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[NESpowerhouse]

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:

There is so much fucking ignorance in this post, it isn't even funny. For one thing, you are comparing two different shows with two completely different artstyles and tones that accompany them. Two, Mushishi is hardly a good depiction of modern anime as the first season came out all the back in 2004 (and was based on a manga that came out even earlier). Three, you chose two scenes with completely different lighting conditions and angles. If you actually bothered to watch Mushishi, you might actually learn that it in fact features some of the most rich and detailed backgrounds in anime, and the simplistic shading on thr characters is meant to compliment that. Lastly, you are comparing an OVA to a regular TV animation, of course the animation will probably look smoother at points. If you actually compare TV broadcasts from the different eras, you will find most of the ones from the 90s looking very simple and cheap compared to a lot of the stuff being produced today. Nowadays, thanks to digital technology, it is now possible to achieve visuals on par with those only reserved for movies and OVAs.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

There is so much fucking ignorance in this post, it isn't even funny. For one thing, you are comparing two different shows with two completely different artstyles and tones that accompany them. Two, Mushishi is hardly a good depiction of modern anime as the first season came out all the back in 2004 (and was based on a manga that came out even earlier). Three, you chose two scenes with completely different lighting conditions and angles. If you actually bothered to watch Mushishi, you might actually learn that it in fact features some of the most rich and detailed backgrounds in anime, and the simplistic shading on thr characters is meant to compliment that.

You're missing the argument of the 90s action lovers, that "everybody looked better back in my days here's a great scene from the 90s and an unrelated one from a modern one la la la la la la I can't hear you la la la la la la la"

 

[petran79]

I too grew tired of it. I feel as if I am watching inferior surrogates. Decided to cover the gap by watching some serious classics. I should have done this years ago instead of wasting my time with new shows.

Fortunately reading manga made me avoid even more bad TV adaptations. Eg Ranma manga has nudity not featured in the anime. 3x3 Eyes shits all over DBZ,yet only Blue Seed got a mediocre TV series instead. Black Jack and Astroboy manga are so much better than their TV versions. Zatch Bell manga is one of the best and funniest shonen.One reason now I only pick TV original plots mostly. Got tired of fanservice and harem,except the ones by Gainax/Trigger. Because all others tried to imitate them but failed.

I'll watch the whole 70s Space Battleship Yamato and OG/Zeta Gundam and thats it.I will not bother with anime for a long time, except ProjectD and occasional Trigger shows,the producers of which I trust.

Watching simultaneous series was never my way.Just complete series or focusing on just one show.

I dont watch American series either.None.

 

[Daingurse]

There's still a lot of good stuff out there, just have to dig down to find what appeals to you. There's so much content out there that doesn't appeal to me, it's not even funny lol. I was groomed on Toonami, so I still love and gravitate towards battle shonens and mecha shows.

You ever watch Hunter x Hunter 2011, man? I see you like shonen anime as well, and I think that show is the best of the best. It's my favorite anime series overall, beating out even DBZ for me (which is very significant for me!).

 

[Lucumo]

Lastly, you are comparing an OVA to a regular TV animation, of course the animation will probably look smoother at points. If you actually compare TV broadcasts from the different eras, you will find most of the ones from the 90s looking very simple and cheap compared to a lot of the stuff being produced today.

Both are TV series (heck, Rurouni Kenshin is even way longer), so in that regard, he was perfectly fine to post it.

 

[NESpowerhouse]

Both are TV series (heck, Rurouni Kenshin is even way longer), so in that regard, he was perfectly fine to post it.

There was a Rurouni Kenshin OVA in the late 90s. For some reason, I thought that particular gif may have been from that since it looks higher budget than what I've seen from the TV show. I'm probably wrong about that part though. However, my point still stands for everyone else cherry-picking gifs from high-budget movies and OVAs from the 80s and 90s where the VAST majority of anime coming out of that time period looked like crap.

 

[jstripes]

While the stuff that UY did eventually transformed into harem anime. UY is not a harem show.

I would say the REAL proto-harem show was Ranma 1/2.

Nah, Ranma 1/2 may contain elements that appear to be a harem show, thanks to his idiot father, but it was still a martial arts comedy at its core. To be a harem show the girls would have to constantly be in like every episode.

Tenchi Muyo is what we have to thank for the harem genre. Oh My Goddess as well, to a lesser degree.

 

[pizzaparty]

Erased is good. Watch Erased, OP.

 

[Tarextherex]

Check out Legend of the Galactic Heroes OP it is older but it has a lot of what you look for

Nah it ain't shit, barely a battle of wits after episode 26. Huge joke

The first post is accurate, you just stumbled on bad shows which are even more likely to be known due to how available anime is today. Just do better research yourself/get recs from people that know what you like/know about anime in general. Quick recs for you would be Monster and Hunter x Hunter(watch the 99 version first)

 

[KillLaCam]

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?

Seen em all. I liked Ergo Proxy until the end. Idk what was going on in the end. It's like they ran out of their budget and had to rush.

I have no problem watching bright a colorful stuff but I'd prefer not to.

Yeah 99% of the stuff on crunchyroll is top bright and colorful for what I'm looking for. But most of the stuff that comes out now seems too look like that. I've been looking for more new stuff with a muted color palette like Monster, Shigurui or Ergo Proxy. But pretty much anything with any action has to be looking like Fate or One Punch man colors Now. I like One Punch man though but that's not the type of thing I've been looking for

I actually think I've seen everything (good) like that

 

[mrjohill]

I'm sure people have mentioned it but my hero academy has a lot of the battle of wits stuff

 

[RedSwirl]

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.

This is another thing. The manga industry doesn't seem to have been hit with the same problems as other Japanese media like anime and video games (and apparently the Japanese music industry too). Maybe manga in Japan is just so mainstream and cheap that enough people still consume it for the industry to not be dependent on otaku dollars. Whatever the reason, I've honestly felt a little bit more into manga than anime for the last few years now. At the very least you can easily find a lot more variety in manga.

 

[HStallion]

I'm sure people have mentioned it but my hero academy has a lot of the battle of wits stuff

Also a horny baby

 

[Opto]

You can get all the good anime you watched growing up on Blu-ray now. No need to slog through what a season brings out.

 

[KillLaCam]

This is another thing. The manga industry doesn't seem to have been hit with the same problems as other Japanese media like anime and video games (and apparently the Japanese music industry too). Maybe manga in Japan is just so mainstream and cheap that enough people still consume it for the industry to not be dependent on otaku dollars. Whatever the reason, I've honestly felt a little bit more into manga than anime for the last few years now. At the very least you can easily find a lot more variety in manga.

This makes sense because I have no problem finding Manga that interests me. But I only find like 1 anime every 2 years

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

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:

Using Mushishi as an example of poor production values in anime is some high-tier nonsense.

 

[Fj0823]

There is so much fucking ignorance in this post, it isn't even funny. For one thing, you are comparing two different shows with two completely different artstyles and tones that accompany them. Two, Mushishi is hardly a good depiction of modern anime as the first season came out all the back in 2004 (and was based on a manga that came out even earlier). Three, you chose two scenes with completely different lighting conditions and angles. If you actually bothered to watch Mushishi, you might actually learn that it in fact features some of the most rich and detailed backgrounds in anime, and the simplistic shading on thr characters is meant to compliment that. Lastly, you are comparing an OVA to a regular TV animation, of course the animation will probably look smoother at points. If you actually compare TV broadcasts from the different eras, you will find most of the ones from the 90s looking very simple and cheap compared to a lot of the stuff being produced today. Nowadays, thanks to digital technology, it is now possible to achieve visuals on par with those only reserved for movies and OVAs.

Thank you.

 

[bishopcruz]

Nah, Ranma 1/2 may contain elements that appear to be a harem show, thanks to his idiot father, but it was still a martial arts comedy at its core. To be a harem show the girls would have to constantly be in like every episode.

Tenchi Muyo is what we have to thank for the harem genre. Oh My Goddess as well, to a lesser degree.

Hence why I said 'proto', he did have 3 main fiancees who were around more or less throughout the entire series, plus the occasional other one that would show up, the girls in the show were a huge draw, so much so that the VAs were turned into a pop group during the show. It's not there yet, but it is far closer than UY.

Of course I do agree that Tenchi was what really set the harem genre into motion. That specific template, a bunch of girls living with a guy, each one a particular trope, all wanting to get with the MC is still used regularly to this day. The OAV version of Tenchi is also probably still the purest example of a harem show in that there isn't a main girl who is the one true love, it really is all of them.

 

[Turin Turambar]

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:

If you are going to compare, compare gifs with gifs...

 

[Haly]

Anime was so good in the 90s.

 

[Turin Turambar]

Anime was so good in the 90s.

Look at that detailed matte painting! 90's are the best!

Spoiler

 

[KillLaCam]

If you are going to compare, compare gifs with gifs...

To be fair the character shading is still simple. But these 2 shouldn't even be compared artistically. Not sure why the other person chose to use this. I like how it looks but it's not because of the character details

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

To be fair the character shading is still simple. But these 2 shouldn't even be compared artistically. Not sure why the other person chose to use this. I like how it looks but it's not because of the character details

I can understand people having a preference for highly detailed or highly shaded character art; my only problem becomes when people imply that less detailed or shaded designs indicate laziness or a lack of skill on the part of animators. Character designs with fewer extraneous lines are ideal for animation, since they make it easier to actually animate characters rather than have them remain static. Mushishi in particular has a highly refined method of animation, overseen by one of the best animators in the industry, Yoshihiko Umakoshi. The show animates the otherworldly mushi on ones in order to contrast them with the human characters who animate on twos or threes. It's a very high-effort production.

 

[KillLaCam]

I can understand people having a preference for highly detailed or highly shaded character art; my only problem becomes when people imply that less detailed or shaded designs indicate laziness or a lack of skill on the part of animators. Character designs with fewer extraneous lines are ideal for animation, since they make it easier to actually animate characters rather than have them remain static. Mushishi in particular has a highly refined method of animation, overseen by one of the best animators in the industry, Yoshihiko Umakoshi. The show animates the otherworldly mushi on ones in order to contrast them with the human characters who animate on twos or threes. It's a very high-effort production.

Yeah I love how Mushi looks, it's just a nice thing too see in motion. I usually don't even like the more mellow feeling shows But I can easily appreciate this.

 

[Loptous]

The highlight in his hair isn't even animated properly.

 

[Jotaka]

Try this Made in Abyss

the production value is great.

Spoiler

PS: The be fooled by the design. it's dark as fuck

 

[HStallion]

You might enjoy Blame on Netflix as well OP though its CG stuff so you might not.

 

[Exploratory]

OP have you ever seen any of Satoshi Kon's films? If not, check out Millennium Actress and Perfect Blue.

I'm starting a list and I'm going to go down it soon. I'll add this thanks!

Hey OP check this shit out, and also:

I would recommend Log Horizon if you're interested in an exploration of the details of living in an MMO world. There are some harem aspects and the production values are below Sword Art Online, but it's a much, much better show.



On the sport side, try out Haikyu!!, which has such amazing animation and a solid shonen sports tale. It's currently on its third season.



Okay, on the serious side of things, but recent? Here's a few shows to try. For mecha, try Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Gundam Unicorn, or Aldnoah Zero. The Heroic Legend of Arslan is a great fantasy action show. Fate Stay Night's Unlimited Blade Works line is only three years old at this point.

I'd say try some of those out and see if anything catches your eye.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have seen Unicorn and half of Iron Blooded Orphans.

DB Super is produced weekly with plots made specifically for the show and will likely run until the end of time.

The animation quality is inherent to that production style.

Super is like a microcosm of the things I don't like about modern day anime but to be fair I'm still super early.

OP, I know it's old, but if you want a good action show you should try Outlaw Star.

I also recommend:
My Hero Academia - if you enjoy shounen tropes you will enjoy this even though it has some comedy.

Voltron: Legendary Defender - it's not anime (just looks like it), but it's great fun. Netflix exclusive.

And I also back up the Hunter x Hunter posts. Maybe try out a different genre or two to see if you find a new favorite show? Shounen gets same-y after a while like all genres do and you might just need a break from it.

Yeah you know the reason I haven't watched Hunter x Hunter is because of the art style. I didn't mention that in the OP but that's probably my biggest indicator if I'll watch something. I prefer a very...I guess traditional art style. Code Geass was me stepping out of that comfort zone hard and it was worth it so I'll give this a shot.

I want that 80's/90's anime aesthetic back.

-boop-

The style was different, not just the effort put into the backgrounds, characters and shading. Some modern day anime looks good, too, but it's missing that charm.

Hell, I miss 80's/90's cinema too. Something about that era's media, man.

Can't agree on the cinema comment but on the anime side I absolutely agree. I guess it just isn't cost effective anymore.

Also if it's CG I don't watch it period. It just looks terrible to me. I know there's some really good anime CGI but inevitably I see a scene that doesn't look good and then another comes and I'm just out at that point.

 

[True Fire]

I stopped watching anime in 2012, and it only took me a few weeks to catch up on everything worth watching in the past 5 years lol

 

[QuantumZebra]

just like every thread before this, you are watching the cream of the crop when you were watching Toonami. Now that anime is more readily available you are also seeing all of the horrible trash that also gets aired and is now getting immediately subbed for a western audience.

Instead of focusing on anime alone, we should appreciate we now have Netflix making animated shows with korean and western studios. They have Voltron and now Castlevania which the untrained eye will likely immediately assume is anime.

And then there is Avatar and Korra.

The point is, you were watching a very limited sample size of top tier shows in Toonami and possibly Adult Swim. Once those come slower, you are now seeing a few other shows that dont' keep up the quality the whole way through. Maybe try opening your taste up a bit. I'd recommend getting some recommendations from AnimeGAF if you want some shows. Come to the community thread and list shows you want based on what you've liked.

Legend of Korra is my favorite show of all time (ATLA great too). I don't watch anime though.

Broaden your horizons OP.

 

[Htown]

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.

Nope, first season sucks too.

Isn't "The Red Nosed Reindeer" the episode that gives us a giant evil-looking Santa, but the fight with it happens off-screen? The same episode that had Kirito's dumbass guild getting killed because they don't know that empty rooms with treasure chests sometimes have ambushes in video games? The one that introduces an item that can revive a character in this die-in-the-game-die-in-real-life story, which is never actually used?

And Asuna is a good character only by comparison to the absolute trash that is the rest of the cast.

 

[caliph95]

Anime was so good in the 90s.

I agree

 

[Haly]

Gundam then:

Gundam now:

Where did we go wrong?

 

[veloxStrix]

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.

From this season of anime

Stop watching bad anime.

Is what I want to say, but you have an image of Mushishi which has some of the greatest dramatic storytelling in any medium, compared to Rurouni Kenshin which is an action anime. I get what you are saying anyways but that's a poor, misleading example.

I only partake in anime of the 80s, myself.

 

[Just_myles]

Anime peaked here:

Personally, for me, the 90s was the peak. I had a hard time following anything in the 00s. Of course I still watch anime but, my heart will always be in the 90s.

 

[Theonik]

Mushishi is such a weird example for a 'new anime looks like shit' argument. lol

 

[Whitephantomzx]

Another vote for Hunter X Hunter

 

[Haly]

Personally, for me, the 90s was the peak. I had a hard time following anything in the 00s. Of course I still watch anime but, my heart will always be in the 90s.

 

[NeonZ]

Ranma is 10xs better than Urusei......

fite me on Treasure mountain

I could see that opinion if you're going with manga vs manga, but anime-wise Urusei Yatsura easily takes it.

The Ranma adaptation is competent, but it adds nothing to the series. The directing is mostly mediocre, and after a while, around midway through the 4th season, it actively detracts from the original material due to the very stale anime original stories, like one shot martial artists with fake techniques that are just tricks (even though the manga had already introduced real special attacks...) or the overuse of Happosai, who's a very one note character. It's also probably a good thing it didn't get to the battle arcs, since the directing in the "From the Depths of Despair" two parter was really odd, with the explosions lacking any sense of scale.

Meanwhile, UY's anime more often than not raises the original material. Episodes like "And Then There was Nobody!?", "Great Vault! Courageous Survival!!", "Deathmatch! Ataru VS Mendo Brigade!!" and "Different Dimension Switch - Where is Darling!?" are very memorable and completely anime original. Just look at how each show ended - Ranma had a manga adaptation of an important chapter, but doing nothing with it to set it up as the ending of the show. Meanwhile, Urusei Yatsura, although also ending with an adaptation of a random irrelevant chapter, added many scenes to dress it up as a finale, including

Spoiler

Ataru kissing Lum willingly for the first time, something that never even happens in the manga at any point

.

 

[Savitar]

There's still a lot of good stuff out there, just have to dig down to find what appeals to you. There's so much content out there that doesn't appeal to me, it's not even funny lol. I was groomed on Toonami, so I still love and gravitate towards battle shonens and mecha shows.

You ever watch Hunter x Hunter 2011, man? I see you like shonen anime as well, and I think that show is the best of the best. It's my favorite anime series overall, beating out even DBZ for me (which is very significant for me!).

Everything in this picture is the problem with anime today.

 

[Zolo]

Hunter X Hunter's kinda cheating considering it started as a 90s manga.

Not mentioned as much, but you also have JoJo which was an 80s manga.

 

[HStallion]

Everything in this picture is the problem with anime today.

That's funny as the series is well over a decade old and had an original adaptation that started in the late 90's

 

[Zolo]

Everything in this picture is the problem with anime today.

I thought that was Berserk.

 

[Haly]

Hunter X Hunter's kinda cheating considering it started as a 90s manga.

Not mentioned as much, but you also have JoJo which was an 80s manga.

^ The face that killed anime

 

[veloxStrix]

Everything in this picture is the problem with anime today.

Hunter X Hunter's kinda cheating considering it started as a 90s manga.

 

[jstripes]

Hence why I said 'proto', he did have 3 main fiancees who were around more or less throughout the entire series, plus the occasional other one that would show up, the girls in the show were a huge draw, so much so that the VAs were turned into a pop group during the show. It's not there yet, but it is far closer than UY.

Of course I do agree that Tenchi was what really set the harem genre into motion. That specific template, a bunch of girls living with a guy, each one a particular trope, all wanting to get with the MC is still used regularly to this day. The OAV version of Tenchi is also probably still the purest example of a harem show in that there isn't a main girl who is the one true love, it really is all of them.

In that way Ranma 1/2 is sort of "proto", but unintentionally. One of the qualifiers for a harem show is the creator communicating to the audience "what a lucky guy", even when the guy doesn't appreciate it. Rumiko Takahashi never implies Ranma is lucky. His father's arranged marriages for him are nothing but a major inconvenience at every turn. (Of course, it helps that it's a woman who created it. No projection going on.)

But ya, like with Evangelion, the fans took the wrong message from the show.

 

[RedHoodedOwl]

Nope, first season sucks too.

Isn't "The Red Nosed Reindeer" the episode that gives us a giant evil-looking Santa, but the fight with it happens off-screen? The same episode that had Kirito's dumbass guild getting killed because they don't know that empty rooms with treasure chests sometimes have ambushes in video games? The one that introduces an item that can revive a character in this die-in-the-game-die-in-real-life story, which is never actually used?

And Asuna is a good character only by comparison to the absolute trash that is the rest of the cast.

Are there any female character in SAO who isn't obsess with Kirito?

 

[Ascheroth]

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 ?

wow why new animes never look this good

 

[necrosis]

i mean...are you only watching shonen?

 

[PaulExcellent]

^ The face that killed anime

Part 7 was a mistake.