Mainstream Anime?

[Hanatori]

Does anyone watch anime that's NOT mainstream? Something that doesn't include Naruto, Inuyasha, Fullmetal Alchemist (good anime though), One Piece, Bleach, Rurouni Kenshin, Neon Genesis Evangelion, etc...? It's really sad how people think those series represent the core of anime, and therefore only watch those series... You know you haven't gotten around to watching anime much when you say Kagome's your favorite character. I'm just saying. It bothers me when the most famous anime in America consists of either Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh, and even that's just a subject of ridicule. Yes, I've watched and read these, I just don't see the substance. Is there a reason why these series are highlighted so much? Why people seem attracted to them?

I mean, no one here has talked about Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, Ouran High School Host Club... Even Fate/Stay Night... They're the most talked-about series in anime forums. I'm not trying to argue with anyone, I probably won't change my mind on this, so don't get angry with me if I assert my opinion and it doesn't agree with yours. Maybe you like the anime series mentioned all the way above. Okay. Fine. But do you mind telling me why you like them? (I understand Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist, probably Naruto as well, as I've watched them. I quit watching Naruto, though.) I just want to know why.

 

[Shamdeo]

I'm suprised that no one here talks about Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain, Ghost In The Shell, Paranoia Agent, and Neon Genesis Evangelion ( far from mainstream ).

I'm not too convinced that it's an age difference, as I do know a few younger individuals who adore the likes of Bebop, Wolf's Rain and GitS, etc. Frankly, I'm suprised that such mediocre shows such as Naruto and Inuyasha have gained traction so well with younger viewers... Either the DBZ crowd had to move on, or today's youth constantly seem transfixed by horrible dialogue, pre-pubescent themes and emotions, and a general lack of overall production value. I call them money-makers, because the only reason why I can think that they drag on so long is so that kiddies will fork over a wallet-full of cash to spend on the over-priced DVD's.

 

[Hanatori]

Well, there was a term in Naruto-Fan that I learned before... "Narutards..." Fans who like Naruto to the point of obsession, but cannot even list one point that explains why they do. The word has extended to Bleach, as well- "Bleachtards." I can understand why this kind of thing happens- fans who actually follow the storyline and know character relationships look down on those who blindly follow the action and suspense. These series don't have enough substance to have forums based on them alone. However, you can see that the forums are largely populated, and if fortunate, will have around 1/3 of the users posting. Are people being misguided by watching Naruto and the likes? It's even worse with the dubbed versions, when personalities actually change and great characters turn into shallow people, and vice versa.

 

[Sir Jecht]

I agree with the both of you I mean I like the mainstream anime as much as next guy but I just get tried of hearing how Naruto went kyubi and like totally owned sasuke..AAGGH...I havent seen anime like..Dot.Hack or Canidate for the Goddess...or things like Gunsliger girl....I mean they are all great animes and should be respected as much...I mean I'm not saying that I didnt like DBZ..cuz I worished Akira Toriyama and his work ( Dr.Slump,sandland,.etc.)..but when it comes to anime these days I've seen that the anime that comes on TV is more aceptted...( to a point) I like FMA, Inyahsa, and others....but the anime such as Wofl's Rain..and Samurai Champloo are..way better.( maybe better than Inuyasha..but very close to beatting FMA..XD)...I've also see anime that has amazing animation...great dialouge and a nice story to boot...but since nettworks like Cartoonetwork only want action and high selling anime they never really get noticed......and the whole DVD fanchise of anime I dont blame them..I mean FUNimation..still makes DBZ and they still get paid for it and also they were smart to team up with 4KIDS cuz now they are making like HELLA GOOD money..lol...I just wish that I could turn to toonami and actually see a dencent anime that wasnt Naruto or whatever other crap they have on....I miss the days where when you said Gundam no one really knewe what you were talking about...and when good anime used to come on...instead of this poorly dubbed...piece of Sh** they expect kids to watch...now I know DBZ was no better for people like me it opened up the world of anime and that of Manga-Ka's....I even wrote a Bio on Akira Toriyama..while all of my other friends wrote one on DBZ.....anyways....I like that anime is somewhat mainstream now...cuz then it hopefully wont be dubbed as for kids and also wont be heavily edited do ...much...but I can only hope..XD

 

[stephaknee]

I mean, no one here has talked about Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, Ouran High School Host Club... Even Fate/Stay Night... They're the most talked-about series in anime forums. I'm not trying to argue with anyone, I probably won't change my mind on this, so don't get angry with me if I assert my opinion and it doesn't agree with yours. Maybe you like the anime series mentioned all the way above. Okay. Fine. But do you mind telling me why you like them? (I understand Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist, probably Naruto as well, as I've watched them. I quit watching Naruto, though.) I just want to know why.

I agree completely! On Animenfo.com, Kima ga Nozomu Eien is ranked the number one Anime, and I bet hardly anyone here has ever even watched it. I've said this over and over again; people believe they're hardxcore anime fans even though all they watch is Adult Swim.

.. And I've heard Inuyasha is a complete rip-off of Fushigi Yugi. I'm too stubborn to ever watch it, but FY is one of my favorite series.

 

[LordMune]

I mean, no one here has talked about Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, Ouran High School Host Club... Even Fate/Stay Night... They're the most talked-about series in anime forums.

This is just because they're non-shounen un-licensed shows currently being fansubbed (with the exception of Fate/Stay Night); it has nothing to do with "mainstream" or "non-mainstream". Shows like the Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi are fairly mainstream- all of your examples are (perhaps with the exception of higurashi no naku koro ni, as it is based on a doujin game and per definition not mainstream) mainstream; in Japan.

But yes, it appears most people here are satisfied with whatever censored, dubbed and generally raped scraps of animation Adult Swim tosses them.

 

[Hanatori]

It's just kind of frustrating when all you hear is Inuyasha or Naruto. But no, we haven't had anyone talk about the series I mentioned up there, right? It probably has a lot to do with the fact that they're not licensed, but still, there are people here who download anime subbed.

It's not that they're satisfied, it's just all they know. If it isn't... well, it's their taste.

 

[tidusora]

*sigh* Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is mainstream in Japan! It's Album sold out, and all that jazz. That's how good it is. But why not in America you ask? Does every single anime fan download their anime fansubbed or dubbed off the internet?

Anyways, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has hardly aired more than 15 episodes, I'm pretty sure of. I don't even think Naruto was that famous, until many of the later episodes that developed plot development as well as character development.

Also, the anime that are good but are never hard of are:
Iriya no Sora UFO no Natsu (By the Way, this is a masterpiece anime, in my opinion. Pretty good packed in 6 episodes. Ending made me get sad....)

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (If this was popular, I'd be happy, unfortuanetly, this is stuck in one of those animes that people hardly know unless they go ANN or they have Anime Network, or get ADV DVDs.)

Desert Punk (Really funny anime, also known as Sunabozu. Dubbed version would make you laugh more than the subbed versions due to jokes that wouldn't make sense to an American, but to Japanese. Dubbed version relates to jokes that are often used here in America.)

Tenshi no Konamaiki (Really funny, I'm surprised this hasn't been liscensed yet...)

Narue no Sekai (The dub is fairly good, even if I haven't heard the subbed. I love this anime, even though it may be slow-paced and overly lovey dovey packed, it makes for a good series.)

Animation Runner Kuromi (I love this one, resembles Comic Party.)



Yeah, those are some of the underground.....IMO.

 

[Hanatori]

I'm glad I actually know those series.

Okay, Suzumiya Haruhi is mainstream. Still, you can't admit that my thread for it here was positively empty. >_>

 

[Noblethe3rd]

No one has said that this thread is empty... it brings up a legitimate point. The said thing is that Americans don't have the access or the ability to learn about ALL the anime and is basically stuck with the limited amount of, as LordMune so beautifully described,

censored, dubbed and generally raped scraps of animation

Basically that sums up what we get. But you have to admit though they probably could have utterly destroyed so many other shows, such as GitS if they censored everything. They kinda took a lot out of Samurai Champloo and other ones they have aired as well....

Basically I am saying that a lot of the fans of those shows have such limited knowledge of other anime and don't know that they are only scrapping the bottom of the barrel. And I do agree, AdultSwim with anime is like watching ESPN to learn about Hai Alia.( I might have spelt it wrong, forgive me if I have)

 

[Square Ninja]

...as LordMune so beautifully described, Basically that sums up what we get. But you have to admit though they probably could have utterly destroyed so many other shows, such as GitS if they censored everything. They kinda took a lot out of Samurai Champloo and other ones they have aired as well....

The Adult Swim didn't used to do it to such an extent back when it was limited to late hours on Saturday night/Sunday morning. It used to be TV-17 (or whatever that rating is), but then they started airing it nearly every damn night, and we suffer for it by getting more content cut. They should move it back to late Saturday nights and give me back my blood and cursing.[/rant]

 

[Daniel Faraday]

Er...I'm sorta out of place here, seeing as how I definatly fall into the mainstream viewer catagory, but, I gotta say, I'm really dissapointed that no one at all's mentioned Ergo Proxy...It's a damn well good series, ya?
~Fenris Etheral

 

[Square Ninja]

You people do realize that anything that comes stateside is mainstream, right?

 

[Noblethe3rd]

You people do realize that anything that comes stateside is mainstream, right?

Well then many of us would like to see the mainstream to shift to more entertaining anime instead of the childish and overrated ones that compose of the mainstream currently.

 

[Square Ninja]

Well then many of us would like to see the mainstream to shift to more entertaining anime instead of the childish and overrated ones that compose of the mainstream currently.

In a society that largely views any and all animation to be for children? l4wlz

 

[Noblethe3rd]

In a society that largely views any and all animation to be for children? l4wlz

I agree with you that the current society is currently like that but lately there has been a shift towards seeing animation as not just a child's form of entertainment. The increase in anime in America as well as the widespread reputations of shows like South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, the Simpsons and others have lead to a more openminded perception of animation.

 

[Square Ninja]

I agree with you that the current society is currently like that but lately there has been a shift towards seeing animation as not just a child's form of entertainment. The increase in anime in America as well as the widespread reputations of shows like South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, the Simpsons and others have lead to a more openminded perception of animation.

You forget that each of your examples is very "American" in style, particularly visual style. The typical anime visual style is considered "kiddy" stateside. It's bullshit, I know, but what are you going to do?

 

[Daniel Faraday]

I agree with you that the current society is currently like that but lately there has been a shift towards seeing animation as not just a child's form of entertainment. The increase in anime in America as well as the widespread reputations of shows like South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, the Simpsons and others have lead to a more openminded perception of animation.

Of course, that's still in referance to our own, handcrafted sitcoms. Now, when people over in the states are often presented with a choice as to which is more mature, (Generic Shounen series) or (Generic Animated sitcom), they'll always choose the latter due to the fact that they're often exposed to it. However, the majority of what people view as a pristine example of anime is childrens stuff, like Naruto and Pokemon, becuase those are brought before them commenly, so it results in a more sealed, uniform viewing of animation that falls outside of comedy. If anything...people are digressing from their so called 'open minded' perception, ya?

~Fenris Etheral, who, due to a high fever, really has no idea what the hell he just said >_>

 

[Square Ninja]

~Fenris Etheral, who, due to a high fever, really has no idea what the hell he just said >_>

That fever has evidently made your posts more coherent.

 

[Libra]

I think the US has a hard time grasping the fact that in anime fire balls can be shot out of someone's hand and then trying to call it "Adult". Then seeing mainstream anime being picked up by Cartoon Network didn't help the maturity of it all. You can complain all you want about censorship, but our culture and theirs is completely different. The US will never be open to letting children hear their favorite Anime hero call someone a "bitch".

So I will stick with my fansubs, and enjoy amazing stories. Not to mention beautiful artwork that surpasses American animators any day of the week.