Anime Anime Fads/Phases

[Sora]

I don't mean to be an ***... but what is it with people and these type shows? I mean every likes something different, totally acceptable, but it just seems to me that there was about twenty people that said "DBZ IS DA SHIZNIT!" and everyone said "Hey... they're cool right? I want to be like them... They like DBZ? Oh, ok then." I mean, I won't lie, that's exactly what I did. Now I realize how dumb that is, but I'm curious if that's what everyone else is doing. I mean it's Poke'mon, Digimon, Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Naruto, Yu-Gi-Oh... they're all the same thing basically. Very little variation, but as it's "the new thing" it's automatically "a-da coolness." Where's the fun in that?

[Kenshin DX]

Diffrent storkes for diffrent folks my friend.I can see this turning into a flame war so dont get upset if it gets closed.

[r2vq]

I don't see a problem with this thread as long as everyone who posts keeps their posts clean and courteous. I changed the Thread Title to make it a little more clear though.

In fact, I have to agree with Sora in some aspects. Since I'm not very old, I was able to experience the Pokémon and Digimon fads as part of their main target audience when they were in their prime. I did fall into the trap of the Pokémon fad for a little while, but I like to think that I've grown since then. I've even begun to notice fads with current fans.

Bleach seems to be a very big thing right now, but I refuse to be pulled into a series that I don't like. Inuyasha is big on TV right now but that, too, I cannot stomach.

I think, maybe, we all follow Anime fads at one point in our Anime-lives, at least until we become more confident with our own tastes and who we really are.

-Arvi

[bellpickle]

[SIZE=1]I can understand your annoyance towards those who enjoy an anime series because it's the "In Thing," but many of the anime you listed simply have mass appeal. If an anime is popular, that fact certainly doesn't imply that all its fans are jumping on the fandom bandwagon.

Being a huge fan of Naruto, I can confidently say that most other fans I've met are just that, fans. People who truly enjoy the work for what it is.[/SIZE]

[Dagger]

I understand that this can be irritating, but it's not really worth getting worked up over...

On the other hand, there have been times when a show's popularity has made it more difficult for me to get into it. It took me multiple attempts to work past the first two episodes of FMA (and I still think they're awful!). It's a lot easier to make snap judgments when you go into something with high expectations, I think. A more recent example of this is Fate/stay night. I watched the first episode, loathed it, and was ready to give up on the show forever--hype be damned.

But I'm actually going to stick with Fate/stay night anyway, though that's mainly because I like Archer & Rin and because I want to find out [spoiler]who all the Servants really are[/spoiler] without cheating and reading spoilers. I'm also hoping against hope that Shirou will eventually die the fiery death of a thousand suns. On the off chance that it ever happens, I want to be there to see it. :p

~Dagger~

[Dark Neko-Chan]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Hm. Well, I really don't know which animes are massively popular right now (I never know what's popular in anything, not like I care) the only ones I can recall ever registering as "popular" are Yu-Gi-Oh!, Poke'mon, and Digimon- all of which I, personally, loved at the time. But I can see how that would get annoying and to a certain degree, I have experienced it- people loving something one minute then turning around and saying, "Oh, that's not cool anymore. This is!"
I have a friend who will be really into a band and then do exactly what I described in the above paragraph. At one time she was really, [I]really[/I] into Green Day, like, bordering on the obssesive. Then, like, two months later, she dropped them and got into, what was it? Hawthorne Hieghts, was it? I dunno, but now she's all, "Oh, I don't like them anymore- they're too emo. Mindless Self Indulgence is the best band ever."
Now, I do have to admit that she has good taste in music (except Franz Ferdinand) but the fad hopping is unbelievabley annoying (does that with her fashion statments, too,)

In my opinion, it's stupid to be sucked into fads. If the new fad is... whatever, InuYasha, and you decide to do what's cool and buy all this InuYasha stuff and then when it goes out of style- Oh! Look! You wasted all that money chasing a fad! Congratulations! And near the end of the Yu-Gi-Oh! fad, I knew a guy who said, "Huh. In a few more weeks, no one will care about Yu-Gi-Oh! anymore."
And it's absolutely true. All fads die a slow death as they quietly slip into obscurity- like N*Sync and Christina Agulaira. (*gags*)

But if you like something that's popular because you like it and not because its the "new, cool thing" then that's cool because you will undoubtedly like it even after it's no longer popular. And if you feel that way, then you're a true fan. It's easy for one to claim that they are a fan of something- of a fad- but once it loses it's popularity, they drop it like hot steel. I suppose that being a true fan is something of a commitment. It's one thing if you watch the show, collect the merchandise, and know the story like the back of your hand, but none of that is necessary if you have a passion for the program... Well, then you have license to call yourself a fan.

Eh. I feel as if this was an entirely pointless post, but those are my thoughts on it. Gomen.:animeswea [/COLOR]

[KatanaViolet]

Hey, people got to start somewhere.
The mainstream is a great way to start getting into anime, then you can start discovering lesser known animes.
Inu Yasha could be considered a fad because of it's popularity, but it's an awesome anime, so who cares? Besides, most tv stations that have anime will broadcast an anime for an amount of time, and then show something else.
Escaflowne was on YTV for a while, but then was taken off. And it's still a good anime.
My points are kind of jumbled, but what I'm trying to say is don't get your panties in a knot over it.:catgirl:

[Guest AmikoYamamoto]

[COLOR=SandyBrown]I guess that there are fads or cycles in anime, but that seems to be the way of most things. Certain formulas work and those are what I guess pays the bills for the major networks. I love watching Azumanga Daioh, but I don't know if the majority of the target audience would? I guess it all depends on whether or not money can be made. I remember before Naruto was popular that my local Kinokunia had a bunch of Naruto stuff, and the minute that it became popular it all disapeared. Same with Sudoku. I agree with KatanaViolet, fads are fads, but the good shows we'll watch again and again.[/COLOR]

[chobits743]

Well, I havent gone through the big phases yet, but I am figuring out how some of them are contagious.

[Shi no Tenshi]

Hey I liked Pokemon. I still like Pokemon. Not on the same level I did when I was a younging though - it's sort of on a 'burst-out-into-theme-tune-at-uni' level & 'imitate-Arfenhouse-Pikachu-voice' level. It's all in good fun, I never have regretted falling into a fad because at the time it entertained me (and in the case of Pokemon, still does XD).

I don't really keep up with current anime. I like the anime I own.

[Delta]

[COLOR=#656446][SIZE=1][b][/b]

I've yet to watch any of the series you mentioned, Sora, although watching a recent episode of Naruto made me wish that I followed it from Episode 1.

I think the reason why people emulate other people when it comes to what anime series to worship is 'cause the series guarantees a rollickin' good time. With all those favorable feedback and l33t testimonies, it's nigh impossible that the series will fail to entertain them. Rarely can anime fans sample a series without having to buy it so to get their money's worth, they often choose to go by the opinion of other fans (which really is the closest thing they have for a recommendation).

EDIT: If you're really bugging about these fads, don't. Because they're fads/phases, they'll pass, you know? [/SIZE][/COLOR]