I'm sure we've all,at one point in our lives, watched or readan anime or manga that we've really feltwe had a connection with. Something that spoke to uson a deeper level for whatever reason that may be. Perhaps it reminded us ofan experience we had in our lives or conveyed a messagewhere you really understood or had some charactersyou could totally empathize with. Because of it, we ended upgrowing a deep attachment to the point where no matter whatflaws the thing might actually have, we could easily overlook it because... well, it didn't matter. It didn't affect our experienceor why we got so attached to it. And even if othersdid find flaws with it, we didn't care. As, they didn't have the sameexperience that you did. To us, it was perfect. Even if, objectively speaking, The perfect anime, the perfect game,the perfect movie cannot exist.
I was lucky enoughto be able to see the record-breaking𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦 in theaters and it absolutelyblew me away. So much so, I had towatch it, not twice, but 3 times beforegetting close to satisfied. And it was after I walkedout of the theater for the third time that I knew I'd foundmy new perfect anime. Except, I know that,critically speaking, if I called this "perfect,"or "a masterpiece," or any other overlysuperlative adjective, there would be those of us who would arguethe semantics of describing it such a way 'cause, at the end of the day,it's an opinion that's subjective. And I don't know why this wordis so looked down upon when we're talkingcritically about something. Of course I know if a film isn't perfect.
The characters aren't the deepest,moments of it can play off melodrama, and I'm sure if I thought deeply about it, I can find plot holesbecause the film speaks to the heartrather than to the mind. Though, none of thatactually matters to me because I felt it achievedeverything it need to, and there's so much I love about this film that I wouldn't changea single thing about it. I can't remember the last time I saw something with so much charm and beauty to it and there's just not one,single thing I can point at to say why I love this movie. The beautiful dichotomy oftwo star-crossed lovers learning vicariously about one another. capturing the care-freenature of adolescence like that melancholic feeling of watching a long summer's day passing by. That dreamlike qualityof longing for something that seems preordained yet lost while mixing in themes likefantasy, long-distance relationships, and natural disaster somehowweaving all this into a compelling narrative. There are so many elementsblending together to create a piece of work thatspoke to me on so many levels that went beyondjust breaking down characters, animation,writing, and music. I
walked out of the theaterwith that same bittersweet joy of meeting a lost friendyou won't see again for a long time with a reignited passionfor this medium I love so much, and that's not one thing you can justput on a 1-to-10 review scale. To me, it was a masterpiece. And no amount of plot holes,character writing, or melodrama could take that away from me. But I know that not everyonewill share the same experience I did or come to the same conclusion. There will be people it didn't appeal to. Some will have gottentoo caught up in the hype, or simply couldn't connect to itas much for whatever reason, and that's fine. No one will ever createa piece of work that would appeal toabsolutely everybody, so why is it that wepretend a good review is something that canobjectively break down what makes a piece of mediagood or not? Many self-proclaimed critics I've seen always harp back to thewriting and characters as the absolute backboneof what makes something good. As if there's only one specificformula to making a great show. Which is something I totally disagree with. Sure there is a guidebook and theories to what makes goodfilm making and story telling, which applies to the majority,but we shouldn't forget what they are.
A guide. Not an absolute. And there are exceptions to every rule. Every anime sets out toachieve something different and part of the charm of certain movies or shows is the way they are able to impress youeven if it clearly has flaws. Or sometimes even embracing them. We say show, don't tell. Then along comes the Monogatari series showing us that we can craft an interesting story almost entirely through dialogue. If characters and writing were all that mattered, then we wouldn't get things like the mind-blowing visual extravaganza that was Redline. Gurren Lagann came to celebrate the cheesy heroic tropes we all thought we were tired of. And the ending of Evangelion was such a raw, unfiltered outcry of emotion that love it or hate it - has remained a topic of discussion and a resonating moment for many people to this day.
So what is it that really makes the show mean something to us? The conclusion I've come to is that there is no single technique that portrays this but there is a common driving force I have felt from all these shows: Passion and communication. At the end of the day, anime is a form of art. A way for the creators to communicate to the audience in some way. Whether it be an idea, a feeling, an experience or something else. And my favorite shows are the ones where this communication really resonated with me. Maybe was a hype scene, a beautifulmoment a genius piece of writing. And I'm sure you all have your own personal examples. Which is why I feel like the best critics are people who can break down why a movie or anime appeals to them, and what aspect of it would appeal to anindividual audience member. Rather than a blanket statement of why it's objectivelygood. Nothing about this is objective. Soinstead of condemning subjectivity, whyaren't we embracing it? Most of my favorite ever shows hadnothing to do with ticking off somepredetermined categories, But some aspects of feeling that I really liked about it. Recently I've seen an increase in people embracing the critical analysis of anime, which is great you know. There's nothing wrong with promoting a smarter way of looking at a medium. But I think in doing so, I feelwe've created a community that upholds having a higher knowledge and appreciation of the inner workings behind your favorite shows more than just having fun. It is possible to embrace critical thinking while acknowledging the subjectivity of it. So we may a joke about it but there's certainly no such thing as a bad taste in anime.
I
fact I think the worst thing you can do is either keep a closed mind or alter your taste so it's more respectable. I've seen far too manypeople try to hide their actual taste because they think it's too mainstream or two trashy or something that isn't critically acclaimed. There's nothing wrong with your favorite anime, even if it doesn't take all the boxes and characters or writing or cinematography or if you just like it for some reallystupid reason. And it's definitely nothing wrong with thinking some critically acclaimed shows are just boring as hell. if you can unashamedly say, hey i just really like this trashy show because it was trashy. all the more power to you. I unashamedly hold "love hina" close to me because it reminds me of a time when, my adolescence romanticize the concept of just finding a partner who would accept me. And every so often another show comes along it just appeals to that side of me even if I know it's absolutely trashy. Your taste reflect who you are as a person, your interests are shaped by your experiences, and upbringing that made you the individual you are today. So why the hell shouldn't you be proudof that? It shouldn't be about having superior taste, it shouldn't be about showing off how much knowledge you have. And it definitely shouldn't be about showing how much smarter you are than other people. I
should be about keeping an open mind, embracing individuality, and most of all having fun! I'm the type of guy who can be gropingat the complex narrative presentationseen in Satoshi Kon's work, and then arguing over which Monogatari girl has the most appealing bust in the same conversation. In fact those were some of the most interesting conversations I've ever had. With some of the most interestingpeople I've ever had the pleasure ofmeeting. Whatever shows hold a special place in your heart, are special because that's the person you are. so don't forget that. and I guess all I really wanted to say through all this mindless rambling without any real point I was trying to make was that I saw an anime the other day and I liked it a lot. It was pretty great. No... In fact, it was perfect.
I was lucky enoughto be able to see the record-breaking𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦 in theaters and it absolutelyblew me away. So much so, I had towatch it, not twice, but 3 times beforegetting close to satisfied. And it was after I walkedout of the theater for the third time that I knew I'd foundmy new perfect anime. Except, I know that,critically speaking, if I called this "perfect,"or "a masterpiece," or any other overlysuperlative adjective, there would be those of us who would arguethe semantics of describing it such a way 'cause, at the end of the day,it's an opinion that's subjective. And I don't know why this wordis so looked down upon when we're talkingcritically about something. Of course I know if a film isn't perfect.
The characters aren't the deepest,moments of it can play off melodrama, and I'm sure if I thought deeply about it, I can find plot holesbecause the film speaks to the heartrather than to the mind. Though, none of thatactually matters to me because I felt it achievedeverything it need to, and there's so much I love about this film that I wouldn't changea single thing about it. I can't remember the last time I saw something with so much charm and beauty to it and there's just not one,single thing I can point at to say why I love this movie. The beautiful dichotomy oftwo star-crossed lovers learning vicariously about one another. capturing the care-freenature of adolescence like that melancholic feeling of watching a long summer's day passing by. That dreamlike qualityof longing for something that seems preordained yet lost while mixing in themes likefantasy, long-distance relationships, and natural disaster somehowweaving all this into a compelling narrative. There are so many elementsblending together to create a piece of work thatspoke to me on so many levels that went beyondjust breaking down characters, animation,writing, and music. I
walked out of the theaterwith that same bittersweet joy of meeting a lost friendyou won't see again for a long time with a reignited passionfor this medium I love so much, and that's not one thing you can justput on a 1-to-10 review scale. To me, it was a masterpiece. And no amount of plot holes,character writing, or melodrama could take that away from me. But I know that not everyonewill share the same experience I did or come to the same conclusion. There will be people it didn't appeal to. Some will have gottentoo caught up in the hype, or simply couldn't connect to itas much for whatever reason, and that's fine. No one will ever createa piece of work that would appeal toabsolutely everybody, so why is it that wepretend a good review is something that canobjectively break down what makes a piece of mediagood or not? Many self-proclaimed critics I've seen always harp back to thewriting and characters as the absolute backboneof what makes something good. As if there's only one specificformula to making a great show. Which is something I totally disagree with. Sure there is a guidebook and theories to what makes goodfilm making and story telling, which applies to the majority,but we shouldn't forget what they are.
A guide. Not an absolute. And there are exceptions to every rule. Every anime sets out toachieve something different and part of the charm of certain movies or shows is the way they are able to impress youeven if it clearly has flaws. Or sometimes even embracing them. We say show, don't tell. Then along comes the Monogatari series showing us that we can craft an interesting story almost entirely through dialogue. If characters and writing were all that mattered, then we wouldn't get things like the mind-blowing visual extravaganza that was Redline. Gurren Lagann came to celebrate the cheesy heroic tropes we all thought we were tired of. And the ending of Evangelion was such a raw, unfiltered outcry of emotion that love it or hate it - has remained a topic of discussion and a resonating moment for many people to this day.
So what is it that really makes the show mean something to us? The conclusion I've come to is that there is no single technique that portrays this but there is a common driving force I have felt from all these shows: Passion and communication. At the end of the day, anime is a form of art. A way for the creators to communicate to the audience in some way. Whether it be an idea, a feeling, an experience or something else. And my favorite shows are the ones where this communication really resonated with me. Maybe was a hype scene, a beautifulmoment a genius piece of writing. And I'm sure you all have your own personal examples. Which is why I feel like the best critics are people who can break down why a movie or anime appeals to them, and what aspect of it would appeal to anindividual audience member. Rather than a blanket statement of why it's objectivelygood. Nothing about this is objective. Soinstead of condemning subjectivity, whyaren't we embracing it? Most of my favorite ever shows hadnothing to do with ticking off somepredetermined categories, But some aspects of feeling that I really liked about it. Recently I've seen an increase in people embracing the critical analysis of anime, which is great you know. There's nothing wrong with promoting a smarter way of looking at a medium. But I think in doing so, I feelwe've created a community that upholds having a higher knowledge and appreciation of the inner workings behind your favorite shows more than just having fun. It is possible to embrace critical thinking while acknowledging the subjectivity of it. So we may a joke about it but there's certainly no such thing as a bad taste in anime.
I
fact I think the worst thing you can do is either keep a closed mind or alter your taste so it's more respectable. I've seen far too manypeople try to hide their actual taste because they think it's too mainstream or two trashy or something that isn't critically acclaimed. There's nothing wrong with your favorite anime, even if it doesn't take all the boxes and characters or writing or cinematography or if you just like it for some reallystupid reason. And it's definitely nothing wrong with thinking some critically acclaimed shows are just boring as hell. if you can unashamedly say, hey i just really like this trashy show because it was trashy. all the more power to you. I unashamedly hold "love hina" close to me because it reminds me of a time when, my adolescence romanticize the concept of just finding a partner who would accept me. And every so often another show comes along it just appeals to that side of me even if I know it's absolutely trashy. Your taste reflect who you are as a person, your interests are shaped by your experiences, and upbringing that made you the individual you are today. So why the hell shouldn't you be proudof that? It shouldn't be about having superior taste, it shouldn't be about showing off how much knowledge you have. And it definitely shouldn't be about showing how much smarter you are than other people. I
should be about keeping an open mind, embracing individuality, and most of all having fun! I'm the type of guy who can be gropingat the complex narrative presentationseen in Satoshi Kon's work, and then arguing over which Monogatari girl has the most appealing bust in the same conversation. In fact those were some of the most interesting conversations I've ever had. With some of the most interestingpeople I've ever had the pleasure ofmeeting. Whatever shows hold a special place in your heart, are special because that's the person you are. so don't forget that. and I guess all I really wanted to say through all this mindless rambling without any real point I was trying to make was that I saw an anime the other day and I liked it a lot. It was pretty great. No... In fact, it was perfect.
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