Anime that you don't understand why people like

[vonpost]

Basically this topic came to my mind after a friend of mine gave me quite the speech on why NGE is the best anime ever.

So, I'm asking, what anime don't you understand why people like?
What kind of series truly makes you encounter the "everyone's taste is different"-thing?

[abunai]

I keep running into people (usually female fans) who are very much into Weiss Kreuz / Knight Hunters, and I just don't get that. If I had to pick a candidate for "worst anime ever", that would be it.

Oh sure, I can see that it has all the elements of a stereotypical female fan's most fondest desires, including ambiguously-sexed bishie boys and the like -- but honestly, the artwork is just so bad, and the scripting is just so lame...

Can someone tell me what I'm missing? Or confirm that it really is as awful as I think?

- abunai
Neon Genesis Evangelion is no great hit with me either, but at least it a number of positive qualities.

[Fireaxe]

Ooooh I've got quite a few!

Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star (I guess they're just not my style... but I really don't understand what the hype was all about...)
Chobits (wtf was that?)
Wolf's Rain (I saw this in on a lot of people's top 10 list, and again, I don't get it...)
Gunslinger Girl (Okay, the art is amazing, but the rest is a snorefest)

[purplemo]

Since my tastes run counter to most anime fans, I'll start off broad and narrow down.

The loser male harem anime, both shounen and seinen versions.

Examples: Shuffle, Negima, KGNE, Yumeria, Love Hina, AMG, about every other anime out there

The non-loser male harem anime

Examples: Kanon, Clannad, Ninomiya, etc (actually there's not too many of these)

Lolicon

Examples: UFO Valkyrie, Rizelmine, KnJ, etc

Emo mecha teen pilot

Examples: NGE, Gundam Seed, Gundam Wing, Stellvia, Rahxephon, etc

Shows or shows with characters who just won't shut up about how smart or right they are when they aren't

Examples: Death Note, Code Geass, NGE, GitS, etc

Over the top shounen action

Examples: Kenshin, Bleach, Naruto, DB, Berserk, etc

Actually I can kind of understand why people like those types of shows. I just don't quite understand why there are SO MANY.

As for individual shows I can't understand

FLCL (actually why do people like this? Is it funny? Is it because it's crazy? Is it because it's linked to Eva?)
Haruhi (it's a decent show, but why are people so horridly rabid?)
Lucky Star (see Haruhi)
Gungrave (well, maybe I would understand the love if I didn't fall asleep watching it)
Wolf's Rain (see Gungrave)

That's all I can come up with now. Most other shows fall in one of the above categories. In general.

Ecchi/harem/lolicon <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Shounen action/mecha <<<< Shoujo "fluff" << "good" shoujo <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< slice o'life < josei < seinen

If you can't tell, I dislike A LOT of anime people like and love.

[ace52387]

Dude, purplemo, what's left? Not that I disagree strongly with anything except FLCL, which I'm shocked so many people hate since at the very least, it seems like it should be entertaining.

It's hard for me to understand why people like Hanbun no Tsuki. Every character was like a gigantic bomb filled with cheese. It's just hard to take such exaggerated melodrama seriously.

On the same note, I can kind of see why people like KGNE, but I don't understand why people call it realistic.

[OtakuDan]

purplemo, what anime do you watch?

[purplemo]

Originally Posted by ace52387

Dude, purplemo, what's left?

I can take that as either most anime watchers out there don't know much beyond those categories I listed (which is actually mostly true) or that's all that is coming out (which is looking more and more like that every new season).

There is a lot (not relatively, but still a lot) of anime outside those categories. Nor does it mean there is not a single anime in each category I like. For the most part I hate anime in those category, but there are some here and there I like. Some are Soukyuu no Fafner, Soukou no Strain (Sara's kinda emo), Da Capo, Samurai Champloo. Sure I may hate 99% of the anime in those category, but considering how much is in each, that still leaves a decent amount from the "junk" categories.

As for KGNE being realistic, I remember I was blown away when it WASN'T a high school love story (for the most part). Maybe that's why people thought that. It's like when you see a first person shooter not set in WWII or fighting aliens. It catches your eye if for no other reason than it's something different in a genre that doesn't know how to imagine something different.

Edit: Man, this again. I get enough of "what do you watch" it might push me to finally to fill out an anirec account just so I can point to my top 5 list (don't you start pushing people to do this sothis and mod squad!!!).

Easier to just show my top 30 that I compiled a bit back (updated sometime a few months ago) and what I am keeping track of this season than say what I watch.

Top 30, roughly #1-#30 +/- 3 spots for all selections except the top 5

Crest of the Stars Series
Samurai X Trust and Betrayal/Reflection
Gunslinger Girl
Honey and Clover
Haibane Renmei
Azumanga Daioh
Kiddy Grade
Chrno Crusade
Fruits Basket
Elfen Lied
Full Metal Panic Fumoffu
Saikano
Full Moon wo Sagashite
Jubei Chan: Revenge of the Siberia Yagyu
Noir
12 Kingdoms
Jin Roh
Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu
King of Bandits Jing
Perfect Blue
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Futakoi Alternative
Koi Kaze
You're Under Arrest Series
Kino no Tabi
Fullmetal Alchemist
Vampire Princess Miyu
Serial Experiments Lain
Kannaduki no Miko
Last Exile

What I'm keeping track of this season

Wolf and Spice
GSG2
Aria the Origination
Shigofumi

and still on the fence with

Hatenkou

[abunai]

Originally Posted by ace52387

On the same note, I can kind of see why people like KGNE, but I don't understand why people call it realistic.

I can easily follow you there. I really liked KimiNozo, but I have never viewed it as anything but a melodrama. When somebody starts talking about its "realism", my mind just boggles.

- abunai

[chii]

Death Note - over-rated to the extreme >.<
FLCL - WTF was that
Beck - too much whining (i'm bias though I really don't like bands at all)
Aria - gaaa who cares
Elfen Lied - over-rated to the extreme as well
Kanon - same old crap over and over again with different girls
Nadesico - it was ok but not top 5 worthy...
Witch Hunter Robin - i was expecting more.
Witchblade - just cause she has big boobs doesn't mean it's good

[purplemo]

Originally Posted by -chii-

Witchblade - just cause she has big boobs doesn't mean it's good

Just how many teenage males' worlds did you just destroy right there . . . :p