Poll: Reasons not to like Anime

[sqbr]

A panel idea I've been batting around for next years Swancon is "Anime for people who don't like Anime" (and even if it doesn't become a panel, I think it would make for an interesting post and discussion). But in order to do it, I need to know what it is people don't like about anime, in order to find anime which avoid those things.

The first part of the poll is divided into two, one for anime fans and one for non-anime fans. If you're on the borderline, feel free to do both.
The second part is a few films I've seen suggested around the place or think people might like, but are not unqualified recommendations.

Note: disliking over the top violence etc is different to not minding it but not liking it enough for it to make up for an otherwise crappy show. Also, you can see the results of the polls you didn't take by clicking on the "Poll number blah" link.

[Poll #1203783]

[Poll #1203784]

[Poll #1203785]


This was very checked together: I see no point trying to craft the perfect poll without more data to get the questions right. Feel free to make suggestions in the comments.

I should mention that I'm mainly aimed at people who don't mind anime in principle but have high standards and tend to dislike a lot of the stuff they get recommended, or don't know where to start. People who hate all of it are probably better off as they are!

Also, in the poll I only mentioned a few films each from Hiyao Miyazaki and Satoishi Kon, but they're both totally awesome and worth a look. In my opinion, as an anime fan :)

Comments

[fallimar.livejournal.com]

poll'd!

Also, in the first poll you've omitted "cutesy bootsy schmootzy" and "bishies" as 'things other people find squeal-worthy", which I thought would be a big part of it :P

Secondly, Akira appears twice in the second poll :)

[ilumiari.livejournal.com]

Most of the things on the list I've seen, but not been "OMG THIS IS BRILLIANT" about. I would definitely add Tonari no Totoro to the list, and probably something bishojou, such as Magic Knight Rayearth, or for something a bit newer maybe Suzumiya Haruhi.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

Hellsing or Hellsing Ultimate?

[tevriel.livejournal.com]

I checked the "anime fan" option. Although by most people's standards I may not be one, I have been really into *some* anime.

But I've not seen ANY of the ones you listed. Clearly, I fail.

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

I have no problem with anime per se at all --- but I dislike almost all of its regular sub-genres. From shojo to hentai, the normal stuff of anime, particularly too much kawai, and anything which is basically a soap opera about character relationships at its core, leaves me cold.

But I like it as a medium - and I like Miyasaki and lots of the other thins you mentioned. But I'd never describe myself as an anime fan, even though I like quite a few specific anime things.

[infamyanonymous.livejournal.com]

I consider myself on the cusp. I like some anime, but going out of my way to get it (such as downloading, to which I am morally opposed, or giving all my hard earned money to Mad Man) is just too hard.

I'm terrible, I like Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura and that, also Great Teacher Onizuka, and some random stuff.
My biggest problem with anime is really two problems, now I think about it.

1- The voices. Either you go for subtitled and get the highpitched squeeky nails on a chalkboard, I'm so soft an fluffy like a ducking, sad girl in snow, female voice acting. The timing, the pitch, the different 'um' and 'ah' and 'sooooo des' things. OR there's dubbing, which is inevitably irritating. "Hey, awesome vampire slayer from hell! Wait... that's the voice of Brock from Pokemon D:"

2 - The pacing. Any character driven anime I've seen has moved so slowly I give up before anyone's said anything. Long drawn out silences with little 'oh' or 'hm' noises to remind us that we haven't actually put it on mute as we focus clearly on each character's face. And if it's not drawn out, it's hyper-super fast with very little explanation of what the character's motivations are.

Wow, that sounds pessimistic, but there -are- animes out there that don't do that.

(Oh, and I finally get to write this somewhere- any English dubbed character with glasses will sound like they have a peg on their nose. Please, someone show me a counter example, it drives me up the wall.)

'Other' comments & explaination of a double vote

[rdmasters.livejournal.com]

Anime Fan (at least, sometimes). Things that make me dislike anime: Excessive angst ('Oh, no, I'm just an ordinary xxxxxx, why is this happening to me' is a favourite, and, OK, fair enough, but to keep it up *every* frelling episode for 26 farnarkling episodes, or more ...)

Re: Perfect Blue. I both intensely like and dislike this one. It is a near perfect example of the psychological thriller - I'd put it up there with Vertigo. But I would never watch it again, just like I'd never watch Vertigo again. They are just that bit too good.

And I flubbed a vote. "But I have a soft spot for xxxx", where xxxx is pretty visuals, as evidenced by my love of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (Diary of a Yokohama Shopping Trip). In which Nothing Happens. Very beautifully. (Strictly speaking, stuff does happen, but mostly in the background, or off-stage. Its been two years since the series ended, and fans still argue (very politely and gently) about what was going on!)

[arcadiagt5.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested in being on that panel.

One aspect of anime fans that I'm not terribly fond of is a refusal by some to recognise Sturgeon's Law.

There was a period in the late eighties/early nineties when we were only seeing a trickle and what was getting out had been subjected to a savage selection process, and this meant we were generally only seeing 10-percenters.

Now, well the viewer has to be prepared to do their own editing because there's a large amount of crap getting released. And then it takes forever for something like ARIA to get licensed....

[arcadiagt5.livejournal.com]

Other recent titles that I would strongly recommend are Haibane Renmei and Planetes.

Titles are hard, but not toooo hard.

[leecetheartist.livejournal.com]

El-Hazard's OAV made a very good impression on our early viewing of anime. Both the sub and the dub are very well crafted.

[warpwind.livejournal.com]

Planetes is definetly one I think you'll like and I can lend you the dvds if you like.

Another one I think is particulary awesome so I push as many people onto it as I can is "The girl who lept through time". It's a nice little Sci-fi movie of what an ordinary teenager would do if they gained the ablity to time-jump and the consequences of their actions. It's getting a theatatrical release here soon so Luna will probably be showing it.

[(Anonymous)]

I guess one of the things that annoys me the most about anime is that anime fans seem to spend way too much time thinking about it, discussing it, analyzing it, researching it, and giving presentations on it that will only ever be seen by other anime fans.

[ataxi.livejournal.com]

Top reason I'm not an anime fan: time. Being an anime fan is a bit like being a "book fan": you actually need to watch a lot of it. I don't watch as much anime as I read certain types of book, watch certain types of films, listen to certain types of music, and I've no connection with the community.

There are some things in anime which casual watchers (like me) tend to find irritating, particularly fanservice and endlessly recurring character types. But I've come to love other types of media that arguably have at least equally offensive traits, so I don't think it's fodder for prejudice against anime fans per se ... that said many anime fans, particularly those who have little outside-anime literary context for their consumption, do tend to shit me, because they squee constantly about things that just aren't that mind-blowing.