Innovation in anime.

[odinfan]

To be honest, I really feel like the anime industry isn't what it once was just a decade ago. What happened to the drive of interesting ideas? The golden ages of the 90's and early 2000's was the best time to be a fan in my opinion. As time goes on, it seems as though companies are churning out series at a rapid rate, with the same old cliches and style.

I don't want to see another harem anime that goes through the tired routine. Where's the story? All I'm seeing these days is more pantsu, more loli. Just give me a series with a decent fantasy story without all of the fanservice, and I will be glad to start watching again, but as it stands now, my interest has waned.

So if you guys have any input, I'm all ears. What do you think the current industry needs to revitalize itself(only answer if you agree with me)?

[noexcusepunk]

I agree to the overuse of cliches, because that's apparently what sells in Japan, or at least they THINK it does. I really don't know either way. I just know what I like. And I like pretty much the same thing that your saying OdinFan.
I still catch the really good series, but ironically enough I'm finding more and more good series to watch now than I did in the past, and I think that is either due to the law of averages (they put out a bunch of crap and SOMEWHERE in there is a "diamond in the rough" if you will, the more crap the more "diamonds") or Anime just being more accessible thanks to the internet and me knowing where to find it.
Do I wish they would put out more quality titles? Heck yes! But that would mean the uneducated masses would need to be able to appreciate it, and that's like asking people to stop liking Christina Aguilera, Brittany Spears, Taylor Swift, and (insert random music-crap artist here). It's just too much to hope for I fear.

[jlskun]

To be honest, I really feel like the anime industry isn't what it once was just a decade ago. What happened to the drive of interesting ideas? The golden ages of the 90's and early 2000's was the best time to be a fan in my opinion. As time goes on, it seems as though companies are churning out series at a rapid rate, with the same old cliches and style.

I don't want to see another harem anime that goes through the tired routine. Where's the story? All I'm seeing these days is more pantsu, more loli. Just give me a series with a decent fantasy story without all of the fanservice, and I will be glad to start watching again, but as it stands now, my interest has waned.

So if you guys have any input, I'm all ears. What do you think the current industry needs to revitalize itself(only answer if you agree with me)?

I'm inclined to agree. I miss the days of originality, amazing and adddictive storytelling. Nowadays its all harems, ecchi, shounen generic action and adventure, the occasional moeblob show and a series that tries to be deep, but isn't. I will definitely agree that the late 90's and early 00's were the best. Although TV series have been lacking the last couple of years, we've gotten awesome movies.

I predict that with the popularity of Summer Wars, we might see a change of people going against whats popular and making real masterpieces. All this new stuff is pretty much, for the most part, bad. I only ook forward to what Noitamina brings every anime season because everything else just doesn't do it for me. At least we still have Despera to look forward to. That shows amazing promise.

That's just my thoughts.

[PhantomOfTheKnight]

To be honest, I really feel like the anime industry isn't what it once was just a decade ago. What happened to the drive of interesting ideas? The golden ages of the 90's and early 2000's was the best time to be a fan in my opinion. As time goes on, it seems as though companies are churning out series at a rapid rate, with the same old cliches and style.

I don't want to see another harem anime that goes through the tired routine. Where's the story? All I'm seeing these days is more pantsu, more loli. Just give me a series with a decent fantasy story without all of the fanservice, and I will be glad to start watching again, but as it stands now, my interest has waned.

So if you guys have any input, I'm all ears. What do you think the current industry needs to revitalize itself(only answer if you agree with me)?

1. Yes, I agree.
2. ...harem's actually one of my favourite genres...
3. ...huh?
4. ...I'm actually getting tired of fantasy stories myself; I need more Slice of Life.

[Daverost]

Dearest forum-goers,

"Durarara." That is all.

Love,
Daveypoo

[bloodyaftertaste]

4. ...I'm actually getting tired of fantasy stories myself; I need more Slice of Life.

I love fantasy stuff. I get enough slice of life with well life. Not to say that I don't like real world kinds of animes with a twist.

[PhantomOfTheKnight]

"Durarara." That is all.

...I downloaded the first 2 episodes on my PS3 and watched the first episode; I found it Ok, but I'll rewatch it again to get a full understanding.

[Daverost]

Keep going. Episode 3 is fantastic and it only gets better from there. The most recent episode (11) was the best yet.

[soundmonkey44]

Innovative animes eh..well theres....

Samuri Champloo (historical fiction+action+greatmusic=yes!) FLCL (Proving Drugs do help you be creative! OL!)....Claymore (A anime with all female leads being used as real characters with development instead of genaric ecchi whores...GENIUS!!!)

Baccano! (the anime that has more twist N Turns then a Roller coaster on speed! seriously WATCH THIS!!!)

and also Black Lagoon...An animimated series that barrows heavily from US action movies but still makes a great story & has lots of nice background art!

[Elysion Zero]

Gurren Lagann. Galaxy Shurikens.

[dodge]

i myself like to watch a few slice of life/romance animes but i definitely like action fantasy.
i agree alot now are just something like repeats with abit of a twist and get boring.

there is a few good ones that i've seen come out each year.
2008-
code geass
Toradora
death note

2009-
pandora hearts
code geass r2
Toradora
Kurokami

2010-
Senko no night raid(idk yet only 1 ep out)
Betrayal Knows My Name(not seen it yet hard to find the ep)
shakugan no shana S(hopefully the third season will be out this fall)

but not many and thats all the good ones i know that i've seen.
i really started watching anime again back in like 2007/2008 with fullmetal alchemist then bleach code geass. etc.

before then i saw pokemon digimon yu-gi-oh and a few others.
hopefully they will come out with more unique and interesting animes again.

Dodge

[StarMasayume]

I have to disagree somewhat. I think a lot of what we're seeing is because anime is so much more available to us now. It's less of pick and choose the few good ones that get through the system to open the floodgates. I mean you do realize how MANY anime there is in Japan? Of course there are going to be a ton of cliches or bland ones. You just have so many now to sift through to find those gems.

Personally some of my favorites in the last couple years has been Moribito, 12 Kingdoms, Mushi-shi, Guren Lagaan, Soul eater, Toradora, Kimi ni Todoke, Bacaano and Dararara.

Maybe cause I'm in my 20s now but I think our tastes change a bit too as we grow up. I remember when I would watch almost any anime I could find and now I find I'm more picky. You get tired of certain cliches, fancervice etc. So I still like my fun anime (One Piece, Host Club which I think makes fun of cliches) and have been scoping out more slice-of-life feeling anime, romance, more in depth fantasy series with good plot and characters or ones with an original concept or feel that stands out from the crowd somehow.

[Clephas]

Innovative series have become rare almost entirely because anime has grown to have such a wide audience of people interested in it, so major corporations got more intensely involved and insist that the animators and writers conform to the moe standards that appeal to the big buyer otakus. You know the type... fall in love with a series and spend thousands on buying or making figurines, cosplay, and all the other side goods.

Innovative... Kuroshitsuji, Tatakau Shisho, Kara no Kyoukai... those are the only ones I seriously consider innovative in any way whatsoever in the last two years or so. When I say 'innovative' I mean stepping outside of norms... Kuroshitsuji's protagonist, plot, and superb Japanese dialog (understand, the translations don't really do it justice) make it a truly awesome series... and the ending is very satisfying. Tatakau Shisho reminds me of the way a lot of older anime felt, in that it managed to confuse the heck out of me on several occasions, and that it was the first anime in a long while that managed to surprise me with a plot twist. Kara no Kyoukai... watch it for yourself. Whether you consider it pretentious (as some have called it for Nasu's tendency for inserting philosophical arguments into the story) or a masterpiece, you have to admit that it is definitely innovative.

Almost every season has a series that is interesting and fun to watch, but very few of them have had anything I would consider 'innovative' as someone who has been watching anime since 1992.