| So I just finished Shokugeki no Souma and I thought it was reasonably good, not worthy of the hate some people give it. But a major problem I had with it was that alot of the "food battles" were very predictable. I was talking to a certain user about this, and he claimed that predictability was not a valid reason to critique an anime. On the one hand, I see where he's coming from. If you're just judging on enjoyment alone, does predictability matter all that much ? He used this analogy: "If justin bieber got in a ring with mike tyson, it'd be a predictable fight I'm sure it'd be a fucking blast to watch though" On the other hand, predictability signifies something is wrong. It usually means the show either lacks innovation or lacks subtlety in it's writing, which I beleive are very valid reasons to critique an anime. What does MAL think? TLDR; Is being "predictable" a justifiable reason to lower an anime score? |
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| Some people like seeing predictable events come into play. I can understand why people would dislike it and I can understand why people like it. I'm sort of in the middle. Mild predictability in a direction I like isn't bad. To an extent predictability also shows genericness so there's that going against it |
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| I personally view unpredictability to be a good thing. Anime where the characters can afford to lose such as Aikatsu and Yama no Susume are interesting to watch as it is less predictable. Some anime like Death Note and Fullmetal Alchemist can be even more interesting as the stakes are higher, but that doesn't always mean they aren't predictable. |
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| if that anime is a mystery or thriller then yes i will give it a shitty score for being predictable |
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| I think it's generally good to be a bit unpredictable. Being too predictable makes a show feel stale, but being too unpredictable makes the show feel like utter chaos. Its good to strike a balance between familiarity and unfamiliarity to keep interest. However, people are not always as perceptive as others and sometimes foreshadowing either goes unnoticed or is too obvious. Basically, it's up to the individual. Sometimes though, I just don't care. A show can be really predictable in terms of plot but still make the journey entertaining enough to keep me watching. Souma in particular was like this for me. |
MachinaePrimeJun 14, 2016 5:56 PM
| I don't think so. Tbh, being predictable sometime makes the anime even more enjoyable. So, Nope |
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| I think I'll make a new thread "Is everything that we ever find wrong with anime EVER wrong? Even though its universally considered wrong?" |
| My Manga List My Anime List Shabada shabadabadaba I am DjG545 aka Dj Fo Fo aka The Mutha Fkn Name I'm Usin Now |
| Well, if the score is based in enjoyment, how much the predictability hurted your enjoyment? |
 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? |
| I think so. If an anime does nothing innovative in its genre for the sake of being a safe, decent enough anime I don't tend to score it as high as the older {genre} anime that introduced the tropes the new {genre} anime use to death to be ok at best. So yeah, for the sake of not having to watch the same yet slightly different anime 30 times in the future because there might not be anything else (which is a grossly exaggerated worst case scenario), I'm very much in favour of scoring and supporting anime based on their predictability and originality. |
daAmazinFatB0y said: I think I'll make a new thread "Is everything that we ever find wrong with anime EVER wrong? Even though its universally considered wrong?" Apparantly its not universally considered wrong. Just look at the number of opinions given in such a small amount of posts? |
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| I would say mostly no. For the example given in particular it's about a highly competitive school where only 1% of people are allowed to pass. So that being said it would come off as fairly predictable in the sense that the main character would primarily be victorious or at least very high ranking. That's just required for the series to continue, you could call it a necessary evil or simply a standard story telling method, but I wouldn't say it makes it any better or worse. In general though I think it comes down to the individual, whether you're in it for the journey or the destination. Ie. If you were watching say Fullmetal Alchemist and just consistently growing impatient that they haven't gotten their bodies back, despite knowing that they will eventually or die trying. In that case you would be in it for the destination so you would be looking for a more satisfying conclusion than build up. (The more common examples of this would be the most likely troll variations "Why hasn't Luffy found the One Piece yet?" or "Why hasn't Conan gotten his old body back yet?") Quick Edit: Another example of predictability that is very common in story telling though in shows, games, etc. like 95% of the time will follow the worst case scenario presented, with the conclusion being the characters overcoming it. I wouldn't say it makes those shows particularly worse as it's just a common trend of "How far can we push this before we can't figure out how to get back?" |
GamerDLMJun 14, 2016 4:11 PM
| I like to be surprised, so for me, it's usually a yes. |
| Every reason is a justifiable reason to lower your score if that reason bothered you. |
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| TBH if you cant predict most anime you are either stupid or brain dead. Those who think they are smart and lower their scores because they werent surprised and usually the dumb ones. |
| This question is heavily reliant on the genre of the series, mystery and thriller would be a massive red light (Erased). But if it's slice-of-life or comedy and whatever it would be acceptable to some extent however like most people I prefer innovative and unpredictable approaches. |
LordoftheHorizonJun 14, 2016 4:14 PM
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| obligatory "it's all subjective answer." |
| every single one of my forum posts is dumb and invalid except for 1, I don't claim them it was a different person it was all fake |
| Yes and No. It depends on many factors, namely which elements were predictable, and was the predictablity an error in execution, or just a product of being genre savvy. Like if you have this really long build up to something that is ultimately impactful, and its impact is based on surprise, or you not predicting those set of events, then the act of predicting this will more than likely cheapen the experience, and lessen the blow so to speak. |
| Depends on the genre , if it's about detectives and cases then yes , other than that , No , at least for me |
| In the case of Food Wars, it's predictabilty did not ruin the enjoyment for me. Since Predicting the outcome of most of the food battles wasn't hard either as the show kind of leaned on certain characters. Food Wars wasn't made to be a show that relied on plot twists or unpredictability. I know they had some cliffhangers like when Megumi was being judged by that one chef dude but the end result wasn't that surprising, I actually thought that would happen. Mystery or thriller shows though? Predictability is not good. |
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| It depends on the show. If it's a slice of life or romance, I won't hold it against them. If it's a mystery or thriller, then I expect things to be surprising. Also sometimes you can know that something is going to happen, but the show is well crafted that it still takes you by surprise. Shouwa Genroku is an example of a show that did this well. |
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| I rate based on enjoyment. If it's predictable, it loses its thrill. Thus, the score gets lower. I'm no animetologist but I think I'm justified in my beliefs yo |
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| The element of surprise is always nice, but just has previously mentioned, if they execute it well, then it's no big deal, so it all depends. Almost everything is dependent on one thing or another. |
 ♔ caught in the wonder ♔ |
| I like predictability with tension. There's that fine line between wanting a happy ending and a slight chance it may not happen that even if you're 99% sure, there's always a chance someone can get killed or things go sour at the last minute. |
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moodie said: Most of time it's not because they can predict what will happen in the show but the exposition follows the same pattern as other shows, make it predictable even if you didn't predict it. (I'm not sure if i use the right word, but i think you get what i mean)TBH if you cant predict most anime you are either stupid or brain dead. Those who think they are smart and lower their scores because they werent surprised and usually the dumb ones. |
| Yes being predictable is a lack of narrative structure and storytelling nuance and makes the overall experience less enjoyable. It removes any feeling of tension and suspense from important situations that are necessary in order to keep the viewer emotionally engaged. If it becomes predictable then the audience will get bored of it, well that is if they don't like mindless repetition, and thus the work itself is of a lower quality then a work that tells the exact same story but is structured differently so that the audience never is certain of what is to come. Shounen lack this because they are for children and thus we all know the main character good guy is going to win and save the day unless of course its a deconstruction of the demographic. |
| "Few, but ripe." - C.F. Gauss |
| I agree with your example of food wars, it was way too predictable when it comes to the battles which kills a lot of excitement for me. On the other hand there are some series that throws in hints and foreshadowing for the viewers, and if the viewers pay close attention to those hints they would be able to predict a plot point for eg. ^ those are the type of prediction are rewarding to some viewers, since they were able to see the hints and put the pieces together, so when that plot point is officially confirm, the viewer feels like they have accomplish something. Though not everyone is like that and I think it really depends on how well those hints were hidden, but of the two I would choose the latter to be the best one. |
keragammingJun 14, 2016 6:48 PM
| If your prediction is just a general "good guys're gonna win," then no. If your prediction is "I bet so-and-so is still alive and they're gonna bust in at the last--yep, there he is," then yes. Such predictable moments can be saved, however, if the execution is just right. We all knew Light was gonna get cornered and eventually lose due to some minor oversight, but actually watching the scene play out was delicious. |
 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." |
| depends. if it is too predictable it can be boring to watch |
| Scream! |
| Being "unpredictable" not always good. Just take a look at OreImo. Bunch of people got butthurt after finishing that story. LOL |
| This salad is salty favored |
| I do enjoy when anime are unpredictable like Gintama however if it's predictable I don't really mind. |
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| Yes. And quite a justified reason too... |
| ~~~depends on the show~~~ A mystery being predictable is much worse than a romance being predictable. |
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| Sure, if it's something that disengages you from the show, why wouldn't it be justified? Most stories are fairly predictable once you've experienced enough of them. |
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In my opinion, there's a reason why these shows are on MAL's top rankings,
Obviously coming from someone who didn't read their manga counterparts prior to watching the anime version. |
HaeduansJun 14, 2016 8:45 PM
| If it's predictable for no reason, in purpose of nothing, of course. I had the same problem with Shokugeki no Souma, specially Souma's battles had no emotion no them because I already knew he was going to win, and even if they were gourgeously animated, they ended up feeling kinda flat. Souma has a desease I call "Kirititis". And it's the biggest reason I think Megumi was going to be actually the main character because she is actually interesting and has a lot of development. |
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| No, not necessarily. I recently watched Ashita no Joe and I saw ending from a mile away and it didn't make it a less enjoyable experience. The only situation where being predictable is bad is if there is a specific plot point that hinges on the alluring nature of the mystery that the surrounding plot, characters, and themes have created for it. i.e. "The killer...WAS BEHIND YOU THE WHOLE TIME!" Foreshadowing and subtle hinting is the making of a very compelling narrative. Hell, even if an anime has an extremely predictable plot point, I'd much prefer it to the shock factor moments that do not progress or change the dynamic of the running narrative. i.e. Akame ga Kill |
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InducedPhobia said: Hell, even if an anime has an extremely predictable plot point, I'd much prefer it to the shock factor moments that do not progress or change the dynamic of the running narrative. i.e. Akame ga Kill Still, it's highly unpredictable that keragamming said: I agree with your example of food wars, it was way too predictable when it comes to the battles which kills a lot of excitement for me. On the other hand there are some series that throws in hints and foreshadowing for the viewers, and if the viewers pay close attention to those hints they would be able to predict a plot point for eg. ^ those are the type of prediction are rewarding to some viewers, since they were able to see the hints and put the pieces together, so when that plot point is officially confirm, the viewer feels like they have accomplish something. Indeed. I'm still elated that I was able to see Kurisu's I'm really a bad theorist and cannot most of the time, predict the questions for my school exams, at least a few anime did me a favor so that I cannot fall into complete depravity. XD |
| Predictability is only a problem with the genres that thrive on unpredictability. If you watch a random ecchi harem show it's likely that predictability is not going to be a problem. But if there's something huge to be revealed, like in Shinsekai Yori or Psycho Pass, predictability will do a lot of damage to the score. |
| it really just depends on how well it's executed and if it's still entertaining even though it's predictable I dont find shows like God Eater and Akame ga Kill the least bit entertaining and are also quite predictable other shows like SnK are very entertaining and are filled to the brim with subtle plot twists and interesting characters yet is still very predictable |
 Freddy Nicholas said: have control, be yourself, god is dead |
| well, at least we cant predict what kind of spice or technique they used to their dish.. unless if you're professional chef IMO, predictable is just as bonus aspect. the important thing is how they to convey the story. poor written story will be entertain if they convey the story well |
| Predictability can be valid criticism. However, becoming OCD over ratings to the point of lowering them based on some sole reason like that is dumb. As far as predictability goes, One Punch Man is possibly one of the most predictable shows out there yet, it is universally loved. It's rather arbitrary. |
| I think it has more to do with execution. Nisekoi was predictable as all hell, but I still enjoyed it. |
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Thanks for summing what i was going to say lol |
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Isn't it great when other people share your opinions? I do think that some shows do need some unpredictability and be less formulaic, like a mystery or thriller. |
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