Anime The similarity effect

[animeloyalist91]

The similarity effect is the animes that repeat the same shows. For example Evangelion and Rahxephon if you watch both of them back to back it is like watching the same anime twice. has anyone noticed this effect in other animes.

[eleanor]

[color=dimgray] That similarity effect is present in probably everything, including anime. People will inevitably repeat themes and popular styles, but the idea is that you make it into your own. Case in point, Evangelion vs. Rahxephon. Incredibly similar, but when you actually watch both of them, Rahxephon definately comes into its own. Most people will say Rahxephon does a better job of it, although Evangelion is just respected as a classic. I don't like either series that much, but I'm partial to Evangelion because I found Rahxephon dull.

There will always be similar elements in anime that are in the same genre, and similar elements when it comes to characterization. Example: Most heroes/heroines, in books, movies, anime, whatever are usually orphaned, is missing one parent, or have had some sort of traumatizing event. It's expected.[/color]

[Zen]

[color=darkgreen][size=1]

Agreed.

It's rare to find anything really original now a days, simply because almost everything has been done before. It's rare to come across an anime, or anythign for that fact, that is original all together. The last ones that comes to mind for me are [B]Samurai Champloo[/B] and [B]FLCL[/B]. The reason SC is so original is because it took the [B]Cowboy Bebop[/B] musical basis and transfered it to hip hop, which has never really been done in anime. [B]FLCL[/B] does it because it is just so very weird.

But even though concepts may not be as original, the actual execution of several anime causes them to be original in themselves. Case in point: [B]Cowboy Bebop[/B] and [B]Outlaw Star[/B]. Both have a very basic principle. Bounty Hunters in Space. Now, past that, how many similarities can you name for those two series?

So, even though originality in concept may be waning, there is still alot of room left for originality in execution.[/color][/size]

[Dagger]

[quote name='animeloyalist91']The similarity effect is the animes that repeat the same shows. For example Evangelion and Rahxephon if you watch both of them back to back it is like watching the same anime twice. has anyone noticed this effect in other animes.[/quote]
Or you could put it this way: shows [i]from the same genre[/i] tend to be similar. Not to be rude, but this isn't some remarkable phenomenon like chaos theory or whatever. :p

But to treat your topic seriously, the first series that came to mind for me were works associated with Kunihiko Ikuhara, Yoji Enkido, et al. Ikuhara directed Revolutionary Girl Utena and several seasons of Sailor Moon (I thought it was just S and Super S, but maybe I'm wrong?). Yoji Enkido took care of scripting duties for many episodes of Sailor Moon; he had an even bigger role in writing for Utena and Melody of Oblivion. Now he's working on Ouran High School Host Club.

There aren't overt storyline similarities between Utena and Sailor Moon, but you can really see how Ikuhara drew on ideas that he had previously experimented with in Sailor Moon when he created Utena. For instance, Haruka's car is a great example of this. Many of the Sailor Moon S enemy attacks are done in a surreal, comedic style that made me, as an Utena fan, feel weirdly nostalgic. Similar sexual undertones (which are more overt in Utena) can be found in Sailor Moon as well.

Melody of Oblivion has been admiringly called Revolutionary Boy Bocca, and that's not too far off the mark. It's clear that Yoji Enkido had Utena in mind as he wrote it. Pleasantly enough, comparisons between Utena and MoO are usually phrased in a way that compliments both series. But anyway, it's virtually impossible not to notice the stylistic similarities.

Enkido is also on the staff of Ouran High School Host Club. While it's much more down-to-earth and light-hearted than something like MoO, I agree with those who have labeled it a post-Utena series. The visual metaphors used in each episode are the most obvious instances of Ouran having been influenced by Utena.

~Dagger~

[Fasteriskhead]

I think I've said this at too much length elsewhere, but we really shouldn't even start talking about whether or not something's original until we have some idea of what the word "originality" means, which right now I think we only understood in a completely vague way (and please don't tell me "something's original if you haven't seen it before," "originality is just an opinion" etc.). If we don't accomplish this kind of rethinking of originality then I'm afraid any discussion we can have is just going to amount to dissecting shows to find out who influenced what, constantly arguing over whether some little thing is "new" or just derived from something else, or diving back into the past to try to find some mythical ur-show that was created totally in isolation. It becomes a hunt for [I]novelty[/I], and novelty doesn't have anything to do with being original. And it's a hunt that takes us away from what we should really be doing, which is watching these shows and trying to follow how they move.

Maybe I'm being too much of an old fogey here. Now, of course we're going to naturally compare this show to that show and say that one mech looks like another, one character is designed like a second, one scene is obviously a homage to an older one, etc.. There's nothing wrong with this, but I find it mostly superficial and unimportant. For instance, in the Evangelion/Rahxephon case there are clearly countless little parallels between the shows (the music, the ending, the violence in some of the fights, the cryptic bad guys, the conspiratorial stuff, etc.) but ultimately, if you're paying attention, you should notice that they really think completely differently. Evangelion (I'm showing a bit of my hand here) is a show about children - "childhood" understood here not as a certain age but as being in an alienated, lonely, needy state in-between the womb (nourishment from one's mother) and adulthood (when one is capable of supporting oneself and truly loving others). Now, Rahxephon doesn't have anything to do with this. Rahxephon thinks in terms of the escape and overthrowing of a false present by way of reappropriating the truth of the past... which, again, is not what Eva's doing at all. And uh, I don't have the time to go into this any more deeply here. But those are the kernels for the shows, anyways.

A clearer way of putting all of the above is to say that it's much more rewarding to see what a show is [I]doing[/I], how it thinks and moves and poses itself, rather than just what it looks like superficially. Doing this obviously requires that we pay very, very close attention, which is more difficult than it sounds.

[Guest KamikazeTenshi]

I noticed that in three anime accually. Azumanga Daioh is simialar to Pani Poni DASH! and Pani Poni DASH! is also similar to Doki Doki School Hours at the same time. Even though their similar their all rather loveable series. Pani Poni DASH! can relate to Doki Doki School Hours, because of Rebecca the fact that the's an eleven year old genius and Mika-sensei in the fact that she's unreasonably short(which causes them both not to be taken seriously). Both of them are also loved to death by their students. I can't really pick out specific elements from Azumanga Daioh (I've never accually seen anything but a couply of chapters of the manga and a trailor for the anime) but as far as I can see, Himeko (Ahoge) is very compairable to a cross betwean Chiyo and Osaka.

[animeloyalist91]

[QUOTE=Lunox][color=dimgray] That similarity effect is present in probably everything, including anime. People will inevitably repeat themes and popular styles, but the idea is that you make it into your own. Case in point, Evangelion vs. Rahxephon. Incredibly similar, but when you actually watch both of them, Rahxephon definately comes into its own. Most people will say Rahxephon does a better job of it, although Evangelion is just respected as a classic. I don't like either series that much, but I'm partial to Evangelion because I found Rahxephon dull.

[/color][/QUOTE]

That is not true at all. The ending of Rahxephon and evangelion are All most the ezact samething [spoiler]the human filling other humans souls.[/spoiler] BigO I have never seen an anime like that. As for Outlaw star and Cowboy bebop I can not see any similaritys the are two anime's in there own. As for that poni dash thing I have not seen the anime so I have noting to say for it.

[Dagger]

[quote name='animeloyalist91]That is not true at all. The ending of Rahxephon and evangelion are All most the ezact samething the [spoiler]human filling other humans souls.[/spoiler'] [/quote]
Huh? If that's what you think, you need to see RahXephon again. I won't delve into the nitty gritty details, but the way the two shows wrap themselves up couldn't be more different, regardless of whether you're talking about their TV endings or their movie endings.

~Dagger~

[Zen]

[quote name='animeloyalist91']As for Outlaw star and Cowboy bebop I can not see any similaritys the are two anime's in there own. [/quote]

[color=darkgreen][size=1]

When I made this statement I meant that as an example. [B]Cowboy Bebop[/B] and [B]Outlaw Star[/B] are similar in their 'original' concept of putting the wild west bounty hunter in a futuristic space enviroment. Past their, the two series have zero similarities. That is what I meant in making my point. While basic premise and concept may be missing 'originality', the actual execution of the series and the plot line are completely original.

That is what I meant.[/color][/size]

[animeloyalist91]

Let me re frase myself It is not humans filling humans it is humans [spoiler]trying to make a god.[/spoiler] Also outlaw star and cowboy bepop are not the same I am refering to the over all plot If I am right then in outlaw star they were [spoiler]serching for a tresure[/spoiler] to but in cowboy bepop spike was [spoiler]looking for julie and trying to kill vicous.[/spoiler] There carrer is not what i am saying is similar. The over all plot is what I am talking about. As for samuri champloo and Flcl they are nothing alike not even in the same gene.

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1][INDENT]animeloyalist91, I added spoiler tags to your post. You can't reveal plot elements without covering them up with the spoiler tags. It ruines the series/movie for those who haven't seen it yet. [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=46199]Click here[/url] to read more about spoiler tags.
Not only that, I can barely understand what you're trying to say. Work on your spelling, work on your grammar, and work on when you should make a new paragraph. Not only will nobody reply if your post is beyond comprehension, it's against the rules. [URL=http://otakuboards.com/rules.php?]Click here[/URL] to read the rules.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or any of the other mods. -r2[/INDENT][/SIZE][/COLOR]