Why modern anime sucks nowadays?

[Domino]

Can't find the thread about it in search and people are talking more anime than Smurfs.

I blame computer animation (less detail and even less frames of animation per second) and otakus (moe, slice of life shows, and making anime look like something that only perverts would watch).

[Obiwanshinobi]

If CAVE shmups were New Order songs, which one would be the Blue Monday?

[cstle]

2000 and onwards has more high-quality animated TV anime than any other, in regards to your frames of animation per second comment. It's an objective fact.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Although the quality of animation is not only about smoothness, regardless of what you think about service-driven shows like K-On! and Lucky Star (dare I mention both in one sentence), the animation in those is superb. CG-rendered backdrops still don't look as good as painted by hand, though (and I doubt they ever will).
Presentation aside, I'll say again - in my book best years for anime were 2001-2006. Most recent times are okay as long as Hajime no Ippo, Gintama and Suzumiya Haruhi keep going.

[cstle]

K-ON (fan)service driven? It's a pretty wholesome and non-servicey show. It even airs on Disney Japan now. It was animated by a majority female staff and directed by a female, and it really shows. There really wasn't a moment of fanservice in the show. It still does feel pretty... voyeuristic though. I like it (quite a bit) because it's just relaxing and has extremely high production values personally.

Lucky Star is trash though.

And 2007 was amazing for anime too. Mononoke (anyone who reads this post please check this show out!!), Dennou Coil, Gurren Lagann, Baccano. And probably some more I'm forgetting.

[Obiwanshinobi]

K-ON (fan)service driven? It's a pretty wholesome and non-servicey show. It even airs on Disney Japan now. It was animated by a majority female staff and directed by a female, and it really shows. There really wasn't a moment of fanservice in the show. It still does feel pretty... voyeuristic though. I like it (quite a bit) because it's just relaxing and has extremely high production values personally.

Lucky Star is trash though.

Both are mascot girls shows and can be disliked for similar reasons - barely existent plot, mascot development instead of character development and so on. Lucky Star goes a bit against the grain as it does have one male character.
I don't dislike either, but Renkin 3-kyū Magical? Pokān trumps both if you ask me.
Couldn't stand Binzume Yousei while we're at it. The opening alone almost gave me rash and after the first episode's initial few minutes I switched it off for good.

[apple arcade]

what are you talking about? anime is the best it's ever been.

I like anime, I like old anime. I just enjoy it for what it is. Why bother spending the time to complain about it, you could spend that time finding a new show in the genres you like.

[rancor]

Because in the 80s and 90s, studios were copying and building on awesome western ideas such as this:




Now, unfortunately this is whats cool in Japan:



And since we're giving opinions, thats why almost all entertainment media from Japan sucks these days.

[ryu]

the main problem is a lack of creativity. the industry is just doing the same shit over and over again, and its just gotten stale.

i've watched my fair share of anime, and these days even shows that would be considered good to very good bore me because they're nothing new.

[Skykid]

Because in the 80s and 90s, studios were copying and building on awesome western ideas such as this:

I think you have it in a nutshell there, I've always said that the western influences on Japan's media during the 80's and 90's is what made it great. Now I know what happens when Japanese media goes 100% creative on domestic influences: they turn into Thailand.



The music is the equivalent of running your eardrums over a cheese grater, but what baffles me is I assume these guys (sorta) have a huge female fanbase, yet they're basically ladyboys?
Are men not attractive anymore unless they're plastered with foundation, mascara and lip gloss?

I won't be held responsible for making your eyes bleed or causing any involuntary vomiting, but if anyone is at all curious (bi-curious?) here are the current generation's manly men in full rock action.

So, if the girls are into that trash and the boys know all the words to this musical farce, then no wonder the birth rate in Japan is low: all the girls want to sleep with girls and all the boys want to sleep with girls who are too young to conceive.

Optimus Prime says NO

[Observer]

what are you talking about? anime is the best it's ever been.

I like anime, I like old anime. I just enjoy it for what it is. Why bother spending the time to complain about it, you could spend that time finding a new show in the genres you like.

Because I can barely find ANY show that features what I want. I scroll back one decade back to the '90s and there is still stuff but the turning point was Evangelion, which screwed up my favourite genre... (mecha)

Hell, even a mahou shoujo series like Magic Knight Rayearth had some of the most motherfucking badass magic-robots I've ever seen. It could still be girly and all without being so inane and lifeless as some shows today. Don't get me started with that Imout series monstrosity...

And as much as I liked Madoka for its stylish Shaft-being-Shaft/Silent-Hill-meets-magical-lolis and being probable one of the best animated shows in a while (the DVD/BD made it look even better), it falls apart when compared to that 50+ episode series full of crazy shit. The second season had even more mechs. Boy, I recall all the guys talking about Magic Knight Rayearth, bwahahaha. What happened next? Card Captor Sakura entered the scene and its popularity (girls here were crazy about this series, it was broadcast unaltered from its japanese counterpart unlike the US version) opened the flood gates to loli stuff nonstop. (obviously, there are far more reasons but I find it to be one of the main culprits)

Optimus Prime says NO. One shall stand, one shall fall. Sadly, in the pussyfication process, it was the mechs who fell, lol.

[Udderdude]

It's really a self-reinforcing effect where anime is made more to pander to otaku freaks, so only the otaku freaks are left watching anime. Pretty soon it's all freaks, all the time. Doesn't help that they'll buy pretty much anything with their waifu plastered on it.

[devilmanozzy]

Sigh, Anime. Oh of the problems at least from my limited point of view is that Adult Swim mined the good anime and ran them all during the early 2000's. Since then, all these half baked mundane anime have been getting the love of the main anime circuit. If you ask me, get back to the psycho stuff of the 90's that sparked interest in anime. Be creative once more, stop following cookie cutting anime by the book. The shows I loved were: Ghost in the Shell, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Big O, fullmetal alchemist(perfer the original story thank you), and Inuyasha. I grew uninterested when Bleach became the standard. Anyways, It was a great time when Anime had it. Now buy the box sets and remember what was.

[Skykid]

what are you talking about? anime is the best it's ever been.

Lies.

2000 and onwards has more high-quality animated TV anime than any other

That's perfectly possible, but quality over quantity is preferred.

It's really a self-reinforcing effect where anime is made more to pander to otaku freaks, so only the otaku freaks are left watching anime. Pretty soon it's all freaks, all the time. Doesn't help that they'll buy pretty much anything with their waifu plastered on it.

Win.

[apple arcade]

what are you talking about? anime is the best it's ever been.

I like anime, I like old anime. I just enjoy it for what it is. Why bother spending the time to complain about it, you could spend that time finding a new show in the genres you like.

Because I can barely find ANY show that features what I want. I scroll back one decade back to the '90s and there is still stuff but the turning point was Evangelion, which screwed up my favourite genre... (mecha)

Hell, even a mahou shoujo series like Magic Knight Rayearth had some of the most motherfucking badass magic-robots I've ever seen. It could still be girly and all without being so inane and lifeless as some shows today. Don't get me started with that Imout series monstrosity...

And as much as I liked Madoka for its stylish Shaft-being-Shaft/Silent-Hill-meets-magical-lolis and being probable one of the best animated shows in a while (the DVD/BD made it look even better), it falls apart when compared to that 50+ episode series full of crazy shit. The second season had even more mechs. Boy, I recall all the guys talking about Magic Knight Rayearth, bwahahaha. What happened next? Card Captor Sakura entered the scene and its popularity (girls here were crazy about this series, it was broadcast unaltered from its japanese counterpart unlike the US version) opened the flood gates to loli stuff nonstop. (obviously, there are far more reasons but I find it to be one of the main culprits)

Optimus Prime says NO. One shall stand, one shall fall. Sadly, in the pussyfication process, it was the mechs who fell, lol.

I think the issue here isn't today's anime, it's that you have such fond memories of earlier shows. (which is understandable) Anime is a bit different then most things. In music, you'll look back at your earlier listening habits and might say "I can't believe I was into that trash" Where-as in anime, you'll look back and still hold dear the same shows that made you a fan of anime in the first place. I know one of my favorite releases was Battle Angel. To this day, years and years later, it is still one of my favorites.

BTW I like Magic Knight Rayearth a lot too. I was just trying to track down the OVA DVD on ebay the other day.

Oh and have you seen Gasaraki? It's a mech anime that I enjoyed.

[Skykid]

I think the issue here isn't today's anime, it's that you have such fond memories of earlier shows. (which is understandable) Anime is a bit different then most things. In music, you'll look back at your earlier listening habits and might say "I can't believe I was into that trash" Where-as in anime, you'll look back and still hold dear the same shows that made you a fan of anime in the first place. I know one of my favorite releases was Battle Angel. To this day, years and years later, it is still one of my favorites.

BTW I like Magic Knight Rayearth a lot too. I was just trying to track down the OVA DVD on ebay the other day.

Oh and have you seen Gasaraki? It's a mech anime that I enjoyed.

This is a fair argument and one that has elements of truth, because nostalgia is always a defining factor in having an affection for something from a particular era.

However it's an argument I hate, because quite simply there is a difference between awesome stuff and crap stuff, and it really annoys me when folk play the 'nostalgia' card like it simply excuses a pile of generic twaddle because "you don't understand it because it's not something you grew up with."
I'm not saying everything produced today is guff, but why the hell would any generation want to grow up watching shows about teen angst ridden, gang sign throwing yaoi kids?

Crap is crap is crap. That will never change.

How the hell did Dragonball ever go out of fashion?

[Icarus]

How the hell did Dragonball ever go out of fashion?

Because it is lame, filler-stuffed shit? If I want to watch something take ages to power up, I'll switch on my old Windows XP-based PC.
Plenty of nostalgia goggles in this thread.

[Skykid]

How the hell did Dragonball ever go out of fashion?

Because it is lame, filler-stuffed shit? If I want to watch something take ages to power up, I'll switch on my old Windows XP-based PC.
Plenty of nostalgia goggles in this thread.

Lol, okay you got me there, it's probably guilty of being the most filler stuffed anime ever, but I think you're thinking of DB 'Z' over regular DB (which is guilty of filler too, but I much preferred.)

I mostly read the DB manga anyway, which was incredible.

Right no more debate folks, I want recommendations!

Give me something current that I can get pretty easily through illegal downloading and I'll go and sample it. I think you all have a good picture of what I like, so give me a show (an episode please, cos I won't watch a series) or a movie that will prove how good modern anime is.

[LtC]

How the hell did Dragonball ever go out of fashion?

Because it is lame, filler-stuffed shit? If I want to watch something take ages to power up, I'll switch on my old Windows XP-based PC.
Plenty of nostalgia goggles in this thread.

Lol, okay you got me there, it's probably guilty of being the most filler stuffed anime ever, but I think you're thinking of DB 'Z' over regular DB (which is guilty of filler too, but I much preferred.)

I mostly read the DB manga anyway, which was incredible.

Right no more debate folks, I want recommendations!

Give me something current that I can get pretty easily through illegal downloading and I'll go and sample it. I think you all have a good picture of what I like, so give me a show (an episode please, cos I won't watch a series) or a movie that will prove how good modern anime is.

Try Broken Blade. I can't say I've seen too much good stuff come out the past few years.

[Skykid]

Try Broken Blade. I can't say I've seen too much good stuff come out the past few years.

Okay, looks interesting. Can you give me a particular episode of note (unless you think the first one is?) I don't mind being dropped into the middle of a story, I just want to see how the sparks fly in anime series these days.

[Icarus]

Right no more debate folks, I want recommendations!

Beyond The Clouds, and Five Centimeters Per Second. Maybe The Girl That Leapt Through Time, as well.

[LtC]

Try Broken Blade. I can't say I've seen too much good stuff come out the past few years.

Okay, looks interesting. Can you give me a particular episode of note (unless you think the first one is?) I don't mind being dropped into the middle of a story, I just want to see how the sparks fly in anime series these days.

Ep 4 (, the latest to be subbed at least,) has the best action. Looking forward to the last 2 episodes myself. The next ones should be even better if they take the scenes from the manga.

[Skykid]

Maybe The Girl That Leapt Through Time, as well.

The trailer had my interest straight away, pretty rare for modern anime. And I liked the cover art on the DVD, so I bought it for a watch, sold it the next day.

It fails to live up to its time-travelling sci-fi promise completely. It's pretty scatty as a story and oddly paced, and is more interested in its angsty love story than anything else. Rather than a premise of any real depth, it turns out to be a thin and whimsical roundabout of boy meets girl with no point and surprisingly little soul. By the end it degenerates into what todays otaku would probably consider an 'artistic' retelling of the same bullshit unrequited love nonsense that seems to be obligatory in everything. And by the time you've sat through the fifth of its ten different endings (it basically has no idea what its doing in its last 25 minutes) you'll wonder why you just wasted an hour and a half of your life.

If these are the anime films winning awards these days, the industry has truly fallen.

Beyond The Clouds, and Five Centimeters Per Second.

Are these movies?

Ep 4 (, the latest to be subbed at least,) has the best action. Looking forward to the last 2 episodes myself. The next ones should be even better if they take the scenes from the manga.

Thanks, I'll go get it.

[Icarus]

Are these movies?

All three of them are.
Before I forget: Ponyo.

[Skykid]

Are these movies?

All three of them are.
Before I forget: Ponyo.

Ponyo is great.

Are the others two you mentioned better than The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, cos that sucked?

[Icarus]

Are the others two you mentioned better than The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, cos that sucked?

Have you seen Girl Who Leapt Through Time yet?
And that really depends on taste. I happen to like all three of them, mainly because I'm more open-minded than most.

[Skykid]

Are the others two you mentioned better than The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, cos that sucked?

Have you seen Girl Who Leapt Through Time yet?
And that really depends on taste. I happen to like all three of them, mainly because I'm more open-minded than most.

Lol, where is this going?! Groundhog thread, read up ^^^^^

The trailer had my interest straight away, pretty rare for modern anime. And I liked the cover art on the DVD, so I bought it for a watch, sold it the next day.

It fails to live up to its time-travelling sci-fi promise completely. It's pretty scatty as a story and oddly paced, and is more interested in its angsty love story than anything else. Rather than a premise of any real depth, it turns out to be a thin and whimsical roundabout of boy meets girl with no point and surprisingly little soul. By the end it degenerates into what todays otaku would probably consider an 'artistic' retelling of the same bullshit unrequited love nonsense that seems to be obligatory in everything. And by the time you've sat through the fifth of its ten different endings (it basically has no idea what its doing in its last 25 minutes) you'll wonder why you just wasted an hour and a half of your life.

If these are the anime films winning awards these days, the industry has truly fallen.

[devilmanozzy]

I think the issue here isn't today's anime, it's that you have such fond memories of earlier shows. (which is understandable) Anime is a bit different then most things. In music, you'll look back at your earlier listening habits and might say "I can't believe I was into that trash" Where-as in anime, you'll look back and still hold dear the same shows that made you a fan of anime in the first place. I know one of my favorite releases was Battle Angel. To this day, years and years later, it is still one of my favorites.

BTW I like Magic Knight Rayearth a lot too. I was just trying to track down the OVA DVD on ebay the other day.

Oh and have you seen Gasaraki? It's a mech anime that I enjoyed.

This is a fair argument and one that has elements of truth, because nostalgia is always a defining factor in having an affection for something from a particular era.

However it's an argument I hate, because quite simply there is a difference between awesome stuff and crap stuff, and it really annoys me when folk play the 'nostalgia' card like it simply excuses a pile of generic twaddle because "you don't understand it because it's not something you grew up with."
I'm not saying everything produced today is guff, but why the hell would any generation want to grow up watching shows about teen angst ridden, gang sign throwing yaoi kids?

Crap is crap is crap. That will never change.

How the hell did Dragonball ever go out of fashion?

You had me totally happy til you got to the whole "Dragonball ever go out of Fashion" thing. I hate it for the same reason I hate Bleach, and later seasons of Inuyasha. I'd rather have shows where a episode can stand up on its own and not be a running story. Soap operas suck balls. Get to the point and fight the whoever already.

[Skykid]

You had me totally happy til you got to the whole "Dragonball ever go out of Fashion" thing. I hate it for the same reason I hate Bleach, and later seasons of Inuyasha. I'd rather have shows where a episode can stand up on its own and not be a running story. Soap operas suck balls. Get to the point and fight the whoever already.

I hear ya, just keep in mind DB is quite different to DBZ, especially in its first 10 episodes (which is about all I ever saw.)

Try Broken Blade. I can't say I've seen too much good stuff come out the past few years.

Okay, looks interesting. Can you give me a particular episode of note (unless you think the first one is?) I don't mind being dropped into the middle of a story, I just want to see how the sparks fly in anime series these days.

Ep 4 (, the latest to be subbed at least,) has the best action. Looking forward to the last 2 episodes myself. The next ones should be even better if they take the scenes from the manga.

Just finished this.

Yeah, it's horrible. I actually hate the character designs. Yuck. When did the Japanese forget how to draw?! Perhaps it's just flash that's totally soulless (it's so clean), but every character is a derivative of every RPG ever made. Even Yuffie made it in as the "25 year old midget" who was basically pedo fan service as she asked her squad leader "did I do well? Am I a good little girl? Will you pat me on the head because I'm 25 but look like I'm 12?"

What was good were the mecha scenes - to its credit the animation here was excellent. Unfortunately the CG backgrounds are disgusting for the most part and each battle was basically wedged between 20 minutes of flaccid soap opera guff between cardboard cutout characters spouting the same shit about being battle worthy, doing well, overcoming the odds etc, but they all look like they belong in a bed together licking each others pointy chins.

Really not for me, there must be better examples than this?

I like anime, particularly (but not exclusively) sci-fi. Stuff that takes you places. Ideas that are bursting with imagination to the point where there doesn't even need to be dialogue, it's just a visual feast.

Is there anything nowadays like that?

I'm welcoming any other examples. I don't like to sit here and talk stuff down if there really are fine examples of modern anime I haven't seen, so I'm willing to watch whatever you got. Just no more Broken Blade pls.

[xris]

I really enjoyed Highschool of the Dead, sure complete fan service, but it is very well made. The charas were great, the severity of the outbreak was spot on, one of the best shows in awhile.
Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt, off the wall nuts, and completely unexpected from Gainax.
Raunchy as hell however, but it has a little bit of everything crammed in.
K-on deserves all the praise it gets. It's one of those few shows that crosses all borders. If you had told me before I watched it I would have enjoyed a show about a group of girls forming a band, I would have told you to go finger bang yourself.

Redline, haven't seen this yet, but the trailer is saturated with promise. So, there is always new stuff to look for.

If you are looking for mecha Gurren Lagan is the shit. It's different from most of the norm, even really weird at parts, but it gets real at points. Some of the coolest charas ever. Greatest mid-series shift ever.