What do you look for in an anime?

Juno · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 43

What do you look for in an anime?

Here is some jump start question. :
Do you like the comedy, voilence, drama, or ect?
Do you listen to the music or watch the quality of the art of the anime?
Do you like a thick storyline or just random things?
Do you like the characters?

For me it is the Art and the Music. The quality of art has to fit the anime (For example, for a depressing scene in an anime bright colors, such as sky blue and yellow, don't not fit). The music is the second most important thing is become the music has to be good. I can't watch an anime with the music sounding like a dead cat or it will be on mute. Plus, the "opening theme" have to have the better quality of both "Art" and "Music". The "Open Theme" is like the first impression of an anime.

Pitchums · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:58 am Post subject:

Aliens.

I just love animes that have to do with aliens and other weird sci-fi stuff. But if you want those specific questions answered...

"Do you like the comedy, voilence, drama, or ect? "
Depends on my mood. While I enjoy some of those deep dramatic, violent animes like Eva, I tend to kick back and watch the phunnier stuff a lot too.

"Do you listen to the music or watch the quality of the art of the anime? "
...both? I like anime songs, and usually like the artwork as well. But I think I watch the subtitles more than anything. :D

"Do you like a thick storyline or just random things?"
Again, it depends on my mood. Sometimes, random happenings are cool, but when stuff is continuous, it gives me more reason to want to see the next eppy. Ya dig?

"Do you like the characters?"
So far... for just about every anime I've watched - which really isn't much, but a few - I've found at least one character that I can identify with, and at least three that while I can't say I identify with, I "like" their characters. Example: I relate a lot to Naota of FLCL, and I like Haruko's character
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Juliamon · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:50 pm Post subject:

I usually prefer comedy, but it has to be done properly if that's the only genre of the anime. A good example is HareGuu. All the characters have something funny about them, and it's their interactions that produce its spastic humor. A bad example (well, to me..) is 2x2=Shinobuden. I don't like it when comedy centers around one character who I just can't bring myself to like. Onsokumaru grated on my nerves, and I really only kept watching for the ninjas.

I like drama as well, in certain situations. There has to be a good reason for the drama; it has to be believeable. Comedy mixed in here and there also definitely helps, especially to jumpstart the series. Hagaren and My HiME did this well. H-game conversions like Kimi ga Nozomu Eien and Kanon (and hell, I'll put AIR in this category even though the all-ages version was much better), which focus on the drama aspect more, seem to do the best job at a dramatic story. Kanon made me cry, and I loved it.

Violence is good, but only if tasteful. Hagaren again pulls this off. Elfen Lied, though the violence was excessive, was only in keeping with the plot. If you cast out and abuse someone long enough, just because of a silly thing like them having hornlike growths on their head, it's natural for them to eventually strike out. If something inside of you was screaming to seek revenge via psychic decapitations, you'd eventually give in.
Fighting I am more picky with. I don't want excessively long fight scenes with ridiculous powering-up or spells. I want to see the characters use some technique and not drag things out.

As for music, I typically don't notice the BGM unless I think to pay attention. The art is more important to me. Consistent character models, reasonable proportions (this also applies to limb length; I'm not fond of a lot of CLAMP). I admit I usually look at character designs before deciding whether to try an anime. It could have a life-changing plot, but if the characters are ugly, I wouldn't be able to watch it.
I try not to put too much thought into the OP or ED. There are a lot of great series out there with opening themes that are mediocre at best (argh Gankutsuou!). That's what fast-forward is for. As you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, don't judge an anime by its OP/ED.

When it comes to storylines, only pure comedy anime like HareGuu need the thinnest of plots one to string things together. But series length also is a considerable factor. Tsukihime had a strong plot, but only 12 episodes to tell it in. This is more typical of H-anime conversions, because of the multiple branches having to be trimmed down to one storyline. With a series like AIR, which tries to include the other lines because of their relevance to the main plot, it can make a series feel a bit disjointed or episodic. But if you've got 26 episodes or more to tell a story, like in My HiME, a deep story can be worked well.. as long as it's paced properly and few episodes are wasted on filler.

Good characterization is essential to me. As I mentioned before, a character that bothers me can make me lose interest in a series, or even drop it, as was the case for Aishiteruze Baby (god, Kippei, you were such a jerk..). Inversely, a really good character can keep me watching a series that I otherwise would give up on (Momo-chan of Peach Girl, for example).

...goodness, I've written a novel here.
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meggirl63 · banned onoes :< Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 1181

I look for romance or comedy in any anime. Oh, I especially laugh at the sly look. Laughing

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Viewtiful Starman · Puzzle Game Addict Age: 37 Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 708

Do you like the comedy, voilence, drama, or ect?

If the drama is belivable or at least somehow convincing/entertaining, then I'm fine with it, but I like comedy, plot and action the most.

Do you listen to the music or watch the quality of the art of the anime?
Both, although I pay attention to the quality of the art more.

Do you like a thick storyline or just random things?

Both are completely fine with me.

Do you like the characters?

Yeah, Good characters are one of my highest priorities for a show.
If the characters are good enough, I can still enjoy a show no matter how horrible the other qualities are.

X-M · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:24 pm Post subject:

I like Animes with violence, such as samurais, ninjas, vampires, fighters and etc. About anything with swords and blood. I can watch a drama/comedy, but they begin to bug me after awhile towards the end. Because they become less comedic and more serious. Love Hina, Tenchu, and etc.

Plus that same nerdy/perv character begins to bug the hell out of me. >_<
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anime21 · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:47 pm Post subject:

I mostly look at the art style, the characters and their stories, and the whole storyline.

If I enjoy the art style and the animation then that is one way I end up liking an anime or manga.

If I like the characters in the story, then that helps out too. If the characters are appealing to me and their story is easy to understand and connectable to the plot then I might end up likeing hte story that way. I also like it if I can relate to at least one character in the story.

If the story is enjoy able then I will like it. I don't think anyone likes a boring storyline. If it is an adventure and doesn't drag on for so long, or at least doesn't seem like it drags on, then there is a chance that I will dig it. If the story isn't too serious all the time then I might like it too. If it is too serious, I tend to think that it gets boringer... if that is a word...
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neogamer1234 · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 8:11 pm Post subject:

S. A. M.

Story, Music, Art...

All that matters is those...
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Horoko · Net Savior Joined: 23 Mar 2005 Posts: 164

I am REALLY not particular in anime. There is rarely any anime I don't like (Except that stupid anime about baking bread...that one is just plain stupid.) Although, there are some animes I wont watch (Like Xenosaga, because their games almost put me in a coma...)

Or most mech animes, because they are at times too serious and if something happens, you are too busy trying to nap to care. (The Gundam series especially...except for G-Gundam because it took a direction in the right place with its premise.)

I do perfer animes that have comedy and good story behind it, some action animes put me to sleep...but some catch my attention, also, most of the music I see in the anime I watch is mostly good anyway so I enjoy it a lot.

Wind · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:10 am Post subject:

i go for two things.

collectivity.--like the madougo's of recca no hanou, or the spirts of shaman king.

and uhh. popularity. example naruto and bleach. at bleach's case
my friend basically forced me to watch it by handcuffing me to a chair and i can not step out of the door. i was yelling no i don't want to watch an anime about some cleaning fluid!! hahaha.

and third, music. hardly listen to anything english. always anime songs. or at least mostly foreign.
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RollEXE · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:09 am Post subject:

I mainly enjoy these:

Humour
Plot
Characters
Not boring
The animation

Yeah...thats about it.....

Zodiac · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:09 am Post subject:

While the story may or may not be good in some of them, I avoid sports anime. When I'm picking an anime to watch/collect, I'll look for many things. A good preview is sometimes all it takes. For instance, the preview for Mahoromatic was excellent. Start with serious-looking battle and tense music, end with the goofy part of the story and matching music. Steel Angel Kurumi had a great advertisement as well. Then there are shows that end up on Adult Swim or Anime Unleashed that are just awsome and I go, "Have to have! Gimme!!" But there are the occasional things I'll get for no particular reason other than I saw a one-page advertisement in a magazine and got some strange sense that it would be good. The examples of this are Now and Then, Here and There, and Excel Saga. And those series were good too. There should be a certain level of animation quality of course and the sound (music/voices) shouldn't be irritating, but mostly, I want to find the story interesting.
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Horoko · Net Savior Joined: 23 Mar 2005 Posts: 164

You shouldn't avoid ALL sports anime. Prince of Tennis is a great show (The others you can go on preference if you want.)

Wind · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:55 pm Post subject:

how many animes actually have competition in them? or at least show some sort of sport?

Slam Dunk(basketball)
Beyblades/2004/G revolution( Competion Tops)
Crush Gear( like beyblades but they use some sort of cars)
Prince of Tennis( Tennis)
Hikaru no Go(Go)
Grander Musashi/dx(like beyblades but this one is all about fishing. with super natural lores)

did i miss anything?
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