Forum - View topicDoes "disturbing" anime appeal to you?
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anime racket
Posts: 314 |
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I generally find that, when it comes to anime, I prefer the more
unsettling stories be it Death Note, Eva, or higurashi. I have grown to dislike stories that try to force a happy end on a dark story. These shows are genuinely creepy and imo, are better for it as they are far more unpredictable and visually and aurally arresting. My question is, how much does the darkness or creepiness of an anime effect your enjoyment of it either positively or negatively? |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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While I like light and happy works, I also like dark and violent works too. But a light-hearted and "happily-ever-after" ending rarely works if tacked onto a dark storyline, and vice-versa.
I love Puella Magi Madoka Magica because it deconstructs the Magical Girl genre. Darker works are for adults, and often have realistic plots with genuine characters. I prefer to watch these sorts of things than a show which censors the world from the "poor innocent children" out there. The action is better in darker works too. Watch Bleach, and there's hardly any blood and characters easily shrug off major or even fatal wounds. Then watch Afro Samurai or Sword of the Stranger, which have realistic violence. If a person gets slashed across the shoulder then they shouldn't be able to swing that arm for the rest of the fight. Unfortunately, only those big-budget movies and OVAs which also target the adult audience get the animation resources and cultural permission to show what a fight scene really entails. It ain't two guys talking for ages and then a brief scuffle, but an all-out battle for survival that doesn't stop until one person is unwilling or unable to continue. I don't like disturbing shows that are like that simply as an end in and of itself. Think Texhnolyze, where the whole point seems to be making as dark and as moody a show as possible, to the exclusion of actually having a proper storyline and narrative and character development. In the end, darkness is just another storytelling aspect. It should be used as a means to an end, which is of course to tell and to frame the story. That's all. As much as I love deconstruction, I do get the feeling that it isn't inherently better than either reconstruction or telling the story straight. It just seems better because it is fresh and interesting and appeals more to cynical adults rather than wide-eyed kids. |
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HaruhiToy
 Posts: 4118 |
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I am disturbed that anime appeals to me.
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OldCharlieStoletheHandle
 Posts: 1288 Location: Mastic Beach, NY |
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As a long-time horror fan I do enjoy "disturbing" anime. Stuff like Akira, Ninja Scroll and Perfect Blue is what got me into anime in the first place.
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4750G
 Posts: 546 |
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It depends. I'm really more of a romantic, so I prefer happy endings.
The 'darkness' of an anime really varies. If the anime is set during war time, all throughout the show there's a suffocating feeling as you watch person after person just...die. Then there are anime whose characters have dark pasts, like murder or assassination or abuse. The present attitude of the said character determines the level of uneasiness I will feel. If the character turns into a mad monster that is repeating the very things that happened to him/her, that's definitely disturbing. If s/he turns to a person devoid of emotion, that's more saddening. The last 'disturbing' anime I watched is probably Kuroshitsuji. It's 'disturbing' in a sense that it's oozing with hatred. Ciel even said that once - he will not give up his hatred. Watching it kind of made me lose hope on people. The thought of people hell bent on revenge, damning any consequences is quite scary. I thought he'll be redeemed there for an episode or two, but sadly he wasn't. Still, that dark atmosphere is one of its appeals. |
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Spastic Minnow
 Bargain HunterExempt from Grammar Rules  Posts: 4640 Location: Gainesville, FL |
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Yeah, this is how I feel about it. Although I also figure people have their preferences and separate tolerances as well. You have people partial to darker shows that see shows with with a happy ending as wimping out and people partial to a lighter show seeing darkness as just wallowing in pointless morbidity. If that's a distinction to be made I definitely have a lower tolerance for "disturbing" anime than for happy endings. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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People generally want one of two things from their entertainment: 1): They may look to escape their current reality (usually stressful or dull or whatever) by going to a happy fantasy (small "f" fantasy) world where things are never boring and everything turns out good in the end, if they were ever bad to begin with. Think X-Factor, think Twilight, think K-ON!, think of a typical high-school show, think of a typical Sports drama. Think of anything that has people actually doing something interesting and productive with their lives, no matter how unrealistic, wacky or just plain zany. These types of programming are usually very popular, and it isn't hard to see why. 2): Or people may look to not necessarily escape their current reality but rather immerse themselves in a new one. Same thing you say? No, and it has to do with intent. In the former, people are trying to run away; the word we use is "escapism". They often don't care what they run to, as long as it is fun, and realism be damned. In the latter, the aim is to explore new possibilities and whether those possibilities are better or not than what we have already doesn't really matter. What does matter is that the story has to be good and the characters have to avoid being too outrageous, because people in this category are picky. They don't run off to another world but rather bring a new world to themselves. Therefore the world - and the characters which inhabit said world - have to be closer to reality, because they're being held to the observer's point of reference. A "simple but messy" way to put it is that while those in both groups wish they were somewhere else, those in the first group also want to be someone else whereas those in the second group wouldn't mind being the same person. Of course, rare is the fan that falls into just one category. But most people are more partial to one side than the other. Me, I'm obviously in the second group more than I'm in the first. Still, I do love Usagi Drop, and that often walks into "idealised family life" mode. Often it doesn't, but overall Daikichi is a little too nice and Rin is a little too well-behaved. Do I care? Hell no. Last edited by dtm42 on Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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anime racket
Posts: 314 |
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Wow, I would have been perfectly content with a simple yes
or no but you guys have really gone deep into this subject in a very cool way. I think dtm42 describes it best. I don't generally watch anime for escapism, I like my non-anime life plenty thank-you, but to watch interesting characters overcome intense burdens and look awesome doing it. |
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Veers
 Posts: 1197 Location: Texas |
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You make a great point dtm, but I would expand on one thing there:
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Kruszer
 Posts: 7995 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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I would have to throw out a big "hell yes" to the question. I do really like the darker, serious, violent and disturbing stuff as long as it serves the story. Stuff that makes you challenge and affirm or amend your beliefs and morality is good for you. I generally don't really like titles that are too depressing or fatalistic though, so I'd say "everything in moderation" on top of that. If it's all sex and violence and has no substance like say, Gantz though I probably would not like it.
Last edited by Kruszer on Sat Nov 19, 2011 8:41 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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richter3456
 Posts: 41 |
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I personally do prefer disturbing anime with a lot of gore. But to be honest, I watch a little bit of everything. It depends on my mood. I'm not a big fan of corny happy endings... I prefer something more dark.
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Spotlesseden
Posts: 3514 Location: earth |
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i watch all kind of anime. Happy ending or bad ending. I watch fan service to disturbing/creepiness anime. I don't think Death Note is disturbing anyway. I just don't watch insect. |
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naninanino
 Posts: 680 |
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No, because disturbing anime tends to be badly handled garbage (see Narutaru). I don't think any anime mentioned in this thread is disturbing.
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rojse
 Posts: 234 |
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To address the OP, I wouldn't say that I "enjoy" disturbing anime, but I do appreciate it when it is done well - it means that I care about the characters and their plight, and I do appreciate a story that is willing to examine darker themes and ideas. On the other hand, if it's done poorly, it feels farcical or like cheap emotional manipulation.
Only the first half of the manga was adapted into the anime - if the rest of the manga was adapted into another thirteen episodes I think that the overall story of Narutaru would make much more sense. And the last plotline in Narutaru spoiler[line about Hiroko being bullied and sodomised by her school peers and then violently taking her revenge against the bullies with her own superpowered magical creature, a "Dragon"] was one of the most effective and disturbing storylines in any disturbing anime I've watched. |
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anime racket
Posts: 314 |
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Oh, you don't find any of them disturbing? I'm not necessarily referring to shows that are the darkest of the dark you know? I only mean shows that are somewhat unsettling on a psychological level and as such I feel that Death Note is a good example of dark, disturbing anime. It has a dark atmosphere, a lead character who is one of the most evil characters in anime, and it doesn't feature much comic relief. I don't really find gore or extreme violence all that disturbing btw. |
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