Just a week ago I was like many of you, an angry cynical internaut with disdain for anything outside your little bubble that you think is "nerdy" and "gay". While the constant snickering about anime fags and otaku creeps might have been somewhat amusing in passing, it's time we all grew out of it. Not only are most of these claims toothless and unamusing, but they are also immature and show the insecurity of the person railing on that "gay" Japanese cartoon. Just something for y'all to consider.

So anyway, the series that really broke my anime cherry was "Death Note", which seems to be popular with a few other 2knetters. A few people on IRC highly recommended it repeatedly, which for some time I dismissed it as I usually would. A few months ago curiosity took the better of me and I downloaded the first episode of Death Note. It sat unwatched in my media folder for some time, for I was busy watching inferior live-action Western series' at the time. But last weekend fellow 2knetter and fake2knet brainchild Dajhail was going on about how good it was so I decided to give it a shot. I was enthralled by it and immediately got the subsequent episodes. By the following Monday, 3 days later, I had watched all 37 episodes, but still desired more. Within two days after finishing Death Note I downloaded and watched all of Elfen Lied and The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya, and I'm currently in the process of watching Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

Over the last few years, I've spent much of my free computer time watching Western TV dramas such as 24, Lost, and Battlestar Galactica, which are entertaining enough in their own regard, but they still feel as if something is lacking. Whether it is simply the format of the shows or perhaps the different culture altogether, I can no longer find much in Western serial mediums that can match quality anime. Part of this may have something to do with most anime series' being produced all at once with a set plan in mind, and only running long enough to finish the story with little to no filler. And of course the medium of animation itself allows for more flexible storytelling, but it's curious that Western animation studios rarely produce anything other than comedies such as The Venture Bros. with any success. Perhaps the Japanese truly are the superior race when it comes to quality popular entertainment.

The settings and characters in anime are generally more interesting and the stories are more involving for dreamers like you and I. A major problem with Western drama is that it almost always has to appeal to a wide range of individuals, ranging from college age nerds like many of us to middle aged women, who take up a large percentage of the TV watching population. Western showrunners also have to appeal to network suits and rarely get to tell a story 100% the way they originally intended. Anime doesn't have to be flexible like that, which is a huge advantage when trying to put together a cohesive narrative with good pacing. Nonsensical Hollywood drama and the whining of prima-donna actors that could ruin the illusion of the show also never come into play in anime. For someone like myself who desires immersion above all else, this is a huge, huge, plus.

I was really able to get into the characters of the three animes I've watched so far. Light-Kun's conniving plots and back-and-forth mindgames with L in Death Note were really fun to watch, and the way the various characters with believable motives interacted really fleshed out the series' motif of justice and power. Elfen Lied I couldn't get into as much, due to the weird and maybe too "Japanese" characters. One thing it did really well is to make cheesy melodrama backed by hummable operatic strains actually entertaining and emotionally resonating, unlike soulless Western attempts at heartfelt moments.

The anime I enjoyed the most was by far "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya". To the outsider, it appears to be yet another "high school pals" anime, but after a few episodes it becomes so, so much more. The enthusiasm of the central character, Haruhi Suzumiya, would be enough by itself for the series to shine, but the way she interacts with the rest of the cast and the world itself is truly a wonder to behold. Along with Death Note, Melancholy strongly features fighting boredom as a motive, but Melancholy has it in spades. Myself and many others here can probably identify with the plight of being born into a world with nothing in it for us, and constantly trying to combat the inevitability of a life in a sterile environment driven by false truths, mindless consumption, and corporate greed. The climax of the final episode was like a breath of fresh air, and probably the most inspiring thing I've ever seen regarding the healthiness of both escapism and actively trying to make the world a more interesting place to live. Melancholy is strictly a fantasy, but a fantasy with something to give back to the observer. Being inspired after finishing a good book, movie, album, game, and yes, even an anime, is possibly one of the best feelings us dreamers can have, and that is what the Japanese anime I've watched so far has given to me.

If anyone has any thoughts or comments, or would like to tell their own story regarding their introduction to anime, please post and share! :mousey:

Holy shit :o

Wow, that was almost a freaking essay...

The way I look at it is... anime in essence... is a "TV" show. It may be from another culture but it is produced for a huge audience.As a comparison, there are many shitty and also many great North American Tv shows. One really can't generalize. Sterotypes of anything can't be taken seriously. Especially when looking at a form of media that is widely diverse. That said, I think extremes of anything can be negative. So I understand when someone complains about fanboys and girls. Ultimately, as long as your hobbies don't interfere with your ability to socialize within your society than it is just that... a hobby. Something everyone has, and really can't be open to public scrutiny. (You can always move if it does...Beastiality is accepted someplace right??...eww)

PS. Adrian... you may want to check out Ergo Proxy... there are some weird episodes but overall (from what I have watched) its something worth looking into.

The anime that "Popped my cherry" was back in 95, when my friend's older sister and manga artist had this VCD.. Ghost in the Shell, uncensored and very gory.. Me and my friend had no idea what it was so we decided to watch it just for laughs, but that movie really put a mark on me, not in a negative way, but more like an alternative way.. it's a very deep and atmospheric movie about apathy in the future, although the story moves in a completely different direction and has nothing with the actual setting to do, but the atmosphere of that movie is just.. unique, it's close to the setting and feel of Elfen Lied, but it's not as apparent and toned.. you kind of get the apathy and feeling of emptyness by yourself.. I'm not sure if it's such a good movie nowadays compared to today's anime, but for me it was invaluable.

I got stuck watching Naruto, all from 01-150 something? Then i tired of the constant fillers and the same stuff over and over again, 3 episode fights, started watching bleach, wich was really interesting in the beginning but it's starting to end up like naruto now at 130~ish i believe.. we'll see if it's the same crap, after all it's the same producer.

adrian ur gay

I'd caught a few anime eps on TV a few times, stuff like Thunderbirds 2086 and Fist of the North Star, but I only really got into anime a couple of years ago after downloading Cowboy Bebop and Tri Gun with my 56k, and being won over completely.

Part of anime's appeal for me is that the animators are able to tell stories in a way that would be far too expensive or impractical for a live action series to attempt, in any genre you could want. Right now western animation seems to be stuck split between cartoons aimed at young children, or adult comedies with deliberately terrible animation.

Which I guess is part of the reason there's so much hate for it in the west. Dramatic animation seems to be generally considered here as something childish that you grow out of watching, intrinsically lacking in any real substance or meaning compared to live action drama. Plus it doesn't help that series like Pokémon and Sailor Moon are the limit of a lot of people's exposure, and the best of it often needs to be hunted down on the internet taking a bit of research to find. So to show any interest in Japanese animation implies to some that you're an immature nerd with an obsession with Japanese culture.

Also hentai really isn't helping anime's image any.

But me I'll take good TV wherever I can find it, and a lot of anime is good TV.

thanks ill cheq it out

about time.

I find most "westernized" anime just unbearable. That is to say, the stuff they show on TV here. For the most part they're diluted to the point of being unwatchable or the voice acting is just terrible and/ or annoying. There's only been a few that escaped that fate over the years (Cowboy Bebop being one of the more well known ones that managed to not lose its charm in translation).

I can't say that I like the voice acting in Death Note. It annoyed me enough to download the subbed versions instead (which were good). It was just so dry... At least in the three episodes I watched. I guess that's why you brits can put up with it ;)

It is a good series, but I'm far to fussy to get into anime the way others do. I like my artsy stuff moreso than just the regular anime.

Oh, and this pisses me off (and is one of but many reasons I refuse to watch Naruto):

Thank Fucking God for you MC. I refuse to watch an anime if it is dubbed in english. First...you lose 80% of what they are really saying due to cultural differences, adult content, or just plain trying to fit the words into their mouths...

The only dubbed anime I watch is the first anime I have ever watched because I associate that anime with the particular voice actors....AKA.. Ranma 1/2 and Slayers (I started watching these almost 10 years ago) At the same time...I have also watched them with the original Japaneses actors. But anything else I have to watch in Japanese....ANY movie made with any language other than English I have to watch in subtitles... Why waste your time with a movie that isn't actually saying what the actors are saying...Only lazy stupid people do that!

Dubs aren't always that bad. I tend to watch with subtitles on if I have the choice, but series like Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star and Excel Saga had excellent English voice acting.

nice effort post

Karas' voice acting was pretty badass, but then again Matthew Lillard is pretty cool.

Also, most of the "Disney Anime," aka Studio Ghibli flicks, are some of my favourites as far as voice talent goes. Saw most of them before Disney bought the publishing rights for North America... I have to say, I'm happy that Disney did this, since I can now get these videos without having to import :D

Most dubs are terrible, but some are absolutely briliant, even better than the original. Actually, the worst dub I've ever heard wasn't even an anime. It was Ong Bak. Unwatchable. Absolutely unwatchable.

tl;dr

a thousand times this :goofy:

"How Anime Changed My Life".

It made you realise your true sexuality. :fu:

:swords:

</3

After reading this four million lightyears-long thread, I decided to watch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Pretty interesting, that. I'm not much of an anime watcher myself, but I've enjoyed all that I've watched. Death Note's still my favorite... until after episode 25.

Hah.