Do ugly anime characters turn you off to a good anime?

supersayian313 · Post by **supersayian313** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:23 pm

OzzieAlThor79 wrote:
x_rex30 wrote:
DTJB wrote:I always judge an anime on how well the plot is, never on the looks of a character. Anyone who judges on looks is just yet another clueless fanboy/girl.
BULL SHIT!! I'm no fanboy and I care a lot about story, but I also care a lot about the art/animation. It's like liking a song because it has good lyrics, but the vocalist SUCKS!!! Srry ain't buying it. People go "but, but the lyrics!!!", and I go "If ya like music based off basic repetitive beats, and some lyric buster who sucks as a vocalist, then maybe you should just start reading poetry, and have a basic tempo demo on a piano playing in the background as you read it".
Bob Dylan is one of the greatest musicians ever and he doesn't exactly have an operatic voice. He was a music pioneer and if you don't own one of his greatest hits albums you are missin out. You don't have to be some perfect voiced guy to have music that is classic.

OtakuMan22 wrote:

Oh yeah, and to sum up my earlier point: Bad art/animation does NOT equal ugly anime characters.

~Otaku-Man

Look at the "Getbackers". It routinely goes back and forth between crisp, clean looking characters to slightly deformed to way out of whack and plain old ugly. It WORKS with that show. It's the vibe of the show and the characters that they are a bit emotional and over react to both good and bad things.

Doing something like that in shows like Evangelion, Beserk, Rahxephon, Perfect Blue, Akira, etc. simply wouldn't make sense.

supersayian313 · Post by **supersayian313** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 1:26 pm

oops. i was going to say, i was going to bring up the getbackers too. i just finished the series it was a really good anime. i had to get used to the deformed characters, but it didnt ruin it at all for me. highly recommended.

DTJB · Post by **DTJB** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:39 pm

x_rex30 wrote:
DTJB wrote:I always judge an anime on how well the plot is, never on the looks of a character. Anyone who judges on looks is just yet another clueless fanboy/girl.
BULL SHIT!! I'm no fanboy and I care a lot about story, but I also care a lot about the art/animation.

Oh boy.

Obviously you don't watch anime for any of its true artist value, depth in the plot and characterization. If you showed me something from a studio such as Gonzo, with all of its flair in beautiful animation, I wouldn't care about the show if the plot was extremely weak. On the other hand, if I were to see an anime that was nothing more than a group of still frames with computer effects or something similar to make them look animated (think episode 26 of Evangelion or episode 5 of Kare Kano) I would prefer that if it were capable of moving me in an emotional manner. I'm not saying the beautiful fluff is bad, I think it's great, but 19 times out of 20 I'm going to pick the show with the incredible plot. From what you've said, I would also imagine that your values on looks pertain to live action movies as well. Your statements hold no weight here as well. Look at the Marx Brothers movies. Dated, made back in the 1930s and they're all back and white. But these are the funniest movies ever made. I laugh my butt off every time I see one of these things, and you really need to watch one of them to see what old school comedy is all about. "Madam, I'll be frank with you my dear. I'm a horse doctor. And if you marry me, I'll never look at another horse again."-Groucho Marx

x_rex30 wrote:It's like liking a song because it has good lyrics, but the vocalist SUCKS!!! Srry ain't buying it.

Okay, now THAT'S bullshit.

OzzieAlThor79 wrote:Bob Dylan is one of the greatest musicians ever and he doesn't exactly have an operatic voice. He was a music pioneer and if you don't own one of his greatest hits albums you are missin out. You don't have to be some perfect voiced guy to have music that is classic.

Word up. No matter how "bad" a vocalist may sound, if the music is great and the lyrics have meaning, then you are listing to a great song. If you're listening to something bland, repetitive and something that doesn't have anyway talent backing it up, (a band like the now defunct Blink 182 comes to my mind) you really need to listen to something else.

But hey. Whatever kid. You have your tastes, and I have mine.

Arigatomina · Post by **Arigatomina** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:51 pm

DTJB wrote:Oh boy. Obviously you don't watch anime for any of its true artist value, depth in the plot and characterization.

Possibly off-topic, but is that a bad thing? Do people have to read Jurassic Park for the plot, or can they skim through it to read the conversations on chaos theory? Is there a rule that says you have to enjoy something with a specific goal in mind?

I don't watch anime for some mind-numbing plot that will change the way I view the world for the rest of my life. I watch it for entertainment. I choose which anime to watch based on whether it *looks* like it will entertain me.

I don't buy anime in stores by reading the back of every dvd there for one with a plot that catches my interest, I look at the cover first. I thought that was normal for anyone browsing through movies - cover first, if the picture catches your eye, you flip it over and read the back. If the cover is butt ugly, I'm not flipping it over. And sadly enough, most dvds I've seen have poor descriptions on the back, so even if I do flip it over, I'll probably still base my decision on the art.

- not to confuse this with the cover of books, I don't look at covers of books because I don't read illustrated books - I read written text, I look at the spines for the author's name: If I've heard of the author or the title, I'll read the back or inside flap of the book. I almost never even glance at covers of novels because I don't care what they slap onto it - the text is all that matters once you open it up.

OzzieAlThor79 · Post by **OzzieAlThor79** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 7:20 pm

Arigatomina wrote:
DTJB wrote:Oh boy. Obviously you don't watch anime for any of its true artist value, depth in the plot and characterization.
Possibly off-topic, but is that a bad thing? Do people have to read Jurassic Park for the plot, or can they skim through it to read the conversations on chaos theory? Is there a rule that says you have to enjoy something with a specific goal in mind?

No.

Arigatomina wrote:I don't watch anime for some mind-numbing plot that will change the way I view the world for the rest of my life. I watch it for entertainment. I choose which anime to watch based on whether it *looks* like it will entertain me.

I don't buy anime in stores by reading the back of every dvd there for one with a plot that catches my interest, I look at the cover first. I thought that was normal for anyone browsing through movies - cover first, if the picture catches your eye, you flip it over and read the back. If the cover is butt ugly, I'm not flipping it over. And sadly enough, most dvds I've seen have poor descriptions on the back, so even if I do flip it over, I'll probably still base my decision on the art.

- not to confuse this with the cover of books, I don't look at covers of books because I don't read illustrated books - I read written text, I look at the spines for the author's name: If I've heard of the author or the title, I'll read the back or inside flap of the book. I almost never even glance at covers of novels because I don't care what they slap onto it - the text is all that matters once you open it up.

OzzieAlThor79 · Post by **OzzieAlThor79** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 7:34 pm

And that last post is why iI have zero understanding on WHY there is no Edit button.

Few people actually do buy their anime from the back of the box. They go online and check out message boards about it. They download episodes(which I am not in any way condoning the practice of, just stating it happens) from the internet. They borrow a friend's dvd/vcr tapes and check it out that way.

You in no way *HAVE* to buy anime you think has bad cover art.

People issues with you doing that is simple:

Let's take someone like Brittney Spears for example. Look at the cover of her albums. Damn... now that's nice cover art. Now let's actually hear what's inside the cd cover. Ok, well THAT is bunch of shallow, meaningless trash.

Looks mean zilch, nada, zero, nuthin, dick.

Now of course you don't have to CARE what anyone thinks. Then again, if you didn't care, why would you post here?

Let's say again that I was someone you were interested in (Play along, this isn't some way to hit on you or something stupid like that).

I take a look at you and I'm like "Well look at her. She's pretty nice looking. Maybe I should go talk to her and check out what's up."

As I am *FINALLY* making my way twoards you, some goddess/supermodel/Belldandy (ok, so I have a thing for hot chicks who like to cook, what can I say?

) walks by and completely takes away my attention from you and I follow her like a sheep and talk to HER instead of you and do whatever she wants for HER instead of you.. all because she may look better.

Would you *NOT* describe me as shallow?

Hence the issue here. You avoid the decent looking "girls" because the drop-dead gorgeous(sp?) "girls" are right over there! I mean, it's prettier! It has to be better! (<----- That attitude screams, "I'm shallow!")

Hope that expalins the other side of the argument.

x_rex30 · Post by **x_rex30** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:44 pm

Umm WTF is going on here? I aint bad mouthin' Bob Dylan???

FOOLS!!! I didn't say that applies to everything... shesh... I was just saying if it has the same basic repetitive beat, and just random lyric bustin' I generally don't care for it that much. I love Scooter, but I love his beats and shit. Same goes for MSI! Talk about making mountains out of molehills!

Anyways, DTJB, what the fuck are you saying? You have no idea what my tastes are you fucktard, so quite generalizing. My tastes in anime varies, and sometimes I like a good anime to admire the art, and I'm a big fan of depth in plot and characterization. Quite trying to smack talk me when all your doing is making a bunch of generalizations without much to back it up.

OtakuMan22 · Post by **OtakuMan22** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:51 am

WHOA WHOA WHOA!!! Easy there!

I'm the one who pointed out that from what I read of your post, you were confusing the bad art of some anime with ugly characters in anime with good art! I simple made a statement clarifying my point and added onto it too.

There is absolutely no reason to get into a music argument here! That can be saved for the AMV section!

I do know now that one must never anger a Bob Dylan groupie. EVER!

I say we chill out and get back on topic. S'aright?

~Otaku-Man

x_rex30 · Post by **x_rex30** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:45 am

OtakuMan22 wrote:WHOA WHOA WHOA!!! Easy there!

I'm the one who pointed out that from what I read of your post, you were confusing the bad art of some anime with ugly characters in anime with good art! I simple made a statement clarifying my point and added onto it too.

I know. That was mainly attack at DTJB trying to counter my point with using your comment on Bob Dylan, not you. ;p. lol. I'm not trying to have a music discussion at all. I just brought it up and used it for an analogy, that's all... Anyways, let's do get back on topic here! ;P

OtakuMan22 · Post by **OtakuMan22** » Fri Apr 08, 2005 11:02 am

S'aright!

Anyway, a recent interesting topic was brought up over in the fangirl yaoi/ fanboy yuri fanfiction thread found here.

There are not really any fanfictions out there where the main emphasis is on the fugly people. It's always "Kagome dumps Inu Yasha to be with the more stoic and handsome Sesshomaru" or "the beautiful Heero Yui gets it on with the other pilots" or "Hiei and Kurama exhibit their unbridaled lust for each other.

Excuse me a sec... :BLLLAAAARRRRFFFF:

Ugly anime characters are lucky to escape these weird and often very, very wrong fanfictions that fangirls make up. I'm sure the same goes for fanboys who take some of their favorite female characters... oohhhh Ranma 1/2 I'm looking in your direction... and get the nasty going on with them. However, these usually get labelled as lemons, and the fanboys labelled as pervs. Where's the justice in that?

But they are still NOT ugly! If people were not concerned about the design of the characters, then there would be a lot more Akira fanfiction out there!

So does that means that the realistic and less "pretty" style of character design is lucky to escape that fate? Or does it mean that it is in need of more attention from the fangirl and fanboy masses?

~Otaku-Man