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whowillsurvive2012.com - Watch the Adam Lambert music video for the 2012 theme song. See 2012, in theaters Nov 13
190 Comments
- socivitus, on 01/08/2009, -3/+49Good point on subs/dub. While I enjoy subs over dubs, there are many dubbed animes I've seen that have great English casts; Cowboy Bebop, Akira, and GTO being the ones that stand out the most in my mind.
- inactive, on 01/09/2009, -1/+45Samurai Champloo FTW
- anxdiety, on 01/09/2009, -1/+43The problem with anime is that in Japan its not always orientated for kids but by the time it crosses the ocean it is. Just because its a cartoon or animated it gets censored to high hell in translation. If you need a great example look at Viz Media's official translation of Bleach compared to the scanlations that are online.
- EndertheIII, on 01/09/2009, -1/+30"For an example, I can walk into an FYE today and for 20 bucks pick up four volumes of anime for 20 bucks, because those volumes are several months old and have been reduced to 5 bucks a pop."
Welcome to the Redundancy Department of Redundancy, what can we do for you today? - wiggin, on 01/09/2009, -2/+27Why?
It's just another mediuim.
That's like saying
...I absolutely DETEST movies with subtitles
...I absolutely DETEST short films!
The thing about anime is it tends to be polarizing.
It's really irritating when someone watches ONLY anime, or watching something ONLY because it is anime
That being said, it's just as bad when someone refuses to give a story a try only because of it's medium - StrangeFamous, on 01/09/2009, -1/+25Miyazaki's films are usually dubbed quite well, since they bring in professional talent.
- MillionsLivio, on 01/09/2009, -0/+24The problem is most people see shows like Naruto and Bleach and are turned off by it, unaware of some of the real gems in the medium. That is what it really is, it's a medium just like film. If you saw a few bad films would you discard the entire spectrum of movies and genres just based off of those few bad examples? No. Another issue is people look at it as cartoons and feel that it cannot be taken seriously. As an aspiring director myself, I can say that is ridiculous. Anime allows for elements and creativity unfounded anywhere else. A perfect example is the movie End of Evangelion, which looks captures raw emotion and depth that I previously had never seen before in animation, hell barely in cinema or literature for that matter. For anyone interested in watching some quality anime look below, feel free to add to the list:
Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL, Gankutsuou, Cowboy Bebop, Berserk, Ghost in the Shell, Full Metal Alchemist, Gungrave, Akira, Death Note, Hellsing Ultimate, Monster, Wolf's Rain, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Trigun, The Grave of Fireflies, Gurren Lagan, Paranoia Agent, Lupin III, and the list goes on.. - Dumbledorito, on 01/09/2009, -2/+25First off, anime as an industry isn't dying, that's true. However, at least in the U.S., there are fewer breakout hits that dominate the industry than there are in other genres of publishing and video.
As for "subs not dubs," he forgets to mention that most dubbed dialogue for anime sounds, if I may use a term of art, "***** retarded." Given that the Japanese language (1) breaks down in translation when discussing aesthetic things, (2) has loads of allusions/sayings/metaphors that really defy translation, (3) and relies for a lot of humor based on puns with Chinese, there's a reason that there aren't very many quoted lines from anime (aside from ones that are so over-the-top gonzo like "It's over nine thousaaaaaand!"). Further, the dubs have to have lines that come close to matching how long the mouths move, which is a lot like telling a chef to bake a cake from scratch but the quantities of said components will be randomly determined.
Further, I'm sick of hearing how "deep" and "incredible" the stories in anime are. I'd be sick of hearing the same sentiment if it was about most mainstream TV and movies as well. I think we're still seeing the fan base clinging to the mindset that was present when it was hard to get anime in the US.: If you criticize it in the slightest, it won't get a hold in the market and it'll go away, oh no!!!
Now that we're up to our eyeballs in the stuff, I'd hope the consumers could finally start to admit that a sizable chunk of it (like any media genre) is crap, especially the stuff targeted at people who think panty-flashing girls who never requite their alleged love affairs with half-demon-god-androgenoids is on a par with Shakespeare. - Zarokima, on 01/09/2009, -0/+21Avatar isn't anime, it's a cartoon. And it's actually pretty good.
Also, you forgot Gurren Lagann. ***** epic. - OPR8R, on 01/09/2009, -0/+19Eh? Blood+ is anime....
- LethalGeek, on 01/09/2009, -0/+18Actually I thought Avatar was well done. The pacing was good (unlike Naruto), each episode could be viewed on it's own (unlike Naruto), and the overall story arc had a clean start and finish (unlike Naruto's Does This ***** Ever End).
Avatar really surprised me, I got it off Netflix when my queue was low and the recommendation kept throwing it at me. All the main characters were well done, and Tauf (a young wiseass blind girl) could carry her own series. It could shift from serious to lighthearted without a hitch, and the flashy fight scenes were frequent and to the point. Really, it doesn't do all the stupid time dragging nonsense the average Meh Anime does.
At the same time, I've watched the first 2-3 episodes of some anime series and immediately returned and stopped the remaining disks cause it was horribly slow, pointless, and plain boring. - Ellipsys, on 01/09/2009, -1/+18I'm afraid I need to step in here on the subs vs dubs issue. While I'm glad the author didn't go "OMG WHY YOU NOT LIKE ENGLISH!", I find the general quality of subs to be better than dubs. There will always be exceptions where the two are equal (Metal Gear Solid series on the video game front, or Cowboy Bebop as an anime series), but on average the english voice cast pales in comparison. For those of us who know at least a bit of the language, it doesn't make sense to see a deadpan "you" in english when the original version listed "kisama". The big burly guy who refers to himself with "Ore" gets dubbed to sound like a middle-aged office drone. References directly to a brother/sister or superior/inferior relationship are usually twisted into some sort of horrible nickname for the character instead. I don't quite understand why people can't just accept that in general, Japanese media is best portrayed by Japanese voice actors. Nobody seems to complain that French films and Italian opera (which are actually subtitled, even live!) are in their native languages.
- s0m31john, on 01/09/2009, -6/+22For those whose experience with anime only includes shows like Naruto and Avatar it's easy to see why you would dislike anime. If I only knew those shows I would hate it too.
If you want to check out real anime give these shows and movies a try:
Spice and Wolf
5 Centimeters Per Second (Any Makoto Shinkai movies for that matter)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Welcome to the NHK
Kaiba
Also, subs for life. I'll admit that there are some good dubs, but they are far too few and in between. - OPR8R, on 01/09/2009, -1/+15I'll agree that some dubs aren't that bad, but in general dubs some how change the overall mood of anime. The only way I can describe it is that it turns anime into cartoons...
- inactive, on 01/08/2009, -3/+15It's not quite in-depth, but that's the point. Kudos for addressing the issues so many fans seem so up in arm about.
- mikoyski, on 01/09/2009, -0/+12I think fansubbed animes, illegal or not, really help the anime industry in a lot of ways. I for one became a fan because I get to watch all the latest animes before it even came out here in the US. I do buy most of the good stuffs like Death Note, Mushishi and others. But I wouldn't have known about these animes if it wasn't for fansubs.
- laguano, on 01/09/2009, -0/+11Good comment until the your mom part.
- inactive, on 01/09/2009, -0/+11TETSUO!
- WNW3, on 01/10/2009, -0/+11KANEDA!
- Zarokima, on 01/09/2009, -1/+12http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh8/imgoingwith ...
- zeth006, on 01/10/2009, -0/+11Globalization? A lot of loanwords taken from the English language.
- kawaiirobo, on 01/09/2009, -0/+10I also would like to add that, though there is a lot of nasty anime porn out there, not all anime is full of naked school girls and tentacle rape demons. Sure if you are looking for that you can find it, but most anime fans actually enjoy decent and totally legitimate shows and movies.
- Durrok, on 01/09/2009, -5/+15On the dubs vs subs thing... boy that varies. Cowboy Bebop? Hell yeah, dubbed all day. Death Note? Christ, what a horrible dub.
- MillionsLivio, on 01/09/2009, -0/+10He was referring to FMA, I disagree with him but it's his opinion.
- bunk3rk1ng, on 01/09/2009, -4/+14So interesting!
/s - SketchaMPM, on 01/10/2009, -0/+9Buried for describing Cowboy Bebop as 'lame'. Some opinions are just wrong.
- anxdiety, on 01/10/2009, -0/+9There's a huge difference between Anime and Hentai, I wish people would stop clumping them together. Its like comparing some cheesy porn flick of "Bat in Man: The Dick Night" to "Batman: The Dark Knight".
- eanbowman, on 01/09/2009, -2/+10I assume you don't like animation made anywhere else either?
- Needles13, on 01/09/2009, -3/+11I recommend never hearing Goku's original Japanese voice.
- ileftfark, on 01/09/2009, -1/+9http://pbfcomics.com/archive_b/PBF071-Weeaboo.gif
- FattyCorpuscle, on 01/09/2009, -0/+8Have to agree with you. There's an expressiveness that comes out of the original Japanese that I don't really find in dubs.
The anime shop manager's scream near the end of this clip being one of my favorite examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EX9QeZw32s# - eanbowman, on 01/09/2009, -0/+8I'd have to say I'm a bit disappointed with most anime as well - but some of the ones mentioned above stand out as shows I really enjoyed.
A lot of the stuff that's even recommended to me these days is completely awful.
I did, however, enjoy Death Note a lot and most people can't stand it. Maybe it's their immature connection of the show with emos and the further connection of people who like emo music with people who actually cut themselves.
Death Note subbed, mind you. I also like how unlike what I hear about the manga, it ends... quickly.
Short series are typically nice. - absentmindedjwc, on 01/10/2009, -0/+7a lot of people in japan speak english
EDIT... well... decently speak it - OzzieAlThor, on 01/09/2009, -0/+7You can also get free streamming Anime on www.hulu.com
Legal and occasionally sub-titled. I saw Death Note in Japanese on that site for free. Hulu = WIN. - Irishsmurf, on 01/09/2009, -1/+8Your name is ''kawaiirobo''
Your opinion is invalid. - inactive, on 01/10/2009, -0/+7Paradox detected.
- kawaiirobo, on 01/09/2009, -0/+7I hate to sound like 'that guy' but honestly when I started watching anime in the 90's there were some really good and unique stories, but Anime has really lost it's pull in general in the last few years. Granted there are still some amazing shows out there, but they arn't really the main stream stuff all over [AS], they are the more unique stories like the work of Yoshatoshi ABe. Maybe I'm just nostalgic for the first few seasons of Ranma, but the stuff that's big now just dosn't do it for me anymore, so for the most part I agree with you, but if you are interested there still is good stuff.
- SpyDerMann, on 01/09/2009, -0/+7I disagree on the pricing issue. The author says (more or less) "Yes, an anime DVD costs aroun $20, but what DVD doesn't?". That's a very different issue, mister. And it has to do with the MPAA, region codes, and all that crap to exploit the consumer into overpaying for a DRM-crippled (read:copy-protected) DVD.
So, even if all DVD's in the world costed $100 dollars, that does NOT make the Anime DVD pricing scheme right!
Ever heard of the term "price fixing"? I would agree to pay $20 or $30 for an anime... box set. With ALL the episodes. Seriously, it's all about supply and demand. If anime companies keep selling at those prices, don't expect everyone to purchase them. - bluechild, on 01/10/2009, -1/+8I think those two shows are more about selling than quality. They stretch every situation so much with repeating dialogs and flashbacks that it gets tragic watching them. The mangas are quite better. Anyway, I like this list.
- MillionsLivio, on 01/10/2009, -0/+7Dugg for Berserk. I suggest reading the manga if you haven't already, it not only is about four times longer (and still going), but the story and characters are so much better. Not to mention the anime was censored to hell, and that's saying quite a lot considering how graphic the anime was.
- eanbowman, on 01/09/2009, -0/+7After watching subs a while I'm so fast at reading that I catch everything onscreen anyway.
Besides, after a while you start to understand the simple phrases. It helps if you try to learn though. - Kannebas, on 01/10/2009, -0/+7I'll take a potato chip... AND EAT IT!!!!
- vpshockwave, on 01/10/2009, -0/+7I'm listening. Keep going.
- mcnees287, on 01/09/2009, -1/+7Dont have much interest in anime. some of its cool. Akira was awesome
- kawaiirobo, on 01/09/2009, -5/+11That's not true. I'm 25, have been an anime fan for years, may not be George Clooney, but I'm not fat and pimply with no style, and I'm certainly not a virgin, in fact, just ask your mother.
- magus_melchior, on 01/09/2009, -0/+6Re: Boxed sets
The article's point is the norm, but there are exceptions. The US Aquarion release, for example, is a "boxed set" in two volumes at $50-60 each. Most other series of equivalent length (2 13-week "arcs) retail the entire series at $60 or so initially.
As for sub vs. dub, I'm a sub person, but that's primarily because I understand Japanese (in fact, I often turn off the subs unless I want to know how the licensee rendered a line-- usually it's passable, but often the fansubs get it closer). I think dubs will perennially be at a disadvantage, since it's going to be a given that the differences in vocabulary and cadence will always change the final recording. It's also an uncommon actor/actress who can convey the same character in a different language without going over-the-top on one hand, or muting the character's qualities on the other. - SketchaMPM, on 01/10/2009, -0/+6Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop have wonderful dubs. So do most of the Miyazaki films.
- TheCollective00, on 01/10/2009, -0/+6Generalizing is so awesome!
- jo21, on 01/10/2009, -0/+6and listen to horrible non japanese voices?
no thanks. - Pentatonic, on 01/10/2009, -2/+8You all should take a look at http://www.crunchyroll.com 's model of streaming anime. They've brokered deals with anime companies in Japan to stream their content on the site. It's all perfectly legit.
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