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How to watch anime without feeling attached to the characters?

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Oct 7, 2013 11:16 AM
#1
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Dec 2012
9
I know that this is a bad question to ask as with any media we get attached to characters. I'm talking more in the line of romance ones. A lot of times we don't get the pairings we want. For example, in Pet no Kanojo the pairing that I wanted didn't happen. I was attached to the other girl. So how do you watch anime and feel like you're just watching anime?
Oct 7, 2013 11:19 AM
#2

Offline
Sep 2012
19234
Get a lobotomy?

Actively trying to remove your emotional investment of a show is kind of counterproductive. Otherwise, you can't enjoy it. If you can't relate to it, and don't care about anything that happens to the characters, it's just colors flashing on a screen. Nothing other than a dazzling fireworks show.
Red_KeysOct 7, 2013 11:23 AM
Oct 7, 2013 11:23 AM
#3

Offline
Sep 2013
1797
Step 1: Be a robot
Step 2: Hate all humans
Step 3: Watch a bad anime with poor character development
Step 4: ???
Step 5: Profit!
Oct 7, 2013 11:23 AM
#4

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Aug 2012
16892
Watch one episode a week.
Oct 7, 2013 11:24 AM
#5

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Nov 2012
15463
watch some mediocre anime without any character development
Oct 7, 2013 11:26 AM
#6

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Mar 2012
1026
So basically you want to take away one of the best aspects of watching something(doesn't have to be Anime) and just become an emotionless being.


MAL never ceases to amaze me
Oct 7, 2013 11:27 AM
#7

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Nov 2008
27806
MellowJello said:
Watch one episode a week.


silverwalls said:
watch some mediocre anime without any character development


Doesn't help

It's impossible to do this.


Oct 7, 2013 11:32 AM
#8

Offline
Apr 2013
3489
Watch School Days. You'll hate every character so it won't make a difference with which girl the mc ends up with...
5 main aspects I base my ratings on:
1. Did DramaEnthusiast make a thread about it?
2. Is it better than Breaking Bad?
3. Did MellowJello recommend the shit out of it?
4. Has it caused a (very entertaining) shitstorm on MAL?
5. Is it actually good?

Scratch the fifth point, it's not very relevant...
Oct 7, 2013 11:35 AM
#9

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Aug 2012
3305
Why would you want to not get attached to the characters? That is the whole point of enjoying any entertainment medium that tells a story.
This topic has not been locked and is still available for discussion.
Oct 7, 2013 11:36 AM

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May 2013
4712
Energizer100 said:
I know that this is a bad question to ask as with any media we get attached to characters. I'm talking more in the line of romance ones. A lot of times we don't get the pairings we want. For example, in Pet no Kanojo the pairing that I wanted didn't happen. I was attached to the other girl. So how do you watch anime and feel like you're just watching anime?



You can't. You WILL hate certain characters, and if certain pairings happen (I'm looking at you, Da Capo and Vampire Knight Guilty!), you will scream in frustration. There is no way to avoid it.


gamer2710 said:
Why would you want to not get attached to the characters? That is the whole point of enjoying any entertainment medium that tells a story.



Haha, I always find myself agreeing with you dude. Yeah, but seriously though, I think I'd rather hate a character than not care about them. After all, disgust is better than boredom, or at least in most cases anyway.
Oct 7, 2013 11:39 AM

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Apr 2012
4713
Just dont give a shit. I dont give too much of a shit and move on if my favourite pairing didnt happen, its really not a big deal its just a fictional pairing between fictional characters who cares?

But romance anime is not my stronghold, so whatever.
Oct 7, 2013 11:53 AM

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Feb 2012
3771
You can try focusing on visuals, music or story if it has one. You can also try placing your hand inside your pants and see if that helps.
Oct 7, 2013 12:03 PM
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May 2013
8
That's an easy one just watch half of school days and you'll hate every character or try watching Serial Experiments Lain, you'll be too confused to be attached to character.
Oct 7, 2013 12:18 PM

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Apr 2013
7998
watch code geass R2.
Oct 7, 2013 12:41 PM

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Mar 2013
5831
Sourire said:
watch code geass R2.

Lol, that will bring quite the opposite effect. ;)

I honestly don't know of any way to not sympathize with characters.
All in all, I find it good to sympathize with characters, regardless of how things turn out. :)
Oct 7, 2013 12:48 PM
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Sep 2013
758
Watch a really bad anime that has unlikable characters.

Why would you not want to get attached to characters, though? That's what helps you enjoy the story.
Oct 7, 2013 12:50 PM

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Jun 2008
24605
Watch nature documentaries instead.
Oct 7, 2013 12:51 PM

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Sep 2011
33901
i watched tekkaman blade slowly cause despite the plot being really good, the characters were all 1 dimensional and lacked most forms of personality save for a couple people.

So thats just what you do, watch it slowly like a ep or 2 every day or 2, eventually its done

Immahnoob said:
Jizzy, I know you have no idea how to argue for shit,

tokiyashiro said:

Jizzy as you would call yourself because youre a dick The most butthurt award goes to you And clearly you havent watched that many shows thats why you cant determine if a show is unique or not Or maybe you're just a child who likes common stuffs where hero saves the day and guys gets all the girls. Sad taste you have there kid you came up to me in the first place making you look more like a kid who got slapped without me even knowing it and start crying about it to me

Oct 7, 2013 12:51 PM

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Feb 2013
1326
If you don't feel attachment, you don't enjoy the show. As for the pairings, it often happens to me as well, but in Sakurasou, it was the perfect one!
Aliis si licet, tibi non licet.
Oct 7, 2013 1:27 PM

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Sep 2012
1190
MellowJello said:
Watch one episode a week.

Agree!
Oct 7, 2013 1:30 PM

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Sep 2012
343
If you don't feel attached to the characters, then it's a bad show. For the OP example, sure you were sad when the guy picked the girl you weren't cheering for, but would you have liked her at all if you weren't attached to her? Then she would've been just another forgettable character. Getting attached to characters is a very important element ina good show. If you don't like the characters, then what's the poibt of watching them for however many episodes?
Another page to the history of the Fujaku.
Oct 7, 2013 1:34 PM

Offline
Aug 2013
722
Are you not trying to nullify the point of characters in general then?
Sup People and yes I am the physical manifestation of Shinji Ikari's Balls

And this what elite-sama says to incest
elite-sama said:
I'm against it because I don't have a sister. It's not fair.
Oct 7, 2013 1:52 PM

Offline
Jul 2013
400
Well it was a given who he would of chosen in that anime, unless they pulled off some crazy shit like Mashiro Symphony. I usually end up liking the majority of the characters in an anime so I don't mind at all who they are paired up with though there is always a character I prefer more. So if you can, try to enjoy all the characters, it helps you to enjoy the show a lot more.
Oct 7, 2013 2:03 PM

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Aug 2010
3864
One suggestion is to not watch those kinds of shows. Other than that you're just going to have to deal with it. In Sakurasou I didn't really mind since I liked both girls.
Oct 7, 2013 2:05 PM

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Jun 2013
6076
What anime would be then?
Oct 7, 2013 7:24 PM

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Dec 2012
656
For that to happen, I'd need a REAL action anime where each episode consists of one minute of exposition followed by one big 20-minute long action scene. This non-stop action with flat characters wouldn't attach me to them.

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