| I hear this term thrown around quite often and I honestly don't think I have a very good understanding of what people mean when the use this word. Anybody have some good explanations/examples? thanks. |
| Typically, 'edgy' is used in a derogatory manner, denoting a series that goes straight for shock value without having properly set up a universe that facilitates it or in a manner that is cheap, unearned, etc. Examples of this include Elfen Lied and Another--both series that have nothing going for them, so they rely on trying to shock the audience with gore and violence. |
 This glorious signature image was created by @Mayumi! I am the Arbiter of Absolute Truth, and here is my wisdom: "Anime was always influenced by the West. This is not news. Shoujo is the superior genre primarily aimed at young people. Harem/isekai are lazy genres that refuse any meaningful innovation. There is no 'Golden Age.' There will always be top-shelf anime. You should be watching Carole & Tuesday." |
| When there are hipsters in it/was made by hipsters. |
| When it is edgier than bismuth. Jokes aside, it is usually coupled with the words "pretentious". Edgy is usually used when an anime tries apparently to be too deep using mature themes. |
Zelkiiro said: Typically, 'edgy' is used in a derogatory manner, denoting a series that goes straight for shock value without having properly set up a universe that facilitates it or in a manner that is cheap, unearned, etc. Examples of this include Elfen Lied and Another--both series that have nothing going for them, so they rely on trying to shock the audience with gore and violence. So here is another part where I get confused. What if there was a show that had lots of shocking gore and violence, but the characters themselves were down to earth. What category is this? is it still edgy? I thought edgy literally just meant a feeling of nervousness. |
BeBackinaSec said: When it is edgier than bismuth. Jokes aside, it is usually coupled with the words "pretentious". Edgy is usually used when an anime tries apparently to be too deep using mature themes. In other words, a show that tries too hard? |
| If you don't like it it's edgy, if you do it's dark. |
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| Simple Definition of edgy : nervous and tense : having or showing a harsh or unkind quality : new and unusual in a way that is likely to make some people uncomfortable http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edgy so, i don't see how it's bad... it's just mean series using unusual way to entertain viewer with make them feel uncomfortable feeling... every over violance or grotatesque art style or gritty atmosphere that lead viewer feel uncomfortable can be called edgy... |
 "If taking responsibility for a mistake that cannot be undone means death, it's not that hard to die. At least, not as hard as to live on." |
Enishi- said: BeBackinaSec said: When it is edgier than bismuth. Jokes aside, it is usually coupled with the words "pretentious". Edgy is usually used when an anime tries apparently to be too deep using mature themes. In other words, a show that tries too hard? Really depends. Being edgy is more from the viewer's side. However, all they have in common is that they have dark elements. |
| Attempting to be dark and serious while coming off as laughable instead. That's the best and most basic definition I can come up with. |
| When people use edgy to describe anime in a derisive manner, they're saying that they think the anime in question uses shock value as a crutch for bad writing. Mirai Nikki is a good example of an 'edgy' series imho. |
| Now you're wondering if there's white text in any of my other posts. Over there, I'm everywhere. I know that. |
Caelidesu said: When people use edgy to describe anime in a derisive manner, they're saying that they think the anime in question uses shock value as a crutch for bad writing. Mirai Nikki is a good example of an 'edgy' series imho. I'm surprised you didn't mention Psycho Pass. |
AltoRoark said: Caelidesu said: When people use edgy to describe anime in a derisive manner, they're saying that they think the anime in question uses shock value as a crutch for bad writing. Mirai Nikki is a good example of an 'edgy' series imho. I'm surprised you didn't mention Psycho Pass. So am I tbh... I guess I wanted to stop bringing it up every time I feel like trash talking a series. |
| Now you're wondering if there's white text in any of my other posts. Over there, I'm everywhere. I know that. |
| ok. so let me give an example where I am again confused. In a certain episode of HxH, king Meruem rips off his own arm before playing Gungi with Komugi. Is this considered edgy because it was a shocking act of violence or is it not since it shows how serious he was about playing her in Gungi? |
Enishi- said: ok. so let me give an example where I am again confused. In a certain episode of HxH, king Meruem rips off his own arm before playing Gungi with Komugi. Is this considered edgy because it was a shocking act of violence or is it not since it shows how serious he was about playing her in Gungi? Has the series firmly established that this is a setting where such an act is not unheard of? And has the series carried a tone where such an act doesn't immediately leave you going "Wait, what the fuck?" If the answer to both of those questions is 'yes,' then no, it's not edgy. And of course, if the answer is 'no,' then it very well might be edgy. |
This glorious signature image was created by @Mayumi! I am the Arbiter of Absolute Truth, and here is my wisdom: "Anime was always influenced by the West. This is not news. Shoujo is the superior genre primarily aimed at young people. Harem/isekai are lazy genres that refuse any meaningful innovation. There is no 'Golden Age.' There will always be top-shelf anime. You should be watching Carole & Tuesday." |
Edgy has taken a derogatory meaning these days but that doesn't mean everything edgy is bad. |
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| Character death? EDGY War? EDGY Gore? EDGY Torture? EDGY A dark atmosphere and tension? EDGY Everything is fucking edgy fam. Just be glad you don't cut open your wrists while watching anime. |
ichii_1 said: Edgy has taken a derogatory meaning these days but that doesn't mean everything edgy is bad. This is also true. Sometimes a series takes an edgy route to establish its setting as being grim or wrong, i.e. Psycho-Pass has a scene in the first episode where we see one of the protagonists shoot a criminal, and he explodes in a hilarious fashion until he's nothing but chunky salsa. It's a quick and efficient way to show us that the system our heroes live in is screwed up and broken. |
This glorious signature image was created by @Mayumi! I am the Arbiter of Absolute Truth, and here is my wisdom: "Anime was always influenced by the West. This is not news. Shoujo is the superior genre primarily aimed at young people. Harem/isekai are lazy genres that refuse any meaningful innovation. There is no 'Golden Age.' There will always be top-shelf anime. You should be watching Carole & Tuesday." |
Zelkiiro said: I personally think "edgy" is somewhere the story showing gore, rape/sex and extreme violence that not necessary in the stories. And your Psycho-Pass "chunky salsa" example fit this.ichii_1 said: Edgy has taken a derogatory meaning these days but that doesn't mean everything edgy is bad. This is also true. Sometimes a series takes an edgy route to establish its setting as being grim or wrong, i.e. Psycho-Pass has a scene in the first episode where we see one of the protagonists shoot a criminal, and he explodes in a hilarious fashion until he's nothing but chunky salsa. It's a quick and efficient way to show us that the system our heroes live in is screwed up and broken. |
EsperMay 22, 2016 9:14 PM
| This salad is salty favored |
| Edgy originally meant something that is unconventional, avant garde but it has now evolved internet to a derogatory term used to call things or people who try too hard to be dark & serious. An edgy show is an anime that tries to be serious but doesn't know how to, which leads to the show having cheap, shallow shock value and a faux-sombre atmosphere just for the sake of having one.. |
| A word used primarily by elitists to dismiss all popular horror anime, anything with gore, or anything that doesn't meet their intellectual standards. In other words, it's totally meaningless |
| It generally describes an anime that relies on shock value of violence and gore. These anime will focus less on story and characters, and instead try to shock you with how horrible people are. Parasyte and BTOOOM! are prime examples. There's in general a lack of tonal shifts. The anime is focused on how horrible life is most of the way, but it's never deep pessimistic exploration. It's just "Huh, life is pretty bad". |
| WEAPONS - My blog, for reviews of music, anime, books, and other things |
| An arbitrary buzzword that doesn't have any substantial meaning. If you see someone using this to criticize something, I recommend ignoring him/her they are clueless and lack critical thinking. |
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 ^See this trash? Best example right there. Edgy af :) |
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| It's only a derrogatory buzzword used to insults a determinate series who have dark themes or scenes. Fate/Zero could be considered edgy and people love it (me included). She pales in comparisson to edgelord master Hachiman. |
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| Glad this thread was made coz I was confused too. Every time I hear edgy I always think of a sharp object like a razor with sharp jagged edges that'll cut you and give you a small shock because you didn't realise how sharp those edges really were. Makes you wish someone would fix the damn thing and smoothen it out a little so it cuts nicely and smoothly but won't kill you in the process coz someone made it too damn edgy. |
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OneTrueEmiya said: daAmazinFatB0y said: Glad this thread was made coz I was confused too. Every time I hear edgy I always think of a sharp object like a razor with sharp jagged edges that'll cut you and give you a small shock because you didn't realise how sharp those edges really were. Makes you wish someone would fix the damn thing and smoothen it out a little so it cuts nicely and smoothly but won't kill you in the process coz someone made it too damn edgy. I suppose people got tired of using the word "dark" and decided to shift to a new, edgier cooler word :3 I think all this edgy and dark shit has been blured together ans people just analyse the shows too closely nowadays. |
| My Manga List My Anime List Shabada shabadabadaba I am DjG545 aka Dj Fo Fo aka The Mutha Fkn Name I'm Usin Now |
| Edgy anime are gory anime that I don't like. Mature anime are gory anime I like. In other words, it's a buzzword, usually used by people that don't know what it really means. Other such words include "pretentious" and "fanservice", just to give an example of the anime community's ignorance. |
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| The real term would be 1. nervously irritable; anxious. 2. sharp-edged. 3. daringly innovative; on the cutting edge. But MAL likes to throw around words they don't know just to make their claim more valid, so now it's been abused and turned into "I didn't like it, so therefore it's trying to be something it isn't". |
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| I have no idea really. I don't use that term because of that. It's just one of them buzzwords thrown around. I take it with a pinch of salt whenever I read/hear it. |
| I think it's when a show relies entirely on gore, nudity, or other shock value to engage the viewer. That said, if a show does have this sort of content, it doesn't necessarily mean it's "edgy", it only crosses the line into edgy territory if it doesn't do anything to back up this shock value with more insightful visual presentation/narrative. Elfen Lied, for example, isn't edgy because it has a lot of gory death scenes and nudity, it's edgy because this shock value is only backed up by plot holes, weak characterisation and more elements of plot convenience you can shake a stick at. |
| A series is edgy when when it has edges like a knife and it will cut u with its sharpness |
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| In MAL standards, everything shit + whatever I don't like = Edgy IRL standard = Something good enough to cut through your brain |
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| You wanna know what it means or what people use it for? Because people pretty much just use it as an equivalent of being shit or not liking something for every show that isn't lighthearted moe/comedy/s-o-l stuff. Don't pay attention to them. What it actually means is something along the lines of - at the forefront of a trend; experimental or avant-garde. - nervous and tense - having or showing a harsh or unkind quality - new and unusual in a way that is likely to make some people uncomfortable - having a bold, provocative, or unconventional quality <an edgy film> |
| I probably regret this post by now. |
| I always thought the definition evolved to apply to anything too dark meaninglessly, or anything that's too dark to the point where it's absurd (see: shock value). Also seems to apply to characters that are unemotional, love pain, love darkness etc Characters like Dante from Devil May Cry or Shadow the Hedgehog are prime examples of "edge". Characters that are essentially just goth, angst high schoolers that think they know the meaning of life and dislike emotion are commonly referred to as edgy |
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| Something is "edgy" when it takes something serious and doesn't treats it with the maturity it deserves. How serious you say? Ask common sense. How should people react when their beloved one dies, when people die around you? If the anime answers that question in a way it defies common sense (unless we're talking about a dystopia, that's a particular case I don't know how to pin it down), then it's edgy because it doesn't handles it's mature themes in a mature manner. It has to do with pretentiousness too. Taking style and substance, a dark style doesn't makes it edgy per se (ie Soul Eater). If the substance tries to be dark but fails because it isn't handled in a mature way, then it's edgy because it pretended to be serious. That's my personal definition and I derived it from the use of the buzzword. Words have connotation too and you can't base everything on the dictionary (denotation). |
 It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye.But does the heart have the right perspective? |
Mapplesauce said: I wouldn't say evolved, more like twisted to become like that.I always thought the definition evolved to apply to anything too dark meaninglessly, or anything that's too dark to the point where it's absurd (see: shock value). Also seems to apply to characters that are unemotional, love pain, love darkness etc Characters like Dante from Devil May Cry or Shadow the Hedgehog are prime examples of "edge". Characters that are essentially just goth, angst high schoolers that think they know the meaning of life and dislike emotion are commonly referred to as edgy |
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Also, an example of the modern day edge is killing yourself to solve a problem. Of course... only when executed poorly. |
Mapplesauce said: I always thought the definition evolved to apply to anything too dark meaninglessly, or anything that's too dark to the point where it's absurd (see: shock value). Also seems to apply to characters that are unemotional, love pain, love darkness etc Characters like Dante from Devil May Cry or Shadow the Hedgehog are prime examples of "edge". Characters that are essentially just goth, angst high schoolers that think they know the meaning of life and dislike emotion are commonly referred to as edgy So I always considered Death Note to have a Gothic feel to it. Does that make it edgy? |
| Edgy is when a show is obviously trying too hard to bring you on the "edge". |
TheBrainintheJar said: It generally describes an anime that relies on shock value of violence and gore. These anime will focus less on story and characters, and instead try to shock you with how horrible people are. Parasyte and BTOOOM! are prime examples. There's in general a lack of tonal shifts. The anime is focused on how horrible life is most of the way, but it's never deep pessimistic exploration. It's just "Huh, life is pretty bad". Parasyte doesn't do this. It never attempts to make the parasytes hateable through their actions. The gore aspect is stylistic. Nothing more. |
| edgy is kool lik me Enishi- said: Mapplesauce said: I always thought the definition evolved to apply to anything too dark meaninglessly, or anything that's too dark to the point where it's absurd (see: shock value). Also seems to apply to characters that are unemotional, love pain, love darkness etc Characters like Dante from Devil May Cry or Shadow the Hedgehog are prime examples of "edge". Characters that are essentially just goth, angst high schoolers that think they know the meaning of life and dislike emotion are commonly referred to as edgy So I always considered Death Note to have a Gothic feel to it. Does that make it edgy? Edgy when taken out of originally context is actually a bit derogatory and it mocks the series and the content it provides. You say an anime is edgy when it tries to be "too deep" or when it tries to oversimplify basic concepts by turning those concepts into what it isn't. An example for me would be Kageru Project by SHAFT. But what I find edgy, might not be what you find edgy. In this context, Death Note is not edgy just because it has a gothic theme. To me, it succeeded in getting its point across and didn't confuse me by oversimplifying basic and everyday concepts. In everyday use/informal use, edgy can mean anything that is daring and innovative or anything that is considered "cool", especially by the general public or the youth. Biker boys with leather jackets, lots of girlfriends, money and shades are "edgy" according to that definition. Anything that is edgy, is trendy, so to speak. The dictionary/textbook definition of edgy means something that is tense, nervous or irritable. It makes you anxious, worried or frightened. |
Exhalant said: I think the bold part is refers to pretentious, not edgy.edgy is kool lik me Enishi- said: So I always considered Death Note to have a Gothic feel to it. Does that make it edgy? Edgy when taken out of originally context is actually a bit derogatory and it mocks the series and the content it provides. You say an anime is edgy when it tries to be "too deep" or when it tries to oversimplify basic concepts by turning those concepts into what it isn't. An example for me would be Kageru Project by SHAFT. But what I find edgy, might not be what you find edgy. In this context, Death Note is not edgy just because it has a gothic theme. To me, it succeeded in getting its point across and didn't confuse me by oversimplifying basic and everyday concepts. In everyday use/informal use, edgy can mean anything that is daring and innovative or anything that is considered "cool", especially by the general public or the youth. Biker boys with leather jackets, lots of girlfriends, money and shades are "edgy" according to that definition. Anything that is edgy, is trendy, so to speak. The dictionary/textbook definition of edgy means something that is tense, nervous or irritable. It makes you anxious, worried or frightened. |
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| Now it basically means "anything that tries to be dark and mature and fails at it.", so just look at Tokyo Ghoul or Attack on Titan. TheBrainintheJar said: It generally describes an anime that relies on shock value of violence and gore. These anime will focus less on story and characters, and instead try to shock you with how horrible people are. Parasyte and BTOOOM! are prime examples. There's in general a lack of tonal shifts. The anime is focused on how horrible life is most of the way, but it's never deep pessimistic exploration. It's just "Huh, life is pretty bad". "Focus less on the story and characters and try to shock with how horrible people are." Parasyte is literally Shinichi's development as a character as he regresses and progresses in terms of humanity from episode 5 onwards, so I don't know how that "doesn't focus on the characters." Parasyte also has a big tone shift once that character arc starts. It also doesn't really try to bring the morality of people into question all the time(it does happen but not nearly enough to fit your example, it's more of the emotionless parasitic monsters that are considered bad). |
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zal said: Exhalant said: I think the bold part is refers to pretentious, not edgy.edgy is kool lik me Edgy when taken out of originally context is actually a bit derogatory and it mocks the series and the content it provides. You say an anime is edgy when it tries to be "too deep" or when it tries to oversimplify basic concepts by turning those concepts into what it isn't. An example for me would be Kageru Project by SHAFT. But what I find edgy, might not be what you find edgy. In this context, Death Note is not edgy just because it has a gothic theme. To me, it succeeded in getting its point across and didn't confuse me by oversimplifying basic and everyday concepts. In everyday use/informal use, edgy can mean anything that is daring and innovative or anything that is considered "cool", especially by the general public or the youth. Biker boys with leather jackets, lots of girlfriends, money and shades are "edgy" according to that definition. Anything that is edgy, is trendy, so to speak. The dictionary/textbook definition of edgy means something that is tense, nervous or irritable. It makes you anxious, worried or frightened. I consider edgy, pretentious. That's just one of my takes on the many meanings of the word. Or you could put it as "anything that tries to be mature, but fails" but that's pretty much the same thing. |
| Edgy is a buzzword used by those who don't want grimdark show and wanted to have their shows kept PG-13 because they're just a kids. |
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Enishi- said: Mapplesauce said: I always thought the definition evolved to apply to anything too dark meaninglessly, or anything that's too dark to the point where it's absurd (see: shock value). Also seems to apply to characters that are unemotional, love pain, love darkness etc Characters like Dante from Devil May Cry or Shadow the Hedgehog are prime examples of "edge". Characters that are essentially just goth, angst high schoolers that think they know the meaning of life and dislike emotion are commonly referred to as edgy So I always considered Death Note to have a Gothic feel to it. Does that make it edgy? By goth, I meant the standard attire and general culture of goth teenagers. Something that has a gothic feel to it isn't necessarily edgy. I've seen a bunch of people who called Death Note edgy though, because some of it's characters were "edgelords". There is no strict definition on the current usage of "edge" so it's hard to say, really. It's easier to say a show is edgy as fuck rather than "it deals with a lot of meaningless shock value/blood/gore/death immaturely", but a lot of people tend to just use it to anything even remotely dark. I wouldn't say Berserk is edgy, for example, at least not the Golden Age arc. It deals with it's dark and broody atmosphere maturely, and isn't necessarily meaningless. |
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| Edgy means that it can hurt softies. |
| On MAL, I always thought it was something along the lines of 'dark', excessively bloody and violent shows that are often aimed at angsty teenagers. The more death the more edgy. |
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