Anime Anime: Why Do You Like It?

[Guest elemental_shark]

For the school newspaper, I'm writing an article on anime and its influences. (Or something like that. (Oddly enough, it was inspired by the local manga-bashing anime/manga hater, who referred to the fans as a "cult.")

In any case, I'd like to hear some stories from fans other than my friends. So...what kinds of anime and manga do you like, if there's anything you like in particular? How much are you into them, and what do you think of anime and manga altogether?

Also, I want to know people's views on manga versus anime, dubs versus subs, dubbing companies, translations, etc. It'd be interesting to know.

I apologize if this is in the wrong category; I think it's the right one, though I may be wrong.

[Andy]

Well, I like anime because it is cool to watch or read. And as for what kind of anime and manga I like, it would be action/adventure/fantasy/comedy. I usually watch or read anime every day because I have nothing better to do. And about the manga versus anime thing, well it depends on how much the company that produces the anime has edited the story and stuff, but other than that I usually read the manga.

[QuincyArcher]

Well I grew up watching anime so it really just seems natural to me that i love it. But i tend to prefer anime in general over pretty much 95% of the stuff you'll find on american TV mainly because in america there are so many guidelines and standards about political correctness, religion, ethics and what have you that they always have to watch out for, where as in japan none of that even exists. And i believe that stuff like that really allows the developers/producers to be a lot more flexible and make a show that much more funny/dramatic/exciting or just whatever and i think it really shows in anime.

There are a lot of people who just like to classify anime with "cartoons" and while thats not completely wrong, i think anime is way more than that. I see it as more of an art form if anything. And one thing that i love about anime is that no matter what your tastes are theres always an anime for you. Myself in particular i really love comedies and romance/drama animes, but then again i like pretty much every genre out there.

Also in regards to your inquiry about dubs vs. subbs etc. I honestly can't stand a majority of english dubs when it comes to anime, the voices always seem mis-cast and you just can't feel the emotion in the english voices actor/actresses voices like you can in it's original japanese state. Also (and this may sound kinda wierd) but i just think that anime should be watched in it's natural state, watching it in english just seems as logical as watching some of my favorite american movies in french or something, it just doesn't fit.

i think i've rambled on a bit too long, so i'll just stop there, hope all that even makes sense to you :D and good luck with your article.

[xmystic_silverx]

I think I started watching anime when I was in third grade. Of course, I never knew that pokemon was an anime (I don't think I even knew the word [I]anime[/I] back then) or that it was even from japan.

Then in fifth grade I started watching Tenchi Muyo, Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, Card Captors and Digimon and I had a period of time when I was obsessed with them. At that age I still didn't know that they were called anime. I just watched them because they were cooler looking than Spongebob and the characters were so likable.

Then after I got a computer I learned a lot about the anime that I liked and I contiued to watch more and read manga, too.

Now, I read more manga than watch anime. Mangas can be just as interesting as a novel. The only difference is that it's drawn out in comic style and it reads from right to left (or atleast, thats the only difference to me)t. Reading manga and watching anime entertains me. There are simply too many reasons to list of why I like it. I don't know if I'm sure of why I like it; I just do.

[kagomefruitcup]

i thinks its is diffrent and more interesting than regular cartoons and it shows there emotions. That always cracks me up the way they fall to the ground when they say somthing stupid. Plus most animes have the best story lines which relate to human life. Well thats my opinion

[PaganAngel]

I guess my best answer is the feeling of being a fan. I mean, if you read a lot of regular books, you're probably not going to call yourself a crazed book fan. With anime it's different. Fans are really tight-knit. It's a community of otaku and I love it.

Another reason... it's art. It breaks the bounds of the mundane. So much effort (for the most part) goes into the details and I truly appreciate it. It's simply poetry in motion. It's like a completely different reality. Wow, I suck at explaining. I guess liking something is an abstract kind of thing. Like asking a person, why do you like chocolate? Because I like the taste of it. Why do I like anime? Because I like the feel of it.

[DarkRini]

Mostly because of the intersting characters. They all have an interesting background and traits that a cartoon character probably would never have. The story is also more serious and is almost like live action shows instead of it just being a random episode full of quirky jokes, even thought there are some anime out there like that.

[visualkei]

I like anime because it is not only geared towards children, but adults as well.

It touches on many mature issues such as love (family, intimate), war, hate, sex, power, revenge, sacrifice, honor and death. Just because it's animated, doesn't make it any less appealing as a way to story-tell. By using animation, it's quite flexible in expressing these issues.

Not only that but the humor kills me sometimes. Anime humor is hilarious, and crude sometimes. It's hard translating Japanese word play for English-speakers, so I give them props every time I get a good laugh.

Some people see anime on the surface, and I don't blame them, seeing how there are selected EDITED anime on certain tv channels. Most of the time I don't think American tv anime does the original much justice. And it takes a personal initiative to seek out anime not shown on tv and manga comics, too.

Some people are obsessed with anime. Oh, well. There are people everywhere who are obsessed with things, tv-related, cars, celebrities, etc. Anime obsessed people are quite harmless.

[Guest elemental_shark]

Gyah! I forgot to mention--I turned in the article on Friday. Wrote it in about an hour and a half, thanks to a softball game and a very annoying one-page limit, including pictures. Which, in my opinion, is much too short for on-my-own writing like this.
Anyway, thanks people.

I guess I'll put my own views.

I don't think I gravitate towards any type in particular, though I'm a big fantasy fan in particular. Anime consists of...really, the majority of what I watch on TV. All of it, not counting what I watch on TV during dinner. Overall...I personally really like it, though I'm fully aware that it's just my views.

In the matter of dubs, I tend to associate more with whatever I knew first. So if at first I only know the dub, I'll probably like it a little more than if I knew the original stuff first. I haven't really watched subs much, so yeah. The same "first" thing usually goes for names, though occasionally I switch back and forth, like for Hikaru no Go. (Random: upon hearing them, I loved the Hikaru no Go voices because they seemed to perfectly fit the mental voices I gave them while reading the manga in Shonen Jump; the dub is what got me started more on Hikaru no Go, and now it's one of my favorites.) I'm very annoyed at 4KIDS, though, in regards to Yu-gi-oh GX; I still flinch upon hearing "Chazz it up!"...and the dubbing of "Ed Phoenix" was very much unnecessary, in my opinion, unless there's some requirement that all names have to be changed.

I honestly have no idea why I'm such a big fan. I know little things--the fact that the vast majority of my fanfiction is for anime, or the fact that I'm strangely obsessed with Judai from Yu-gi-oh GX--but I don't know exactly why. Possibly/probably because I've practically grown up with Pokemon and eventually got into other stuff, but I'm not entirely sure. I just go with it, I guess.

[Zen]

[color=dimgray][size=1]

Much like [B]Quincy Archer[/B], I grew up with anime. Comic books and anime have been the most consistent thing in my entire life in terms of liking it and having it available. Another thing about anime is the fact that it's basically an animated comic book. It provides the stage for dramatic and complex stories to be told while allowing for much more dynamic and stylized action compared to the average live action show or movie.

Another factor which causes me to like anime (and comics, which includes manga) is the fact that I am an artist. I feel like anime/comics are a tangible thing for me to use as reference material when I want to draw something a certain way. Also, it gives me hope that when I grow older, all my doodling and whatnot will not have gone to waste and that I may have a career in something I love very much. Not anime persé, but comics atleast with that anime stylization.

But honestly, look at anime in general and what they get away with while still looking cool. 15 year old kids piloting giant robots and being killed? I don't think you could pass that off in a live action show. Same could be said for 9 year old's losing major limbs and people literally exploding. If it weren't for anime, several really amazing and deep story's would have never been told. So three cheers... [/color][/size]

[Guest Joshelplex]

I like anime because the fight scenes, stories, and comedy are better than in american cartoons. Plus, americans are always worried about pissing off catholics (who I hate) while the japanese dont care so they cn have religion bashing stories.

[Fyxe]

[size=1][color=slategray]Why do people enjoy anything they like? It's just your tastes, certain things attract you and that's that. Anime/manga are just another category to add to the world of tastes. Makes life a little less pointless.

As for me, I don't really know how I got into anime. My first anime was Digimon and I'm proud to say so. I remember, when I was younger, racing home every day from school just to catch the newest episode at 4:00 on FOX. I never had cable, so it was really the only interesting thing (besides Power Rangers, of course) for a first/second grader to watch. When I was older and finally had access to cable, I stumbled across Toonami/Midnight Run and Adult Swim. Something about anime just captivated me. Sparked my interest. I really loved the artwork, not like your everyday animation and sloppy, nothing special American works. The story lines were something different, too.
Then I got away from more of the "mainstream" stuff shown on Cartoon Network and found out how interesting, original, and mature some anime could be. With that I found manga, too. Which I found to be superior to most of the anime I'd watched before. Another thing I loved was the variety, I'm sure if everyone looked, they'd be able to find an anime series they enjoyed.
I don't know. Anime is just... in my tastes.

"Cult" you say? No, no. You want to know a cult? ... my Charlie the Unicorn followers. I regret ever showing that to ANYONE. Now, wherever I go... all I hear is... "Chaaaarrrrrrrllllliiiiiiiieeeeeeeee"... well, at least it's better than people quoting Harry Potter Puppet Pals. XD
I hate cults.
[/rant][/color][/size]

[kyogrl]

i like anime because its something different and is way better than the american cartoons on tv. anime has good graphics and the characters are awesome!! it also has good stories and some can be very funny!! i also like the fighting scenes and has better romance scenes that american cartoons!!! lol!!! i also like anime because when you watch you can picture yourself in the show... well thats what i think. well this is why i like anime eventhough people think its weird. which anime is not weird at all its just different from everything else :catgirl:

[HitokiriTaijiya]

[QUOTE=elemental_shark]
In any case, I'd like to hear some stories from fans other than my friends. So...what kinds of anime and manga do you like, if there's anything you like in particular? How much are you into them, and what do you think of anime and manga altogether?

Also, I want to know people's views on manga versus anime, dubs versus subs, dubbing companies, translations, etc. It'd be interesting to know.
[/QUOTE]

Why do I like anime? Well the short answer is because American cartoons have come to suck so badly... The long of it is it's just different. It's not constrained by standards the way American cartoons have come to be. Also there's generally an actual story arc that each series follows, whereas American shows tend to be episodic.

I find the characters in animes to be more believable. You often get flashbacks to their past, which makes you understand their reasons for doing things better. Bad guys aren't just the stock bad guy out to take over the world because he can. They generally have credible motives behind why they attack the heros.

And last, but certainly not least: All the hot guys!

Manga vs anime: Manga! When I was an anime n00b, I said I liked anime better because it's in color and you got to see the people move and hear them talk. But now that I've actually read the mangas of some of the animes I've seen, I've come to like them so much that i stopped liking their anime counterparts. Some animes completely butcher the story (such as Yuugiou and Rurounin Kenshin) and take far too many liberties with the characters.

Sub vs dub: Generally, I prefer the subbed versions because the seiyuu (Japanese voice actors) are just so natural to the characters. They put their heart and soul into their work, whereas a lot of the time the dub actors seem like they're just reading from a script. The poorest dub I ever came across was Shaman King! They butchered it! Thehy changed some of the characters' names and made them stupid and annoying.

I'm very much against the cutting and dumbing down of anime simply to make it more kid-friendly. A lot of animes that are shown on children's TV over here aren't even meant for children originally, but teens and adults. Consequently, all the deep, violent and sexual stuff is edited out, sometimes fundamentally changing the story. There are animes that are made specifically for children. Why not just show those instead of butchering animes made for older people?

Dubbing companies: Some are good. Some suck. The people who did Inuyasha need to take pronunciation lessons (kilala!), but the people who did Wolf's Rain and Cowboy Bebop did a fine job.

[Guest 5ilv3r F0x]

Well, I like anime and manga because it lets you to step into another world. Its every way that you want the world to be and some people can really get into it. You see, Im the kind of person that does not like this world very much, so it helps me LIVE so to speek. People in anime also tend to LOOK better. For lack of better words "eye candy". I know that does not seem right, but thats not the only reson that I like anime. Its just fun to read and watch and its a way I can connect to people I dont even really know and get closer to the people I do know.
The story lines can be so deep and meaningful that it really makes you think. Apart from that, I love to read and watch TV anyway. I think that the word would be a better place if the U.S started making local stations on TV that played anime shows only so that we could all watch it. There is already a growing number of people that like it in the U.S, so why not make it more public? Add some more stores around town that sell JUST anime and Japanese stuff. They would make a killing if the just advertised a little more you know what I mean?

[Wolf2gto]

Personally when it comes to anime i love adventure/fantasy with a love interest thrown in. Like for instance Inuyasha or DNangel. But it also has to have some comedy. It seams that when you look at what people say are there favorite's most of them fall into those catigories. The random ones like FLCL are also a personal favorite :animesmil I also thing that another big reason i love anime so much is it lets me imagine im in another reality seeing as i dont really like the one we live in.

[PaganAngel]

First, 5ilv3r F0x, you totally stole that sig from my "You Might Be a Gravitation Fan If" article... I won't hold it against you, though.

Second, another thing someone brought up I agree with: the characters are appealing. They have deep backgrounds and multi-dimensional personalities like something out of a soap opera, but unlike a soap opera they're not limited to physical possiblility (or Hollywood special effects), so fantastical stories are possible without being corny plus they can be immensely deep. A nice combo, if you ask me.

[Anime_Kami]

I like anime because, compared to any other cartoons, the artwork seems pretty realistic. And, also the artwork is very pretty, with all the sparkles, and bubbles and all that stuff. I love to draw, so one of the greatest things I like about anime is their eyes. It's so unique.

[GaarasStalker]

[FONT=Trebuchet][SIZE=1]Well, for a quick counter (cause I can't resist): Anime fans are much more docile than sports fans. Therefore, being obsessed with anime is better. Hahahaha.

Onto the topic...

Anime seems more intelligent to me, unlike other TV shows where you don't have to see the previous episode to get the others. You don't have to fit in a plot into a half-hour, but instead have almost limitless possiblilities. Therefore, plots are much more intricate and engaging. Don't get me wrong, I like half-hour shows! But when I feel intelligent (heh) anime is it.

The art is a huge factor too. I like the style, period. Just a personal prefrence. The characters are diverse and have definite qualities. Not much on that because it's not too big of an issue.

With developed plots and characters, it also leaves room for imagination (fanart, fanfiction especially). There's enough room to play around with different possibilities and float theroies, but not enough that you have no idea what's happening.

All in all, anime seems very well put-together and thought out. I enjoy it, and lastly? It's not a cult. :sweat:

[/FONT][/SIZE]

[KyuubiKhaos]

[QUOTE=xmystic_silverx]I think I started watching anime when I was in third grade. Of course, I never knew that pokemon was an anime (I don't think I even knew the word [I]anime[/I] back then) or that it was even from japan.

Then in fifth grade I started watching Tenchi Muyo, Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, Card Captors and Digimon and I had a period of time when I was obsessed with them. At that age I still didn't know that they were called anime. I just watched them because they were cooler looking than Spongebob and the characters were so likable.

Then after I got a computer I learned a lot about the anime that I liked and I contiued to watch more and read manga, too.

Now, I read more manga than watch anime. Mangas can be just as interesting as a novel. The only difference is that it's drawn out in comic style and it reads from right to left (or atleast, thats the only difference to me)t. Reading manga and watching anime entertains me. There are simply too many reasons to list of why I like it. I don't know if I'm sure of why I like it; I just do.[/QUOTE]


the thing about anime is that it's totally unique and original. it also covers a vast area of categories. i totally agree with and feel the same way as who i'm quoting. pokemon got me into anime, although i didnt know what it was. then DBZ and Digimon came into my life, and i [B]still[/B] didnt know what it was.

when i got Cartoon Network, i started watching Adult Swim, then i found out what what anime was. and i had an excellent introduction to it too, because i watched quality shows such as Cowboy Bebop and YuYu Hakusho. Then Inuyasha came, and I immediately became an otaku.

Anime is a [B]very[/B] unique art form, and should be respected as such. :p

[Guest ZelldaKimiTensh]

i think that people like this type of thing b/c it lets them feel and go and do thing that they cant or wouldn't in the every day life.sorry if this didn't help!

[Funny Girl]

[COLOR=Lime]I like anime for it can be helpful in life or not, but you also get different views of different lives and so forth. Still anime has helped me through a lot of troubles like school and relationships. Anime is also cool to watch and see what it's like to be in the character's shoes and believe that you're part of the anime and other things that may seem silly to others.[/COLOR]

[Guest Killer.Shinobu]

Well,i read it because I am in to Japanease things well i am Japanease but thats not the point I read it becuz it is entertaining and some romantic I also find it intresting that formaley the books were written in Japanease than translated and re-written into English just for us I feel so special ^^ :animeswea

-------

[quote name='Guardian Angel][COLOR=Lime']I like anime for it can be helpful in life or not, but you also get different views of different lives and so forth. Still anime has helped me through a lot of troubles like school and relationships. Anime is also cool to watch and see what it's like to be in the character's shoes and believe that you're part of the anime and other things that may seem silly to others.[/COLOR][/quote]


I agree with you Guardian because it can teach life lessons

[COLOR=#b9a336][SIZE=1][B] Killer.Shinobu[/B] Please don't double post, if you have the need to add something to your origional post, please use the edit post button in the lower right hand part of the screen. Also please watch your post quality, right now your second post is below the standards of what we expect at Otakuboards. -Ikillion[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Kidate]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue] Thats a good question. I would have to say I liked it because it gives a sense of fantasy and its able to draw in its reader by the way the Japanese portray the characters unlike the other authors of the world.

It seems that I have a sense for adventure. Every time I see the cover of a manga or flip the next page of one, my brain goes into a drive of expecting the unexpected, and yet when I do flip the page, I am always, on some degree, not expecting what happens next.

Anime is a dream that you never want to stop and yet while you sit there, watching or reading it you realize, you are still in reality as you hear the clock tick away in seconds, and it is that realization every time that makes me like anime. [/COLOR]