July 18th, 2015
Losing My Interest in Anime
I've been an anime fan for quite some time now, but recently my interest in the medium has been wavering. Perhaps it is the lack of shows to my preference that are released on a seasonal basis, or perhaps my growing passion for manga and other forms of entertainment(specifically Japanese entertainment) has led to my growing disinterest in anime. Now this is not to say that I can't bring myself to watch anything. I still enjoy shows from time to time, but this enjoyment has been hard to find recently. My once burning passion for the medium has lost its flame. I used to be such an enthusiast, following my favorites from each season while also watching already-completed shows. I just can't seem to do that anymore. I understand that there are a large amount of great shows out there that I would thoroughly enjoy. However, for every good show I find, there are tens of bad ones to follow. So why can't I just enjoy the good ones? I would like to do that, but all the bad shows have downed the medium of anime for me as a whole. An example of this is butchered adaptations. Let's take light novels for example. The details that are brought by light novels can simply not be transferred into an anime. Anime lacks the means to convey all the elements to a light novel which could be essential elements to the driving of the story. This leads them to take only the EXTREMELY essential elements--those that if removed would make a completely different story. Or they just screw everything the original writer intended and just make up their own shit. There are many problems that come along with doing this. The minor details omitted can be just as essential as the main details that make up the story. An example of this is Sword Art Online. This happened all too many times in the show. In season 2, the producers took the main detail--Kirito is good at video games, specifically GGO. However, they left out the fact that he trained for months in ALO leading up to the season which allowed him to develop almost robotic reflexes--this also explains his use of a light saber. To anime-only people, Kirito is portrayed as a bad ass, overpowered character for no reason. However, people who have actually bothered to read the light novel(not many, considering the closet that all these anime fans refuse to leave) know that he is in fact a coward, his mind destroyed by his actions in the death game. I am not saying the novel of Sword Art is perfect, as it is not. But if making it into an anime demeans the story, what is the point of watching it? Just read the source material so you can understand the original writer's intentions for the direction of the story as opposed to some director who does not even like the series.
The leaving out of minor details also limits anime's potential to successfully portray a complex, fleshed-out story. I don't understand why people down simple shows like K-On, for being nothing more than a group of high school-aged girls enjoying themselves. They than proceed to bring up shows such as Code Geass, showering them in praise for their so-called complex and flawless plots. This is another problem I have with anime--the community, but I'll get to that later. Downing something for being simple is stupid. And I used to be one of those people. Perhaps my stopping of that is a direct correlation to my increasing lack of interest in anime. If you want complex writing, go read a book. I'm currently (trying) to read Ulysses, and anime certainly could not pull something off like that. Being simple does not make something bad, and in many cases the simplicity of the story is what makes it good. Barakamon, a relatively new show, features a calligraphy writer who goes to an island for self-discovery. He meets new people there and adapts to their odd lifestyle. Although it is just that, and it is nothing more, maybe that is why I enjoyed it so much. It never tried to outdo itself with a pretentious plot that so many anime today try(I don't understand why) to present. If you want to criticize Barakamon for being just that, I will criticize your precious Death Note for making the consumption of chips into a soap opera. Right. It's stupid.
The final thing I will write about is the community. I see too many anime viewers online that are downing others for liking a certain show. Stating that something is bad is one thing, but saying one has shit taste and is somehow a lower person than another for liking a show is just plain stupidity. This is often done without any argument to back one's statements, and this makes the person look even more stupid. They look like those PC gamers who think they are gods and make it known that they(or their parents) have the means to spend thousands of dollars on equipment just to make the graphics of a game look ever-so-slightly better than the average PC. They than hold their heads up high and talk shit to other folks who enjoy video games on different platforms. Having an elitist attitude like that blows away any chance of an intelligent conversation between fellow fans of a certain medium. Your worth in life is not determined by what entertains you. I suppose some folks just don't understand this. I understand that I may be generalizing the community as one group of people, but these types of people seem to annoy me the most. It is hard to be active in a community filled with people like these. There are even those on the opposite side of that spectrum, those who absolutely refuse to accept any criticism for their favorite shows and just say that they enjoyed the shows, so they're perfect. You can enjoy something and understand it is not some flawless piece of art that is bringing upon the new Renaissance on the fools who dare point out that it is anything other than perfect.
Maybe I'm just overthinking this, and I'm just not watching as much anime as I used to because I don't feel like it. Maybe anime is not as bad as I think it is at conveying stories, and I'm slowly becoming one of those elitists that I hate so much. Maybe I'm just salty that White Album 2 isn't getting a sequel anytime soon, and that I'm not yet proficient enough in Japanese to read the visual novel. What I do know is that I'd much rather spend my current free time working out, something that I'm truly passionate about, and not on a medium that I can't seem to get myself to enjoy anymore. And when I'm not working out I'll probably be writing these pointless entries on my MAL blog that are probably not even looked at by anybody on this site. Or playing Persona 4.(Gotta love Rise)
The leaving out of minor details also limits anime's potential to successfully portray a complex, fleshed-out story. I don't understand why people down simple shows like K-On, for being nothing more than a group of high school-aged girls enjoying themselves. They than proceed to bring up shows such as Code Geass, showering them in praise for their so-called complex and flawless plots. This is another problem I have with anime--the community, but I'll get to that later. Downing something for being simple is stupid. And I used to be one of those people. Perhaps my stopping of that is a direct correlation to my increasing lack of interest in anime. If you want complex writing, go read a book. I'm currently (trying) to read Ulysses, and anime certainly could not pull something off like that. Being simple does not make something bad, and in many cases the simplicity of the story is what makes it good. Barakamon, a relatively new show, features a calligraphy writer who goes to an island for self-discovery. He meets new people there and adapts to their odd lifestyle. Although it is just that, and it is nothing more, maybe that is why I enjoyed it so much. It never tried to outdo itself with a pretentious plot that so many anime today try(I don't understand why) to present. If you want to criticize Barakamon for being just that, I will criticize your precious Death Note for making the consumption of chips into a soap opera. Right. It's stupid.
The final thing I will write about is the community. I see too many anime viewers online that are downing others for liking a certain show. Stating that something is bad is one thing, but saying one has shit taste and is somehow a lower person than another for liking a show is just plain stupidity. This is often done without any argument to back one's statements, and this makes the person look even more stupid. They look like those PC gamers who think they are gods and make it known that they(or their parents) have the means to spend thousands of dollars on equipment just to make the graphics of a game look ever-so-slightly better than the average PC. They than hold their heads up high and talk shit to other folks who enjoy video games on different platforms. Having an elitist attitude like that blows away any chance of an intelligent conversation between fellow fans of a certain medium. Your worth in life is not determined by what entertains you. I suppose some folks just don't understand this. I understand that I may be generalizing the community as one group of people, but these types of people seem to annoy me the most. It is hard to be active in a community filled with people like these. There are even those on the opposite side of that spectrum, those who absolutely refuse to accept any criticism for their favorite shows and just say that they enjoyed the shows, so they're perfect. You can enjoy something and understand it is not some flawless piece of art that is bringing upon the new Renaissance on the fools who dare point out that it is anything other than perfect.
Maybe I'm just overthinking this, and I'm just not watching as much anime as I used to because I don't feel like it. Maybe anime is not as bad as I think it is at conveying stories, and I'm slowly becoming one of those elitists that I hate so much. Maybe I'm just salty that White Album 2 isn't getting a sequel anytime soon, and that I'm not yet proficient enough in Japanese to read the visual novel. What I do know is that I'd much rather spend my current free time working out, something that I'm truly passionate about, and not on a medium that I can't seem to get myself to enjoy anymore. And when I'm not working out I'll probably be writing these pointless entries on my MAL blog that are probably not even looked at by anybody on this site. Or playing Persona 4.(Gotta love Rise)
Posted by Sonic0 | Jul 18, 2015 9:11 PM | 0 comments
June 5th, 2015
Summer and random rant
Anime Relations: Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai.
Summer is an interesting time. Naturally, I am referring to summer break, and not the actual season. Commencing right after the conclusion of final exams, the culmination of stress for most students, it can offer an escape to the everyday grind that school is. Not having the daily obligation of waking up early to attend school is quite refreshing. Of course, one may have a job, or perhaps an internship in one's pursuit of one's own interests. Or perhaps school isn't on break for one. Whether it's classes for the summer semester, or summer school for those that failed to achieve a credit, school does not necessarily end at the conclusion of final exams. However, it does for a large amount of people.
The lack of school can allow people to devote more time to their own interests. Attending parties, reading books, watching anime, exercising, and many other activities can be done in this time off. Or maybe one just wants down time. Time where one can relax, and escape from the pains of daily life. Of course, this route is not for everyone. Simply doing nothing is not a realistic course of action to take for some. This applies more for adults who have to support themselves and maybe a family. Or even kids who have to work to support their families. For these people there is no break. Summer is a time to add more hours, not to take some off. I am grateful that I am not yet at this point, and I want to enjoy my young years to the fullest.
Enjoying my youth to the fullest may be different than some. Some people may think of this concept as doing idiotic things because "you only live once." I believe this can be directly accounted towards social media. The culture of today's social media is something I truly hate. Doing stupid things to gain popularity on these social media platforms is absolutely ridiculous. There are people who light themselves on fire and post videos of the act online. How stupid have we become? I could honestly care less if these people became seriously injured in the act. And I am sure it has happened. Swallowing spoonfuls of cinnamon, or rapidly breathing until one passes out are other examples of this farce. If this is what people consider making the most of their lives is, how will our generation look when it's our time to carry on the burdens of the world? The world is already overpopulated and with the constant release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it seems the as if the world is already ending. Let me rephrase that, the human race is already ending. Due to the carrying capacity of this world being already far surpassed, there is going to be heavy consequences for the human race. And we are already in the midst of it. The world is slowly spiraling down into chaos. Oh, and don't forget that those to help us are currently lighting themselves on fire. However, there are still the people who really want to make a difference. I recall a teenager inventing a way to diagnose or treat(I forgot which) cancer more efficiently and cheaper than the conventional methods used today. Although this may lead to the world being more overpopulated, at the end of the day, he is saving lives. Improved medicine is not the main cause of overpopulation. Those that are hard at work in the important aspects of life are amazing. These people are the ones that I truly admire. These are the type of people that I aspire to be. I don't care if they're younger or older than me. Those hard at work to make a difference are everywhere. It can be one who is studying hard in the fifth grade to eventually make a difference in this world, or even someone who has forgone his or her studies because he or she is already making a difference in the world. Making the world a better place is what I consider to be making the most of my youth.
I veered way off track, so i suppose I will end this blog entry here. I related it to Anohana because it has that summer feel to it.
Happy Summer.
The lack of school can allow people to devote more time to their own interests. Attending parties, reading books, watching anime, exercising, and many other activities can be done in this time off. Or maybe one just wants down time. Time where one can relax, and escape from the pains of daily life. Of course, this route is not for everyone. Simply doing nothing is not a realistic course of action to take for some. This applies more for adults who have to support themselves and maybe a family. Or even kids who have to work to support their families. For these people there is no break. Summer is a time to add more hours, not to take some off. I am grateful that I am not yet at this point, and I want to enjoy my young years to the fullest.
Enjoying my youth to the fullest may be different than some. Some people may think of this concept as doing idiotic things because "you only live once." I believe this can be directly accounted towards social media. The culture of today's social media is something I truly hate. Doing stupid things to gain popularity on these social media platforms is absolutely ridiculous. There are people who light themselves on fire and post videos of the act online. How stupid have we become? I could honestly care less if these people became seriously injured in the act. And I am sure it has happened. Swallowing spoonfuls of cinnamon, or rapidly breathing until one passes out are other examples of this farce. If this is what people consider making the most of their lives is, how will our generation look when it's our time to carry on the burdens of the world? The world is already overpopulated and with the constant release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it seems the as if the world is already ending. Let me rephrase that, the human race is already ending. Due to the carrying capacity of this world being already far surpassed, there is going to be heavy consequences for the human race. And we are already in the midst of it. The world is slowly spiraling down into chaos. Oh, and don't forget that those to help us are currently lighting themselves on fire. However, there are still the people who really want to make a difference. I recall a teenager inventing a way to diagnose or treat(I forgot which) cancer more efficiently and cheaper than the conventional methods used today. Although this may lead to the world being more overpopulated, at the end of the day, he is saving lives. Improved medicine is not the main cause of overpopulation. Those that are hard at work in the important aspects of life are amazing. These people are the ones that I truly admire. These are the type of people that I aspire to be. I don't care if they're younger or older than me. Those hard at work to make a difference are everywhere. It can be one who is studying hard in the fifth grade to eventually make a difference in this world, or even someone who has forgone his or her studies because he or she is already making a difference in the world. Making the world a better place is what I consider to be making the most of my youth.
I veered way off track, so i suppose I will end this blog entry here. I related it to Anohana because it has that summer feel to it.
Happy Summer.
Posted by Sonic0 | Jun 5, 2015 11:37 PM | 0 comments
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