Forum - View topicAnswerman - What If I No Longer Like My Old Favorite Shows?
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Lord Geo
Posts: 2665 Location: North Brunswick, New Jersey |
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I've occasionally gone back & watched some anime that I saw back when I was first really getting into the medium, & so far I haven't had an experience where I thought, "Man, this show really isn't that great, is it?". That being said, though, I've also tended to make sure that the nostalgia I have for those shows comes more from what they meant to me, personally, rather than them being the best shows I've ever seen. Part of that likely does come from me already having been "burned" once before, though, when I saw Voltron years upon years after seeing it as a kid, so maybe that taught me to temper my nostalgia in general.
For example, the first anime series I ever purchased on DVD was the Arc the Lad anime, & I remember watching it twice back in the day; once dubbed, & the other subbed. I know I loved the show back then, but I have yet to rewatch it in the ~15 years since then. At the same time, though, I quickly realized back then that it wasn't going to be one of the best shows of all time for me, so whenever I finally do go back & watch it, I know that I'll have proper expectations going in. There's nothing wrong with having those wonderful memories of the past & the shows that made you the fan that you are now, but it's probably best to attach those memories to how they made you feel, rather than towards the shows themselves. |
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I_Drive_DSM
 Posts: 217 |
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This is possibly just my own opinion but I believe that the time frame that you re-visit an old series - that is, at what point in your youth you're returning to as part of nostalgia - can adversely affect how you perceive an older series.
I'll give an example, anime specially; For me to really "go back" and relive some of the first anime I got into I would have to go back to the 80s. Anime in the US during the 80s and even into the early 90s was not this vast spectrum of fandom as it is today; effectively piece meal at best. If I watched something there is a high likelihood it 1) was a "product of the time" and 2) was watched by most everyone. I don't necessarily have to worry about the expectations for it because I know how anime was back then. If a more modern fan on the other hand is reliving 2007 or 2008 that then is arguably no where near the same degree of expectation. Anime for the past 10 to 15 years has had a tremendously flooded market, and the continuous proliferation of series creates a unique anime "culture" in things like series purposely having unique art & story directions and even overall sources (web series, visual novels, light novel, etc.). I would think knowing this situation that there is a much larger chance of being disappointed with something that is so more modern and heavily proliferated. If I go back and relive Tenchi Muyo (either TV or OVA) I know what to expect as during that time there wasn't a lot to compare to. If I try to relive a more modern harem comedy with a Sci-Fi twist I likely have six other circa period things I can compare to just in that season of anime alone. I hope I was at least kinda clear on that sentiment, but again that's what I feel. It could be my age also. I know there are plenty of anime fans who likely have only watched digital (either through streaming or early fan-subs) and say have never dealt with VHS or something even further crazy like laser disk. |
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EricJ2
 Posts: 4016 |
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The poster's question certainly SOUNDS like the fears of a certain age group: "What if I become, gasp, different when I'm older than I am now?  "
And the answer you should be finding out at that age is that some things change and others don't: Some things improve with time, and others date themselves to their era, for good or bad--Generally, if some wag feels some deep psychological NEED to crack deconstructive/ironic passive-hostility parody jokes about 80's movies/TV shows or 90's music, it's a sign that someone might be having trouble with that bit of life transition, and insecurely needs to over-demonstrate to the outside world that "Ha, I'm not that silly deluded teenager that thought Hanson was cool, twenty years ago!" What those of us older, experienced collectors tell the Young Kids about movies, cartoons and anime is, once they've spent their time and ended up on disk, there's no such thing as "old" and "new" anymore--There's just Stuff You Haven't Seen, and if it doesn't hold up well on its own twenty, thirty or fifty years later, it was never going to. If you liked it as a kid, it had something about it to like, and it's your call whether that something is still there. If it's classic enough to survive multiple generations, it's got basic quality to survive even more, and while it might not be the same as when you first discovered it, it may be just as good in another way. That's even more true for 80's-90's anime today, for something that came from a more mainstream age when it had to appeal to everyone, rather than today's anime that's designed to grab a quick imagined trend among its niche viewers who might not be there years later. |
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Superfield
 Posts: 77 |
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I'm afraid that if I ever went back to watch Xiaolin Showdown, I would find it unbearable. But oh, the memories.
I also loved Megaman NT Warrior as a kid, and a few years back, decided to take a closer look. After determining that the dub was a 4kids-style work, I decided to stick to subs, which I thought might close the "gap", as it were - even if the dub I remembered fondly would be thumbscrews to my 20-something self, maybe watching the uncut Japanese version (titled Rockman.EXE) would give me the same rush. It largely didn't; Rockman.EXE is by far the kiddiest anime I've ever seen with very little to offer for anyone over... 14, I'd say. When the majority of the cast went severely out of focus for the second series, I called it quits. Last edited by Superfield on Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Usagi-kun
 Posts: 877 Location: Nashville, TN |
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I miss being able to go to a video/media store and looking through the tiny anime section for hidden treasure. I loved reading the synopsis' of every disc, learning about new shows I had never heard of, or finding a release for a show I heard about online. I also loved physical disc releases because of the artwork changing from volume to volume. I would save money each week for a chance to go to the mall on Saturday to get another installment, even going through the couch cushions and floorboards of my parents' cars looking for spare change for the 27.99 I needed every week.
That is kind of bittersweet to think about. I still have those releases, and thinking of re-watching them makes me anxious. My fond memories of collecting started here when I stuck rows of quarters at the sales counter to buy my precious DVDs. I am still collecting today, but that old rush of emotion is pure nostalgic fantasy. I can buy anime online easily and watch new series instantly, but being able to quietly browse a store a golden memory. I loved to go the bookstore to read manga, but waiting a year for an anime series based on it to hit stateside doesn't sound romantic to me now. I still love those old shows and I worry if I went back and watched them, it might negate some of those happy memories. Justin is right though, the more we experience, the more our tastes change. I at least don't spend as much money with the ease of access to shows and being more discerning about what I buy. It is still a good feeling though, bittersweet, and also lonely. |
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Kougeru
 Posts: 5577 |
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" It's why so many of us at ANN get accused of "hating anime" - I would argue it's ONE reason. There are many other factors depending on the specific reviewers.
Anyway, I really don't relate to this issue usually. Probably 1/20 anime I re-watch and end up liking less than I did when I first watched it. Often times I like things MORE. Lucky Star I rewatched in 2013 and realized I loved it more than I originally did. Kanon 2006 I watched 10 times now. 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2011 9 months later, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. I still love it and wanted to watch it again in 2017 but was too busy. Clannad, Hanasaku, K-On! both seasons, Toradora!, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Shakugan no Shana. I recognize their flaws more easily as I get older and watch more media, but when I watch them again in the last 2-3 years, I find that I still love them just as much. Having had watched them when they were new is definitely a factor, I think. Being able to appreciate the things they did for the industry helps me enjoy them more than I would be able to if I just took them straight on. Haruhi I think is just magical in many ways. |
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zawa113
 Posts: 7358 |
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Hmm, well, I definitely *tried* to watch an episode of Static Shock and Jackie Chan Adventures, and... yeah, they kind of did not hold up for me (at least not the early season stuff). But back then, there really weren't any major kid cartoons (that I can think of, feel free to correct me) that actually had an exciting plot with amazing characters, and it's why Avatar: The Last Airbender stands the test of time so well while I can barely remember 90s American cartoons (wait, I did think of one, once Reboot got going, it was pretty awesome, but I didn't actually ever see that one on TV, I didn't get cable until after 2001 and of the 5 channels I grew up with, WB was the "fuzzy" one, so I tended to favor Fox because it was clear. Yes, seriously. ABC was even fuzzier than WB).
On the plus side though, Digimon (the first season) held up amazingly well. If anything, I was almost more impressed with it as an adult (and I adored it as a child). I was never big on 02, but as an adult, I kind of dislike it even more. While the love and care put into all the characters in 01 was more evident to me as an adult, the lack of care to both characters (with the exception of Cody) and story in 02 just falls so hard now. But for kid me, there really weren't any American cartoons that were as awesome as Digimon. I'm kind of expecting Pokemon to fall for me though. I'd only really bother with the first season (well, "Indigo League", anyway), but I think I'd actually like Team Rocket a lot more now. Or maybe just having dirt poor characters unable to find work and failing so hard at what they love is just too relatable to millennials? Of course, they were also the humor and heart of the series (something I know kid me completely missed) Another one that was early in my anime viewing, but I actually knew this one was an anime (I did not know that about Digimon or Pokemon at the time), I find that Outlaw Star is still a ton of ridiculous and over the top fun. |
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EricJ2
Posts: 4016 |
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The 90's was sort of a wasteland for afternoon kids' cartoons (except for Disney Afternoon, and then only Aladdin holds up--Gargoyles now looks painfully pretentious and overwritten.) Check out the YouTube of 21st-cty. teens trying to identify 90's cartoons: Tiny Toons was the biggest of its day, and nobody...NOBODY...remembers it twenty years later.  They do, however, remember "Cool, there was an X-Men series?"
(For the record, 90's anime did better, as almost everyone remembered Sailor Moon, Pokemon and DBZ, and only one person remembered Eva.) Me, I have no "guilty pleasures", I can explain why I liked any cartoon in detail, and if the reasoning is sound, it's still valid years later. As a Physical-Disk Warrior, I've got an entire archived shelf of 80's/90's toons that deserved to survive, and when I take them down for a second look (like digging up the old 90's Fox "The Tick" when that Amazon embarrassment hit), there's always some bit of genius to appreciate like a fine vintage wine. |
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Mhora
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Change is mostly a good thing and unavoidable, thankfully. I embraced it in my early to mid 20s.
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4788 |
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I think I'm really lucky in that the first batch of shows I got into when I really started watching anime came during its golden age on [adult swim], and included some of what I consider the all-time best series ever created. Bebop, Trigun, GITS: Stand-Alone Complex, Wolf's Rain, FLCL, Big O, FMA '03...and then a bit later things like Champloo and Eureka seveN and Paranoia Agent. Even the long-running discussion group I got into with some friends started with the all-time classic Monster. I really was spoiled in my introduction, and since then I've watched most of those shows many times over without them getting old at all. Going back even further there was Pokémon, of course, but I feel like I'd still get a kick out of the horrible puns even now. At least so far, this phenomenon is something I've happily avoided.
On the non-anime side of things, I've had less desire to go back to the cartoons of my early childhood, and I'm sure things like the original TMNT would be pretty cringe-worthy (in a good way?) today. But on the other hand, I grew up with the classic Disney Afternoon block, and I'd wager I'd still genuinely enjoy the likes of DuckTales and TaleSpin. Then a bit later there were ridiculously good offerings like Animaniacs and Batman: TAS. I made out pretty damn well all things considered. 
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Mawdryn
 Posts: 240 Location: St. Louis, MO. U.S.A. |
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I think I've been lucky that all of the shows I liked as a kid, I still like today. When I rewatch those old shows, I remember who I was at the time and it all comes back to me why I loved them back then. It's undeniably nostalgia, but I think it's good for the person you are now to remember the person you used to be. If you're fortunate like me, you're not really embarrassed by that earlier you and--like those old shows--are able to look back fondly on those days...
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Angel M Cazares
 Posts: 5501 Location: Iscandar |
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There is nothing really more to add to Justin's response; tastes evolve over time. I used to love Dragon Ball 20 years ago, not so much now. But I have loved Cowboy Bebop for 15 years because it is a classic.
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noblesse oblige
 Posts: 280 Location: Florida |
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This is a thoughtful consideration! It's also easy to overlook that the current goings-on of our lives is the context through which each of us experiences media, and these things inevitably change with time. When watching something as a school kid, I might appreciate an anime that sympathizes with the doldrums of school life, however as time passes and I become disconnected from that feeling, that aspect of the show might not resonate with me as much. It entirely depends on the individual viewer and their mental/emotional state. |
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rizuchan
 Posts: 980 Location: Kansas |
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Yeah, Digimon Adventure really holds up, the second season, not as much. Tamers seems to be exactly how you remember it - that is, if you thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, it still is, but if you're like me and thought it was kind of a slog (despite desperately wanting to love it), it's still slow.
The first season of Pokemon is still pretty good. Whenever someone watches a bit of it with me I always hear, "this is pretty good for a kids cartoon". But then my fiance, who never watched Pokemon until recently, really loves X&Y. I think Pokemon might just be so repetitive that any season is "good" until you watch all the others and realize it's 1000 episodes with mostly the same 5 or so stories. It's strange, because the ones that really don't hold up for me are the ones I never "loved" in the first place, but pretended to like because all my friends really hyped them up. For some reason I thought I needed to be more mature or something to understand the appeal of Trigun or Wolf's Rain... turns out, they're just as boring as I remember them. (Of course, now that I just called Digimon and Pokemon "good" and Wolf's Rain "boring", I understand if you just assume I have bad taste. )
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MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5500 |
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