Day 4: Anime you're ashamed to admit you enjoyed

[sara_tanaquil]

Not a big surprise after yesterday...



I will never forget the horrified look I got from one of my more intellectual anime-loving colleagues to whom I tried to show this. (And this, should I say, from a colleague who could appreciate the exquisite irony of the Marmalade Boy/Level C mashup I inadvertently exposed her to.)

Yeah, the barbie-doll aesthetics of the naked girl transformation scenes are appalling, the monster of the week plots are repetitive, the makers of the dub should be shot. (And that's not even taking into account Sailor Says. Sailor Says!) But behind all that, there is some surprisingly epic backstory, great moments of drama (if few and far between), and some not-too-shabby character development. And, well, back in the days of 1994 when it was on Fox Kids or whatever it was right after Bananas in Pajamas, it was all I had. (It's too bad I didn't know there were such a thing as fansubs until much, much, later, since I probably would have appreciated it even more if I could have made the transition from dubs sooner. As it is, I have never yet met Sailors Uranus and Neptune.)

Comments

Un-twin D:

[collarnojutsu.livejournal.com]

I'm self-deprecating about a lot of the anime I enjoy (HikaGo, KKM, Bleach)

Why?? I must know what you feel makes these something you couldn't mention to a non-fan? I haven't seen a single episode of Bleach, mind you, but I read a lot of the manga before I died somewhere, so I think I can still include it.

Heck, in thinking about this meme the other day actually, I had tremendous angst in deciding if KKM was my favorite anime of all time. (It didn't win, but I have ANGST about the decision. :P) And HnG? One of the few anime I've cosplayed from (TWICE!) and I desperately wish someone - anyone - other than Viz-of-the-cancellations had licensed the anime because all I ever wanted to do was buy it to watch over and over and over forever (and I've already watched it 3 times, so that should tell you something).

Seriously, I weep for this statement!

Re: Un-twin D:

[mangaroo.livejournal.com]

I must know what you feel makes these something you couldn't mention to a non-fan?

Well, the key here is non-fan. I don't pimp outside people's known genre preferences. It's why I don't try to get my f'list to play Sims (except you, W_10_00. You're dead to me! You know why) or watch Generator Rex. (*sigh* If only I could count Generator Rex as my mecha anime, 'cause I don't think I like ANY mecha.)

The series I listed have heavy genre appeal (moe characters, repetitious fighting) and don't really "rise above" their genres. Even series that do rise above -- Trigun, Cowboy Bebop -- don't break through the genre ceiling. They just avoid the excessive padding typical of genre shows to keep a more coherent storyline.

Totoro, on the other hand, is just good viewing. If you can't enjoy Totoro, you don't enjoy having eyes or ever having been a child. And Kino no Tabi is thought-provoking with minimal fan service.

Re: Un-twin D:

[collarnojutsu.livejournal.com]

I don't pimp outside people's known genre preferences.

Well, I can see why you might not want to do *that* but it just seemed like you were framing it with self-preservation. Like you were ashamed to talk about them? I just don't think people should be ashamed of the genres they like. I understand the lofty goals of transcending the genre, but at the same time, people don't generally scoff at universal story traits like having endearing characters or engaging action sequences. I can talk about a series reasonably abstractly with someone who is not a fan of it by describing what I like about it ... just like I would do with a book or a tv show or a movie or piece of music... but maybe I'm misunderstanding you and what you are referring to is more the pimping aspects and not just discussion?

I have historically found that non-fans are going to remain non-fans no matter what I show them. Despite the fact that I have extremely high success rates in recommending things to existing fans, I haven't ever successfully converted any non-fans (that I know of)... Even the one person I had some success with sort of did it on his own and then grew out of it a year later. (He's always been pretty ADD with his interests, though.) :/

Incidentally: I am always - always - looking for new things to experience. I take genre/style into account, because of course I do have my tastes, but if someone thinks something is worthwhile I will usually give it a shot. (Also, my preferences, for just about everything, range far and wide!)

Re: Un-twin D:

[mangaroo.livejournal.com]

I think maybe you've misunderstood my use of self-deprecating in my original comment? I'm saying that it is different from being ashamed. To be self-deprecating -- to mock myself for liking things for moe reasons -- is not to be ashamed of the thing I enjoy. It just reflects my understanding that it is not objectively "better" for those qualities.

I like -- or liked -- romance novels. I object when people dismiss the genre as "cheesy" and "trashy," because those are terms they would never apply to any other genre, when all genres suffer from the same weaknesses of repetition and cliche and fan service. But I still see those weaknesses and can lovingly mock them myself. It's an insider/outsider division.

Clear as mud?

Re: Un-twin D:

[collarnojutsu.livejournal.com]

Well, no, I understand self-deprecation, but you specifically said you felt you'd be embarrassed to show them to a non-fan, which is what prompted me to rally against the idea that we should be ashamed of our interests. (I'm not arguing; just sort of flowing naturally in discussion here.) I definitely think it's ok to mock oneself - I sure do it a lot - but I don't want to feel embarrassed by the things I like, especially when the same things are present in all sorts of genres.

Re: Un-twin D:

[spacealien-vamp.livejournal.com]

Well, the key here is non-fan.

This is where I think your interpretation of the topic is different from mine. I interpret "ashamed" in this prompt as "this series doesn't live up to my normal standards, so I shouldn't like it, but somehow I like it anyway." It is only relevant to my own personal tastes, not some other person's, fan or not.

P.S.
Why didn't I make myself an "it's all about me" icon...?

Re: Un-twin D:

[mangaroo.livejournal.com]

Starting with you before cnj, 'cause my answer here is shorter: I don't like things according to objective personal standards. I like things because I like them, and I feel no shame in that. (People, I LIKE Elle to Takara. I know why I like it, and it doesn't embarrass me.) To be ashamed, I would need to apply someone else's external standards of art (or, in the case of Elle to Takara, decency), and those are completely irrelevant to me.

I win at all about me.