MovieChat Forums > Kiru ra kiru: KILL la KILL (2015) Discussion > What has happened to Anime!?

What has happened to Anime!?

posted 10 years ago by Hensmon
27 replies | jump to latest

I have been looking for new quality Anime these past few months, as I have been re-watching many old classics and exhausting most of them by now. I figure a search online (forums/yahoo/google/blogs) to get the low down on the exciting and innovative new anime on the scene would turn up some good results...oh how wrong I was.

I feel obliged to use Kill La Kill as the focus of my point, as it is the one new anime I have seen the most (3 episodes) and also is the most diversely/frequently mentioned new anime on the web right now, with many people talking about it as "one of the current best".

I am in awe at how low the standards have dropped over the last 10 years, if THIS is the sh*t that getting mentions and praise. A childish, formulaic and downright painful to watch, slab of detritus that has little to no redeeming quality whatsoever. After looking with more depth, I discover that there is an abundance of this creative-less, schoolboy anime awash through Crunchyroll and other anime promoting sites.

What has happened? Did anime reach its commercial peak (both western/eastern markets) and collapse in terms of quality. What happened to the adult themes, complex stories, deep values and character development, dark/unique styles and fleshed out worlds? The modern Animes provide no real thought, analysis or value. Children seem to be dominating the modern anime market, but there is surely demand for more respectable and adult Animes. I refuse to believe there isn't. It reminds me of the current electronic music scene - filled with quality and creativity in its birth and development in the 90's and now saturated with cheesey and superficial sh*te, that has millions of idiots screaming unjustified praise.

The only new anime I have truly respected this year was 'Attack on Titan'. It has a few issues, but for a teenage marketed anime it provides a great story, some nice characters, interesting animation and great environment to draw from. I really enjoyed it actually, but this sits far ahead of 95% of Anime I've come across today, and far behind the greats gone before it.

I would like to add that some of the best anime created has had young teenagers as they're target audience and still been sensational, (full metal alchemist being one of them) but it seems now all people want are battles which are drawn out over 5 episodes where the characters discuss in obvious detail how they will deploy thier next move.

This is depressing, someone please prove me wrong.

[–] shadowofanandrid 10 years ago

This is depressing, someone please prove me wrong.

I largely agree with your observations, but I also feel like you are completely missing the point of Kill La Kill. It is pure parody and imho is a really smart tongue-in-cheek response to the very generic stagnation that you are opposed to.

As someone who also absolutely adores Attack On Titan, I can honestly tell you there are several key areas in which Kill La Kill is significantly better. The pacing is alot smoother with little-to-no filler, which is why it seems strange to me that you would say Titan is a better show then immediately say how sick you are of battles which are drawn out over 5 episodes. I mean one of the running jokes in Kill La Kill is the over top amount of fights the main character Ryuko has in a single episode.

Watch a few more episodes, you might change your mind.

Also check out Jormungand if you haven't already. Completely different style of show(More of a dark, brooding melding together of that Nic Cage *shudders* movie Lord Of War and the non sci-fi elements of Ghost In The Shell: SAC) but had me hooked within the first episodes.

[–] Hensmon 10 years ago

I guess Kill La Kill could be a bad example in the sense its very parody orientated. Still...my initial reasoning for posting on this board was due to the large amount of praise it was receiving, parody or not. I agree about Attack on Titan...the pacing was awful at times.

Thanks for the suggestion of Jormungand. Once I finish re-watching Berserk, I'll be sure to check it out...

[–] Lyitc 9 years ago

This.

[–] acid_rogue 10 years ago

So are you aware the anime comes in different genres? Don't watch a shonen deconstruction series if that's not what you're after, and don't try to claim that it's worse than similar popular shows in the mid-to-late 90s.

You're not wrong; you're just barking up the wrong tree.

-------------------------------
Listen to Iced Earth and play Doom

[–] nyyankees8989 10 years ago

I was actually hooked on the first episode (not entirely though). Thought I finally found an anime actually worth watching. I was pumped as hell during the first 18 min and then came the sexual comedy. That damn suit as well. Watched the second episode and I decided to just bin this anime. Can't we have a cool anime without all this *beep* perverted garbage thrown at us? I've lost faith in anime today. Cliche, childish, bubbly garbage is what it has turned into.

[–] GasmaskAvenger 10 years ago

Can't we have a cool anime without all this *beep* perverted garbage thrown at us? I've lost faith in anime today.

I guess you didn't pay attention to the subtitles, since Ryuko herself shows disgust towards the same "perverted garbage" your complaining about. It's one thing to get mad at something but it's another to do so in spite of the series in question is aware of it's own levels of ridiculous.

"What's the ugliest part of your body? I think it's your mind."

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] kuribo4 10 years ago

Exactly, this.

[–] Rebuh_The_Blackfish 10 years ago

Okay, so you'll have to keep watching, but your opinion on this "perverted garbage" is entirely invalid if you haven't watched more than one episode. There are thematics behind the gendered clothing, just give it more of a chance and perhaps you'll see.

Jaime Lannister sends his perspective...

http://tinyurl.com/Jonsnowface

[–] nocakeforyou 10 years ago

I think you should give Attack on Titan a go. That show is amazing.

[–] solid_degree 10 years ago

You say prove me wrong. Don't watch dude, LOL. Is it that hard. You came on a Kill la Kill message board either to troll of because or sour grapes. I love Kill La Kill, if you don't, oh well. Life goes on. I believe self-esteem issues are the reason for non-sensical topics like this. The need to feel validated.Studio Trigger has created a masterpiece in the opinion of a lot of anime fans.

You may not know this, but there is no show or movie that 100% of all people like. Save the pseudointellectual dribble next time and just say you don't like the show. I love the ridiculousness of over the top sexuality. :P

You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding. - Mass Effect.

[–] Hensmon 10 years ago

A typical fan-boy reply.

I am talking about Anime as a whole. I don't watch Kill La Kill, I used it as a reference to show how low standards have become and how saturated the market has become with this style of anime. I was 18 years old when Akira came out and THAT was a 'masterpiece'... FAR beyond anything Ive seen in the last 5 years.

Once the pain in your rectum has subsided from the idea that Kill La Kill might not be all its cracked up to be, how about you re-read what I posted. I am looking for high quality, adult anime that puts substance before style. You could give nothing but your own delusions on post psychology on a IBM discussion board...Am I talking with a child here? The audience type that feeds the very market I'm talking about. No wonder you failed in giving any sort of worthy discussion or opinion.

[–] dubbzny 10 years ago

You haven't really addressed the issue raised by another poster. The one specific example you gave of what bad anime does this show doesn't do and AoT does. I'm about 7 episodes in but none of this is drawn out and not a single battle has bled over into another episode. The pacing is great. Full Metal Alchemist did exactly that and also suffered from poor pacing and inconsistent tone, imo. It definitely had fights that lasted more than one episode. I'm pretty sure more than two episodes as well in fact.

I like this anime. I love the art and animation and I don't mind the fan service (anyone who thinks it's purely a critique of fanservice and not fanservice itself is seriously deluding themselves). The fights are very well done and the comedy bits actually make me laugh at times. My favorite anime is probably cowboy bebop, so you have an idea of my tastes. And though this doesn't live up to that, I find it more entertaining than other highly praised anime. Its similar to gurren lagann in tone and style and I enjoy it on about the same level actually.

[–] kuribo4 10 years ago

(anyone who thinks it's purely a critique of fanservice and not fanservice itself is seriously deluding themselves)
It definitely isn't a critique, the guys responsible for this series are big Go Nagai fans. It's definitely auto-parody though.
Go Nagai also defended that the fan service can be used in intelligent ways. Kill la Kill...I don't know. It's related to the plot at least.

[–] jnolck 10 years ago

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood was pretty epic. Attack of Titan is pretty good. Second season of Mushishi is coming out soon and if that's even half as good as the original then it's going to be great.

I do agree with you on the sentiment, but I apply it to anime as a whole. Anime is overrated.

[–] kuribo4 10 years ago

Anime is overrated.
I don't know how you can say that if every anime is created by a different person.
The examples you have given aren't really the best. I've heard Fullmeal Alchemist is good, but seriously, anime adaptations of mangas are usually worse.
Have you watched something like Evangelion?

[–] shyroma 10 years ago

I'm dying now... "Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood was pretty epic." FMAB is one of the most generic anime out there, with drawn out battle sequences, cliches, often terrible pacing, and a tone that doesn't seem to know itself. All your anime examples that you like are the most popular, most watched, and yet, most generic anime out there. Can't even take any of your complaints seriously now.

[–] kuribo4 10 years ago

The fact that now everything is worse than before is just an illusion. Akira is an amazing film. However these past years we've had the Rebuild of Evangelion films, which I'd say are better.

I am looking for high quality, adult anime that puts substance before style.
Seriously, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

[–] kayne-3 10 years ago

I liked this anime a lot, however sometimes it played against itself.
The pacing was and length was perfect.

While AOT is better than a lot of anime coming out nowadays, in my opinion I believe it's highly overrated.

What has happened to Anime? I would like to know. I would also like to know what happened to dramas too.

I was thinking that the availability of somethings that we enjoy years ago has been greatly diminished somehow. I can't put my finger on it.

[–] kuribo4 10 years ago

What happened to the adult themes, complex stories, deep values and character development, dark/unique styles and fleshed out worlds?

If you are going to criticise the series for that, even though it does it on purpose, then all of Tarantino's filmography, for example, sucks. Dragon Ball sucks too!

And Attack on Titan, I haven't watched it myself, but it seems like the typical hundrets of episodes long anime that tries being serious but just isn't.

Who knows, I'm halfway through Kill la Kill, it could have some serious themes too, why not?

[–] Reclaimer_78 10 years ago

The reason the show looks like low quality is because it was done on low budget. Which is also why it gets lots of praise since it is such a good show on such a low budget.