Forum - View topicIf you could erase your memory of one show that you loved...
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Sohma_Curse
 Posts: 512 Location: New York |
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...Which one would it be?
I'm talking about shows you loved which took you on a journey and stirred up feelings and emotions that just cannot be duplicated (in the same way) upon subsequent watches; whether it's joy, sorrow, suspense, whimsy, etc. For me, it would be the first anime I ever watched, Elfen Lied. I was a latecomer to anime; only got started about a year or so ago, but I've seen about 100 complete series and movies since then. I came upon Elfen Lied (and anime in general) when I was running out of things that interested me on Netflix. I decided to give the genre a try and, based on the synopses of the shows available, Elfen Lied seemed the most appealing to me. At first, I wouldn't say I was shocked at the content, more like just simply surprised. I knew it wasn't going to be some campy kid's anime, but I also didn't expect it to be as frank and explicit as it was. Regardless, I watched the first episode and, without even digesting it, I immediately started the second one...and then the third...and by the time I was ready to pass out for the night, I had watched the first five episodes back to back. I ended up finishing the series in 3 days and was stunned at how emotionally overwhelming it was. Not only because I had never really felt that kind of emotion from any other show, but because I didn't expect myself to connect on that level with anime so quickly (and profoundly). I sort of developed an erroneous outlook of what to expect from other series. Though, as I watched more and more, I adjusted to the cultural/referential/symbolic/humorous/gag content that is commonplace in anime (I knew basically nothing about everyday life in Japan and Japanese culture when I began watching anime). I have since been emotionally gut punched in the same way by Clannad, Kanon, Angel Beats, and Air (wow, Key really does feast on tears, huh?). Now that I am more acquainted with, and have a better understanding of the genre of anime, I wish I could wipe the slate clean and watch Elfen Lied for the first time. *Edited topic title to avoid further confusion  *
Last edited by Sohma_Curse on Fri Oct 18, 2013 8:35 am; edited 5 times in total |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Well, just going on my favorite shows Cowboy Bebop comes to mind. Then again, that show is largely episodic and plot free and doesn't really have any big twists or surprises so I don't think it's really diminished too much at all upon second viewings. There are some absolutely amazing moments in there but they pack just as much punch the second or third or fourth time as the first. Berserk and Evangelion also both seem like candidates but then, I think I actually enjoyed Evangelion more the second time. It's tough not to simply be confused and rather dismayed at the lack of narrative resolution the first time and that distracts a lot from the other things I do like about the ending. The same might apply to Berserk. I'm honestly not sure. It's ultimately an ending I like. I think it fits pretty damn well with the rest of the series. As with Evangelion though, the ending can definitely feel rather unsatisfying on a narrative level, especially if you're not prepared for it. Then again, the sheer shock and unexpectedness of it has its upside. So in some ways it might be an ideal candidate.
I think I would ultimately pick Trigun though. What I love about that show is the way it draws you in. The way it slowly reveals the layers to its characters. And that's something you definitely lose when you know what is coming. The world building is really cool too. It starts out as this vaguely defined western desert setting albeit with some nonspecific scifi trappings kicking around that you don't really think anything of at first. But then spoiler[there's this really cool reveal (which incidentally is just about perfectly placed) that this is actually the future and this civilization is basically the remnants of a crashed colony ship.] Also, Vash spoiler[pulling Woflwood's cross gun out of the sand] remains one of the most unexpected and awesome things I've seen in an anime fight. And if I'm being entirely honest, the ending of Trigun goes down smoothest the first time you see it and you're basically consumed by the sheer epicness of it and don't take the time to think to hard about just what exactly it is supposed to mean. |
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Touma
 Posts: 2651 Location: Colorado, USA |
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This is like trying to name my favorite show. I cannot really do it because there are too many possibilities, and I keep changing my mind.
But when I saw the topic the first show that I thought of was Sailor Moon, so I will go with that. I have watched each of the first four seasons twice, and I enjoyed the show enough the second time that I do plan to watch it again. It is a fun show for me. But there are many things that would be better, especially in terms of emotional impact, if I did not know what was going to happen. But I do think that one reason that Sailor Moon made such an impression on me is that it is one of the first anime that I watched. In order for me to have the same experience as my first viewing I would need to forget not only Sailor Moon but also most of the anime that I have seen since. I could say much the same thing about Cardcaptor Sakura, another of my first shows. Generally speaking if I enjoy a show enough to want to watch it again then I would like to be able to forget everything about it except for the fact that I did enjoy it. If I could do that then I could just keep watching the shows that I own and never need to buy more anime. 
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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I guess I've been lucky in my favourites, because I can't think of any of them that haven't gotten better upon rewatch. There's just so many things that you may not notice at first that will later stand out that I really can't think of any.
Actually, in general the only thing I can think of is that I'd like to erase my memories of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because I knew one of the biggest spoilers for that one before I read it and I would have liked to experience that moment as a surprise, especially since it's not only my favourite HP book but one of my favourite books period. |
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zawa113
 Posts: 7358 |
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I've thought about this, and came to a few conclusions.
It can't be Outlaw Star. Without that, coming home to all this anime and manga would confuse the hell out of me (seeing how I didn't know Digimon and Pokemon were anime as a kid). And the memories of watching it eagerly on early adult swim at 1 in the morning is irreplaceable since it no longer airs on TV and nothing similar does either. For similar reason, childhood memories of eagerly coming home to Digimon after elementary school can't go away (I'm also slightly afraid Digimon might not be as good without some nostalgic element Princess Tutu can't be it either. It's pretty much what turned me on to shojo a good 5 years after I got into anime. All that awesome shojo on my shelves would disappear without it and the timing was somewhat important. And even knowing what's in the series, the ending still makes me cry and I only appreciate it more, so yeah, not that one either. Robotech/Macross turned me on to old anime, and when I finally saw actual Macross and not Robotech Macross, it was like falling in love with the same series all over again. So, I think I'm going to go with Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, which, despite owning, I haven't exactly watched on my own again. I adore the series, but I'm also afraid that it might only be most epic once. I still remember what seems like every detail is the awesome part. It's one of my favorite series, and of my favorites, the one I have rewatched the least amount of times. I also don't think that the wonder and awe of seeing it for the first time would disappear seeing it for the first time in 2013 instead of 2009 (see, I was already late to the part in 2009). It's the one series I haven't really desired to see if I'd fall in love all over again, I probably would? But it did remind to just go for fun things, screw deep things (I was kind of in that phase), but the experience of seeing it the first time was so much fun, I'd want that all over again! Oh and for erasing a bad experience, Gilgamesh. I also disliked Evangelion, but it's useful to have seen that to talk with other people. The purchase thread reminded me how much I loathed this series and how much it seemed like a good idea until I watched it. Having seen shlock such as Apocalypse Zero, Garzey's Wing, Eiken, and Mad Bull 34, I seriously choose to delete Gilgamesh. Also, I secretly liked those other four titles on the basis they were terrible, so there is fun terribad. And if I watch something not fun terribad, it had better be a short OVA or movie. But for a full TV series, I never want to experience that again, so I'd erase Gilgamesh in a heartbeat. In fact, I might erase it before Gurren Lagann, which I have good memories for. |
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Tris8
 Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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This is a really good question! It's really hard to pick, but I'd go with Haibane Renmei. That show was one of the first I saw as an adult and had a deep affect on me. Although I've very much enjoyed rewatching it and have noticed things I didn't see the first time around, I don't think I will ever have the same reaction to the last episode as I did the first time. spoiler[Seeing into Reki's room, discovering her true name (both times), and Rakka saving her are really powerful scenes.] They still hit me, but knowing they're coming and that spoiler[it will end happily] changes my perspective and the way I feel about previous events. I'd love to experience Haibane Renmei for the first time again, as long as afterwards I got my memory of my first watch-through back.
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Jose Cruz
 Posts: 1796 Location: South America |
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I think that PMMM would be the anime title that I would want to erase my memory from since it's one of my favorite titles it is also the one with the plot that impressed me by the greatest degree and whose plot twists are so awesome at the first time I watched it. It surprised me like no other anime title.
PS: While you have watched over a 100 anime titles you still appear to classify it as a genre. It is not, it's a medium. Though you might use the word genre a bit of a more liberally than I do. For me genre is a specific thing, such as those Moe Slice of Life shows such as K-ON and Hidamari Sketch. But how can one person put Hidamari Sketch into the same genre label as stuff like Gurren Lagann? I also began watching anime regularly quite recently (began watching Miyazaki's movies a couple of years ago and now I am binge watching many series of the canon, recently finished Princess Tutu), though I already knew that anime was an extremely diverse medium since I was 12-13, given that I had already watched Ghost in the Shell and EVA at that time. |
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Sohma_Curse
Posts: 512 Location: New York |
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In the context of this topic, I'm using the term 'genre' to indicate a particular form of media; much like how Netflix breaks things down (TV Shows, Documentaries, Anime, etc.). Of course I know that anime is a diverse art form containing within it many different genres.
Oh man, I just finished disc 2 (episode 8) and I have a feeling this show could potentially overtake Elfen Lied as my choice. PMMM is like nothing I've ever seen before, and I'm stalling on finishing it because I don't want it to be over lol |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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I think PMMM is a prime choice of a show that is great to re-watch though, particularly after you have seen the infamous episode 10.
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MentalMachine
Posts: 74 |
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Anime isn't a medium. It's part of animation, which is a medium. It's indeed a sub-medium of animation, like French animation or Russian animation. |
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Knoepfchen
 Posts: 698 |
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I think I'd second Trigun, not because it is one of my favorites or because it is any less fun or engaging the 2. or 3. time, but when you start again from the beginning after you know where it ends, emotionally, it is just amazing how spoiler[it gets from utter silliness to heartbreaking tragedy] in such a smooth and believable fashion. spoiler[The laughter sticks in one's throat the best the first time.]
Princess Tutu has a similar appeal to it for similar reasons. While I agree Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a good choice, I actually enjoyed it even more the second time, so I don't think I would really get that much out of being able to watch it again for the first time. The same goes for Urobuchi's other shows for me. Even though you know when which twists will occur and who will die when and how, I was able to enjoy all the little things and layers so much more the second time. I would love to be able to watch Evangelion again for the first time, but as it was EVA that marked the beginning of my love for anime, that would be kind of a bad choice. |
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Aylinn
 Posts: 1684 |
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Hmm... my favourite shows, while they may not make me feel exactly the same, don't make me feel like I lost something, because I am watching them for the second or third time. And I wouldn't like to forget about them just to discover them once more. It seems pointless to me. As for something I would like to forget so as to enjoy seeing it for the second time. I think that it would be something like Game of Thrones or Code Geass. Shows that have nothing to offer and don't excite beyond the plot level, something that doesn't seem worth watching again, once I know all the plot twists, and is only fun the first time around. Such shows seem to be the best candidates. Last edited by Aylinn on Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:43 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ignatz
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Anything that relies heavily on their plot twists. So, it would be either Death Note or Steins;Gate.
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CrowLia
 Posts: 5528 Location: Mexico |
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There are a good handful of shows I'd like to forget so I could rewatch them again with the blissful ignorance of not knowing what's going to happen next and getting shocked when something unexpected happens. But right now at the top of my list I'd say Attack on Titan and Cowboy Bebop. The one reason is because I've been heavily spoiled for both of them.
The grandiosity of the internet and idiotic facebook friends, for instance, spoiled me on spoiler[the identity of the Female Titan] long before she even appeared on the anime. Heck, I already know who the Colossal and Armored Titans are too. I really wish I could forget about it and rewatch it without that knowledge. As for Bebop, it was in this same forum that some idiot had the grace of assuming "Well, everyone has watched Bebop -and if they haven't how do they even dare exist, let alone call themselves anime fans-, so of course everyone knows spoiler[Spike dies at the end] and there's no reason to [expletive] spoiler-tag it". Thank you, asshole. I'm just watching the show for the first time ever but I honestly wish I could somehow have that particular memory erased because I think I'm not enjoying it the way I could because I'm just thinking "how does this goofy fun and cool thing somehow ends in the spoiler[goofy-cool main protagonist dying]?". Seriously, whoever you are, I hope someone spoils you (GoT sortof spoiler)spoiler[ the Red Wedding] or something like that because "everyone on the internetz already knows about it shit" |
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Beltane70
 Posts: 3973 |
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For me that would be the original version of Space Battleship Yamato, just so that I could enjoy seeing Space Battleship Yamato 2199 without knowing the overall outcome of the series. Even knowing how 2199 would turn out, I still enjoyed it immensely!
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