A thought on the idea of 'Best Ever'

[Heero_Yuy84]

I know I'm prob. gonna wind up taking some heat for this...so I'll just step behind the shield now.

I've been looking over some of the past threads where people were asked to name the best anime ever (for the record kudos on the latest one for making it a point to limit to what the poster had seen.) Anyways, I've noticed in a lot of other threads, people don't seem to realize the clout that comes with saying something is the best ever. The best way to look at any show's potential for this is by taking a look and asking 'Where do I see this show 20 years from now?'

Logically, the best ever would be those that can stand the test of time, and not many are capable of it (to date, the three best examples of it I can think of Doraemon, the Gundam franchise, and Lupin III.)
and yes, while shows like Trigun, Bebop, Evangelion, InuYasha, etc. are good...will they still be as fondly remembered 20 (...hell, 10 years) into the future?

Anyone else think this way? Anyone have different thoughts on what makes a true 'Best ever?'

[Jonathan02us]

I kno that some animes will be bent with time but i feel that Neon Genesis Evagelion, Love Hina, Ah! My goddess, and Cowboy Bebop will be able to stand the test of time all three of them are great series in my book ... in twenty years from now, i will still be watching them from time to time and remebering the older times of anime when i was 19 ... then i will share my older animes with my children ... great times ... 8)

[DJ_Izumi]

Bebop and Eva I think will hold their little milestone positions in the anime history books. I can't say that about many others. I mean, all the 'Ecchi' series will disappear, it's more a matter of to what degree a series will hold it's place.

There are animes now, from the early and mid 80s that go unremembered, and those that go very much remembered. Macross is a good example, with the use of the Macross Zero OVA series (Which is quite interesting) proving that Macross is withstanding the test of time. The same could be said about gundam. (Not 5 years has ever gone by without a gundam based animation released.)

[dwchang]

Logically, the best ever would be those that can stand the test of time, and not many are capable of it (to date, the three best examples of it I can think of Doraemon, the Gundam franchise, and Lupin III.)
and yes, while shows like Trigun, Bebop, Evangelion, InuYasha, etc. are good...will they still be as fondly remembered 20 (...hell, 10 years) into the future?

Anyone else think this way? Anyone have different thoughts on what makes a true 'Best ever?'

Actually one quick comment, Evangelion is actually almost 10 years old. I believe it came out in 1995 and thus ~1 year and it's 10 years. As for it still being popular or not, it's still ranked the #1 anime of all time on most New Type polls (not the monthly one, although it's still in the top 3).

As for what makes it "best ever," that's simple. Your personal tastes. Just because something has withstood the test of time doesn't mean it's good. I mean "Big Wars" and "MD Geist" have withstood the test of time in that everyone remembers them and how horrible they were .

[Moonlight Soldier]

^ Agrees with Changer.

[J-0080]

Although if Big Wars didn't suck so much, then I wouldn't have Fluxy's amusing video about it to watch.

[dwchang]

Although if Big Wars didn't suck so much, then I wouldn't have Fluxy's amusing video about it to watch.

Actually, I saw Fluxy's video and that's the reason I have had the pleasure of *not* seeing "Big Wars."

[HeartbreakerByZep]

Bah humbug, I don't care if other people will remember it, I only care if I will.

I remember a website once that had a big list of requirements that you have to go through before declaring a "best anime ever." Evangelion easily passed all of those tests. I didn't even call it the best until time passed, it completely passed away from my mind for a very long time, and then I allowed myself to be reintroduced to the series, and took a very serious look at it all. I have absolutely no worries about calling Neon Genesis Evangelion the greatest anime ever, because in my "universe" that is true. I know full well that to a lot of people this isn't true, and there might even be an anime out there that's better than Evangelion, but Evangelion fulfills everything I want in a series, and does it a whole lot better than anything else I've seen, and I'm not an anime novice (though I'm far from a guru!) In my "universe" meaning, in alignment with my prefferences, Evangelion is the best. My universe doesn't include things that I haven't seen, but oh well, I'd rather be passionate than cautious, in this case.

[kearlywi]

The best way to look at any show's potential for this is by taking a look and asking 'Where do I see this show 20 years from now?'

Excellent point. I've never thought this way when judging best animes. I reviewed based on a number of factors, such as (in decending order) engrossing factor, emotional involvement, Character Development, Physical Plot, and lastly, laughs (or in otherwords emotional highs), if applicable.

But when asked to classify anime in a "standing the test of time" manner, It significantly changes my list. Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion were quickly mentioned in this thread, and they were also the first two to jump to my mind (even though they are only #9 and #7 on my top ten list, respectively). There are animes I personally have come to love a lot that I know wont have much clout in 20 years. For example Full Metal Panic, and also Inuyasha. Granted, if Inuyasha ends very well, it might survive in the top 30 for a very long time, but as it stands now, it will be remembered (like kenshin TV series) for being too silly to be considered an immortal classic. Although Kenshin has survived a long time (its #4 on top 30 anime), so maybe not.

Another anime that I love is Love Hina, but I doubt it will be strongly remembered in 20 years, as it is pretty much a clone of several animes/manga before it (granted, its really well done) and more importantly, it itself will be cloned several times during the next next 20 years. As far as what I personally think of Love Hina, it used to be my favorite anime, period. But after seeing Ranma 1/2, I went back and watched love hina, again, and I didnt laugh at anything (I'm not reffering to "Love Hina Again" which I liked more than most). Its probably the fastest fading anime I personally like (Its currently my 4th favorite anime).

Another anime which would definitely stand the test of time is Ranma 1/2. Some anime websites (with old-school fans) have dubbed Ranma 1/2 the most Popular anime ever. While it may have been at one time, it isnt anymore, but its still very popular despite being 15 years old. From what i have seen, Ranma 1/2 seems to be getting slightly less popular with time, as fewer and fewer new people see it. That being said, it has lasted well for 15 years (its currently #9 on top 30 anime).

One other classic anime that is still well liked is Escaflowne. Its only a few months newer than Evangelion, and is still very well liked. Escaflowne is the only series (besides Inuyasha) that I enjoy watching even more every additional time I see it. It will stand the test of time, at least for me.

[dwchang]

The best way to look at any show's potential for this is by taking a look and asking 'Where do I see this show 20 years from now?'

But when asked to classify anime in a "standing the test of time" manner, It significantly changes my list. Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion were quickly mentioned in this thread, and they were also the first two to jump to my mind (even though they are only #9 and #7 on my top ten list, respectively). There are animes I personally have come to love a lot that I know wont have much clout in 20 years. For example Full Metal Panic, and also Inuyasha. Granted, if Inuyasha ends very well, it might survive in the top 30 for a very long time, but as it stands now, it will be remembered (like kenshin TV series) for being too silly to be considered an immortal classic. Although Kenshin has survived a long time (its #4 on top 30 anime), so maybe not.

Another anime that I love is Love Hina, but I doubt it will be strongly remembered in 20 years, as it is pretty much a clone of several animes/manga before it (granted, its really well done) and more importantly, it itself will be cloned several times during the next next 20 years. As far as what I personally think of Love Hina, it used to be my favorite anime, period. But after seeing Ranma 1/2, I went back and watched love hina, again, and I didnt laugh at anything (I'm not reffering to "Love Hina Again" which I liked more than most). Its probably the fastest fading anime I personally like (Its currently my 4th favorite anime).

Another anime which would definitely stand the test of time is Ranma 1/2. Some anime websites (with old-school fans) have dubbed Ranma 1/2 the most Popular anime ever. While it may have been at one time, it isnt anymore, but its still very popular despite being 15 years old. From what i have seen, Ranma 1/2 seems to be getting slightly less popular with time, as fewer and fewer new people see it. That being said, it has lasted well for 15 years (its currently #9 on top 30 anime).

One other classic anime that is still well liked is Escaflowne. Its only a few months newer than Evangelion, and is still very well liked. Escaflowne is the only series (besides Inuyasha) that I enjoy watching even more every additional time I see it. It will stand the test of time, at least for me.

Actually Cowboy Bebop is hardly even 5 years old so I don't know if we can say anything really. I mean sure I love it as do the japanese, but I'd rather give it a few years. It's too "young."

And as crappy as it is for me to admit, Escaflowne and Kenshin are nowhere near "standing the test of time." Open up any Newtype "best ever" poll and you'll never see them anywhere near the top...maybe in the top 50? 100? You gotta realize (as hard as it is) that the opinion of the states isn't really that valid when evaluating anime as "best ever." I't sjust one piece of the puzzle (and a very small one at that). Just because a show is popular here does't mean jack in Japan. Escaflowne and Kenshin are great examples of this.

I'd say I agree with the Ranma 1/2 point though since that is well over 10 years old. However, as I said before, this is a moot point to argue..."best ever" is a personal opinion and can be judged on so many things for just one person..it's just that...an opinion. There is no definitive answer.