[Meghan Terry]

A large proportion of this community love Anime - it's in their names, avatars, sigs, etc. I basically created this thread for discussion of anime by people who aren't fans - are you not into it for a specific reason? Do you hate it? Do you not care about it? Etc. I'm not an anime fan, and I don't know all that much about it, apart from half the internet's obsession with it. I suppose I don't have any specific problems with it, it just doesn't really appeal to me. Anyway, discuss. Anime fans are welcome as well, to defend their genre.

[Laura Elizabeth]

I look at a large number of anime and they all seem to me to be the exact same.

Girly looking boy with crazy hair and a ragtag group of wildly different people take on evil organisation/kingdom/dictator/super villain in either a sci-fi/medieval/japanese setting

Of course anime fans are most likely going to tear me apart and tell me how this is ignorant but thats how it all seems to me. But they can't deny most of the main male characters do look like girls and have crazy hair.

[Lizs]

I've watched Dragonball and one film Ghost in a Shell. But apart from that I just don't have time to watch cartoons, plus I'm not too keen on it.

EDIT: And what Jim said^. Fact. No smiley.

[Mariana]

I like some of the studio Ghibli films, some Manga (I realise these aren't technically anime) and a couple of others. I don't watch any programs though. I wouldn't call myself a fan, but to be honest. A good film is a good film, irrespective of whether or not it's animated or live action.

[J.P loves]

I look at a large number of anime and they all seem to me to be the exact same.

Girly looking boy with crazy hair and a ragtag group of wildly different people take on evil organisation/kingdom/dictator/super villain in either a sci-fi/medieval/japanese setting

Of course anime fans are most likely going to tear me apart and tell me how this is ignorant but thats how it all seems to me. But they can't deny most of the main male characters do look like girls and have crazy hair.

This. And I never liked it, it is just something I can not watch.

[Charlotte X]

I've watched Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, and quite liked those, but I get the impression that they're not typical anime, in the same way that disney is different from the Powerpuff Girls. By the way, tell me if I'm getting my terminology wrong. I call anything that looks like any of these avatars anime. Manga is anime drawn, right?

[christelle047]

I've watched Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, and quite liked those, but I get the impression that they're not typical anime, in the same way that disney is different from the Powerpuff Girls. By the way, tell me if I'm getting my terminology wrong. I call anything that looks like any of these avatars anime. Manga is anime drawn, right?

It's drawn, but I'm thinking they are different. Manga is usually done from comics I think. You'll need somebody else to explain - I just vaguely recall somebody rudely correcting me on the matter.

[aisha jamil]

I like some of the studio Ghibli films, some Manga (I realise these aren't technically anime) and a couple of others. I don't watch any programs though. I wouldn't call myself a fan, but to be honest. A good film is a good film, irrespective of whether or not it's animated or live action.

I will admit however that SOME of the Studio Ghibli films I do like i.e Spirited Away and most of Miyazakis work. Some of them are original and are not like most anime. But thats basically the only anime I would say I like.

[Vera Maslar]

I used to watch a little anime here and there. Couldn't really see the appeal though, the fights seem the drag out with overly long conversations and far too many reaction shots when someone gets hit. The character design is usually(like Emperor Jim said) a girly boy main character with some ridiculous team or friends who all have crazy hairstyles.

The stories are usually good guy goes evil and it is up to an unlikely group of heroes to save the day or super evil guy/company is threatening the planet and one person has some super power to stop them.

I do still give anime movies a chance but most the time they dissapoint. I did enjoy Princess Mononoke but since then I haven't seen another which can keep get me hooked.

[Shaylee Shaw]

A lot of the hate seems to stem from the misconception that every single anime out there is childish and that they're all exactly the same. There is a lot of mature anime out there, and I don't mean mature like gory or sixual, I mean mature, where the only difference between real life and the anime is that it's a cartoon. But sadly most people just see anime like Naruto, Bleach and One Piece and assume all anime is like that. That's basically the equivalent of a foreigner coming here, watching an episode of Barney and assuming all American shows are like that.

[Ladymorphine]

By the way, tell me if I'm getting my terminology wrong. I call anything that looks like any of these avatars anime. Manga is anime drawn, right?

No, manga are Japanese comic books, whereas anime are Japanese cartoons. That's all there really is to it.

[Kim Bradley]

I look at a large number of anime and they all seem to me to be the exact same.

Girly looking boy with crazy hair and a ragtag group of wildly different people take on evil organisation/kingdom/dictator/super villain in either a sci-fi/medieval/japanese setting

Of course anime fans are most likely going to tear me apart and tell me how this is ignorant but thats how it all seems to me. But they can't deny most of the main male characters do look like girls and have crazy hair.

Not going to rage here, but that is a vast generalization. There are different types of anime, and the ones you saw are probably the ones targeted at teenage boys, which is pretty much everything they show on advlt Swim.

[Chris BEvan]

I look at a large number of anime and they all seem to me to be the exact same.

Girly looking boy with crazy hair and a ragtag group of wildly different people take on evil organisation/kingdom/dictator/super villain in either a sci-fi/medieval/japanese setting

Of course anime fans are most likely going to tear me apart and tell me how this is ignorant but thats how it all seems to me. But they can't deny most of the main male characters do look like girls and have crazy hair.

I totally agree. The only "anime" I ever liked was the good old stuff like Gundam Wing (or whatever it was), Zoids, Avatar: The Last Airbender (not old, but still REALLY cool, love the martial arts behind it). That was all cool. But crap like Cowboy Bepop and the other stuff with little girls with massive boobs swinging oversized weapons and talking really fast. I just can't stand to watch.

I respect your right to watch it, and if you like. I myself can't stand to watch it. The only other anime that I find really cool, but have never bothered to watch (simply because I can't find it, damnit), was the one with Alucard (don't know the name).

[Jessica Phoenix]

No, manga are Japanese comic books, whereas anime are Japanese cartoons. That's all there really is to it.

Ah, I knew there was something. Is anime only cartoons (as in programs, not feature length films)?

[Dylan Markese]

I've watched Dragonball.

Pretty much this. Dragonball was legit.

[D LOpez]

Pretty much this. Dragonball was legit.

Haha I remember watching Dragonball and Dragonball Z when I was a kid. [censored] was so cash back in the day.

Of course it seems ridiculous now but when you were a kid it was awesome.

[Kelly Osbourne Kelly]

The stories are usually good guy goes evil and it is up to an unlikely group of heroes to save the day or super evil guy/company is threatening the planet and one person has some super power to stop them.

a.k.a every plot to everything ever?

Like Oblivion, for one example: You're the one random prisoner who can "Close shut the jaws of Oblivion"
or the Harry Potter series, Harry is the only one who can kill Voldemort.

[Catharine Krupinski]

I don't want to derail this thread, but I'm just going to add to what Nami and Antibody said:
Many anime that many folks in America (and probably other parts of the world) will see are the commercially viable ones. They are targeted towards young and easily impressionable groups. Naruto, Bleach, Dragonball Z, and other Shonen (a Japanese phrase meaning pre-teen/teen, essentially). "Mature" anime like Cowboy Bebop (which is one of the best), Ghost in the Shell, and other exist, while even comedy anime like Lucky Star exist. In fact, there is just about any anime for every genre of entertainment one mine want.

That reminds me of mystery. I miss Case Closed. (I know they are STILL making them, but it hasn't shown on American television in many years)

Ah, I knew there was something. Is anime only cartoons (as in programs, not feature length films)?

Anime refers to any form of Japanese animation, although some also use the term to refer to a sort of animation style (Like how some may say Avatar looks like anime, when in reality it is fully American animation).

[RObert loVes MOmmy]

The only anime's I have ever watched are pokemon and dragon ball-z (I mean who doesn't like listening to guys grunt for a whole 30 minutes?) and that's it.

[Nymph]

I look at a large number of anime and they all seem to me to be the exact same.

Girly looking boy with crazy hair and a ragtag group of wildly different people take on evil organisation/kingdom/dictator/super villain in either a sci-fi/medieval/japanese setting

Of course anime fans are most likely going to tear me apart and tell me how this is ignorant but thats how it all seems to me. But they can't deny most of the main male characters do look like girls and have crazy hair.

[Eric Hayes]

I like western cartoons, but there aren't many good ones these days. I can watch anime, but not very often. Not my thing I guess.

Also, at times people who are huge anime fans are very, very, annoying. No offence to anyone who likes anime, but it just seems to attract the type of person I dislike.

[Tha King o Geekz]

Ah, I knew there was something. Is anime only cartoons (as in programs, not feature length films)?

Anime refers to all japanese animation. Anime can be:

TV Series, like they show it on TV every week
OAV, which is the same length as a TV series, but only released to DVD
Movie, which they show in movie theatres and are longer than a single episode of a series/OAV, but usually shorter than an entire series.

[Tiffany Holmes]

Eh, I don't see shows as "Anime." If it's good, I'll watch it. If not, then no.

[Nauty]

I used to be a big fan of Sailor Moon, and I like some Studio Ghibli movies, but other than that, I'm not really into anime. I just prefer western cartoons, especially 3D and stop-motion stuff (and yeah, I know some smartarse is going to come and correct me saying that technically anime refers to all animation).

Avatar: The Last Airbender

That's an anime? I always thought it was made in USA or something like that.

The stories are usually good guy goes evil and it is up to an unlikely group of heroes to save the day or super evil guy/company is threatening the planet and one person has some super power to stop them.

a.k.a every plot to everything ever?

...not really.

[Jack Walker]

I've only really watched one anime in it's entirety and that was the OVA of Hellsing. I'm considering getting into One Piece if I can find the priginal version and not the butchered 4kids version, but then I may as well just read the Manga. I'm not really an anime fan, but I have no problem with anime, if an anime is good then I'll watch it.