Forum - View topicstory arcs
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BoygetsfireD
 Posts: 475 Location: earth |
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people are always talking about various story arcs, but what sets the arc? I know that it has to do with whats going on in the series, and if you say "the kyoto arc" about Kenshin, just about everybody will know what episodes you're talking about, but what sets what the arc is? don't the various parts of a series sort of blend together?
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joel_s95387
Posts: 1804 Location: California... The Village Hidden In The Porn |
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Are you asking why a story arc is named a certain why? Or what constitues an arc?
The Kyoto arc was rather obvious and I have a suspicion that the companies who create the anime, name these arcs. It could have been called the Shishio arc. I always thought of Dragonball Z as a compilation of story arcs and not sagas. Each portion of the story was an arc to me cause I always saw saga as the whole thing. The Arc is named after the main story and not the mini stories inside that huge story. Sorry I'm being confusing I hope you understood. |
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Nagisa
Moderator
 Posts: 6128 Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh |
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Story arcs are essentially smaller cases of basic plot progression that occur within the series. The establishing of a new conflict, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the conclusion. For most Shounen Jump series, there's less of an overall story, and more of a singular premise and cast of characters that are then put through various story arcs that provide the actual plots.
Take Kenshin for example. The overall premise is that of a wandering swordsman who seeks to protect the weak and uphold his own humanitarian form of justice. But that alone is not the plot. Enter story arcs within that main premise. For example, the Kyoto Arc has the establishing of conflict (Saitou's arrival and the government's appeal to Kenshin), the rising action (Kenshin, Misao, et al travel to Kyoto and battle the Juppongatana), the climax (the revelation of Shishio's true motives and Kenshin's final battle with him), the falling action (the direct aftermath of the battle and cleanup), and the conclusion (Kenshin & Co. return to Kaoru's dojo). That story arc thus takes the premise Kenshin establishes and provides it with a plot for that group of episodes. And then the next story arc will give it a plot for those next few episodes. That's probably not the best way to explain it, but it's the best I can do. Hope that helped. |
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Deltakiral
 Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
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Could the word arc be a substitute for the saga? I had original called the kyoto arc, the shisho saga, but now I know my fault. This come to mind from my days of DBZ. But then again I may be mistaken.
Till next time, Delta Kiral |
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Stupidman007
 Posts: 394 |
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I think DBZ is the only show that people really call it "saga". Reason for that I think is because of how it appeals. Most people feel that saga signifies something bigger than an arc for say. In DBZ, a saga lasts such a long time, it becomes a saga. Cell, Freeza, Buu, etc... in their own become individual shows, and not part of a whole show.
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Samurai CDZ
 Posts: 776 Location: Manhattan, KS |
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Yes and no. The words are often interchanged but they should be treated differently, if you ask me. Saga's are larger story arcs, usually only applicable to stories that have multiple large (50-100) episode storylines. For example, take One Piece. The first saga is ~70 episodes made up of shorter 10-20 episode well-contained story arcs. Every saga has a intro>rising action>climax>falling action>conclusion and every arc contained in it has a intro>rising action>climax>falling action>conclusion, as well. Here's the wikipedia diagram for a visual. DBZ's saga's could be broken down into smaller story arcs, but they were released being called sagas instead of arcs. Apparently saga is a sexier word. 
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Stupidman007
Posts: 394 |
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Lol Samurai CDZ you said it exactly what I would've like to said it.
I cant agree more. |
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Nagisa
Moderator
Posts: 6128 Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh |
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No. A saga is an expansive, epic narrative describing a hero's journey and everything he encounters as a part of that journey. A story arc is merely a smaller plot progression within the larger work. For example, Dragon Ball in its entirety (DB, Z, GT) is actually only one saga (three at the very, very most, but properly only one); it's the hero's journey of Son Goku. The smaller parts within involving the Tenkaichi Budoukai, the battle against Freezer, the Cell Games, Bebi's appearance, etc. would merely be story arcs within that saga. Same goes for One Piece, Kenshin, Naruto, Bleach, etc. |
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Deltakiral
Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
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I see where your coming from with that I guess, it does make more sense. In the context you describe what a saga is it made me think back to the The Odessus (Spelling?) by Homer, so is that a saga as well or do you have do include the Illiad (know as the movie Troy) as well? Till next time, Delta Kiral P.S. Thanks for clearing this up for me, Everyone that answer I dap all of you! |
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Samurai CDZ
Posts: 776 Location: Manhattan, KS |
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I disagree. Definition-wise you may be correct, but organizationally it's inefficient at best. (edit: no I take that back, even definition-wise it appears they are more or less correct. It's all about persepective.) We're not talking about what it means, but how it's used (at least in the anime world), and it's definitely not used like that. I can only think of 2 shows (DBZ and One Piece) that I've seen and have a use for "sagas". Kenshin and Bleach are too small. If Naruto had finished Orochimaru and then Akatsuki appeared, then it too would have need for sagas (but of course it didn't). A saga is a large story arc containing story arcs within itself and part of a much larger story arc (usually the entire series). That's how it's used whenever I see it. |
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HitokiriShadow
 Posts: 6251 |
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Yu Yu Hakusho also uses 'Sagas' I think. I believe the box sets are each considered sagas.
I agree that sagas tend to be longer, but not that they necessarily contain multiple story arcs. In some cases, yes, a saga will contain multiple story arcs (If you consider DBZ one long saga, then it has about three story arcs. I consider DBZ to have three sagas [Sayain/Freeza saga, Androids/Cell saga, and Baby/Buu saga] each containing story arcs within those sagas). However, I'm not sure that a saga needs to have multiple story arcs to be considered a saga. I can't think of anything that I would consider a 'saga' that only has one story arc at the moment though. |
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BoygetsfireD
Posts: 475 Location: earth |
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cool, I understand all of this, but what defines an arc as "episode ___ through episode ___?"
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
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I'm not sure if I can explain this in the manner that you want or if it has already been explained, but let me give it a try.
In Inu Yasha the largest story is about the recovery of the shards of the Sacred Jewel. Within that story is the story of how Onigumo/Narako used Inuyasha and Kikyo against each other and how 50+ years later, Narako is still doing the same thing. Within that story are smaller stories that last one or two episodes, but what I call a "story arc" is a tale that lasts 3-10 episodes such as the Band of 7 vs. Inuyasha and Co. That "arc" ends when the Band of 7 (or whoever the 'bad guys' are) are destroyed or have given up. I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for but it's my shot at it. |
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Nagisa
Moderator
Posts: 6128 Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh |
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Like I said, the points in basic plot progression where the inciting action/establishment of conflict begins and the point of final conclusion/denouement. Knowing how to spot these will tell you where story arcs begin and end. As in my previous Kenshin example, the appearance of Saitou as the inciting action towards later, building events and the return home from Kyoto with nothing more Kyoto-related to accomplish as the denouement mark the beginning and ending of the Kyoto Arc.
I disagree, actually. Just because Dragon Ball and One Piece and Yuu Yuu Hakusho are more drawn out does not mean that their main story arcs "move up a notch." To continue with my Dragon Ball example, the overall story is the "Saga of Son Goku," as the saga is the collective trials of the hero on his journey. The individual trials encountered (Piccolo Daimao, Freezer, Cell, etc.) would be the main story arcs, and within those would be smaller, more immediate arcs in the form of subplots and individual character arcs (the attack of the Androids 17 and 18 would be a subplot, for example, while, say, what Trunks sought to accomplish during that time and the outcome of that would be considered his character arc). The reason Dragon Ball and its ilk have gone so long with their subplots called "sagas" is due to error within the fanbase that became popular habit, possibly beginning with the fansubbers. And Dragon Ball's fansubbers back in the day, if you'll remember, were awfully insecure types who did everything they could to make the show seem more "edgy" and "mature." The obscene levels of swearing they haphazrdly threw into the show, and perhaps the declaring of the principle arcs as "sagas," were both likely motions towards that attempt at "legitimizing" the show that others then picked up on en masse. |
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Samurai CDZ
Posts: 776 Location: Manhattan, KS |
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Yes, it does. Hierarchy systems change with more information/people/events. As for everything else, I agree in understanding. I just use different terminology. One that seems to be used more often, whether it's created by fansubs or companies or rabid fans. And, whether the dictionary currently supports that definition or not. |
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