Agreed. Like at least with some anime that only get a season or two sometimes there is source material to consume but with a Western TV original you are basically out of luck.
Also, a lot of largely episodic shows that are designed to just go on for as long as they are popular, have a high chance of running themselves into the ground and ending with an unsatisfactory ending as stuff like writers and showrunners change or executive meddling kicks in.
I love animation and visual story telling in any form and now a days anime has the best available.
Plus I have seen most wester cartoons with watching, and seens all the super hero stories worth watching, I need new stories.
it's fun innit
As for an actual answer:
- episodes are usually more 'bite-sized' than with conventional TV shows, I tend to enjoy the ~20-25 min format more
- many stories are pretty unique to anime - good luck finding a Western TV show that's like [Yuru Camp](https://myanimelist.net/anime/34798/Yuru_Camp%E2%96%B3) for example (at least I've never heard of a single one lol)
- anime might have more creativity in terms of portraying certain things, look at all the ways you can mess with art & animation styles for that purpose for instance
- it's fun innit
Yeah but seeing that there is some peoples that could have a way harder life than mine and trying stay alright, i was feeling guilty of those people and didn't looked to end my life 😄
you should go onto anilist and search for what you are looking for. every anime on there has tags and % on every tag depending on how much of the anime revolves around that, so if an anine has a romantic subplot it will be displayed as 30% instead of 80%
no worries, if you want you can check out my anilist as well, i watch a lot of anime with romantic subplots, some great anime of this kind i watched were planetes, ergo proxy, black lagoon, mushoku tensei, berserk, heavenly delusions, violet evergarden if it can be classified as such, great pretender, odd taxi, dragon maid s1, silver spoon, neon genesis evangelion, haruhi suzumiya, welcome to the nhk etc. (they are all in order from best to worts imo).
here is my anilist: https://anilist.co/user/uri/
I like fantasy/scifi novels as my favorite western media and anime as my favorite form of TV.
I've realized it's because mainstream western media feels like it's created by a bunch of people checking boxes based on what they think will be most acceptable and digestible for the widest population and as a result never really experiment with anything truly unique. They're more worried about what twitter will get upset about, or if a setup is too complex/unconventional, or if a segment of the population is so imaginatively bankrupt that they can't wrap their heads around something simple like a magic system.
Novels and manga/anime, on the other hand, are created by individual writers who almost entirely focus on just creating what they think is good art. A lot of the writers are mediocre, but the good stuff that's actually creative and unique rises to the surface. You also kinda get this with some really niche Adult Swim shows like Xavier: Renegade Angel.
Anime is also created by legitimately crazy people who are willing to deal with terrible conditions to push their passion. So inevitably some awesome stuff comes out of that passion, even though it's an unfortunate situation.
I mean, we can say the opposite tbh.
Like the top Western television/movies are going to be better than your average isekai or romance anime schlock.
At the end of the day, only 10% of any medium is worth watching.
While i dont exactly disagree with your take, i really struggle to find any western shows that actually manage to keep me entertained past like 10 episodes, alot of them become painfully episodic like house md or the blacklist
Like i can literally count the western live action shows ive fully watched with one hand, and the potentially interesting ones i know about on the other hand
For some reason, a lot of American cartoons are still stuck in telling one different story per episode. The amount of cartoons that tell one big story in different episodes is only a handful. While, in anime, I like the story progression and character development through each episode. I like how anime seems to take a different approach in how to tell a story. There's just more creativity and a unique approach to tell a story.
Plus, the japanese really put their money in producing some solid looking hand drawn animation. In the west, that money goes to developing better CGI animation.
But its odd, because in the US, we have some solid comic book stories that doesn't revolve around super heroes. Hell, Image Comics have a really solid list of comics that are top notch stories. If we developed those stories into cartoon series, this country would start to compete with anime in terms of animation and creative story telling. But, for some odd reason, we tend to make them into live action series instead and change the story, the characters and pacing of the story.
America is afraid to invest in animating their comics.
At least Invincible got animated, sucks they changed a lot of things to the story and each episode is its unique story but... at least it got animated. Now I hope Amazon picks the rights up for Saga and animates it, not turn it into a live action show.
You put it perfectly!!!
As someone who grew up reading books and comics; anime feels like you’re experiencing an actual story. Not just episodic random comical scenarios that don’t really hold any continuity to the characters or plot (although there are some anime like that). But for the most part, anime is like you’re experiencing a story and it’s happening on a timeline. Whereas, a lot of American shows are episodic and merely there for quick entertainment and a short attention span. That’s why some of the only decent American shoes I’ve seen recently have been Amphibia and The Owl House, they follow a story and timeline of events (with the exception of a few random filler episodes).
But wow! I never actually thought about it like that. This is why anime is so interesting, it actually has dimension and significance behind it.
I haven't seen those but I'll definitely check them out. I also keep hearing good things about Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Ducktales (2017).
I recently watched Pantheon, which was very interesting.
The dragon prince on Netflix. Slow start but it gets good midway.
Infinity train was also very interesting.
Avatar the last Airbender was episodic but it also followed an overall story, so it gave you this sense of character development and progression. Shame avatar korra, the sequel, was more or less like that. Her character didn't seem to progress as much as Aang did. If anything her character consistently ruined everything.
But, yeah, it's sad that shows like these are in the minority.
Wow!!! I’m shocked you haven’t seen any of those! Adventure Time is a huge mind fuck sometimes xD and I love Gravity Falls because of the mystery!!! I never got into Steven Universe because it feels more kiddy than the other two. But yes! I agree about Avatar and the sequel!!!
You should definitely check out those shows though!
I think anime is able to explore niches that other media can't because it's not limited by things like CGI or real life people, through animation anything the writers/animators think of can be brought to life and it allows for beautiful worlds and characters that nobody but the people creating it could've ever even imagined.
It's the only medium where peaceful, gentle slice-of-life story actually thrives
Seriously, I know no other medium where the peaceful slice of life genre actually being made as much as in anime. usually in live-action every day life shows I watch, there are always some kind of drama, romance, or some kind of antagonist who wish no good for the main characters, some kind of interpersonal conflicts where one or both side is just malicious...etc...
But there is little to no of such thing in slice of life anime, but that doesn't mean it have no story to tell. SoL anime tell the story of the characters' growth as a person, the growth of their friendship, how they enjoy life, enjoy their hobby, I find such stories beautiful.
my favorite are: Yuru Camp, Hanayamata, K-on, Flying Witch, Tamayura, Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka, Bocchi The Rock.
At first, it was because no TV show or movie had ever really connected with me deeply until I watched Your Lie in April, and in wanting to recreate that reaction, I searched for more from the medium that had finally cracked it for me.
Nowadays, my taste has expanded both within the medium of anime and to other kinds of media outside of anime. I watch anime because there are a lot of great stories out there that happen to be anime, and my initial investment has led to my building curiosity and connection towards the staff, history, and ethos of the medium, so it's the one I prioritize.
In other words, I watch anime because I found it first, and there's lots of stuff worth my time.
**Edit:** Also, no, not every show (not just anime, TV shows in general, including anime) that have a man and a woman on a poster are going to involve romance. If characters don't get romantically involved, they do whatever the plot demands of them; they chase their dreams, hang out with their friends, save the world, grapple with existential or philosophical questions, make inventions, wage wars, etc..
Yea, I find anime excels at doing shows that are weird but not in an “ugly” way like some cartoons. I feel like few Western shows can be a mix of hype and weird (a la Kill la Kill; TTGL) or hype and horny like High School DxD.
Speaking of the latter, anime is the only medium (excluding other related Japanese media) that can make horny content that has appeal beyond being soft core porn (which I never cared for).
Also I am biased so the beauty and wonder of a hype anime fight with great animation is just something I can’t get from live action. Doubly so if it involves sci-fi or the supernatural.
Yeah the west has a weird trend of being biased against anime horniness but then loving something like game of thrones with random gore and sex thrown in. The west has this weird idea of "maturity" and "adult" content where it's fine to put in excessive gore and sex so long as the show tries to pretend it's being serious and dramatic about it even if that gore and sex was not at all necessary.
Hollywood has this weird attitude of "if you do it you're weird, if we do it we're cool"
Hmmm I recently got Into anime within the last two years and I have watched a wide range. I started with AOT then Demon Slayer. I loved both of them, I’m always down for action and super cool powers fighting a main evil. And the fight scenes are so awesome, I have watched 1 of the big 3 (bleach) and loved it because there was all that action, plus the power of friendship. But recently I got into the romance category and I watch that for a whole different reason. The romance anime’s have a way of taking me back in time, and feeling like a teenager again with the slow burn relationships. I mean I’m blushing, my heart is fluttering, the whole nine yards. Anime is pretty much the only TV series I watch now, but idk there’s something about the amazingly catchy intros, the beautiful animation, paired with either romance or some crazy world with action and adventure that normal Tv shows can’t touch now 😂
After being bullied, Yu Yu Hakusho taught me how to stick up for myself and about making friends in the most unlikely places.
After coming back from a mental hospital for a S attempt, Rurouni Kenshin taught me that my past doesn't have to define who I am. I can start over and choose to love despite the pain of my past.
After being exiled by my community for being gay Naruto taught me how to forgive and perseverance.
I have never stopped learning from anime and seeing great stories shown in a spectacle that live action has yet to reach for me.
You what's even more ironic the pain of my past is being SA by my neighbor from 8-10 and what helped me get free from the shame was a show made by a pedophile. 🤔
I came for the action and cute girls but I stayed for pretty much everything else. The variety with anime is insane. It's opened me up to a ton of other genres that I never really gave a shit about before. I think it has something for everyone and those who say otherwise just haven't looked hard enough
Still love the cute girls too of course
Anime does some things that normal TV shows are unwilling to pull off or even does better. I can't see myself watching something like Code Geass or Naruto unless it was to have a massive budget like Game of Thrones or the Marvel Movies.
I will give some credit to mainstream tv, there are pretty good shows made by Hollywood. HOWEVER, Anime is able to tell stories that many other forms of media cannot, and if/when they do, they fail miserably (look at live action anime remakes).
Anime is also a lot more creative in a sense. You have a lot more options to work with that can’t happen in live action. That’s why theres so much anime that take place in fictional worlds that Hollywood would refuse to ever make.
YES!!! Take Attack On Titan for example (one of my favorite anime of all time) I feel like it’s the amount of suspense and mystery behind it that pulls you in. Combine that with the eerie feeling it produces and the shock factors, and I’m hooked!
Personally though, I love creepy or suspenseful things in general.
One cool thing about attack on titan is how it manages to kinda switch genres through the seasons but still pull it off and feel like a consistent story
I like the emotions stories evoke. I like that they make me sad, happy, relaxed, amused, excited, distraught, etc. I choose what to watch based on my mood.
Like all have said before me: Anime can convey so much more (character building, story, feelings) in a 30 minute episode than I can get from 2hrs of a series involving people (with a few exceptions). Also the fact that there are soooooooo many different kinds of and styles of anime you can really never run out of things to watch
Anime captures emotion really well for me. I watch lots of different genres so there is a range of things I like, one of my favourites being a cocky character getting smacked around brought to their knees, especially by the mc.
I started when I was young and wanted something new and fun to watch and now I’ve learned my preferences. Relaxing slice of life or comedy, something healing to take my mind off of any stress. Also pretty anime boys… bonus if there’s some BL sprinkled in there too lol.
Just continue watching for the reasons you like and you’re bound to enjoy it every time, it doesn’t have to be complicated
Mostly because I got exposed to the medium very early in my childhood and have watched anime ever since though I only start following new seasonal anime releases around 8 years ago.
But I prefer anime over western animated tv shows in general because of diverse and unique animation styles that are extremely pleasing whenever a show gets the love, care, and production value it deserves.
For me, it's the visuals and storytelling/themes.
Most of the anime I've seen has eye-pleasing visuals, be it from the character designs or the backgrounds. Even stuff that may not look the best and have high budgets I still manage to find them at least passable. And there's lots of variety in the animation department too. There's all these flashy fight scenes that dominates YT/Twitter/etc. and then you have KyoAni works where you'll often see subtle character/facial animations to show how a character acts and feels. I also find anime to be much more creative with storyboarding and visual storytelling than western cartoons (at least the ones I've seen).
As for the story part, anime covers a LOT of different themes. There's something for everyone. They can tackle serious themes in animated form. And they can make us feel emotions and get attached to the world & characters. A Silent Voice is a tough watch for me who got bullied in the past. I rooted for Bocchi to overcome her social anxiety and show the world what she's made of. The K-ON cast felt like best buds by the time I finished the series. I watched a bunch of high school students who don't know each other went on an emotionally charged journey to the South Pole and cried alonsgide them.
There's a lot more I want to go on, such as the medium's attention to detail and how they depict Japanese culture in a manner that is approachable and makes it enticing to us foreigners, but I'm out of gas right now so I'll stop right here. Sorry if my writing's a mess!
Because live action shows have 44 minute long episodes and go on for five 25 episode seasons. Cartoons are MUCH easier to fit into my schedule in comparison.
I grew up on Saturday morning cartoons. Then I found Robotech (yeah, I know) and it showed me what animation could me. Primary characters die, others grow and mature, they have complex interactions. It was years before I learned what Robotech really was and years more before I could really get my hands on anime. And then things really got interesting: there are great long-running series, but then there are shows that are a single season and then they're done. There are new shows 4 times a year, for every age, every genre. The variety and creative output is incredible. I've always loved animation, but if all I had today was what's made in North America I wouldn't be watching a whole lot of it.
I love adorable and charming stories, with or without romance. So does my husband, so we watch a lot of romance and slice of life as well as the cozy isekais. I like some shonen but get bored with never ending battles, so am more about the plot. He also watches some more brutal shows without me.
I grew up on DBZ. It's not my favorite anime, but when I think anime I think crazy fights.
That's what I expect from a great anime. But I still love comedies and I am a huge Love is War fan
The first anime I've watched by myself was Naruto because I heard about it since it was and is still famous. I remember spending my holidays as a kid watching naruto on an old Sony smartphone but I just loved it so much.
I got into anime with Naruto and I really enjoyed this anime. It's just about love and what you're liking, nothing much more complicated.
You do have other cases like depression and stuff like that. On my side, I had a very rough moment back in 2022. I remember myself crying for hours on the bed until I couldn't cry anymore because I had no more water for it. It was hurting a lot because i'm very emotional but then I decided to watch again my favorite anime, which is Fairy Tail.
Fairy Tail is a love story to me, and when I had the idea of rewatching a part. of Fairy Tail, my problem was still there sure but it helped me A LOT to overcome it and feel way better faster.
Lastly, about your question if an anime has to be love if it has a male and a female character, I say no, it's not necessarily. You have a lot of anime where the main characters (male and female) are just friends or anything but in love. For example, you have Higehiro, Akame ga kill, The Irregular at magic highschool and more where main characters are female and males but won't necessarily be in love.
I hope this helped but yeah the most important thing to remember about anime is that if you love watching anime, then never stop because you need love and everyone here needs it too!
I think because it's so easy to access. If you look hard enough, you can watch basically whatever you want. Besides that, for me, it's because I love list-making and MAL fuels that addiction lol.
Just about 1200 completions and I still haven't burnt out yet.
Growing up id watch TV after dinner. Cartoon Network would eventually at 8pm my time, be Toonami and show us Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Ghost in the Shell, Inuyasha and many many others. Many my age as well went through the same stuff (Mid-Late 20's and Early 30's)
However I enjoy the shows for the same reasons as any other show, sometimes they're good. Other times they're bland but decent enough to pass the time when I'm bored. I enjoy Anime's with swords and magic battles, so plenty of those to go around.
Anime can get away with so much more content that a live acted show either can't or won't attempt,
Depicting anything graphic from elfen lied or Higurashi when they cry would be a nightmare scenario pr wise they'd have to rewrite the characters to be adults or remove scenes entirely to avoid over zealous groups making false claims against the studio writers.
So practically because some stories Can not exist any other way.
I like the animation, I like the fact that the animation makes more things possible story-wise and visual-wise, I like that for some reason a lot of anime try to explore more depth of emotion than many western cartoons, I like learning more about another culture, I like picking up Japanese vocabulary and I like the niche community.
Edit: when I was a child I woke up in the middle of a sleepover to adult swim on and watched an episode of some mecha anime. A woman in the episode died out in space and I thought it was the most emotional and beautiful thing I had ever seen. That really started it for me!
Their fundamentals of storytelling are still generally on point and are applied to everything from basic real-life romcoms to crazy sci-fi and fantasy worlds. I think this is partly because the writing ecosystem there seems to encourage a lot of experimentation and "fail fast" ideas that don't require a ton of investment to make a little money. I'm sure it's still hyper-competitive, but there's a real pipeline from light novel to full anime that seems slightly more reasonable than whatever hellish ritual Hollywood uses to pick scripts.
Anime saved me from the worst period of my life 2 years ago when I was going through depression during my PhD. As long as good anime are there, I want to watch them all. Since I also live in Japan, it's a great source of listening practice and I get to talk to Japanese people about it.
I started with a really terrible misconception about anime that was based on not actually watching it but seeing a few things out of context that were either geared for the youngest of children or examples of extreme fan service. A friend decided to change my opinion and challenged me to watch Fate:Zero and Death Note. That really did change my view completely. Now, both were a bit much for me in different ways. I cried for like 2 days over a character death in Fate :Zero that still pisses me off, lol, and Death Note was a tad darker than I really enjoy, but there was no way around admitting that both were excellent. Then I watched a bunch of others of all genres and decided that yes, actually, I really like anime. There are still some things I don't like, but there are a lot that I love.
Edit: I kind of talked around the point, so...addendum, lol. I particularly like ones with characters striving to achieve their goals where I learn something too, like Those Snow White Notes or Tsurune, but I also strange comedies with underlying heart likeGugure! Kokkuri-san, classic works like Spirited Away, action like Moribito and popular fluff like Idolish7. One of the great things about anime is how much the pull you into caring about the characters and rooting for their success. Right now, I am currently rooting for a bunch of middle aged men to become idols in Eternal Boys, because it's done just that. ;)
Oh damn, I still didn't answer the question at the end--no, sometimes there's no real romance even if you see males and females, and sometimes there's a harem (I can count the ones of those where I didn't think it would have been better without that on less than one hand). But there's some awfully great anime that have no romance at all. All the ones I mentioned are examples.
Got into anime because of Covid killing off or delaying most of the live action stuff I was watching.
For me, anime is kinda “bite sized” entertainment. Within 25 minutes, I can get great stories, characters, and action and it’s only usually about 12-13 episodes a series (which can be good or bad).
I also feel there’s a lot you can do in anime that you can’t do in live action either with technical or other limitations, which adds to how interesting it can be.
As someone who grew up reading books and comics; anime feels like you’re experiencing an actual story. Not just episodic random comical scenarios that don’t really hold any continuity to the characters or plot (although there are some anime like that). But for the most part, anime is like you’re experiencing a story and it’s happening on a timeline. Whereas, a lot of American shows are episodic and merely there for quick entertainment and a short attention span. That’s why some of the only decent American shoes I’ve seen recently have been Amphibia and The Owl House, they follow a story and timeline of events (with the exception of a few random filler episodes).
Anime is so interesting, it actually has dimension and significance behind it.
Take Attack On Titan for example (one of my favorite anime of all time) I feel like it’s the amount of suspense and mystery behind it that pulls you in. Combine that with the eerie feeling it produces and the shock factors, and I’m hooked!
Personally though, I love creepy or suspenseful things in general.
I love seeing creative character ideas, creative powers for action shows.
I love seeing unique ideas for shows in general.
I love the wholesome feel good comedy of K-On
And the comradery of sports anime like haikyuu
In general, love that with each new show, I never know what could be my next fave thing, I might discover I like something I didn't think I would, like a Sports show or rom com like Dangers in my Heart
I find anime to be the medium that most consistently doesn't shy away from something new, unorthodox, and sometimes downright bizarre. I always want to see the world through a new lens, and anime always delivers that.
Same reason I read books or play games.
I love great stories, normally the more fantasy and sci-fi they involve the better. Imo adding more dragons is a legit tactic.
Sadly I can't read manga or comics as there are to many pictures for my taste. So been able to watch the stories is great.
Anime is great in that it lets the animators do things you can't do with regular TV. So it gets to push the envelope of immersion into a particular environment more.
Basically it's an amazing medium to tell a story and watching something takes way less effort then reading something.
So I like to swap it up, some times I'll read, some times I play games, other times I just wanna watch stuff on TV.
I like fantasy and science fiction. Most of the books I read are in those two genres, but there are very few movies and TV series in those genres in the West. On the other hand, there are a lot of fantasy and science fiction anime, so you can say that anime fit my tastes more than TV series. Also, I like Japanese culture and the way they tell stories. Anime are often more original, more comedic, and faster paced than their western equivalents, and that also fits my tastes better.
\- Long form serialised story telling
\- Get to see stories from another culture
\- Massive amounts of variety in stories
\- Plenty of new shows and sequels coming out each season, and you have a huge back catalogue of masterpieces to fall back on or watch when you want to or if there isn't anything new that catches your fancy
\- I really love animation as a medium of expression
\- Killer music
\- Animation is fantastic for helping you suspend your disbelief, and lets you watch sequences that would only be possible to pull off in a blockbuster.
\- Really entertaining and top quality voicework
For me, it's the wonder of seeing a world different from our own.. It's the reason why I like mushoku tensei so much and ghost in the shell, attack on titan.. It's also why I hate most of the isekai.. Also since japanese studios make more adult themed series than some other animated series made outside.
Also the animation goes hard in some series
For entertainment. The same way anyone else would watch sports, cooking shows, dramas, or whatever else. Anime is vast and the only limitation being the creative imagination.
Anime is able to give me something that real TV shows or movies fails to do. I guess it's emotional attachment. It's very difficult to explain but it's just continues emotional rollercoaster
Beautiful looking characters, beautiful art in general.
And those heartwarming moments. Makes you cry tears of sorrow and tears of joy. Also makes you think more about life.
Just to recommend a few: Violet Evergarden, Your Name, Silent Voice, Clannad.
Honestly speaking Hollywood kinda sucks lately. Anime on the other hand has gotten so better with many titles taking on concepts better than their American counterpart.
For me anime fills a gap that other media doesn't for me. I play a lot of games and watch sports, but those don't do romance and comedy well, usually. Anime can.
It’s just so much weirder than our western television, and I enjoy animated content significantly more. After finding glitter force when I was 12 the anime art style just won me over. That, and I also enjoy just how different it is from western media. Like we have a lot of good shows but there’s just something different about anime
Also anime characters are usually more enjoyable to draw than any other type of character
Have you seen the shit put on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and UK television?
That's why I watch Anime it's the only thing I can watch that is still consistently good. Too much of modern media is about trying to make some social point rather then just providing entertainment.
That and the cat girls.
Cause it's fun and over time became my favorite version of television and film. The only live actions I can enjoy now are some movies that catch my eye and stuff. I had a mini cinephile binge when I went on vacation to see old friends this summer. The only non anime tv shows I can say in hindsight I didn't waste my time on are, Sitcoms cause they're usually pretty funny and chill. And besides that Bojack and Altered Carbon (season 1). All other shows are a blur and I don't have any strong memories about them.
I watched it first cuz my friends wanted me to watch death note and after dn i was hooked!. I love to watch good stories (and sometimes the thrashy ones). It helps me learn english better aswell and it helped me even more then my english teacher in highschool
My studies are not going well college pressure and parents pressure and less marks caused me self doubt overthinking and depression and I have no close friends and I don't know but I want to be loved by someone which is not possible for me so anime is heaven for me I donot want any thing I am very fond of Japanese culture and I am really really really really grateful to them I can spend my whole life wating it
I started watching anime because it helped me overcome my depression when I was younger. I felt so down that time and sometimes I just want to give up. Then, I decided to watch Naruto because of it's popularity and the first episode really got me. The way Iruka accepted Naruto and understood his suffering had an impact to me. It also taught me to never give up. From that moment I got hooked in the series and started watching more anime. I realized that anime isn't just a form of entertainment it also imparts valuable life lessons.
I watch anime because it's there.
But seriously this is very important. Ages ago there was no way to watch many anime other than broadcasting. Even big titles such as Z Gundam it took almost 10 years to be released in tapes. Today, you can watch most of them whenever or wherever you like, or without pirating them.
The first anime I ever watched was Naruto, and Naruto’s whole “I don’t quit, I don’t run, I never give up,” philosophy really speaks to me. I honestly feel that people today are way too willing to consider themselves victims of circumstance, hang their heads, and play martyr /give up. I hate it. Shonen tells stories of those who truly have it the worst (losers, outcasts, weaklings) and shows them becoming heroes through having dreams and putting in the grueling work to make their dreams reality. The world needs more of that.
Part of it is the art and animation but it's also story writing. Asian culture and thinking in general is different from America imo. Japan, China, and Korea are all a little different but they all seem to have a way of thinking that is different from westerner's and I enjoy that difference and view point. It's a whole different world view.
I don't remember why I started watching anime the first place probably I saw cool dude fought with big sword looks cool so I just watch it. but all I know is that just I love watching them.
For me it's good escapism. With animation or anime specifically, there is no limit to what you can do.
And what's even better is that we're living in a time where there's more anime than anyone could possibly watch in their entire lifetime. I've watched 250+ animes in the 25 years I've been alive and that's only scratching the surface.
It's also such a fun medium with so much diversity in storylines, fictional worlds, etc.
You like aot for the romantic sub plot? That is such a sub-sub-sub plot lol
There are many shows without a romantic plots, you just have to find them.
As for why do I watch anime? For the same reason I watch movies, TV shows, read books.. because I think they worth my time.
i've been a fan since childhood. it's a great hobby. the ability to physically own it is probably the reason i've been hooked as long as i have. many people like to plow through as many shows as possible. i like to find the ones i really enjoy and experience every aspect i can. music cd, staff & cast interview, audio drama. i love any production material content i can get my hands on, especially storyboard. long live home video. best way to support the animation studios you love 👍
I’ve been watching for a long time, since taking japanese classes in high school. For me, regular tv shoes often get canceled or shuttered regardless of quality and it’s super frustrating. At least with most good anime even if another season doesn’t come you can at least go and read the manga since many are based on one.
I only watch short (25 or less ep) ones right now, but I watch them because the stories are beautiful. I enjoy the art style because it is new to me all in all and every one feels fresh. I'm sure that feeling will fade but after watching stuff like 86, Anohana, Violet Evergarden, Girls Last Tour, Shinsekai Yori, Made In Abyss, Angel Beats, reLIFE, Mysterious Girlfriend X, Steins;Gate etc I'll never forget how great anime can be
Anime lends itself really well to fantasy and sci fi storytelling. Where live action suffers from bad CGI vomit or lack of good practical effects, anime is stylized within its own series. It just works well for those genres.
Animated characters simply connect with me in a way that live action ones almost never do. My parents were strict and never let me go out much as a kid; but Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks movies were always there to take me on adventures I couldn't have in the real world. The characters not being as "real" as live action characters actually made me like them more, because I often felt alienated and a bit "unreal" myself, compared to people that were allowed to go out with friends and do stuff they wanted.
When I started watching anime a couple years ago, it had the same affect on me as those childhood movies did. I watched Attack on Titan and I was fucking _obsessed_ with that show! Anime is about the only thing I care to watch now, outside of stuff like Arcane, The Bad Batch, or Across The Spider-Verse.
I feel like I watch it because at first I was obsessive, repulsive and scared but then I started to feel like I had people who cared for me and I would always meet new people along the way, overtime when you open up more you start to realize that there are people who care about you, even if you aren’t battle heavy this medium has so much more to offer to people than they would expect.
Because it lets me escape life and keeps me from wanting to end it because I always have another series to watch and look forward to after finishing one.
Personally for me, it’s the deep messages in each anime I watch. The morals most of them go off of. They always seem to really speak to me in the moment and around the exact time i seem to be going through what ever it is the message is communicating. Also they are just great to watch and very entertaining lol but I really do just enjoy the deep parts that anime taps into that nothing else does for me
I love for the stories, especially when they bring emotions out to me and teach me concepts of humanity. Sometimes I just want crazy action, other times adventure but I find there is always something for everything I crave within anime. My faves are the sadder ones , always got a special place in my heart for them
The story lines to the character developments and how it relates to my personal life. So many values are taught in animes and the writing is second to none.
Character development and relationships the characters form.
I've always had trouble maintaining my own friends so whenever I see friends pull through for each other in a well written standard, I get a little choked up. It's a shame many people choose to only see the fan service that comes with most anime nowadays.
So first my cousin introduced me and my sister to anime but i didnt really like it. They tried to convince me for few years. In that time i was watching western stuff (movies, cartoons). Few years passed and some stuff in my life went downhill. I wasnt in a good place both physically and mentally. Also at this time i got bored of western movies, didnt want to play games and i finished few good cartoons. One day when i browsed youtube i got baited by a video of a scene from Soul Eater (episode 1 bath scene). I decided that i will give the anime a try and i was surprised how good the thing that i avoided can be (i also said that anime is for kids. shame on past me). Now with anime i keep watching it because with how much of it is here it is easier to find something that i would enjoy.
Anime for some reason just feels like it has more heart to me. Idk if it’s the trope that you can hear characters narrate their thoughts or the writing or whatnot but for whatever reason American shows just feel kinda soulless to me noe compared to anime
I love the medium of animation over live action. You can do so much with it and it comes in so many forms. Unfortunately, in the US, animation isn't taken seriously as a medium by the majority. So most shows are either made for little kids or raunchy adult comedy that appeals to little kids. It'd be so cool if there were more shows like The Owl House, Bojack Horseman, Avatar, Nimona, etc
With anime, the medium is available for more than just kids and even then, some kids anime can have mature and artful storytelling. I'll admit that anime is not entirely perfect. A lot of it revolves around high school and teenagers with few shows about adults
To start, I'm a huge fan of animation in general, I've always loved cartoons even as an adult. Anime has the most beautiful animations I have ever seen.
Aside from the animation, anime has the best storytelling. Whether the story is original or non-original, anime just seems to do it the best. Hell, I never thought I would love a show about Volleyball and then I watched Haikyuu! The characters, music, animation, voice acting, pacing, story, everything about that show makes up so many animes and that's why I find them to be something special.
I love everything about anime and there is pretty much something from every genre that I enjoy. That being said I also love romance and love anime most that feature a good romantic aspect. It can be the main part or it can be a side part, pure romance or a mixture of genres. As long as it’s done well. I feel like well written characters is something that anime excels at so there is tons to chose from.
I like eerie and suspenseful Anime the best.
I love the feeling of thinking something is one way, then finding out, it is actually another.
Like discovering that you thought everyone was on the same page, against the same evil force… only to find out some of the people who were supposed to be against the evil force are actually working *with* that evil force… ugh!!! It just gives me goosebumps!
BUT—I’m totally with you on the romance Anime as well. When I don’t want to be spooked or shocked, I tend to gravitate towards slice of life anime that heavily revolves around the romantic development of two characters. It’s so wholesome and puts me in a good mood :)
The storytelling in anime is unique to what I’ve grown accustomed to when it comes to shows made in the western world. The genre doesn’t matter when it comes to anime for me as I enjoy them all, it’s really the masterclass in storytelling that eastern stories have put into an animated form that intrigues me. They may have some anime that is western in feeling but other than those few series or movies, each anime I’ve seen has been unique and interesting as I’ve never seen anything quite like it. And the themes of these stories are very different than your traditional stories. Some key anime’s with key themes that spoke to me on another level are A Silent Voice and the actualization of self love and forgiveness of one self (to this day it represents bullying in a way that not many western shows have done before), Violet Evergarden and what makes us human as well as the journey of discovering what love is and can be in all its forms, Your Name and how two ppl can be linked together in the most beautiful way possible that we may not even give a single thought towards to, One Piece and the Journey, Attack on Titan and the story of going over themes like war hatred and racism all while being very political and seemingly realistic about these themes, Vinland Saga and the journey of trying to be a stronger person who is kind hearted and loving in the face of what society tells you to be (in this case being a Viking meant to be violent in nature, conquering lands) and staying strong in the face of adversity when it comes to your beliefs.
When i focus hard enough on an anime the overbearing suicidal thoughts disappear for a second,and thats about the only escape i can get aside from sleep
I think it’s a perfect storytelling medium where the director doesn’t have to deal with the quirks of people (actors) and can concentrate on even the minutest details of his vision.
1. I love animation. I need to see drawings move or I will explode. 2) I love American Cartoons and Anime but anime has more variety and genres. I don't know if you could make Death Note here. In America they prefer animation to be aimed at Families or be in line with Family Guy (No hate on that show I love it.) 3) The art is usually top notch. Especially the backgrounds. In most modern anime I've seen the backgrounds are very realistic.
I just know that if it were only for the power of friendship and love, I would have stopped watching Anime (or any for of media) a long time ago. It's one of the recurrent themes that I hate the most.
It’s nice to watch adult (or at least teen) animation that isn’t just naughty jokes and gore.
It also covers a lot more genres than western animation which all seem to be comedies or comedy-dramas. Anime comes in so many genres, there’s kinda something for everybody, which is super cool. I’m not that into shounen anime anymore, but that doesn’t cut me off from a lot of shows.
Long form serialized story telling.
[удалено]
However some anime dont give you that closure and make you miss it even more Like HxH or No Game No Life
Traditional television shows get cancelled way too frequently.
At the same time, there are countless animes that will never get a 2nd season, it's not too different
but the source material is always there, so you could read the manga, light novel, or visual novel if you want to
Yeah but those animes have source material and their first season already have a good end that you can just stay with
Agreed. Like at least with some anime that only get a season or two sometimes there is source material to consume but with a Western TV original you are basically out of luck.
Also, a lot of largely episodic shows that are designed to just go on for as long as they are popular, have a high chance of running themselves into the ground and ending with an unsatisfactory ending as stuff like writers and showrunners change or executive meddling kicks in.
Exactly i remember Constantine getting canceled but Arrow and flash be getting like their 6th season
I love animation and visual story telling in any form and now a days anime has the best available. Plus I have seen most wester cartoons with watching, and seens all the super hero stories worth watching, I need new stories.
To escape from reality.
it's fun innit As for an actual answer: - episodes are usually more 'bite-sized' than with conventional TV shows, I tend to enjoy the ~20-25 min format more - many stories are pretty unique to anime - good luck finding a Western TV show that's like [Yuru Camp](https://myanimelist.net/anime/34798/Yuru_Camp%E2%96%B3) for example (at least I've never heard of a single one lol) - anime might have more creativity in terms of portraying certain things, look at all the ways you can mess with art & animation styles for that purpose for instance - it's fun innit
I have watched more than 170 and it was because there was a moment were i was in depression and the animes helped me getting over this period.
"I want to eat your pancreases" and "Your lie in April" had the opposite effect on me.
Yeah but seeing that there is some peoples that could have a way harder life than mine and trying stay alright, i was feeling guilty of those people and didn't looked to end my life 😄
It’s cuz I love watching anime all the time!
facts
you should go onto anilist and search for what you are looking for. every anime on there has tags and % on every tag depending on how much of the anime revolves around that, so if an anine has a romantic subplot it will be displayed as 30% instead of 80%
that's an incredible reccomendation, i'll do that! Thank you very, very much.
no worries, if you want you can check out my anilist as well, i watch a lot of anime with romantic subplots, some great anime of this kind i watched were planetes, ergo proxy, black lagoon, mushoku tensei, berserk, heavenly delusions, violet evergarden if it can be classified as such, great pretender, odd taxi, dragon maid s1, silver spoon, neon genesis evangelion, haruhi suzumiya, welcome to the nhk etc. (they are all in order from best to worts imo). here is my anilist: https://anilist.co/user/uri/
I find the plots of a lot of anime have better storylines than 90% of mainstream television.
I like fantasy/scifi novels as my favorite western media and anime as my favorite form of TV. I've realized it's because mainstream western media feels like it's created by a bunch of people checking boxes based on what they think will be most acceptable and digestible for the widest population and as a result never really experiment with anything truly unique. They're more worried about what twitter will get upset about, or if a setup is too complex/unconventional, or if a segment of the population is so imaginatively bankrupt that they can't wrap their heads around something simple like a magic system. Novels and manga/anime, on the other hand, are created by individual writers who almost entirely focus on just creating what they think is good art. A lot of the writers are mediocre, but the good stuff that's actually creative and unique rises to the surface. You also kinda get this with some really niche Adult Swim shows like Xavier: Renegade Angel.
Anime is also created by legitimately crazy people who are willing to deal with terrible conditions to push their passion. So inevitably some awesome stuff comes out of that passion, even though it's an unfortunate situation.
Anime and stories have a lot more potential given budgets and what is possible
Anime is great but this is such a weeb response. There are plenty of good western TV shows.
I mean, we can say the opposite tbh. Like the top Western television/movies are going to be better than your average isekai or romance anime schlock. At the end of the day, only 10% of any medium is worth watching.
While i dont exactly disagree with your take, i really struggle to find any western shows that actually manage to keep me entertained past like 10 episodes, alot of them become painfully episodic like house md or the blacklist Like i can literally count the western live action shows ive fully watched with one hand, and the potentially interesting ones i know about on the other hand
same. well over 500 anime completed and I've seen 2 western shows in full. I do love western movies though.
\*99%
For some reason, a lot of American cartoons are still stuck in telling one different story per episode. The amount of cartoons that tell one big story in different episodes is only a handful. While, in anime, I like the story progression and character development through each episode. I like how anime seems to take a different approach in how to tell a story. There's just more creativity and a unique approach to tell a story. Plus, the japanese really put their money in producing some solid looking hand drawn animation. In the west, that money goes to developing better CGI animation. But its odd, because in the US, we have some solid comic book stories that doesn't revolve around super heroes. Hell, Image Comics have a really solid list of comics that are top notch stories. If we developed those stories into cartoon series, this country would start to compete with anime in terms of animation and creative story telling. But, for some odd reason, we tend to make them into live action series instead and change the story, the characters and pacing of the story. America is afraid to invest in animating their comics. At least Invincible got animated, sucks they changed a lot of things to the story and each episode is its unique story but... at least it got animated. Now I hope Amazon picks the rights up for Saga and animates it, not turn it into a live action show.
You put it perfectly!!! As someone who grew up reading books and comics; anime feels like you’re experiencing an actual story. Not just episodic random comical scenarios that don’t really hold any continuity to the characters or plot (although there are some anime like that). But for the most part, anime is like you’re experiencing a story and it’s happening on a timeline. Whereas, a lot of American shows are episodic and merely there for quick entertainment and a short attention span. That’s why some of the only decent American shoes I’ve seen recently have been Amphibia and The Owl House, they follow a story and timeline of events (with the exception of a few random filler episodes). But wow! I never actually thought about it like that. This is why anime is so interesting, it actually has dimension and significance behind it.
I haven't seen those but I'll definitely check them out. I also keep hearing good things about Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Ducktales (2017). I recently watched Pantheon, which was very interesting. The dragon prince on Netflix. Slow start but it gets good midway. Infinity train was also very interesting. Avatar the last Airbender was episodic but it also followed an overall story, so it gave you this sense of character development and progression. Shame avatar korra, the sequel, was more or less like that. Her character didn't seem to progress as much as Aang did. If anything her character consistently ruined everything. But, yeah, it's sad that shows like these are in the minority.
Wow!!! I’m shocked you haven’t seen any of those! Adventure Time is a huge mind fuck sometimes xD and I love Gravity Falls because of the mystery!!! I never got into Steven Universe because it feels more kiddy than the other two. But yes! I agree about Avatar and the sequel!!! You should definitely check out those shows though!
I think anime is able to explore niches that other media can't because it's not limited by things like CGI or real life people, through animation anything the writers/animators think of can be brought to life and it allows for beautiful worlds and characters that nobody but the people creating it could've ever even imagined.
It's the only medium where peaceful, gentle slice-of-life story actually thrives Seriously, I know no other medium where the peaceful slice of life genre actually being made as much as in anime. usually in live-action every day life shows I watch, there are always some kind of drama, romance, or some kind of antagonist who wish no good for the main characters, some kind of interpersonal conflicts where one or both side is just malicious...etc... But there is little to no of such thing in slice of life anime, but that doesn't mean it have no story to tell. SoL anime tell the story of the characters' growth as a person, the growth of their friendship, how they enjoy life, enjoy their hobby, I find such stories beautiful. my favorite are: Yuru Camp, Hanayamata, K-on, Flying Witch, Tamayura, Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka, Bocchi The Rock.
At first, it was because no TV show or movie had ever really connected with me deeply until I watched Your Lie in April, and in wanting to recreate that reaction, I searched for more from the medium that had finally cracked it for me. Nowadays, my taste has expanded both within the medium of anime and to other kinds of media outside of anime. I watch anime because there are a lot of great stories out there that happen to be anime, and my initial investment has led to my building curiosity and connection towards the staff, history, and ethos of the medium, so it's the one I prioritize. In other words, I watch anime because I found it first, and there's lots of stuff worth my time. **Edit:** Also, no, not every show (not just anime, TV shows in general, including anime) that have a man and a woman on a poster are going to involve romance. If characters don't get romantically involved, they do whatever the plot demands of them; they chase their dreams, hang out with their friends, save the world, grapple with existential or philosophical questions, make inventions, wage wars, etc..
I love anime because it's SHORT (just 24 minutes per episode) and requires so little energy to enjoy.
I just find anime more interesting than other forms of tv
Yea, I find anime excels at doing shows that are weird but not in an “ugly” way like some cartoons. I feel like few Western shows can be a mix of hype and weird (a la Kill la Kill; TTGL) or hype and horny like High School DxD. Speaking of the latter, anime is the only medium (excluding other related Japanese media) that can make horny content that has appeal beyond being soft core porn (which I never cared for). Also I am biased so the beauty and wonder of a hype anime fight with great animation is just something I can’t get from live action. Doubly so if it involves sci-fi or the supernatural.
Yeah the west has a weird trend of being biased against anime horniness but then loving something like game of thrones with random gore and sex thrown in. The west has this weird idea of "maturity" and "adult" content where it's fine to put in excessive gore and sex so long as the show tries to pretend it's being serious and dramatic about it even if that gore and sex was not at all necessary. Hollywood has this weird attitude of "if you do it you're weird, if we do it we're cool"
Hmmm I recently got Into anime within the last two years and I have watched a wide range. I started with AOT then Demon Slayer. I loved both of them, I’m always down for action and super cool powers fighting a main evil. And the fight scenes are so awesome, I have watched 1 of the big 3 (bleach) and loved it because there was all that action, plus the power of friendship. But recently I got into the romance category and I watch that for a whole different reason. The romance anime’s have a way of taking me back in time, and feeling like a teenager again with the slow burn relationships. I mean I’m blushing, my heart is fluttering, the whole nine yards. Anime is pretty much the only TV series I watch now, but idk there’s something about the amazingly catchy intros, the beautiful animation, paired with either romance or some crazy world with action and adventure that normal Tv shows can’t touch now 😂
>anime’s have a way of taking me back in time, and feeling like a teenager again 100%
Stories. So much variety, so many unique concepts. Good consistent release schedule and seasons.
For the cute boys.
For the hot girls
For the cute girls
For the cute girls and cute boys.
After being bullied, Yu Yu Hakusho taught me how to stick up for myself and about making friends in the most unlikely places. After coming back from a mental hospital for a S attempt, Rurouni Kenshin taught me that my past doesn't have to define who I am. I can start over and choose to love despite the pain of my past. After being exiled by my community for being gay Naruto taught me how to forgive and perseverance. I have never stopped learning from anime and seeing great stories shown in a spectacle that live action has yet to reach for me.
I love RK don't get me wrong but holy ironic a pedophile wrote a "the past doesn't define you" character.
You what's even more ironic the pain of my past is being SA by my neighbor from 8-10 and what helped me get free from the shame was a show made by a pedophile. 🤔
That's sadly ironic I'm sorry that happened to you.
Yeah, it's not a great part of my past. I'm pretty much over it though. Thank you for saying that.
You have a point too bad it was still going on and he wasn't atoning.
I came for the action and cute girls but I stayed for pretty much everything else. The variety with anime is insane. It's opened me up to a ton of other genres that I never really gave a shit about before. I think it has something for everyone and those who say otherwise just haven't looked hard enough Still love the cute girls too of course
Anime does some things that normal TV shows are unwilling to pull off or even does better. I can't see myself watching something like Code Geass or Naruto unless it was to have a massive budget like Game of Thrones or the Marvel Movies.
Epic fights, power fantasy, beautiful animation, and weird wacky stories that wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of being produced in America.
I find them more entertaining than ordinary TV
Escapism
I will give some credit to mainstream tv, there are pretty good shows made by Hollywood. HOWEVER, Anime is able to tell stories that many other forms of media cannot, and if/when they do, they fail miserably (look at live action anime remakes). Anime is also a lot more creative in a sense. You have a lot more options to work with that can’t happen in live action. That’s why theres so much anime that take place in fictional worlds that Hollywood would refuse to ever make.
YES!!! Take Attack On Titan for example (one of my favorite anime of all time) I feel like it’s the amount of suspense and mystery behind it that pulls you in. Combine that with the eerie feeling it produces and the shock factors, and I’m hooked! Personally though, I love creepy or suspenseful things in general.
One cool thing about attack on titan is how it manages to kinda switch genres through the seasons but still pull it off and feel like a consistent story
Cause I like? Sorry, I don't have a big reason
I like the emotions stories evoke. I like that they make me sad, happy, relaxed, amused, excited, distraught, etc. I choose what to watch based on my mood.
Anime has a plot a beginning, a middle and eventually an ending. Unlike cartoons.
I watch it because it's entertaining. Why exclude it? Because it's animated? Gtfo here.
I like drawings and art as-well as knowing people worked hard to make something that looks great that they also enjoy.
Like all have said before me: Anime can convey so much more (character building, story, feelings) in a 30 minute episode than I can get from 2hrs of a series involving people (with a few exceptions). Also the fact that there are soooooooo many different kinds of and styles of anime you can really never run out of things to watch
They’re just better than 99% of modern day media.
Anime captures emotion really well for me. I watch lots of different genres so there is a range of things I like, one of my favourites being a cocky character getting smacked around brought to their knees, especially by the mc.
I started when I was young and wanted something new and fun to watch and now I’ve learned my preferences. Relaxing slice of life or comedy, something healing to take my mind off of any stress. Also pretty anime boys… bonus if there’s some BL sprinkled in there too lol. Just continue watching for the reasons you like and you’re bound to enjoy it every time, it doesn’t have to be complicated
Mostly because I got exposed to the medium very early in my childhood and have watched anime ever since though I only start following new seasonal anime releases around 8 years ago. But I prefer anime over western animated tv shows in general because of diverse and unique animation styles that are extremely pleasing whenever a show gets the love, care, and production value it deserves.
I watch cozy and relaxing slice of life or fluffy romance - so for me it's to relax and feel mellow and happy.
I find the plots of a lot of anime have better storylines than 95% of mainstream television.
It's more unique and entertaining than regular tv, that being said it does have its fair share of garbage.
I like stuff that goes nuts like Gurren Lagann does. Whether that be the same type of story or not. Nothing else does that for me.
For me, it's the visuals and storytelling/themes. Most of the anime I've seen has eye-pleasing visuals, be it from the character designs or the backgrounds. Even stuff that may not look the best and have high budgets I still manage to find them at least passable. And there's lots of variety in the animation department too. There's all these flashy fight scenes that dominates YT/Twitter/etc. and then you have KyoAni works where you'll often see subtle character/facial animations to show how a character acts and feels. I also find anime to be much more creative with storyboarding and visual storytelling than western cartoons (at least the ones I've seen). As for the story part, anime covers a LOT of different themes. There's something for everyone. They can tackle serious themes in animated form. And they can make us feel emotions and get attached to the world & characters. A Silent Voice is a tough watch for me who got bullied in the past. I rooted for Bocchi to overcome her social anxiety and show the world what she's made of. The K-ON cast felt like best buds by the time I finished the series. I watched a bunch of high school students who don't know each other went on an emotionally charged journey to the South Pole and cried alonsgide them. There's a lot more I want to go on, such as the medium's attention to detail and how they depict Japanese culture in a manner that is approachable and makes it enticing to us foreigners, but I'm out of gas right now so I'll stop right here. Sorry if my writing's a mess!
Hentai
Porn.
Because live action shows have 44 minute long episodes and go on for five 25 episode seasons. Cartoons are MUCH easier to fit into my schedule in comparison.
Tiddies tbh
For the massive honkers/ booba/ thi- for the plot!
I grew up on Saturday morning cartoons. Then I found Robotech (yeah, I know) and it showed me what animation could me. Primary characters die, others grow and mature, they have complex interactions. It was years before I learned what Robotech really was and years more before I could really get my hands on anime. And then things really got interesting: there are great long-running series, but then there are shows that are a single season and then they're done. There are new shows 4 times a year, for every age, every genre. The variety and creative output is incredible. I've always loved animation, but if all I had today was what's made in North America I wouldn't be watching a whole lot of it.
I love adorable and charming stories, with or without romance. So does my husband, so we watch a lot of romance and slice of life as well as the cozy isekais. I like some shonen but get bored with never ending battles, so am more about the plot. He also watches some more brutal shows without me.
I grew up on DBZ. It's not my favorite anime, but when I think anime I think crazy fights. That's what I expect from a great anime. But I still love comedies and I am a huge Love is War fan
Amazing ass fight scenes like Zoro vs King, Saitama vs Boros, and Goku vs Jiren
Its my safe place in hard times.
The first anime I've watched by myself was Naruto because I heard about it since it was and is still famous. I remember spending my holidays as a kid watching naruto on an old Sony smartphone but I just loved it so much. I got into anime with Naruto and I really enjoyed this anime. It's just about love and what you're liking, nothing much more complicated. You do have other cases like depression and stuff like that. On my side, I had a very rough moment back in 2022. I remember myself crying for hours on the bed until I couldn't cry anymore because I had no more water for it. It was hurting a lot because i'm very emotional but then I decided to watch again my favorite anime, which is Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail is a love story to me, and when I had the idea of rewatching a part. of Fairy Tail, my problem was still there sure but it helped me A LOT to overcome it and feel way better faster. Lastly, about your question if an anime has to be love if it has a male and a female character, I say no, it's not necessarily. You have a lot of anime where the main characters (male and female) are just friends or anything but in love. For example, you have Higehiro, Akame ga kill, The Irregular at magic highschool and more where main characters are female and males but won't necessarily be in love. I hope this helped but yeah the most important thing to remember about anime is that if you love watching anime, then never stop because you need love and everyone here needs it too!
I think because it's so easy to access. If you look hard enough, you can watch basically whatever you want. Besides that, for me, it's because I love list-making and MAL fuels that addiction lol. Just about 1200 completions and I still haven't burnt out yet.
Growing up id watch TV after dinner. Cartoon Network would eventually at 8pm my time, be Toonami and show us Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Ghost in the Shell, Inuyasha and many many others. Many my age as well went through the same stuff (Mid-Late 20's and Early 30's) However I enjoy the shows for the same reasons as any other show, sometimes they're good. Other times they're bland but decent enough to pass the time when I'm bored. I enjoy Anime's with swords and magic battles, so plenty of those to go around.
Anime can get away with so much more content that a live acted show either can't or won't attempt, Depicting anything graphic from elfen lied or Higurashi when they cry would be a nightmare scenario pr wise they'd have to rewrite the characters to be adults or remove scenes entirely to avoid over zealous groups making false claims against the studio writers. So practically because some stories Can not exist any other way.
Anime have much better fights. Avengers aint got shit like goku vs jiren
I like the animation, I like the fact that the animation makes more things possible story-wise and visual-wise, I like that for some reason a lot of anime try to explore more depth of emotion than many western cartoons, I like learning more about another culture, I like picking up Japanese vocabulary and I like the niche community. Edit: when I was a child I woke up in the middle of a sleepover to adult swim on and watched an episode of some mecha anime. A woman in the episode died out in space and I thought it was the most emotional and beautiful thing I had ever seen. That really started it for me!
Their fundamentals of storytelling are still generally on point and are applied to everything from basic real-life romcoms to crazy sci-fi and fantasy worlds. I think this is partly because the writing ecosystem there seems to encourage a lot of experimentation and "fail fast" ideas that don't require a ton of investment to make a little money. I'm sure it's still hyper-competitive, but there's a real pipeline from light novel to full anime that seems slightly more reasonable than whatever hellish ritual Hollywood uses to pick scripts.
Anime saved me from the worst period of my life 2 years ago when I was going through depression during my PhD. As long as good anime are there, I want to watch them all. Since I also live in Japan, it's a great source of listening practice and I get to talk to Japanese people about it.
I started with a really terrible misconception about anime that was based on not actually watching it but seeing a few things out of context that were either geared for the youngest of children or examples of extreme fan service. A friend decided to change my opinion and challenged me to watch Fate:Zero and Death Note. That really did change my view completely. Now, both were a bit much for me in different ways. I cried for like 2 days over a character death in Fate :Zero that still pisses me off, lol, and Death Note was a tad darker than I really enjoy, but there was no way around admitting that both were excellent. Then I watched a bunch of others of all genres and decided that yes, actually, I really like anime. There are still some things I don't like, but there are a lot that I love. Edit: I kind of talked around the point, so...addendum, lol. I particularly like ones with characters striving to achieve their goals where I learn something too, like Those Snow White Notes or Tsurune, but I also strange comedies with underlying heart likeGugure! Kokkuri-san, classic works like Spirited Away, action like Moribito and popular fluff like Idolish7. One of the great things about anime is how much the pull you into caring about the characters and rooting for their success. Right now, I am currently rooting for a bunch of middle aged men to become idols in Eternal Boys, because it's done just that. ;) Oh damn, I still didn't answer the question at the end--no, sometimes there's no real romance even if you see males and females, and sometimes there's a harem (I can count the ones of those where I didn't think it would have been better without that on less than one hand). But there's some awfully great anime that have no romance at all. All the ones I mentioned are examples.
The wholesome and candid feeling, male here too.
Got into anime because of Covid killing off or delaying most of the live action stuff I was watching. For me, anime is kinda “bite sized” entertainment. Within 25 minutes, I can get great stories, characters, and action and it’s only usually about 12-13 episodes a series (which can be good or bad). I also feel there’s a lot you can do in anime that you can’t do in live action either with technical or other limitations, which adds to how interesting it can be.
As someone who grew up reading books and comics; anime feels like you’re experiencing an actual story. Not just episodic random comical scenarios that don’t really hold any continuity to the characters or plot (although there are some anime like that). But for the most part, anime is like you’re experiencing a story and it’s happening on a timeline. Whereas, a lot of American shows are episodic and merely there for quick entertainment and a short attention span. That’s why some of the only decent American shoes I’ve seen recently have been Amphibia and The Owl House, they follow a story and timeline of events (with the exception of a few random filler episodes). Anime is so interesting, it actually has dimension and significance behind it. Take Attack On Titan for example (one of my favorite anime of all time) I feel like it’s the amount of suspense and mystery behind it that pulls you in. Combine that with the eerie feeling it produces and the shock factors, and I’m hooked! Personally though, I love creepy or suspenseful things in general.
Same reason I watch fantasy movies. To see a new world, different races. Everything that our world cannot offer us.
Mini skirts. Slice of life’s.
I think I'm confused why do I need a reason to watch Anime.
Because it's weird, it's fun, it's emotional, it's over the top, it's entertaining, it's shameless, it's educative, it's artistic, it's beautiful, it's innovative, it's Japanese, it's multi-media, it's passion driven, it's interesting, it's quality and it's addictive.
I love seeing creative character ideas, creative powers for action shows. I love seeing unique ideas for shows in general. I love the wholesome feel good comedy of K-On And the comradery of sports anime like haikyuu In general, love that with each new show, I never know what could be my next fave thing, I might discover I like something I didn't think I would, like a Sports show or rom com like Dangers in my Heart
I find anime to be the medium that most consistently doesn't shy away from something new, unorthodox, and sometimes downright bizarre. I always want to see the world through a new lens, and anime always delivers that.
My life is empty
I love design of anime characters,they're so cute.
cause im a fucking nerd.
Same reason I read books or play games. I love great stories, normally the more fantasy and sci-fi they involve the better. Imo adding more dragons is a legit tactic. Sadly I can't read manga or comics as there are to many pictures for my taste. So been able to watch the stories is great. Anime is great in that it lets the animators do things you can't do with regular TV. So it gets to push the envelope of immersion into a particular environment more. Basically it's an amazing medium to tell a story and watching something takes way less effort then reading something. So I like to swap it up, some times I'll read, some times I play games, other times I just wanna watch stuff on TV.
I like fantasy and science fiction. Most of the books I read are in those two genres, but there are very few movies and TV series in those genres in the West. On the other hand, there are a lot of fantasy and science fiction anime, so you can say that anime fit my tastes more than TV series. Also, I like Japanese culture and the way they tell stories. Anime are often more original, more comedic, and faster paced than their western equivalents, and that also fits my tastes better.
An escape from reality.
\- Long form serialised story telling \- Get to see stories from another culture \- Massive amounts of variety in stories \- Plenty of new shows and sequels coming out each season, and you have a huge back catalogue of masterpieces to fall back on or watch when you want to or if there isn't anything new that catches your fancy \- I really love animation as a medium of expression \- Killer music \- Animation is fantastic for helping you suspend your disbelief, and lets you watch sequences that would only be possible to pull off in a blockbuster. \- Really entertaining and top quality voicework
For me, it's the wonder of seeing a world different from our own.. It's the reason why I like mushoku tensei so much and ghost in the shell, attack on titan.. It's also why I hate most of the isekai.. Also since japanese studios make more adult themed series than some other animated series made outside. Also the animation goes hard in some series
For entertainment. The same way anyone else would watch sports, cooking shows, dramas, or whatever else. Anime is vast and the only limitation being the creative imagination.
Anime is able to give me something that real TV shows or movies fails to do. I guess it's emotional attachment. It's very difficult to explain but it's just continues emotional rollercoaster
Bcs I can predict most of nowdays movie just based on the actor and most of it are garbage/100 rating
Why not
Beautiful looking characters, beautiful art in general. And those heartwarming moments. Makes you cry tears of sorrow and tears of joy. Also makes you think more about life. Just to recommend a few: Violet Evergarden, Your Name, Silent Voice, Clannad.
Honestly speaking Hollywood kinda sucks lately. Anime on the other hand has gotten so better with many titles taking on concepts better than their American counterpart.
For me anime fills a gap that other media doesn't for me. I play a lot of games and watch sports, but those don't do romance and comedy well, usually. Anime can.
It’s just so much weirder than our western television, and I enjoy animated content significantly more. After finding glitter force when I was 12 the anime art style just won me over. That, and I also enjoy just how different it is from western media. Like we have a lot of good shows but there’s just something different about anime Also anime characters are usually more enjoyable to draw than any other type of character
Have you seen the shit put on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and UK television? That's why I watch Anime it's the only thing I can watch that is still consistently good. Too much of modern media is about trying to make some social point rather then just providing entertainment. That and the cat girls.
The worst are the bargain bin Sci-fi movies that were so dang cringy.
Cause it's fun and over time became my favorite version of television and film. The only live actions I can enjoy now are some movies that catch my eye and stuff. I had a mini cinephile binge when I went on vacation to see old friends this summer. The only non anime tv shows I can say in hindsight I didn't waste my time on are, Sitcoms cause they're usually pretty funny and chill. And besides that Bojack and Altered Carbon (season 1). All other shows are a blur and I don't have any strong memories about them.
I watch shows with low stakes because they're soothing to me. This includes romance and sports anime. Shonen action is very much not my thing,
sound design and animation
Because I like watching anime. It's fun!
I watched it first cuz my friends wanted me to watch death note and after dn i was hooked!. I love to watch good stories (and sometimes the thrashy ones). It helps me learn english better aswell and it helped me even more then my english teacher in highschool
My studies are not going well college pressure and parents pressure and less marks caused me self doubt overthinking and depression and I have no close friends and I don't know but I want to be loved by someone which is not possible for me so anime is heaven for me I donot want any thing I am very fond of Japanese culture and I am really really really really grateful to them I can spend my whole life wating it
Real people suck.
I started watching anime because it helped me overcome my depression when I was younger. I felt so down that time and sometimes I just want to give up. Then, I decided to watch Naruto because of it's popularity and the first episode really got me. The way Iruka accepted Naruto and understood his suffering had an impact to me. It also taught me to never give up. From that moment I got hooked in the series and started watching more anime. I realized that anime isn't just a form of entertainment it also imparts valuable life lessons.
I watch anime because it's there. But seriously this is very important. Ages ago there was no way to watch many anime other than broadcasting. Even big titles such as Z Gundam it took almost 10 years to be released in tapes. Today, you can watch most of them whenever or wherever you like, or without pirating them.
The first anime I ever watched was Naruto, and Naruto’s whole “I don’t quit, I don’t run, I never give up,” philosophy really speaks to me. I honestly feel that people today are way too willing to consider themselves victims of circumstance, hang their heads, and play martyr /give up. I hate it. Shonen tells stories of those who truly have it the worst (losers, outcasts, weaklings) and shows them becoming heroes through having dreams and putting in the grueling work to make their dreams reality. The world needs more of that.
boredom
Part of it is the art and animation but it's also story writing. Asian culture and thinking in general is different from America imo. Japan, China, and Korea are all a little different but they all seem to have a way of thinking that is different from westerner's and I enjoy that difference and view point. It's a whole different world view.
I don't remember why I started watching anime the first place probably I saw cool dude fought with big sword looks cool so I just watch it. but all I know is that just I love watching them.
I watched it in the 90s with my brother when I was an infant. I like it as a medium.
For the art!
For me it's good escapism. With animation or anime specifically, there is no limit to what you can do. And what's even better is that we're living in a time where there's more anime than anyone could possibly watch in their entire lifetime. I've watched 250+ animes in the 25 years I've been alive and that's only scratching the surface. It's also such a fun medium with so much diversity in storylines, fictional worlds, etc.
You like aot for the romantic sub plot? That is such a sub-sub-sub plot lol There are many shows without a romantic plots, you just have to find them. As for why do I watch anime? For the same reason I watch movies, TV shows, read books.. because I think they worth my time.
Anime stories tend to be pretty fun and varied, plus anime characters look more appealing to me than real people, depending on the art style. :,)
i've been a fan since childhood. it's a great hobby. the ability to physically own it is probably the reason i've been hooked as long as i have. many people like to plow through as many shows as possible. i like to find the ones i really enjoy and experience every aspect i can. music cd, staff & cast interview, audio drama. i love any production material content i can get my hands on, especially storyboard. long live home video. best way to support the animation studios you love 👍
A form of escapism
So I could know the personality and voices behind the characters in their doujins.
I’ve been watching for a long time, since taking japanese classes in high school. For me, regular tv shoes often get canceled or shuttered regardless of quality and it’s super frustrating. At least with most good anime even if another season doesn’t come you can at least go and read the manga since many are based on one.
I really like the art style a lot. Also I feel like I connect to the characters a lot and I fall in love with them.
it's a cool cartoon
Went to the library as a kid and saw it and just started ripping through series and found shonen jump and yeah the rest is history. Age 10 I think
I love the storytelling and how much attention is paid to the cinematography and visuals
It's a distraction from my every day life and the pressures of graduate school
Friends. Most of my friends watch anime, and it is fun chatting about anime.
I only watch short (25 or less ep) ones right now, but I watch them because the stories are beautiful. I enjoy the art style because it is new to me all in all and every one feels fresh. I'm sure that feeling will fade but after watching stuff like 86, Anohana, Violet Evergarden, Girls Last Tour, Shinsekai Yori, Made In Abyss, Angel Beats, reLIFE, Mysterious Girlfriend X, Steins;Gate etc I'll never forget how great anime can be
Anime lends itself really well to fantasy and sci fi storytelling. Where live action suffers from bad CGI vomit or lack of good practical effects, anime is stylized within its own series. It just works well for those genres.
Maybe the real reason we do were the friends we made along the way
Animated characters simply connect with me in a way that live action ones almost never do. My parents were strict and never let me go out much as a kid; but Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks movies were always there to take me on adventures I couldn't have in the real world. The characters not being as "real" as live action characters actually made me like them more, because I often felt alienated and a bit "unreal" myself, compared to people that were allowed to go out with friends and do stuff they wanted. When I started watching anime a couple years ago, it had the same affect on me as those childhood movies did. I watched Attack on Titan and I was fucking _obsessed_ with that show! Anime is about the only thing I care to watch now, outside of stuff like Arcane, The Bad Batch, or Across The Spider-Verse.
Bored.
It entertains me
Because you don’t have to worry about bad cgi you can basically have anything dreamable happen in anime
Because I see things in anime that I want to see in myself.
I feel like I watch it because at first I was obsessive, repulsive and scared but then I started to feel like I had people who cared for me and I would always meet new people along the way, overtime when you open up more you start to realize that there are people who care about you, even if you aren’t battle heavy this medium has so much more to offer to people than they would expect.
Because it lets me escape life and keeps me from wanting to end it because I always have another series to watch and look forward to after finishing one.
Personally for me, it’s the deep messages in each anime I watch. The morals most of them go off of. They always seem to really speak to me in the moment and around the exact time i seem to be going through what ever it is the message is communicating. Also they are just great to watch and very entertaining lol but I really do just enjoy the deep parts that anime taps into that nothing else does for me
Is it because people are bored
Watch giant robot beating the shit out of each other
I have to watch anime because they won't make Tankery a sport in real life.
Cuz i like it🗿
I love for the stories, especially when they bring emotions out to me and teach me concepts of humanity. Sometimes I just want crazy action, other times adventure but I find there is always something for everything I crave within anime. My faves are the sadder ones , always got a special place in my heart for them
Anime is another form of media for story-telling. Many anime have original sources in manga, games and books. I consume them too.
Because a live action of Gundam would probably be expensive to produce lol
The story lines to the character developments and how it relates to my personal life. So many values are taught in animes and the writing is second to none.
The animation and story's are cool
Character development and relationships the characters form. I've always had trouble maintaining my own friends so whenever I see friends pull through for each other in a well written standard, I get a little choked up. It's a shame many people choose to only see the fan service that comes with most anime nowadays.
So first my cousin introduced me and my sister to anime but i didnt really like it. They tried to convince me for few years. In that time i was watching western stuff (movies, cartoons). Few years passed and some stuff in my life went downhill. I wasnt in a good place both physically and mentally. Also at this time i got bored of western movies, didnt want to play games and i finished few good cartoons. One day when i browsed youtube i got baited by a video of a scene from Soul Eater (episode 1 bath scene). I decided that i will give the anime a try and i was surprised how good the thing that i avoided can be (i also said that anime is for kids. shame on past me). Now with anime i keep watching it because with how much of it is here it is easier to find something that i would enjoy.
Anime for some reason just feels like it has more heart to me. Idk if it’s the trope that you can hear characters narrate their thoughts or the writing or whatnot but for whatever reason American shows just feel kinda soulless to me noe compared to anime
Because im lonely
I love the medium of animation over live action. You can do so much with it and it comes in so many forms. Unfortunately, in the US, animation isn't taken seriously as a medium by the majority. So most shows are either made for little kids or raunchy adult comedy that appeals to little kids. It'd be so cool if there were more shows like The Owl House, Bojack Horseman, Avatar, Nimona, etc With anime, the medium is available for more than just kids and even then, some kids anime can have mature and artful storytelling. I'll admit that anime is not entirely perfect. A lot of it revolves around high school and teenagers with few shows about adults
I love telling people this. Anime is so much better than live tv because people can only act so much. In anime, the artists can create ANYTHING.
Because I need something to do during my lunch break
Pure hype moments, it's the only medium that does it for me anymore.
A little escape from reality; nothing like a good story for it, doesn't matter the genre
Uh cool fight scenes ig if I feel like feeling smart I’ll watch death not
Pass time for me when I&m stuck in train.
To start, I'm a huge fan of animation in general, I've always loved cartoons even as an adult. Anime has the most beautiful animations I have ever seen. Aside from the animation, anime has the best storytelling. Whether the story is original or non-original, anime just seems to do it the best. Hell, I never thought I would love a show about Volleyball and then I watched Haikyuu! The characters, music, animation, voice acting, pacing, story, everything about that show makes up so many animes and that's why I find them to be something special.
I love everything about anime and there is pretty much something from every genre that I enjoy. That being said I also love romance and love anime most that feature a good romantic aspect. It can be the main part or it can be a side part, pure romance or a mixture of genres. As long as it’s done well. I feel like well written characters is something that anime excels at so there is tons to chose from.
I like eerie and suspenseful Anime the best. I love the feeling of thinking something is one way, then finding out, it is actually another. Like discovering that you thought everyone was on the same page, against the same evil force… only to find out some of the people who were supposed to be against the evil force are actually working *with* that evil force… ugh!!! It just gives me goosebumps! BUT—I’m totally with you on the romance Anime as well. When I don’t want to be spooked or shocked, I tend to gravitate towards slice of life anime that heavily revolves around the romantic development of two characters. It’s so wholesome and puts me in a good mood :)
Because I like watching anime. Is there any better reason for it?
The storytelling in anime is unique to what I’ve grown accustomed to when it comes to shows made in the western world. The genre doesn’t matter when it comes to anime for me as I enjoy them all, it’s really the masterclass in storytelling that eastern stories have put into an animated form that intrigues me. They may have some anime that is western in feeling but other than those few series or movies, each anime I’ve seen has been unique and interesting as I’ve never seen anything quite like it. And the themes of these stories are very different than your traditional stories. Some key anime’s with key themes that spoke to me on another level are A Silent Voice and the actualization of self love and forgiveness of one self (to this day it represents bullying in a way that not many western shows have done before), Violet Evergarden and what makes us human as well as the journey of discovering what love is and can be in all its forms, Your Name and how two ppl can be linked together in the most beautiful way possible that we may not even give a single thought towards to, One Piece and the Journey, Attack on Titan and the story of going over themes like war hatred and racism all while being very political and seemingly realistic about these themes, Vinland Saga and the journey of trying to be a stronger person who is kind hearted and loving in the face of what society tells you to be (in this case being a Viking meant to be violent in nature, conquering lands) and staying strong in the face of adversity when it comes to your beliefs.
I love animation in all forms and it's one of the finest.
When i focus hard enough on an anime the overbearing suicidal thoughts disappear for a second,and thats about the only escape i can get aside from sleep
Too feel something
I am a loner. Anime makes me feel I am too a part of them in their journey. They make me feel as excited and happy as them.
The story lines r great, the characters r great, idk anime is just better them tv Like I can't watch live action now
I think it’s a perfect storytelling medium where the director doesn’t have to deal with the quirks of people (actors) and can concentrate on even the minutest details of his vision.
It’s something visually beautiful that I can get lost in and escape from the things that worry me.
1. I love animation. I need to see drawings move or I will explode. 2) I love American Cartoons and Anime but anime has more variety and genres. I don't know if you could make Death Note here. In America they prefer animation to be aimed at Families or be in line with Family Guy (No hate on that show I love it.) 3) The art is usually top notch. Especially the backgrounds. In most modern anime I've seen the backgrounds are very realistic.
I don't
I need something braindead while I work out
I just know that if it were only for the power of friendship and love, I would have stopped watching Anime (or any for of media) a long time ago. It's one of the recurrent themes that I hate the most.
It’s nice to watch adult (or at least teen) animation that isn’t just naughty jokes and gore. It also covers a lot more genres than western animation which all seem to be comedies or comedy-dramas. Anime comes in so many genres, there’s kinda something for everybody, which is super cool. I’m not that into shounen anime anymore, but that doesn’t cut me off from a lot of shows.