Unpopular Opinions You Hold About Anime

[LumRanmaYasha]

That's understandable. As far as Magi goes I've been fairly vocal about my disappointment and the missed potential with recent events as well and would like to see more of what the Magnostadt arc offered rather than what the current one has so far.

I love Game of Thrones myself for the same reasons you do, so I understand really wanting to see more of those kinds of stories and anything less just not doing it for you. I can't say I find the three series you've mentioned more about "easy solutions" than about the development of the story and characters, by any stretch, but they certainly aren't on GOT's level of depth and nuance in terms of a mutli-faceted story and characters, and I'd be surprised we see something as well-crafted along those lines in the genre anytime soon.

MHA was never a comedy manga, no more so than how any other battle-shonen is at the beginning, so I don't really get that conception. As far as "traditional battles, character archetypes, and predictable speeches about what it means to be a hero" go, I feel the execution of what's been presented so far has been effective in establishing an expanded cast of characters and setting up future conflict in the story, and has left plenty of room for the series to evolve, so I simply don't see it the same way. I personally think the series' greatest strength is still in the character of Midoriya, who still has to find creative ways to overcome his physical weakness and his inability to use his power for long stretches of time, which makes for personal conflicts and situations I find interesting. This aspect of the series hasn't been diminished for me yet, and ideally shouldn't so long as the progression of the character's arc remains on track the way it has and he gets more fleshed out in the future.

Admittedly, I do have a problem with WT and MHA in that they both seem to have a larger cast of characters than it seems they can handle. There's just too many names and faces to remember and unlike with GRRM with ASOIAF I don't think these mangaka are going to be able to make all these characters relevant, well-rounded, and well-developed as the story continues. This hasn't been a detriment to my enjoyment of these series as of yet, since they have focused more on the more fleshed-out and established characters appropriately, but it is a problem I have with many battle shonen manga these days and a concern with these series going forward regardless.

Overall I find these series well-done for what they are trying to be and do and successfully entertaining in that endeavor, but I can see how some might not be able to invest in or appreciate what they've presented, particularly if you're primarily looking for more ASOIAF-level of storytelling and characters.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Once again I seem to have sonewhat misconstrued my point. I was merely using GOT as an example, not saying that I want battle shonen to be just like that.

I could also use several other examples as well, including manga and anime of other genres, or older battle shonen series. I was only comparing Magi specifically to ADWD because they are both fantasy series and have some propensity for politics, so I wanted to show an actual example of where Magi's story could've gone, and I wouldn't expect the same depth or nuance, but I'd be entertained by it all the same. Another more appropriate comparison would be comparing Magi to ATLA. Both series are targeted towards older kids and young adults, but one clearly puts more thought into its world and character development than the other. That's the basic point that I'm trying to get across with Magi specifically.

As for MHA, I strongly disagree that it was never a comedy manga. Many of the early chapters were crammed with more jokes and gags than an average serious battle shonen series. Even if it is ultimately a battle manga, ignoring the plethora of comedy aspects early on and saying that it was never a comedy manga just seems a bit silly to me. That'd be like ignoring the first 2 whole volumes of YYH and saying that it was a battle manga from the start.

[LumRanmaYasha]

...I thought I understood your point well. You specifically said ADWD is more of the kind of story you wanted to see. You prefer stories written like GOT, Breaking Bad, etc. these days. Most modern battle-shonen don't appeal to you because they don't tell those kinds of stories. You said that you simply don't enjoy what most of the battle-shonen you've tried are trying to be. You don't care for how they've been written and haven't found their stories or characters engaging enough compared to the kinds of series you really love and would rather get more into these days.  Is that wrong?

I'm sorry, but I still don't get how you saw MHA as a comedy manga at the beginning. You are honestly the only person I've seen who had that perception of the series at the beginning. Of course there was comedy, but what shonen series doesn't have a lot more comedy at the start? I didn't think the early chapters had more gags than normal in it at the beginning at all. This is not the same situation with YYH. YYH completely changed it's very premise after the first two volumes. That was a case of a gag-manga turning into a battle-manga in order to boost it's popularity. MHA just moved forward with it in it's natural direction and with the story it established at the beginning it was going to tell. Even comparatively, unlike, say, with DB, Shaman King, etc.  at the beginning, it was perfectly clear you were supposed to take the developments in the first chapters and Midoriya's plight seriously and empathize with him, and the story was going to focus on his emotional growth going forward rather than a lot of goofy antics. If you didn't read the series that way, alright, but I never saw those early chapters in the same vein you did and from what I gather nobody else did either. 

[Foggle]

I love Game of Thrones myself for the same reasons you do, so I understand really wanting to see more of those kinds of stories and anything less just not doing it for you.

This is pretty much how I feel about most television after watching The Wire.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

...I thought I understood your point well. You specifically said ADWD is more of the kind of story you wanted to see. You prefer stories written like GOT, Breaking Bad, etc. these days. Most modern battle-shonen don't appeal to you because they don't tell those kinds of stories. You said that you simply don't enjoy what most of the battle-shonen you've tried are trying to be. You don't care for how they've been written and haven't found their stories or characters engaging enough compared to the kinds of series you really love and would rather get more into these days.  Is that wrong?

But I specifically used it for my comparison with Magi. My point being that I'm not JUST talking about GOT. It was merely one example. I don't see what's so hard to get about that.

I'm sorry, but I still don't get how you saw MHA as a comedy manga at the beginning. You are honestly the only person I've seen who had that perception of the series at the beginning.

"I'm sorry," but I don't know how you or anyone else saw it as anything else in the beginning. [On a more serious note, I can't stand the phrase "I'm sorry" before stating a disagreement; it's one of those things that people say in common speech that doesn't really hold true; why would anyone have to be sorry about disagreeing with someone's opinion?]

Anyways, the artstyle was overly-cartoony (compare Midoriya to how he looked in the beginning to now, for instance), and just what the hell kind of battles did you see that took up more space than the comedy and gags? There was some training, but aside from that there was lots of physical humor and puns. Who exactly is everyone else, anyways? Just because nobody specifically mentioned it as a comedy manga didn't mean that a lot of it didn't exist. Either way, I'm really tired of you bringing up this point. I disagree, you disagree, plain and simple. That's besides the point. I liked the manga early on when it was less about generic training and villain fights, and more about just being fun. I'm not against either of those things, but I don't find the execution to be anything special. Clearly you do. That's fine. There really isn't much more to say about it than that. I'm just not personally a fan of the direction that this manga is taking.

Of course there was comedy, but what shonen series doesn't have a lot more comedy at the start? I didn't think the early chapters had more gags than normal in it at the beginning at all.

Then I don't know what to say, because it clearly had far more comedy than any average battle shonen at the start, and if somehow it was meant to be taken completely seriously, then this manga is worse than I thought, since it would have to have been unintentionally hilarious. I'd like to think that's not the case, but based on your input of it being a "super serial" battle manga, apparently it is.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I love Game of Thrones myself for the same reasons you do, so I understand really wanting to see more of those kinds of stories and anything less just not doing it for you.

This is pretty much how I feel about most television after watching The Wire.

That reminds me that I need to get back to that show. I still haven't finished season 1 yet. I do like it, but just haven't gotten to that point where I get hooked into binge-watching it, though from what I hear that point will probably come around the second season.

[Foggle]

That reminds me that I need to get back to that show. I still haven't finished season 1 yet. I do like it, but just haven't gotten to that point where I get hooked into binge-watching it, though from what I hear that point will probably come around the second season.

It happened to me about halfway through season 1 iirc. You might want to restart the show from the beginning unless you remember the episodes you watched really well, since it's definitely a series that requires your full attention and knowledge to enjoy.

On that note, I'm probably going to watch Game of Thrones sometime within the next few months finally!

[LumRanmaYasha]

But I specifically used it for my comparison with Magi. My point being that I'm not JUST talking about GOT. It was merely one example. I don't see what's so hard to get about that.

I did get that. And I never intended my post to make it out like you where just talking about GOT alone, just that it's exemplary of the kind of series you are more into, so I think that's just a bit of miscommunication there. I have noticed that you tend to bring that series up the most frequently when you've been comparing and criticizing aspects in battle-shonen series, not just limited to Magi, though.

[On a more serious note, I can't stand the phrase "I'm sorry" before stating a disagreement; it's one of those things that people say in common speech that doesn't really hold true; why would anyone have to be sorry about disagreeing with someone's opinion?]

Well, I'll try not to use such offensive statements from now on in our discussions.

Then I don't know what to say, because it clearly had far more comedy than any average battle shonen at the start, and if somehow it was meant to be taken completely seriously, then this manga is worse than I thought, since it would have to have been unintentionally hilarious. I'd like to think that's not the case, but based on your input of it being a "super serial" battle manga, apparently it is.

I never once said it was "super serious" or everything was meant to be taken completely seriously at the start. But I do feel that you are exaggerating how much humor there is at the beginning, and how much of a focus it took over the development and direction of the story proper.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

FTR- The use of the term "serial" instead of "serious" is a pretty good indicator that I was just joking about your insinuation of what kind of series that it was.

Anyways, I'm still following both manga, for the record, so it's not like I've completely given up on either being entertaining for me again. I only mentioned those because, on the contrary, they were among the few modern shonen that I felt had the potential for greatness. As for MHA, it's still less than 30 chapters in, so I'm willing to stick with it for at least a year. With Magi, it's been losing me for the better part of a year, but I still have enough good faith left over from the Magnostadt arc to give it another half a year or so to win me back.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

On that note, I'm probably going to watch Game of Thrones sometime within the next few months finally!

That's great to hear. I will say, though, that much like The Wire, the beginning is kind of slow but very crucial to pay attention to for what happens later. Interestingly, I thought that season 1 was just OK at first and didn't get hooked until Peter Dinklage became more prominent on the show in the second season, but after going back to re-watch the show once I knew where the story was headed, the first season really impressed me a lot more in retrospect.

Oh, and don't mind the Sexposition too much. I think that HBO just added in a lot of scenes like that for a ratings boost early on, but thankfully they seem to rely a bit less on it as the show goes on (only just a bit, though).

As for The Wire, I believe that I will restart it from the beginning. I've already forgotten most of what happened in the first 5 episodes. I think that I'll get back to it once I finally finish up watching Bordwalk Empire.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Both GOT and The Wire won me over after just the first few episodes, myself. I actually ended up watching every episode of season 1 of the The Wire three or so times just to absorb everything that happened in them. I really want to get back into it soon, but because I need to sit down and really pay attention to it while I'm watching it, it's just hard for me to find time to right now.

[Avaitor]

I always felt that the reason GOT had so much sex and nudity, at least earlier on, was to bring the series closer to its pulp roots. The novels had their fair share of sex scenes as well, but not as much as the show. They really aren't that big of a deal, though.

But I have to admit, with The Wire, while the show is undeniably excellent, I have no real desire to watch it again for a long time. It just isn't the kind of show I can come back to again and again.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I actually have no Internet for the time being, so I can only go online via my limited data plan, or go outside to any place with free wi-fi, but the whether is horrible over here, so I only go on certain days. That's more or less why I haven't been watching anything new, and only keep up with a select few shows and manga. Also, I personally feel a bit awkward watching shows or reading comics in public. There's no reason to be, but I'm just inexplicably shy sbout that stuff in front of strangers, even if they really don't give a shit.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I always felt that the reason GOT had so much sex and nudity, at least earlier on, was to bring the series closer to its pulp roots. The novels had their fair share of sex scenes as well, but not as much as the show. They really aren't that big of a deal, though.

Pulp roots?

But yeah, the novels didn't have as many, but the extra ones in the show didn't bother me like they did for some people. At least most of them have something to do with actual character relationships, or even advance the plot, rather than just being there for some contrived reason....like the "magic seamen" from the Fate visual novel.

Also, I have to say that, while GOT, Breaking Bad, Bordwalk Empire, and various other "sophisticated" dramas have kind of spoiled me, it doesn't mean that I can't appreciate other well done shows that don't have wuite the same level of budget and talent behind them. I still like Buffy and eagerly watch Arrow each week and enjoy them a ton.

So, going back to my point about battle shonen, it's not that I necessarily want them to be super sophisticated. I just wish that more of them would rely less on tired formulas is all. I just want a fun series that's story or character-driven and has fun fights, but that isn't dominated by trying to set-up new fights.

I feel like HXH could've done that last year if Togashi had just gotten the ball rolling and didn't take yet another break.

[Foggle]

Both GOT and The Wire won me over after just the first few episodes, myself. I actually ended up watching every episode of season 1 of the The Wire three or so times just to absorb everything that happened in them. I really want to get back into it soon, but because I need to sit down and really pay attention to it while I'm watching it, it's just hard for me to find time to right now.

The Wire won me over with its very first cold opening! I just wasn't in love enough to marathon it until around episode 6-7.