Jun 13, 2021 4:09 PM
Anime's Age Old Questions
Anime Relations:
Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch, Strike Witches, Love Live! School Idol Project, Shingeki no Kyojin, Boku no Hero Academia
The purpose of this blog is to offer concise insights on various recurring topics that arise in the anime community. This will be my main reference point when discussing them.
Subs vs Dubs
A fitting topic to start off with. Personally, I watch everything in Japanese. While there are definitely some really strong dubs out there (Fullmetal Alchemist, Attack on Titan, Death Note, etc), I've grown too accustom to hearing everything in its original language. I also choose subs because the Japanese voice actors/actresses have a direct connection to the production of the anime. They interact with the director, the animators, the music team and sometimes, even the original creator of the source. On the other hand, the dub teams usually take whatever they get from Japan and figure out the best way to interpret & translate it for their native audiences. It would be like Japanese voice overs for Lord of the Rings. Sure, maybe the guy who plays Gandalf sounds good. But he's not Ian McKellen and he has no ties to Peter Jackson or any of the other actors who physically interacted with one another on set.
A bonus reason I prefer Japanese is for consistency in language. Imagine watching Love Live and the girls are speaking English, only to suddenly switch to Japanese singing with entirely different voices. It's very jarring to think about and another reason why dubs are still limited in what they can actually do.
In summation, I wouldn't say dubs are inherently a bad choice. However, I prefer watching in the original Japanese because it stays the most organic, original experience of the anime.
Old vs New
This shouldn't even be a debate. Anime timelessly proves its merits through the decades and across generations. I've found masterpieces from the 1980s all the way to the current year (2021). While I grew up on late 90's and early 2000's anime, this medium only continues to grow on me with each new year of talent & potential. There's also the matter of defining each term. New anime is pretty obvious, but what constitutes "old" at this point? Rurouni Kenshin (1999) was considered old by the time Madoka Magica came out (2010). Would MM be considered old now in the wake of titles such as Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen?
Overall, I don't think the old vs new paradigm is a good one for measuring the best of anime. There are certainly trends & aspects of each decade worth examining, but my passion for anime will continue to remain eternal, across every age.
Moe ~Kyun~
If you asked me a decade ago and I knew what it was, I would unequivocally say that I hate moe. I was edgy and just wanted to see cool sword fights & guns blazing. It wasn't until I watched K-On in 2013 that I began to open up to it. And thus initiated my rabbit hole into cute girls doing cute things. From cutesy SOL like GochiUsa all the way to Waifu the Musical Love Live, I've come to realize how endearing the cute factor is. It's a soothing style that makes me feel totally vulnerable and without a care in the world. Moe is pure positivity and I could float away on it.
Fanservice & Ecchi
Moe & Nico Nico-Nii? Yeah, I can get behind that. Girls flashing every crack & crevice in the middle of fights with demons? Ehhh...
For a long time, I strongly condemned fanservice & ecchi as nothing more than cheap gimmicks that only served as detriments to the anime experience. Every breast bounce felt like filler, or rather "filling" (boing boing). Every panty shot made me wonder what went through the heads of grown adults as they gathered in a studio and decided what they could do to leave their marks as artists. Indeed, I've long held the idea that fanservice & ecchi were forever incompatible with anything good or worthwhile.
Since I began watching ecchi in earnest in 2014, however, that view has transformed (or perhaps deformed) as I've learned how to spot the differences between classy sex appeal and tasteless pandering. In general, I gauge to see whether it matches the mood of the series in question. For my personal favorite, Strike Witches, ecchi is an integral part of the style & humor, often even making fun of itself for how over the top it can be. It establishes itself such that when the more dramatic moments approach, the girls' outfits aren't distracting and don't hurt the mood.
In contrast, nothing would be more horrifying than seeing tasteless panty flashes moments before young girls are grotesquely cannibalized in something such as Attack on Titan. Though that doesn't mean you can't appreciate Mikasa & Annie's fine qualities when they're training in their tank tops and showing off their guns.
Setting aside the two extremes, I generally prefer anime to keep fanservice at a minimal unless it's otherwise established itself as part of that niche. My Hero Academia, for example, has quite a few moments with Uraraka and the other girls. While they don't hurt my overall enjoyment, they certainly feel like they could have been left out in favor of staying focused on what makes MHA & its cast truly endearing. I would rather see Ura's A-grade smile after passing a Plus Ultra exam than half an episode that plays into the hot spring tropes.
As a whole, I feel like I'm a bit more open minded and relaxed when it comes to these elements. I take them for what they're worth, but that usually can only go so far. If an ecchi series wants a 9 or 10 out of me, it really has to work for it (and work it!).
Subs vs Dubs
A fitting topic to start off with. Personally, I watch everything in Japanese. While there are definitely some really strong dubs out there (Fullmetal Alchemist, Attack on Titan, Death Note, etc), I've grown too accustom to hearing everything in its original language. I also choose subs because the Japanese voice actors/actresses have a direct connection to the production of the anime. They interact with the director, the animators, the music team and sometimes, even the original creator of the source. On the other hand, the dub teams usually take whatever they get from Japan and figure out the best way to interpret & translate it for their native audiences. It would be like Japanese voice overs for Lord of the Rings. Sure, maybe the guy who plays Gandalf sounds good. But he's not Ian McKellen and he has no ties to Peter Jackson or any of the other actors who physically interacted with one another on set.
A bonus reason I prefer Japanese is for consistency in language. Imagine watching Love Live and the girls are speaking English, only to suddenly switch to Japanese singing with entirely different voices. It's very jarring to think about and another reason why dubs are still limited in what they can actually do.
In summation, I wouldn't say dubs are inherently a bad choice. However, I prefer watching in the original Japanese because it stays the most organic, original experience of the anime.
Old vs New
This shouldn't even be a debate. Anime timelessly proves its merits through the decades and across generations. I've found masterpieces from the 1980s all the way to the current year (2021). While I grew up on late 90's and early 2000's anime, this medium only continues to grow on me with each new year of talent & potential. There's also the matter of defining each term. New anime is pretty obvious, but what constitutes "old" at this point? Rurouni Kenshin (1999) was considered old by the time Madoka Magica came out (2010). Would MM be considered old now in the wake of titles such as Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen?
Overall, I don't think the old vs new paradigm is a good one for measuring the best of anime. There are certainly trends & aspects of each decade worth examining, but my passion for anime will continue to remain eternal, across every age.
Moe ~Kyun~
If you asked me a decade ago and I knew what it was, I would unequivocally say that I hate moe. I was edgy and just wanted to see cool sword fights & guns blazing. It wasn't until I watched K-On in 2013 that I began to open up to it. And thus initiated my rabbit hole into cute girls doing cute things. From cutesy SOL like GochiUsa all the way to Waifu the Musical Love Live, I've come to realize how endearing the cute factor is. It's a soothing style that makes me feel totally vulnerable and without a care in the world. Moe is pure positivity and I could float away on it.
Fanservice & Ecchi
Moe & Nico Nico-Nii? Yeah, I can get behind that. Girls flashing every crack & crevice in the middle of fights with demons? Ehhh...
For a long time, I strongly condemned fanservice & ecchi as nothing more than cheap gimmicks that only served as detriments to the anime experience. Every breast bounce felt like filler, or rather "filling" (boing boing). Every panty shot made me wonder what went through the heads of grown adults as they gathered in a studio and decided what they could do to leave their marks as artists. Indeed, I've long held the idea that fanservice & ecchi were forever incompatible with anything good or worthwhile.
Since I began watching ecchi in earnest in 2014, however, that view has transformed (or perhaps deformed) as I've learned how to spot the differences between classy sex appeal and tasteless pandering. In general, I gauge to see whether it matches the mood of the series in question. For my personal favorite, Strike Witches, ecchi is an integral part of the style & humor, often even making fun of itself for how over the top it can be. It establishes itself such that when the more dramatic moments approach, the girls' outfits aren't distracting and don't hurt the mood.
In contrast, nothing would be more horrifying than seeing tasteless panty flashes moments before young girls are grotesquely cannibalized in something such as Attack on Titan. Though that doesn't mean you can't appreciate Mikasa & Annie's fine qualities when they're training in their tank tops and showing off their guns.
Setting aside the two extremes, I generally prefer anime to keep fanservice at a minimal unless it's otherwise established itself as part of that niche. My Hero Academia, for example, has quite a few moments with Uraraka and the other girls. While they don't hurt my overall enjoyment, they certainly feel like they could have been left out in favor of staying focused on what makes MHA & its cast truly endearing. I would rather see Ura's A-grade smile after passing a Plus Ultra exam than half an episode that plays into the hot spring tropes.
As a whole, I feel like I'm a bit more open minded and relaxed when it comes to these elements. I take them for what they're worth, but that usually can only go so far. If an ecchi series wants a 9 or 10 out of me, it really has to work for it (and work it!).
Posted by
Zekkenshin
| Jun 13, 2021 4:09 PM |
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