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Old School Anime?


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deathisonly...



Joined: 03 Jun 2008
Posts: 34
Location: Pa.
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 4:58 pm Reply with quote
Okay I'm young, dump, and appertanly a manic depress person, but I do have a question about anime over the years.

Does anyone know what happen to anime production over the last thirty years? I mean the style, design, depth, etc.

I like the "old-school" drawing stlye that you see in anime from the 80s-90s. Examples in 80s, Astro Boy, Gundam, the White Moblie Suit( I believe it was called that), than in the 90s the most noted are Eva, and DBZ, Gundam Wing... The anime today just seems too CG for me.

Does anyone know what happen or understands my issue?
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Mushi-Man



Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 1537
Location: KCMO
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:43 pm Reply with quote
First of all, Astro Boy was from the 60's (unless your referring to one of the remakes). Second, it's no secret that anime art has changed over the years, but this is simply because the capacity for higher quality art is available. I tend to prefer the new art style, although i don't really care about the art as long as it doesn't suck. I really just look at the writing and directing, and in those fields anime has not suffered one bit.
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deathisonly...



Joined: 03 Jun 2008
Posts: 34
Location: Pa.
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:51 pm Reply with quote
I don't know I just don't like the way its done today. The feel is all wrong. Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Wicked City, all had like depth to them. In haruhi suzumiya, girls bravo, gun sword, etc. I don't see it, what happen?
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Mushi-Man



Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 1537
Location: KCMO
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:58 pm Reply with quote
You just got to know were to look, there were plenty of animes from the 90s and 80s that had no depth (mainly the large amount of awful OAVs from that time frame). But I do have to admit that there are some new age animes that are pointless and don't fulfill my creative requirements. But just look at animes like Death Note, Ergo Proxy, Code Geass, FLCL (came out in 2000 it counts), Darker Than Black, Mushi-shi, ext. That are from 2000 up and have great stories. You can't just focus on the bad ones.
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Billgar



Joined: 02 Sep 2007
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:09 pm Reply with quote
Well basically things change, as technology develops things become facilitated. There is no longer a need to draw out the effects and all the shadows(though I assure you that the art is still done by hand). Its not that things have become necessarily CG(as in computer graphics) but rather that they have merely been facilitated by computers.
Eg, to pan a Background, it used to be tedious work, frame by frame movement of multiple layers(yes good backgrounds have layers that move independently creating a 3d effect, this is not new technology, its even in Hokuto no Ken).

The reason why shading doesn't have pen lines as frequently anymore is due to the fact that it used to be quicker to do that than paint the frame with more colors, but now it is just as quick as we dont actually need to paint.

Anyways,I could rattle on forever, but just know that production wise its for the best......the decline in plot, story telling and in some cases character design is unrelated to drawing style(though it exists)

example video clip can be found here
http://www.manga.com/titles/black_jack?ref=billgar

(video-link posted with permission of rights holder)
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deathisonly...



Joined: 03 Jun 2008
Posts: 34
Location: Pa.
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:10 pm Reply with quote
I didn't want to adress this but, in a sense I am shallow. The way Clamp draws it characters just upsets me. I do however endure it for plot like Code Geass. Its just I can't watch anime with this new look, to me its disturbing. Its are to explain I think I feel unattach to the artist. You know the different look I am talking about?
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Dark Elf Warrior



Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Posts: 228
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:45 pm Reply with quote
deathisonly... wrote:
I don't know I just don't like the way its done today. The feel is all wrong. Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Wicked City, all had like depth to them. In haruhi suzumiya, girls bravo, gun sword, etc. I don't see it, what happen?


I know what you mean. I've never seen Wicked City, but Cowboy Bebop and Trigun are two of the best anime, not even the new anime can compare to them.
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deathisonly...



Joined: 03 Jun 2008
Posts: 34
Location: Pa.
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:58 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
I've never seen Wicked City


You should, the best part is spoiler[ This really old pervert guy who kicks ass and says "Get back here or I piss on you"] Other than that its borderline Hentai... But I'm talking about the art work, it just gives you a like arthetic feel. But speaking of Wicked City, what happen to adult humor, blood, etc. Ninja Scoll, the VHS was the best than I bought the box set, it was like it got neutered. I hate censorship.
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Unit 03.5-ish



Joined: 07 Dec 2008
Posts: 1540
Location: This space for rent
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:20 pm Reply with quote
Strangely enough, I find myself ignoring most pre-1995 shows for a number of reasons: cheesy dialogue, that style of design that dominated just about every show produced before the 1990s, silly story concepts and bad direction, incredibly long series runs, etc.

While I do love certain old-school stuff (Macross/Robotech, Voltron, that sorta thing) I'm spoiled with the more current stuff. I blame it on not picking up on mainstream anime until 1997 or 1998; it just boils down to a matter of personal preference, I guess, but there are some good older shows out there. If you want a good reference point, check the Buried Treasure articles; lots of old-school anime that's either been ignored or forgotten, and explanations of why it's a good time.
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Jih2



Joined: 24 Jul 2007
Posts: 403
Location: East coast
PostPosted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:30 pm Reply with quote
I'll agree with production qualities in Bebop at the very least which has a lot more frames than most productions today but there really are a lot of quality series coming out right now, and there were last season too. Kaiba, Kurenai, Gundam 00, Kurozuka, etc.

I can appreciate older titles like Gigantor, Ideon, the various Phoenix adaptations, etc. but I think we're seeing some pretty high quality stuff in the post 2000 era.
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siken



Joined: 24 Sep 2008
Posts: 56
Location: Henrico
PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:58 am Reply with quote
The old school anime (imo) had better dubbing first of all (for english and Japanese somewhat) also a title like Beserk, the art is just more soothing rather than being so intense. It really just depends on the person but as far as quality I have to agree with Mushi-Man. So long as its availble it'll be used more likly. (DVD < Blu-Ray)

I personally don't care about the art either so long as its a good story that's all im interested in. I tend to watch the older series when I'm more relaxed because its just how the art feels.
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kakitamike



Joined: 24 Jul 2007
Posts: 183
Location: Akron, OH
PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:46 am Reply with quote
I guess I have the opposite problem. Cowboy Bebop is about the oldest anime I enjoy watching.

When I look at older shows like Sailor Moon, Magical Knight Rayearth, GTO, Devil Hunter Yohko, Evangelion, etc all the character designs seem roughly the same, especially the women. I feel like if you took a character from one of the shows and put them in the outfit of one of the others, you'd never notice that they were out of place.

Where as if you took someone out of say, Kanon, Black Lagoon, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Gurren Lagann, you'd definitely notice the character out of place in one of the other series.

To me it feels like the range and style has moved forward (in a good way) leaps and bounds.
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DuelLadyS



Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 1705
Location: WA state
PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 4:06 pm Reply with quote
What 'happened' is basically the march of technology. It's the same reason videogames aren't usually generic spaceships shooting generic aliens solely to get a high score anymore, or why music is now primarily made by a couple guys with electric guitars and a drum kit instead of a full band. New production technology begets new styles begets new stories begets new fans. It's the natural progression of modern entertainment.

Lots of people do have issues with it- pre-CG anime is often considered to be more 'warm' and 'natural', where new shows are often considered to be too clean-looking, to the point of being 'sterile'. Stories are thought of as being more shallow, devices to carry fanservice and sell body pillows and artbooks. At least, that's how most older fans I know look at it- newer fans see the old shows as 'dirty'-looking, choppy, and ridculously melodramatic in story. I think it depends on when you got into anime and what you were watching. (I came in during the CG transition, so I go either way. Wink )

It's going to be interesting to see the modern fan's reaction to Ponyo By The Sea when it comes out over here, since it's hand-animated.
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7994
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:33 pm Reply with quote
I'll watch mostly anything, really. I'm not picky, unless the visual artstyle intentionally looks like crap and disagrees with my sense of astetics too much (IE Shin Chan, Kaidohmaru) to the point where I can't watch it. I like lots of old stuff from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, as evidenced by my Seen All List but I'd take something far more advanced, smooth, detailed, and colorfull from late 90s and 00s over them any day. I watch for the story though, so even if I hated the art I'll end up watching it anyway and liking it (IE: the Higurashi no Naku Koroni series, Kemonoozume).

Anyway, age does not equal quality, there are plenty of crappy old anime just as there are plenty of crappy new anime.
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Youkai Warrior



Joined: 07 Aug 2008
Posts: 505
Location: Sarayashiki
PostPosted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:44 pm Reply with quote
DuelLadyS wrote:
What 'happened' is basically the march of technology. It's the same reason videogames aren't usually generic spaceships shooting generic aliens solely to get a high score anymore, or why music is now primarily made by a couple guys with electric guitars and a drum kit instead of a full band. New production technology begets new styles begets new stories begets new fans. It's the natural progression of modern entertainment.

Lots of people do have issues with it- pre-CG anime is often considered to be more 'warm' and 'natural', where new shows are often considered to be too clean-looking, to the point of being 'sterile'. Stories are thought of as being more shallow, devices to carry fanservice and sell body pillows and artbooks. At least, that's how most older fans I know look at it- newer fans see the old shows as 'dirty'-looking, choppy, and ridculously melodramatic in story. I think it depends on when you got into anime and what you were watching. (I came in during the CG transition, so I go either way. Wink )

It's going to be interesting to see the modern fan's reaction to Ponyo By The Sea when it comes out over here, since it's hand-animated.


Technology can't replace talent. This especially goes for music. (Trust me, I'm a music major) Sure, anime artwork has improved, but that doesn't mean that all of the recent anime are great. There are some, but not all.
I became an anime fan in 1999. I like anime from the 90's and 2000's. However, it doesn't matter what year an anime came out. There are a good number of anime from both the 90's and 2000's that really aren't that good, while there are others that are.
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