Let's face it...some anime does suck
Greg Predmore
Issue date: 11/11/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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As I submitted my last article, it occurred to me that I have thus far done nothing but praise anime. I am, of course, a gigantic fan and it's logical for me to enjoy the majority of them, or else I would just be a Gundam/One Piece/hentai (animated porn... can contain some creepy stuff)/etc. fan. This has caused me to reconsider my outlook on my fan-base of choice, realizing that if I am to blindly bias all anime as instant gold, I am only cheapening it for myself. And so, this week I will look at the anime that I consciously loathe.
Firstly, I have to say that I do not consider anime such as Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and other early American releases (mostly aimed at youngsters) to be bad animes. I do see them as lower quality than their more unique brethren and long given up watching them, but I consider them to be what I simply call "stepping stones." In my youth, unless you were good friends with an anime enthusiast (which I will refer to as otaku from henceforth), you basically had to start with these basics.
I personally didn't even realize anime existed until I found myself caught up in the early Pokémon craze. After watching some of it, I found myself enjoying the art style before I even realized there was more of it. I advanced into DBZ, then practically stumbled on the classic Ranma, and my obsession grew like wildfire from there. I'm simply saying everyone starts somewhere, and going too deep too quickly can result in a sort of culture shock that scares one off.
Now, on to my real point. In my opinion, anime movies can be a real gamble. If they're properly done and capable of obtaining a certain depth within the short period of time, they can be outstanding. However, I carry an extreme grudge against movies based on fighting games. All of the Street Fighter II and Fatal Fury movies were crap, and so were Battle Arena Toshinden, Dark Stalkers, and Virtua Fighter (not necessarily the games, mind you). I think it'll just be easier to sleep at night if we can accept that.
Firstly, I have to say that I do not consider anime such as Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and other early American releases (mostly aimed at youngsters) to be bad animes. I do see them as lower quality than their more unique brethren and long given up watching them, but I consider them to be what I simply call "stepping stones." In my youth, unless you were good friends with an anime enthusiast (which I will refer to as otaku from henceforth), you basically had to start with these basics.
I personally didn't even realize anime existed until I found myself caught up in the early Pokémon craze. After watching some of it, I found myself enjoying the art style before I even realized there was more of it. I advanced into DBZ, then practically stumbled on the classic Ranma, and my obsession grew like wildfire from there. I'm simply saying everyone starts somewhere, and going too deep too quickly can result in a sort of culture shock that scares one off.
Now, on to my real point. In my opinion, anime movies can be a real gamble. If they're properly done and capable of obtaining a certain depth within the short period of time, they can be outstanding. However, I carry an extreme grudge against movies based on fighting games. All of the Street Fighter II and Fatal Fury movies were crap, and so were Battle Arena Toshinden, Dark Stalkers, and Virtua Fighter (not necessarily the games, mind you). I think it'll just be easier to sleep at night if we can accept that.