Forum - View topicRecent anime ('07+) NOT centered around high school?
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DragonsRevenge
 Posts: 1150 |
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Genre doesn't matter. What are some newer anime shows that don't have a high school setting of any kind. It seems until about 2006 anime narrative devices and settings were much more diverse, and I just realized of the 10 shows I've watched, one or two were not set in a high school, even though one had a high school student. Maybe it's a cheap fix- a safe way to gain an audience and a profit in these "rough economic times." Does that make such shows any more or less entertaining? Maybe, maybe not, but it does stifle originality. Regardless of how the plot develops, you still have the same student character types, in the same roles, saying the same things. In the 8 shows that were centered in high school, I think 7 had characters who wanted to confess their feelings for a boy or girl (or boy/girl in Kampfer's case).
I asked this on another board, a few admitted naming shows from the last couple years that weren't centered around high school was tricky. It more or less confirmed what I had thought. I was going to ask for shows that met the above criteria, though I've gotten a decent list already (albiet a short one), but feel free to chime in anyway with brief descriptions. I guess now I'm more interested in your thoughts on this trend. I don't know if anyone has really noticed it or not. Maybe I noticed it because I've been out of the loop and I've grown and got into different things since I was last really into anime. I assume if I had continued watching, I wouldn't have noticed, or thought so much of it. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18359 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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The problem is that this is basically a straight-up recommendations thread, and we don't allow those. Thus this will be locked.
EDIT: On second consideration, I will give this thread a chance. If it doesn't materialize into something more than just a pure recommendation thread, though, then it will be locked again. |
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egoist
 Posts: 7762 |
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Cheap and easy setting, with a high audience interested. They couldn't ask for more.
As for me, I'm quite sick of students. Idiots, usually, nevertheless picking on very small details to arouse an annoyance to another student; and so the episodes go by. I believe since NGE they tried to create many and many schools involved with monster-hunting hidden training, or just fools going after monsters, risking their lives everyday, but for some reason they still go to school. Schools are basically a big minus in my book, though there are quite a few exceptions(the few that actually don't use school as a gateway; School Rumble, GTO, OHSHC, and so on). |
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Mister V
 Posts: 1000 |
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Well, it is a very popular theme indeed (and the fact that 2006 was sort of a high point in the development of the industry is a quite popular idea, too). Do you mean a show where school isn't even mentioned? Or where the school setting isn't the primary one?
Just to clarify, an example off the top of my head: Fate/Stay night (06) would qualify as centered around high school or not? It has some scenes at school, but it's definitely not its theme. Another, perhaps more radical example - Evangelion. It has elements, but it's definitely not centered around it. Well on to your question proper, that actually reminded me of Kara no Kyoukai. No school there. Brilliant work. Baccano! Hellsing Ultimate Gurren Lagann Chevalier d'Eon Black Lagoon Spice and Wolf Nodame Cantabile (continuation) Macross Frontier (continuation, elements of school) Natsume Yuujin-cho (elements of school) Gintama A couple of recent shows including Durarara!! (elements of school there), Canaan, Sacred Blacksmith, Trapeze (not sure about this one since I only managed to see one episode). Kemono no Souja Erin and Aoi Bungaku both qualify I believe, though they're still on my to-watch list. Not sure if Bounen no Xamdou has school, haven't seen it yet either. [EDIT: NO LISTING without annotation. Do it again and it'll be deleted. - Key] |
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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You missed quite a few, but let's not turn this into a massive listing thread...
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Mister V
Posts: 1000 |
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Yeah, obviously, I don't remember/haven't seen everything, but the OP says he's got a short list... Which is why I asked for clarification.
Anyways, to expand on the idea, I think that school is that place which always acts as a sort of anchor of the plot to the "real world". Obviously, since the target audience also goes to school, well... it would be more surprising if it wasn't present in every other show. About school stereotypes: don't they have them for every setting and genre, and then some that transcend genres and can be found anywhere? I think it's an interesting observation, but when the show takes place in modern Japan, seeing a school is more or less inevitable. |
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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Are you implying that students want to watch animated students? It would take more than just an assumption to convince me of that.
My opinion is still intact. A school is a cheap and easy set-up; no more than a mere excuse to throw in teenagers and brats, and huge boobies. |
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Dolza
 Posts: 93 Location: Chicagoland |
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/argument. |
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vashna
Posts: 1313 |
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Of course, there are series where a school isn't just a cheap setting either. If anyone is familiar with Buso Renkin, that takes place in a school for the most part, but has a plot line somewhat similar to a series like FullMetal Alchemist.
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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Please do so. Only one word won't help it at all. /hypocrisy |
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Hentai_JP
 Posts: 605 Location: Toronto, ON |
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School setting is popular for many reasons. First it is a familiar setting to anyone, so no need for lengthy and quite often confusing exposition. Second, anime can play on "your unrealized dreams" thoughts as, honestly, real high school isn't all that exciting. Third, in high school main characters are 15-17 years old on average which provides endless variations for "coming of age" drama. Fourth, people love everything high school (including school girls) in Japan so there is always an audience for anime with such setting. And fifth... I like it. School setting is simply convenient. You don't need to come up with unique or simply different setting as it takes quite a bit of imagination and writing skills to make them believable. Sure the world after high school is wide and stories can be good without being set in high school (not many western stories are set in high school), but in Japan it is simply popular. High school setting might seem lazy but in the end it is story that counts. |
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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Yes, cheap and easy stuff is always convenient, and that's exactly what I meant. I also like plenty of high school anime, but it's definitely not a default feeling. Anime that usually focus on something else, but spends too much time with school activities(Asura Cryin' comes to mind). That's just absurd. Even Index(or Railgun), for example, they did a perfect job with keeping students but focusing on the plot instead of wasting too much time with school drama/comedy.
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Haterater
 Posts: 1727 |
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That's my problem lately with Japanese entertainment. I've ran into too many things focusing around high school. I used to like that stuff when I was younger and mostly in high school or college, but nowadays, I'm burned out of it. The young characters, the uniforms, same school atmosphere, and "school drama" makes me seek more things that are more of the fantasy elements without those elements. Or some where the settings are based on more unique fair but not exactly out of this world stuff. Sure, I'll still watch a show if the characters are to my liking, but if the school stuff are very minor, than its a winner for me.
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HaruhiToy
 Posts: 4118 |
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I utterly hated high school when I was there. Forty years ago.
Although I neither seek out or avoid anime in a high-school setting (and it does seem to be most of them), watching them makes me feel outright nostalgic for a time and experience to which I have no true attachment. I can't say why but I sort of like that. Also, it seems that the high school life is in many ways different (and unique?) in Japan than other places. Watching a U.S.-domestic movie about high school just isn't the same and I don't care for it. Anyone else in this boat? |
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Haterater
Posts: 1727 |
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My problem is that I have watched so much anime of that type, its no longer unique for me. I think that goes for some of the other anime typical signs as well. You always spot it and it gets a bit boring, especially if its a recycled plot. I welcome new stuff that interests me, but I haven't been finding alot recently that I like. But I'm still a fan of anime, just don't have many recent ones I dig into.
I don't typically watch high school domestic stuff, as the other elements in the show aren't to my liking, especially live-action. |
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