Anime/Manga - Discuss Japanese cartoons and comics here; NO CULTURE WAR DOOMPOSTING!

[LightDragonman1]

Would you agree with this critique of anime (and the idea that western is better because of this)?

Not quite sure how anime has "too many emotions" compared to old Disney films and Marvel comics.

And how is this any different from the overly attached fans of other media?

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

I like the first couple seasons a lot, actually. It's got like a gender swapped Inuyasha/Bleach kinda dynamic.

The 1st OVA episode "Reshuffle" is probably my favorite episode, it's pretty basic stuff but the execution is good. It nailed the humor and character interactions.

I also really liked it as a cringey teen. It has a lot of stuff going for it with edginess and cool factor. There were a lot of Chuun bait at that time, but it still stuck out.

neurotic anorexic adult diaper user who probably has a humilation fetish everyone contributed to!

It's the usual case of an award going to an unknown work no one will read outside of a tiny circle of fart huffing faggots that hate every mangas that aren't universally praised.

Would you agree with this critique of anime (and the idea that western is better because of this)?

View attachment 7985597
Not quite sure how anime has "too many emotions" compared to old Disney films and Marvel comics.

View attachment 7985639
And how is this any different from the overly attached fans of other media?

What the fuck does this even mean? Especially with Japanese media usually falling into the trap of having a cool idea and not developing it too well, while western media is usually more generic but character focused.

 

[Chocolate Rain]

Would you agree with this critique of anime (and the idea that western is better because of this)?

View attachment 7985597
Not quite sure how anime has "too many emotions" compared to old Disney films and Marvel comics.

View attachment 7985639
And how is this any different from the overly attached fans of other media?

That guy is a fucking retard and clearly hasn't watched anything before 2012 if his main complaint about modern anime being over saturation clearly he didn't sit through the LN romcom boom of the 00s, the hyper kids commercialism of the 90s or how the majority of anime released in the 80s were sci-fi mecha meant to sell toys to kids. Oversaturation is going to exist every decade and the main reason why people don't complain about it is because none of those shows are readily available to watch.

The lack of subtlety is something that can be criticized about most Japanese fiction and that can be tossed up to the type of audience its being geared to or the translation but almost all of these arguments are from people who only indulge in shounen and LN slop, stuff written for children and teenagers, so it just comes off as a shortsighted because western shows nowadays can't do subtlety either due to how hyperfixation has plague so much online discourse on top of creators interacting too much with general fandom.

 

[LightDragonman1]

I mean, the guy was responding to a rather campy low-budget anime. But even so, his arguments still don't really make all that much sense.

 

[Jonah Hill poster]

https://otakuusamagazine.com/manga-review-city-hunter-and-cats-eye-omnibus-editions/

https://www.anitrendz.com/news/2025/04/17/kana-manga-imprint-to-publish-omnibus-volumes-of-tsukasa-hojos-city-hunter-cats-eye-series-in-september-2025

I recently found out that omnibus volumes of City Hunter and Cat’s Eye were released as celebration for the recent live action release of City Hunter and the Disney+ remaster version of Cat’s Eye.

I love both of the manga, so this was the first time in a while where I smiled seeing this, and now I have an excuse to finally buy the both of them when I get the chance.

 

[Lone MacReady II]

View attachment 7977660

You ever see that one caricature made by Dr. Seuss. Funny shit.

 

[vern]

Anyone vaguely remember when OEL "manga" used to be popular in the mid 2000s?
For those who don't remember, back when manga in the US had its first wave of popularity there where a few comic and manga publishers who decided to make their own "original English language manga" to cash in on the trend before the whole industry took a nosedive (and I might argue still hasn't quiet recovered) , i.e. books where shrunk down to 5x7in to mimic the standard manga volume size and given 100-200 pages, they'd often opt for black and white instead of color, and some where even flipped right to left.
There used to be a lot, I even remember a local borders having an entire section of the shit, but nowadays I can only name 3 of the top of my head.
Scott Pilgrim which is still somewhat relevant with stuff like that anime that came out two years ago.
Maximum Ride which was an adaptation of a YA series that I think was popular at the time but can't saw I've seen anyone even mention it years.
Brody's Ghost which I might still have buried somewhere in some old storage box, long story short there was an old how to draw youtuber from almost 20 years ago called Mark Crilley I used to watch who used to be really popular on the site and used said popularity to get a short run by Dark Horse, then later a bunch of how to draw books.

Now most of the shit is on webtoons/canvas and other webcomic sites, but for a time it felt like they used to be everywhere.

 

[Oddjob OTP]

The only part of OEL manga outside of those I remember (not that I ever fucking read it) was Princess AI which was some vanity project written with Courtney Love about her self insert (Ai is Japanese for Love)

"A young, amnesiac alien girl known only as Princess Ai is mysteriously transported to Tokyo, Japan from her war-torn home, Ai-Land, which is in the midst of a revolution. With only a heart-shaped box to clue her in on her past, Ai makes her living as a rock star at Club Cupid. She falls in love with a sensitive musician, Kent, much to the distaste of Kent's gay, possessive roommate, Hikaru. The plot complicates as talent agents of the H.T.A and demons seeking to take control of Ai's homeland, Ai-Land, pursue her for their own ends."

Yeah.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

What's an "anime tourist" and how are they different from a casual enjoyer?

 

[Red Dragon]

What's an "anime tourist" and how are they different from a casual enjoyer?

Casual enjoyers either watch the flavor of the month/the most famous series of the past (like Ghibli movies, Death Note), or are focused on a single series/genre they found by chance. Back in my old job I've met guys bordering their 50s that discovered Baki on Netflix and loved it. They asked me for more anime about fighting and where to watch/download it.

Tourists watch shorts/compilations and read reviews to pretend they know things. These guys infest sites like Instagram and Youtube - it's the "Anime name?" crowd. I doubt they watch anything fully that's not hentai.

At least that's how I distinguish both terms.

 

[vern]

The only part of OEL manga outside of those I remember (not that I ever fucking read it) was Princess AI which was some vanity project written with Courtney Love about her self insert (Ai is Japanese for Love)

"A young, amnesiac alien girl known only as Princess Ai is mysteriously transported to Tokyo, Japan from her war-torn home, Ai-Land, which is in the midst of a revolution. With only a heart-shaped box to clue her in on her past, Ai makes her living as a rock star at Club Cupid. She falls in love with a sensitive musician, Kent, much to the distaste of Kent's gay, possessive roommate, Hikaru. The plot complicates as talent agents of the H.T.A and demons seeking to take control of Ai's homeland, Ai-Land, pursue her for their own ends."

Yeah.

If I had a nickel for every western song writer who's tried to make their own manga, I'd have 1 and a half since while Nick Simmons is technically making music, no one's even pretending he's not riding off his dad's fame (and I think he still denies tracing Bleach).
Though it is interesting that they got Ai Yazawa (author of Nana) to do the character designs, and doing some digging it looks like it did get a japanese release/translation which I guess credit's due where it's due, is something most OEL manga never achieved.
That also reminds me of two series Stan Lee worked on, Heroman although I'm not sure if the manga is an adaptation of the anime, or vice versa, and Ultimo

 

[Retarded Weeb]

Heroman although I'm not sure if the manga is an adaptation of the anime, or vice versa

It started as an anime production, but the manga version started publishing before the anime started airing as effectively advertisement for the anime. It happens sometimes.

 

[SandyCat]

Would you agree with this critique of anime (and the idea that western is better because of this)?

View attachment 7985597
Not quite sure how anime has "too many emotions" compared to old Disney films and Marvel comics.

View attachment 7985639
And how is this any different from the overly attached fans of other media?

There are a lot of animes that go overboard with the emotion. There's a ton of screaming angry male leads for example. With that being said, there's a lot that don't go full emotion bait. My mans just watching the shitty ones

 

[Whatisgoingon]

I've been hearing some chimping out in the western movie sphere about the records the new Demon Slayer has been breaking. I mean, I've been enjoying the series overall even though some might call it slop. They sometimes try too hard to pull on your heartstrings with backstories, but I feel like there's some build usually. And the most important part, the animation is fantastic and makes up for any complaints I have about the story. Yknow, cuz it's a visual medium. If it was a manga I'd probably give it a 7/10, but the animation is great.

I don't get why some people, especially on reddit are getting so assmad about it making tons of money, it's a well animated Shonen that's being smart for once and releasing the conclusion in theaters. Imagine if Dragon Ball Z did that back in the day instead of having a bunch of filler crap as the movies, it would've smashed records too.

 

[Dragged Into Sunlight]

What's an "anime tourist" and how are they different from a casual enjoyer?

Probably me who only really likes the hyperviolent classic 80s and 90s anime like Genocyber, Angel Cop, M.D Geist, etc. Someone who likes it just for one specific reason which is mostly asthetic.

Although it's been slow at work so I've been bit by the nostalgia bug and have been watching Dragon Ball from the beginning and have to say, what a delightful little show. It's pretty damn funny when you watch the uncensored version and are not a little kid. It's actually keeping my attention unlike when I watch something like One Piece where I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching something for little kids and lost interest.

 

[Chocolate Rain]

I don't get why some people, especially on reddit are getting so assmad about it making tons of money, it's a well animated Shonen that's being smart for once and releasing the conclusion in theaters. Imagine if Dragon Ball Z did that back in the day instead of having a bunch of filler crap as the movies, it would've smashed records too.

Demon Slayer, along with shows like Jujutsu Kaisen and Spy x Family, falls into what some call the “COVID anime” trend—series that became massively popular during the pandemic, largely because they were accessible and everywhere, not necessarily because they offered anything deeply lasting. They’re fun in the moment, but not especially memorable once the hype fades.

That doesn’t mean Demon Slayer is bad. In fact, part of its success is how straightforward it is. It’s easy to follow, visually stunning, and appeals to a wide range of people—from kids to older folks who don’t usually watch anime. In Japan, that simplicity is actually one of its biggest strengths.

Still, it’s a bit overwhelming how something so by-the-numbers became the mainstream hit. Compare it to something like Attack on Titan, which felt like a true cultural phenomenon. People who didn’t even watch anime were following the story, discussing the characters, and getting into manga because of it. It had reach, impact, and staying power. Demon Slayer, on the other hand, mostly pulls in fans who are just into Demon Slayer—the ripple effect is smaller.

On top of that, the way Demon Slayer is marketed has rubbed some people the wrong way. The series ended years ago, but Sony has been stretching out the finale to keep cashing in. It feels more like they’re selling hype than content. It’s similar to what we saw with stuff like K-Pop Demon Hunters—a forgettable product designed to hit all the trendy beats, then sold based on how many records it breaks rather than the actual quality. And in the West, Demon Slayer gets strategic releases in quiet months to make it seem like a box office hit, even when competition is low.


TL;DR: Demon Slayer isn’t bad. It’s just a clear example of how modern marketing and fandom can inflate something decent into something exhausting—where success feels more about being seen watching it than actually enjoying it.

 

[WelperHelper99]

I've been hearing some chimping out in the western movie sphere about the records the new Demon Slayer has been breaking. I mean, I've been enjoying the series overall even though some might call it slop. They sometimes try too hard to pull on your heartstrings with backstories, but I feel like there's some build usually. And the most important part, the animation is fantastic and makes up for any complaints I have about the story. Yknow, cuz it's a visual medium. If it was a manga I'd probably give it a 7/10, but the animation is great.

I don't get why some people, especially on reddit are getting so assmad about it making tons of money, it's a well animated Shonen that's being smart for once and releasing the conclusion in theaters. Imagine if Dragon Ball Z did that back in the day instead of having a bunch of filler crap as the movies, it would've smashed records too.

It's beating the Capeshit. That is why Reddit is mad. It beat Superman. One more good week in the Box office and it will overtake F1 and maybe the How to train your Dragon remake. It's fucking big

 

[Chocolate Rain]

It's beating the Capeshit. That is why Reddit is mad. It beat Superman. One more good week in the Box office and it will overtake F1 and maybe the How to train your Dragon remake. It's fucking big

This would have been bigger deal like 5-6 years ago or if Demon Slayer opened within the same interval where all were still in theaters and not in a dead month like September. F5 underperforming is not surprising and nobody even remembers that HTTYD LA slop but given all that shilling from Gunnfags Superman not doing better is pretty surprising.

 

[WelperHelper99]

This would have been bigger deal like 5-6 years ago or if Demon Slayer opened within the same interval where all were still in theaters and not in a dead month like September. F5 underperforming is not surprising and nobody even remembers that HTTYD LA slop but given all that shilling from Gunnfags Superman not doing better is pretty surprising.

I watched both Superman and Demon Slayer bro. DS has earned its success. From a technical perspective, it is the best animation Ufotable has EVER made. I say this as a Fate fanboy. They took risks with this movie. The CG in this movie was on another planet. Superman in contrast was middle of the road. If you like Superman, you'll like it. But that is all it is. It's not worth a billion.

 

[Chocolate Rain]

I watched both Superman and Demon Slayer bro. DS has earned its success. From a technical perspective, it is the best animation Ufotable has EVER made. I say this as a Fate fanboy. They took risks with this movie. The CG in this movie was on another planet. Superman in contrast was middle of the road. If you like Superman, you'll like it. But that is all it is. It's not worth a billion.

This is nowhere near Heaven's Feel level. Ufotable's excessive use of CG and filtering gets really exhausting because so many sequences look like blurs and after effects. The shots outside the fights also don't look impressive (which was an issue with Mugen Train as well) in contrast to the Chainsawman movie which actually does have good shot composition and feels like something made for theaters vs something thats essentially half of seasons worth of content being shat out to milk it more.

Despite my criticisms I thought it was very good and better than this year's capeshit offerings but as a disgruntled fan of Ufotable who thinks that the 5th Garden of Sinners movie is one of the best animated movies ever I can't say I was too impressed with it visually.