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Is anime pacing subjective?
Dec 18, 2023 6:40 PM
#1
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In my opinion, it is and is based on the viewer's mindset & emotions.
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Dec 18, 2023 7:03 PM
#2

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Definitely yes. For me personally a good show with bad pacing is way less noticeable and thus less of a problem then a show with a bad story and bad pacing for obvious reasons.
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Dec 18, 2023 8:25 PM
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Reply to WaffleMaster89
Definitely yes. For me personally a good show with bad pacing is way less noticeable and thus less of a problem then a show with a bad story and bad pacing for obvious reasons.
@WaffleMaster89 Felt that especially with Hunter x Hunter 2011 which I wouldn't say has "bad pacing" but very slow pacing with an incredible story.
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Dec 18, 2023 8:34 PM
#4

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Yes, just as other aspects like characters, music, story, etc. Whether it’s good or not is subjective.
Dec 18, 2023 9:44 PM
#5

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"Is anime pacing subjective?"

For sure it is.
Dec 18, 2023 10:58 PM
#6

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Well depends on which perspective of "pacing" you're speaking from.
Dec 18, 2023 11:33 PM
#7

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Ofc its subjective, as everything is, but for anime at least it's generally a lot easier to quantify. If a series has a pace of 3 chapters per episode and then suddenly has a string of episodes covering only 1 chapter, you can't really say it's objectively bad, but you can get closer to objectivity here than in most other discussions. It mostly depends on the dialogue to action ratio, story content, animation, etc.
Dec 18, 2023 11:35 PM
#8

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In not my opinion but as an objective fact, slow pacing > fast pacing.
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Dec 18, 2023 11:49 PM
#9
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Good or bad pacing is never subjective. Someone's enjoyment of a show is subjective but the quality of the pacing stays the same.
Dec 19, 2023 12:01 AM
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I think it definitely depends on what you mean exactly.

If you're talking about Toei purposefully dragging out scenes and adapting half a chapter an episode with ridiculously long recaps every episode then I think you can objectively say that that is bad.

However is you're talking about actual story beats and character development in say something like JJK, then that would be more subjective.
Dec 19, 2023 12:10 AM

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I would say it is, just like most things about animation preferences. For some a show may have adequate pacing, for some it can be slow. It all depends on your tolerance levels.

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Dec 19, 2023 12:28 AM
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Reply to thatsmyhentaiway
I think it definitely depends on what you mean exactly.

If you're talking about Toei purposefully dragging out scenes and adapting half a chapter an episode with ridiculously long recaps every episode then I think you can objectively say that that is bad.

However is you're talking about actual story beats and character development in say something like JJK, then that would be more subjective.
@thatsmyhentaiway Toei One Piece pacing is still subjective and patience is a virtue.

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Dec 19, 2023 12:36 AM

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I think so, I believe it depends -at least in part- on you taste and what you usually enjoy (for example, someone who never watched any sol/cgdct show might think they're 'too slow' the first time they try one, while someone who watch mostly sol/cgdct shows might not think of them as 'slow' at all and might even consider some of them as 'fast-paced').
Dec 19, 2023 12:45 AM
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Reply to GoatPieceLuffy
@thatsmyhentaiway Toei One Piece pacing is still subjective and patience is a virtue.

@GoatPieceLuffy You're probably right in saying it's still subjective, but I think production decisions with anime pacing is the closest thing you'll get to objectivity.

Regarding patience being a virtue, nah I'll just stick to the manga and clip watching occasionally. I don't have it in me anymore these days to sit through the Toei pacing.
Dec 19, 2023 12:52 AM

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Boredom is subjective, pacing isn't. An anime that adapts 4-5 chapters per episode is objectively faster than adapting 2 chapters per episode; which one is better depends on our definition of good writing.
Dec 19, 2023 1:07 AM

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Is it a quality or magnitude that can be identified and accurately or scientifically measured with an instrument so that the results aren't debatable by anyone?

Of course not. It is a matter of perception; good/bad, fast/slow pacing does depend on the observer.





Dec 19, 2023 1:12 AM

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It as is art subjective to some level.

the question should be, how much?


The thing is, how fast/slow it is, is fairly agreed upon among people, the real subjective part is what is too slow or too fast for any given show.

Of course when its to an extreme level we can generally agree, but in most of the cases we don't.
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Dec 19, 2023 1:13 AM
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I think bad pacing is very noticeable, like when scenes don't flow well together.
Dec 19, 2023 1:15 AM

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Reply to Nirinbo
Boredom is subjective, pacing isn't. An anime that adapts 4-5 chapters per episode is objectively faster than adapting 2 chapters per episode; which one is better depends on our definition of good writing.
@Nirinbo Chapters are a bad example because the mangas themselves could have fast/slow pace to begin with.


But I get and agree with your point.

the speed is less subjective, the quality it results in is the opposite.
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Dec 19, 2023 1:16 AM

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Reply to SoldierDream
Is it a quality or magnitude that can be identified and accurately or scientifically measured with an instrument so that the results aren't debatable by anyone?

Of course not. It is a matter of perception; good/bad, fast/slow pacing does depend on the observer.





SoldierDream said:
fast/slow pacing does depend on the observer


I mean we do have different standards for the use of words like "fast" or "slow"

but i feel like when drawing comparisons we can pretty much all agree what is faster/slower paced.
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Dec 19, 2023 1:21 AM

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Reply to APolygons2
@Nirinbo Chapters are a bad example because the mangas themselves could have fast/slow pace to begin with.


But I get and agree with your point.

the speed is less subjective, the quality it results in is the opposite.
@APolygons2 not if they're two different adaptations of the same manga (or of at least two comparable manga in terms of pacing), that's what I meant
Dec 19, 2023 2:01 AM

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The answer to this vague question is both yes and no.
Anime pacing usually refers to the average number of manga chapters adapted per anime episode, which is a numerical value and therefore objective.
However this value being too slow, too fast or just alright is up for individual interpretation and therefore subjective.
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Dec 19, 2023 2:53 AM
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Of course it's subjective, much like every other aspect of a show like characters, plot or dialogue.
Dec 19, 2023 7:44 AM

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Of course it is. Pacing popped up as a criticism a while ago, mostly by Shonen fans who watching nothing but Shonen and can't deal with story, dialogue, and more than 30 seconds going by without a Battle happening.
Dec 19, 2023 7:56 AM

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If talking about speed, it's not much, but if talking about consistency and whether a slow or fast paced anime is better, that's on the subjective side.
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Dec 19, 2023 8:16 AM
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The answer is yes.

I remember watching Yowamushi Pedal S1 & S2 and the pacing especially in S2 and the second half of S1 was killing me, and yet I saw people saying that the anime have good pacing.

The anime was very repetitive during the Interhigh race. There was like a certain formula they repeated every two or three episodes (Onoda inner monologue > the senpais saying something cool > the first years hyping each other up > They race > Onoda's inner monolugue... You get what I mean) The repetition was making the anime very unbearable for me and slow down the pacing so much. That doesn't include the episode when it's basically just flashback. At current time, they're racing neck to neck and it was getting exciting, and... cut to flashback! Why would you just ruin the pacing like that? I went to read/watch some reviews after and some complimented the pacing. I've watched other sports anime like Haikyuu & Kuroko no Basuke and pacing was never an issue for me.

So yes, pacing is subjective.
Dec 19, 2023 3:19 PM
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Reply to SuperAdventure
Of course it is. Pacing popped up as a criticism a while ago, mostly by Shonen fans who watching nothing but Shonen and can't deal with story, dialogue, and more than 30 seconds going by without a Battle happening.
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Dec 19, 2023 4:48 PM

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Definitely, a lot of people don't like the first half of steins;gate because it's really slow, I do agree its slow but I never thought it was slow enough to the point where it's boring.
Dec 19, 2023 6:00 PM

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I think people should view pacing both subjectively (when explaining why they like it), and objectively (when recommending to others and if they try to review it). For example, from what I've heard, One Piece is an objectively terribly paced anime, and it's important to say this for others as some may not want to sink so much time into one series. However, someone out there may find the pacing to suit them fine, making it's pacing subjectively good.




Dec 19, 2023 9:26 PM

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Absolutely. There are definite instances when even objectively, you can tell when something is incredibly rushed or slowed down to the point of frustration whether it is with a series like Tokyo Ghoul's adaptation or One Piece for a couple examples. But in general, a mindset or just general interests in stories and characters can have a big effect too. There are series that are slower paced but feel like five minutes each when I watch episodes like Mushoku Tensei, Gintama or Girls Last Tour and there are instances when shows that have speed to it feel like they take forever due to my lack of interest in anything or anyone from a series too. There are shows I was bored of when watching at one point to only enjoy it much, much later and there are many shows that I liked originally and felt like I had no pacing issues with, that just became a slow burden to see later on like Re:Zero (especially season 2).
Dec 19, 2023 9:46 PM
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Pacing is something subjective, which you can only vaguely point to. And it varies from person to person. And it heavily depends on how you watch a show. Binging an 100+ episode-long episodic show can be hell, but it's a much different experience if you watched one episode, once a week.
Dec 20, 2023 11:36 AM
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Reply to Acctra
I think people should view pacing both subjectively (when explaining why they like it), and objectively (when recommending to others and if they try to review it). For example, from what I've heard, One Piece is an objectively terribly paced anime, and it's important to say this for others as some may not want to sink so much time into one series. However, someone out there may find the pacing to suit them fine, making it's pacing subjectively good.
@Acctra Yet most people are fine with One Piece pacing and it's the most popular anime of all time for a reason.

All the internet really shows is the "vocal minority" who think the pacing is "objectively awful" even though they just lack patience.

In my opinion, pacing is all about the viewer's emotions and mindset.
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Dec 20, 2023 2:37 PM
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Reply to SuperAdventure
Of course it is. Pacing popped up as a criticism a while ago, mostly by Shonen fans who watching nothing but Shonen and can't deal with story, dialogue, and more than 30 seconds going by without a Battle happening.
@SuperAdventure I feel like it was the other way around and people started criticizing everything fpr being too fast and or intense to their liking. :D
Dec 20, 2023 2:40 PM

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It can be, but for the most part I would say no. Pacing is something that goes into all forms of media. Anime, cartoons, television, movies etc. It’s just as important as plot, character development, dialogue, and every other part of the process.

I think the issue is people mix up slow/fast pacing with bad/good pacing. Kill la Kill for example is something with very fast pacing, but not necessarily bad pacing. This is why reading a manga is often a lot better than watching an anime. Slow/fast pacing is determined by the speed of the reader.
Dec 20, 2023 2:45 PM
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Absolutely! To give an example, Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0 are known for one of the few contenders for worst pacing, especially SG 0. But to me, pacing is affected by what takes place during that pacing. I am currently trying to watch Texhnolyze and I really love what the show is telling with the atmospheric and deep social economic differences so far, but I can't stand the pacing. It feels like nothing is happening even though there is elements of it. It just doesn't vibe with me while trying to watch it, so much so that I am only on episode 5 and I haven't picked it back up in about a week. Now compare that to SG, where the pacing is matched with great comedy and an even deeper psychology in the first half after rewatch ( which is subjective to, having pacing be compared between having watched the show beforehand or not). Everyone's subjective to their likes and dislikes, but we all can agree that pacing is based on the person's preference.
Dec 20, 2023 3:08 PM

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Both the fastest and slowest paced anime I ever watched were very good.
Dec 20, 2023 3:22 PM

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To an extent. Different people have different tolerance levels for how fast or slow they like their series. However, you can still poorly pace something out by cutting too much to the point of causing confusion by the information that is excised, or by dragging things out too much that the viewer gets bored or feels like the story is not moving along. It's a balancing act, and most people can get through some occasional points where things drag or occasional points where things are too fast, but if you go too far in either extreme, people may start to notice and get frustrated.
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Dec 20, 2023 3:31 PM

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According to some people it's objective enough for it to make sense to have two versions of the same series going at once. But I won't poke that bear again too much.

What I can say is I've seen short series that feel like they take forever and longer shows that feel like a breeze to go through and that I think has a lot to do with how something is written and structured.
Dec 20, 2023 10:45 PM

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gotta say no on this one. yes, technically it is subjective, as is any opinion. but what i mean is there's a difference between fast vs. slow pacing and good vs. bad pacing. whether a show uses its allotted time adequately to portray what it wants, depending on what it is trying to accomplish, is what makes it good. pacing is so much more complicated than "the speed it covers the source material" or whatever, it's understanding what aspects of its story are the most important and what is supplementary, when and how they should be shown, the time they should be afforded, the timing and framing of shots, etc. to make the story it is trying to tell engaging and bring out what makes it special.

say, a show like girls' last tour is undoubtedly slow paced, and i understand why someone would find it boring as a result. but if they actually tried to argue it was POORLY paced, i'd have no choice but to slap them upside the head.

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Dec 20, 2023 11:06 PM

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I mean, yes, but I have never heard someone saying that the Naruto anime (without filler) has good pacing.
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Dec 20, 2023 11:22 PM

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95% of the time it is.

But I believe there are a few major outliners - usually fast-paced LN adaptations. For example, I think it's hard to find someone who says Spy Classroom S1 and Akuyaku Reijou nanode Last Boss wo Kattemimashita had good pacing.

Dec 20, 2023 11:42 PM

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Yeah, I believe that it is subjective. Slow pacing doesn't necessarily mean bad pacing nor fast pacing being good. Steins;Gate's first half I think needed to take its time building up character relationships so we care to begin with what happens in the second half, explanation of in-universe rules to avoid audience confusion, and foundation for extremely well-earned payoffs since a payoff can only be as the buildup that led up to it.
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Dec 21, 2023 7:02 AM

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Reply to GoatPieceLuffy
@Acctra Yet most people are fine with One Piece pacing and it's the most popular anime of all time for a reason.

All the internet really shows is the "vocal minority" who think the pacing is "objectively awful" even though they just lack patience.

In my opinion, pacing is all about the viewer's emotions and mindset.
@GoatPieceLuffy
I don't think anyone can deny that the anime and manga are paced differently. If the majority like the anime, does that mean the majority dislike the manga? Why does Oda draw such a fast-paced manga, in that case, when the slower version is so much more popular? If audiences can in fact enjoy both, I take it to mean that they have no standards.
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Dec 22, 2023 11:03 AM

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Of course. Some viewers like fast, action-packed stuff, while others tend to enjoy slow and relaxing shows.
Dec 22, 2023 12:07 PM

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In my opinion it is of the opinion that i have had an opinion on that opinion but in actual fact the original opinion of the opinion was merely subjective.
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Dec 22, 2023 5:59 PM

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Reply to Zarutaku
The answer to this vague question is both yes and no.
Anime pacing usually refers to the average number of manga chapters adapted per anime episode, which is a numerical value and therefore objective.
However this value being too slow, too fast or just alright is up for individual interpretation and therefore subjective.
@Zarutaku I fully agree with your statement.


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Dec 22, 2023 6:35 PM

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Reply to eblf2013
If talking about speed, it's not much, but if talking about consistency and whether a slow or fast paced anime is better, that's on the subjective side.
@eblf2013 Indeed! I totally agree that speed isn't subjective when it comes to pacing.


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