- Joined
- Dec 29, 2000
- Posts
- 13,156
Yesterday I showed Wings of Honneamise to my nephew for the first time. I hadn't watched the movie in at least ten years, maybe longer, but man what a great movie.
As I was watching it, its big ideas, wonderful hand drawn animation, its awesome character designes that were such a staple of the art form back in the day, its AMBITIOUS storytelling and its quirky soundtrack, I turned back into that teenage boy who watched anime expecting greatness every single time I sat down in front of my TV and popped a tape in the VCR.
The eighties and early 90s were a wonderful time for the medium, where everything felt like it was worth the time to watch. Back then, I never felt like I was wasting my tmie watching an anime. Even something as banal as the Guyver had a certain type of creative weight to it. Even the average stuff from that time period felt worthy of exposure.
Today's stuff feels so soulless by comparison. Don't mistake this for old man nostalgia. I like some modern anime well enough, but I have no passion for it. I don't go out of my way to watch it.
Even a show like Shingeki No Kyojin/Attack on Titan, that everyone is going bonkers for right now with its dark themes and mature character arcs....I'm watching it with a mildly curious eye. I distinctly remember thinking:
This is what everyone's so excited about? Back when I was heavily invested in anime, this would have been an average show, pure middle of the pack fare.
In today's anime climate, Titan is hailed as some sort of storytelling marvel. That tells you something about the state of the biz today. A lot of it probably has to do with the current economy and how to be profitable, I'd guess.
As I was watching it, its big ideas, wonderful hand drawn animation, its awesome character designes that were such a staple of the art form back in the day, its AMBITIOUS storytelling and its quirky soundtrack, I turned back into that teenage boy who watched anime expecting greatness every single time I sat down in front of my TV and popped a tape in the VCR.
The eighties and early 90s were a wonderful time for the medium, where everything felt like it was worth the time to watch. Back then, I never felt like I was wasting my tmie watching an anime. Even something as banal as the Guyver had a certain type of creative weight to it. Even the average stuff from that time period felt worthy of exposure.
Today's stuff feels so soulless by comparison. Don't mistake this for old man nostalgia. I like some modern anime well enough, but I have no passion for it. I don't go out of my way to watch it.
Even a show like Shingeki No Kyojin/Attack on Titan, that everyone is going bonkers for right now with its dark themes and mature character arcs....I'm watching it with a mildly curious eye. I distinctly remember thinking:
This is what everyone's so excited about? Back when I was heavily invested in anime, this would have been an average show, pure middle of the pack fare.
In today's anime climate, Titan is hailed as some sort of storytelling marvel. That tells you something about the state of the biz today. A lot of it probably has to do with the current economy and how to be profitable, I'd guess.