBZ.

[PAAATE]

Figured I'd ask here, so I'm thinking about getting into One Piece. I've heard plenty of people mention it as one of the best anime's out there. I've never actually tried getting into it since to me it seemed like a typical Shonen anime with a pirate theme and character designs I didn't care for. I thought the same of the theme/designs of Avatar:TLA and I gave it a chance and it became one of my favorite shows. But my time is definitely limited and I find it hard to get into shows that have hundreds of episodes, especially ones like One Piece that seems it will never end. So yeah, my question is mostly about being able to go through hundreds of episodes....will my ride be enjoyable enough to make it worth the investments of literally hundreds of hours of my life?

It wasn't for me. I stopped at episode 10-ish. Too much screaming, mainly. I can't stand hyperactive, screaming characters :p Or to be more precise: I can't stand it when every character is like that. One or two is okay.

[Netkeeper]

I couldn't get One Piece either, and I consider myself a fairly big shonen buff; I like most of the other stuff that came out at the same time as it [minus Bleach].

[MrTMNT2012]

Avatar: The Last Airbender was the show that got me into Anime. Before that, I was never even remotely interested in Anime because of how obnoxious it seemed.

I know that technically Avatar isn't an Anime but it does have the most similarities to it as oppose to other American Cartoons and that's what drew me in; along with the incredible story, intriguing characters, brilliant music, exhillierating action and exquisite writing.

[Peanut]

One Piece is the shonen anime every other shonen anime wishes it was.

[Peanut]

It wasn't for me. I stopped at episode 10-ish. Too much screaming, mainly. I can't stand hyperactive, screaming characters :p Or to be more precise: I can't stand it when every character is like that. One or two is okay.

There's waaaay less screaming and/or hyperactivity than you're implying.

Either way, therein lies the problem with getting into long running anime. 10 episodes isn't enough to get your footing, because it all moves so slowly. It probably took me about 15 or 20 episodes before I got into it and 30 to 40 episodes before I was totally over-the-moon in love with One Piece. There was a point where I would watch maybe 5 episodes of One Piece, then take a break and watch a few episodes of Fairy Tail and because Fairy Tail is much newer and is initially much faster paced, I was way more into it. However, now that I've spent the time to get into One Piece I prefer it magnitudes more. And I only started watching One Piece within the last year or two, so it's definitely still possible to get into these things late in the game.

[Netkeeper]

One Piece is the shonen anime every other shonen anime wishes it was.
This is what every One Piece fan says, though. I'm not saying I don't believe you, I'm just pointing out that the series seems very "love it or don't give a ****" from person to person. But its length is part of what kept me away from it, I will admit.

[But just in case I feel like trying it again, do you know how much of the series Funimation has dubbed? I really prefer dubs, and I know Funimation is good at what they do, I just have no idea if they quit dubbing One Piece or if they're still at it or what.]

[The Green Ranger]

I never really got into anime growing up, but trying to get into it now. There's plenty of amazing anime out there, and I wanna see them. Main reason I've never really gotten into it is due to lack of friends who watch it locally. I could get into it more if I had an anime buddy here to watch with. Watching online with online friends just isn't the same.

I love Tenchi Muyo tho, I watched the original two OVAs about 10-11 years ago. Recently ordered the newer OVA 3 and am watching that now.

I have seen most of season 1 of Hetalia Axis Powers, a few eps of Black Butler, a couple of eps of Free, and most of season 1 of Ah! My Goddess. Loved them all, and I'll watch at some point.

So many classic anime like Sailor Moon, Pokemon, DBZ, etc that I wanna watch just to make up for lost time.

[Redeemer]

Sure, when I was a kid/teenager I watched Pokemon, DBZ and Sailor Moon like everyone else, but that was mainly because of the initial anime boom in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Other than that though, I've never actually gotten into anime. I was always more of a fan of the DC superhero cartoons, TMNT, and Marvel cartoons to ever get into anime when I was younger.

Pokemon and Dragonball Z were the only ones I consistently watched, but I never got into any other anime. Is anyone else like this?
You have to find the gems. I watched all the big anime shows when I was younger, but just started to get back into anime.

I never really got into anime growing up, but trying to get into it now. There's plenty of amazing anime out there, and I wanna see them. Main reason I've never really gotten into it is due to lack of friends who watch it locally. I could get into it more if I had an anime buddy here to watch with. Watching online with online friends just isn't the same.

I love Tenchi Muyo tho, I watched the original two OVAs about 10-11 years ago. Recently ordered the newer OVA 3 and am watching that now.

I have seen most of season 1 of Hetalia Axis Powers, a few eps of Black Butler, a couple of eps of Free, and most of season 1 of Ah! My Goddess. Loved them all, and I'll watch at some point.

So many classic anime like Sailor Moon, Pokemon, DBZ, etc that I wanna watch just to make up for lost time.
You poor, poor bastard :lol:

The one anime I recommend to everyone is Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
It is my favorite anime hands down. I have not heard on person bad mouth this anime.

[Peanut]

This is what every One Piece fan says, though. I'm not saying I don't believe you, I'm just pointing out that the series seems very "love it or don't give a ****" from person to person. But its length is part of what kept me away from it, I will admit.

[But just in case I feel like trying it again, do you know how much of the series Funimation has dubbed? I really prefer dubs, and I know Funimation is good at what they do, I just have no idea if they quit dubbing One Piece or if they're still at it or what.]

A One Piece fan would totally say that, you're right, but I'm not a huge anime person and I've heard people who are say that exact thing. Even if they're the stuffy kind of anime fan who thinks shonen is beneath them or whatever. I was saying it as a joke more than anything, but in my (thankfully) limited interaction with the anime community, it seems to be a pretty popular stance. One Piece is incredibly popular, so of course it has those extremely loud naysayers who want to dump on it. Anything popular has to deal with that. Either way, I'd take the insane fun of One Piece over some deathly serious "real" anime any day of the week, but there are elitists in every community.

And I feel a lot of anime falls into the "Love it or don't give a sh*t" category, because so much of it is a huge time investment. If I don't absolutely love an anime, I'm just not going to watch it at all. There are a ton I tried and once they didn't catch I moved on.

Funimation is still doing One Piece and currently has up to episode 336 dubbed, with the next set of episodes coming out (I assume) sometime this summer. I swore off the sub, despite it being so far ahead, because I absolutely adore the dub. I've almost cracked a few times, but I've held strong. Anxiously awaiting the appearance of Brook in the dub now.

[CyberCubed]

The art style in One Piece is to weird for me. The characters look so lanky.

[MrTMNT2012]

The art style in One Piece is to weird for me. The characters look so lanky.

Same here but when I watched through it, I found that actually works in the shows favour. It adds much more character and diversity to the series and keeps things over-the-top when it needs to and subtle in other cases.

One Piece is by far the smartest and greatest Shounen Anime I've ever watched and it just keeps getting better. I didn't like the first few episodes but I'd say from Episode 24 onwards I was completely hooked! :)

[JamieH]

I feel the general reason people dislike anime is poor exposure. Either from watching a few basic shows that are but a single genre of anime, or none, yet a negative opinion is still formed from misinformation. Then there's the cultural differences. All the nuances that have to be learned and understood so that one can cut past the "weird" differences and form a fair opinion.

A lot of the recommendations I've seen here won't help someone who has an unfavorable opinion already. I wouldn't rec a series unless I was to get some positive feedback after some OVA and movie recs. No point in trying to get someone to watch something longer than an hour, hour and a half or so when they may be apprehensive already.

Now, sadly, the industry has changed significantly over the past decade or so. There has been a trend going towards fanservice. So much so, that even Hayao Miyazaki has gone on record to say there's a problem (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2014-01-30/miyazaki/the-problem-with-the-anime-industry-is-it-full-of-otaku). It's been enough that I don't watch or buy as much as I once did. Now, I will admit fanservice has kind of always been around in anime. It's not always been intended to be sexy, but comedic. There was a balance of sorts going on for a while. Unfortunately, that balance has seemingly gone all the way towards sexy in recent years.

Are good anime still being made? Yes, but they're getting harder to come by and even many of the good ones are having to succumb to the style, setting, and character age preferences of otaku.

Which, one final thing to touch on, otaku is not a favorable term. Many people will proudly claim to be otaku, like it's a badge they've earned. That doesn't change the general public's view of the term and of such people. Otaku is meant as a person who has an unhealthy obsession with something, not necessarily anime/manga (though those are the prime hobbies associated).

I used to think all the **** anime/manga caught was unfairly so, but these days I kind of don't blame people. It's slowly gotten closer to actually making those old quips along the lines of "you mean those Japanese porn cartoons?" being accurate. And that's in reference to non-hentai series.

[Peanut]

A lot of the recommendations I've seen here won't help someone who has an unfavorable opinion already.

What's the point in saying that and then recommending nothing at all? It helps no one.

[pennydreadful]

I mean, there's always the option of maybe picking up a few manga as well, if you're leery of the "stigma" of anime (and, by association, its fans). There is a lot of good manga out there, a diverse range of genres and not all of them are full of fanservice, pervery or loli and pantyshots either. It really depends on what you think you'd be interested in.

[Sumac]

Like 'Cubed I've watched some anime in the childhood (Sailor Moon, Grendaizer (sic?), Witch Sally, Macron 1, some episodes of Voltron and Macross).

Later I've heard how anime is cool and everything, but never attempted to get into it until two years ago. Watched several short series (Black Rock Shooter, The Big O, Rozen Maiden, Go Shogun, Rhinne no Lagrange, Puella Magi Madoka Magica + Rebellion) but never got into the genre. I like it, but it's the same kind of "like" I have for any other genre. I am kind of guy, that can watch everything as long as its decent, but most of the stuff will not stuck in my mind.

I plan to watch new Sailor Moon, just to see how exactly they will play new version, compared to the original one.

[JamieH]

What's the point in saying that and then recommending nothing at all? It helps no one.

I didn't see anyone asking for recommendations. It's like giving advice without being asked for it.

[Dawnatello Turtle Chick]

I have never liked Anime and have absolutely no idea why... I'd say probably 60-70% of my friends are Anime nuts and my husband is about the biggest Anime fan I've ever met- he had hundreds of Anime DVDs from at least 20 series when I first met him. He has tried in vain to get me to love Anime for over 7 years now, lol. I think he's mostly given up- I react to Anime in much the same manner I do to Soap Operas, I give a running commentary that is apparently only funny to me. I know that it sounds like I hate Anime or something, but I don't, I think many series have some amazing animation, characters, storylines, etc, but I just can't "want" to watch them. I don't mind sitting there while my husband and son watch Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh, or my hubby watches Naruto, DBZ, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Appleseed Ex Machina and a bunch of others that just aren't coming to mind. I can sit there and talk about Anime with other fans a bit, but only because I've learned about it from my hubby or other friends. It's kind of frustrating to me too because there have been quite a few video games over the years that were anime based/animated in that style that otherwise sounded awesome but it's just kind of a turnoff to me to buy the game- I know that sounds weird, but eh, it is what it is. That's what I get for having nonsensical tastes.

[CyberCubed]

So I keep hearing online that this, "Fairy Tail" anime is good and all the rage. I look up what it is and see dozens of animated gifs with girls boobs bouncing out of their swimsuits and feeling each other up. Seriously, what is with this garbage? I just can't understand anime fanservice. I don't mind if there is a little of it but it seems like it happens in every show now and its blatant. I mean...WTF?

Is every single anime show out there now just about boobs, lesbians, and sex appeal? Its invaded even the shonen action genre (which is basically Japan's version of superheroes or action cartoons), and its in all those god awful harem comedies.

Even kids shows like Pokemon do fanservice from time to time, even if its much tamer than other shows. The girls in Pokemon are supposed to be 10 yet May has huge boobs, Dawn walks around in a tiny skirt barely past her waist, and Serena has the body of a 18 year old.

[Leo656]

Something for the Dads who watch with the kids, maybe? I'unno.

I'm out of my element, here. "Speed Racer" is about as deep as I go. But I'm not gonna lie, I'm very sure that at least one point in life I've said, "This show would be a lot better if Trixie had bigger cans." That's almost definitely a quote.

[pennydreadful]

So I keep hearing online that this, "Fairy Tail" anime is good and all the rage. I look up what it is and see dozens of animated gifs with girls boobs bouncing out of their swimsuits and feeling each other up. Seriously, what is with this garbage? I just can't understand anime fanservice. I don't mind if there is a little of it but it seems like it happens in every show now and its blatant. I mean...WTF?

Is every single anime show out there now just about boobs, lesbians, and sex appeal? Its invaded even the shonen action genre (which is basically Japan's version of superheroes or action cartoons), and its in all those god awful harem comedies.

Even kids shows like Pokemon do fanservice from time to time, even if its much tamer than other shows. The girls in Pokemon are supposed to be 10 yet May has huge boobs, Dawn walks around in a tiny skirt barely past her waist, and Serena has the body of a 18 year old.

Yes Cubed. We, the anime fans of the world, had a meeting and decided that plot is out and fanservice is in. If it doesn't involve boobs or panty-shots, it doesn't make the cut.

http://i54.tinypic.com/ngv6so.jpg

Seriously man, I don't know what to tell you - seems like you can't see the forest for the fanservice. *shrugs* Obviously it's not your thing.

[pingclang]

Something for the Dads who watch with the kids, maybe? I'unno.

I'm out of my element, here. "Speed Racer" is about as deep as I go. But I'm not gonna lie, I'm very sure that at least one point in life I've said, "This show would be a lot better if Trixie had bigger cans." That's almost definitely a quote.

Ever shot protein shake out your nose? Me neither, until I read this post. :lol:

[Peanut]

So I keep hearing online that this, "Fairy Tail" anime is good and all the rage. I look up what it is and see dozens of animated gifs with girls boobs bouncing out of their swimsuits and feeling each other up. Seriously, what is with this garbage? I just can't understand anime fanservice. I don't mind if there is a little of it but it seems like it happens in every show now and its blatant. I mean...WTF?

To be fair, Fairy Tail is a lot of fun and the fan service isn't the point of the show, unlike most of the anime you're complaining about. However, the fan service has gotten ridiculous in Fairy Tail. It's very clear that Lucy, the "main" character, was created almost entirely with fan service in mind. And while she was front and center in the beginning, she has been pushed to the side for the more entertaining characters, so at this point every scene she's in is a fan service scene to some degree. Even Erza, who wears a f*cking suit of armor, is used for fan service WAY too much now. It bums me out, because it has steadily gotten worse.

The fan service in Fairy Tail is actually one of the reasons I prefer One Piece. Even though that series slowly morphed Nami from a small gangly teenager into a bikini wearing pair of breasts, it has never been the focus of her character and they've only done the very obvious "boobs flying everywhere" fan service on a handful of occasions over 600+ episodes and a lot of that stuff was in the movies. A feel like the point of Lucy in Fairy Tail is for her to be lusted after. Her characterization isn't interesting enough or given enough legit time to be thought of otherwise.

That being said, Kill La Kill is an anime that was designed around making you give a **** about what seems like your typical fan service anime and it's incredible, which still blows my mind.

[CyberCubed]

I am considering on watching the new Sailor Moon anime, at least that show has the sense to keep fanservice to a minimum. I think Sailor Moon is a perfect example of how a show where the majority of the cast is female doesn't have to be used solely for sex appeal or fanservice.

Man, I do miss how anime was back in the 90's when shows like Sailor Moon and Dragonball kept fanservice to a minimum rather than the defining aspect of it.

[Prowler]

I am considering on watching the new Sailor Moon anime, at least that show has the sense to keep fanservice to a minimum. I think Sailor Moon is a perfect example of how a show where the majority of the cast is female doesn't have to be used solely for sex appeal or fanservice.

Man, I do miss how anime was back in the 90's when shows like Sailor Moon and Dragonball kept fanservice to a minimum rather than the defining aspect of it.
Sailor Moon's demographic target is girls, so obviously it's not going overboard with fanservice of female characters. Same applies to most Shoujo/Josei anime. Sure they have good looking male characters(sometimes a bit too feminine looking), but that's not fanservice.

[Leo656]

Ever shot protein shake out your nose? Me neither, until I read this post. :lol:

That's terriffic. :lol:

[pingclang]

Maybe for you. Kinda painful for me. :D

[Mona_Lisa]

I've become somewhat of a manga/ anime freak! (way to go Netflix) I LOVE
sword art online!!!!

Also liked:

Fruits basket
Rosario Vampire
Kase no stigma
Moon-Phase
Kenichi The mightiest disciple
Okami-san and her seven companions
Trigun,
Host club (lol)
Dance in the Vampire Bund
Blood +
Eden of the east
Gunslinger Girl
Sailor moon
DBZ
Gundam wing
Avatar, the last air bender
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

I know there are more I have liked but cannot remember there names. :lol:

Its so difficult to get into anime where even respected shows go for boob or panty shots on the female characters. Can someone explain to me what the appeal of this is?

I'm all for well designed female characters, but I don't need to see the camera closing it on body parts for no reason. No wonder why anime gets such a bad rep.

That is the bad part of anime, I get sick of the boob and panty shots... But I tend to get lost in the story and ignore them for the most part.

[graphic_content]

That is the bad part of anime, I get sick of the boob and panty shots... But I tend to get lost in the story and ignore them for the most part.

agreed.

I cant stand the term fan-service, because its implies that ALL anime fans are just a bunch of pervs that want hand-drawn T&A in our faces.

give me a decent storyline with amazing action, and little to no 'fan-service', and ill be happy with it still.

[CyberCubed]

Its even worse when they do it to underage girls. I don't mind a 20-30 year old adult having such shots, but when they do it to 12-14 year old girls?

It's all lolicon harem anime trash. The fact that its also now all lesbianism also adds to it, and not the good kind.

[Peanut]

Is there anything you don't have a problem with, though? Even sh*t you clearly have no interest in makes you angry.

[pennydreadful]

That is the bad part of anime, I get sick of the boob and panty shots... But I tend to get lost in the story and ignore them for the most part.

agreed.

I cant stand the term fan-service, because its implies that ALL anime fans are just a bunch of pervs that want hand-drawn T&A in our faces.

give me a decent storyline with amazing action, and little to no 'fan-service', and ill be happy with it still.

Yeah, I'm kind of able to tune it out myself. For some series it fits, for others I tend to just ignore it.

Hey Mona, have you ever watched the Excel Saga or Wallflower: Perfect Girl Evolution? I enjoyed both; you might want to give 'em a whirl. :) Excel is great because it basically just satirizes all of the different genres of anime.

I also really enjoy Wallflower: PGE because it kind of reverses the harem-girl genre - it's a group of 4 bishies hanging with this one girl, trying to give her a makeover (I'm simplifying the plot a lot, but that's the jump-off point for the story).

Oh, you should also check out Get Backers as well - it's fantastic (well, I really liked it anyway). :D

[Mona_Lisa]

Yeah, I'm kind of able to tune it out myself. For some series it fits, for others I tend to just ignore it.

Hey Mona, have you ever watched the Excel Saga or Wallflower: Perfect Girl Evolution? I enjoyed both; you might want to give 'em a whirl. :) Excel is great because it basically just satirizes all of the different genres of anime.

I also really enjoy Wallflower: PGE because it kind of reverses the harem-girl genre - it's a group of 4 bishies hanging with this one girl, trying to give her a makeover (I'm simplifying the plot a lot, but that's the jump-off point for the story).

Oh, you should also check out Get Backers as well - it's fantastic (well, I really liked it anyway). :D

Thanks for the recommendations, I have not seen any of the amine's that you mentioned, but I will definitely give them a try. If you like reverse harems you may like Ouran High school Host Club. It is a pretty fun reverse harem.:)

[Leo656]

Is there anything you don't have a problem with, though? Even sh*t you clearly have no interest in makes you angry.

:lol: Thunderous Applause.

[Dawnatello Turtle Chick]

:lol: Thunderous Applause.

I laughed so hard.... Thanks Leo656 & Peanut!!!

[BabyTurtles]

I watch some anime ^_^ I used to watch more....but I got tired of all the fan-service...and the disrespect toward women.

I don't care how awesome a girl can fight....if they have to keep showing their panties or boobs bounce I'm out.

all I read faithfully right now is Naruto.

[Peanut]

all I read faithfully right now is Naruto.

Woof! You poor f*cker.

[MrTMNT2012]

Part 1 Naruto is still one of my favourite Animes of all time. Shippuden started decent and had a strong middle section but the final arcs have been absolutely god-awful!

[pennydreadful]

Thanks for the rec, Mona - I'll suss it out. Hey, one good thing to come out of this thread - we've got a great little anime suggestion exchange thing going on for the folks who are into it. :D Thanks Cubed!

[Andrew NDB]

I've enjoyed some, say, Miyazaki anime movies, but I don't really consider myself a fan of it or its quirks in mainstream.

[graphic_content]

Part 1 Naruto is still one of my favourite Animes of all time. Shippuden started decent and had a strong middle section but the final arcs have been absolutely god-awful!

PLEASE stay away from the anime...its...well...awful. Read the manga, and I promise you, you will not regret it.

[pennydreadful]

Yeah, I kind of preferred the Naruto manga myself.

[MrTMNT2012]

PLEASE stay away from the anime...its...well...awful. Read the manga, and I promise you, you will not regret it.

I have read the manga! The Shinobi World War arc is actually better in the Anime IMO. But ever since Kaguya's revival, the manga has been complete sh!t.

[Peanut]

http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbrw131lVk1rf4m28o1_500.gif

[snake]

I watch some anime ^_^ I used to watch more....but I got tired of all the fan-service...and the disrespect toward women.

I don't care how awesome a girl can fight....if they have to keep showing their panties or boobs bounce I'm out.

all I read faithfully right now is Naruto.

I tried watching Naruto. I got to the 4th episode and I quit. I hated it.

[Netkeeper]

I was able to stomach some of Naruto's manga, mostly because I was able to get over the garish outfit of the titular "ninja" when it wasn't coloured, but the anime... I couldn't even sit through a single episode.

A friend of mine wants to try to get me to try the manga again and hey if she can provide physical copies of it, I'll give it another go. I can't read manga online, as the solid white is far too bright for my eyes to look at for any reasonable length of time.

[pennydreadful]

Did anyone here like Bubblegum Crisis; either the manga or the anime? (And Cubed, I'm aware that BC has fanservice so don't even bother pointing it out. :P)

[JamieH]

If you mean the original BGC (2032, OVA, cut down to only 8 episodes because it was cancelled from poor sales), yes. The music of it is just 80's awesome sauce. Konya wa Hurricane is one of my favorite anime songs. I'm also a sucker for Kenichi Sonoda's character designs.

The original had a Dark Horse comic done by Adam Warren, same guy that did the Dirty Pair Dark Horse comic. I think only the later TV series, 2040, had a manga.

[pennydreadful]

Yeah sorry Jamie, I should've specified a bit better with that one that there were two separate anime! I loved Priss in the manga (who am I kidding, I love Priss, full stop :lol:).

I did like the soundtrack for 2040 as well as for the OVA... apparently they were planning on doing a live-action movie at some point but I think it's sort of stuck in development limbo.

[JamieH]

Yeah, the original BGC basically bombed in Japan. But it boomed in the US, an article on it in something like NEO will still pop up from time to time. There was several articles and features on it in Animerica back in the day. Also, we lucked out with AnimEigo doing the translation and distribution of the OVA.

It is still one of my favorites. There is a live music video of Konya wa Hurricane. It's not too special, but it's still pretty cool to see Oomori Kanuko and SILK rocking on stage. So you can kind of pretend it's Priss and the Replicants.

OSggDCal5lA

[pennydreadful]

http://img.pandawhale.com/116951-did-we-just-become-best-friend-qMcD.gif

So what're some of the anime and manga that you're into Jamie?

[JamieH]

Well, I prefer a lot of the older stuff. I got into anime in '95, so my initial tastes were the scifi/action kind of stuff that Manga Entertainment was tossing at kids (boys really) my age then. So, GitS, Ninja Scroll, Appleseed, Patlabor, that kind of stuff. But I watched whatever I could get my hands on back then. So my taste flourished. I went through every tape my local Blockbuster had, started to find places I could buy anime, and caught what I could on TV.

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Tenchi Muyo!. I know it's not perfect, but the nostalgia I have for it makes me look right past the flaws. I said I'm a sucker for Kenichi Sonoda's character designs, so Gunsmith Cats is a top favorite of mine. The anime is short, 4 ep. OVA, but the manga is a fair length. One of my prized anime possessions is a signed copy of GSC on DVD by Amanda Winn Lee, the English VA for Rally Vincent. SDF Macross is another great anime I've really enjoyed that's also a bit musically focused. It's still, in my opinion, a top 5 mech series. Oh, almost forgot, Hajime no Ippo. It's a sports anime about boxing, but no other anime/manga has the heart of Ippo. If it's from the 90's or older, very good chance I've seen it, read it, heard of it, and/or own it.

More recent series I've really liked are Victorian Romance Emma, Skip Beat, the Berserk trilogy, and Panty & Stocking to name a few. Emma is one of those anime that if you like romance, historical accuracy, and zero fanservice, it's a must watch. I enjoyed it so much that when RightStuf announced they were releasing it and offered a special fan credit on the DVDs to the first 1,000 pre-orders I was on it like white on rice.

So... yeah, I've seen a lot of anime. And could go on and on about it if let. I've got quite the sizable anime DVD/BD and manga collection. Enough that should I be the last man on earth I should be set... as long as I don't go blind (heh, little Twilight Zone ref).

I was thinking, if there's not already a general anime/manga discussion on this board, it might be wise to create such a thread. This one has seemingly turned into it, but it would be better to start with a positive outlook on the medium. I leave it to a more seasoned member to do so as I feel that will garner more attention from other vets (hopefully of favorable opinion) and other newcomers such as myself.

[Peanut]

There is one. It just constantly gets buried because no one posts in it.

[Prowler]

Did anyone here like Bubblegum Crisis; either the manga or the anime? (And Cubed, I'm aware that BC has fanservice so don't even bother pointing it out. :P)
I liked Bubblegum Crisis a lot. Priss ftw. Only watched the 8 episode OVA. Don't think I've watched the other sequels and spin-offs.

[pennydreadful]

Well Jamie, I certainly wouldn't say that I'm a seasoned member, but your wish is my command!

http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzioejigV41rpguofo1_500.gif

Anime discussion and appreciation thread started over here, y'all!

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?p=1297191#post1297191

Bring a pillow and your pj's, friends, cuz we're having a sleepover! :D

[CyberCubed]

I think every teenager goes through an anime phase where they think anime is the greatest thing ever. Then when you become an adult you outgrow a lot of it or realize what you watched wasn't that good in the first place.

What bothers me about anime is the fanbase of lusting after animated girls it created. The only reason Hentai became so big was because regular anime has so many suggestive scenes of girls naked, in their swimsuits or feeling each other up.

Most anime is actually demeaning to women. The only reason people don't care is most anime fans are male, and the female anime fans typically don't watch the shows where girls are treated like harem waifu fodder for males or are all lesbian for no reason other than the male gaze.

I don't care about this myself as I've been exposed to it all the time but I wonder how females think. With how much feminists cry over females being treated in American cartoons and cinema, I bet anime would give them a heart attack.

[Prowler]

I think every teenager goes through an anime phase where they think anime is the greatest thing ever. Then when you become an adult you outgrow a lot of it or realize what you watched wasn't that good in the first place.

What bothers me about anime is the fanbase of lusting after animated girls it created. The only reason Hentai became so big was because regular anime has so many suggestive scenes of girls naked, in their swimsuits or feeling each other up.

Most anime is actually demeaning to women. The only reason people don't care is most anime fans are male, and the female anime fans typically don't watch the shows where girls are treated like harem waifu fodder for males or are all lesbian for no reason other than the male gaze.

I don't care about this myself as I've been exposed to it all the time but I wonder how females think. With how much feminists cry over females being treated in American cartoons and cinema, I bet anime would give them a heart attack.
Anime/manga is still quite a niche market. Only Pokémon, Sailor Moon, DBZ, One Piece, Bleach, Naruto, etc. actually reach mainstream level. If you ask random people on the street to name 10 anime, they probably can't. So no, not everyone goes through an anime phase. Most people I know haven't watched anime other than Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh or DBZ and that was back when they were in elementary school.

And there's tons of female anime fans. Anime isn't a genre but a medium, so there's anime for every target demographic out there. I'd say there's just as many female anime fans as there are male ones.

[Leo656]

With how much feminists cry over females being treated in American cartoons and cinema, I bet anime would give them a heart attack.

Good thing women aren't people like you and me.

http://whatistheexcel.com/wooobooru/_images/2be8dad1c2f793b90937f03a4d060be5/2300%20-%20autoplay_gif%20gif%20i_booked_myself%20kevin_na sh%20laughing%20wcw.gif
http://www.voxcatch.fr/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/1344382231712.png

[CyberCubed]

I figure what I don't like about anime:

- Not into the Gundam or huge giant robot shows. Anything like Gundam, Voltron, or stuff like that doesn't interest me.

- I don't care for harem, loli, schoolgirl, shoujo, nonsense shows. Any show about girls trying to get a guy or vice versa are a no-go.

- On the opposite end, anything super violent and gory just for the sake of it turns me off too. I don't need to see peoples heads chopped off constantly with blood splattered on the walls to enjoy something. I don't mind a little of this but when the whole show is about it...nah.

- Toyetic anime ala Pokemon I don't have any interest in watching. They're usually very repetitive anyway.

- I like shonen anime, but too much of it is filler hell and drawn out. The only reason i'm still a fan of Dragon Ball Z is because I was into it as a kid and the nostalgia lets me see past its flaws.

- Fanservice shows are pointless. If you want to see animated girls naked, there's a whole section of hentai or doujin to look at. Why watch shows that tease you about this when you know its 22 minutes of garbage?

[Leo656]

How. Could ANYONE. Not Love... giant robots...?

You're deeply troubled. A life without Voltron is not a life worth living.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

I think every teenager goes through an anime phase where they think anime is the greatest thing ever. Then when you become an adult you outgrow a lot of it or realize what you watched wasn't that good in the first place.

You've hit the nail on the head right there. The only anime I watch these days are Sailor Moon and Crystal (since I grew up watching the first series), DragonBallZ, Pokemon (don't judge me), and Naruto. The latter of which I am getting tired of.


- I like shonen anime, but too much of it is filler hell and drawn out. The only reason i'm still a fan of Dragon Ball Z is because I was into it as a kid and the nostalgia lets me see past its flaws.
What is your opinion on shows like Naruto?

[snake]

I just started watching One Piece. I'm on episode 10. It's pretty awesome.

[TMNT_Guy]

I think every teenager goes through an anime phase where they think anime is the greatest thing ever. Then when you become an adult you outgrow a lot of it or realize what you watched wasn't that good in the first place.

Eh, I’d disagree with that. As a kid I always referred to the Toonami block as “The Time When Nothing Is On”, I liked the host segments with T.O.M. more than the actual shows, though I do remember liking Hamtaro. I watched a lot of Speed Racer back in the day and remember liking it. I really like the Samurai Pizza Cats, but I don’t think that show counts.

I collected the Pokemon cards as kid and forced myself to watch the show in order to fit in, but I never cared about it. I think if I had actually played the games I might’ve gotten into it, one these day I should try playing them.

After all the kids in school went on and on about Dragon Ball Z I tried watching it and I started getting into it. Then one character died and everyone one on the show was so sad and crying, I remember thinking “Wow, that’s pretty dark for a kid’s cartoon.” Then latter on they gather the Dragon Balls together and wish him back to life. Ok, cool, I’m glad that character is ok again. Then a few weeks later that bald headed kid dies and everyone one on the show was so sad and crying, I remember getting angry about that. “Why are they so upset? They’re just going to gather the Dragon Balls together and wish him back to life.” After that I stopped watching the show.

But I’m no longer in elementary school anymore. Maybe I should try giving the show another chance, after all, I disliked that “stupid girly show” Sailor Moon as a kid and now it’s one of my favorite shows of all time.

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

Good thing women aren't people like you and me.

http://whatistheexcel.com/wooobooru/_images/2be8dad1c2f793b90937f03a4d060be5/2300%20-%20autoplay_gif%20gif%20i_booked_myself%20kevin_na sh%20laughing%20wcw.gif
http://www.voxcatch.fr/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/1344382231712.png

Your posts are awesome. Keep doing what you are doing

[snake]

Eh, I’d disagree with that. As a kid I always referred to the Toonami block as “The Time When Nothing Is On”, I liked the host segments with T.O.M. more than the actual shows, though I do remember liking Hamtaro. I watched a lot of Speed Racer back in the day and remember liking it. I really like the Samurai Pizza Cats, but I don’t think that show counts.

I collected the Pokemon cards as kid and forced myself to watch the show in order to fit in, but I never cared about it. I think if I had actually played the games I might’ve gotten into it, one these day I should try playing them.

After all the kids in school went on and on about Dragon Ball Z I tried watching it and I started getting into it. Then one character died and everyone one on the show was so sad and crying, I remember thinking “Wow, that’s pretty dark for a kid’s cartoon.” Then latter on they gather the Dragon Balls together and wish him back to life. Ok, cool, I’m glad that character is ok again. Then a few weeks later that bald headed kid dies and everyone one on the show was so sad and crying, I remember getting angry about that. “Why are they so upset? They’re just going to gather the Dragon Balls together and wish him back to life.” After that I stopped watching the show.

But I’m no longer in elementary school anymore. Maybe I should try giving the show another chance, after all, I disliked that “stupid girly show” Sailor Moon as a kid and now it’s one of my favorite shows of all time.

Watch Dragon Ball. It's better then Z.

[Whatswiththeheadbands?]

I collected the Pokemon cards as kid and forced myself to watch the show in order to fit in, but I never cared about it. I think if I had actually played the games I might’ve gotten into it, one these day I should try playing them.

Personally I think that the games are so much better than the anime.

You should try the games as soon as you can. You can thank me later:D

[Mona_Lisa]

Hey Mona, have you ever watched the Excel Saga or Wallflower: Perfect Girl Evolution? I enjoyed both; you might want to give 'em a whirl. :) Excel is great because it basically just satirizes all of the different genres of anime.

Oh, you should also check out Get Backers as well - it's fantastic (well, I really liked it anyway). :D

I Tried Excel Saga and it just wasn't my cup of tea. Then I tried the Get Backers and they are awesome!!!! Thanks for telling me about the anime... Still plan to try Wallflower: Perfect Girl Evolution when I get the chance.

Did anyone here like Bubblegum Crisis; either the manga or the anime?
I've seen the Anime, it was pretty Good.



I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Tenchi Muyo!. I know it's not perfect, but the nostalgia I have for it makes me look right past the flaws.

I forgot about Tenchi Muyo! That was a good Anime!!!!:D I saw it like.... 15 years ago on toonami?

[Leo656]

Your posts are awesome. Keep doing what you are doing

That's the plan. 8)

Y'know, just to be semi-on topic - and I promise, I definitely won't make a habit of that - but I never really got into anime, myself. I never had a problem with it, just never really cared much. I kind of resented it a little when I was younger because of how it seemed like it was taking over everything in the 90s at one point, but I got over it. I got into Voltron and Speed Racer a lot when I was really little, but never really knew or cared about the distinction until I was older. And I actually did watch a lot of Sailor Moon in junior high school, but only because it was on the same channel right before Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Actually, I didn't really "watch" it as much as, "it'd be on in the background while I was eating", because I can't honeslty tell you one damn thing I remember about it. :lol: But it was on, and I was aware of it.

My wife kinda hates anime, though. She really doesn't like the typical Japanese art style, at all. I actually do like how it looks, in general, I just never got into watching anything besides Speed Racer and Voltron.

[CyberCubed]

What I don't get about anime is howcome some shows are so short like 13 or 26 episodes, yet others go on for literally hundreds of episodes with no end in sight?

It's like anime is the exact opposite of American cartoons. Cartoons seem to go on until they get canceled or have a set number of seasons with rare exceptions, like Simpsons and Spongebob which go on for an eternity.

But with anime the shows literally just end when they cover the manga or a simple plot, yet the shonen stuff is just continuous and never ends. It's ridiculous.

[pennydreadful]

Watch Dragon Ball. It's better then Z.

But DB doesn't have Vegeta! And I love him so, from the top of his pointy, widows-peaked noggin to his fruity little 80's boots. :P

That's the plan. 8)

Y'know, just to be semi-on topic - and I promise, I definitely won't make a habit of that - but I never really got into anime, myself. I never had a problem with it, just never really cared much. I kind of resented it a little when I was younger because of how it seemed like it was taking over everything in the 90s at one point, but I got over it. I got into Voltron and Speed Racer a lot when I was really little, but never really knew or cared about the distinction until I was older. And I actually did watch a lot of Sailor Moon in junior high school, but only because it was on the same channel right before Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Actually, I didn't really "watch" it as much as, "it'd be on in the background while I was eating", because I can't honeslty tell you one damn thing I remember about it. :lol: But it was on, and I was aware of it.

My wife kinda hates anime, though. She really doesn't like the typical Japanese art style, at all. I actually do like how it looks, in general, I just never got into watching anything besides Speed Racer and Voltron.

Eh, I've got zero beef with people who aren't into anime - it's a hobby/question of personal preference. Some people aren't into sports, some aren't into cars. I do start to get quasi-irritated (cousin of quasi-modo, hehehe oh god I'm sad) when people act as if liking anime automatically means you're a mouth-breathing pervert who likes to sniff schoolgirls underwear and fap to Hello Kitty and Japanese takeout menus.

I mean, I am totally a pervert... but anime has nothing to do with that; I was twisted way before I first picked up my first copy of Shounen Jump! And I'll have the critics know that it's been years since I've sniffed anybody's underwear! ;) (j/k about the last part... not my particular bag, baby. Panty sniffing is so vanilla. :P)

[JamieH]

What I don't get about anime is howcome some shows are so short like 13 or 26 episodes, yet others go on for literally hundreds of episodes with no end in sight?

It's like anime is the exact opposite of American cartoons. Cartoons seem to go on until they get canceled or have a set number of seasons with rare exceptions, like Simpsons and Spongebob which go on for an eternity.

But with anime the shows literally just end when they cover the manga or a simple plot, yet the shonen stuff is just continuous and never ends. It's ridiculous.

It's a matter of popularity, sales, and budget.

Most anime is based on manga. Most manga is not hella shounen long. Shounen can go on for years, most of the time with no end in sight (but there usually is one). While most manga has a definite end. Which an anime of such a manga can cover the manga in a 13 episode "season" or 2. The anime may be edited to fit all or most of the manga within the anime's budget. Or, the anime will have a different ending than the manga as the manga either isn't finished or it was planned to be different because of said budget limitations. Or the anime of a manga is different altogether as the budget and/or popularity demands/doesn't allow the manga to get such treatment.

Anime is a business like any other, so creating an anime of a manga can also be advertisement for the manga. An anime of a manga can also get started before the manga finishes. Striking the iron while it's hot, if you will. Yet, only be so long because of budget restraints. Like I said, it has to do with popularity, sales, and budget.

And there's series that are longer (or shorter) than the typical 13 or 26 episode long show, but shorter than the seemingly never ending shounen.

There's really a lot of explanations for a series length. But the above is a good generalization.

[Dawnatello Turtle Chick]

Eh, I've got zero beef with people who aren't into anime - it's a hobby/question of personal preference. Some people aren't into sports, some aren't into cars. I do start to get quasi-irritated (cousin of quasi-modo, hehehe oh god I'm sad) when people act as if liking anime automatically means you're a mouth-breathing pervert who likes to sniff schoolgirls underwear and fap to Hello Kitty and Japanese takeout menus.

I mean, I am totally a pervert... but anime has nothing to do with that; I was twisted way before I first picked up my first copy of Shounen Jump! And I'll have the critics know that it's been years since I've sniffed anybody's underwear! ;) (j/k about the last part... not my particular bag, baby. Panty sniffing is so vanilla. :P)

But..... does that mean..... Japanese takeout menus are kinda of my thing.... You can't make me feel dirty!! You don't know me!!!! :roll::tlol::tlol::tlol:

[pennydreadful]

But..... does that mean..... Japanese takeout menus are kinda of my thing.... You can't make me feel dirty!! You don't know me!!!! :roll::tlol::tlol::tlol:

... you degenerate little hussy! :P j/k

[Dawnatello Turtle Chick]

... you degenerate little hussy! :P j/k

Lol, me too! Cracks me up! Japanese takeout menu.....

[Wesley]

I'm not a big fan of anime. I did enjoy watching Medabots, Digimon, Pokemon, Yugioh, Beyblade and Cyborg 009 in the 2000s, but I lost interest in those shows towards the end of the decade. I now prefer watching Western animation and live-action shows.

I saw a few episodes of Pandora Hearts in 2011, but I thought it was hard to understand what was going on and the characters were too weird. I also watched Sonic X. I thought it was an okay show. The third season was the best.

[ssjup81]

Back in the 80s and even the 90s, I never cared much where a show came from. I was watching what we westerners call "anime" for years unknowingly. 80s Nickelodeon used to show dubs of Japanese toons, but then again Nickelodeon also used to show imported stuff from the UK as well as Canada. Anyway, my mentality was, "As long as it entertains me."

I think I didn't really get into the "anime" thing until the late 90s, but that died off, but I was like that with most animated stuff in general. There are some series I truly do love still, like Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (Ronin Warriors) or Gundam Wing or Cowboy Bebop or .hack//SIGN, etc., but it's rare I watch anything nowadays and it's been this way for years. I prefer manga in a general sense to anime, but if it's a series that is action-based, I'd probably prefer the anime to its manga.What I don't get about anime is howcome some shows are so short like 13 or 26 episodes, yet others go on for literally hundreds of episodes with no end in sight?Depends on the source material in some cases. Most of these series are based on their comic counterparts. If the comic is still ongoing, and running alongside its animated counterpart, more than likely it'll be a long series, especially stuff like Dragon Ball, Ranma 1/2, Naruto, Sailor Moon, Detective Conan, etc.

There's also Doraemon (started back in the 70s, but has had a couple of different versions I think) and Sazae-san (which has been airing since 1969 which is based on a strip that started back in the 1940s after WWII, but ended in the mid 70s). The reason this is still around is definitely due to popularity and the fact that it is a timeless family-themed series and will probably never end, along with stuff like Doraemon. It's pretty much about Sazae and her family. She lives with her husband and they have a son, and her parents and her two younger elementary-school-aged siblings (brother and sister).

A series where the manga is already finished or close to it, more than likely, it'll be something short, like Pretear (the comic is only four volumes long) or Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai (this was only two volumes long) or Deathnote (its comic was nearly finished by the time the anime started).

In other cases, probably a budget issue. Not sure what the deal was with Fruits Basket, but it ended after the first major arc in the series, but the manga was still ongoing. They even had a gender mistake in the anime...In the manga, the young head of the Sohma family was thought to be male. Later in the manga, round about volume 10, you find out that she was female the entire time. It was her mother's doing and only some of the older members of the family knew of this and kept it secret. She dressed in masculine clothes.

In the anime, she looked straight up male. Facial features and body structure was very boyish.

[pandaderek]

Never got into those long 26+ episode anime shows, except, Dragon Ball Z...holy crap, did I hate when they kept repeating the Namik series on cartoon network and got my hopes up that they would show a new episode. Other than that, I, only got into Japanese Animated movies, like Miyazaki's or films like Akira.

The, only, Anime series that I found to be great is Cowboy Bebop...that was such an amazing series. My favorite "session" was "Pierrot le Fou." I can't wait for the Blu-Ray boxset to be released.