Just when you thought Naruto anime couldn't get any worse.

[XSOLDIER]

SO........


On topic - I'm pretty sure that this is the same animation team that did the end of the first Series of Naruto in the Naruto/Sasuke battle, and it's the reason they chose to use them again for one of the super climactic battles in Shippuden. I think that the animation's a hell of a lot cleaner then most of the episodes (like Sakura's face after the big explosion), and it's amazingly fluid, but it falls into a rather extreme stylization through some parts that makes it kinda awkward and admitedly did make me laugh a couple times. There's some of this team's animation in 166 (the episode just prior to this one) that's really well done, and I think that the majority of the work in this episode is pretty well done, though it's not my favorite

(Although, I do vastly prefer the manga - This is just after Chapter 437 if you want to get started there).



NOW-

Not to sideline things again, but I think that the core issue that most people run into is the general features of asian, vs. non-asians. There's facial angles, and overall body type, combined with what each culture finds attractive, etc. I know this video is relating to an entirely different debate in and of itself, that I'd like to avoid here, but it's something to consider.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKTvFhRbBt8

Also - if you're making comparisons between masculine icons in Western vs. Eastern games & media, perhaps you should choose some that more closely relate to each other. Kratos, Marcus Fenix, and Leonidas ("te dude from 300"), making a comaprison to Tidus, and another generic teenage school character aren't really valid. Why don't you look at fair examples, like Gene Starwind from Outlaw Star, Solid Snake from the Metal Gear games, and Bruce Lee, just to name a few really generic ones?

There's no problem with Japan man, it's all understanding that people have different preferences. Not every girl's going to swoon over Mr. Universe Era Arnold Schwarzenegger, or your generic blonde-haired large breasted girl. Different people have different tastes, and that's something that you have to be culturally open towards, and not closed minded about, because it exists EVERYWHERE in EVERY COUNTRY.

EDIT:

It also happens in nature. Super big "manly" features don't always win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEqsgwyvtqc



X

[TheEconomist]

1) Solid Snake and Metal Gear is meant to appeal to Western gamers and represents a Western character.
2) Bruce Lee is from the olden days which I specifically said was when Japan had less (if at all) of this problem. Bruce Lee is Chinese by the way.
3) Didn't know who Gene Starwind was but he's far from masculine in my opinion just going by picture of him.

It's all understanding that people have different preferences.

Wrong. A man is a man is a man and if a man is a man then he could never be mistaken for a female. Simple. End of story.

Stop coming back to this subject people. It's not the focus of this topic.

Not every girl's going to swoon over Mr. Universe Era Arnold Schwarzenegger

I never said all characters had to be like that. Please read people.

generic blonde-haired large breasted girl.

The female side is valid but not so much for the male side. If someone doesn't like a "blonde-haired large breasted girl" than I was right in everything I said.

that's something that you have to be culturally open towards

No I don't This isn't just some cultural difference. It's about weak males and homosexuality being prevelant in anime which keeps me away from the whole thing.

.

[XSOLDIER]

1) Solid Snake and Metal Gear is meant to appeal to Western gamers and represents a Western character.
2) Bruce Lee is from the olden days which I specifically said was when Japan had less (if at all) of this problem. Bruce Lee is Chinese by the way.
3) Didn't know who Gene Starwind was but he's far from masculine in my opinion just going by picture of him.

1) Where exactly has it ever been stated that Kojima created Snake to appeal to Western gamers?
2) Fine, Tony Jaa.
3) Really? You're going to judge everything about the character's masculinity based on a single picture? I don't think I really need to debate this point. Watch an episode of Outlaw Star.

Wrong. A man is a man is a man and if a man is a man then he could never be mistaken for a female. Simple. End of story.

Please see the cuttlefish link.

No I don't This isn't just some cultural difference. It's about weak males and homosexuality being prevelant in anime which keeps me away from the whole thing.

.

Please define weak.

If you're talking about raw, musculature strength, then I don't really see why, as it doesn't really do anything to improve any sort of story or media format.

If you're talking about strength of character, I'd be willing to submit that the Asian culture focus more on strength and weakness of character as a core concept of storytelling MUCH moreso than the Western culture.

Also - I'd be hard pressed to think of anything prevelantly homosexual in any anime/manga thing that's not obscure, joking, or specifically appealing to that audience, and I believe that I'm far more well versed in this media than you.


X

[Pandonetho]

I just want to point out that, I don't ever want Japan to go back to its past...

I sure as hell can't imagine myself taking a tiny sword and then cutting out my own intestines as a ritual suicide to regain honour lol.

Plus, they did some god awful things to the Chinese in WW2 that they don't even admit to.

But anyway, this topic is getting pretty out of hand, it might be locked soon =(

[Gradius]

The homosexual discussion now goes in this thread: http://sclegacy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5364

or else. :P

[XSOLDIER]

As I said in my last response to the now-seperated thread. I'm still looking forward to Episode 168, but not as much as chapter 501.


X

[ZealotPowerade]

Anyway, Digimon totally sucks compared to Pokemon. When I first saw it, I was like wtf is dis shit? A Pokemon rip off? And that's what stayed in my mind forever (I never gave it a chance, the episodes I watched were way too scary for me).

As for some people suggesting Bleach, seriously, that anime has gone downhill ever since the Bount arc. It's just so bad now. I randomly downloaded one of the latest episodes to watch and I just couldn't stand how bad it was.

I think I'll go rewatch Naruto 1-100 again just to kind of remember how good it used to be and how bad it is now.

yeah bleach has really gone downhill and I still think that everything I ever needed to know about Naruto was told in the first 20 episodes. After that its still decent but his character doesn't develop a huge amount. There were for sure some awesome fights up till I think 160 or so.

Oh yeah, there's two different FMA series. The first one sucks terribly imho but the second one is pretty awesome and actually follows the manga story. The first series starts off the same but after episode 25 it spirals down into lameness and nothing makes any sense(especially sloth being a liquid like fast moving creature instead of a huge muscular slow moving invincible dude). FMA: Brotherhood is for sure worth watching.

[Nenol-phoenix]

As I said in my last response to the now-seperated thread. I'm still looking forward to Episode 168, but not as much as chapter 501.


X

Seconded
Yeah with or without the terrible art style, episode 168 will be awesome.
And also can't wait for 501, damn those cliffhangers

[screw_ball69]

.
Just as a aside, Tony Jaa is Thai not Japanese

I think they are trying to end naruto it seems like hes trying to rush through shit as fast as he can in manga and is tying up loose ends when he can.

[Nenol-phoenix]

.I think they are trying to end naruto it seems like hes trying to rush through shit as fast as he can in manga and is tying up loose ends when he can.

Honestly I would be glad if that is so, it has been stretched long enough imo, however I don't think that's really the case

Hidden Content:

Given how Kabuto literaly brought all bad guys back from the grave

I really think it's the opposite and that they want to stretch it even more