Your favourite anime sucks!
Lately I’ve been trying my best to just take it easy. Ever since I left that dreaded hell of high school, I’ve had a giant Space Battleship lodged up my arse. It’s slowly working its way out of there, but as all you readers probably know, I still get my panties in a twist over many things. The main reason why I’m generally just trying my best to “keep it cool, yo” (as the kids say) is because this type of attitude does nothing good for me, and only causes headaches. But enough Live Journaling, I already have one for that. What I want to talk about is favourites.
A lot of bloggers at one point or another make it clear as to why things make it on their favourites list. Jeff Lawson is the first one that comes to mind, but there’s probably more. For a long time being on my list of favourites has been a very exclusive position for the 5 or 6 shows on there out of the 298 completed shows/movies/whatevers I’ve seen so far– kind of like a snobby party for only the elite of the elite of the elite. Basically my favourites list was the landmarks of anime that I’d seen and really enjoyed. Stuff that was approved “good” by various respected anime-watching personalities that just happened to strike me in a profound manner as well. Stuff I wouldn’t be “ashamed” of having on my list of favourites. Well, now I want to open it up. Consider this another step in removing the <Insert Giant Object Here> from my arse.
It just hit me a few minutes ago while I was in the shower– such an attitude is the attitude of a fucking critic. The attitude of Jay Sherman, if you will. I’m not a motherfucking anime critic, I’m a fan. Fans don’t need to operate on logic, they just need to love. That isn’t to say you should abandon the critic mentality as a fan, but you shouldn’t let it take you over. I think my main problem for a while was that the critic mentality and fan mentality were often at odds, which resulted in many confused emotions over shows, along with numerous headaches and other terrible things. But now that’s gone. I figure if I already post shameless pictures of dakimakura covers, I should be allowed to be shameless with my tastes, too. So, as of right now, Shuffle! is a favourite anime. Tsukuyomi is a favourite anime. Futakoi Alternative is… almost a favourite anime!
Of course, with my standards being a lot more loose now, things will come and go from the list a lot easier. One thing that determines a favourite for me is rewatchability, and a lot of the shows going up there I haven’t watched much more than once. However, when I come to the end of a series, I know if it’ll be worth a second look or not. What determines that is what emotions the series brought up in me, and how strongly they affected me. For instance, after Shuffle! I knew I’d eventually come around to it again, but I’ll never pick up Kaiji for another viewing after I’m done with it. Sure, Kaiji’s a great series, but it doesn’t effect me emotionally at all.
Anyway, I’m getting off track here. I guess I should just stop writing this and chill, or something.
I know that you mean 100%, personally I have always put Mahoromatic in my list of top 5 most loved anime ever. In reality it’s plot is Meh at best and the animation values our horrendous at times but I just plain LOVE it. That poor little android maid will “always” hold a place in my heart. Just because I love a series like Mahoro doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a “Quality” series any less. So i say be proud of what you love and simply enjoy it, so what if some one says it does not deserve any praise.
That reminds me. I need to update my favorites list.
I think rewatchability is key. I don’t have a published list but the anime shows I consider my favorite are ones that I have watched again. They’re also the ones I’ve bought DVDs for.
Suddenly I have this urge to re-watch The Critic…….
To a certain extent the critic is a necessary part of being a fan. Yes a fan is supposed to love, but isn’t it so much better to know why you love? I mean isn’t it nice to think why Gurren Lagann is a great series, the themes, the symbolism? How about understanding the message in the orignal Gundam. Still, at times it is nice turn your brain off when looking at a series.
wah your dakimura suck :P
haha! I know exactly what you mean! I used to have a lot of critic mentality mixed in with my fandom and my favorites list has been in combat with itself for a long time before settling into what it is now – with the number scores removed and everything super chill. I’m glad to see you are developing your favorites list because I think it’s a very important thing for a fan to have a favorites list – it is a reflection of who you are and what you enjoy. As someone who’s life is mostly dedicated to anime, I want people to know what part of anime is the makeup of my being, knaamean?
Also, that post took twice as long to read since I had to stare at those fucking beautiful Hazuki pics~
>>BrendantheJedi
Yeah. There needs to be a balance, certainly. I think I made that clear in the entry. Basically what I was trying to get at is that it’s fine to love a show despite its faults.
>>digitalboy
highres
http://mistakesofyouth.com/ty04.jpg
http://mistakesofyouth.com/ty05.jpg
Just because something is better than another thing doesn’t make it more enjoyable. I generally use this example on forums
Getter Robo (in its post 1995 incarnations) is my all time favorite series however Cowboy Bebop is the best series I’ve seen.
Despite Bebop’s superiority in many ways it just doesn’t get to me like Getter Robo does. Getter Robo is simple and imperfect, but god damnit when you watch it you just get into the characters and the violence.
SHINE SPARK!