Anime Pokemon-art or money scheme?

[CaptainAnarchy]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Anime is an art form. No way around it, its the truth. But there are some animes that have lost their art form and is now just a FoxBox money scheme, Pokemon for example. There is nothing special of artistic value of it, its just a scheme....what anime do you believe is now just a scheme? [/COLOR] [/SIZE]

[Solo Tremaine]

[COLOR=#503F86]Heh, as much as anime is art, there's a lot more to it than that. Like with anything made for an audience, it's intended to be read/watched/heard and if possible make a lot of money at the same time. Not all animes are successful, but you can bet whoever wrote them was hoping they'd be popular enough to make them some money.

To be honest, every anime would have a financial basis behind it- it takes a lot of money to produce them so the producers and various factors involved need to be able to get some kind of revenue back. Even things like Evangelion must have been created with the hope of making a profit, but nobody considers it solely a marketing scheme.

The fact that something's been marketed to death doesn't change the fact that it's still being produced, and I don't think FoxBox are the ones behind the anime's actual production- that'd be the studios in Japan. As far as I can tell the Pokemon games are still going strong, and for as long as they do the series will continue alongside it. The plot hasn't changed, the characters (essentially) haven't changed, and yeah, they're probably only continuing to run because they have done for so long already. It's pretty much self-perpatuating.

But if Pokemon was actually good (in the sense that most people think it isn't- I know there are fans about) and despite the fact that it's been running for donkeys years, would you be complaining about it? Obviously, if it's an unpopular show, then it's not a very good marketing scheme.

Personally, I think animes like BeyBlade, Duel Masters, Yu-Gi-Oh and Transformers are all blatant marketing schemes, because they're all created specifically as glorified toy adverts or to rival other, more popular shows and obviously have little thought put into their actual plot, characters and structure (with the mild exception of Yu-Gi-Oh which actually has some plot behind it, but is still frustratingly slow to get through).[/COLOR]

[AzureWolf]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]I have no clue about the origins of any of the animes mentioned here, haha, with the exception of [B]Yu-Gi-Oh![/B] which was originally a manga. I wonder how much influence the manga creators have on ongoing series such as Pokemon.

It's always been my experience that a long show starts out rather great and interesting, but because it never bothers to come to a close or give some sort of resolution, it just dwindles in quality. In order for a show to last a long time, it has to be very dynamic. As Solo has pointed out, Pokemon is a strongly static show: [QUOTE]The plot hasn't changed, the characters (essentially) haven't changed, and yeah, they're probably only continuing to run because they have done for so long already. It's pretty much self-perpatuating.[/QUOTE] Indeed, there has been no resolution, no new conflicts, and no type of character change. There's always the handy Professor Oak, the stalwart Ash, and the wise Broc. Those adjectives are never time-dependent (i.e, professor Oak was pretty handy before - say - his wife died; or Broc thought he knew everything before he lost a match), and so the characters become very inappreciable.

I'm trying to make two points with all this: [i]1. Long shows may not necessarily be for the sake of money[/i]; but [i]2. Those shows that don't change may just be that: money-makers[/i]. Surely, when a single manga writer/artist sits down and writes/draws his manga, he has a story in mind that he thinks is worth telling, one that people would want to read/see.

However, when big business comes in and see something people would pay money for, they usually don't care about the manga creator's vision if there's more money to be had by continuing the story. Since big business has no clue how to go about conveying a story, they try to stick with what the manga creator has proved will work. Unfortunately, they don't realize that it works only because it is not repetitive.

I imagine that this situation is the case for shows like Pokemon and even Yu-Gi-Oh! See how the games they help promote continue to grow and sell.

As for anime being an artform, I'm all for that. I mean, I'm a huge fan of Car---... um..., ok, that person doesn't always draw PG stuff... I'll refrain from mentioning her for fear of annoying any OB authority. Those who know to whom I'm referring to should easily see my point. If not, you really need to see her stuff! ;) (I'm a fan of her PG stuff only! Honest! Ok, I probably would be a fan of her "other stuff" if I could bring myself to see it. :o) In fact, I can't even mention my other favorite... O_o

*shakes head* The point is, I feel that anime is a medium for telling a story first and an artform second. There are those who, like [B]*her*[/B], can make a huge profit out of just drawing in anime style. She's capable of utilizing how potentially artistic and beautiful it can be, but most anime has a style that accentuates certain aspects of the story it is telling. For example, characters that are emotionally thin, hollow, and empty: it is shown in their physical attributes; characters that hold less humanity have smaller eyes; and so forth...

I'm not saying that anime can't stand on its own two feet if it were just an artform (quite the opposite, in fact). However, I think the reason for anime is primarily story, of which artistic value is a bonus or aid.

And for those who know how confusing and poorly-written this post is:
TO SUM EVERYTHING I SAID, everything is exploited for money. However, that doesn't mean anime has lost its root as both a story-medium and an artform. While CaptainAnarchy feels that anime as an artform has suffered, I say it couldn't have because anime is first and foremost for story. So as long as the artists' desire to convey a story through this artistic column doesn't wane, we need not worry about money-mongers. :)[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Brasil]

I think Pokemon's an interesting phenomenon, actually. When they were developing the initial game, I don't think they anticipated what kind of mass-marketing chaos they were creating. The games themselves were and still are quite stellar. There are a few snags along the way, but overall, it's a solid game series.

Be that as it may, this is Anime Lounge, so I'll have to talk about the show, lol. Simply put, the show pretty much bordered on incoherent. It was uber-hyper, nonsensical, random gibberish, really, and I think if there was any solid evidence that Pokemon is more or less a money scheme, the TV show is it.

The show has no soul, lol...I mean, there's a reason Drawn Together features Ling-Ling, a Pikachu derivative, and has it being put to work in a sweatshop. I'd say the show definitely crosses the line into (as Yogurt so affectionately called it) "merchandising merchandising merchandising." It's almost as if the TV series was slapped together the night before, and because of that, I don't think there's much attention being paid to little details like having a plot or good characters.

Game-wise, though, Pokemon is fantastic. They're high-quality games (the traditional ones, at least, and Pokemon Pinball) that don't get crapped out every other week, as it were.

So...yeah. First post in Anime Lounge...ever.

[Sol-Blade]

[SIZE=-3]I remember when Pokemon first came out, we had kids all over the place ready to fight for the latest "Rare *" card. It was so funny...I couldn't help but laugh at the time. I remembered saying to my friend, "I can't wait till this fad dies out! It will be ironic trying to see these kids sell the cards they bought for $5, for around 50c!"

Well, that was around 4-5 years ago, and the franchise is STILL going and still going strong. Hell, even other shows have sprung up just like it. It's really quite the success story. You've got to hand it to whoever invented the idea of Pokemon, they are evil, evil people. LOL

But seriously, the show has gone on to produce several seasons of the show, toys, countless cards, video games, numerous fan sites and almost 3 movies at least. The term [U]phenomenon[/U], is a [I]severe[/I] understatement. I wonder exactly how much money they have grossed over it, over the entire Pokemon...thing? Way more than they imagined, im sure.

Now, we have many other shows attempting to pull off what Pokemon did, and some are doing even...dare I say...[i]better[/i] than Pokemon. Yu-Gi-Oh, how o' how did this show ever attract kids. I mean, the characters in the show USE the very cards they are selling! Brilliant!!!

I really guess the marketers believe in [B]Simple Shows for Simple Minds[/B].

[quote name='"Siren"']So...yeah. First post in Anime Lounge...ever.[/quote]

...and quite possibly, the last?

*play corny cliffhanger music here* :D[/SIZE]

[Kei]

[color=darkblue]It's true that for the most part, Pokemon has simply been one of Nintendo/4Kids/Whatever animation studio they fall under's moneymaker, but I also look at it in the perspective of being one of the "morality" animes out there. It basically falls under the "As long as you have friends, you can do anything" category, along with it's good friends Yu-Gi-Oh! and Beyblade.

That's why the characters stay so static. If they were to change something about them, the entire series' meaning may fall apart.

I mean, as cool as it would be for Ash to gradually side with Team Rocket/Aqua/Magma/Whatever and destroy half the world, it's not going to happen, because if it did, they'd have to go and rebuild the series. Either that, or all of his friends would fly off and come up with some miraculous plan to get him back. (You know that's what would happen. >.>; They even proved it in that episode Pikachu went bad. And don't even get me started on Mewtwo Strikes Back...)

I think that's another reason that people have become attached to it, in a way. They just love the fact that whatever happens, everything will be okay in the end.

So, yeah. While Pokemon is mainly just a moneymaker, it does try to instill a bit of morality in kids heads, however slightly off it may be.

I'm probably wrong, but that's how I see it.[/color]

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

Even if Pokemon was JUST a money-making scheme, even if there were 100 animes made just to whore out a franchise, anime as an artform remains an artform. Goya (the artist) made a living painting portraits of the nobility. His work was entirely a "money-making scheme," heh. The same goes for sooooo many artists who only create professionally. Does the fact that their work exist just to sell somehow lessen whatever artform they employ? I don't think so.

Art doesn't need to be some noble endeavor to remain art. Art driven just by a desire to tell something is no more "proper" than art driven by greed, hate, bees, or necessity.

[MaineOtakuNo2]

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']Art doesn't need to be some noble endeavor to remain art. Art driven just by a desire to tell something is no more "proper" than art driven by greed, hate, bees, or necessity.[/quote]

I disagree. Art forced upon the artist is not as good as art made because the Artist wanted to draw color or paint. Although, yes, the art may still be good, artwork with soul will be better. Back on topic, The first season, and the first games, and the first set of cards, and the first fans, were the best.

[Dagger]

[quote name='MaineOtakuNo2']I disagree. Art forced upon the artist is not as good as art made because the Artist wanted to draw color or paint. Although, yes, the art may still be good, artwork with soul will be better. Back on topic, The first season, and the first games, and the first set of cards, and the first fans, were the best.[/quote]

I don't think Sciros was implying that the artist would be shackled to a canvas and whipped until he started painting or whatever. Assuming I've interpreted his point correctly, I absolutely agree--an anime (or live-action film, or novel) doesn't need to be created out of some selfless desire to enrich the world by sharing the products of one's talent and imagination. "Good" art doesn't have to be born out of a total disregard for making money.

For example, pretty much every single Gundam series ever made was produced to serve as a vehicle for toy model sales. Big O, a brilliant show that combines elements of Batman, retro giant robots and The Matrix, was originally conceived as a way to market mecha action figures. Gainax has milked the Evangelion franchise to death, repeatedly releasing and re-releasing it both in Japan and abroad. Particularly in Japan, anime lives and dies by merchandising. It's when a concept or storyline is [i]dumbed down[/i] for the sake of reaching a younger or wider audience that this becomes problematic.

As is the case in every other medium of entertainment--from movies to music, from video games to books--the majority of anime is complete crap. However, it's perfectly possible for something to be both financially and artistically successful. For example, I don't personally like Naruto all that much, but I respect the series' manga-ka for [spoiler]making Sasuke start to become genuinely evil. Most manga/shows of the type wouldn't dare to let a main character undergo such an irreversible transformation.[/spoiler]

Pokemon just isn't a very good example of a quality children's anime, but it has thrived nonetheless. There are many wonderful, popular and heart-warming series aimed at the younger set whose plot actually progresses and whose characters are not static. After a certain point, they start to transcend their target demographic and find fans of all ages.

So no, I don't think Pokemon has much artistic importance... but that's the case for most anime, and the desire to generate cash isn't mutually exclusive with the desire to produce a great show.

~Dagger~

[coconuts1977]

Guys, guys, come on. I think we all need to work on our self-reliance. A cabin in the middle of nowhere could help.

[color=#503f86][size=1][b]Please don't post off-topic replies; if you can, try and make their relevance clear and add as much detail as you can. Posts that are too short or that are irrelevant will be deleted as spam. Please be sure to check over the site's [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"]Rules[/url]. -Solo[/size][/color][/b]

[AzureWolf]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Really gotta disagree with Sciros and his posse (this is the first time I've ever disagreed with you, isn't it?). At least in the case of anime, art always tends to suffer when money becomes more important than the creator's vision. Since Naruto was brought up and is a good example of a long-running series, I'll use that as my example.

Naruto is based off a manga by some dude named Kishimoto. At the "jackets" of each volume, Kishimoto talks about his inspirations and thoughts on how Naruto manifested and became what it was today. The important part that pertains to this discussion is the fact that he sometimes shows how and why he draws a character so. If I remember correctly, there was one time where he spoke of Iruka looking "too evil" before he was made how he is now.

So, yeah, there's inspiration involved to design a character so, and there are particular (and possibly important) details that do tend to get lost when other artists take the original creator's rendition and change it into a faster-to-draw form. In other words, the inspiration for the anime art is sometimes not there because it's just easier to make-do without it. Hence, the art of anime has suffered, IMO.

Maybe this example was too far-fetched. I'm willing to accept that.

But another, more prominent example would be when the anime artists have time-constraints or hire some other studio to do episodes so they can be on schedule. Using Naruto again as an example, episodes 48-50 are INCREDIBLY ugly in both terms of animation and art. Art has definately suffered because it was driven by the greed to air those shows on-time and to make a profit. On a slighty OT point, it hurts the show because the change (and nasty-ness) really distracts a fan who has been following the show.

We can't even amuse the idea that the characters were supposed to look so bad because of the situation at hand. Why? Because the manga has them drawn as they have always been, and why would bystanders look uglier anyway?

The idea for Pokemon is not so different: pump out as many episodes as possible and cut corners where no one hopefully notices.

While I disagree with Dagger's spoiler, and would love to respond to Lady Katana's post, this post is long enough as is, heh.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

[QUOTE=AIM]
AzureWolf17: Alex posted in the anime lounge and I've disagreed with you
Sciros Darkblade: on what
AzureWolf17: I think I see the sky falling
AzureWolf17: Same thread, actually
AzureWolf17: But still, two shockers in only two days!
Sciros Darkblade: hm lemme see...
AzureWolf17: I guess I should add that shows that end before 27 episodes almost never have a "change of art," with pun intended. :p
Sciros Darkblade: oh, well you have valid points
AzureWolf17: yeah, and you do too
Sciros Darkblade: i can't disagree with the examples you've brought up
Sciros Darkblade: but the medium doesn't suffer
Sciros Darkblade: because so what if some anime is ****** for whatever reason
Sciros Darkblade: just like there's caricature artists at disney world
AzureWolf17: Haha
Sciros Darkblade: same goes for comic books, they have deadlines
AzureWolf17: Wait, go on
AzureWolf17: what about comic books?
Sciros Darkblade: the art forms remain, and i should probably have said this, as good as their best examples
Sciros Darkblade: oh, comic books have the same problem as exactly what you said with anime
Sciros Darkblade: but i don't think "comic book art" suffers as a whole
AzureWolf17: Ah, I see...
Sciros Darkblade: because we still have Jim Lee, and we still have the new Ah! My Goddess coming out in January in japan
AzureWolf17: Ok, ok, I get you now
AzureWolf17: haha
AzureWolf17: Yeah, and business make anime for the goal of money...
AzureWolf17: Ok, lemme edit
AzureWolf17: or, better yet, could you reply or something?
AzureWolf17: lol
Sciros Darkblade: ok i'll do that
AzureWolf17: awesome
[/QUOTE]
I hope that was clear enough for everyone ~_^

[Dagger]

Azure and Sciros, that was really interesting. :)

Azure, you seem to be placing a heavy emphasis on art[i]work[/i]--as in, the actual character designs, shading, color palette, etc. of the anime in question. I interpreted the original poster's statement a little differently. While many different forms of art rely heavily on the strength of their visuals, and anime is clearly one of these, there are also other elements I use to judge a show/movie/OVA as a work of art: plot, music, dialogue and so forth. For me, an episode with horribly off-model characters or choppy animation, though distracting and deeply annoying, isn't as bad as an episode in which the entire cast acts out of character or huge plot holes are exposed. I'd like to know your take on this.

What you appear to be getting at is that blatant filler (the downfall of more than a few cash cow anime), often added to prolong long-running series, will damage any show--no matter how beloved. In this case, I would have to agree. I'm not reneging on what I said earlier, but at the same time I feel that one can only carry it so far. When someone is in the business solely to get rich, chances are not all of his or her endeavors will end up having much artistic value. It just concerns me when fans seem to think a person can't try to eke out a living and at the same time produce something special and artistically noteworthy. It's an attitude I've seen here and there (not from you, however).

There are issues in a straightforward manga --> anime conversion that don't always extend to original anime movies or series. So that might complicate things a bit in continuing to use Naruto as an example, although I definitely understand your point. Do you mind PMing me about the spoiler? I'm just curious about which part I was off on, heh. :p

EDIT: I forgot to say this earlier--awesome banner!

~Dagger~

[sakurasuka]

I for one totally agree that art is very much the majority of the work itself, in being an aspiring artist myself, and I am particularly drawn to animes/mangas with better art.

As for Poke'mon being a total money-maker, wasn't it always in America? I mean, wasn't that the whole point? It worked in Japan, heck, why not over-use it to death here?

Okay, I know I'm kinda dumb, but I have an idiot obsession with 2 people from Yu-Gi-Oh and can't help but stand up for it's art (And the manga is pretty cool, too.) But it is, while a brilliant idea, way too over-merchandised. The sheer amount of cards out is just massive.

Okies, Naruto (IMO) is totally the BEST example of a manga/anime made NOT to just rake in big bucks, Kishimoto wanted to make a ninja comic. You know, he's never been late for a deadline (supposedly) which I find oddly amazing. Dagger: Really? I heard something about that, but I haven't actually read it in the series yet.

So, in conclusion, Poke'mon is a total scandal (Though the games rock) but in general, most comix start out just as something the artist wanted to do (From interviews I've read, and stuff)

[AzureWolf]

[quote name='Dagger IX1]Azure, you seem to be placing a heavy emphasis on art[i]work[/i']--as in, the actual character designs, shading, color palette, etc. of the anime in question. I interpreted the original poster's statement a little differently. While many different forms of art rely heavily on the strength of their visuals, and anime is clearly one of these, there are also other elements I use to judge a show/movie/OVA as a work of art: plot, music, dialogue and so forth. For me, an episode with horribly off-model characters or choppy animation, though distracting and deeply annoying, isn't as bad as an episode in which the entire cast acts out of character or huge plot holes are exposed. I'd like to know your take on this.[/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]You know, not ONCE did that thought even cross my mind, haha. I always thought the thread creator was referring to Pokemon ridiculing anime artwork. Hmm... the post as a whole does make a lot more sense now. X_X

I don't know. I would say that the "liberal arts" angle of anime would be damaged or ridiculed if it were for the sake of money - even moreso than just the artwork. All those components of an anime (or any show) that you listed: the good ones are driven by inspiration.

However, as I pointed out with Sciros, I see where your argument is coming from. Of course an anime would never see the light of day if there was not some potential profit coming out of it. At the same time, when the ambition to convey a story through anime is lost and all that is left is the unspirited churning for the green, does the anime lose what makes it special? That's the trickier question that I also have too little thought or knowledge to answer.

So, in short, yeah, anime's identity as an art originates from both profit and inspiration. A mockery of this art isn't manifested if the primary reason for making a series is money. But what about cases where the only cause behind an anime is money?

I'm guessing this point is where your idea that most anime is garbage steps in, huh?[quote name='Dagger IX1']When someone is in the business solely to get rich, chances are not all of his or her endeavors will end up having much artistic value. It just concerns me when fans seem to think a person can't try to eke out a living and at the same time produce something special and artistically noteworthy. It's an attitude I've seen here and there (not from you, however).[/quote]Well, that's certainly a valid point: everyone does things that they don't like to do (or don't care about). Does that make their contributions any different: for better or for worse?

Anime (and all liberal arts) aren't as objective as science or math, so the answer doesn't necessarily have to be "it doesn't matter," since the drive could actually affect the end product. Going back to art, it's not like a person will lose her talent if she one day decides to draw solely for the sake of money. At the same time, will the same "soul" be in the work?

And yes, I know I'm not answering anything and only reiterating the questions presented. That's not going to stop me from doing from doing it anyway. :p[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]There are issues in a straightforward manga --> anime conversion that don't always extend to original anime movies or series. So that might complicate things a bit in continuing to use Naruto as an example, although I definitely understand your point. Do you mind PMing me about the spoiler? I'm just curious about which part I was off on, heh. :p

EDIT: I forgot to say this earlier--awesome banner![/QUOTE]Well, it's not like original anime is any different: corners are cut, but they are harder to see because we don't have a reference to go by. If we compare future episodes with earlier ones, I bet there are a few undesired changes we can catch. But, I really can't think of a long-running series that was not based off a manga (at least off the top of my head), haha.

I'll PM you soon, and thank you.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Godelsensei]

[COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]I'm reminded of an incoherent rant I read in the Letters to the Editor section of the Globe once, from an angry lady complaining about how Sailor Moon was only ever created to advertise the dolls.
She obviously had no clue as to the origin of the show (manga, dattebaiyo), and was making assumptions based on the complete lack of knowledge about the franchise she had within her grasp.

The show has, since its manga origins, been bastardized, over-marketed, and, now, every one knows about it and thinks it's an add for dolls.
Such is the case with countless titles, not only within anime. Movies based on books can suck endless amounts of crap, but the book itself can have been brilliant and the author whole-hearted about writing it.
Then, some one sees this, and decides to milk the product, without any regard for authenticity or sincerity.

Another example I think you could take would be Fred Gallagher's brain-child: MegaTokyo. MT started out as a quick series of sketches the man did to humour his friend, however, they soon took over his life and are now extremely popular, having precipitated two published books (third one coming out this January, as far as I am aware), t-shirts, posters, cosplay concepts, wallpapers, avatars, sweaters, art-supply mini-markets, and even [i]beer mugs[/i].
The man's gained quite a hefty international fanbase, yet his [i]manga[/i] has remained touching, funny, and utterly enjoyable, constantly gaining new fans.

There's gotta be some art left in what you're doing if you're able to uphold that kind of standard and even let it take over your life, as we so often read every one from Seraphim to SGD whining about.

It all depends on who's behind the work. Some people will sell out as soon as they know it's safe to do so, others will beat themselves up over the concept of such things.

I actually touched on this issue, a few chapters ago, in "How To Learn Engrish", down in the ol' OB Anthology [/shameless plug].

Basically, you have heartfelt, successful, inspired and inspiring work, and then you have over-marketed, watered-down, pornography of whatever medium or title. And I don't mean pornography as in sex, I mean pornography as in, "This is Yu-Gi-Oh!, buy our products, we'll even show you how to use them, only in a way you'll never be able to replicate."

You can't clump all movies, books, and their creators together. Every one is different, and every story has the potential to be raped and dragged through the mud. Some people are just sincere enough about what they do to not let this happen to their work.

Regarding Pokemon: I am a Pokemon fiend. I have spent countless hours seeing how fast I could beat whatever version of the game, and love to, even now, crack out the old GBC and kick the Elite Four's collective ***** into the next universe, just because it's that much fun.

You could say the Pokemon franchise has been raped and dragged through the mud over and over again, but it's still damn good stuff, as far as I'm concerned, for the most part. My friend recently bought a psyduck clock, knowing it was a lame marketing scheme, but it's still the Best Thing Ever, and always will be.

Pokemon is an institution, a symbol of modern culture, something we'll all identify with when we're old and complaining of back pain. We'll think back on Pokemon and remember the good old days, when every one knew the difference between real and fake cards and could convey even the most complex emotions in three or four variations on "Pikachu."[/FONT][/COLOR]

[PWNED]

I feel that I should bring my two cents into this conversation.

Two begin not all animes are[I][U][B] originally[/B][/U][/I] shows that they are just making to go along with merchandise for it. I said originally because of one reason- The longer a show lasts the less the creators care about the series and more about the merchandise. But another thing to look at is the fact that Little kids do not care about how good a show is so that when another peice of merchandise is released the kids view something like ' Buy the new Yu-Gi-Oh Cards and you'll be cool' or crap like that.


It also doesn't help that the show is actually merchandise for something else eg
: Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh or Duel-masters , It makes it facist-bullshwa-crap in my opinion because the guys are only watching for dollars and listening for crinkling bills. That's right, It's a conspiracy!

[EVA Unit 100]

[quote name='Solo Tremaine][COLOR=#503F86']Duel Masters[/COLOR][/quote]

If you were talking about the original Japanese version, you'd be right. However, the dub of the show tries to be less of a Yu-Gi-Oh clone and more of a parody. There is still the selling-cards-to-kids thing in the concept, but the actual diolauge is just plain silly. Any anime where out of nowhere characters say stuff like "I love flashbacks as much as the next kid, but we've already seen this one 4 times since episode 10 and it's getting annoying" or "Iiiiiiii ssssoouuunnnndddddd aaaawwwwwwweeeesssssssoooooommmmmmme iiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn sssssllllllloooooooowww-mmmooo!" is certainly worth a laugh for me.

Anyway, while series like Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and even G Gundam get on my nerves, I'm fine with commercially-successful anime as long as it's good, although it is a pain occasionally when some fans make out a show to be greater than it is (Inu-Yasha being one of the biggest examples of this). Ultimately many of the animes that aren't commercial successes that proclaim themselves "high-art" are usually just trying to use elements from a few high-end successful animes (usually Evangelion or something) and repurpose those few elements into a package of a lower-quality than where those elements came from (Kon's movies are some of the expeceptions to this rule). Most of the animes I would personally consider to truely be art, such as Evangelion, Bebop, FLCL, FMA, and Miyazaki's movies to name a few, actually tend to be ones of relative comercial success.