British Gaians... show your faces!

[Invictus_88]

You there, anime/manga people!

Japanese animation.

What special merit does it have? I see none, and have always seen none.

Justify your fandom.  

[Foetus In Fetu]

Lady of Spain

I edited it back to its original message. After you had corrupted it.

You can't have.

Seriously, I didn't edit any of your posts.

I don't think.  

[Angilwingz]

Alright, justify your likes. Does it matter?  

[Smigg-the-Miserable]

Invictus_88

You there, anime/manga people!

Japanese animation.

What special merit does it have? I see none, and have always seen none.

Justify your fandom.

I think its merit lies in the fact that some anime shows are very good, in much the same way that some English live action shows are very good. Saying that you don't like anime because it's anime seems to me rather like saying the works of Shakespeare are rubbish because they're plays.  

[Foetus In Fetu]

What if you don't like plays?  

[Angilwingz]

Foetus In Fetu

What if you don't like plays?

I like cake.  

[Invictus_88]

Angilwingz

Alright, justify your likes. Does it matter?

Most of the things I like have merit; they cast new light onto aspects of my life/human existence, or they are informative or challenging, or they are beautiful. Beautiful in a true sense though, not the sort of beauty which is beautiful because of cutting-edge graphics, but which is beautiful because it invokes feelings of hope, love, reflection or pathos.

Granted, I have some likes which have no such merits. I like shooting-based computer games, I like getting drunk and I like sleeping. These are without the merits outlined above, but I like them because they allow me to put my mind somewhere where it's not working through thoughts and can simply 'exist' without the confusion of reflection. Anime - from my narrow experience - seems to occupy a similarly noncontemplative sphere, as do soap operas and reality television, which though without merit can still be useful as an escape from tiring/intelligent thought.

Thus, I can accept the existence of anime, as I accept sleep, mindless computer games, and drunkeness. But not be an active fan, and to pursue it in its own right as one would pursue other more meritorious things seems senseless.

I'm not so much saying that people shouldn't like anime type stuff, I'm saying I don't understand why people do, because it strikes me as quite without merit. The pot noodle of the arts, if you like.  

[Invictus_88]

Foetus In Fetu

What if you don't like plays?

As with all things, a great deal depends on one's reason.  

[Invictus_88]

Smigg-the-Miserable

Invictus_88

You there, anime/manga people!

Japanese animation.

What special merit does it have? I see none, and have always seen none.

Justify your fandom.

I think its merit lies in the fact that some anime shows are very good, in much the same way that some English live action shows are very good. Saying that you don't like anime because it's anime seems to me rather like saying the works of Shakespeare are rubbish because they're plays.

This is fair, but misses the point.

What makes anime 'good'. I see nothing yet, but am happy to be corrected if someone can show me how I'm wrong.My money is on FiF, but I'm not quite sure why.  

[Foetus In Fetu]

Invictus_88

My money is on FiF, but I'm not quite sure why.

Neither am I.

I don't really understand the mentality that separates animé from Western animation and says "this is inherently better", because I don't see how a country of origin can have anything to do with that. Animé differs stylistically and in cultural influence from Western animation; that's the only way I can see a case being made for that point of view.  

[Invictus_88]

Foetus In Fetu

Invictus_88

My money is on FiF, but I'm not quite sure why.

Neither am I.

I don't really understand the mentality that separates animé from Western animation and says "this is inherently better", because I don't see how a country of origin can have anything to do with that. Animé differs stylistically and in cultural influence from Western animation; that's the only way I can see a case being made for that point of view.

Oh don't get me wrong, I don't hold Western cartoons in any higher regard, but such cartoons are only generally watched by children. Anime has a wide adult following, but no extra merit to it. It just seems that because it is foreign and novel people assume it is worthy of being culturally respectable, when in real terms it offers nothing more than our own crappy animations. In substance, it is no better, it is just visually different - and for some reason this earns is a disproportionate degree of support and adulation.  

[Smigg-the-Miserable]

I maintain that saying anime has no merit is like saying western television has no merit. The statement cannot hold properly because their is too much variation in the subject matter. You can say that you dislike a particular show or genre, but not an entire medium.

As an anime fan I do not watch every show that comes along simply because it's anime - I watch particular shows because I have heard that they are good or they have caught my interest. This is done in much the same way I might peruse the Radio Times for something to watch on a Friday evening.

I will agree that many animes are indeed without merit, as are many western shows. But in my view to say that all anime is without merit cannot be held as a valid standpoint with out a good deal of research and well thought out arguments. I think a great number of shows have an awful lot going for them - FLCL for example is an interesting and surreal coming-of-age story filled with metaphor. Ghost in the Shell, in addition to being very impressive visually, provides an interesting look at the nature of life and humanity.

In addition to this, some shows are just very entertaining.  

[Boolean Julian]

Foetus In Fetu

Lady of Spain

I edited it back to its original message. After you had corrupted it.

You can't have.

Seriously, I didn't edit any of your posts.

I don't think.

Okay it was probably my hyper-paranoia

Note to self: Do not engage in battles of wits with Ms. Fetu after imbibing quantities of wine.  

[Foetus In Fetu]

Lady of Spain

Note to self: Do not engage in battles of wits with Ms. Fetu after imbibing quantities of wine.

Why don't you just not engage in battles of wits with me full stop? I'm sick and I still kicked your a**.  

[Invictus_88]

Smigg-the-Miserable

I maintain that saying anime has no merit is like saying western television has no merit. The statement cannot hold properly because their is too much variation in the subject matter. You can say that you dislike a particular show or genre, but not an entire medium.

As an anime fan I do not watch every show that comes along simply because it's anime - I watch particular shows because I have heard that they are good or they have caught my interest. This is done in much the same way I might peruse the Radio Times for something to watch on a Friday evening.

I will agree that many animes are indeed without merit, as are many western shows. But in my view to say that all anime is without merit cannot be held as a valid standpoint with out a good deal of research and well thought out arguments. I think a great number of shows have an awful lot going for them - FLCL for example is an interesting and surreal coming-of-age story filled with metaphor. Ghost in the Shell, in addition to being very impressive visually, provides an interesting look at the nature of life and humanity.

In addition to this, some shows are just very entertaining.

Saying all Western programming is without merit is like saying all Eastern programming is without merit.

Saying anime appears to be without merit is more like saying soap opera seems without merit. Or that documentaries seem without merit.