Forum - View topicPickin' Nits!
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
 Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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So, Answerman had a question a while back, it went like this:
...and there were some interesting answers, so I thought I'd open it up more! What part, (not just ending, mind you) of any anime, or even larger aspect thereof, would you change if you could? What little part of any anime, what voice in the cast, what bad choice in pacing, what annoying character, would you change to make your favorite (or least favorite) shows or movies perfect? I'm constantly thinking this when I watch or read anything. (It's the annoying little director in my brain...) I can't be the only one, so rant away! We be pickin' nits today! 
(Use spoiler tags, of course. I'll chime in later when I have time to sit around and be critical...) |
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sirgalahadthegreat
 Posts: 108 |
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My favorite type of thread!!! JesuOtaku:
 . Yeah!
Well, OK. Here goes: -Fate/Stay Night: I'd like Shirou's relation with Archer and Gilgamesh shown. I mean, it took me six weeks to find out that spoiler[Archer and Gilgamesh were future and past forms of Shirou]. Plus, I would've shown more of the relationships between the masters and the servants. I mean, all we get is a few bits of visuals of Ilya and Berserker spoiler[drenched in blood, in the part before their fight with Shirou and the others]. -Ghost in the Shell: No complaints, only the series could've been longer. -Appleseed: I don't know what storyline Ex Machina takes up, but I'm seriously disappointed in the first movie. The manga should've been followed closely. Well, this is it for now. I'll add more when I think of more nitpicking I must do 
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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I have tried to make this post contain zero spoilers, but still......be careful.
I think that changing the last two episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion is fairly self explanatory. Some liked it, some didn't, but how many people "got" it? Everyone but me, it seems. So I would change that, to be more along the lines of a traditional fight, and Shinji making his final decision without the overbearing use of introspection. Trinity Blood. It tried to be everything, but ended up as an unsatisfactory mess. What I am saying, it wasn't all that enjoyable right from the get go. If I could change it, then I would encourage it to follow its own path. I would also allow the backstory to be better developed. It just wasn't explained properly, which is sad, since as you would expect, backstory had important implications on the plot. Hoop Days. Please, someone come and strike that awful OP and ED duo from my memory. The Anime itself was surprisingly addictive, but I will carry that rap with my to my grave. Horrifying. Initial D. It was great, I just wished that the English version kept the original music, as well as the ED. Also, I would have thrown out most of the cast from both versions, and redo both dubs (and make the English one actually follow the original script). I was going to do Gundam SEED Destiny, but I would be here for hours if I did. Besides, where would I even begin? |
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Animastryfe
 Posts: 152 Location: Vancouver |
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@dtm42: Wasn't the NGE movie(s) Death and Rebirth made to address that issue? I haven't watched it yet, so I'm not sure if it's any good or not.
Edit: Thank you Sam-I-Am. I meant End of Evangelion. Last edited by Animastryfe on Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:00 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Sam-I-Am
Posts: 121 Location: Midwest US |
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'Death and Rebirth' is basically a recap of the tv series, and the first 20 minutes of 'End of Evangelion', with a minimum of unique new footage (mostly a framing device of the children playing in a string quartet). 'End of Evangelion' is the alternate ending of the series. If you were unhappy with eps 25 and 26, and could only watch one of the movies, 'EoE' would be the one to see.
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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I have seen End of Evangelion. The first half is very good. The second is just as confusing. I really need to watch it again. |
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Murasakisuishou
 Posts: 1469 Location: NE Ohio |
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Don't get me started on Appleseed. The first movie was okay (well, it wasn't particularly good, but as far as character appearances and stuff it was pretty close to the manga), but with Ex Machina I was seriously wondering if the producers and character designers had even bothered to read the manga at all. For one thing, Hitomi was completely unrecognizable, and what the heck was with Tereus? If he's a clone of Briareos, he should have dark skin, not look like some weird Japanese/Native American hybrid bishounen. Also, spoiler[Bri should have been a lot older in that one flashback; he and Deunan looked like they were about the same age, but he's supposed to be nine years older than she is.] Actually, a lot of things about how Briareos was portrayed in Ex Machina bothered me. He was too angry and scary looking for the smushy romantic scenes to be convincing. In fact, his scaryness really threw off his interaction with Deunan; while they definitely had more chemistry than in the first movie, their relationship in the manga is far more convincing. They're supposed to be like two halves of one balanced whole, not a male and female version of the same basic action movie hero archetype. That's what made them so charming in the manga; Deunan is willful and stubborn and impulsive but keeps Bri from drowning in his own seriousness, and Bri is the sensitive yet sarcastic guy who keeps Deunan from getting into too much trouble. Finally, what the heck was up with that horrible awkwardly-girly version of Deunan? Everything she owned was pink, and that scene where spoiler[she's all nervous about wearing a dress and everything] just made me gag. All right, so she's more comfortable in pants (who isn't?), but it's not like she shuns her femininity entirely; there's tons of parts in the manga where she's wearing dresses, like when she's out with Hitomi or whatever. And I don't care what famous designer came up with that outfit; it looked awful. -deep breath- Okay, I'm done now. Sorry for the explosion 
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BladeDragoonZETA
 Posts: 586 |
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SEED Destiny (spoilerific)
1. make Neo a spoiler[new character (or at least a clone) rather than revive Mwu from a clear and powerful death] 2. cut all but maybe two or three clip-shows 3. spend far less time on earth and more time in space 4. make the content of the last two episodes about five-eight episodes 5. other than that most of the story can stay the same (maybe give Cagalli spoiler[something to do after they retake orb)] |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Lets see...
Fate/Stay Night: It wasn't that I want to change part of it but I really wish they had done more with how spoiler[servants could form new pacts with masters and vice-versa. That would have been interesting but they never really went there.] Hellsing (TV): The ending is the obvious general choice. To be more specific though even if you do still choose to not follow the manga it still could have done very well with a more minor change. spoiler[The problem was the combination of Incognito's genericness and the lack of resolution. One or the other would have been acceptable. If there had found the ones responsible for this all and defeated their generic vampire, or if they didn't find the ones responsible but did fight someone more interesting. Incognito was just some generic bad guy who wants to destroy the world.] Gundam SEED: This is an easy one because in my opinion SEED was excellent save a few glaring flaws. First, add at least some variation in character's faces so they don't all look totally identical. Second, tone down the Freedom a bit so it isn't so ridiculously overpowered. I'd also get rid of the recap episodes and some of the reused animation. (I don't think those count since they're a product of budget and time issues and couldn't simply be "rewritten" like elements of the plot etc. Wolf's Rain (TV): Easy one. Make it shorter. I can't help but think that Wolfs rain would have been a masterpiece if only it were condensed down to 13 episodes. There were of course the 4 recap episodes, but even that aside, there was a bit too many mediocre parts in between. Wolfs rain started great, ended great, and had several great chunks, but between those chunks there was just a lot of dullness. spoiler[It was all the episodes where they are mostly wandering around in search of paradise. Undoubtedly they couldn't have just cut that out but if you take out the 4 recaps and condense things a bit I think it would fit quite well into a 13 episode series.] |
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sirgalahadthegreat
Posts: 108 |
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I'm just surprised no one has mentioned Blood+ yet. That, to sum up a thousand emotions into a single phrase, was a bad anime. Upto Episode 24, everything was hunky-dory. Then suddenly you have the anime trying too hard to be like Bleach and failing miserably. The whole cast of characters suddenly becomes a featureless mess and the story completely slips out of control.
P.S. Seems like I was right about Ex Machina. It is bad. |
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shinta66
 Posts: 13 |
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eureka 7. Good ending but that rainbow pisses me off.
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Murasakisuishou
Posts: 1469 Location: NE Ohio |
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Don't get me wrong, it was a pretty fun movie, and as far as storytelling, animation, and characterization went it was much better than the first one. You just have to forget absolutely everything you know about the (infinitely superior) manga
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Labbes
 Posts: 890 |
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Hm, there are some "little things" that bugged me in some Animes...
...Voice Acting: The English voice actor for, I think, Rico in Gunslinger Girl was totally bad and didn't fit at all. The voice was so annyoing...change it. ...General Storytelling: Hellsing is the one to talk about. The TV is cool and stylish, but the story itself sucks (Gonzo...). The OVA is...funny. Why? Why? Darker than Black: What was the comic relief here for? Leave it out, and make it a bit more Shadowrun-ish. ...Endings or Turning Points: Code Geass. spoiler[That "I could just tell you to kill all Japanese"] was so unbelievable and stupid. Change it, and make a happy end. RahXephon: I just didn't like the ending, though I have no clue what to improve. Maybe I should watch it again. Kanon 2006: So, Makoto spoiler[is a fox.] Sure thing. Didn't watch the series past episode 9, that just ruined the motivation for me. |
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JacobC
ANN Contributor
Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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Kay. Well, rather than harping on bad titles, I think I'll make my first post a segment called: "IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY FAVORITE ANIME IF..." for personal favorites of mine with gaping problems that left them runners-up for perfection.
1. Trigun would have been my favorite anime if Legato and Wolfwood had more discernable pasts. Heck, all of the Gung-Ho Guns, even. Why are the Guns following Knives? Only a few have understandable motivations, making this fascinatingly deep series just a little more shallow. I would be willing to dismiss the skippy pre-computer animation if this had been cleared up, but it isn't. Just a tidbit more info on the Plants would have been welcome, too, to understand Vash and Knives' plight more. Just a little, anime writers! I had to read the manga to understand any of it! 2. Wolf's Rain would have been my favorite anime if it had erased a few of its hiccups in pacing. I don't even mind recap episodes, as I can skip them entirely, but the entire arc with Jaguara seemed jammed into the story, and Jaguara herself is left undeveloped until episode 26. By then, we're all dying for Darcia to show up and make some sense of this mess. At least we knew what Darcia was up to, and he was very missed while he was gone throughout that arc. Also, Wolf's Rain had some really likable episodic characters that we never hear from again, not once. I guess it makes sense, but like most things in that show, it's depressing. Speaking of Darcia, the series could have benefited greatly from some more information about him and the other Nobles. We're just led to believe that "nobles are damned and evil" in Wolf's Rain, but why should we think that? Hamona is good, and Darcia is sympathetic to a point in the story. Ambiguity is only charming for so long, and more info on Darcia and his predecessors would have been welcomed to make them either more sympathetic or despicable, instead of just "mysterious." 3. Eureka Seven would have been my favorite anime if it was only 26 episodes long. Seriously. There were so many extraneous characters in this story that the interesting ones (and even the main characters) got less time than they were due, and the series was paced like a soap opera. The real story didn't even kick in until spoiler[Renton snaps and leaves the Gekko,] followed by Charles and Rei's appearance and progressively more interesting complications. Anemone, Dewey, and other antagonists teased the viewer in the early teens episodes, but then disappeared to make way for more pizza-induced nightmares by Renton and adventures in discussing human nature. What the heck? Pick episodic or continuous, but don't flipflop if a good story is being left untold...I was hooked, and yet dissatisfied. Also...I like dubs. The adaptive script for Eureka Seven was unrealistic and grating on the ears. It didn't sound conversational and therefore, not believable. Also, Johnny Bosch is a good actor, but not a great Renton. It may be a matter of opinion, but he did not make the whiny adolescent very sympathetic. 4. Gankutsuou would have been my favorite anime if it had made the Count more sympathetic and stayed truer to the spirit of Dumas' novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. Telling the story from Albert's perspective was brilliant, but they didn't have to sacrifice the Count, our villain, to a more stereotypical role because of it. The presence of the spirit Gankutsuou hurt the story more than helped it, and cutting Abbe Faria didn't help make the Count more sympathetic either. The story ultimately becomes more one of growth into adulthood than vengeance and redemption, and while a well-executed anime, it lost some weight by trying to juggle two themes. Also, I like dubs. The Gankutsuou dub was so, so, so disappointing. It wasn't bad, but it was horribly wooden and emotionless. Just because they're aristocrats doesn't mean they're to be played flat and uninteresting, and seeing as there's some really talented voices starring in this show, I would have to blame the director. It's now the only show I own that I always watch in Japanese. 5. Fruits Basket would have been my favorite anime if it had been darker in tone. The manga seriously approaches perfection, but the anime was not only too short, but much of it cut wonderful aspects of the story like spoiler[Kyo's mysterious ties to Kyoko] and the harsher realities of some characters' developments. The ending to Furuba was nice, and fitting for 26-episode series, but it closed off the series to any loyal continuations, and deadened some deeper aspects of the character's personalities to a fluffy shoujo norm. (Akito, Shigure, and Momiji are particularly affected by this and become more cliche.) 6. Heck, even Digimon Tamers might have been my favorite anime if it had honestly been lighter in tone. I think, for all its enjoyability as the smartest kids' anime I've ever seen, it was seriously too dark, creepy, and tragic in its ending. When I realized I was taking it seriously and really being emotionally slogged by it, I was kind of disappointed rather than enthralled (as I would usually be) because it was supposed to be a kid's show, and treading between two lines doesn't work too well. There are more, but I'd have to think. Some favorites of mine like Cowboy Bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Death Note I wouldn't dream of changing but aren't No. 1, because No. 1 for me has to carry a larger margin of depth than just fun entertainment, which those three (and many more) are. What is my favorite anime then? Fullmetal Alchemist, actually. It seriously approaches perfection. |
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Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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I pretty much disagree on every count. This is one of my favorite titles and it wouldn't have been had it been only 26 episodes. It moves at a realistic pace and doesn't jam the story down your throat, instead adding hints and bits, which is a style I appreciate. It also takes time to develop the characters and the cast before the huge events come in to play. It gives you a better sense of life as it is at the time the series takes place and the type of people involved. I also found that the large cast only made it better as the cast itself was so diverse and was, for the most part, well developed. I think it's pretty poor expectations to expect all series be paced and catered specifically to your personal style. You didn't like the way the story was told, that's fine, but you have to remember that while you may not there are others who do appreciate that style. It's no different than the MMO world where any game announced is immediately besieged by PvP players demanding PvP out of it, completely forgetting that there are other types of games and players out there and not everything has to be made their way. I also loved the dub, and frankly found the sub to be way overacted when it came to character emotions. Rentons voice was tough to get used to at first, but I did by the second volume and Bosch's portrayal also improved as the episodes went on. |
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