Example: I stopped because I grew attached to an anime called Zombie Land Saga (2018) and am currently trying to forget about it now.
I posted about it on Reddit, then on here because I didn’t agree with the writing of the overall show.
I won’t bicker about it anymore though.
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- The constant simping by neckbeards.
- The unrealistic and overly pervasive sexualization of everything.
- The boring, formulaic predictability: The boy, the priss girl, the nerd girl with gadgets, the tomboy girl that cleans up, the aggro chick, the alternate love interest. Fuck off already.
- The homogeneity of art: everything feels like it was made by the same studio.
As a child I watched Robotech and Macross. I loved Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed, and others like that. I realized that anime could be for everyone with Studio Ghibli. There were guilty pleasures like Rouroni Kenshin or Inuyasha. I loved the Ranma stuff because it was just quirky and frenetic. DBZ was fun, but boy did they drag it out. Anyhow…
Next, people will say, “Oh, but you should see this! It really breaks the mold.” I’m sure it does. I don’t care. I’m over the genre.
It’s crazy how all you described was just a subsection of anime, specifically slice of life high school romance animes and then expanded that to everything else. I mean even calling anime a genre is weird since it’s just animated content with a specific range of art styles, the story can be anything. The simping and sexualization is definitely an issue but that comes with anything that is a entertainment. Could I ask you what you consume nowadays aside from anime? I’m curious since I wanna know the gap you perceive between that and anime in general.
It’s crazy how some asked “what made you stop?” and I answered with my reasons. Not yours. Not someone else’s… mine.
Get over it.
It’s crazy how all you described was just a subsection of anime, specifically slice of life high school romance animes and then expanded that to everything else.
… what? Aside from specific studio exceptions, everything he listed except for the art style one is absolutely pervasive in every genre of anime.
I just fundamentally disagree, after watching hundreds of anime and just lots of media in general, there is definitely tropes and excessive repetition of stuff, but the specific tropes referenced here are objectively not prevalent in every genre of anime. Perhaps Isekai and high school slice of life romance but not super prevalent outside of that. And most newer or older anime don’t have it either, there was a very short band of time where what he mentioned was prevalent.
Robotech and Macross
Lost interest after that and never came back. I wonder if those old shows still hold up.
Macross often draws me back even if for nothing other than the outstanding music.
What makes you think I stopped watching anime?
I asked just in case someone did.
No offense.
I’m deeply offended that you did not know Xangadix’s content preferences prior to making your post.
No offence taken, is all good 😊
Back in the 90s, TV kind of sucked, so I got really into anime because I found the stories really original and entertaining. After several years of watching way too much anime, it became apparent that it was also full of tropes and unoriginality, the same stories repeated with slight tweaks. I eventually stopped watching for the most part. In recent years I have started watching anime again on occasion. There is a lot of good content to watch these days, and sometimes anime is good too.
Said what I came to say better than I probably could have. Loved anime in the '80s-'90s before I knew what it was called. Found the visual styles to be quite striking and the cel animation special effects like backlighting very appealing. As a pre-teen/teen it was novel to see animated features dealing with darker subject matter.
Very little interest nowadays apart from visiting traditionally animated features I missed back then. Don’t find digital animation appealing in general. Plus my tastes in stories and dramatic elements have shifted quite a bit from back then, and to me anime represents something very specifically Japanese the nuances of which seem to be lost on me.
Another facet: couldn’t tell you how many Lemmy communities I’ve blocked because they almost exclusively feature posts of images of stereotypically over-sexualized anime girls/women(/cyborgs/demons/etc).
Ooh, I see there was a series DVD release of Mighty Orbots (1984). I have to rate that show as some kind of peak anime, being a lovely collaboration between Japanese and American studios.
Check out Yakitori on Netflix
I used to watch anime because of the compelling stories. Then I got fed up with the endless fillers and the creepy fan service. An exemple :
Not long ago, my bro highly praised an anime movie that supposedly had a serious and sad story that would make watch anime again. I stopped watching when in the first ten minutes there’s a body swap and the guy inside the girl body start groping themself in front of the mirror.
I only watch studio Ghibli movies anymore.
Watch “A Silent Voice”. It’s not Ghibli, but if you like Ghibli, you’ll appreciate this movie
I read the synopsis and the “bully become lover” is one of the tropes I despise the most. As someone that suffered bullying I only feel the deepest hatred for them in my heart.
Thanks for recommandation anyway!
Oh no. It’s not really like that. It’s more about hardships and kindnesses than it is about bullying. The main character is flawed, but he also goes out of his way to try and make things right. It’s a pretty good story, but I understand where you’re coming from
Is there any anime where the main character is just a total unpredictable asshat? Like Voyager in the Xenosaga series? I’m fed up of all the happy endings and friendliness and main character people pleaser who doubts himself. Give me a flawed main character I want to hate, but make him relateable enough that I can not hate him!
You’ll appreciate Ichi The Killer or Overlord I’d wager
I watched that movie too. Definitely some weird stuff at the beginning. Overall I’d rate it pretty good though. Ghibli is definitely my favorite.
Your name?
It’s pretty good it was released in a local film festival here before it released to the public. About the self groping… What do you expect a teenager boy to do in that situation… It kind of stops there with that stuff so don’t worry, it would just be too unrealistic to not put it tbh.
Also, before anyone has weird ideas, the dude self groped a gender swapped girls body with pajamas on, for like 5 seconds and then the story moves on.
Yes, it was “Your name”!
You have to put the scene in the context of “anime” the genre. Anime is known for its fan service and adding such a scene in your supposedly sad and serious anime make the viewer automatically believe it will be full of it.
Tbh, I got burnout from the endless fillers of anime as a teen after watching one piece, naruto and bleach, so my level of tolerance for anime bullshit is really low, and only studio ghibli works manage to never go above zero in my anime-bullshito-meter. I actually believe that, when used correctly, anime is one of the best medium to discuss complex and adult themes.
That’s the thing though, I watched it in a very serious film festival, for context the last Ghibli movie was also released there this year, I expected a quality movie and was not disappointed. It was then released as a pretty popular movie in the west, which a “trash anime” would not achieve ever.
Calling Your name anime is kinda unfair because “anime” comes with tons of baggage with it, and honestly this movie doesn’t have it. It’s similar to the boy and the beast and all of those movies where the only thing that makes them “anime” is the Japanese ambiance, drawing style and Japanese origin. When people think of anime, besides all of these obvious facts they also think of tons of other tropes, plenty listed by you, that make it quite hard to recommend good Japanese animated content.
I don’t watch almost any anime nowadays anyways, if it doesn’t have a good animation studio it’s just not really worth it tbh. I just read tons and tons of comics, be it Japanese, Korean webcomics, American webcomics… You name it, I read more than 70 chapters a week easily, and there’s plenty of trash manga in there.
Your name is kinda light hearted btw, it has some adult themes but it’s a +13 movie at most. If you want complex and adult themes you might enjoy psicho pass, it’s a cyberpunk themed futuristic environment where citizens are controlled by the greater good, the protagonist is a cop. Not many apparent tropes, adult themes, typical cyberpunk-esque society challenging themes.
Or you know, just don’t watch it lmao, live is too short to spend it in dubious content.
I haven’t seen Zombiland Saga so I don’t know what about it you might have disagreed with, but why did one show make you give up anime entirely?
I still watch anime, but I’ve definitely slowed down since graduating college, just because of less free time. Frieren pulled me back into it pretty hard too though, so I’m also watching more now than I was last year. I don’t think I can go back to the amount I was watching when I was in college though lol
Previously, they have complained about the show not fitting their “Christian values”, due to zombification and trans characters. I only believe they have a problem with one of those two things.
Note that they also asked for an alternative to Wikipedia because they dislike the content. They’re going through some stuff.
I see…
Because I was overwhelmed by it.
I have sensory issues as an autistic person.
They also put things in the show I didn’t like that might get me scolded at if I bring it up here.
Or Reddit, which is why I switched to here.
Hmmmmmm
I started watching anime at a time when I felt like the live-action TV I had access to leaned too heavily on tropes and clichés. I watched enough anime to start recognising its tropes and clichés, decided that if anything it relied on them even more than Western TV, and stopped watching.
Although, after a several-year break, I’ve been enjoying Dungeon Meshi.
Dungeon meshi has been delightful. It seems like there’s this whole odd sub genre of anime which is about eating imaginary foods in a fantasy universe that I had written off entirely. You can tell me all day how delicious dragon stew would be but I just don’t care. Dungeon Meshi has won me over by being so darned wholesome. Ghost chilled sorbet made me laugh out loud.
I’d love to watch good anime again, same as with any good TV/movie, but no longer hang around people who:
- mentioned an interesting anime like any other show, and not as a long list of recommendations or rabid fandom. Talk to me of your favourite anime like you would of The Bear or Fleabag, sheesh.
- were ones whose taste regarding media I trusted.
Basically too much shite, no interest to wade through it and no easy/natural filters available.
I understand what you’re saying.
I used to read manga and watch anime until I realized I don’t feel comfortable with either.
Now my tastes have changed since then.
During the pandemic I browsed anime again and really enjoyed My roommate is a cat (and not really anything else that came up). My husband and I like old-fashioned cyberpunk, so on his suggestion we watched and enjoyed Edgerunners.
So there’s still anime out there that matches my tastes. It just doesn’t usually come up, and I don’t follow releases or check anything out “just because it’s anime”.
Does hentai count?
Let’s say it counts. What made you STOP?
Stop?
Let’s not talk about that.
Aww
Honestly, too much content not enough time. That and I think a lot of what’s available now isn’t as good as it used to be (I realise that’s probably nostalgia more than anything else). I read manga a lot more now. I find it easier to do, and it generally gets to the point a lot quicker than anime. There’s also a lot more great manga than there is great anime simply because it’s cheaper to make and distribute and less prone to padding things out to reach a predefined length. Vagabond for example would be the best anime ever… if any studio could adapt it. I watch more western live action stuff, it’s cookie cutter at times but easier to consume while focusing on other things (since it’s English, Japanese anime I need to actively focus on subs (I wont dignify dubbed with a mention XD)). I used to watch j-dramas but dropped that now as well as I find it hard to find stuff that interests me. I’ve watched a couple k-dramas just cause I find them a refreshing change of pace.
I will say now I’m an adult its really hard to find the time to just stop and watch things. I legit miss burning through all my afternoons watching naruto and the chunin exam or the pain arc. That sh*t defined my childhood and I’ll always love it, even if I’m not liable to do it again soon.
I still watch anime but I heard enough that I should read the Manga and now I’ve read thousands of manga and I don’t really have time for anime.
Usually because I finished the episode and it’s close to bedtime.
Lack of time. I stopped watching any TV.
Lack of time. But I do try to make time.
I’ve been trying to watch more but, like, every single thing is like the exact same shit. Why is there so much “isekai’d into fantasy world video game where I have God mode and cheats activated” stuff? Even the slice of life genre is filled with this crap. 😩
I want more Cowboy Bebops, Triguns and Full Metal Alchemists. Or Lucky Stars and Azumanga Diaohs.
I do this very silly thing where I watch the first episode of every new anime that pops up, do a short write up on it, and then most likely never watch it again. I’ve found some wonderful gems this way but there is an absolute shit ton of garbage.
That being said, the most memorable instant stop watching I had was the first season of one about a highschool maid Cafe that extorted the MC into joining, dumped this whole “we do bit acting to make it more entertaining”, and then having the MC call one of the other girls her sister, which was immediately a problem. Like there was some obvious trauma and they just keeeeeep on poking at it. Fuck that. It’s rude as hell, the entire show can go kick rocks.
There are way worse than that which are obvious ones to just not watch. Healer redo is one of those.
One of the gems I found was a mech anime based on the Japanese bullet train, and it’s completely bog standard. However, the first episode has an April fools variant of the subtitling that made it worth the watch. Sadly the rest of the show is done properly.
Biggest fail I’ve seen so far from sub to dub was from “ya boy kongming”, which is a delightful watch on its own. Apparently the company which did the dub didn’t think the literal rap battle needed to be translated… Or subtitled. I was very disappointed.
