| It's really getting way too common now and it's especially annoying in these animes where there's consequent story line going since the begging and then they introduce this gimmick to justify the previous actions, it's very disappointing in my opinion and a cheap way to reveal a plot twist, it's like they didn't know how to write a reasonable explanation so they used a concept that can be used on pretty much anything in any circumstances. And even if it's the main focus of the story it's still a lame way to put main character in advantage, this ability is way too overpowered and you can always be sure that there's no danger to the character who's controlling it. I don't see this concept disappearing soon because there's unlimited amount of possibilities to use it but in my opinion we had too much of it already. |
Dizzee said: It's really getting way too common now and it's especially annoying in these animes where there's consequent story line going since the begging and then they introduce this gimmick to justify the previous actions, it's very disappointing in my opinion and a cheap way to reveal a plot twist, it's like they didn't know how to write a reasonable explanation so they used a concept that can be used on pretty much anything in any circumstances. And even if it's the main focus of the story it's still a lame way to put main character in advantage, this ability is way too overpowered and you can always be sure that there's no danger to the character who's controlling it. I don't see this concept disappearing soon because there's unlimited amount of possibilities to use it but in my opinion we had too much of it already. I dont really think it has been overly used as you think, it just so happens that this sort of series usually end up being well known if executed in a consistent manner, so you take more notice of it. This is just my personal opinion but for a gimmick/mechanic to be overused in anime there should be at least 10 anime in the last 2 years using said gimmick. |
| *facepalm* Nothing is being force on anyone. It's your choice if you want to watch it or not. If you want to see an overuse that messes up a series, just look at any US comic books. It's so convoluted it's unreadable. |
| What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about? |
kamisama751 said: If you ever get tired of modern anime, then don't forget that there is always retro. You forget that way too many people get turned off by the superior art style of older anime, and thus refuse to check out more retro series because of it. I miss the dirt lines and contour hashes, goddammit! |
 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." |
| Be thankful there isn't a Doctor Who Anime. According to him "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a nonlinear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff." Seriously though. Time travel is one of those things that needs great care. Start using it too much and it reek havoc on the plot and may only lead to confusion later in the story. |
sbyrstall said: *facepalm* Nothing is being force on anyone. It's your choice if you want to watch it or not. If you want to see an overuse that messes up a series, just look at any US comic books. It's so convoluted it's unreadable. so basically you're saying "don't like it don't watch it"? *facepalm* there's a bunch of anime that get this concept introduced later in the show, read the OP please |
Mkim said: Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeet's dooooooooooooooo the tiiiiiiiiiiiiiime waaaaaaaaaaaarp agaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain! It's just a jump to the left … ----------------------------------- actually, though most likely unintentionally, this is the best troll/shit-thread I've yet seen here at MAL, with it being the umpteenth edition of "wawawaah! I don't like some theme in some anime"-topic of the week - feels like another time warp has happened, everything back to start, once again. so paradox it almost is good. |
| *darn, using my right hand is off-limits for a while. Typing with my left hand only is ... eww.* |
| Sick and tired? Name at least 15 bro. |
| I'm pretty sure there's new trends like this every couple of years though- it's just a thing! A few years back, SAO brought major popularity to the "stuck in a game" thing which seems to only have just started dying out a bit. The battle royale/survival game thing has been extremely popular & over used since, well...Battle Royale... My point is that there will always be overused concepts in every entertainment medium; it's natural for everyone to jump on the bandwagon if something of a particular theme is gaining popularity- just look at zombies and vampires in the West. How many times have similar concepts been used?? I'd say the most important thing is how the concept is used and weaved into the story. One thing I'm liking about the time travel thing at the moment is the variety of genres it's relevent and present in. It's being done in different ways, and mostly has a different level of importance in different anime. With Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi and Orange for example, the time travel theme is there but it's mechanics aren't really the main focus, these stories don't really feel supernatural or take place in fantastical or Sci-fi worlds- it's more of a stepping stone than anything else, I guess?? Then again, it's just personal preference...I really didn't like the stuck in a game thing, so I'm happy that the time travel trend seems to be taking over XD |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| until you can name a lot of time travel anime that have aired near or at the same time as each other, it's not something being forced in, it's just a trend. |
| 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 |
Well there's quite a few here http://www.anime-planet.com/anime/tags/time-travel excluding the ones that mentioning would be a spoiler, there's a lot more of them such as: and many more that I haven't seen |
Fifteen is quite a bit and really specific. Why fifteen? |
| good thing there's like 99 other anime this year without time travel concepts! |
 |
| Man some peoples complaints on anime is hilarious. If you dont like it dont watch it. Books, movies, tv series all dive into certain themes and explore them. If your tired of anime ur probably tired of all forms of entertainment. Srsly most of you anime fans are stuck in a box with ur niche taste and cant comprehend how the industry works. Something is popular it will get pushed. Besides the time travel concept its EXTREMELY niche. Looking at ur list it looks like you have this 1 set mindset on whats good and what isnt. Im tired of gorey anime and action anime that are manly. You know what I did? I stopped watching them. There is literally too much anime out there to be complaining about a subgenre. That anime planet link only shows 61 time travel based anime. And some of those arent using time travel as its main theme. Also stop this nonsense. You barely seen much time travel anime in the first place looking at ur list. Ur complaining about something you have no experience with. Hopefully the concept becomes even more prevalent because there are far more stories in light novel and manga that dive into that theme so much better. Sadly HakoMaria will never see an adaption. |
Because I can name 10 easily and if OP can go higher than that, then I'll warrant OP's opinion. Dizzee said: Well there's quite a few here http://www.anime-planet.com/anime/tags/time-travel excluding the ones that mentioning would be a spoiler, there's a lot more of them such as: and many more that I haven't seen First one isn't time travel, it's dimension hopping. Similar but different. |
BRB-kun said: Ah, fair enough. Because I can name 10 easily and if OP can go higher than that, then I'll warrant OP's opinion. I don't think I can name ten off the top of my head and I've got 600+ completed. |
| I don't care, I love time travel anime. |
 |
| That's understandable. They lack tension because, unless it's some kind of tragedy or the time travel element is used for other purpose than the main entertainment (like with Tatami Galaxy), you already know the protagonist is gonna succeed, due to reasoning why would the author use an element so inherently powerful to solve the problems in the first place. It just becomes boring if you apply logic to it. I'll include reality reset, dimension travelling and altering the past. In practice it allows the same thing: redo something or reset a situation, which is the overpowered thing of time travel that also applies in these examples. Eleven in total See what's in common in all of them? They're popular, and some of them praised as AOTS in their respective moments. With the saturation on the fanbase of shows that have those elements, it doesn't matter if there are a lot of them or not: it still feels saturated and makes you feel like the contemporary period is resorting too much in this plot element, which is lazy as fuck too. It seems a lot of people like this kind of stories, and due to pure economy, we will probably see more of them. |
 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? |
| You shut your mouth @OP we need moar time travel animus. Its my favorite subgenre :D as you can tell in my favorites. @Thievery I would count Higurashi as one, its a little bit of time travel (to a certain state of the world) using the mode of traveling to different fragments of reality. So it uses time travel and alternate reality hopping. |
CejaraJul 15, 2016 9:03 AM
Kona_Kana said: moodie said: Man some peoples complaints on anime is hilarious. If you dont like it dont watch it. Books, movies, tv series all dive into certain themes and explore them. If your tired of anime ur probably tired of all forms of entertainment. Srsly most of you anime fans are stuck in a box with ur niche taste and cant comprehend how the industry works. Something is popular it will get pushed. Besides the time travel concept its EXTREMELY niche. Looking at ur list it looks like you have this 1 set mindset on whats good and what isnt. Im tired of gorey anime and action anime that are manly. You know what I did? I stopped watching them. There is literally too much anime out there to be complaining about a subgenre. That anime planet link only shows 61 time travel based anime. And some of those arent using time travel as its main theme. Also stop this nonsense. You barely seen much time travel anime in the first place looking at ur list. Ur complaining about something you have no experience with. Hopefully the concept becomes even more prevalent because there are far more stories in light novel and manga that dive into that theme so much better. Sadly HakoMari will never see an adaption. I honestly feel that it would be better if Hakomari didn't get an adaptation since whatever studio adapts it is bound to screw it up. Really? I wish it would get an adaptation. It really is a great LN; the only thing is they would have to either make it several cours or spread out over 2 seasons both having 2 cours, since its a long story and has a lot of information to process/adapt.. |
Cejara said: You shut your mouth @OP we need moar time travel animus. Its my favorite subgenre :D as you can tell in my favorites. It's shit to me, so many well written anime's that get ruined by this cliche, i hate it. @Thievery Explained it better than I ever could, props to you my friend. |
| "oh my god there's 2 or 3 time travel anime in a row, WAAAAAAAAHHHH" You're ruining mal. |
 |
| @Cejara Yeah, I saw the show and that's why I put it there. The reason I just sugested it is because it's a little old (2007), while the most recent one in the list was from 2009 (Endless Eight and the respective Movie, which also uses that element). @Dizzee No prob mate. @ichii_1 >Misses the point kek, to be expect from somebody that believes Bleach has classic literature potential. Don't mind me, just teasing. |
ThieveryJul 15, 2016 9:12 AM
| 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? |
| The trend is gonna peak soon anyway so I'm not sure why you're that bothered. And time travel has been a common theme in fiction for MANY years. |
| It's really not that overused though. Having a few here and there using time travel doesn't mean that it's being shoved in anime here, there and everywhere. |
 It's an entirely different kind of flying, altogether! It's an entirely different kind of flying. |
Thievery said: That's understandable. They lack tension because, unless it's some kind of tragedy or the time travel element is used for other purpose than the main entertainment (like with Tatami Galaxy), you already know the protagonist is gonna succeed, due to reasoning why would the author use an element so inherently powerful to solve the problems in the first place. It just becomes boring if you apply logic to it. I'll include reality reset, dimension travelling and altering the past. In practice it allows the same thing: redo something or reset a situation, which is the overpowered thing of time travel that also applies in these examples. Eleven in total See what's in common in all of them? They're popular, and some of them praised as AOTS in their respective moments. With the saturation on the fanbase of shows that have those elements, it doesn't matter if there are a lot of them or not: it still feels saturated and makes you feel like the contemporary period is resorting too much in this plot element, which is lazy as fuck too. It seems a lot of people like this kind of stories, and due to pure economy, we will probably see more of them. To be fair, two of those, , uses this plot point as revelation pieces, uses it in its own arc and not really a main story point, and one, is a deus ex machina. They're not the main focus or only become the focus in a ahort time unlike some of the others. Plus series like can attest that time travel can up the stakes and doesn't always end up as happy endings as well. |
BRB-kun said: Thievery said: That's understandable. They lack tension because, unless it's some kind of tragedy or the time travel element is used for other purpose than the main entertainment (like with Tatami Galaxy), you already know the protagonist is gonna succeed, due to reasoning why would the author use an element so inherently powerful to solve the problems in the first place. It just becomes boring if you apply logic to it. I'll include reality reset, dimension travelling and altering the past. In practice it allows the same thing: redo something or reset a situation, which is the overpowered thing of time travel that also applies in these examples. Eleven in total See what's in common in all of them? They're popular, and some of them praised as AOTS in their respective moments. With the saturation on the fanbase of shows that have those elements, it doesn't matter if there are a lot of them or not: it still feels saturated and makes you feel like the contemporary period is resorting too much in this plot element, which is lazy as fuck too. It seems a lot of people like this kind of stories, and due to pure economy, we will probably see more of them. To be fair, two of those, , uses this plot point as revelation pieces, uses it in its own arc and not really a main story point, and one, is a deus ex machina. They're not the main focus or only become the focus in a ahort time unlike some of the others. Plus series like can attest that time travel can up the stakes and doesn't always end up as happy endings as well. Want to be fair? The first two make a character overpowered, one is a convenience that favors one character and allows him to solve the problem and the other is a convenience that is the answer of the big mistery. The other two solve a problem, as one solves the tragic twist at the end of its movie and the second of those two uses it too to reverse something tragic. And the last one still solves a problem, a huge one. I've only completed 1 out of those 4, what follows is more technical and teorical than practical. When I see those shows, I'll have a fairer judgement, but as you can see, I doubt it will be a positive one. Even though they don't end as happy endings (and upping the stakes mean nothing if you see that, in the end, time travel=changing an otherwise unchangeable situation, allowing an easier solution), they still are used to solve something easily, from a writing perspective. The easy way out. The cop-out. The narrative tool is lazy when it's used as the answer, which is the main grip of OP, and why once you notice this issue with the tool, one execution for drama is enough to see the rest as tiring. In the case of |
ThieveryJul 15, 2016 9:56 AM
| 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? |
| Well going by the anime planet link out of 61 shows about 1/3rd are movies, like 5 of which are variations of doraemon which has a time travel base. Several others are specials or ovas, often of series that don't have time travel as a main focus (Ie. Detective Conan, Lupin the Third). Another significant number are simply standalone ovas that have less than 5 episodes. So just throwing out a random number it seems like 20 shows roughly in total might be a fair guess. Hardly something I would consider overused personally. But it's fairly standard that if a person doesn't like a concept they tend to only see that concept no matter how few shows related to it there might be in reality. |
| That's the same as saying "I'm so sicken tired of a sci-fi concept being shoved into video games these days". Everyone wants a piece of the pie. If time travel is popular right now, why not adapt something that might get people's attention? Not only that but there other things you can watch. |
 |
| Because Time Travelling is now the equivalent to Escapism. |
| Do you play Azure Lane? Then please join my fanclub https://myanimelist.net/clubs.php?cid=74907 |
| Yeah I'm not crazy about time travel either, like ever. The WHOLE CONCEPT is just asking for aggravating logical paradoxes... like having multiple versions of the same character or parallel universes, stuff that I can do without. That's not to say it doesn't have its place cause I'm sure it does. I mean DBZ did it okay with the Trunks stuff, but that's just cause Akira Toriyama is cool with stuff like that... it's almost like he let a few of the paradoxes just sit there, which is what you need to do. But if I'm writing a storyline, I try to avoid time travel :P Dimensional travel is way better :P |
| I CELEBRATE myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. |
AntwanMantilla said: That's the same as saying "I'm so sicken tired of a sci-fi concept being shoved into video games these days". Dude what? Sci-fi is a genre not a specific concept like time travel is. |
Dizzee said: It's really getting way too common now and it's especially annoying in these animes where there's consequent story line going since the begging and then they introduce this gimmick to justify the previous actions, it's very disappointing in my opinion and a cheap way to reveal a plot twist, it's like they didn't know how to write a reasonable explanation so they used a concept that can be used on pretty much anything in any circumstances. And even if it's the main focus of the story it's still a lame way to put main character in advantage, this ability is way too overpowered and you can always be sure that there's no danger to the character who's controlling it. I don't see this concept disappearing soon because there's unlimited amount of possibilities to use it but in my opinion we had too much of it already. New anime coming its about a boy named kirito that gets stuck in a game world that allows you to travel back in time but if you logout you die. |
| time periods always have trends..... and thats always applied to anime..... look at the late 90s and early 2000s you saw lots of mecha/space related anime get over it.... its not just an anime related thing.... not only that, theres like 2 a season now out of like 40 shows that come out i don't understand these people who say: OMFG THIS GENRE IS TAKING/HAS TAKEN OVER!!!! when theres like 3/40 shows of that genre a season..... not only that, ALL these genre are old..... the "trapped in another world" genre goes back to the 80s and there was ofc Monster Rancher back in like 2000, which no one seems to mention if you don't like it, don't watch those 2/40 shows a season...... is it that hard? |
   |
| Exactly. How could somebody enjoy something as awful as Re:Zero; it's about as cliche as it comes. Anime isn't like it used to be. Way to speak the truth out. Huzzah! |
 |
| ZA WARUDO Seems applicable to fiction in general, maybe has to do with the fact that it's a sought after fantasy(atm) in the real world. Like aliens and super powers. King Crimson it just works |
| ゴロゴロゴロ ゴロゴロゴロ ゴロゴロゴロ ゴロゴロゴロ ゴゴゴゴゴゴ ゴゴゴゴゴゴ ゴゴゴゴゴゴ |
| This industry don't know what that mean diversity They will milk it until It die |
 |
| What benefit can you gain by tell everyone that you're sick of time travel anime? Be constructive and think pragmatically. |
  ♰ ἡ φύσις οὐδὲν ποιεῖ ἅλματα. ♰ συκεροκυ™ |
| @Thievery I don't know if you mean the use of time travel altogether or literally just using it as an ends to a means to solve a problem that the writer couldn't otherwise be solved is being lazy. The actual use of time travel as a plot point is anything, but lazy because if the author is not that great of a writer then they will wind up shooting themselves in the foot with plot holes and nonsensical plot lines. I feel like using time travel as the main plot point would be a really difficult thing to do and hard to keep up with. If you mean that time travel was incorporated towards the end of a series just to solve an otherwise unsolvable situation (the writer was probably backed into a corner due to his own writing) then I do agree with that being lazy. @OP Your telling me you wont watch S;G 0 or not enjoy it when its released, since your sick of time travel anime. S;G is a classic man!!! |
Cejara said: @OP Your telling me you wont watch S;G 0 or not enjoy it when its released, since your sick of time travel anime. S;G is a classic man!!! I will probably watch it but I didn't really enjoy S;G as much as I thought I would, it's just not my type of a show. |
| I think that most of your feeling like there's been a high density of time travel anime lately comes from the fact that there were two immensely popular ones in the past few seasons. There haven't been that many at all. Really. I'm serious. |
| @Cejara Time travel by itself has the issue I mentioned previously, where it's so strong it nulls tension ("he can go back in time and solve it" is the thought that can come to the mind). Sure, if not used for dramatic tension, like comedy (Groundhog Day), if it's only used to move characters to the setting (Back to the Future), or if the characters have some charm (Okabe Rintarou in Steins:Gate), then the show isn't exactly ruined by time travel, because time travel is used as a tool for the narrative or there are elements that still make it entertaining. If it is the main tool, like Steins:Gate once again, it loses tension if you notice that it already "spoils you" the outcome, unless the show pulls a "It was a tool all along, here's the real purpose of the show", like Tatami Galaxy does. So yeah, as an answer it is lazy, but as the main atraction it undermines tension, due to "spoiling the finale", lowering the enjoyment you could be getting out of a show. Of course you could argue "the journey is more important than the destination", at which point we enter into subjective battle and nothing can be left clear except the similitude or difference in opinions. And finally, this is only if you care about time travelling doing that kind of stuff on shows, and the tools aren't at fault: it's only how they're used that make them shine in good or bad spotligths in what storytelling entails. |
| 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 don't think its that common... the only known ones are Steins:Gate, Boku Dake ga Inai Machi... Fate/zero series? Its kinda time travel-ly? I don't see a problem with time travel animes, their usually pretty good... I mean Boku Dake was just amazing |
Thievery said: @Cejara Time travel by itself has the issue I mentioned previously, where it's so strong it nulls tension ("he can go back in time and solve it" is the thought that can come to the mind). Sure, if not used for dramatic tension, like comedy (Groundhog Day), if it's only used to move characters to the setting (Back to the Future), or if the characters have some charm (Okabe Rintarou in Steins:Gate), then the show isn't exactly ruined by time travel, because time travel is used as a tool for the narrative or there are elements that still make it entertaining. If it is the main tool, like Steins:Gate once again, it loses tension if you notice that it already "spoils you" the outcome, unless the show pulls a "It was a tool all along, here's the real purpose of the show", like Tatami Galaxy does. So yeah, as an answer it is lazy, but as the main atraction it undermines tension, due to "spoiling the finale", lowering the enjoyment you could be getting out of a show. Of course you could argue "the journey is more important than the destination", at which point we enter into subjective battle and nothing can be left clear except the similitude or difference in opinions. And finally, this is only if you care about time travelling doing that kind of stuff on shows, and the tools aren't at fault: it's only how they're used that make them shine in good or bad spotligths in what storytelling entails. Ah ok, I get where your coming from. As you mentioned I am one of the people that enjoy the journey of the time travelling series. I like to see the characters struggle against fate itself with little hope of overcoming it. In all honesty, I didn't know how S;G would have ended. I thought someone would have died, so in that sense it didn't seem spoiled to me at all. I never really felt spoiled by any of the time travel anime I watched unless they outright stated or shown what the actual outcome at the end of the show would be like (don't think I seen a show like this). Also going under this same point of not knowing the outcome, it also doesn't erase the tension for me. @OP Well that's ok, I guess its not for everyone. To be honest, I didn't like S;G at first. It took me two tries to get into it, and then I felt like kicking myself in the ass of almost missing out on one of my favorite anime. |
CejaraJul 15, 2016 2:31 PM
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