-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Has anime changed or have I changed? (Slight spoilers)
- Thread starter Exploratory
- Start date
andythinkpad
Member
Anime peaked in the 90s. Every show you love, you can find a superior show in the 90s.
I think its an art style thing for me now. It seems like most shows now have to have some degree of cuteness in them . Like I'm sure many of them have interesting stories but pretty much everything is too colorful and cheerful looking for me. After maybe things that came out in 2006 I haven't seen anything that looks nice to me
Shigurui is 2007.
Shigurui is 2007.
Hmmmm. I was a year off then haha. Thanks for the correction. But its 100% the newest thing that i've liked visually. I saw it in 2014 though
BudokaiMR2
Member
Have you seen Redline? That's one of the most visually impressive things I gave seen in a while. It was 2010 I think?
Yep, agree completely.
The way they did shading was indeed very different back then. You also have to account for the shift from cel to digital. However, you still can't deny there was more money in anime back then.
The high-detail expensive stuff of today though definitely shows off animation that probably wouldn't have been possible in the 80's or 90's. I'm talking a bout stuff like Redline, Sword of the Stranger, and maybe Hosoda's movies. There's this one other drama anime that came out within the last few years with incredibly realistic-looking animation and backgrounds but I can't remember what it's called. Stuff like that is proof the medium is still advancing, there are just new challenges facing it today.
Woah no. I just looked up a trailer, it looks good . THANK YOU!!
Chocolate & Vanilla
Fuck Strawberry
Haikyuu is the best modern anime. Objectively. No arguments about opinions being subjective and all that bollocks because this is not opinion but fact so there.
PaulExcellent
Member
Both. You have changed, and the anime industry as a whole has too.
But there's an easy way to solve all these problems, OP. Like, mad simple.
Could you do me a favor, go to whatever site you use to consume anime, and on the search bar, go ahead and type the following:
JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE
That'll get you exactly what you're looking for. And remember! Even Speedwagon is afraid.
But there's an easy way to solve all these problems, OP. Like, mad simple.
Could you do me a favor, go to whatever site you use to consume anime, and on the search bar, go ahead and type the following:
JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE
That'll get you exactly what you're looking for. And remember! Even Speedwagon is afraid.
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
JoJo scratches the itch 100% for me, especially because I'd never seen it before when the anime started getting released. It's new, but it's old. Just what I wanted, haha
And it will most likely stay that way for a while, 'cause that took 7 years to make.
Get on Iron-blooded orphans.
Or better yet, Space Brothers. It's not action, but if you're a space fan...
It's one of these shows that is amazing for three episodes and then falls off a fucking cliff.
As a fan of mind games and mecha, though, first 3 episodes were amazing.
Or better yet, Space Brothers. It's not action, but if you're a space fan...
It's one of these shows that is amazing for three episodes and then falls off a fucking cliff.
As a fan of mind games and mecha, though, first 3 episodes were amazing.
PaulExcellent
Member
Once you raise your flag you never go back.
The 90's Hunter x Hunter is vastly inferior to the 2011 version.
I was avoiding it because I've heard it wasn't great but when I watched it it wasn't all that bad. The main issue was that it was a little bit silly comparing to the first season.
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
That was a sweeping generalisation that deserves no response tbh.
You mean this one (movie)?
Good animation can be done these days but as others have said, the style changed which is unfortunate (and shading used to be a lot better).
I'm not a fan of the character style to be honest and in this .gif, they totally look out of place/disconnected from the background (not that I'm a fan of those walls and stairs anyway). Looking at the ones above, I also dislike the third image while liking the first one the most.
OP you need to look beyond Toonami and action anime to find more quality stuff worthy of your time.
It successfully managed to establish a world and transport me into it like no other.
But yeah, anime in general is on a decline. It may be a while before the next Monster, Haibane Renmei, Kino's Journey or Mushishi... but every once in a while you get something like One Punch Man, Usagi Drop and Wolf Children so there's still some hope I guess.
And no, it aint't a nostalgia thing. Film, music, videogames and tv shows in general are better than ever. I even did a quick check of the last 5 GAF Anime Awards and it's dreadful except for very few titles. Decided to google random years like 2002, 2003 and 2004 to see what they had to offer, and while each year is brimming with the usual throwaway titles, the difference in quality between then and now is very clear.
Aesthetically, GiTS is still unbeaten in my book, and no scene cements that fact more than this scene.I want that 80's/90's anime aesthetic back.
It successfully managed to establish a world and transport me into it like no other.
But yeah, anime in general is on a decline. It may be a while before the next Monster, Haibane Renmei, Kino's Journey or Mushishi... but every once in a while you get something like One Punch Man, Usagi Drop and Wolf Children so there's still some hope I guess.
And no, it aint't a nostalgia thing. Film, music, videogames and tv shows in general are better than ever. I even did a quick check of the last 5 GAF Anime Awards and it's dreadful except for very few titles. Decided to google random years like 2002, 2003 and 2004 to see what they had to offer, and while each year is brimming with the usual throwaway titles, the difference in quality between then and now is very clear.
Visually, anime was probably at its peak during the 90s. Characters seemed to have a lot more detail and were shaded a whole lot better than anime nowadays. Current anime have this annoying, simplistic, fat faced, flat look to them.
I mean, compare this:
to this:
I mean, compare this:
to this:
Legend of Aims
Member
I say just watch more old stuff like Vandread stage 1&2, Trigun, Gungrave, 12 Kingdoms, S-cry-ed, Tenchi Muyo, Escaflowne, Magical shopping arcade abenobashi, Great teacher Onizuka.
sigh
https://sakugabooru.com/data/728731149797a6fcc254e30397d79265.mp4
https://sakugabooru.com/data/51977d1d4864712d7f17ec404d8a2db9.mp4
https://sakugabooru.com/data/bf24364baea7796ea9c53f6988dada53.mp4
https://sakugabooru.com/data/5300689b8cccad49c352a9dbadafa530.mp4
Why can't anime look this good again ?
https://sakugabooru.com/data/51977d1d4864712d7f17ec404d8a2db9.mp4
https://sakugabooru.com/data/bf24364baea7796ea9c53f6988dada53.mp4
https://sakugabooru.com/data/5300689b8cccad49c352a9dbadafa530.mp4
Why can't anime look this good again ?
Visually, anime was probably at its peak during the 90s. Characters seemed to have a lot more detail and were shaded a whole lot better than anime nowadays. Current anime have this annoying, simplistic, fat faced, flat look to them.
I mean, compare this:
to this:
External dynamic light source vs static light source. I see what you are saying but let's not kid ourselves, the same static lighting was being used most of the time.
I will forever defend the first season of SAO. I thought it was great, and had a few amazing eps like "The Red Nosed Reindeer", and Asuna beind a strong and capable female character.
The second season took a turn for the worst though, certainly.
More recently, in a "similar"vein, I thought RE: Zero was quite good.
The second season took a turn for the worst though, certainly.
More recently, in a "similar"vein, I thought RE: Zero was quite good.
What's your problem, homedawg?
Regarding One Man Punch not taking itself seriously, isn't that the point? I've only watched a few anime's but the show seems to be parodying cliches present in mainstream anime. The irony is that the show did an excellent job of executing it's parody's in a way that felt so damned cool, as if to say that the problems lay not with these cliches, but the failed attempt to execute them. This is just my take and I'd love to hear feedback on this.
Dictator93
Member
Aside from what the poster 2 posts above me pointed out, the idea that a visual peak was achieved in the 90s that hasn't been surpassed is laughable at best.
Monster
Ergo Proxy (although I personally hated this anime but others stand by it)
Paranoia Agent
Gankutsuou
Haibana Renmei
Black Lagoon
RahXephon
I guess it depends on what you believe to be super bright colorful. The average shounen/harem anime to you all over crunchyroll?
I'll say it again if you want to see one of the most visually impressive animes in a long time with a hell of a lot of heart and a great cast then watch Mob Psycho 100. The fights are insane as well and the show is great at subverting your expectations.
Actually, I didn't mean to use a gif that had dynamic lighting (or any actual animation at all), I just thought it looked nice.I think the point still stands if it was just a still image.
Theonik
Member
Funny, good characters, good music, looks great later down the line too. It's also basically the proto-harem. Rumiko takahashi would come back to the concept with Ranma 1/2 and Maison Ikkoku afterwards.
RedHoodedOwl
Member
It's so irritating when people label Rahxephon as an Eva clone.
I'll say it again if you want to see one of the most visually impressive animes in a long time with a hell of a lot of heart and a great cast then watch Mob Psycho 100. The fights are insane as well and the show is great at subverting your expectations.
Normally I dislike this type of animation because it distorts the character design (the infamous naruto scene, I don't watch that anime though) but this isn't the case for Mob Psycho 100 since the characters are designed that way that you can easily distort them with them still having the same look.
Well to dismiss and not watch it for this reason is dumb yes but I do recall Izubuchi saying he did want to make his own Eva.
To be honest only until a few years ago I was in the same boat as the OP, thought anime had declined significantly and couldn't find something that appealed to me. Then bam I got into Shirokuma Cafe and realised I was being a tad hyperbolic. After that I was digging around for other shows and there was just a huge abundance of good stuff that I couldn't turn my back on a lot of the quality productions coming out from Japan. If you're looking for one specific genre though, yeah you'll be out of luck just like if I wanted a good live action science fiction show for English speakers from the UK/US I'll quickly extinguish my modern options relatively quick.
My modern day anime can't possibly look thiscute good!
Lupin 2015
My Hero Academia
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4
Tiger Mask W
My modern day anime can't possibly look this
Lupin 2015
My Hero Academia
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4
Tiger Mask W
RedHoodedOwl
Member
Well to dismiss and not watch it for this reason is dumb yes but I do recall Izubuchi saying he did want to make his own Eva.
While, there are similarities between the two titles, Rahxephon isn't a copy of Evangelion.
Novel Mike
Member
Haven't read through the whole reason but if I might suggest something for the OP...
Look into Manga. Manga in most cases has far more effort put into it then the average anime and many anime based off of a manga end up being drastically different, look at Full Metal Alchemist and FMA Brotherhood as the best example, the original uses a lot of the manga's biggest scenes for the first half but after that it goes in a completely different direction then that. To have a true to the manga version Brotherhood was created, its not perfect but its certainly the best way to get the real story.
Then you have something like Eyeshield 21 which I just found the general art in the anime really bad most of the time and it varied constantly so instead I read the manga and was completely engrossed in it.
Then with shows like Naruto/Bleach you don't have to deal with the insane filler arcs that absolutely ruin the shows.
Then you have tons of manga that never even get an anime or if they do it covers the first arc and never goes beyond that.
Thats not to say all modern anime is bad, hell My Hero Academia is absolutely amazing, I started that and watched everything the anime is up to currently then read the manga up to where its currently at and even then I still want to see it animated because it does generally look really good and true to the manga which so few anime actually accomplish now. Back to the point though, I was in a similar position once, I had watched tons of anime and the modern animes just seemed really lazy to me so I started reading manga and there are so many interesting stories that never even get close to actually being turned into an anime.
Look into Manga. Manga in most cases has far more effort put into it then the average anime and many anime based off of a manga end up being drastically different, look at Full Metal Alchemist and FMA Brotherhood as the best example, the original uses a lot of the manga's biggest scenes for the first half but after that it goes in a completely different direction then that. To have a true to the manga version Brotherhood was created, its not perfect but its certainly the best way to get the real story.
Then you have something like Eyeshield 21 which I just found the general art in the anime really bad most of the time and it varied constantly so instead I read the manga and was completely engrossed in it.
Then with shows like Naruto/Bleach you don't have to deal with the insane filler arcs that absolutely ruin the shows.
Then you have tons of manga that never even get an anime or if they do it covers the first arc and never goes beyond that.
Thats not to say all modern anime is bad, hell My Hero Academia is absolutely amazing, I started that and watched everything the anime is up to currently then read the manga up to where its currently at and even then I still want to see it animated because it does generally look really good and true to the manga which so few anime actually accomplish now. Back to the point though, I was in a similar position once, I had watched tons of anime and the modern animes just seemed really lazy to me so I started reading manga and there are so many interesting stories that never even get close to actually being turned into an anime.
Agreed.
I was, in fact, *contrasting* GitS and Akira to MLP, which was (admittedly) a mild exaggeration based on the rise of Flash animation worldwide.
You don't like OnePunch Man? It's over. Your love of anime has flatlined.
bishopcruz
Member
I like Ranma a lot, but Takahashi rips herself off on that one. I mean Ranma and Genma are basically reskins of Ryunosuke and her father. It's not even subtle.
And true words... Maison Ikkoku is still her best overall work over 30 years later.
And while we're showing off new stuff that doesn't suck, amazed no one has mentioned Ufotable's stuff:
