[Anime] What does the future hold?

[YuneKirby]

World Trigger debuts in anime form on October 5th. I'd keep an eye on it, it's one of my favorite mangas in Shonen Jump right now.

[Kaitenx]

And without these large anime, anime wouldn't be nearly as large in the West. Just think about DBZ. DBZ may not be the most thought provoking show ever, but if it never existed I am certain that anime wouldn't be as popular in the US as it is now. Large Shonen anime are essential to get new people into the medium. It's much easier to suggest a show like Naruto to my friends to get them into it than it is to recommend a show like Tokyo Ghoul (not the best example but you get the idea.)

If this was the early 00's then id agree. But now that Naruto, Bleach and One Piece exist there isn't a need for the cycle to continue. Anime is already as popular as it ever will be in the west. For those that get into anime through shounen the anime still exist. But as for replacements to those (for your reason to get new anime fans) isn't required. There are far better entry level anime out there as well. The Shounen while get exposure don't do much in terms of quality.

[AceofHarts]

If this was the early 00's then id agree. But now that Naruto, Bleach and One Piece exist there isn't a need for the cycle to continue. Anime is already as popular as it ever will be in the west. For those that get into anime through shounen the anime still exist. But as for replacements to those (for your reason to get new anime fans) isn't required. There are far better entry level anime out there as well. The Shounen while get exposure don't do much in terms of quality.

as much as i hate to say it, SAO is probably the biggest gateway anime out there currently. easy for gamers to relate to, easy to follow story, good action, animation, and music.

[kendro1200]

We don't need anymore endless shounen and we'd be better off with less of them. There are enough decent-good anime each season to keep you going without any problems.

The super long animes (be they shounen or not) aren't necessarily bad, and in many cases I prefer them over an anime that runs for one season and then leaves on a cliff hanger, or just generally open ended (like most of them do). The biggest problem animes often have is that filler episodes get tossed in. Then if an anime runs for a particularly long time, then filler seasons get tossed in, seasons that can either break continuity within a story, or just generally feel pointless because you know they have no plot relevance.
That being said, I'm Mahouka Koukou No Rettousei and the new Ghost in the Shell Arise series get fully fleshed out over a handful of seasons. Hell, even an actual anime translation of the original GitS mangas would be sweet. The Stand Alone Complex series were great, I loved those two seasons to death, but there was a ton of material from the original manga. Thus far all anime and film adaptations have just kinda taken the summary plots of particular arcs, and then written their own scripts under the influence of those arcs.

[Kaitenx]

as much as i hate to say it, SAO is probably the biggest gateway anime out there currently. easy for gamers to relate to, easy to follow story, good action, animation, and music.

Yeah it is one of the biggest, that and Attack on Titan as well. For new anime at least.

[Tierbook]

The future is Adult Swim hopefully, i didn't even know they had Hellsing Ultimate.....

[Poppincaps]

The super long animes (be they shounen or not) aren't necessarily bad, and in many cases I prefer them over an anime that runs for one season and then leaves on a cliff hanger, or just generally open ended (like most of them do). The biggest problem animes often have is that filler episodes get tossed in. Then if an anime runs for a particularly long time, then filler seasons get tossed in, seasons that can either break continuity within a story, or just generally feel pointless because you know they have no plot relevance.
That being said, I'm Mahouka Koukou No Rettousei and the new Ghost in the Shell Arise series get fully fleshed out over a handful of seasons. Hell, even an actual anime translation of the original GitS mangas would be sweet. The Stand Alone Complex series were great, I loved those two seasons to death, but there was a ton of material from the original manga. Thus far all anime and film adaptations have just kinda taken the summary plots of particular arcs, and then written their own scripts under the influence of those arcs.

Going off your filler point, I think people just need to let some anime sit for awhile. That's how I watch One Piece. I watch it weekly until it starts to bore me and then I put it down for a while and pick it back up after the arc ends. Obviously OP is light on the filler but as a result it has slow pacing at times.

If an anime is putting out filler, then just set it down for a couple months. Filler is unfortunately a necessary evil on anime being tied to manga.

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The future is Adult Swim hopefully, i didn't even know they had Hellsing Ultimate.....

My only problem with Adult Swim is that it starts so freaking late. If I'm up that late then I'm usually not home and if I am home then I'm usually ready to go to sleep. They need to bring back the old toonami time slot.

[Faroth]

And without these large anime, anime wouldn't be nearly as large in the West. Just think about DBZ. DBZ may not be the most thought provoking show ever, but if it never existed I am certain that anime wouldn't be as popular in the US as it is now. Large Shonen anime are essential to get new people into the medium. It's much easier to suggest a show like Naruto to my friends to get them into it than it is to recommend a show like Tokyo Ghoul (not the best example but you get the idea.)

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Not sure why you would want less Shounen anime. They bring in new anime fans and many of them are good for what they are. If you don't like them you could, I don't know, not watch them.

Seriously? I've always found it's the shorter ones that are better for getting new people into anime.

Akira is one of the single most watched anime and for a time it was the #1 "anime that got me into it" when people were asked. That's just a film. Studio Ghibli films are a hook. Trigun and Cowboy Bebop on Toonami were huge.

It's a lot easier to say "watch this movie" or "watch this 12-24 episode anime" and let people get an idea for what they like. It's more daunting to say "Watch the first 12 episodes of this and if you like it, there are 154 more right now."

In the last year or so, I'd probably recommend Summer Wars and Wolf Children over most series, particular long running series. But you have to know the person's taste to make a good suggestion, I think.

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as much as i hate to say it, SAO is probably the biggest gateway anime out there currently. easy for gamers to relate to, easy to follow story, good action, animation, and music.

I still recommend SAO, though I tend to give the disclaimer of "Oh it's really fun, watch the first 12 episodes. You can quit after that, though." >_>
I really didn't like how much they butchered the second half. Maybe I should read the light novels sometime. I'm fairly ho hum with the 2nd season and GGO, though it lets me do my Chris Rock impersonation and yell "George Lucas gonna sue somebody!"

2.5 weeks til Log Horizon comes back on, though. So yay.

[Kaitenx]

Filler is unfortunately a necessary evil on anime being tied to manga.

That's really only true for the long running shounen. Most anime either wait for enough material for a season (SnK) and then wait again until there is enough material. Or they wait until the Manga is finished/will be by the time the final episode airs (FMA: B) You may get one filler episode in some anime or a recap episode but not filler arcs unless they decided to depart from the manga (not enough material etc). Filler arcs are the plague of anime that they just won't take off the air even though there is not enough material to adapt.

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2.5 weeks til Log Horizon comes back on, though. So yay.

Aww yeah!! Looking forward to that!

[Deleted]

No they don't bring in new ANIME fans they bring in new shounen fanboys who will eat up anything the show shits out and will simply ignore all other types of anime that doesn't have 10 episode long fights with shitty animation and pacing and will label it "weebshit" or "show for perverts"

Most of us started with shounen. I personally still love shounen, even more if it involves slapstick humor. First serialized anime I've ever watched was shounen, on a German channel called VOX (JP audio, DE sub for some, just DE dub for most), while I barely understood the language. Then I got more and more into it and started diversifying my personal tastes.

A bit offtopic - that comment looks like a special snowflake rant

[Musubi]

As far as the endless shounen goes, I guess I don't really mind... I actually prefer them because it gives time to develop the characters and to grow attachments to characters. I've been watching anime since the mid-90s but only recently picked up Fairy Tale and Naruto, so I guess I don't fall into the "new viewer" demographic though.

I watched them both in totality over the course of 3-4 months after my kids were in bed (200ish episodes of Fairy Tale and 500+ of Naruto) and I personally didn't find it overwhelming.

As for the future of anime, there is always the option of picking "History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi" back up as that manga recently concluded and the previous series only covered the first arc.

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I'm fairly ho hum with the 2nd season and GGO, though it lets me do my Chris Rock impersonation and yell "George Lucas gonna sue somebody!"

2.5 weeks til Log Horizon comes back on, though. So yay.

I think it would be the Mouse suing someone now... which is infinitely more terrifying, lol.

Also thanks for the Log Horizon heads up, time to move it up the Crunchy Roll queue so I notice it!

[Kaitenx]

As far as the endless shounen goes, I guess I don't really mind... I actually prefer them because it gives time to develop the characters and to grow attachments to characters.

That's more of a personal thing I think. I have gotten more attached to characters in 12 episode seasons than all of Naruto for example. It comes down to what get's you attached in the first place and how the character develops. I find most characters in long running shounen to be too cliched and annoying to get deeply attached. That's not to say I don't have characters that I like from them, I definitely like characters such as Kakashi/Itachi and Byakuya/Shunsei. But I don't think the length had much to do with that.

Man some small length shows character development is insane. The attachment you get to them in such a small time frame is amazing.

[Radio]

Man some small length shows character development is insane. The attachment you get to them in such a small time frame is amazing.

Unrelated to anime, but the opening montage in Up.

[Asphyxiate9]

Recalling whats been publishing in Shounen manga in Japan at the moment I can't think of anything that has the potential to be long enough to warrant an endless season that hasn't been adapted to anime yet.

[Skorpionss]

I disagree with most people here... I love endless shows because they are always dependable, I know that (with few exceptions) I can watch them every week and get a bit of enjoyment out of them. And when the series ends I love picking it up from the start and watching it all over a few weeks...

I'd rather do that than watch the shit they are making now at least... other than first season of SAO and AoT I haven't liked a single thing that got released in the last few years as far as series go...

And now I hear HxH is gonna end soon? wtf ... well I guess it's better than endless filler as long as they pick it back up when the mangaka starts writing again...

Nowadays I don't even give shows a chance unless they already ended anyway or are past the 100 episode mark(except AoT and SAO, which I was kinda forced into watching while I stayed at my cousin)... fuck anime that only have 1 season and then got dropped ( Looking at you Berserk and Gantz) even if it's due to lack of material.... the least they could do is release new seasons as the manga progresses even if they have to wait a few years...

[AceofHarts]

I disagree with most people here... I love endless shows because they are always dependable, I know that (with few exceptions) I can watch them every week and get a bit of enjoyment out of them. And when the series ends I love picking it up from the start and watching it all over a few weeks...

I'd rather do that than watch the shit they are making now at least... other than first season of SAO and AoT I haven't liked a single thing that got released in the last few years as far as series go...

And now I hear HxH is gonna end soon? wtf ... well I guess it's better than endless filler as long as they pick it back up when the mangaka starts writing again...

Nowadays I don't even give shows a chance unless they already ended anyway or are past the 100 episode mark(except AoT and SAO, which I was kinda forced into watching while I stayed at my cousin)... fuck anime that only have 1 season and then got dropped ( Looking at you Berserk and Gantz) even if it's due to lack of material.... the least they could do is release new seasons as the manga progresses even if they have to wait a few years...

well that explains a thing or two. you don't care about plot or character development or anything of that nature. you only care about action.

[Radio]

And now I hear HxH is gonna end soon? wtf ... well I guess it's better than endless filler as long as they pick it back up when the mangaka starts writing again...

Ended weeks ago. Manga is only 9 chapters ahead.

[Video Games]

More niskeoi and fate. All I fuckin' neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed. Also chaika.

[Poppincaps]

well that explains a thing or two. you don't care about plot or character development or anything of that nature. you only care about action.

And long running series have character development. The only difference is that it is more gradual. You can't tell a grand and epic story in just 12 or 25 episodes. I'd say you need at least 50 episodes like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or The Last Airbender to get it down properly. I mean if you think a show like One Piece doesn't have character development, then you either don't watch it or you're misguided.

I like anime like Tokyo Ghoul, or Akame Ga Kill, or Kill La Kill, but they are completely different animals from Naruto or One Piece or HxH. Not sure why we can't have both.

[AceofHarts]

And long running series have character development. The only difference is that it is more gradual. You can't tell a grand and epic story in just 12 or 25 episodes. I'd say you need at least 50 episodes like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or The Last Airbender to get it down properly. I mean if you think a show like One Piece doesn't have character development, then you either don't watch it or you're misguided.

I like anime like Tokyo Ghoul, or Akame Ga Kill, or Kill La Kill, but they are completely different animals from Naruto or One Piece or HxH. Not sure why we can't have both.

so tell me this than. why does he like SAO and AoT? i mean AoT was decent enough, not great, but there has been plenty of anime in the past 2-3 years that are of better overall quality than those two.

for example: Zetsuen No Tempest.