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How do you determine good or bad taste in anime?

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Oct 25, 10:05 PM
#1

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Apr 2012
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What do you think defines good or bad taste in anime? Does it just depend on quality or do you also give importance to the themes or reputation of discussed shows? In general, how important is tastes in your interactions with other fans? Obviously, there are no objectively good or objectively bad tastes and much depends on personal preferences. But at the same time, you can often hear someone say that you have good or bad taste. It is this difference that strikes me as an interesting topic of conversation.
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Oct 25, 10:07 PM
#2
Tomato

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When I see those copy & paste favorites list with nothing but very popular shows and characters, it feels kinda meh to me.
Oct 25, 10:37 PM
#3

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good and bad taste only matters when talking critically. And I don't think most people are meant to, or want to be critics. But for the ones that do, these are what count:

1. Consistency: Every person, including critics have taste, and aspects they consider more important than others. But a good critic, is someone who is consistent with them. You can't say x is a nit-pick and is a none issue in a show you like, just to come back the next day and claim a show you don't like is bad for that same x reason. That same consistency should apply to the ratings too. Of course your 7 isn't the same as my 7/10. but If I'm a good critic, my 7 MUST be the same as my other 7/10s to me.

2. Variety: As a critic, I believe you need to learn to appreciate every aspects and all types of shows. If you say a cute girls doing cute things show is bad, because you don't understand the appeal of the genre, you are a poor critic, and you're probably better off not trying to access shows that you straight up do not understand the appeal of.

3. Understanding your own bias: Everyone has bias, you can't remove it. but you CAN know in which areas you are biased in, which I think is a necessary thing to know.

4. Only criticise based on the piece itself. If you look at a show, and call it bad because you think the author is sexist, you're a poor critic. You have to explain how that hurts the piece. It often does, but it takes a good critic to explain that, instead of just saying "author is bad, or the show is racist". A sexist author, would write poorly written male or female characters. When accessing the show/movie, you should criticize THAT. not the fact that they are sexist.

5. you know what you're talking about: basic or hard understanding of writing, directing or animation techniques give you an extra layer of understanding that makes your evaluations more educated. The more external relevant knowledge you have, the more equipped you are to give a fair assessment


6. a good test is being able to criticize a show you love, and sing praises of a show you hate. if you can do that, you're probably a good critic who's taste and opinion is valued.

But again, the quality of your "taste" ONLY matters as a critic. Otherwise, you can just like what you like. Ultimately, there is no reason to have good taste. And there is no shame in not having one. There is no shame in thinking KFC is better than Gordon Ramsy dish, even though any food critic would be bad one if they were to agree with you.
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Oct 25, 10:46 PM
#4

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Good taste is liking stuff I like.
Ie isekai ojison
Bad taste is liking stuff I dislike
Ie A Silent Voice
Oct 25, 10:52 PM
#5

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Apr 2020
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I'm honestly pretty chill when it comes to other's tastes, especially since I have friends who often has opposite opinions to my own thoughts. The popularity of a series or how acclaimed it is doesn't really matter to me, while there is a majority there are bound to be people who dislikes a series. As long as the other person is able to explain why they like/dislike something other than to rage bait it's all good with me.




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Oct 25, 11:29 PM
#6

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May 2018
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Well, in general, to each their own. But if a person's favorites tend to be heavy on ecchi, harem, loli-lovin, generic reincarnation type stuff... I'll just know that we are two different people lol. In contrast, if they love mushishi and kino no tabi: they're my kinda people!
can't yuck my yum




Oct 25, 11:34 PM
#7

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I equate it with having a "well-developed taste", AKA knowing what you like, why you like it and being able to explain why the things you liked were good and why the ones you dislikes were bad adequately.
Oct 25, 11:44 PM
#8
Call me Oniichan

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Good taste = similar to mine.
Bad taste = not similar to mine.
Oct 25, 11:49 PM
#9

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Good taste - Frieren, Natsume yuujinchou, Vinland saga, Moribito, Silver spoon, Dungeon meshi, Fruits basket, Mushishi, Apothecary dairies, 3 gatsu no lion, Haikyuu, Spice and wolf, Hibike euphonium, Place further than universe, Cowboy bebop, Non non biyori, K-On, Clanned and konosuba.

Bad taste - sci fi edgy psychological, pretty much every new action shounen and isekai
Oct 26, 12:00 AM

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Mar 2013
3170
Bad taste as I see it in the anime community depends on three factors.

  1. Their ability to explain and reason why they like anime.
  2. Their general demeanor
  3. What anime they like

1.We both can like anime for drastically different reasons, and I get along with people who can actually make an argument for a show beyond surface level emotional appeals; I have been accused of being a hater for disliking Himouto, when I dislike that anime for having annoying main characters. I have seen people say they merely like an anime without really being able to put into words why, which is terribly disappointing for works that do have something to say or do with its characters. Even though I agree with people in general on what anime are good and which ones are not, too many folks are not literate in the sense that they can make arguments about narrative structure.

Example: Arguing about how badass a character is for having magical powers versus arguing how badass a character is for being humble. You do realize that the author can just give a character powers, right? They are not real people limited by the rules of our world. So why call a self-insert like Ayanokuji from Classroom of the Elite badass for being a self-insert? He does not exist, he did not have to go through actual struggles like we would assume anyone in the real world would.

I made a character called X just now who mastered all martial arts, why aren't you calling X a badass?

Instead, the author has to create a convincing portrait of a character, someone who feels like they exist.


Second Example: Redo of a Healer's Keyaru is of course supposed to be an anti-hero, but he comes across as way too much of a sociopath for me to take the story seriously. Yet, pointing this out leads to accusations of me not being able to differentiate between fiction and the real-world.

Well, no. I understand Keyaru is a fictional character. I just find his nature too repulsive to care about whether he succeeds or fails in his endeavor.

Having an evil character can work, but if you go too far, if you make both sides so black as to be indistinguishable, why should I give a shit who wins and who loses? If you remove all sympathetic traits from a character and turn them into a facsimile of a real human being, how can I care about them?


2. Regarding being called a hater, I notice a ton of people take criticism of their favorite series much too seriously. If you feel the need to call people who dislike a show "haters" or if you feel the need to utter hackneyed sentiments like "don't listen to the critics", you are too sensitive to the opinions of others. Another issue is when people go on politically charged rants, viewing their favorite anime as "anti-woke", and I think this is such a dull way to view most anime. If you feel the need to call people "tourists", you probably spent too much time online listening to fringe weirdos, and are a fringe weirdo yourself, to be honest.

Sorry, I think there are more thoughtful ways to understand and think about anime rather than saying "it ain't woke". Well, we know what it is not. What is it instead?

3. I mean, if all you watch is ecchi (And I am not judging you as lesser as a person for that), or basic romantic comedies or whatever, you probably aren't looking for media to challenge you on any fundamental level. That's okay, but I do not watch or consume media just to be comforted.
PeripheralVisionOct 26, 12:05 AM
Oct 26, 12:37 AM

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I only use this as a joke to be honest, people can be fun to talk to no matter what anime they like.
Oct 26, 3:34 AM

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I'll start with an example. If you find something good even from one of you least favorite genres or decades, it means that you really tried looking for it and now you have a better taste compared to when you thought you hated that genre or decade as a whole.

My idea of good taste is finding something good and something bad in most subcategories of anime: if you like everything with a generally positive reception, you have no standards; if you only like very few selected genres/other subcategories, you haven't watched enough. Everyone has some genres we really can't get into, but most genres are varied enough to have both common tropes and the opposite of these tropes.
Oct 26, 3:39 AM

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Basically the only factor is how similar it is to mine.
This dance is the pinnacle of human achievement.
Oct 26, 3:51 AM

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if he loves one piece he got a good taste if he says one piece is mid or shit then i dont know that guy
Oct 26, 4:24 AM
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I think IMO when someone makes fun of my faves while seeing them only liking very known or popular stuff, i tend to like stuff that has either good strategies and "big brain moments" lmao or shows with good dialogues that has meanings.

but idk i think it's subjective no matter what, some people love things and others don't. I don't really have to have a judge on what they like or not.
Oct 26, 6:01 AM

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Mar 2012
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Good taste: People who have Conrad in favorites
Bad taste: People who have Wolfram or Kyo Kara Maoh in favorites or their likes indicate that they would simp to Wolfram if they watched Kyo Kara Maoh or have rapey BL in their favorites
I don't really care about what else people like.



「あなたのためなら世界中を敵にしてもかまわない」
"If it was for your sake I wouldn't mind even if I had to turn the whole world into my enemy"
Oct 26, 6:02 AM

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similiar to me = good
not similiar to me = bad
very simple metric
Oct 26, 10:11 AM

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Anyone, who dislike degenerate anime, is strange IMO. How can anyone dislike deg stuff like Hyperdimension Neptunia and Senran Kagura? That simply baffles me.
Oct 26, 1:41 PM

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The person likes anime that I like = Good Taste
The person doesnt like the anime I like = Bad taste
If you enjoyed the time you wasted, then its not a waste of time.

Oct 27, 9:06 AM

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If there are cultured favorites then it's good taste.
Oct 27, 9:13 AM

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I tend to be dismissive when a fav list is entirely made of stuff that is very surface-level, with no underlying themes or substances, regardless of the genre, or wether I personally enjoyed it or not. I hated Texhnolyze and couldn't care about Monster to save my life for example, but I'm more likely to consider that "good taste" than 2 random tiddies isekai. Or I'm more likely to respect a full ecchi list that includes Golden Boy and Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, than a full ecchi list that's only DxD/HotD-like shows.

I'm also more likely to playfully annoy the formers about Texh or Valk Drive. I just ignore the latter. To each their own, if all they want is basic action and/or tiddies, then so be it. And if I have to recommend a show to anyone, I'll give something that suits their taste, regardless of how good or bad I think it is.

@_AsHin_ One Piece is too damn long! Nobody got time for dat.
Oct 27, 9:17 AM

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I can't tell what is bad or good taste in anime.

Oct 27, 10:57 AM

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Reply to Deathko
I tend to be dismissive when a fav list is entirely made of stuff that is very surface-level, with no underlying themes or substances, regardless of the genre, or wether I personally enjoyed it or not. I hated Texhnolyze and couldn't care about Monster to save my life for example, but I'm more likely to consider that "good taste" than 2 random tiddies isekai. Or I'm more likely to respect a full ecchi list that includes Golden Boy and Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, than a full ecchi list that's only DxD/HotD-like shows.

I'm also more likely to playfully annoy the formers about Texh or Valk Drive. I just ignore the latter. To each their own, if all they want is basic action and/or tiddies, then so be it. And if I have to recommend a show to anyone, I'll give something that suits their taste, regardless of how good or bad I think it is.

@_AsHin_ One Piece is too damn long! Nobody got time for dat.
@Deathko same damn excuse.. im tired of hearing it ... im not saying he has to like one piece to have better taste .. i just hate it when people trash talk One Piece without even watching it.
Oct 27, 11:18 AM

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It has to be a taste close to this one.


Oct 27, 11:34 AM

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No it's really just based on what actual living breathing people think everywhere else in society. A fetish character with huge hips and giant watermelon tits bouncing around is bad taste pretty much everywhere, no matter what country or culture. So are characters putting women's undergarments on their face. So are bukake jokes.
I can't understand how it's possible to see only this kind of juvenile trash as escapism and nothing else. It's possible to have escapism that isn't trash.

It's a universal thing, for some reason with the internet and with anime people act like 13 year olds and seem to compete with each other for how disgusting one can act. You're not a hero for posting a dick pic or pictures of hideous anatomy female parts.. it's just stupid and nobody needs it.
Oct 27, 2:14 PM

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Apr 2012
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Reply to SuperAdventure
No it's really just based on what actual living breathing people think everywhere else in society. A fetish character with huge hips and giant watermelon tits bouncing around is bad taste pretty much everywhere, no matter what country or culture. So are characters putting women's undergarments on their face. So are bukake jokes.
I can't understand how it's possible to see only this kind of juvenile trash as escapism and nothing else. It's possible to have escapism that isn't trash.

It's a universal thing, for some reason with the internet and with anime people act like 13 year olds and seem to compete with each other for how disgusting one can act. You're not a hero for posting a dick pic or pictures of hideous anatomy female parts.. it's just stupid and nobody needs it.
@SuperAdventure Do you believe that all art should have the same criteria, regardless of audience, purpose or form? That is, any purely entertaining movie is bad by default because it does not meet the high criteria of some French new wave or Italian arthouse?
RobertBobertOct 27, 2:20 PM
Oct 27, 2:17 PM
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If your favorite anime doesn't start with Boku and end with Pico, than you have objectively shit taste
Oct 27, 2:58 PM
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I don't. Everyone's taste is different. Different doesn't mean good or bad. I have my own taste. I like to talk to people who have similar tastes as I do, because it's easier to talk to them about our common interests.
Natsukashii Anime, reviewer of anime old and new, with an emphasis on nostalgia.
Natsukashii Anime Reviews
Oct 27, 3:19 PM

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Reply to RobertBobert
@SuperAdventure Do you believe that all art should have the same criteria, regardless of audience, purpose or form? That is, any purely entertaining movie is bad by default because it does not meet the high criteria of some French new wave or Italian arthouse?
@RobertBobert I didn't say anything about "art". The whole What is Art canard got old in 2004. Please don't resurrect that horse it's long dead.
What criteria? You can have "purely entertaining" all you want- if it's trash then it's trash. People find pornography entertaining and that doesn't raise it above being trash. Calling trash 'art' also doesn't elevate it- Lipstick On A Pig.
A minority of loud and perverted people blubbering online about how the trash they watch isn't mainstream enough will never, ever succeed in making it so.
Oct 27, 3:28 PM

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Reply to Serafos
When I see those copy & paste favorites list with nothing but very popular shows and characters, it feels kinda meh to me.
@Serafos XDD what kind of logic is that, it doesn't matter that anime is good, if it's popular then according to hipsters you have bad taste bruh
Oct 27, 4:24 PM

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Usually, it works like this:

  1. My taste is good.
  2. If your taste is similar to mine – it's good as well.
  3. If it's different from mine, then it's shit.
  4. Having bought #3 into consideration – you're shit as well.

I believe that's how it works in most cases on the internet. I don't care though, because taste is subjective and if I don't happen to like something it's probably because I'm too stupid or some other reasons...
Oct 27, 4:58 PM

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Reply to SuperAdventure
@RobertBobert I didn't say anything about "art". The whole What is Art canard got old in 2004. Please don't resurrect that horse it's long dead.
What criteria? You can have "purely entertaining" all you want- if it's trash then it's trash. People find pornography entertaining and that doesn't raise it above being trash. Calling trash 'art' also doesn't elevate it- Lipstick On A Pig.
A minority of loud and perverted people blubbering online about how the trash they watch isn't mainstream enough will never, ever succeed in making it so.
@SuperAdventure So, will you unironically complain about the lack of depth of characters in pornography or the too naive and superficial plot in a cartoon for preschoolers?

@Ba-Cii10 You misunderstood him. He meant that some people do not have their own opinions and simply add to their favorites what is popular. It's not that liking a popular show is bad.
Oct 27, 5:57 PM

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Reply to Ba-Cii10
@Serafos XDD what kind of logic is that, it doesn't matter that anime is good, if it's popular then according to hipsters you have bad taste bruh
@Ba-Cii10 its the average mal user logic, you really shouldnt take them seriously


Migi... Handle the defence.
Oct 27, 6:17 PM

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For me, People who only watch mainstream anime and say that they are best anime ever made. And people who watch only fanservice anime.
Oct 27, 6:44 PM

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Reply to RobertBobert
@SuperAdventure So, will you unironically complain about the lack of depth of characters in pornography or the too naive and superficial plot in a cartoon for preschoolers?

@Ba-Cii10 You misunderstood him. He meant that some people do not have their own opinions and simply add to their favorites what is popular. It's not that liking a popular show is bad.
@RobertBobert Again, I don't think this relates. I won't complain about anything in pornography because I see it as trash, so lack of depth is to be expected.
If something is made for preschoolers, I'd judge it only on the level of a children's show- and if a boob suddenly pops out, in a show made for preschoolers, I'd definitely complain.
Oct 27, 6:57 PM

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Reply to SuperAdventure
@RobertBobert Again, I don't think this relates. I won't complain about anything in pornography because I see it as trash, so lack of depth is to be expected.
If something is made for preschoolers, I'd judge it only on the level of a children's show- and if a boob suddenly pops out, in a show made for preschoolers, I'd definitely complain.
@SuperAdventure But doesn't that mean that different shows should have different judging criteria depending on the context? For example, we will be delighted by cool action in a sci-fi opera, but reasonably find it inappropriate in a wholesome melodrama.
Oct 27, 7:06 PM
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Sweet, salty, savory anime for the win!
Oct 27, 8:08 PM

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I would say people with good taste in general will have a good sense in that their list comprised of shows that are unique or special to them. What I mean by special is that all their favorites will have "consistent" appeal or theme to them that made their faves can define them as an anime fan. Their faves can't be just mainstream or high acclaimed shows with broad and surface level appeal to them.
                                                                   


Oct 28, 9:35 AM

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Reply to RobertBobert
@SuperAdventure But doesn't that mean that different shows should have different judging criteria depending on the context? For example, we will be delighted by cool action in a sci-fi opera, but reasonably find it inappropriate in a wholesome melodrama.
@RobertBobert What's your point? This is about things being considered in bad taste or not; obviously that depends on appropriateness of what it is that's nothing new. I don't see what we're getting at, none of this is a mystery it's the way things always have been.
Oct 28, 10:10 AM

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If someone dislikes Hyperdimension Neptunia or Senran Kagura, then they obviously have bad taste. How can you not like sexy anime waifus?
Oct 28, 11:24 AM

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In any serious context, I would only say that "good taste" is a willingness to diversify genres, and be somewhat critical of what you watch.
If you reply back to me and I never respond, I lost interest and don't care. Sorry about that.
Oct 28, 11:49 AM
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I equate it with having a "well-developed taste", AKA knowing what you like, why you like it and being able to explain why the things you liked were good and why the ones you dislikes were bad adequately.
@thewiru Probably the most sound and reasonable take on this topic. Kudos!
Oct 28, 12:04 PM

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Oct 2013
7167
I don't believe in the concept of good and bad taste in media. I think people who think there's such thing as good or bad taste in media only do so because they want a reason to feel superior to others, and I think using someones taste in media to look down on them is fucking stupid. These people forget that this is ultimately a form of entertainment and all that really matters is how much the individual enjoys something. They also forget that it's possible to like a variety of different things and actively limit the things they're willing to watch, denying themselves something they might actually enjoy because they think it's beneath them. And that's a very sad way to experience things.
Oct 28, 2:09 PM
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Everyone has there own interests, im sure there could be 2 different people to look on my page and say "oh thats bad anime taste" and another would say "these are all peak!",. everyone is different but for me when i see animes with just bad animation, no real plot, and bad quality, and that is all they watch, then i say its bad taste. overall everyone has different interests and we need to stop interest shaming
Oct 28, 6:02 PM
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It's all subjective but if someone are saying something like No Game No Life is great anime, then I can't take that person opinion seriously. It's the same for too much mainstream anime without being able to do nothing but taking it like a god thing. Not being able to criticize even a little (One Piece or Naruto for example). And also the same for only fanservice anime including lolis and ecchi.

In general I appreciate someone who have the capacity of a chill discussion, exploring our different points of view and go more deeply in the meanings of an anime we saw. And of course someone who can recommend with some good explanations. Not just 'hey this one is peak you should take a look!'.
Oct 28, 6:49 PM
white angel

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Your taste is not determined by your favorites, it's determined by your consumption patterns. If someone willingly watched 10k episodes of royal shit, well, what can I say about their taste?

It's your behavior what speaks for your taste, not your declaration of preferences.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Oct 28, 9:08 PM

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A person's choice of waifu can reveal a lot about their tastes and preferences in anime. It's a fun way to gauge someone's anime fandom.
Oct 29, 6:28 AM

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Reply to LoveYourSmile
Your taste is not determined by your favorites, it's determined by your consumption patterns. If someone willingly watched 10k episodes of royal shit, well, what can I say about their taste?

It's your behavior what speaks for your taste, not your declaration of preferences.
@LoveYourSmile Can you give me an example of this kind of thinking?

@LostSpectre So, you don’t take seriously people who seriously operate and argue with such concepts?

@SuperAdventure I follow the approach of Roger Ebert, who said that films should be judged primarily by how well they satisfy their target audience and follow the rules and needs of the genre. For example, American Pie is a great comedy because it sets many of the big trends in its genre and is great for the target audience of cheesy teen comedies. Although the film itself is quite cheesy and vulgar with humor of the “lol, they are virgins” level.
Oct 29, 6:33 AM
white angel

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RobertBobert said:
@LoveYourSmile Can you give me an example of this kind of thinking?

Are you kidding me? I don't want to sound rude, but check your own list lol. One can't eat in McDonald's everyday and be perceived as a high cuisine connoisseur, that's what I mean. Good taste makes you highly selective, by the definition.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Oct 29, 6:36 AM

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Reply to LoveYourSmile
RobertBobert said:
@LoveYourSmile Can you give me an example of this kind of thinking?

Are you kidding me? I don't want to sound rude, but check your own list lol. One can't eat in McDonald's everyday and be perceived as a high cuisine connoisseur, that's what I mean. Good taste makes you highly selective, by the definition.
@LoveYourSmile Are you implying that I have no taste because I watch a lot of different anime without trying to categorize it?
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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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