Anime What do you look for in an anime and what do you dislike in one?

[Magus]

[b][size=1]Couldn't really think of a name title for the thread, and I didn't want to use Elements of Anime, (Like in the play it forums) but I'll see if I can come up with one down the line.

In any case, I'm sitting here watching my tapes that I recorded off of tv, and I'm watching IGPX at the very moment. And everytime I watch it I keep wondering to myself why many people didn't like this program. (You can answer that, but it's not really the question I'm asking here.) Which brings me to my question. What exactly do you look for when watching anime? What turns you away from watching certain shows?

Unlike most people, I'd think of myself as a strange person because I look for action 1st and foremost, and then animation / artwork and then storyline, but half the times I don't really pay any attention to the stories. I know it's a bad thing and all, but I have a short attention span and my mind would block out a lot of things. I've Ghost in the Shell: SAC, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and many other animes (well, atleast the ones that I consider to me be favorites) atleast 5-7 times. But till this very moment, I still wouldn't be able to tell you much about the story. Character development is nice and all, but I don't pay much attention to it as well. (Told ya I'm a strange one :animesmil )

Certain animes, I'll just go with Naruto and Inuyasha seeing that they've gotten the most hype, but just never hit me. Like I said, I normally don't care about character development, but there are times when bad characters just turn me off of the show altogether. In this case, Naruto and Shippo. I've never been into characters that seeks attention through playing pranks or characters who spills others secrets and think that it's comical. (Maybe I'm just too serious) But those 2 characters alone turned me away from their shows.

Speaking of comedy, that's another way to turn me away from animes. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good laugh every once in a while but some shows tend to have either too much comedy or corny things that're suppose to be funny; Eureka 7 at one point for me just seemed to focus on comedy quite a bit, and that just didn't cut it. (Honestly, I don't like comedy in animes, but I will watch if it has alot of action.) Naruto on the other hand is just downright corny. Nothing in it seems funny to me, and I've read the manga. All them perverted jokes... Really, that's suppose to be funny? But then again, as I've said before, I don't have a sense of humor.

So yeah, annoying characters, bad comedy, too much comedy can turn me away from a lot of animes.

Bah.... That was long. >_> [/size][/b]

[2010DigitalBoy]

I have come to detest a lot of anime I used to love, namely cuz my standards are overly high. I hate cliches, I hate shallowness, I hate boring ****... that clears a lot.

Basically, I like anything that's genuinely good. Something different and cool. NGE is my top spot not only cuz I love the story (and I realize its been done before), but because it has many interesting elements and quirks which set it apart from everything else.

FLCL, Cowboy Bebop, Paranoia Agent... anything good.

[Andy]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Hmmm....well I guess the thing I like most in an anime is probably action. I just love action anime's, like, Dbz, Naruto, One Piece, Hellsing, Trinity Blood, Bleach, Inuyasha, and many more. I also really like a anime with a good storyline and good characters. I also don't pay too much attention to the animation, unless its some funky looking anime that looks like something a 4 year old made while writing with his toes. But that's probably the only thing that kinda draws me away from the anime, funky looking characters. So, pretty much what I like in a anime is action, and comedic action anime is even better in my book.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Guest Sjenka]

The storyline is exactly what drives me to watch anime. I don't need much action. I simply love a good story. That is a reason why I love RPG too. I am not very fond of fighting monsters and I prefer turn based battles (being little clumsy and all :rolleyes:).
I believe InuYasha is a favourite of a female population because of the love story and of male population because of fighting and action.
I love the series because I can really get into InuYasha's character and understand his actions and motives.
I, too, am not very fond of comedy in anime. Sometimes it seems to me just plain silly and out of place.
But I do like Naruto because (being the one that follows the storyline) I can see that there's more to him then what shows on the surface. He is kind, loves his friends and never gives up.
It's about the same thing that happened when I watched Sailor Moon. In the beginning, she seemed so stupid to me that I couldn't even watch the series. But my sister continued watching (mostly because of the love story) and I have seen some episodes in which Usagi (Bunny) showed such remarkable strength of spirit that she simply gained my respect, although I still think they could made her just a little bit more serious.
Of course, series like Tsubasa Chronicles suit me more because all of the main characters are really great (and a little silly Mokona is simply sweet).
Well, that's about it. Now you know what I like.

[black rurouni]

I really like amine with a good storyline in a twist at the end and the action in amine. But i dislike it when the story doesn't anwser the question at the end like in cowboy bepop.

[DuoMax]

I prefer shows with storyline, and I do enjoy light-hearted comedy/high school type shows as much as a drama filled action anime. It really depends on what catches my attention.

[Mewprincess]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]What I look for in anime is just mainly a very unique, and original storyline...even if it has just an extremely short summary, it has to totally capture my interest. Personally, I'm a huge fan of romance anime, so whenever i'm out looking for anime, i usually pick the ones about love and that kind of stuff :animesmil

Ok, now I totally hate it when the creator makes the anime just a ripoff of an old one. Viewers already know the original story, so y would they want to watch something that's like a repeat of what they just did?[/COLOR]

[Sangome]

[size=1]Story, story, story, and characters, characters, characters. The anime I watch must have a good story and good characters to back it up. Then again, I do like some of the more seemlingly pointless anime, but that's mainly in comedy. Comedy is the only exception to the story rule. ><

I also hate it when anime drag out for ever, and ever, and ever...which is why you'll never watch me watching the entire InuYasha or Naruto series.[/size]

[mangamaniack21]

In an anime, I look for good art quality, a really exiting plot. and lots of good storys. I usaually like one with lots of colors as well. I like fantasy and sci-fi.
As for what i don't like, is an anime that is just about regular life, or one with a lot of robots. I'm not a big fan of the mecha jenre. Also, if it's boring or if it's like for little kids than i probably woin't like it.

[sikaurai]

I do like character development . . . and artwork is right up there on my list of preferences. I like Cowboy Bebop because it has a distinct "atmosphere" to the whole series. And Samurai7 was absolutely beautiful. The animation was a little shoddy at times in the series, but it more than made up for it with well-orchaestrated combat scenes.

What I absolutely CAN'T stand is ridiculous attempts at comedy, and stupid little sidekick characters. If a show is meant to be serious, then let it be serious without worrying about the viewer being bogged down or inundated by plot intensity; characters like talking fleas and sprites in red boots just make me frown and pound the FF button. . .

And I hate to say this . . . and I mean, I REALLY hate to say this . . . but girls in school uniforms is gettin' kind of cliche, too.

[Guest Ani Mae]

What I look for in Anime is an interesting storyline and characters. I like action, and violence and a little bit of romance. What I dislike is fast paced anime where nothing makes any sense (FLCL) :catgirl:

[Hiniku]

The things that I look for in anime varies. Sometimes there would be somethings off beat about it that makes stand out from the others. Typically I go for those that play off of mythologies and/ or astrology. I also have a thing for anime the portrays a female character who goes against the crowd in personality ( tough with a heart). Besides that I'm into comedy. Life too serious to not laugh along the way. Not the perverted jokes or those that aren't really all that funny (get plenty of that at work), but those jokes that you get by following the story or knowing a bit about the basis of the characters (ex: the characters in Fruits Basket and the correspond animals).

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Im picky about anime. I like it if I like it and that's about it. Things I am swayed by are interesting plotlines, uniqueness, and characters who remind me of myself because I can relate.

While I enjoy anime of any genre, I have always been a big fan of action scenes. Simply watching some people cut each other up gets boring though. A lot of action anime try to get in little gimmicks by making each enemy have their own unique abilities and such, but these often take too long to explain and a lot of the time, whether intentionally or not, they are rinsed and reused. I like it more when enemies take you by surprise with their powers and they aren't logicized.

When it comes to action scenes, I enjoy sheer brutality and basically ****** up ways to die. [B]Neon Genesis Evangelion [/B] is good for this because while the battles are short, they are insane.

Also, the action has to have a purpose. I can't stand slasher-flick style things where people die for no reason, and I also find it annoying when the deaths are taken lightly unless it's a comedy show. (On the reversal, I can't stand watching the hero cry over a villans death who wasnt close).

Sometimes intense violence can work well, though, depending on the way it is presented. Call me a hypocrite, but the [B]Samurai X[/B] OVA was badass.

I also like anime which connect to the real world. Shows like [B]Eva, Boogiepop, Lain[/B], and the like which make you think further about the real world. I enjoy these because rather than escaping from the real world with them I can plunge mysself deeper into it.

I want to say that I like romance in anime, but I have yet to see a really good romance anime. Couples in anime are always cool, though.[/COLOR]

[Waterbender]

What I look for in Anime, is Artwork. If any show has bad artwork, i turn it off right then and there. I do not like having to sit through a whole half hour watching lop-sided people....are they fighting?

Once I decide that the artwork is good, I look for the following traits:

1. Has a good, solid story-line. It's pretty poor anime if it doesn't have a goo dstory behind it,

2. Comedy/ Tragedy is balanced. I want to be able to have milk spilling out of my nose because I'm laughing too hard, and tears running down my face because something tragic has happened. A really good example of balanced comedy/tradgedy is "Avatar: The Last Airbender"

3. Suspence. At the end of the episode, I like being at the edge of my seat going "NO, NO, NO, NO! It can't end like this!" If I do that 4 out of 5 episodes, it's good.

4. Good character development. I should have made this first, because without good characters, it won't have a good story line, the tradgey can't be balanced because you don't know the characters enough to be able to cry when something bad happens. Also, if the characters are "good" I don't mean "good and evil" but if they are maybe childish when they are comlaining that he is grown-up (like Naruto) or something where the characters don't act right, then they aren't good characters, and I'm not going to watch it.

That is what Makes good anime.

[Mei Mei]

I really like charectors who look like what they are suppossed to be. If I am looking at a strong person, I prefer not to see them sicklky looking or fat...

I perfer also something that I can follow, a good story line, a charector that doesn't say the same thing five times inevery episode... something where you can hate the charector early on then like them in the later show, or just the oppisite.

Mei Mei

[Guest LilyBebeboo]

I look for artistic value as well as a great story-line. Art-wise, I like stuff that looks kinda like a painting. I don't like the typical anime style. As far as story goes, I like something with magic involved, as well as deep character development. For example, FMA.

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Another thing I like is when there's an anime in which no one is safe. Wether it be death or just an emotional dismemberment, I love to watch my favorite chracters squirm. If an anime can get me to fall in love with it's cast, then force me to watch them suffer, that's when I know it's good.

In [B]Eva,[/B] when everything started to go mad, I was ready to pull my hair out and scream "GOD DAMMIT MAKE IT STOP!!!" The memories of [spoiler] [B]Asuka[/B]'s mother forsaking her[/spoiler] were painful to watch as I felt my heart wrenching.

When I am reding [B]Death Note [/B] and [spoiler] important characters die or disappear[/spoiler] I get chills thinking about it.

[B]Fullmetal Alchemist [/B] tears me apart. [spoiler][B]Hughes[/B]' death was just plain sad. He died in such a real way, and the funeral....[/spoiler] :animecry:

What I HATE is shows like FRIKKING [B]INUYASHA[/B] where you have them fighting through 160 episodes and no one is dying! [B]Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kagome [/B] have NO right to still be alive. They are all weak, all just sit there, and all should be long dead.

Another thing I hate is when people have conversations while fighting. Either they have no intentions to kill the other person, or their just dumb, because even if the opponent DID take the words to the afterlife, he wouldn't be able to hear everything if you killed him too early. Any time theres a fight conversation, expect it to be dragged out.[/COLOR]

[WinnerGirl]

I always like when there's a lot of physical action, but also emotional action as well. And of course, I always love some good shounen ai. I hate het pairings for some reason.... so if there's het romance, I'll probably try to steer myself away. But anyhoo, I love crisp, clear and simple animation. I hate when guys are way too musculer (DBZ, anyone?) or when girls are way too busty. That's just prototypical. I also don't particularly like it when there are a LOT of flashbacks. A few are okay, but I mean, come on, people!!!! I also kinda like smaller series, with like 20 eps instead of 200. :catgirl:

[inactive]

Well, for me, the important things are character development and emotional depth. I don't mind action in moderation, but if there's too much, I just find myself getting really bored. But I wouldn't want NO action either. For example, I'd say a really good anime for me is Fullmetal Alchemist. Then again, I also really like Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny, which DO have a lot of action, but I'm a fan of Sci Fi, and it does have good charcter development. I also really like comedy. There's nothing like some good comic relief. Really good animation doesn't hurt either. It definately adds a great deal to an anime that already has a great storyline. So, baisically, Fullmetal Alchemist has all these elements... It's a really great show. :D

[Chiyo Chan Fan]

The sort of anime that grabs my attention is something that is funny or is very truthful. The anime that I don't like are any of those "Gundam" or "Super Bloody" ones. They turn me off and are a little too gruesome.

[Kenshin DX]

What I look for in anime is great animation , action , and character devlopment. These three aspects are what make anime worth watching too me. I love a compelling story but that can always take second place to action. Im an action junkie I enjoy my fight scenes a lot especially if done well. I also love great animation I guess you could call me shallow since I prefer action to plot but whatever to each his own. I feel character devlopment is important as well I like to see anime characters change over the course of the story and become more compelling then when the series started.

What I hate in anime are bad fight scenes and fillers. Episodes that dont advance the series in anyway just flat out suck. Such as Bleach and Naruto despite being two of my favorite animes the fillers offer pitiful action , poor attempts to be funny , and dont advance the story or the characters at all.

So all in all im really a action junkie who appreciates good animation but also a good cast of characters.

[Box]

[quote name='Waterbender']What I look for in Anime, is Artwork. If any show has bad artwork, i turn it off right then and there. I do not like having to sit through a whole half hour watching lop-sided people....are they fighting?[/quote]

_____________

Yeah. I agree about the artwork. Also, if there are too many "cutesy" characters, it's really hard to take the anime seriously. Commercialization is a little annoying too. It just seems to make the anime get old REALLY fast, like all the Naruto merchandise coming out in the US. It just makes the anime involved look so stupid when they start selling a whole bunch of merchandise!
Bad ending songs are also a factor for me. I don't know about anyone else, but when you get to the end of a really good episode, you're thinking "that was a good episode!"(hehehe yes, I know - that was sooooo creative :P), then there's this weird, awful sound or stupid lyric that totally derails your nice train of thought and you realize that it's the ending song. Thankfully, there aren't that many animes with really bad ending songs, but that really ruins it for me, like eating pizza with a really bad crust.

[Sho Ayori]

With me, the all important factor is the Story/Plot. It's the same with everything else I do. I enjoy the series having a strong and involving storyline, since I like having to piece together the fragments of information. On a side note, the other things I look for are Comedy, which is why I love Azumanga so much, and cute characters, Shuffle! is an example for me.

[theiceisfrozen]

I totally agree about the animation as stated in this thread before, but what I also love in a good anime is a twist or a mystery at the end! When the characters make an ending that leaves you thinking for a while afterwards.

[Demoness Satoe]

[COLOR=Navy][SIZE=1][B]Well, usually for me, a good storyline, good animation, and a good mix of action are good enough for me. But some animes I watch are so bizzare, that I end up wanting to watch it, just too see what will happen. Other times, the humor can attract me to it.

To be honest, I really can't give you a straight answer. I don't honestly know what attracts me to an Anime.[/B] :animesigh [/SIZE] [/COLOR]