Last week, Yumeka and Froggykun discussed of about liking bad anime, which got me thinking: What makes a bad show? Last year, I shared my thoughts on what makes a good Anime. However, the other side of the quality scale is a bit more controversial. (Image Source)
To me, I usually view everything in a lenient manner. I believe that every show has its flaws that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable As a result, I don’t rate things harshly compared to other people who give out mostly bad scores and grades unless I didn’t like it.
People have different views on what makes a bad show because people have different tastes and reviews are highly subjective. However, there are different kinds of “bad” in my opinion than just “bad.” Here are the various kinds of bad that I recognize:
- Flawed – Flawed Anime in my opinion is a show, which one or more areas have problems. This can consist of story, setting, the animation, characters, etc. that had the potential, but never got realized. A good example of this is Angel Beats, which I rated a C because off it’s pacing issues and the questionable singing from Girls Dead Monster. However, it’s not bad enough to deter my enjoyment, as the melodrama was good. In comparison, the Second Season of Nogizaka Haruka and the specials had a lot of flaws that made the show boring and annoying to watch. From this, flawed shows aren’t necessarily good or bad, but depend mostly on how the viewer conveys it. Because of this, I feel that it’s rare to view a show completely flawless.
- Not my Taste – I admit that not everyone has the same tastes, thus they view a show in a certain genre bad. One of the well-known and controversial examples of this is a shouen and mecha fan hating moe shows because they think that it’s killing Mecha/Action anime. Ironically, this is a narrow view considering that these types of shows still exist, However, disliking a show because it doesn’t fit their taste is understandable considering that people enjoy things that they like
- So Bad it’s Good – This is a weird spectrum of bad where the show has a terribly executed story, terrible acting, horrible special effects, etc., but somehow becomes an enjoyable experience for the wrong reasons. Some shows that have this quality is the infamous Mars of Destruction and Boku no Pico. Both shows have a bad score, but somehow people still like. Another example of this is the first episode of Haruhi, which parodied a terribly made film, but still enjoyable mainly because of Mikuru.
- So Bad it’s Horrible – This is the highest spectrum of badness which a show doesn’t have any redeeming qualities whatsoever. I haven’t watch any show that is absolutely terrible, so I won’t list any.
Liking Bad Anime
In my opinion, I don’t see why liking bad Anime should bother anyone considering that opinions are subjective. Sure, there will always be people criticizing a person about their bad taste for Anime because they like X show, which he/she doesn’t like. However, berating people who are talking about a particular show they like is bad for the fandom in my opinion. I have seen this with Sword Art Online and Guilty Crown, which are considered the most controversial shows in the fandom because of its polarity factor. Because of this reason, people are afraid to discuss about these shows in a serious manner without facing harsh criticism. Because of this, I feel that people should respect others’ opinions rather than berating fans of a particular show.
The Big Question: Is Anime Getting Worse?
This question has been asked numerous times and I think answering it here will be perfect. In an editorial written by Marow from Anime Viking, he argues that Anime is not getting worse and people just lack perspective. I agree with him because trends change over time. Sure, most fans in the west seem to enjoy older shows because it matched the tastes of western audience such as action and violence. On the other hand, people have to realize that Anime is made for a Japanese audience and you can’t necessarily judge a show properly until it finishes. If one says that today’s Anime sucks and refuse to watch any, they will be missing out shows like Madoka, Steins;Gate, Bakamonogatari, etc, which have interesting plot and drama.
The bottom line is that people need to have an open mind when watching Anime. Sure, there will be a good number of very flawed Anime in a given season, but it doesn’t mean that there won’t be any good ones. If one has that mindset, they will miss out on the good stuff.
So here are some questions to discuss about: Do you think it’s okay to like flawed Anime? Also, do you belive that Anime is getting worse or they just lack perspective? Feel free to share your thoughts about bad Anime and some that you may like.
Anime may not be getting “worse” overall but it’s certainly changing for a modern audience. When people grow up from a childish hobby then often struggle to realize that a new wave of children will be catered-to and they will be left behind.
That said, anime is wonderful because it still does cater to the adults among us. It always has, you just have to be willing to slog through the repetitive stuff that’s cheaply made for a younger audience, and be willing to accept the reality that a lot of what appealed to you WAS that repetitive stuff (you were just too young and inexperienced to realize it at the time, and now nostalgia blinds you).
What some people are worried about is that anime geared towards adults may not be made as frequently (or be of the same caliber) as previous generations. Whether that’s true is up to you to find out for yourself, though. I’m living in a bubble precisely so I don’t shatter any illusions that they’re just as good as it once seemed, because I want to believe.
Finally, there is a case to be made here (much like video games and movies) that with the advent of cheaper techniques to animate nicer-looking anime, and the pressure to deliver it more frequently, anime are becoming a bit more superficial and repetitive overall. It’s impossible to dismiss either side of the argument, that “anime look better now!” and “anime had better stories then!” because both have a kernel of truth as anime have become more commercialized than ever before.
I admit that most Anime I watch has a good amount of similarities such as characters having the same archetype and taking place at school. Maybe it’s an advancement in technology as Anime is now more reliant on computer generated graphics, although concept art is still drawn. As a result, it’s easier to pump shows out quickly, which in turn quality suffers. I feel that Video Games are like this too, especially with mobile gaming as anyone can download developer tools and build their own game. Of course, this means that mobile games don’t have much quality compared to console games like Idolmaster 2 which require a bigger budget to get in the songs, motion capturing, programmers, etc. But at the end of the day, we should take value in Sturgeon’s Law that 90% of stuff isn’t good and have an open mind. While Anime is easier to make and target a certain audience doesn’t mean that there aren’t any deep Anime. As some of the examples I mention, there are still some Anime that has a deep story. However, certain genres targeted to the young audience will overshadow it.
As I said in my comment on Yumeka’s post, I have no problems with people liking anime that I deem “bad.” Really, we all should have the freedom to choose our favorites. However, what gets on my nerves personally is when people start labeling these shows as masterpieces without taking a solid, critical stance on them, and silencing anyone that challenges that opinion. There’s a fine line between being subjective and just plain ignorant.
As for the question, “is anime getting getting worse?”, I’d say that yes, it is , in a sense. I believe that the main negative aspect about the modern anime industry is that, like how the Western gaming industry thinks that everything has to be like Call of Duty and that it’s the perfect formula for a video game, anime is suffering from Japan’s view of everything having ride on the moe train. I love cuteness, anime filled with cute girls, but even I can see that such things in recent times have kept shows which try to stand out with their own style and do something unique at a minimum. Variety in style, in my opinion, is a very good thing, and bandwagoning in media is always something I’m going to scoff at because it prevents progression and variety of options in what you watch/read/play.
I agree that it’s silly to deem a show a masterpiece and then berate people for not liking it without a stance. It’s just as bad as people who hate it berate people who likes it…
On the other hand, the reason I don’t think Anime is getting worse is for the fact that I believe that not everything is necessarily good. Of course, pumping a lot of First Person Shooters just because you can make a lot of money from it because that genre is popular doesn’t mean its good. People will eventually get tired of it. Of course, making shows with cute girls is the same thing like making First Person Shooters too and eventually, its going to get old. It’s like fast food of Anime. While I enjoy shows with cute girls, it needs some kind of substance in the end such as an interesting premise, drama or something special. While K-ON was okay, shows like Clannad, Nanoha, Madoka is more groundbreaking as they don’t rely completely on cuteness, but the underlining plot. Since I watched so many shows with a weak minded male lead and a bunch of cute girls in high school, I think any kind of variety is good.
Looks like this has been a popular topic lately!
Yeah, I think a lot of it comes down to perception and whether you’re an optimistic or a pessimistic person. I tend to be more lenient when I’m judging things, so I don’t get caught up in thinking that anime is getting worse or this particular anime I’m watching is terrible. But I can fully accept if someone else thinks that way and if I were a more critical person, I’d probably think anime is getting worse too. To each his own.
“To each his own” has to be one of the worst ways to end a view or argument with. It’s like saying “it’s this but whatever I don’t care.”
Haha I actually didn’t mean it like that but I’ll keep in mind how that phrase comes across for next time.
It’s more like the saying, “How I learn to stop worrying and love Anime.” But overall, complaining about the state of Anime isn’t going to make things better. This is why I don’t complain about it and move on, unless the horribleness is worth mentioning.
Anime had indeed changed over the years. You listed down Madoka, Steins;Gate and Bakamonogatari, which are definitely in my opinion, one of the newer masterpieces. Compared that to the older anime which fans regarded as masterpieces, and you can easily notice the obvious difference between them, especially the vibe they give off. Even though a majority of fans love the new masterpieces, there’s no avoiding it that there are definitely a few among the many who dislike them. But as said in the post, I too, think it’s important to have an open mind when watching anime, be mindful and accept any kinds of genre, and only comment or criticize it after finishing them.
It’s obvious that people will have different opinions on what is a masterpiece. The point being is that Anime today is not the same to ones in the 90s or 80s as trends changed along with technological advancements, which made animation easier. But on the other hand, I agree that one has to complete a show in order to see if it’s actually good or not. It’s silly how people rate the show badly when it’s still airing on MyAnimeList. Then again, it’s a good idea to accept different kinds of genres since eventually, one is pretty much seeing the same thing over and over again. I’m steeping out of the box little by little, but eventually it will be worth it in the end.
I wouldn’t say it has gotten worst.
I guess the society has changed a little, so the anime kinda drifts towards what is popular.
If you watched the older anime and watched the new ones, you might have the tendency of comparing them, and hence the good or bad.
I would say it hasn’t change much in terms of quality, just the view of what is “good” has changed.