Anime... what is so great about it

My point exactly.

Though, the only American cartoon I've seen recently that I really liked was that new 4kids Spiderman. Blew my mind.

And whoever said Samurai Jack earlier needs a medal. Stuff was made of awesome.

 

The question is how much of a story arc. One where every single episode moves the plot forward? Every second episode? The plot driven with less than two plot advancing episodes per season? I haven't watched any of these shows with a great devotion, but I did see a couple of episodes of Justice League/Unlimited. It appeared to be giving each character a turn in the limelight to combat the monster of the week in two part episodes. Now I'd love to be proved wrong here, because that would open up another avenue for my viewing.

Cadmus? I'll wiki that. Sounds interesting.

That thing about it finishing an arc from way back in the superman series: that's one of my qualms with superheroes. I missed the dawn of Superman/spiderman/batman, so I don't know the story from the beginning. The heroes have become too popular. They have movies and comics and animation. I don't know what is canon and what isn't. It's like trying to piece the Legend of Zelda together. Once a story with a long lasting plot goes past the point where you can readily go to the start, it should stop. Saying that, I include the pokemon anime here. Should have stopped a while (300 odd episodes...) back.

Firstly, screwed over by the network. I only got glimpses of those on television, while with anime my only option was to go online. Not a reason for why anime is superior, but it goes a way to explaining why I didn't experience those problems with anime.

Secondly, how epic are these? The thing with most of the anime I watch is that every series is short-ish (compared to DCAU and the like) and it always is a fight where everything is on the line at the end. With superheroes, quite often it is just another villain who has a fair bit of power and will be replaced next arc. Monster of the week on an arc-based scale.

Thirdly, superheroes just don't seem to die. Superman for example gets shot in the head and nothing happens. People shoot each other with energy beams and then shrug them off. I like fight scenes to be more of a one or two hit duel (Parries don't count), as opposed to a turn based I-hit-you-hit scenario. Anime does this a fair bit too, but there is a whole genre of anime, while you're presenting the same setting for each example of western animation, so it occurs on average more often with heroes.

Doesn't Television/youtube appeal?

May I ask why choose Superheroes over anime? At the moment you seem to be fighting to get me to view western animation on the same level as anime, but is there anything which you find superior in western? (Apart from English?)

Samurai Jack? I saw an episode or two of it. They seemed filler-ish. Did I have bad luck, or is that the series?

Hah, I just realised something. I fell into a stereotype of my own. When I was referencing cartoons, I was thinking purely of the comical (Not comic) side of cartoons. I didn't have the comic cartoons (e.g. DCAU) in mind. So when I mentioned that no cartoons had plot, please take it as "No comical cartoons have a decent plot". An error on my part.

Again with the long running story! Now, is that five seasons straight of mostly plot device, or is the plot only advanced every few episodes? How much filler? How many monsters of the week? I just find it hard to believe that five seasons on the same arc can carry it without suffering severe decay/filler. There's a point where it slips from a story to cash cow. I tend to believe that to be a bit over the second season.

Remember, I like a conclusion while the show is still running hot. A show should live fast and die young, not drag out and pass away in the night at your local retirement home. That's what I mean by a good plot. I don't think I'm looking at this stuff from rose tinted glasses, I believe that pokemon has gone on far too long and I think that Death Note should have scrapped Near and Mello in favour of a better conclusion with L.

Definitely not. I may have a preference to anime, but I have never put a blanket all anime>all western animation. Anime has its dregs just like western animation does, and anime is not so far ahead in my preference that I will say that the worst anime trumps the best western animation.

But that last sentence. Isn't that the general idea of this thread? People complain about animated media that doesn't appeal to them. Also, it is difficult to promote something if I've got nothing to compare it to. And if I had merely said "It has a good plot" someone would have come along and still said "X has a good plot, why not watch that?"

That's costlier, and it still boils down to me preferring anime to others. Not to mention that the longer running the show, the more sets I have to buy, so I'm still better off watching 13 episode long anime, however I obtain it in this regard.

The manga is actually rather good.

I always look on pokemon fondly for being my gateway drug into video games, anime and reading (Learned to read in order to play video games. Then I figured reading was rather fun.)

Yep, there are definitely anime that have all the flaws I am pointing out about the superhero/cartoon genre. DBZ suffers from the turn based hitting style. My point is that there are less superhero animated series than anime. So if 20 superhero shows out of a total 40 have monster of the week, it means that 50% are monster of the week orientated. With anime, if we have 100 monster of the week shows out of 1000, that's only 10%. So an example of monster of the week superheroe has a far bigger impact than a monster of the week anime. Numbers are examples only.

 

well at first it might be but personally i believe that you need to like it and not mind the flow of television in your country but eventually you would end up liking it more than just any random show on TV.

that usually is because when anime are dubbed the voices don't really match as much as the original ones and with subs you are understanding and still getting the right feel. and personally... if the fact that you don't understand it is the problem, learn it, slowly, but learn it :) it'll do you good at the least.

that is why there are subbed versions

agree 100 %

well anime compared to the wester animations usually give more detail about how the characters are feeling and give a wide and varied detailed explanation of the character's background thus allowing you to feel what the character is feeling. that is what i think makes anime better then the rest but again... it's just a matter of opinion :) oh and i live in malta where anyone who is older than 6 and watches "cartoons" (any kind @_@) is either ******ed or at the bare minimum weird... so shhh don't tell :P but i still enjoy it That would show how even if you call anime fans names and tease us and insult us we'll still love anime :P

and hmm... some anime i like: bleach, katekyoo hitman reborn, tsubasa cronichle, naruto, shakugan no shana, full metal alchemist, kaze no stigma... and many more... hmm i think i can link this ... it's a list of anime i watched, dropped, am watching and plan to watch
http://myanimelist.net/animelist/Mangusbrother

 

I'll give it to anime that it has a very wide range of genre. Its scale of emotion is very broad seeing that there is a show for most kinds of people, ranging anywhere from love stories to horror and any where in between with any combination of genre. A common argument I see here is that its a unique art style, when to be honest, most of them have the exact same style as each other. American cartoon are the ones with a diverse style. While the art of anime is much more indepth with the shading and detail I wouldn't really call that unique.

On that note I really do not like anime, very few of them I have ever seen and enjoyed. While they do have a unique storyline, personally I see animated shows a form of comedy, and I have a hard time connecting with characters that are cartoons. Hence cartoons for me are made to be funny.

 

I think anime's distinct art is distinct from most other forms of animation.

 

I don't watch anime just because it's Japanese or anything, but I do love the art which most other things don't really show. It may not be uquine, but more realistic and I just love noting the details. I watch anime just because I get into a storyline or find it amusing just like other shows I watch whether they are anime or not. (Though I do do tend to watch ny shows online and anime seems to be easy to come by while other shows that I like and are non-anime have really ****** qualitity or takes forever to download or are just hard to find.) Most cartoons I see are pointless and not that funny either.

 

They were kind of filler-ish, but that's because the plot was long. Great series, though. Really well-done.

 

Can you please explain what made it well done?

 

I'm not exactly sure since it has been ages since I've seen it, but I believe it has been praised the most for its art and animation. And yes, I remember it as an excellent series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Jack

Here is a Wikipedia link if you wish to look further into it.

And pertaining to the topic: All anime isn't all popular. It is simple Japanese animation, just like how we have American animation here. The popular ones that you hear about have nothing to do with the point that it is anime, it usually pertains to the anime having a good storyline, excellent art, deep and complex characters, etc.

 

One thing fantastic about anime is Neon Genesis Evangelion. A truly fantastic anime that if you watch it you will probably understand why it can be so great.

Not all anime is good but when it is done well, you see why it is great. Like you said, Pika, art, animation, characters, storyline and the like. Which NGE does a great job doing. |D