Miyazaki: The Problem With The Anime Industry Is It's Full of Otaku

[The Catboy]

Even worse, this anime is actually popular.

That being said, there's a whole lot of Manga and Anime sub-styles that have very little to do with actual human anatomy, see Chibi or the easily-recognizable "Toriyama forehead" from Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest.

But Chibi itself is it's own style. It's not meant to be resemble perfect humans, the style is well meant to be small and cute.

 

[Foxi4]

But Chibi itself is it's own style. It's not meant to be resemble perfect humans, the style is well meant to be small and cute.

...and the One Piece style is meant to look the way it does, that's the point I was making. It's kinda reminiscent of western comics, come to think of it - as if the author tried to draw an Anime/Manga with a western flair, but I don't actually know what the inspiration was. Personally I don't fancy it, but hey! Each to their own tastes.

 

[Pedeadstrian]

I know there's the culture to consider but seriously, is it too much to ask to have something more down-to-earth than having a whole crowd of high-content fetishism as far as the eye can see? There's got to be some kind of balance that can be achieved...

It's not hard to find anime that doesn't have boobs as the main plotline. May I suggest Nichijou? It may be a bit girly, but those girls will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[BrightNeko]

This is a strange thing to read currently because we might actually be seeing a revival of the industry soon. This year coupled with last year's hits hold some awesome promise for the future. Last year we saw things like Attack on titan, Silver spoon, Saint young men, and surprises all across that year. While in 2014 anime is kicking off with Space dandy, and Silver spoon season 2 and later down the line we're seeing a revival of mushishi in April. All of which have fluid animation and work well within the human frame.

I suppose this is coming from the over whelming amount of other material out there though at any given time. Things that normally over shadow greater titles, or an entire season or 2 of a year being filled with nothing but T&A. This at least is dying down with how Tamako market bombed last year along with the other fan-service shows.

On the one piece note, keep in mind the time it comes from. It may be playing well into 2014 but it comes from 1999 (manga 1997). The time when zoids, metabots, and monster rancher were getting started. So aside from being western influenced it is also a product of its time, just as anime was getting out of its more "serious" blood splattering days.

 

[GameWinner]

I like One Piece tho

 

[Hyro-Sama]

I only "like" One Piece b/c it's the only one of the "Big Three" that I can stomach reading on occasion. Bleach and Naruto have become far too contrived for my liking. All of the anime adaptations are shit doe. Anyway, Miyazaki has hit the nail on the head. Props to him for truth-telling when no one else in the industry has the balls to.

 

[XDel]

 

[lampdemon]

At least most Animes have a story line, here in America we only have 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' and a few older cartoons(Reboot/Beast Wars come to mind).

Of the "Big three" I only keep up with One Piece(manga only) and lost interest in the other two(fillers OP).

 

[FAST6191]

At least most Animes have a story line, here in America we only have 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' and a few older cartoons(Reboot/Beast Wars come to mind).

Of the "Big three" I only keep up with One Piece(manga only) and lost interest in the other two(fillers OP).

I fear your anime selections may be biased. There are plenty of Japanese cartoons that are weekly reset with no real nod to continuity and full of craziness. Likewise many of the superhero cartoons of recent years have serious overarching plots.
That is not to say you would not have an easier time of finding plot driven stuff that originated from Japan, but you may be dismissing things outside it too easily.

 

[Clydefrosch]

personally, I always thought that one of the pros of anime and cartoons is how its not bound to the physics of real life humans?

so what exactly is his problem? how is the industry suffering because otaku dont look at real humans? is it suffering qualitywise as in things become sloppy? too unrealistic? because fanservice?

 

[AlanJohn]

Guys, we need tp stop these anime wars. Watch this video instead.

 

[Veho]

so what exactly is his problem? how is the industry suffering because otaku dont look at real humans? is it suffering qualitywise as in things become sloppy? too unrealistic? because fanservice?

Otaku are by definition socially retarded. His problem is that the entire industry is comprised of people whose only model of human behaviour and interaction comes from watching anime and interacting with other otaku, creating a self-perpetuating inward spiral (circlejerk) with its head stuck up its own ass that, in turn, produces trope-driven derivative garbage.

 

[lampdemon]

I fear your anime selections may be biased. There are plenty of Japanese cartoons that are weekly reset with no real nod to continuity and full of craziness. Likewise many of the superhero cartoons of recent years have serious overarching plots.
That is not to say you would not have an easier time of finding plot driven stuff that originated from Japan, but you may be dismissing things outside it too easily.

Ofc my anime selection is biased, last I check I was still human ...I tend to stay away from shows that don't have a plot. As for the superhero cartoons, I used to watch them before when I had cable until they were cancelled and the new ones were the same thing with a different coat of pain.

 

[Red_Savarin]

I used to watch like 4 series... now i just watch one piece and its because i'am a fan, almost from the beginning(and the fights are awesome ).
Almost every season you get the same anime with the school setting, and the moe characters, etc. When K-on appeared otaku love it BAM let's make more anime in this style... last one i watched was Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru and didn't manage to finish it, and the lucky star couldn't get pass the first episode because of that stupid croissant talk...
You wanna watch an anime go watch Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san or Gintama, where do you get a ninja with hemorroids and a slave driver with a lewd demon in your regular anime?

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I think the problem with the anime industry is that 95% of it is just awful wank.

Wanna know why Miyazaki animations are so popular? Because they feel like western animations.

Canadian flashtoons are the future.

 

[Gahars]

On topic, the American comics industry is suffering from a very similar problem. The best way to describe is that the inmates are running the asylum; the people writing and producing these comics now are the grognards that grew up with them. Grognard writers and grognard artists are making comics for a grognard audience. I can tell you from firsthand experience, it's grognards all the way down.

These grognards are hurting the comics, Of Mice and Men style. That's not to say that comic fans can't be good writers, but a lot of these people are so attached to certain characters and ideas that they'll do anything to preserve them, even at the expense of the story.

"Peter Parker has to stay a loser forever because he was a loser when I read Spider-Man!"
"I love Wolverine, I'm going to put him in everything!"
"Man, Jim Gordon is so cool, I'm going to make an origin story for his coat!"

It all becomes a weirdly insular circlejerk, and yet publishers act completely surprised when everyone not jerkin' the grognard merkin avoids comic books like the plague.

Canadian flashtoons are the future.

Finally, someone understands my superior flashtoon culture!

 

[Veho]

I think the problem with the anime industry is that 95% of it is just awful wank.

But to be fair, 95% of western animation is wank too.

 

[Gahars]

Also, somewhat related...

Spoiler

 

[kirbymaster101]

Just to make sure on something, is western animation suffering from this as well or is it just japanese animation alone? ALSO AVATAR ISNT ANIME(buts its awesome).

 

[Gahars]

Just to make sure on something, is western animation suffering from this as well or is it just japanese animation alone? ALSO AVATAR ISNT ANIME(buts its awesome).

Not really. The problems in the West are more based around marketing and management than anything else.

Good animation can be really expensive, so unless the network is going to get massive ratings and sell merchandise like gangbusters (or the network is contractually obligated to make more, i.e. Korra), they aren't going to invest. Nickelodeon makes so much more money from Spongebob repeats than new Legend of Korra episodes, it's ridiculous. Even the superhero genre is pretty much a bust at the moment. That's why there's been a flood of cheap, mostly Canadian "flashtoons" - poorly animated shows spit out by Flashplayer and then sold to American networks for a quick profit. Think Johnny Test, Total Drama whatever show they're on, etc.

Managerial incompetence is also a huge problem. Take a look at DC; they got a Batman show cancelled in its first season. That sort of thing would be unthinkable, but there you go. Marvel isn't doing much better. Man of Action has completely screwed the pooch on the whole line. Hell, new episodes of Ultimate Spider-Man pull smaller numbers than reruns of Spectacular Spider-Man. They're spending $500,000 per episode on animation that looks like this. The only reason they're still afloat is that the toys sell decently.

It's not all gloom and doom, though. Disney's producing some great stuff at the moment (Gravity Falls is the bee's knees), and Fox/FX and Adult Swim have championed the medium pretty heavily. Say what you will about Family Guy (and there's a lot to say), but Fox's commitment to Bob's Burgers has been stellar, and with Archer, FX has produced one of the most consistently funny shows for the past 5 or so years. Adult Swim is in a league of its own, willing to fund great experiments, from stuff like The Boondocks to Moral Orel to Rick and Morty. Plus, I think western animators have been more on the ball with the internet, taking advantage of sites like Youtube to hone their craft and share their works.

It's a mixed bag, basically.