What is wrong with anime and other cartoons this day in age?

[Ghost]

Well I thought about this after talking with a few other friends of mine about anime. Here's a question for all you guys, where do you see anime in the next 10 years? The problem that is with a lot of anime these days is that the Japanese try to make it more appealing to Western Audiences and the problem with that is anime is fine the way it is and when they do that, it sucks! The 2003 Astro boy series is a perfect example on how it was heavily edited. It seems that old anime seems to be the best anime out there. Most kids these days that do watch anime are into anime like, Bleach, Naruto and even the ones that are based off card games or whatever that are made for the sole purpose of selling their crap;Yugi-oh and Pokemon are perfect examples. Now I'm 15 and I'm proud to say that I'm not a fan of any of those series, and I'd chose Astro Boy over Bleach any day. Most of these people have never even heard of Tezuka or anything that he made which is really sad. But when they do see good old, anime like Castle in the Sky, Akira, Kimba the White Lion or anything made by Miyazaki becasue it doesn't have five fight scenes every 5 seconds,or talking about what they're going to do for 5 minutes like in DBZ for example they think it's crap. It's like never knowing of a 5 star restaurant and all you've eaten in your life is McDonald's. I think this pathetic that anime is starting become crap now. Too bad I wasn't around when good anime was on So what are your thoughts on this guys, really curious to hear opinions.

[Dr. Jerk]

Normally I agree with you, although just because most newer anime and manga are 'bad', it doesn't mean I would bash them or anything. To be honest, there's a lot of new things out there that I happen to like, although they're also largely unheard of to most people.

Anime may seem to have gotten 'unoriginal' today, but they're still essentially something out there for anyone. If someone does want to watch Naruto, that's their thing.

I really, really like shonen, and sci-fi. That's why I read Astro Boy. I also really like the stuff based on video games, that's why I read the Pokemon Adventures manga (better than the anime) and Ariga's Mega Man Megamix manga. That's my thing. It's not everyone's thing, but it's my thing.

You're basically using very common, well-known series as an 'example' of what you find to be bad. But rather, perhaps you could expand your knowledge and maybe use other examples as what you find to be bad. But even then, just because one person thinks something is bad, doesn't mean another will. That's why I don't try to bash things.

And to be honest, I kinda prefer the 2003 series over the 60's and 80's versions, not because of the visuals, but because it's slightly more accurate to the manga, in terms of the message behind it.

[Ghost]

Normally I agree with you, although just because most newer anime and manga are 'bad', it doesn't mean I would bash them or anything. To be honest, there's a lot of new things out there that I happen to like, although they're also largely unheard of to most people.

Anime may seem to have gotten 'unoriginal' today, but they're still essentially something out there for anyone. If someone does want to watch Naruto, that's their thing.

I really, really like shonen, and sci-fi. That's why I read Astro Boy. I also really like the stuff based on video games, that's why I read the Pokemon Adventures manga (better than the anime) and Ariga's Mega Man Megamix manga. That's my thing. It's not everyone's thing, but it's my thing.

You're basically using very common, well-known series as an 'example' of what you find to be bad. But rather, perhaps you could expand your knowledge and maybe use other examples as what you find to be bad. But even then, just because one person thinks something is bad, doesn't mean another will. That's why I don't try to bash things.

And to be honest, I kinda prefer the 2003 series over the 60's and 80's versions, not because of the visuals, but because it's slightly more accurate to the manga, in terms of the message behind it.

The 2003 series wasn't bad at all. It was just edited unnecessarily. You're right though it's just my opinion you all don't have to agree with me I just hope you get the point across.

I also think that the Matrix movies had a bad impact on anime as well because Japanese writers saw those movies and thought that's what appealed to American audiences.

Dr. Jerk,did you know that they're trying to make a live action Cowboy Bebop movie with Keanu Reeves as Spike? God I hate Hollywood so much in ways I can't even describe.

[Dr. Jerk]

First of all,

American made and edited things =/= original Japanese things.

The 2003 in its original was 'perfect' as people would describe it. Only America edited it done. Finally the movies such as the Cowboy Beboop film, which I am perfectly aware of, is also being made by America. Japan only allowed them to obtain the licenses, that is all.

Japan has also made live-action series and movies as well. There's been one for Astro Boy, and several for Sailor Moon. So as you can see, it's not just the west that does these things of things.

Really, you're pinning a lot of blame of editing and American-made movies on anime/manga-in-general. And you shouldn't, because those things were done by America themselves, and not blame a kind of animation that originated in the east.

[Androids101]

As long as computer-animated films (such as the astroboy movie) doesn't take over, the future of anime looks pretty bright in my opinion.

[Anime Girl]

I like some anime that's out there right now, like Pokemon, but I say Bleach is overated. And as for other non anime cartoons, I found some good funny ones lately, like the new series Fish Hooks, or Phineas and Ferb. It's just my opinion anyway, but someone on YouTube called me the F-word for saying stuff like that! How dare an old man go hurting a teenager like that!

[Fauna]

Dr. Jerk,did you know that they're trying to make a live action Cowboy Bebop movie with Keanu Reeves as Spike? God I hate Hollywood so much in ways I can't even describe.

It's been shelved for having too grand a budget. Nobody knows where the 500 million was supposed to go (CGI? Cigarette budget?) but it's probably never going to happen.

And yes, you kind of unfairly threw in anime as one of the bad pieces in your argument. If something terrible is mainstream, it doesn't represent the entire industry...for every Key The Metal Idol or Giant Robo (which is not really about robots) that slips through the cracks, there are ten Narutos, and it's up to us to look past it.


I hate to go here, but I tried watching Fish Hooks...it seemed like the offspring of Spongebob Squarepants and the Rainbow Fish cartoon, with a hint of The Buzz on Maggie, which I couldn't stand as a child. So yeah, this cartoon's trying to be good, but it's clunky.

[Androids101]

The 500 million was given to the director for him to go buy drugs

[Astronomical girl]

You can call me culturally indulged
but i have watched anime as long as i can remember, the way back in kinderguarden I loved the anime shows that would come on even though they were in either german or french, i loved the cartoons the only american cartoons that i liked were the powerpuff girls which looked like anime in a way but still. when i went to the states i didn't care what i watched but i mostly loved anime like Yugioh (which i am still :blush) but i still love Tezuka and other anime creators like Miyazaki and others . all though the show was dubbed i still loved it, it wasn't until i moved to Korea that my love for manga and anime was indulged further as i watched subbed and dubbed and recongnized the differences. i agree that over the last ten years the modern shows lack if not more of the humor and emotion there is not humanity or dignity only a pile of gobbledigooke

The animation of the CGI would have been better along with the storyline, it was as i describe "a flat,tasteless bread covered in food colored icing and sugar decor"