My 10 unpopular anime opinions

Credit to linked pixiv user

Today’s post idea came from Artemis over on the Otaku Lounge (who got it from Guy Shalve…I love how post ideas get around the blogsphere!) It sounded like a fun topic to think about so I decided to give it a try…

My “unpopular” opinions below aren’t in any particular order. I could think of more if I took the time but these are the first ten that came to mind. Also, I could probably go into more detail and write whole posts dedicated to each one, but I’m gonna keep them concise here.

1. I love shonen anime but don’t like Bleach
Shonen has always been a genre of anime I like. I’ve been watching Naruto since 2003 (skipping filler episodes) and am caught up with it. Even though parts of it do drag on and there are plenty of problems here and there (not unusual for an anime with hundreds of episodes) I think it’s a wonderful series with some of the most well developed characters and dramatic storylines I’ve ever seen. I’ve been watching One Piece since 2005 though still haven’t caught up and am over 100 episodes behind (and I haven’t watched it in over a year now for some reason…I think I just don’t like the current arc I’m in). But still, I think it has fantastic, lovable characters and its world is overflowing with creativity. And as some of you know, Inuyasha was my absolute favorite series from late 2002 to mid-2007, so obviously I’ve seen all its anime episodes and read all its manga chapters.

But then we come to Bleach, which I started watching in 2005 up until the anime ended in 2012 (skipping most filler episodes). And even after all that time I just couldn’t bring myself to like it as much as the other long-running shonen anime I watch. I found the majority of the characters unlikable and poorly written compared to the Naruto and One Piece characters, and most of the battles and plot outcomes were repetitive and just didn’t grasp me. I’m not sure what kept me watching it all those years – I guess it was a mix of hope that eventually I would love it like the others, and there were those few characters I liked a lot and wanted to keep seeing. But yeah, I don’t come across many people who love Naruto, One Piece, and Inuyasha but don’t like Bleach.

2. I’m a sucker for cute/cool animals
I’ve always loved it when cute or cool animals are included in shows and movies I watch, anime being no exception. Even if the show could run its course more or less the same whether the animal was there or not, like if Babu wasn’t in Sankarea or Pen Pen wasn’t in Evangelion, having a cute critter in it doubles my enjoyment of any anime, especially if they give the animal enough screentime to show its personality (like Ein from Cowboy Bebop and Yakul from Princess Mononoke). Most people either find mascot/side-character animals annoying, especially if they act too cutesy, or they just don’t give them any thought. But I love ’em :3 I usually prefer that they don’t talk but I could like them even if they do as long as their personality isn’t to my distaste. Chopper from One Piece is one of my most favorite characters of all, as is Chi from Chi’s Sweet Home, Luna has always been my favorite Sailor Moon character, and Meow is one of the few reasons I’m still watching Space Dandy. Also, if I come across a new anime that specifically revolves around animals or features animal characters, I’m very likely to watch it. That’s why I decided to watch Silver Spoon, Kemonono no Souja Erin, Arashi no Yoru ni, Gingitsune, and a few other series. Wolf’s Rain has also been among my top 5 favorite anime for years.

3. I still watch, and enjoy, the Pokemon anime
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the Pokemon franchise, as are many other people my age. But while a lot of them continually play the video games or even the card game, very few have consistently watched the anime since “the old days.” I’m one of those people who has never missed an episode of the Pokemon anime since day 1…and the anime now has over 800 episodes and 16 movies! Yes, the series is terribly formulaic and most episodes are filled with “Why didn’t they just do that?” or “How did that happen?” moments akin to your typical Saturday morning kiddie cartoon. But I still watch it because, well, I’m that much of a Pokemon fan ;) I enjoy seeing animated versions of the pokemon (going back to my being a sucker for cute/cool animals) and every now and then there’s an episode that’s unique or genuinely good.

4. I still watch, and enjoy, kids anime
This ties into the first three on the list since Pokemon and the long-running shonen series are considered kids shows, and a few of the anime I mentioned that involve animals, like Chi’s Sweet Home and Arashi no Yoru ni, are kids shows too. I have no qualms about watching kids anime if there’s something in them that I like. Shonen and magical girl series aside, I could enjoy anime aimed at very young kids too. Arashi no Yoru ni was one such series, but I still liked it because the characters were cute and it didn’t insult my intelligence at all. That’s also why I (and many others) can enjoy My Little Pony: FIM. I watched a few of the recent seasons of Digimon too, which seemed to be more kiddy friendly than the old seasons, but I still liked them. So yeah, I’m forever a kid at heart with what I watch XD

5. I don’t like Gurren Lagann that much
I watched all of Gurren Lagann on the big screen in my college anime club, with the club members loving it and hooting, hollering, and laughing at all the intensely masculine moments. It was a fun experience and I can see the appeal of the series…but it’s just not my cup of tea. Some years later I even watched the two recap movies and still felt the same way. I think it’s a good anime but I personally can’t say it’s that great. It’s weird because 90% of the time I like the anime that become super popular. But very testosterone-driven and over-the-top scenes and characters just aren’t my thing. My distaste for Gurren Lagann is also why I’m not watching Kill la Kill right now.

6. I like Sword Art Online and Guilty Crown
While I don’t care for the popular Gurren Lagann, I did like two recent anime that people hate on – Sword Art Online and Guilty Crown. I can admit that both are far from masterpieces, but they happened to have things about them I liked. I found SAO’s premise of seeing how intense a real-life MMORPG could become very interesting to watch, and I also found the romance between Kirito and Asuna genuinely sweet and touching. For Guilty Crown, I thought the story and characters were better put together than most people think, and there’s no doubting the show’s good production values. I gave SAO a fairly decent review and I even wrote an entire post about why I don’t think Guilty Crown is that bad.

7. I’m a girl and I like moe
I’ve already written posts about moe so I’m not gonna get into that debate here (Timeenforceranubis does it better than me anyway). But what I will say is that despite being a female in my late 20s, I like the kinds of anime people consider “moe.” I like K-ON, I like OreImo, I like the Key series, etc,. I’ve liked some of the recent “moe” series like Acchi Kocchi, Ikoku Croisee, and Kiniro Mosaic. Lucky Star, Azumanga Daioh, and Cardcaptor Sakura are still among my most favorite anime and “cute girls” like Kagami (Lucky Star), Shana (Shakugan no Shana), and Yuri (Angel Beats!) are among my most favorite characters. I have no qualms about watching anime that revolve around the “cute girls doing cute things” theme or anime that fall into the slice-of-life school genre. Actually, in any given season, I tend to enjoy the anime with cute girls more than the really dramatic action/fantasy series. These kinds of shows are fun and soothing to me, especially after a hard day at work or amongst really brain-straining and emotional anime. And I just like watching cute things as long as there’s humor or some kind of substance to them…so what can I say? ;)

8. I don’t particularly like Totoro…and I think Miyazaki is a tad overrated
Totoro is insanely popular in Japan even though the film is now over 25 years old. The two times I was in Japan I didn’t have to go far to find Totoro stuff. But honestly, I think the movie is cute…but I don’t think it’s that great. It’s a very nice and well-animated movie, and as I said, it’s very cute and has some adorable and touching scenes. But nothing about it really impressed me or made me think “Wow, this is really good!” And as for Totoro himself, I always felt he was a bit…weird. I find myself liking all the other Ghibli mascot characters like Jiji and Teito more than him.

And speaking of Ghibli, yes, Miyazaki has made some great movies and he’s really talented as a director and story writer. I think he deserves all the respect and critical acclaim he gets…but a part of me also thinks he is a tad overrated. I don’t think all of his films are masterpieces; as I said, I think Totoro is good but nothing extremely special, and I feel the same about Ponyo too. Kiki’s Delivery Service is very cute and I like it better than the aforementioned two, but again, I wouldn’t give it a top tier rating. Howl’s Moving Castle and Arietty too I think are good movies but not masterpieces. The only films of his I’ve seen that I think are absolute gems are Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Nausicaa (and perhaps Castle in the Sky and Porco Rosso though it’s been too long since I’ve seen them for me to judge them properly now). Again, I think the majority of his movies are good, but as a whole I don’t consider them better than any of the good anime series I watch (except in terms of animation budget of course). Also, except for my few favorites, I rarely feel a desire to rewatch Ghibli films as often as I do for my other favorite animated movies like Disney and Pixar films. This is just my opinion of course so feel free to cry sacrilege at me for thinking that most of Miyazaki’s works are anything but perfect.

9. I’m biased against mecha (and sports) anime
I enjoy all kinds of anime, but in recent years I kinda lost my taste for mecha series. Not that I ever had a big taste for them before, which I didn’t, but now if I see that a new seasonal anime revolves around giant robots, I’ll usually not watch it. I think this started when I watched the two seasons of Gundam 00 from 2007-2009 and while I could see that the series was good, I had trouble relating to it and getting that into it because I don’t enjoy watching robots fighting (as opposed to something, well, human) and usually mecha series involve a lot of complicated politics that I have trouble following. There’s exceptions of course and a lot of anime I love, such as Evangelion and Eureka 7, are put in the “mecha” genre. I also really liked the recent Suisei no Gargantia. I guess if the mecha aspect isn’t the main focus of the show and something else is, like character drama and relationships, I’m more likely to enjoy it. But typically I avoid mecha anime unless I hear really good things about them.

Likewise, I’m biased against sports anime too though I’m not sure if that’s an unpopular opinion since sports anime are rarely hits outside of Japan anyway. I’ve never liked sports in real life for one thing; I just can’t stand the aggression that they bring out in people and how they divide people into winners and losers. I can’t stand competition either and watching a show that gets all heated up over a game just doesn’t send me. But I know a lot of sports anime are good and focus on other things rather than the games and competition. Maybe one day I’ll get up the motivation to check one out XD

10. I don’t subscribe to the view that anime is getting worse
If you’ve hung around the anime fandom long enough, I’m sure you’ve heard the gripe that “anime was better in the old days” and “anime is getting worse and worse.” Usually (Western) fans blame moe and fan service anime for this. But honestly, I think there’s just as much good anime that comes out every year than there was in the past. The reason it feels like there’s more crap now is because more anime is being made each year than decades ago, so the gems are harder to find amongst all the mediocre stuff. But they’re there – recent anime like Attack on Titan, Space Brothers, Sakamichi no Apollon, and Madoka Magica can attest to that. The abundance of moe in anime in recent years is there because that’s what the main target audience in Japan wants right now. But there’s still plenty of anime made for other audiences, which is why we have new shows like Space Dandy and Free!. Anime of the 90s, 80s, etc., had their own trends too. So maybe one day moe will become the lesser theme and another trope will become the defining trait for anime in the future. I don’t know when or if that will happen, but if it does, I look forward to seeing what it is =)

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Hopefully nobody will think less of me after hearing my unpopular opinions XD Feel free to share yours~!

No Comments… read them or add your own.

  1. Artemis says:

    I see we share a few unpopular opinions – particularly numbers 6 and 10. :) I’ve never seen Guilty Crown so I can’t judge that in any way, but as you’ll know from my Otaku Lounge post, I thoroughly enjoyed Sword Art Online, flaws and all. And as for that last one, again, I guess you know my thoughts on that. A lot of other people seemed to agree though, which was a pleasant surprise.

    • Yumeka says:

      SAO is one of those series where I can recognize its flaws but there are enough things in it that resonate with me so I can overlook them (Angel Beats! is another series like that for me). Now I’m curious about how you’d like Guilty Crown XD

      I didn’t read all of the comments on your post but good to know people agreed with you =)

  2. Silvachief says:

    I’ll agree with 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, though I don’t disagree with any of them.

    I simply don’t understand the hype around Gurren Lagann. It was just far too over the top for me, so I didn’t find it particularly enjoyable or memorable.

    I haven’t seen Guilty Crown but I did enjoy Sword Art Online. I may be biased because I love the idea of virtual reality though. It had problems, yes, but they certainly weren’t deal breaking and in a review i’ve got coming up I give it a pretty high score. Sometimes it isn’t about objective quality…it’s about how much you enjoy the experience.

    I found the vast majority of Ghibli movies to be alright and some of them to be downright poor. There were only a few I really enjoyed but I wouldn’t rate them above anime series or even live action films i’ve enjoyed. Spirited Away, Porco Rosso and The Cat Returns are probably my favorites.

    Mecha anime are something i’ve avoided in the past and Gurren Lagann didn’t help that. I’ve only recently found a good mecha story in Muv-Luv Alternative but that’s a visual novel. I’m a little more open to mecha now…but i’m not rushing to watch any of the anime.
    I just don’t have any motivation for sports anime. I don’t enjoy watching sport in real life, so why would I watch anime versions when there’s so much else I could occupy myself with? I have a number of friends that really enjoy sports anime though so *shrug*

    I haven’t been watching anime long enough to have any weight behind my opinion for number 10. All I can say is that I don’t see any major difference between older and newer anime in terms of quality…it just comes down to which stories are available and get noticed at the time.

    • Yumeka says:

      Seems like we agree on pretty much everything XD

      I don’t have anything against mecha and sports anime and I’m certain many I haven’t seen are good series, probably great series among them too. It’s just that when given the choice of what anime to watch, I would rather watch other genres in my limited time. One day I’ll give a sports anime a try…one day XD

  3. Was about to go on a rage about you saying that Miyazaki is overrated, but I got distracted by there being two #9s. ;)

    Anyway, I don’t think many people would argue with you on Howl’s or Ponyo – his last few movies are a bit weak (except maybe The Wind Rises; I haven’t seen it yet). What I find so impressive about Miyazaki is that he’s never really made a bad movie, and has made excellent movies in multiple genres, as opposed to, say, Hosoda, Shinkai, or Shinbou, who each have a particular style they’re known for. Even his weakest movies aren’t bad, and even you, while arguing that he’s overrated, concede that he has three to five “absolute gems.” How many other directors have made even one “absolute gem?”

    Oh, and it’s one thing to like SAO and Guilty Crown, but to say so right after saying you don’t like Gurren Lagann? You’re just trying to upset people!

    • Yumeka says:

      Darn, I remember making a mistake in my numbering in at least one other post before…I really need to stop doing that XD It’s fixed now.

      Yes, as you pointed out, I think Miyazaki has undeniable talent and none of his movies are downright bad. I just think he’s a little overrated in terms of people thinking he can do no wrong, all his works are masterpieces, and everything he makes is always gonna be levels above any TV anime series out there.

      As for SAO, Guilty Crown, and Gurren Lagann…it’s just my own little opinion, please don’t be upset! XD

  4. Alex says:

    I’m kinda mixed about Gurren Lagann. I quite enjoyed the first half, but it took me four months to finish the second half, and by then I no longer cared. Plus I didn’t like the ending.

    I’ve been watching anime for about three and a half years now, and I still haven’t watched a Miyazaki film yet >_< . My sister thought Spirited Away was pretty boring, and that's sucked away all my motivation. Hopefully I'll get to see The Wind Rises at the cinema or something though, I should probably get around to watching at least one lol.

    • Yumeka says:

      It’s weird because I actually liked the second half of Gurren Lagann better while most everyone else I know preferred the first half. For me, the second half had more of a story I could get invested in and I enjoyed watching the older versions of the characters.

      Wow, someone who thought Spirited Away was boring, the movie that won the Oscar for Best Animated feature that year? But in a way, I can see how someone could find Spirited Away boring as it’s very focused on setting and characters rather than a story. But I would definitely give at least a few of his movies a try. I can always recommend my favorite Miyazaki movie, Princess Mononoke.

  5. Ninz says:

    We have the same opinions on 1,2,3,6,7,9 and 10. I really liked SAO and Guilty Crown.

  6. I completely agree about Totoro. My Neighbor Totoro is like a cult that I simply don’t understand the popularity of. (And Totoro himself – itself? – IS weird. You have this huge groaning creature sitting there in the woods for no apparent reason. I wouldn’t want him for a neighbor!)

  7. Vii says:

    While I personally rather like Bleach, it is definitely a series that has a lot of issues and I can totally understand why somebody wouldn’t like it.
    #4 totally applies to me. Probably about half of the anime I’m watching right now are kiddie shows (more if you count Toku with the anime).
    As for #9, while I’ve only watched one mecha anime (Gundam W), I’ve watched toku shows that use a lot of mecha and it’s not really an issue for me. But then I thought Pacific Rim was awesome and think robots in generally are pretty cool.
    The only thing I can think of as an unpopular opinion of my own would be that I utterly hate and detest Light from Death Note. It really annoys me that there are people who think he’s cool :(
    Wait, I thought of a better one: I don’t like Sailor Moon. (Live-action show excepted) I think the series is really repetitive and the writing gets way worse later in the series. I actually like Wedding Peach (the manga, the anime of Wedding Peach was pretty legit bad) a lot better.

    • Yumeka says:

      I know some people who don’t like Light, but yeah, he and L are definitely big amongst the fan girls. Neither of them are my type of characters either but I can understand why people find them appealing.

      I know there’s a lot of people who don’t like Sailor Moon either. Though I wonder if you’ve only seen the dub as the Japanese version is worlds better.

      • Vii says:

        I’ve read the Sailor Moon manga, and I think I watched several episodes of the Japanese version (I never watch dubs of Japanese cartoons). Who knows, I might like it better on a rewatch. The musicals are okay and the live-action show is fun, although the production values aren’t the best.

  8. neko says:

    sorry my poor english.

    As for 9,The reason Totoro is so popular among Japanese it is watched by many Japanese when they are very young(3-10).
    It is watched in elementary school or kindergarten sometimes as part of education and airing on TV about every other year as primetime show. the average view rating of Totoro is 20%(highest is 23.2 and lowest is 17.6), this is very high compared with other primetime anime have 3-15% and otaku anime have about 1% in very anime friendly areas.

    • Yumeka says:

      I definitely understand why Totoro is so popular in Japan. Ghibli is almost like Japan’s own version of Disney and Totoro was one of their first big hits. It has a lot of cultural and nostalgic value that’s lasted through the decades. I just personally find Totor himself a little weird and the movie itself cute but nothing that amazing.

  9. Jura says:

    Except for #10 I think most of yours are pretty reasonable. The most newly produced anime I watched was Asura from 2012. I look at what comes out each season including obscure stuff. There are no gems for me, so the argument is BS (no offense). Anime has become more conservative.

    • Yumeka says:

      Well, all I can say is that it boils down to personal taste in the end and one person’s idea of a masterpiece is another person’s piece of crap. But if you only “look” at what comes out each season and don’t actually watch the shows, especially the ones that break the usual mold like Attack on Titan and Space Dandy, how could you be so sure that there are no gems for you?

  10. Murazrai says:

    1, 2, 3, 5 and 9 (first): No comment.

    4. Same deal with me. In fact, after deciding to experiment with binging, I ended up with most of anime watched weekly being kids’ anime because I just can’t wait. Also, they tend to be better than similar anime for older audiences. Aikatsu! is better than Love Live!, Gundam Build Fighters is better than Kakumeiki Valvrave and Future Card Buddyfight is better than ZX Ignition, for starters.

    6. I don’t watch Guilty Crown, but SAO is a solid anime, even when the weaker second part.

    7. I like moe too as long as it is not the only aspect that define the anime.

    9 (Second). I can understand what you mean. You might interested with Yowamushi Pedal which is more focused on characters.

    • Yumeka says:

      Heh, you watch more kids anime than me actually XD But they’re not the kind of anime I seek out – I usually don’t watch them unless there’s something in their story that grabs me, like if they feature cute animals and don’t seem too childish. But I have no reservations about watching them.

  11. Kal says:

    You have 2 number 9s, instead of 8 and 9 :P

    I agree with many of your points and we kind of have similar taste in anime. I have not watched the shonen trio, and have not watched Pokemon in a long time, but I have no problem with them. I recently rewatched Guilty Crown, and it was actually quite good! I did not think much of it the first time around, but it is actually not bad. I loved SAO :) I’m a guy, and I like moe. No problem with admiting it either. The only part we difer a bit is about Mecha anime. I like it a lot. Not the super robots, but I like the real robots more. The ones that are potentially possible. I also agree that anime is not getting worse. It’s just getting more numerous. So we are going to see more “bad” anime, but we still see plenty of great anime.

    Interesting post, it gives good insight into what people like.

    • Yumeka says:

      I fixed the two #9s – I proofread thee times and miss that, how embarrassing XD

      Sounds like you enjoyed SAO and Guilty Crown more than me, which is cool. Even if they have problems I think there’s good stuff in both of them that people overlook because they’re too focused on jumping on the hate bandwagon.

  12. jimmy says:

    I kind of agree on mecha/sports. Mecha’s because of personal preference (having robots if anything slightly decreases how much I enjoy an anime; I’d much rather cool fights with, say, swords than robots). I’ve seen a few great “straight” mecha shows, the one coming to mind the easiest being the original Gundam. Other mecha shows I’ve liked have been for reasons totally separate, like Eva or TTGL. With sports, while I’m sure there are great ones out there (Cross Game and Slam Dunk are supposed to be excellent), most of the ones I’ve seen have been constrained by genre conventions. Probably the best sports series I’ve seen has been Girls und Panzer. The currently-airing Yowamushi Pedal’s pretty damn solid, though.

    I’m not too sure on the average quality of anime, but the only anime since 2003 I’ve given a 9/10 to has been Usagi Drop (not that I’ve seen every anime since 2003, but you know). There have been some pretty great series about once a season, though, so even if nothing changes my life or flirts with perfection I’m more than satisfied. Then again, there is Mushishi S2 coming up.

    I assume you’re aware that some anti-SAO people have described Log Horizon as “SAO but good”. Had you given it a look at all?

    Also, what do you think of the quality of Pokémon series to series?

    • Yumeka says:

      I’m not totally sure what you mean by a “straight” mecha series but I think I know – I believe the only ones like that I’ve seen are Gundam Seed and Gundam 00. It’s been years but I remember liking Seed more than 00. But yeah, I prefer mecha like Evangelion and Eureka 7 that focus more on the characters than the robots and politics =P

      Good thoughts on the quality of anime over the years. I too am satisfied with at least one great anime a year and several good ones, which I’ve been getting so far.

      I was considering Log Horizon when it first came out but decided to watch other series.

      For Pokemon, the original series up until mid-Johto I’d say (before it switched to digital animation) was full of flaws but wasn’t as formulaic as it is now. It had a certain charm to it that later seasons didn’t, perhaps because of my own nostalgia but also because those episodes were made before Pokemon became so internationally successful and the anime was still being written with just the Japanese audience in mind. So things like more violent pokemon battles and Japanese cultural references were very prevalent in the original series until they more or less disappeared by the late Johto episodes. Advanced and Diamond & Pearl are the weakest series in my opinion. In Black & White (Best Wishes), the episodes got surprisingly better in terms of being more memorable and having an overarching story (I just didn’t like that they changed Team Rocket’s personality). The XY anime now is so far okay. It had a fantastic first two episodes though most of the rest have been okay to “meh.” We’ll see how it goes XD

      • jimmy says:

        I guess I’m not too sure on what I mean by “straight” either. I suppose where robot fights are the main purpose. Pretty much every episode of Gundam had a story resolving itself in a Gundam battle, whereas even with fifteen Angels to fight in twenty-six episodes, Eva had episodes at a time with completely different things happening. It’s not quite as simple as “action prioritised over a more character-focused story”, but basically with mecha combat being the central thrust.

        Interesting thoughts on the shift to globalisation in Pokémon and its influence on the quality of the stories. I’d thought, vaguely, that the first 81-odd episodes had a stronger story, and that by, say, a hundred episodes later or so it had declined to being more formulaic. I never saw the Gen III and IV anime, but I’m watching original, Best Wishes and XY basically simultaneously at the moment (182, 51, wherever PM’s up to). I’m not too convinced on the effectiveness of some of the “serious” elements in BW, but I do think it’s more consistent episode-to-episode than the middle episodes of the original series. Then again, I did just watch the episode with Togepi and Houndoom’s friendship, and that was pretty great.

      • Fullmetalrocker says:

        Wow everyone here seems to not like mecha at all. It does happen to be one of my favorite genres.

        As for SAO and Guilty Crown, I like the first half of SAO, but didn’t really care for the second half. As for Guilty Crown, I saw only the first two episodes when the series came out and wasn’t interested in watching the rest.

        For Pokemon, I’m currently enjoying the XY series. While I do like Best Wishes, I can understand at some certain pokemon forums why some people seem to not really like it at all.

        • Yumeka says:

          Good to hear someone else still likes the Pokemon anime =)

          I can’t say all of the Best Wishes episodes were great, but to me it had the most amount of memorable episodes and the most focus on an ongoing plot with Team Plasma and N. It certainly had its flaws and most episodes were still formulaic, plus I didn’t like how they tried to make Team Rocket “bad” and in doing so made them terribly bland, but it was still the better Pokemon series since the original in my opinion. I’m hoping XY is at least just as good ;)

  13. Firechick says:

    I agree with you on points 2, 3, and 4. I also like Pokemon, kids anime (Watch Moomins, Popolocrois, and Dog of Flanders! They’re all so adorable!!!), and cute fluffy animals!

  14. chikorita157 says:

    Obviously, 7, 9, 10 applies. To me, I am not all that interested in Mecha anime for the fact that I don’t find robot battles all that interesting and that it’s plot details are complicated. But still, I still enjoy Gargantia, maybe for the fact that it didn’t have a heavy focus on battles. Aside from that, I don’t have to explain 7 and 10 as I shared my opinions about these issues in the past.

    Of course, since I only watched Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service, I can’t really comment as a whole if some of his movies are overrated. I can understand where you are getting at for the fact that Totoro is still very popular and overshadow his other works.

    • Yumeka says:

      Even though Gargantia had a mecha in it that played a significant role, it wasn’t the focal point of the plot and the show had lots of other things going on like its sci-fi setting and developing Ledo and his relationships with the characters and their world. I don’t have any kind of aversion to giant robots in an anime, I just tend to lose interest when they get too much of the screentime.

  15. Frootytooty says:

    I love slice-of-life and moe anime too – there’s just something so soothing about them that I could even marathon them after a hard day at uni. Also didn’t like Gurren Lagann that much; it felt over the top and just… too much, without actually having much substance.

    I’m sad to see #9 though! I’m not a huge fan of mecha anime myself, but sports anime is one of my favorite genres. I’ve seen so many baseball anime series that I could probably play it myself (in theory), and there’s always something very heartwarming about a team working together and getting better. For instance, have you seen Kuroko no Basuke? Even my minimal-anime-watching friends loved that one, so maybe you would too!

    • Yumeka says:

      I know a lot of sports anime are good and I’m sure I’d like them. Haven’t seen Kuroko’s Basketball but I’m always hearing good things about it. Same with Hikaru no Go and Inazuma 11. It’s just a matter of me getting the motivation to watch a sports anime in my limited free time over another series XD There’s no doubt in my mind that I’d probably like at least a couple of them.

  16. CoolCARTGuy says:

    Neat list. I particularly agree with the last three opinions you mentioned. While I think Miyazaki is a talented director, I don’t really enjoy lighthearted films that much; I enjoy darker, more psychological material, which is why I lean more towards Satoshi Kon when it comes to anime films.

    As for #9 on this list, I am reminded of the more snobbish members of anime fandom when I look at the mecha genre and that really turns me off to the genre for the most part. The only two anime that could be classified as mecha take the ideas of the “Super Robot” subgenre to their extremes in ways that I find appealing (i.e. Evangelion and Gurren Lagann).

    #10 is an opinion I agree with wholeheartedly; while 2013 was such an unappealing year for me that I scrapped watching anime seasonally (at least for the time being), the prior two years in particular had such enjoyable, well-done shows. 2011 brought Madoka Magica, the Idolm@ster anime, and Fate/Zero (among others) and 2012 had some really good shows early on such as Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, but absolutely hit it out of the park during Fall season IMO with wonderful shows such as Girls und Panzer and Kokoro Connect. After 2011 and 2012, I cannot seriously believe the claim that anime is collectively getting worse. After all weren’t the 80’s and 90’s decades in anime notorious for being loaded with half-baked, absurdly low-budget fair?

    • Yumeka says:

      I’ve found that my favorite Ghibli films are the “darker” ones like Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa while I tend not to care as much for the light ones such as Totoro, Ponyo, and Kiki. But at the same time I don’t like anime that’s too “dark”…I guess my favorites lean towards the dramatic side but also have things that are fun and cute too.

      I totally agree with you in terms of #10. As you said, there’s plenty of crap anime from the 80s, 90s, and other decades just as there are now. I think the reason fans place anime of those decades on a pedestal is because, since it’s been such a long time and there was no easy access to anime outside Japan back then, the only ones people watched from that time were the good ones. So those are the ones people remember from those times – the ones they were able to access. Starting in the mid-2000 when it became easy to watch anime seasonally, we can now watch every show from a given season rather than just the good ones. So that’s another reason it could seem like there’s more crap nowadays than in the past (in addition to there simply being more anime produced each season).

  17. KayJay says:

    The points I agree with the most are the ones about SAO, Miyazaki and the last about anime getting worse.

    While I know its flaws, and I can recognise it is far from perfect, I still greatly enjoyed SAO overall.

    The one about Miyazaki is one that I feel I most agree with, and have thought about recently too. I agree that Miyazaki is a tad overrated. He’s great, yes, but he is not the god of anime that I find people (at least people I come across) make him out to be. When it comes to Totoro, everyone loves him so much but I feel kinda in the middle. It’s average to me, at least character and story-wise. I personally couldn’t really care much about the character Totoro, but I do like Suski (I think that’s her name) and her relationship with her sister. Kinda wish that was explored more. My fav Miyazaki/Ghibli films are Spirited Away, Laputa, Mononoke and Nausicaa. It’s weird though, the ones I favour the least, are the ones people say are the most amazing… Ponyo, Arriety, Howl’s Moving Castle (animation was great but i just didn’t like it much). I love Miyazaki and all he’s done in traditional animation, etc, but yes, he a bit overrated.

    Lastly, the part about anime getting worse is something I agree with. I think the sheer amount of anime that’s made each season is what has set me back on my anime count these past few years. I just don’t know what to watch anymore, and what I do watch just like a lesser version of something else I’ve watched. It was easier for me to randomly buy a DVD of Negima in a shop than it is to decide on what anime to watch online for free. It’s easier to find the better gems from a decade or two ago, but yes, I feel like too much anime being made is what’s making it difficult to find the latest gems. Anime is Japan’s Hollywood in a flawed sense.

    • Yumeka says:

      Actually, from what I’ve heard people think Ponyo and Howl are the weaker Ghibli films. But I guess it depends on who you ask. But yeah, I can’t fully comprehend the Totoro obsession XD I thought many of his less popular films were better, Arietty for example.

      If it weren’t for the enjoyment I get from watching the latest anime and being able to converse about it with the online anime community via my blog, Twitter, etc., I might go back to just watching random old anime I missed out on instead of seasonal stuff. But I still greatly enjoy watching the new stuff with everyone else and discovering the new gems as they come about ;)

  18. Overlord-G says:

    That’s it? Those are your top 10 unpopular opinions? I’m not saying this as an insult. I’m saying this because if THESE opinions are what the internet anime community may consider blasphemous, then they really need to lighten up. It’s like you said in #10: There are shows that will appeal to the “serious crowd” each season. People just have to look for them. Anime getting worse…PAH! If even the “serious” shows don’t appeal to the internet anime community, then I don’t know what can be done for those people.

  19. TWWK says:

    I’m sure this must have already been pointed out, but Arrietty wasn’t directed by Miyazaki, so it’s generally not considered a “Miyazaki” film. That aside, I agree that not all of his films are masterpieces – certainly neither Ponyo nor Howl. It’s his consistency and his ability to create something fantastic that is unlike anything else that makes him extraordinary.

    I think I share in a lot of your other unpopular opinions, though!

    • Yumeka says:

      Oh? I guess I forgot that Arietty wasn’t directed by Miyazaki…my bad =P But he did have some involvement in it (at least according to MAL he worked on the script/planning) so maybe it sort of counts XD

      Good to know we share some of these opinions~

  20. Cynthia says:

    1) I like shounen anime but I’m not a fan of the current big three of Japan: Naruto, One Piece, Bleach. I think all three are rather overrated and I’m just not interested in ninjas. Bleach always had too many characters, and too poorly developed, for my tastes.

    2) & 3) I like animals, but not so much weird unnatural animals. Pretty much the only exception is Terra E…’s Nakinezumi (crying mouse). I am definitely over Pokemon as well. Too much is just too much already. I started playing Pokemon White just to see if I could maintain an interest, and nope. I think it stopped getting interesting several games ago. It’s getting to the point where it’s less interesting and more ridiculous. Pretty much the same situation as a good original movie that has too many sucky sequels.

    4) I agree, though it mostly depends on the kids’ anime and also ties in to the above: sequels tend to suck. Just take Mysterieuses Cites d’Or as the best example.

    5) & 6) Hated Gurren Lagann. SAO had a better first season than its second season with Kirito’s godawful annoying as hell creepy slut of a sister. Nevermind the Asuna fanservice… Guilty Crown is a series I could have enjoyed if not for the extremely unlikable female main character. Assuming I can learn to ignore her, I might be able to get back to watching it someday.

    7) & 8) Ew to the moe. And I never liked Miyazaki’s works, there’s something a bit creepy about how all the characters of every movie practically look the same… Mononoke Hime was only good because of the context it took place in, and even so I can’t say it’s one of the more interesting anime movies I’ve seen. That honor would go to Fafner’s Heaven and Earth.

    9) Regarding your mecha distaste, generally speaking, I agree. I’ve only watched a few mecha series that I like, including Gundam Wing, Gundam Seed (not so much Destiny though), Gundam X, Soukyuu no Fafner, Tenkuu no Escaflowne, maybe others that I can’t think of right now as well. Gundam OO, as far as I’m concerned, is a complete disaster: a huge mass of character stereotypes and a plot that is downright uninteresting. I waddled through the first 10 episodes because the local club was showing them, but otherwise was not even remotely interested in following the series on my own. Nothing I have heard about it since then has made me regret my choice either. I totally recommend Fafner to you if you’ve never seen it, it’s a wonderful series that is akin to Evangelion but I’ve never been interested in Evangelion whereas I adore Fafner. As far as sports anime goes, your opinion is not unpopular at all. As for myself, depending on the sport in question and the way the characterization is handled, some sports anime can be good. Ace wo Nerae! is an older tennis series that I plan on watching at some point, it is about women’s tennis. Tennis no Oujisama is a more recent one and I quite enjoyed the few episodes I saw of it. I very much want to continue it at some point in the future. I also hear Slam Dunk was quite the classic in its day. Currently, Free! is rather interesting and there is an upcoming anime for the Haikyuu volleyball manga series that a few people I know are looking forward to.

    10) I think the very fact that you need to mention that the gems are harder to find proves the point that there really *are* less good anime than in the past. In the past, you really did not have to dig through quite as much crap to get to the good stuff.

  21. Shikon says:

    I couldn’t agree more with #6! I’ve seen people hate so much on both series but tbh I thoroughly enjoyed Guilty Crown and SAO. Like you said, they aren’t masterpieces by any means and have flaws but I just found them extremely enjoyable and couldn’t wait for the next episode. Glad to find someone besides me that like them :)

  22. Mylamx says:

    I hope you’ll soon find your enjoyment with sport animes! =>
    I really liked Kuroko no Basket and was also biased about sport animes like Slam dunk and Diamond no Ace but I’ve come to love them and found a new genre I can enjoy with.

  23. Mikoto says:

    Great post, Yumeka. On the topic of liking kids shows, I share that interest also. I believe it shouldn’t be much of an unpopular opinion even if it is. I think shows and video games for any age have the capacity to be compelling, or at the very least, watchable. People tend to forget that a handful of Studio Ghibli films are certainly this and also plenty of JRPGs that people love have a CERO A rating in Japan.

    In terms of western animation, the original The Land Before Time movie is definitely something that manages to have plot value and societal themes. And even then it could just be fun. There are plenty of anime aimed at older audiences that are like that as well.

    I kind of jump back and forth when it comes to #10. In some aspects I agree that anime is not as good as before, but there are times where I feel it’s grossly exaggerated. You make a good point that the amount of anime produced now versus the Showa/early Heisei-era may have an influence on how people perceive the overall quality of present anime in general.

  24. Anon-san says:

    I totally agree with 10.

  25. Revi says:

    I agree with 10. When watching anime, I really care about the entertainment factor. I hate to admit this, but those high school moe shows where the characters are super generic are…fun to watch. :P

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