Going against the tide of the fanbase . . .

[ryverstar]

I am certain we all have seen shows where we did not share the same enthusiasm as most other viewers to whatever extent. You think a show was weak while many, many more thought it was good. You think a show was fair while the masses proclaim it a masterpiece.

My question is what anime have you seen that is at the extreme of this idea? Is there a popular masterpiece that you just do not like? Have you ever watched an anime praised by 99% of viewers only to firmly place yourself in the remaining 1%?

The show that in spite of all positive opinions I have read and heard about that I just have not gotten into and have not liked so far is Code Geass. (I may have to sleep with one eye open in a new hotel room every night for picking this one . . . but such is the risk of going against the tide)

I have been catching this on Adult Swim (in spite of the time changes). I don't know why Code Geass has fallen so flat with me. I wanted to like this one. It has a lot of elements I like and does a lot of things I find interesting. However after the first half of season one, I have fast forwarded through about a third of the second half just getting the epidodes' plot points. Since it is on Adult Swim and I only have to deal with half an hour a week I have not pulled the plug on it yet. Had I been renting it, I cannot say if I would have stuck it out this far . . . and I really, really hate to not finish a story once I start it.

[Fencedude]

Generally if I find myself not liking a show THAT MUCH I...stop watching it.

[Suwako Moriya]

There are quite a few series I like less than the majority and quite a few that I like more than the majority. It's to be expected. I don't feel like giving examples, but in general I just watch what I feel like regard of whether it results in going with the flow or going against the tide.

[Suwako Moriya]

Generally if I find myself not liking a show THAT MUCH I...stop watching it.

Which is ultimately for the best. Time wasted on a series I'm not enjoying is better spent on watching an actually enjoyable series. Be it the first time, second time, third time, etc. I'd much rather watch a good series four time than finish a bleh series once. Hence why I'll never finish certain series.

[helicon]

For me that'd be Rahxephon - brilliant overall idea, music and art, but very very poorly directed, characters seem flat and their actions directed by the script rather by some motivation of their own, add to that the most boring robot battles ever...but it's really the lifeless characters that broke this show for me, they just don't work and never seemed real to me...

I held out hope until the very end (I bought the single dvds as they were released and even bought the movie later). I really wanted to like this show (that's why I even bought the movie, I was hoping that maybe that'd be better...) but in the end it just didn't work at all for me...it all seems like the biggest waste of good ideas and brilliant art I've yet encountered in anime :rolleyes:

On a related note, my rule of thumb for a long time (and still to some degree) is that if Chris rates something as an A+ I should probably avoid it, but if he gives it a B- there's a good chance I'll love the show. Ofc it doesn't always work that way, but it's held true more often than not :-P

[Garasharp K7]

I don't know, I just like what I like, regardless of whether it's popular or not. I'm usually late to the party when I watch things, so a lot of my favourites are older shows that used to be popular but are mostly forgotten now, like Nadesico or the original Mazinger Z.
I suppose if there was one show that comes to mind that made huge waves but I thought was merely decent, it'd have to be Evangelion. I enjoyed it, but I didn't find the show to be the mind-blowing experience so many people said it was.

[Draneor]

Is there a popular masterpiece that you just do not like? Have you ever watched an anime praised by 99% of viewers only to firmly place yourself in the remaining 1%?

Virtually all of them. My tastes are fairly obscure for North America. Even anime that I watched within my first year I no longer like (Evangelion, Ninja Scroll, etc). These days I just don't watch anime I dislike or think I will dislike.

[Fudce]

Bebop. Simple as.

[DiRF]

Full Metal Panic

After watching it, I just felt absolutely disgusted with it. The whole "whispsered" thing was so contrived, predictable, and cliche-d, I find neither Chidori nor Tessa to be all that interesting or well-written. Gauron was a horribly evil villain that, whilst he doesn't accomplish his goal at the end, he still gets to brutally harm and kill many of the people Sagara cares about, and revels with glee in the emotional and psychological pain he has metered out on Sagara, even up to the end. Sagara feels like shit with no redeeming happiness at the end, and I felt the same way. Plus the series was rather schizophrenic about showing certain events and then never referring to them again or explaining them.

That said, I'm glad a friend convinced me to watch Fumoffu after that, because that was TOTALLY worth it. Since someone has told me that Gauron reappears in The Second Raid, I'm not sure I want to watch that series.

[tuffy]

That said, I'm glad a friend convinced me to watch Fumoffu after that, because that was TOTALLY worth it. Since someone has told me that Gauron reappears in The Second Raid, I'm not sure I want to watch that series.
But only in a brief cameo. Just as Fumoffu took the comedy side of Full Metal Panic and delivered it much better than the first season, the Second Raid does the same with the action side. Even though the premise and protagonists are basically the same, implementation makes all the difference.

[something]

The show that in spite of all positive opinions I have read and heard about that I just have not gotten into and have not liked so far is Code Geass. (I may have to sleep with one eye open in a new hotel room every night for picking this one . . . but such is the risk of going against the tide)
Hah, you must have missed all the hate that show garnered, then. Granted, every big popular show is hated by a vocal segment of fandom, but the point is that disliking Geass isn't by any means exceptionally bizarre or anything, even if on the whole it's liked far more than disliked.

Anyway, I agree with Fence. I don't finish shows I hate, and even when I think a show is totally mediocre, that tends to be the overall impression as well. So I can't think of any examples really. I guess Boogiepop Phantom comes closest, but that's hardly "universally popular" and thus not really a good example.

[BonifaceVIII]

I don't like Spirited Away at all. But that's not against the tide since Chris agrees with me.

[Buster Blader 126]

Fullmetal Alchemist and Cowboy Bebop.

Now it isn't that I hate these two shows. They were pretty good in my book. It's just that they didn't "wow" me like they did with the thousands of other fans across the continent.

Generally, I go into every show I watch with medium/moderate expectations, no matter how hyped or unpopular it is. This way, I don't end up overrating a series should the "wow" factor not kick in for me and I'll be pleasantly surprised if I enjoy a supposedly mediocre title more than I anticipated. Though if a series is continually and consistently being praised over time (after the series' conclusion) and I still don't get around to watching it, sure enough I eventually start to raise my hopes up a little.

This was the case for the two aforementioned titles. I had watched five episodes of both titles through other means about 3-4 years ago, though due to a lack of time and having to prioritize other titles, I stopped watching them. A couple of years later, they finally aired on Canadian television (Bebop on Razer and FMA on YTV, and it was about damn time!), and I completed them through their respective TV broadcasts.

While I did enjoy watching both series, the spark need to push these series into the threshold where I "genuinely" enjoy a series wasn't there. I can't explain it very well at the moment, but in essence there are titles I enjoy, and titles I enjoy that end up really impressing me. Essentially, I didn't think they were "ZOMG AMAZING!!!1" like a lot of other people. These two series remain to be the only ones that I consider slightly overrated.

On a semi-off-topic note, this was one of the main reasons I ended up getting around to watching Code Geass in March - I was concerned that if I didn't get around to watching it, the same thing would hapen to it like it did for Bebop and FMA. The gut feeling kicked in for it the month prior, too.

[pluvia33]

Death Note is the only one that comes to mind. I read the manga and thought it was a decently interesting story, enough to want to know how it ended, so I ended up buying the entire series. I then started watching the anime back when the fansubs were coming out and was bored out of my mind. It looked pretty and that was about it. After I knew the story, the series had zero replay value. If it wasn't for the fact that I was watching the series during my lunch break with a co-worker I would have dropped the anime by the 5th episode. I thought it had the most unlikeable, unentertaining cast of characters I've ever come across (Matsuda was the only one I liked at all). And even during my initial reading of the manga the story never got me really excited. I'd just think to myself, "hmm, I wonder what's going to happen?" I never thought, "ah man, holy crap, what's gonna happen next?! I can't wait!" Just blah.

Code Geass also came off as a bit blah for me as well. I don't plan on ever re-watching it, that's for sure. Although I was amazed how good of an ending they were able to randomly pull out of their ass. I thought it was a pretty good ending anyway.

Aside from that I haven't really been overly disappointed by a series with mostly positive followings so far.

[JINROH]

Shana for one.All Gundam series for another.

[Isuzu Inugami]

Gurren Lagann. Saw about half of it in anime club, (just past Nia's introduction, so yes, I saw whatsizname die, boo hoo. ) It just doesn't do much for me... the characters are kind of dull, the robots don't really appeal (but I'm not a giant robot fan to begin with*), and the whole self-parodying manliness of it all and the visual absurdity aren't unwelcome, but they don't really click for me either. I just find myself yawning through it.

That said, I'll probably pick up a cheap collection eventually, and give it another chance in the end.


*He said, having finished off Giant Robo and found himself wondering if he should dive into Zeta Gundam next, or that Mospaeda/Southern Cross boxset (and which first?), or maybe rewatch Gunbuster 2... not to mention Overman King Gainer would be arriving soon.


Cowboy Bebop, I love everything except the main Spike/Viscious/Syndicate storyline, which just feels to me like it's trying much too hard to be a John Woo flick, and is pretty obvious and predictable in that light.

[Isuzu Inugami]

I don't like Spirited Away at all. But that's not against the tide since Chris agrees with me.

You two, against all of Earth. =P

[LelouchLamperouge]

This is really going to make people go "huh", considering my screenname... but I'll say Code Geass. It's so cheesy, rediculous and a slow, meticulous trainwreck. I had respected Goro Taniguchi at one point, but Geass pretty much made me dislike him. Coming in close second, Death Note. It was so... well, lame. I would've much rather had a "Shinigami does crazy things for apples" spinoff - Ryuk was the only positive. If I wanted to watch a cat-and-mouse game for 13 hours, I would watch Rat Race (the new one) about 6-7 times. Cowboy Bebop is another, just a jumbled up mess.

[Draneor]

You two, against all of Earth. =P

Make that three. I guess it would be a good film for kids, if I had any.

[Takato]

For anime that I think are over-rated, I'd say Ranma 1/2. I kept hearing how so many anime fans were praising Ranma 1/2 as being one of Takahashi's better works and I honestly wanted to like it. I loved the concept of it and I tried watching the first six episodes and read the first vol of the manga, but I just couldn't get into it. I just found Akane to be annoying and I was tired of seeing Ranma and Akane arguing with each other in practically every scene they were in. The comedy had some cute jokes here and there, but nothing that made me bursting out laughing and I thought the humor was actually kind of too repetitious and episodic for my tastes. I also thought the music sounded more like the soundtrack of Super NES video game than an anime soundtrack. It's just nothing about the show wowed me. Maybe I'll give it another shot sometime, but I just couldn't get into it any. I also think the first GITS movie is over-rated, although I loved Innosense and the TV series. The first movie just felt more like an extended filler-in episode of a then non-existence TV series than a stand alone film to me. I felt like I should be liking these characters, but there was virtually zero character development and it was hard to like any of the cast, and I found the Puppet Master to be a dull antagonist. I also personally found the philosophical themes and the whole idea of what it means to be human questioning to be rather cliched, honestly. Although I enjoy the movie a bit more now that I've fallen in love with the TV series, I still don't think it's as mind-blowing as most anime fans do and I much prefer SAC over the first movie.

[musouka]

For me, I'd probably say Haruhi's sparkling reputation is "overstated". I think it's the type of show that makes people feel smart watching it because of the themes it introduces in an easily digestible format, which is part of its charm.

But I think a large part of my dissatisfaction is me wishing it had gone in a different direction and used its interesting premise differently--you have an potentially strong cast of people with a lot of different abilities and allegiances, so it felt like a waste to box them in doing mostly mundane, piddly shit. I still think the (broadcast) first episode is the series apex of the entire show for me, in terms of the entertainment value. The rest of it never quite lived up.

[lesterf1020]

It's quite a long list for me.

rahxephon
macross frontier
12 kingdoms
escaflowne
serial experiments lain
cowboy bebop
fafner
witch hunter Robin

I recognise that all them are great anime. I just didn't like them or thought they were seriously flawed.

[Ty]

I think Air was a good example of this. Half the people who see it think it's a truly amazing show, and the other half think it's an emotionally manipulative hack show. I'm in the former group personally. If I find myself not liking a show I won't bother to finish watching it these days, even if it's popular. There are too many geat options out there to waste time on things I'm not really enjoying.

[musouka]

I think Air was a good example of this. Half the people who see it think it's a truly amazing show, and the other half think it's an emotionally manipulative hack show.

What about those of us that love AIR but think it's drivel anyway? :P

[Fencedude]

I think Air was a good example of this. Half the people who see it think it's a truly amazing show, and the other half think it's an emotionally manipulative hack show.

What about those of us that love AIR but think it's drivel anyway? :P

Good sense of humor?

Also I'm definitely in the "emotionally manipulative drivel" camp, though I've recently had the urge to rewatch it, to see if my opinion has changed...

[Ty]

I've recently had the urge to rewatch it, to see if my opinion has changed...

I'd be surprised if you did. There is something fundamentally different about the feel of Air compared to the other Key titles. Something that words fail to explain somehow. It's definitely polarizing.

[musouka]

I'd be surprised if you did. There is something fundamentally different about the feel of Air compared to the other Key titles. Something that words fail to explain somehow. It's definitely polarizing.

I don't think it's polarizing as much as it depends on what you value in a show. The reason why I can love Air and still say it's crap is because of all the Key adaptions, I think Air has the strongest sense of atmosphere. That sense of mysterious "flying eternally, though suffering" is very appealing from a simple aesthetic standpoint. I still love the early episode scenes of Misuzu holding out arms and staring up at the sky, knowing somehow a part of herself is up there, alone and crying.

The problem with Air comes from its other subplot, namely "daughters and mothers". It not only fails on this count, it's downright hysterically bad. I only got through about two minutes of the visual novel before turning it off in boredom, so I don't know if it's a failing of the original or if KyoAni picked the wrong parts to express that theme, but not a single one of the subplots rang true from that perspective. They all revolved around infantalizing the girls in a way that spoke of cheap devices. Misuzu can't come to grips with Haruko as a sixteen year old girl, as she is now? Instead she must regress to a six year old mentally? Someone get me a barf bag.

That is the single reason I like the movie better than the television show. A thirty second clip of Haruko crying over packing up Misuzu's clothing had a million times more impact for me than "GOAL!" ever did.

[Isuzu Inugami]

That is the single reason I like the movie better than the television show. A thirty second clip of Haruko crying over packing up Misuzu's clothing had a million times more impact for me than "GOAL!" ever did.

Hmm, now I want to go watch the Air movie. The show left me kind of ambivalent--sometimes it felt like characters were just being flung into whatever position the show required, and the finale seemed less tear-jerking than absurd. Yet I love the whole idea of the girl cursed and caught in the sky for a thousand years.

Also, you make me curious about what Musouka's Haruhi would look like.

[musouka]

Hmm, now I want to go watch the Air movie. The show left me kind of ambivalent--sometimes it felt like characters were just being flung into whatever position the show required, and the finale seemed less tear-jerking than absurd. Yet I love the whole idea of the girl cursed and caught in the sky for a thousand years.

Personally, I think the Air movie is absolutely beautiful in the way it updates Misuzu's character into someone believable as a strange, lonely sixteen year old girl, and the way it meshes its themes of "what it means to be a mother" much better than the show did. Some Air fans didn't like the emphasis on romance, but I think that added a nice little touch. (Then again, Dezaki's tastes and my own when it comes to the way he trims and molds material almost always fall in line with one another. Like Rose of Versailles and Oniisama e.)

Also, you make me curious about what Musouka's Haruhi would look like.

Aha, it would probably be more along the lines of "Ryokunohara Gakuen with the Haruhi characters". To explain, Ryokunohara did some some surprisingly inventive stuff with its "teenagers with strange powers" premise that involved regular interdimensional travel and other fucking weird shit happening on a regular basis, due to one of the mains having reality-bending powers along the lines of Haruhi.

For example, the premise of one of the chapters is that Hiroki, the lead character, is manipulated into death by a girl with powers similar to Kanata. Kanata exerts his influence sub-consciously and splits reality in two, choosing to occupy a world where Hiroki didn't die as opposed to one where he did. (The complication comes from dead-Hiroki refusing to stay in his own reality and trying to find a place in the one Kanata created.)

I mean, I understand that Haruhi is a totally different story with a totally different premise that it wants to follow. I just find it slightly disappointing to have the focus be so "small" sometimes, when the thoughts behind it are so large.

[Fencedude]

Aha, it would probably be more along the lines of "Ryokunohara Gakuen with the Haruhi characters". To explain, Ryokunohara did some some surprisingly inventive stuff with its "teenagers with strange powers" premise that involved regular interdimensional travel and other fucking weird shit happening on a regular basis, due to one of the mains having reality-bending powers along the lines of Haruhi.

For example, the premise of one of the chapters is that Hiroki, the lead character, is manipulated into death by a girl with powers similar to Kanata. Kanata exerts his influence sub-consciously and splits reality in two, choosing to occupy a world where Hiroki didn't die as opposed to one where he did. (The complication comes from dead-Hiroki refusing to stay in his own reality and trying to find a place in the one Kanata created.)

I mean, I understand that Haruhi is a totally different story with a totally different premise that it wants to follow. I just find it slightly disappointing to have the focus be so "small" sometimes, when the thoughts behind it are so large.

I think you'll like the second season and other later stories in this case...

[Collectonian]

Yep, at least two that come to mind for me would be Evangelion - boring, hated every character, and could never reach the end, and Lain - makes no damn sense, boring, and have yet to get past the first two episodes. I also haven't made it through Narutaru despite reading/hearing how awesome it is, I found the first few episodes kind of blah.

[Vicserr]

Well, with my eclectic taste I sometimes go against the tide on some titles example Demon Soldier M.D. Geist, Evangelion and classic Super Robot shows.

Full Metal Panic
Gauron was a horribly evil villain that, whilst he doesn't accomplish his goal at the end, he still gets to brutally harm and kill many of the people Sagara cares about, and revels with glee in the emotional and psychological pain he has metered out on Sagara, even up to the end. Sagara feels like shit with no redeeming happiness at the end, and I felt the same way. Plus the series was rather schizophrenic about showing certain events and then never referring to them again or explaining them.

Nothing wrong with having an unrepentant villain whom the audience wants to blow him up with the nearest WMD.


Gurren Lagann. Saw about half of it in anime club, (just past Nia's introduction, so yes, I saw whatsizname die, boo hoo. ) It just doesn't do much for me... the characters are kind of dull, the robots don't really appeal (but I'm not a giant robot fan to begin with*), and the whole self-parodying manliness of it all and the visual absurdity aren't unwelcome, but they don't really click for me either. I just find myself yawning through it.

That said, I'll probably pick up a cheap collection eventually, and give it another chance in the end.


*He said, having finished off Giant Robo and found himself wondering if he should dive into Zeta Gundam next, or that Mospaeda/Southern Cross boxset (and which first?), or maybe rewatch Gunbuster 2... not to mention Overman King Gainer would be arriving soon.

Well if you want to go from best to merely OK (IMHO):

Zeta Gundam
Mospeada
Southern CrossAnd Overman King Gainer is cool. :cool:

[yabasugi]

As much as I would like to admit to disliking a few shows that so many fans enjoy, I don't think it's something that needs to be made a big deal here.

Often I notice so many anime fans being caught up in thinking, "am I a part of the bandwagon here?" or, "I hope you guys don't flame me for not liking anime XX." It's as if the fandom absolutely requires people to enjoy certain shows or else they become a stranger among other fans.

We all have our own personal tastes with appreciating and enjoying anime, and just because so many fans agree on a certain show being a standard doesn't mean it's a sin to disagree. Anime is, after all, a niche hobby and that having certain requirements to like or dislike a particular show is a little pointless when putting it in that context.

[BluWacky]

I want to say Haruhi but I think even at its worst moments I only find myself indifferent to it, rather than outright hating it. At times it's beautiful to watch, but I just don't find it to be particularly interesting and to me it seems as though it plays up to its cliches rather than subverts them. I downright disliked Haruhi, would have liked Mikuru if she hadn't been given a moe blob voice and character design (which defeats the point), and thought Kyon was a bit of a dick - I did like Yuki and Itsuki, though.

I thought the first Full Metal Panic was laughably bad, but I've not watched the KyoAni iterations so I can't comment on those and I don't think there's a massive swell of support for the Gonzo series these days anyway. I can't even remember much about the series except an overwhelming hatred for Teletha thingamebob...

Oh, and my one sacrilegious one - Totoro. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn.

[DiRF]

Full Metal Panic
Nothing wrong with having an unrepentant villain whom the audience wants to blow him up with the nearest WMD.
But the problem is, that never happens. He doesn't get his just desserts... the last you see of him laughing at the main character's misery.

[Njr Scrawl]

Full Metal Alchemist, Geass, Death Note, Baccanno, Gundam Seed Destiny, Gundam Wing & Naruto.

FMA does not interest me, for its story - as any about 2 brothers.
Geass is another revolution story *yawn* seen enough forever.
Death Note is boring & sick. Another psychopathic killer & stressed cop lagging behind.
Baccanno seen a few episodes. Pales beside Black Lagoon, Blood+ for thrills. Another family/group with differnt personalities.
Gundam Seed Destiny Didn't care for Seed much apart from the Archangel & mecha parts. Destiny has no appeal.
Gundam Wing even Gundams couldn't save this show for me. Relena is the most boring, unattractive woman in all Gundam (not seen 00 though). The pilots were way too campy for my liking.
Naruto Schoolboy age ninjas. Orange jump suit, blond spiky hair - urgh. One wearing shorts FFS! I'm too old for this show.

I was going to send Haruhi to the trash can, but she has this weird power of making me re-watch & re-think whenever I wonder later why all the hysteria? However, a show that relies on the gimmick of non-sequential showing of episodes to get it noticed, is lacking something IMO.

[Fencedude]

Full Metal Panic
Nothing wrong with having an unrepentant villain whom the audience wants to blow him up with the nearest WMD.
But the problem is, that never happens. He doesn't get his just desserts... the last you see of him laughing at the main character's misery.

Ok, and? I see no problem with that really, do things always have to get tied up in a neat little bow? And hell, he died anyway...

[Buckeye]

A couple of series comes to mind when going against the grain with the fanbase. Dragon Ball Z is the first thing that comes in mind because it is hard to sit and watch something that can easily be done in just a few episodes take a whole season (okay, maybe not 24-26, but yes too long) to finish. The other that comes in mind is anything Gundam. Some are good, but I just don't find it that great.

[Isuzu Inugami]

Gundam Wing even Gundams couldn't save this show for me. Relena is the most boring, unattractive woman in all Gundam

Dude, Relena is hawt! I could see people finding her boring (I find her a bit mental, which makes her not-boring, but whatever), but not unattractive!

Naruto Schoolboy age ninjas. Orange jump suit, blond spiky hair - urgh. One wearing shorts FFS! I'm too old for this show.

Hah, I'm totally on board with you there.

[Keith Palmer]

Whenever I feel tempted to hurl blasphemous defiance at "the anime fan conventional wisdom," I want to say that I just wasn't that impressed by Zeta Gundam... for all that I believe I enjoy 1980s mecha anime and would prefer not to consider myself one of those people who can't get into that franchise as a whole, maybe I was "oversold" on it. My impressions may be inarticulate, but within the first few episodes, I had an unimpressive impression of the early antagonists as incompetent thugs, and as the series wore on it began to seem that no matter how staggering a development the latest one would seem at first sight, by the next episode it just wouldn't seem to matter... Perhaps I wanted it to feel more like "desperate rebellion against overwhelming odds" than it seemed to me. Of course, I may well have a bad habit of forming an idea of what a series is going to be like early on, and then being frustrated as it doesn't turn out that way... that may have hobbled me when it came to VOTOMs and Crest of the Stars as well.

In some ways, though, I'd perhaps rather see a thread about series that you like in the face of what seems general disapproval, even if you can't quite say why... Going back to the Gundam franchise, I have the impression that I enjoyed Gundam Seed "more than I should have."

[Mateo_home]

Yeah, there's a few that I watched and didn't like.

Love Hina
Ergo Proxy
Ghost in the Shell: SAC

Of course there's anime I never bothered to check out such as:

One Piece
Naruto
Evangelion
Cowboy Bepop

No, it's not that they're popular, they just don't appeal to me. And I really don't care if someone says, "you're a fool for not watching these. They define anime!"

[Lego]

While pretty popular I just can't sit down and watch something like Bleach. It dosen't mean the series isn't good, but things like Bleach and Naruto just don't catch my attention the same way something else would.

[something]

Also I'm definitely in the "emotionally manipulative drivel" camp, though I've recently had the urge to rewatch it, to see if my opinion has changed...
I've always been of the opinion that you'd have liked it a lot more if you'd seen it after Kanon and/or Clannad.

[Serial Experiments Nobue]

Gundam Wing even Gundams couldn't save this show for me. Relena is the most boring, unattractive woman in all Gundam

Dude, Relena is hawt! I could see people finding her boring (I find her a bit mental, which makes her not-boring, but whatever), but not unattractive!


"Heero! Come back here and kill me!" :laugh: Ah fond memories... Gundam Wing is one of the shows that cemented my anime fandom in the first place. The Relena "photo-shoot" ending credits always baffled me... Relena on safari? OK, if it makes them happy. :sd:

[Njr Scrawl]

Crest of the Stars (& Banner/II) are different to the Gundam shows. They are closer to adventure shows, rather than war IMO. More like Gunbuster, or Nadia maybe in feel & human interest, but without the Gainax. :)

Zeta Gundam I liked until where main characters stated being killed off near the end.

[Sorrow's Companion]

One Piece. It doesn't even seem to really have a plot or direction.

InuYasha. Rumiko Takahashi's storytelling has gotten as stale as it can get.

Full Metal Alchemists. Ed has got to be biggest ass in anime and Al takes the cake for whiny little wuss.

[WeirdlyGruesome]

As much as I would like to admit to disliking a few shows that so many fans enjoy, I don't think it's something that needs to be made a big deal here.

Often I notice so many anime fans being caught up in thinking, "am I a part of the bandwagon here?" or, "I hope you guys don't flame me for not liking anime XX." It's as if the fandom absolutely requires people to enjoy certain shows or else they become a stranger among other fans.

We all have our own personal tastes with appreciating and enjoying anime, and just because so many fans agree on a certain show being a standard doesn't mean it's a sin to disagree. Anime is, after all, a niche hobby and that having certain requirements to like or dislike a particular show is a little pointless when putting it in that context.
Works for me. Just like what you like and don't worry about what the "in" show is.

[Suwako Moriya]

I've always been of the opinion that you'd have liked it a lot more if you'd seen it after Kanon and/or Clannad.

So wait. Does that mean Kanon and Clannad are training for breathing uh watching Air? In any case I'm not sure why, but my opinion of Air did improve the second time I watched it. Which was by the way of R1 DVD hence there was a definite gap between that watch and the original watch.

[Dissonance]

Death Note is the one that immediately comes to mind. I just can't take it seriously. It's played totally straight but it's so ridiculous and overblown that I have trouble believing that the original creators and the anime staff aren't in on the joke.

[BonifaceVIII]

Forgot a big one: Paranoia Agent. It had great potential but fell into complete and utter idiocy about half-way through.

[Njr Scrawl]

I forgot Freedom. Its effects are really only the selling point for me. Gurren Lagann, as an escape story, drills rings round Freedom & has characters that are likeable.

[Fencedude]

I forgot Freedom. Its effects are really only the selling point for me. Gurren Lagann, as an escape story, drills rings round Freedom & has characters that are likeable.

Am I the only one who'd never even HEARD of Freedom until BV announced it?

[Draneor]

Am I the only one who'd never even HEARD of Freedom until BV announced it?

I'd heard of it, but only for the Cup Noddles.

[Lego]

Am I the only one who'd never even HEARD of Freedom until BV announced it?

I'd heard of it, but only for the Cup Noddles.

Yeah, 2chan had an advertising thing going where it got spammed in the "as it airs" boards

[Njr Scrawl]

I forgot Freedom. Its effects are really only the selling point for me. Gurren Lagann, as an escape story, drills rings round Freedom & has characters that are likeable.

Am I the only one who'd never even HEARD of Freedom until BV announced it?

I saw an advert for it in one of the leaflets CDJ sends packed with an order. Thought it was an Akira sequel at first because of the character design.

[RayeKinezono]

Since someone has told me that Gauron reappears in The Second Raid, I'm not sure I want to watch that series.

Yes, he does, but in a short cameo where Sosuke puts several rounds of lead into his rotting flesh as Gauron's laughing about it. The Second Raid was a concern of mine, until I saw that. Plus the episode "Her Problem" was probably the episode that prompted me to break down and buy the whole series the next day. I'd say it was worth it though.

As for series that I didn't like?

Would have to be Cowboy Bebop and Air. Couldn't stand either of them.

Bebop just rolled on and on and on, and then... that ending? Bah! :angry: No thank you. :beat:

And Air... :relief: I must have tortured myself to make it through the whole thing, only to not get the answers that I was seeking, and generally being confused and then later furious as hell when it ended. It even made me cast some serious doubt on Clannad. Thankfully, however, I wisened up to that rather quickly when I saw Kyou. ^^

[GrateSaiyaman]

There's a bunch I just thought were kind of lame . . . and some of them actually started out looking as if they might be pretty good. Other's were just too painful to watch right from the start.

Rumbling Hearts . . . good for about 4 episodes then splat! bad cliche`d writing takes over.

Tsubasa . . . Just never got it, never will . . . I think I have the artbox filled with X or some other crap . . .
That reminds me . . "X" I REALLY TRIED to like this one, just kept getting stupid-er . . . kind of a melodrama version of DBZ.... it takes forever just to get things really going....

Yes I even dislike many parts of DBZ . . . that's why I never collected the whole series, just the stuff I thought was kind of fun. (Like Gohan/Grate Saiyaman arc . . . just stupid enough to be funny.)

There are more . . . but I think I've gone against the grain enough for today.

;)

[TomasHA-SK]

Neon Genesis Evangelion - soo boring and worst ENDING I have ever seen in my life in anime.

Ranma 1/2 - strange stupid story, boring humor and soo much episodes. It was really lame changing from girl to boy, from boy to girl. The whole anime obout this???

Excel Saga - lot people like it but it has soo strange humor and that last episode......

Bleach - first 20 episodes OK, but then NEVER ENDING STORY

Naruto - stupid annoying characters, tons of episodes and fillers, too stupid storyline

Pefect Blue - WTF ending

Vision Of Escaflowne TV - first 13 episodes OK, but then it went to nowhere. So annoying lead characters and so cheap ending.

Escaflowne The Movie - super rushed movie, super compresed TV series

Gilgamesh - one of the most BORING anime I have ever seen in my life, first two episodes were great, but then it was like nothing was going on there, still shots, it was like I was watching paused anime

Samurai X Trust and Betrayal - first place on the Top 10 Animes on ANN. What??? The WORST anime I have ever seen in my life. Boring storyline, spiritless characters, it was almost about nothing. It suddenly started and suddenly ended. Really horrible anime. And I didnt like too animation and characters at all. It is OVA from 1999?? What? Of course horrible eng dub. (I love ENG dubs, but this one....)

Inuyasha - first 50 episodes superb, but then totaly boring, never ending story. Fillers. Another Rumiko Takahashi long long story.

Gunslinger Girls - super boring, good night. Short anime, with lifeless spiritless figurine characters. It was soooo slow and boring, and of course, forced ending with dead of one vain character. Everyone says how good characters are portrayed, but they looks like wax figurines without lifes and spirit. It has good idea Girls with Guns, but it was too short and they wasted that short time. Of course flashbacks in second episode. I thought I was watching first episode second time!

Lucky Star - totaly boring humor, they were still talking about stupid things. Those cheap references to Haruhi. That main character was anime maniac, that was really cheap too. Ugly boring horrible endings with that GUY. The endings with that girls singing songs were great, mainly that from DragonBall Z opening. And opening for Lucky Star was awesome too. But ending of the whole anime was sudden cut. WTF???

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle - first two episodes OK, but another story about collecting some things??? And third episode was horrible, almost about nothing. Bleh

Voices of Distant Star - What everyone likes about this??? It seems like some advertisement about sending SMSs. Totaly boring, almost about nothing, lifeless spiritless soulless flat characters. Of course short.

5 Centimeters Per Second - 3 boring stories, bland characters. It seems that Shinkai is only making superb animated, boring bland movies.

Place Promised in Our Early Days - Another Shinkai superb animated, boring bland movie. Of course strange story.

Death Note - I thought this will be superb anime. Yes, was first 15 episodes, but then TOTALY CHEAP, BORING, FLAT, STUPID, animation was cheaper, characters stupidier, and 20th episode was really top horrible. Misa was normal at start, but after 15th episode so annoying. When they were it that building after episode 15, that was the worst part. It was like total fillers after 15th episode. What were they thinking??? They destroyed another great anime that could be awesome. But then, there is M,N,..... WTF??

Full Metal Alchemist - it was OK, but after 30th episode TOTALY boring, of course cheaper animation, fillers, and it was like it goes to nowhere. What were they doing with that anime??? And ending was of course not good. And watching this anime 2nd time, it was still worse and worse, still finding that stone.

Full Metal Panic - Another Full Metal? But it was sad that characters were so bland, it was all forced, and I watched 5 episode and it was like I wasnt watching anything. Really no progress at all.

Martian Successor Nadesico - It was interesting few episodes, but then it was TOTAL MIX about nothing.

Now and Then, Here and There - It was interesting, but that ending killed it all. Really that Lala-Ruu was so strange character, and it looks so strange that cruel scenes+that character design+that animation. Really strange.

Kanon 2006 - Main character - total rip off of Kyon. Girls were soo annoying, soo much. Ayu was most annoying. And that stupid uguu, ahaahaha, auuu. Bleh. Really that girls were so stupid, so clumsy, so lame. And that arcs were almost about nothing, that arcs were screeching one with another. And of course that ending with that arc with that fox was so WTF. This could be good anime, but it was like for someone who TOTALY LOVES small clumsy MOE girls. But it was interesting few episodes after episode 15. But Ending was so chliche lame. Totally cheap. And Ayu was the lamest main character I have ever seen im my whole life. She was little brat. But thats pity. This could be really good anime, but that really lame clumsy MOE characters, cheap arcs, cheap endings to that arcs, really it was bland, so long, going to nowhere, and waiting for good ending, and it was totaly lame chliche Deux Ex Machina Ending. And of course, boring stupid lame MOE humor. They werent funny at all. Bleh



I dont hate MOE, but when there is soo much of it, it isnt any good.
Of course I hate when they overdo something in ANIME, or if there is sooo much of something in ANIME, because it hurts it.
(Soo much slapstick humor, Soo many girls, Soo many brats, Soo many tought guys, Soo many bad ass girls, Soo much fanservice, Soo many MOE characters, Soo much stupid humor, Soo many fillers, Soo many episodes, Soo much of ANYTHING)



Final Fantasy VII Advent Children - Everyone likes this movie, and of course almost everyone have DVD of this. It was lifeless, and it has so lame story. It was only about fighting, almost about nothing. It was nicely animated, but that seems, that was reason (along that it has name FINAL FANTASY VII) why almost everyone likes this movie.

Revolutionary Girl Utena - really strange anime, and that repeated scenes and strange songs......

Haibane Renmei - this was sooo slow, and too almost about nothing. It isnt interesting at all. What were they thinking??? It was like slapped together, some angel characters and everything made to story slowest ass possible. And of course, not good ending.

Akira - really strange and sooo looong movie. But it was very good for first 30 minutes. Awesome animation for that time.

My Neighbour Totoro, Porco Rosso, Only Yesterday - this Ghibli movies are not so great like their other masterpieces.

[mato45]

I dont hate MOE, but when there is soo much of it, it isnt any good.
Of course I hate when they overdo something in ANIME, or if there is sooo much of something in ANIME, because it hurts it.
(Soo much slapstick humor, Soo many girls, Soo many brats, Soo many tough guys, Soo many bad ass girls, Soo much fan service, Soo many MOE characters, Soo much stupid humor, Soo many fillers, Soo many episodes, Soo much of ANYTHING)

All I can say is wow that's a lot of hate for one person to have..
But I suppose it goes with the thread though I wish some people would explain their reasoning better. For me personally the only way I go against a fanbase would be thinking that Cowboy Bebop isn't super awesome and its just good. Which unfortunately means I have a problem with everyone's lists...I like too many anime @_@ So please people explain yourselves better than "this show is stupid". This post should not be read as an insult. Thank You.

[Ashyukun]

Kanon 2006 - Main character - total rip off of Kyon.

Haahaahahaa. Two things: First, Kanon (at least as a franchise, the original game came out in 1999) predates Haruhi (similarly, as a franchise- going by the publishing date of the first light novel) by about 4 years. Second: Based on this- don't watch Clannad. :P

[something]

Haahaahahaa. Two things: First, Kanon (at least as a franchise, the original game came out in 1999) predates Haruhi (similarly, as a franchise- going by the publishing date of the first light novel) by about 4 years. Second: Based on this- don't watch Clannad. :P
I'd argue that Tomoya is a distinct character with a very different background and emotional makeup than Kyon or Yuuichi. Different seiyuu too. And he's my favorite of the three, easily, because he's the most emotionally complex, best developed, and most vulnerable. While I think all three are fantastic, Tomoya is the most rewarding as a character who grows and changes.

Though I suppose even that difference won't be enough for someone who thinks Kyon and Yuuichi are exactly the same. I've found that I tend to revel in and get excited by subtle differences a lot more than most people. Hence why I can for example watch almost any visual novel adaptation - to the outsider, they're all identical. To me, they're each a highly unique experience.

[Daimao Raki]

One show I enjoy that everybody thinks it's cool to hate:
Dragonball(Z)- I never really understand the hate towards this show. It's understandable that it got major hype and doesn't live up to some people's expectations. But calling those who watch it "not real anime fans" or shit like that is silly. Toriyama isn't a bad writer, and if you watch it from start to finish it's quite enjoyable. I mostly blame Funimation murdering the dub for the main reason why people think it has "no plot or story".

[Ashyukun]

I'd argue that Tomoya is a distinct character with a very different background and emotional makeup than Kyon or Yuuichi. Different seiyuu too. And he's my favorite of the three, easily, because he's the most emotionally complex, best developed, and most vulnerable. While I think all three are fantastic, Tomoya is the most rewarding as a character who grows and changes.

Though I suppose even that difference won't be enough for someone who thinks Kyon and Yuuichi are exactly the same. I've found that I tend to revel in and get excited by subtle differences a lot more than most people. Hence why I can for example watch almost any visual novel adaptation - to the outsider, they're all identical. To me, they're each a highly unique experience.
I wholly agree that they're quite different- I was implying what you figured at the beginning of the 2nd paragraph, since I think I've seen more people compare Tomoya to Kyon than Yuuichi (seiyuu aside).

[Fencedude]

<snip>

*blinks*

So what do you...like?

[Takato]

For anime that everyone else seems to hate but I like, I'm not sure if this is "hated' exactly, but it seems like most anime fans think Howl's Moving Castle is Miyazaki's weakest film and I don't understand why as it's my favorite Miyazaki film. I think it has one of the most creative anime plots with the whole young girl turned into a 90 year old woman twist. I love Sophie and Howl because they're more flawed and not as idealized, so to speak, as Miyazaki's other lead characters, and Calcifer just kicks ass, especially when being played by Billy Crystal. I also don't understand why so many anime fans think the plot is confusing. It made sense to me, anyway. And I love how Miyazaki was able to tie in the war sub-plot in with the romance storyline without making it feel forced or rushed. And I liked the ending because it fit the fairytale-style plot perfectly, but then I could be biased because of Crispin Freeman.

[TomasHA-SK]

<snip>

*blinks*

So what do you...like?

There is much more ANIME I dont like. :-)
But the name of the topic was Going against the tide of the fanbase . . ., so I wrote ANIME which many people like but I not.

All my Favourite ANIME Series:
Slayers TV
Slayers NEXT
Slayers TRY
Slayers Excellent
Slayers Book of Spells
Ghost Stories
Lost Universe
Kaleido Star
Kaleido Star New Wings+OVAs
Chrono Crusade
Ruin Explorers
Azumanga Daioh
Genshiken
Genshiken OVA
Genshiken 2
Kujibiki Unbalance OVA
Kujibiki Unbalance TV
Key The Metal Idol
Elfen Lied
Record of Lodoss War
Record of Lodoss War Chronicles of The Heroic Knight
Outlaw Star
Rune Soldier
The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya
Sorcerer Hunters
Sorcerer Hunters OVA
Saber Marionette J
Saber Marionette J Again
Saver Marionette J to X
Those Who Hunt Elves
All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku OVA
All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku Dash! OVA
Animation Runner Kuromi
Animation Runner Kuromi 2
Golden Boy

All my Favourite ANIME Movies:
Slayers The Motion Picture
Slayers Return
Slayers Great
Slayers Gorgeous
Slayers Premium
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Howls Moving Castle
Cat Returns
Nausicaa of the Valley of The Winds
Kikis Deliver Service
Grave of The Fireflies
Whisper of The Heart
Laputa Castle in The Sky

This is ALL Anime which I LIKE. They arent in order that on the top are my most favourite. I like them all on the same level. Only Slayers little more. And The Girl Who Leapt Through Time from movies little more too.

[braves]

The original GITS movie and NTHT. First one is too pretentious, second one seemed to be trying too hard.

[EmperorBrandon]

Gurren Lagann. Saw about half of it in anime club, (just past Nia's introduction, so yes, I saw whatsizname die, boo hoo. ) It just doesn't do much for me... the characters are kind of dull, the robots don't really appeal (but I'm not a giant robot fan to begin with*), and the whole self-parodying manliness of it all and the visual absurdity aren't unwelcome, but they don't really click for me either. I just find myself yawning through it.

Yeah, Gurren Lagann is probably one that fits with me as far as this topic goes, since I've seen mostly extensive praise for it. I think I've seen about a half chunk of the series (got more recorded from Sci-Fi, so I may continue on if I feel like it) I haven't really gotten into it very much, though, other than a few parts that are really well done. Maybe I can just chalk it up to not really being my kind of show, though (which is the same for several other titles that are widely liked and I don't care for as much).

[TomasHA-SK]

For anime that everyone else seems to hate but I like, I'm not sure if this is "hated' exactly, but it seems like most anime fans think Howl's Moving Castle is Miyazaki's weakest film and I don't understand why as it's my favorite Miyazaki film. I think it has one of the most creative anime plots with the whole young girl turned into a 90 year old woman twist. I love Sophie and Howl because they're more flawed and not as idealized, so to speak, as Miyazaki's other lead characters, and Calcifer just kicks ass, especially when being played by Billy Crystal. I also don't understand why so many anime fans think the plot is confusing. It made sense to me, anyway. And I love how Miyazaki was able to tie in the war sub-plot in with the romance storyline without making it feel forced or rushed. And I liked the ending because it fit the fairytale-style plot perfectly, but then I could be biased because of Crispin Freeman.

Howl's Moving Castle is too one of my favourite Miyazaki Films. Its awesome with cool characters, mainly Howl, Sophie and Calcifer. I didnt know that someone thinks that this movies is Miyazaki weakest. I think Miyazaki weakest film is My Neighbor Totoro, and weakest Ghibli Film is Only Yesterday(Omohide Poro Poro).

[Kusaja]

Neon Genesis Evangelion: I recognize NGE as a very influential show and enjoyed most of it back in the day, but don't feel too enthusiastic about re-watching the whole thing, having mixed feelings about the material and what was done with it. I've decided to sit out the movies for the time being, though curiosity will probably change that eventually.

Zeta Gundam: Another one that was very influential and pretty good, but not the unquestionable masterpiece I was led to believe it would be. In fact, on a purely personal level I actually appreciate the recent movie adaptations more, even if they may be inferior from a "purist" perspective.

Akira: It's great in terms of animation and action, little more than that.

Saint Seiya: I actually was a complete Saint Seiya fanboy for years and years, so I suppose this does have a certain young viewer appeal, but now the series just feels...boring. Perhaps it's linked to my ambivalence for shounen fighting shows in general, which is why I don't follow the likes of Bleach or Naruto at all. The formula is just too transparent by now.

Ranma 1/2: It's a decent action/comedy show and most character interactions were entertaining, I will give it that, but it's so...unnecessarily long and ultimately pointless. I expected a little too much, which hurt my enjoyment and makes this a very unlikely re-watch.

Code Geass: Maybe it doesn't count, technically, since I am going both "for" and "against" the "tide"...I liked the final result and consider myself a fan, but I was also disappointed in the process. Not to the point of hatred or embarrassment though, as I can (and will) re-watch it easily enough. Still, I'd say the hype for either season has been ridiculously high...and, for that matter, so has its bashing. :P

[Sensuifu]

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children - Everyone likes this movie, and of course almost everyone have DVD of this. It was lifeless, and it has so lame story. It was only about fighting, almost about nothing. It was nicely animated, but that seems, that was reason (along that it has name FINAL FANTASY VII) why almost everyone likes this movie.



QFT. I have the DVD, but should've rented it.

[musouka]

Saint Seiya: I actually was a complete Saint Seiya fanboy for years and years, so I suppose this does have a certain young viewer appeal

Not just "young". I first watched the series in my late teens, and it's still easily my favorite shounen series. I find the themes (both purposeful and accidental) and setting to be endlessly fascinating. And that soundtrack! [swoons]

I think it has a lot to recommend to this day, if you have a healthy tolerance for stairs. :P

[Kusaja]

Not just "young". I first watched the series in my late teens, and it's still easily my favorite shounen series. I find the themes (both purposeful and accidental) and setting to be endlessly fascinating. And that soundtrack! [swoons]

I think it has a lot to recommend to this day, if you have a healthy tolerance for stairs. :P

Oh, I didn't mean to patronize anyone so that's perfectly fine by me. :)

I still have fond memories of following the series on TV while recording seemingly endless VHS tapes...not to mention my writing some early attempts at fanfiction that are probably somewhere out there. 0_o

The soundtrack was a huge plus too, now that you bring it up, and I did keep listening to it on a semi-regular basis until a couple of years ago. Saint Seiya is clearly a classic for the genre, but I feel that the genre itself probably doesn't have anything more to offer me.

In hindsight, if the formula had introduced a little more variety (the fights almost always follow the same flow, over and over again) or if the ending gave the characters / themes a better resolution, perhaps I would be open to reliving the experience. As much as I loved how the setting drank from Greek mythology (and Norse too, for the impressive filler arc), I noticed that more could have been done with it after watching something like, say, Arion years later.

A healthy tolerance for stairs and the literal rivers of blood, you mean... :P

[RayeKinezono]

Pefect Blue - WTF ending

That was my initial reaction after watching it the first time. But after the fourth re-watch, I think I noticed enough of the little details to understand the angle that Satoshi Kon was aiming for. After getting an understanding of the Japanese idol world, I rewatched it again, and it made some parts clearer.

Lucky Star - Totally boring humor, they were still talking about stupid things. Those cheap references to Haruhi. That main character was anime maniac, that was really cheap too. Ugly boring horrible endings with that GUY. The endings with that girls singing songs were great, mainly that from DragonBall Z opening. And opening for Lucky Star was awesome too. But ending of the whole anime was sudden cut. WTF???

You don't need a vast knowledge of the targeted otaku culture on this one, but it really helps on picking up on all of the in-jokes in this show. If you have no frame of reference to base the jokes on, I can see how it comes off as boring or dry humor.

[The Adventurer]

While I am a huge Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure Anime fan, Cowboy Bebop just does nothing for me.

This fact baffles me too.


Honestly? I generally dislike shows that are seaped in cliche (Looking at you entire Shōnen genre). Any show with young teens in the military piss me off. (looking at you Code Geass) I don't care how many super powered mecha you throw in (though for some reason I love Macross, though I guess because most of the characters are adult, though Frontier was pushing it)

[musouka]

Oh, I didn't mean to patronize anyone so that's perfectly fine by me. :)

I didn't think you were being patronizing at all, so no worries. I just wanted to point out that I went into Saint Seiya relatively late, and I'm not a big shounen fan in general, but I still loved it.

The soundtrack was a huge plus too, now that you bring it up, and I did keep listening to it on a semi-regular basis until a couple of years ago. Saint Seiya is clearly a classic for the genre, but I feel that the genre itself probably doesn't have anything more to offer me.

That's understandable. As I said, I'm not really a shounen fan myself, but I enjoy watching the evolution of the different manga demographics, so it's fun for me to note which modern series are influenced by which older series. (I've heard Bleach is very fond of the STAIRS principle for example. :P )

In hindsight, if the formula had introduced a little more variety (the fights almost always follow the same flow, over and over again) or if the ending gave the characters / themes a better resolution, perhaps I would be open to reliving the experience. As much as I loved how the setting drank from Greek mythology (and Norse too, for the impressive filler arc), I noticed that more could have been done with it after watching something like, say, Arion years later.

Saint Seiya definitely isn't a perfect series--you sort of have to go into it with a certain mindset. In a way, it's a little bit like Star Wars fans, I guess. (Also, like Star Wars, StS manages to have spin offs that enrich the series instead of dillute) Part of the reason I love Saint Seiya so much is because of its promise however unfufilled it might be in parts. Like, the anime sort of brushes aside the idea of basically "buying up young orphans to rig the deck, and sending them out to potentially die", but that alone is fun to roll around in your head.

A healthy tolerance for stairs and the literal rivers of blood, you mean... :P

The over the top blood and violence is a plus! I knew I was going to be in love with the series after the ear scene in the first episode. (It even twitched! Perfection~)

[Takato]

Another under-rated anime I actually enjoyed a lot is Sailor Moon Supers. I actually like that Supers is more focused on Chibi-usa instead of Usagi as it gives a nice refreshing change of pace to things and I thought Chibi-usa had matured a lot since the R season. I thought it actually made sense plot-wise that the Outers weren't in Supers since the anime says the Outers exist to defend the solar system from outside invaders and the Dead Moon Circus came from within the solar system, so it makes sense that they don't get involved. That, and Supers seems almost too comical for the serious-minded Outers. I liked that the Supers anime was more comical than its manga counter-part and the rest of the series because I think Supers has some of the most hilarious comedy in any anime and it always makes me crack up when I watch it.

Another aspect I enjoyed about it was I liked how Chibi-usa's relationship with Helios progressed. Helios started out not really trusting her, but eventually they started to become closer friends, which eventually led to them falling in love, and I liked that they spent time developing their relationship like that instead of just them suddenly finding out they're star-crossed lovers in a past life. I also think the Inners have some of the coolest attacks and transformations in this season, and I thought Supers had the nicest animation of the seasons, as the art style seemed more consistent with not as many animation errors. Supers also has my favorite Sailor Moon ending theme, Rashiku Ikimasho.

And I loved how the villains weren't the typical evil for the sake of evil villains and they all had their own reasons for their actions. The only major downsides I saw with Supers was that I wish Chibi-usa was given an actual attack instead of just having her wave that bell around while fighting and it would have been cool to see the Amazoness Quartet become Sailor Soldiers like they do in the manga. But otherwise I loved Supers and I didn't think Supers' plot was any less dragging than the rest of the anime either, as all the episodes are episodic anyway.

[Ty]

Also I'm definitely in the "emotionally manipulative drivel" camp, though I've recently had the urge to rewatch it, to see if my opinion has changed...
I've always been of the opinion that you'd have liked it a lot more if you'd seen it after Kanon and/or Clannad.

I saw Air first, if you don't count seeing the original Kanon (and I don't). Then again Air tied into some personal life events for me at the time making it much easier to get sucked into it on a non-thinking level, and the show's music grabbed a hold of me intensely so it was never going to be a rational viewing in my case..... I'm glad my viewing of it went the way it did though.

On the contrary, I think because I saw Air first as a sort of primer to the kind of atmosphere and intentions they were going for I was able to immerse myself in the Kanon 2k6 remake as fully as I did.

[The Adventurer]

Gurren Lagann. Saw about half of it in anime club, (just past Nia's introduction, so yes, I saw whatsizname die, boo hoo. ) It just doesn't do much for me... the characters are kind of dull, the robots don't really appeal (but I'm not a giant robot fan to begin with*), and the whole self-parodying manliness of it all and the visual absurdity aren't unwelcome, but they don't really click for me either. I just find myself yawning through it.


Its funny. I had the exact opposite reaction here. As a rule the type of show Gurren Lagann is doesn't appeal to me. But for some reason it clicked with me. The characters were all interesting, even the minor background characters. It had a lot of spirit I guess and took itself just seriously enough while still being fun without over doing it.

Cowboy Bebop, I love everything except the main Spike/Viscious/Syndicate storyline, which just feels to me like it's trying much too hard to be a John Woo flick, and is pretty obvious and predictable in that light.I will agree with this actually, my favorite parts of Cowboy Bebop were definitely the stuff not involving Spike's metaplot. Which were dumb and hackneyed

[something]

Its funny. I had the exact opposite reaction here. As a rule the type of show Gurren Lagann is doesn't appeal to me. But for some reason it clicked with me. The characters were all interesting, even the minor background characters. It had a lot of spirit I guess and took itself just seriously enough while still being fun without over doing it.
Same here on not having any inherent desire for that kind of show. And yet I just finished (re-)marathoning the first half of the series, and just like the last time, cried like I was watching a KeyAni show. Just, a different kind of tears. I love this show so damn much.

[dragonrider_cody]

I would have to go with Gurren Lagan, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto and Bleach. I don't think any of them are terrible, just extremely over rated. I even enjoyed some episodes of them, but couldn't really find myself caring about the characters.

Death Note was the worst for me. I loved the show at first, but the cat and mouse chase just got old after about 15 episodes. It would have been much more enjoyable if it had been shorter. I guess that's the case with the others as well, especially Bleach. They were just too long for their own good.

[Suwako Moriya]

Its funny. I had the exact opposite reaction here. As a rule the type of show Gurren Lagann is doesn't appeal to me. But for some reason it clicked with me.

You know this brings up a curious thought. Whenever one does manage to find a show they like in spite of the fact it's a type they normally don't care for, you have to wonder one thing. Exactly what is it that the said show is doing differently. I know some will respond with a generic answer of "It's actually good", but I think in many case it can or probably is more specific than that. I guess I'd theorize that probably while the said show has elements a person may not normally care for, those element might be off set by stuff the person enjoys. Although it may not be obvious at first.

Just for the record I tried a bit of Gurren Lagann as in about a dozen episodes. It was decent, but I didn't feel any motivation or desire to finish it. So I guess it's the type of show that I can tell is potentially good, but likely just not a series for me. On a side note, I've thought off and on about making a list, but have been hesitant about whether to post it and what to include. I mean there a huge difference those anime I simply feel are on the meh side and ones I'm rather negative about.

[The Adventurer]

I mean I could list off shows I really REALLY don't care for that are currently relatively popular.

Full Metal Alchemist, Code Geass, Death Note, Bleach, One-Piece, Narato, Inuyasha, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dragon Ball Z after the Freeza Saga, Spike's Metaplot episodes in Cowboy Bebop, others I've forgotten I'm sure.

I don't know, it just seems like my favorite anime genres are just lacking love in this day and age, primarily semi serious Sci-Fi Action/Adventure shows. And what ones do exist are bogged down with obnoxious cliches, like maybe the cast is a bunch of high schoolers who still go to school while all this much more important stuff is going on or so completely bogged down with inane teen romance. Basically. get Teen-Dramedy out of my Anime. PLEASE.

Give me shows about adults, like Ghost in the Shell: SAC or Macross Plus. PLEASE

But then you have Gurren Lagann which is nothing like that, and I think it helps that the show never STOPS. Not for melodramatic romance (well, not too often anyway), or any other show stopping character stuff. Its just non-stop action of increasing proportion. Not to say it didn't have its weaknesses, it Deus Ex'd it up a few times and some of the internal logic was rubbish. But you gloss over it because two giant robots just punched each other and you don't have time to think about it any more.

[Njr Scrawl]

Voices of Distant Star - What everyone likes about this??? It seems like some advertisement about sending SMSs.


:bigsmile: Voices of a Distant Star "brought to you by <cel phone company>"

[The Adventurer]

I'll admit to not liking Voices of a Distant Star as much as I thought I would going in (again, big sci-fi fan). However, I did appreciate its slower pace and what it was trying to do. And for once someone was paying attention to how faster then light travel would affect communications which I loved.

However, its dodgy mecha CG was inexcusable (and honestly felt out of place), I don't care if one man did the whole project. 5 Centimeters per Second was a lot better IMO. And I really should sit down and watch The Place Promised in Our Early Days at some point.

[jaylee]

I will just add myself to the group of anime fans that totally despise Evangelion and Love Hina.
I also don't like Death Note, One Piece, Naruto or GitS:SAC, which all super popular.

[Serial Experiments Nobue]

However, its dodgy mecha CG was inexcusable (and honestly felt out of place), I don't care if one man did the whole project.

On his home computer. Give the man some credit. :sd:

[Ashyukun]

However, its dodgy mecha CG was inexcusable (and honestly felt out of place), I don't care if one man did the whole project. 5 Centimeters per Second was a lot better IMO. And I really should sit down and watch The Place Promised in Our Early Days at some point.
As was already pointed out- he did the whole thing not only by himself, but on his personal computer without any professional production support. It's obvious it's going to end up a bit less rounded than a professional production.

Personally, I liked Place Promised more than 5 cm per sec, largely because of how painful the latter was to watch- not because it was bad, but just because everyone was so miserable throughout much of it...

[Daniel_Perales]

Another under-rated anime I actually enjoyed a lot is Sailor Moon Supers. I actually like that Supers is more focused on Chibi-usa instead of Usagi as it gives a nice refreshing change of pace to things and I thought Chibi-usa had matured a lot since the R season. I thought it actually made sense plot-wise that the Outers weren't in Supers since the anime says the Outers exist to defend the solar system from outside invaders and the Dead Moon Circus came from within the solar system, so it makes sense that they don't get involved. That, and Supers seems almost too comical for the serious-minded Outers. I liked that the Supers anime was more comical than its manga counter-part and the rest of the series because I think Supers has some of the most hilarious comedy in any anime and it always makes me crack up when I watch it.

Another aspect I enjoyed about it was I liked how Chibi-usa's relationship with Helios progressed. Helios started out not really trusting her, but eventually they started to become closer friends, which eventually led to them falling in love, and I liked that they spent time developing their relationship like that instead of just them suddenly finding out they're star-crossed lovers in a past life. I also think the Inners have some of the coolest attacks and transformations in this season, and I thought Supers had the nicest animation of the seasons, as the art style seemed more consistent with not as many animation errors. Supers also has my favorite Sailor Moon ending theme, Rashiku Ikimasho.

And I loved how the villains weren't the typical evil for the sake of evil villains and they all had their own reasons for their actions. The only major downsides I saw with Supers was that I wish Chibi-usa was given an actual attack instead of just having her wave that bell around while fighting and it would have been cool to see the Amazoness Quartet become Sailor Soldiers like they do in the manga. But otherwise I loved Supers and I didn't think Supers' plot was any less dragging than the rest of the anime either, as all the episodes are episodic anyway.


Funny you should mention Sailor Moon SuperS. I enjoyed it for the very exact reason as you did.

But, to go with the topic, I did like "Sailor Stars" (I have the LD box-set), but not as much as "SuperS" ( with the exception of the first 6 episodes of Stars, since it was a continuation of SuperS). "Sailor Stars" has cruder character designs (cruder than the first season in some cases), and so-so animation compared to "SuperS".

Another series that everyone here seems to like, but I think it was just so over-rated was "Utena". I found it ok at first, but it was just getting too weird as the series progressed. At the end, I just felt that I wasted my money in buying the whole series.


Danny

[Veren]

Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid. Everyone seemed to think it was the best thing since sliced bread. For me, it was just "okay". Passable. I suppose when I watched it, I was expecting the real villains of the show to be the twins, and instead, we have this completely-bonkers-insane-annoying-laugh moron who's just *that good*. The twins felt like trained assassins to me, and yet they were so easily eliminated (by their allies) that I often wondered why the creators of the show even bothered putting them in. The ending felt a bit contrived too. There were, however, some scenes that saved the show from being a total loss.

I'm another one of those who feels that Evagelion got way more attention that it deserved (although, admittedly, at the time it was a ground-breaking anime, I suppose.)

Oh, and I like Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 better than the original.

And for bucking the trend the other way, I thought the dub for Crest/Banner of the Stars was fine.


One show I enjoy that everybody thinks it's cool to hate:
Dragonball(Z)- I never really understand the hate towards this show. It's understandable that it got major hype and doesn't live up to some people's expectations. But calling those who watch it "not real anime fans" or shit like that is silly. Toriyama isn't a bad writer, and if you watch it from start to finish it's quite enjoyable. I mostly blame Funimation murdering the dub for the main reason why people think it has "no plot or story".

Actually, the thing that turned me away from this show is the art style. I cannot watch more than a few minutes before I feel the need to claw my eyeballs out... but that's just me and my personal preferences. (And oddly, I always thought I was bucking the trend by disliking the show....)