The other day I was in the midst of a clishmaclaver with some close friends and we got on the topic of anime when I introduce a couple of recent Summer releases. A couple questions got me thinking, one being "what influences you to watch a certain anime?" and another being "What's the best thing about anime?"
I know i watch a lot of anime and read a bunch of mangas, but I wouldn't call myself an otaku because of this. In fact, I'm no way near the extent of being one. The main reason behind this is simply due to admiration. I'm not nearly as obsessed about an anime as I am towards all that goes behind the scenes of a good one. Ask anyone who has a clue about the animation process and they would tell you that it takes a hell lot of time and effort into producing just an episode alone. From the storyline to the recording sessions to the music to the post-production, animation takes ridiculously long to make. And maybe it's just me but somehow animes with significantly fewer episodes (I'm talking around 10-15 here) seem to possess better quality or somehow appear better in some aspects than the usual 25-26 episode anime(Once again, I'm just giving an estimate for the number of episodes)
Anyway, back to the first question.
The very first anime I've ever watched and completed is one of Gonzo Studios' many works, Blassreiter. Though it was released in 2008, I only got to know about it in 2009, when Mum subscribed for the animax channel. I happened to flipped to, if I'm not wrong, the 2nd episode of Blassreiter. I was overwhelmed by the plot, the characters and the artwork.
My interest in anime grew significantly greater with the completion of each following anime. Even up to the point where I become listless if I haven't selected a show to watch right after I've completed one. No jokes here. Whenever I finish one show, I become desperate to watch another one. Luckily, I've gotten myself a list of a unwatched animes to put a tick against right in my laptop.
I guess, when it comes to influence, everything boils down to 5 main points:
1. Storyline (Is the concept fresh? Are the characters unique and likeable in their own ways-some are just annoying and what I call "timer-killers")
2. Genre ( I'm a little biased towards comedy and slice of life. Action and fantasy go well together in my opinion)
3. The voices (Nothing beats marvelling the amazing ability the actors have in blending their voices with the character's personality!)
4. The soundtrack (I'm usually searching for the OST whenever I've just completed a series...and downloading my favourites)
5. Is it a follow up from the last season?( I'm always anticipating for a season 2 for everything, although it doesn't always happen)
Some people are influenced by the artwork and animation style. To that, they are often on the look out for the latest releases from their favourite animation studios (Kyoto animation and JC Staff, just to name a few) Others will watch anything if their favourite singers are involved in the Opening or Ending songs( Ok, I've been guilty of this once. I only watched Durarara because I loved the Ending songs -_- ) But hey, as long as you're watching something, it doesn't matter what it is, right? :)
There are quite a few people who feel that anime is 'just a phase in life' that will 'fade away.' To that, i'm gonna have to disagree. While this may apply to some others, I doubt it will ever occur to me. There have been times where I lose interest in watching animes for certain periods of time. But even so, this interest ( or in my case, urge of admiration) will somehow bounce back and I'll soon find myself typing the A word on my mac one again. FYI...i don't think I'm the only one who feels this way :)
In my opinion, it totally depends on the anime itself. If you're speaking about anime in general, then I'm sorry but I can't possibly give a specific answer to this question with an endless list of legit answers. But if you're talking about a particular anime, then I'm able to actually give my 2 cents worth about it. I've seen shows that fill me up with a feeling akin to apricity and it's often because of the characters. When it comes to shows like these, I'd have to go with character development being the best. Then there are shows that touch you instantly and embrace your soul with an overwhelming but pleasant feeling that is just Alexithmic. And in the case for several animes, there is no best thing. It's just like solving algebra. You gotta combine a whole bunch of stuff in order to get x: the perfect formula.
So there ya go...this probably took about 2 minutes to read...
Now let's see...just how long did it take ME to write it...
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