What Are You Watching?

[The_Blade]

I like to watch a lot of shows mainly as entertainment but also as a source of information. Series I do enjoy will likely take up time from my day. Moreover, I'll sit down and will only watch the show. However, I will also skim through some othere, but I'm either not interested enough or they have plot flaws. I skim through them by either jumping through episodes, skipping episodes, watching them while watching something else, and by playing them at double the speed.

I'm currently watching: Agent Carter, Gotham, The Flash, Vikings, Planet Earth, Agents of Shield, The Time in Between, Dem Som Draeber, and The Walking Dead.

While I also Skim through: Arrow, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Helix, The Librarians, Cuentame Cómo Pasó (Spanish series from the early 2000s), Adventure Time, The Americans, Big Bang Theory, House of Cards, 12 Monkeys, Sleepy Hollow, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Elementary, and others.

Here's what I understand from Nissa's point of view of modern TV. She dislikes cultural agendas on a story and prodigy protagonists (the one in a million). Some examples of the first case... House of Cards has a great story, but it's mounted on the population's view of politics. It explains politics in a way the show will sell. Something similar will happen to Game of Thrones. As of the next season, main characters will continue to be butchered for the sake of audience shock. As for prodigy protagonists... Arrow is probably the best case of this flaw. A hooded archer wins against automated weapons every single time and is also in the center of every unreal story arc.

@Nissa: I believe you would also like: Vikings (history channel) and The Time in Between (Spanish serie).

Now, anime...

It is true some series have a great story, but they are designed for an otaku audience in today's industry. I've watched most of the mainstream series with a great story (Attack on Titan, FMA, Death Note, etc), but even they have an attatchment towards any of the main, modern anime tropes. Attack on Titan has a great sense of character development, but also falls into the pits of violence and nudity. Death Note has a brilliant duel between the two main characters, but collapses into an annoying female character. The best contrast between the anime industry, now and then, is probably the one created between the FMA twins. "Full Metal Alchemist" (2003) was closer to plot development, while "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood" (2009) took its plot from trope designs (violence and unstoppable hero).

Anime derailed into this because it was meant to split from conventional animation and its trends.

Don't get me wrong, I love good anime series. However, the tropes still annoy me from time to time (fucking annoying female characters). The best way to make someone, within the anime target population, see this is by comparing the anime industry to the Discovery Channel educational fiasco. Discovery Channel switched their show focus towards redneck/outdoor/reality shows. They still make a lot of money and their target audience is happy. However someone from the outside or previous target audience can clearly see the marketing con.

[DemolitionSquid]

Now, anime...

It is true some series have a great story, but they are designed for an otaku audience in today's industry. I've watched most of the mainstream series with a great story (Attack on Titan, FMA, Death Note, etc), but even they have an attatchment towards any of the main, modern anime tropes. Attack on Titan has a great sense of character development, but also falls into the pits of violence and nudity. Death Note has a brilliant duel between the two main characters, but collapses into an annoying female character. The best contrast between the anime industry, now and then, is probably the one created between the FMA twins. "Full Metal Alchemist" (2003) was closer to plot development, while "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood" (2009) took its plot from trope designs (violence and unstoppable hero).

Anime derailed into this because it was meant to split from conventional animation and its trends.

Don't get me wrong, I love good anime series. However, the tropes still annoy me from time to time (fucking annoying female characters). The best way to make someone, within the anime target population, see this is by comparing the anime industry to the Discovery Channel educational fiasco. Discovery Channel switched their show focus towards redneck/outdoor/reality shows. They still make a lot of money and their target audience is happy. However someone from the outside or previous target audience can clearly see the marketing con.

I'll be the first to admit that much of the anime made in the last few years has been the highschool harem crap that I loathe. Its a plague on the medium and is the reason people make fun of or insult anime as a whole.

What people should realize is that animation is just a medium for telling a story. Its the story that matters - the characters, the setting, the plot and conflicts. For example, many anime are adaptations from manga, showing the fluidity of story from one viewing medium to another.

I'd say the best use for animation is as a great, cheap tool for stories that would otherwise require lots of special effect CGI in a real-life show. Massive, epilepsy inducing scenes like those of Gurren Lagaan would be hell in CGI, and incredibly expensive. But instead, thanks to animation, the story can be told for a fraction of the cost.

[Visions of Khas]

FLCL was always one of my favorite anime because of its length and story. Moreover, it seemed to me that it actually made fun of typical anime tropes, which I loved.

EDIT Psycho Pass: Now we're now on overt transhumanist ideology, with allusions to Genesis. Hah, knew it.

"Full Metal Alchemist" (2003) was closer to plot development, while "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood" (2009) took its plot from trope designs (violence and unstoppable hero).

I loved the first FMA, but Brotherhood annoyed me to no end.

EDIT So my theory on Psycho Pass so far

was that Akane and Makishima both were sociapaths with zero empathy, and thus Sybil wouldn't be able to judge either. Now while this has proven true with Makishima, I'm not so sure anymore with Akane. I then thought maybe her empathy level was perhaps far too high for the Sybil to be effective on her, but her Enforcers seem a lot more empathetic than her, which is what makes them so effective. Akane's difficulty with getting into the heads of others is a running theme, making me come back to the sociopath theory. However, she's good and anything she does, meaning there's probably a conspiracy revolving around her and her development.

Also, Tomomi Masaoka is my favorite character so far, and keeps doing things that cement that place in my mind.

[DemolitionSquid]

@VoK

Spoilers:

Hidden Content:

http://darkslover.tumblr.com/post/41...y-asymptomatic

Psycho-Pass sounds like "psychopath" for a reason.
Makashima is criminally asymptomatic, and a psychopath.
Akane is also criminally asymptomatic, but because shes the exact opposite of a psychopath. The closest wording would be, "empath," and shes exceedingly rare.

[The_Blade]

Anyways, I'm enjoying Agents of Shield a lot. Finished season 1 three days ago, and I thought the story arc was fantastic.

Spoilers:

Hidden Content:

I believe "Captain America: Winter Soldier" is one of the best Marvel movies. Seeing Hydra pop out again from another point of view was quite brutal. Cinematic Marvel has built their universe really well. It's funny how each individual in the universe actually gets a share of action and mystery. I can even see Tony Stark going rampage as he learns about Hydra on the news. He feels helpless without his suits as he tries to rescue Shield staff he has bonded and fought with.

[Turalyon]

Anyways, I'm enjoying Agents of Shield a lot. Finished season 1 three days ago, and I thought the story arc was fantastic.

The show was quite a bit hit-and-miss and rather aimless up until the "spoiler" you speak of. It's definitely much better now than it was at the start.

[DemolitionSquid]

AoS was totally worth struggling through the "freak of the week" first half of season 1. As Eco might say: Whedon TV is always a sleeper stock, wait long enough and eventually it'll return your investment several times over.

[Visions of Khas]

Unfortunately, I won't be looking at those spoilers, Demo, even though I really want to.

[DemolitionSquid]

Unfortunately, I won't be looking at those spoilers, Demo, even though I really want to.

I know, I merely felt an urge to post them, just in case.

[DonnyZeDoof]

Am I the only one who has no interest in the Marvel films?

They're just mindless entertainment with no depth. It's just the typical cliche good guy vs bad guy dynamic done over and over and over again. I honestly don't understand why these films are so successful.

The only superhero film series I like atm is X-Men because at least enough thought goes into them to make them mroe than simple action popcorn films.