Inspired by this weeks discussion topic, I've gotten into thinking of other anime I've given up on so here are my top 10 Anime I've Given Up On.
Rules This Time: Has to be a series I once liked, it's no good putting a series I hate on this list because I'll be here all day otherwise; also I can't use lack of licensing as an excuse either, so let us begin.
10. Little Snow Fairy Sugar
I ended up quitting this series just over halfway when I discovered that the ending was so predictable that it wasn't worth the effort.
9. Digimon
Later series kept spiraling into obscurity to the point where the original concept has been lost along the way.
8. Beyblade
Beyblade had great characters (some even too good for it's own show) during it's first three runs then it decided to come back and ruin itself for good with the Metal series; it's not been healthy since.
7. Yu-Gi-Oh
Another show with a severe decay problem caused by frequent changing of protagonists; I don't even know what Zexal is about.
6. Bleach
Lost it's identity when it couldn't hold itself after hundreds of chapters, they've toyed too much with their universe rules and paid the price for stupid ideas.
5. Fruits Basket
Gave up when the art style became obscure in the manga, a lot of characters looked the same and being told spoilers also sealed the fate of Fruits Basket for good.
4. Shaman King
Had the same problem as Bleach only weirder, Shaman King didn't know how to end itself, it didn't seem satisfied with the Victory Script the anime gave it, so it tried something complicated and ended up cancelled for the trouble.
3. Tenchi Muyo
The Tenchi Muyo extended universe is a joke, the story was already complicated enough in it's original incarnation and yet the creators seem intend on ruining it.
2. Spirited Away
Every time I try and watch Spirited Away, I just can't seem to follow what's going on, I've tried numerous times but nothing, I just can't seem to conquer it.
1. Saiyuki
I gave up when the set pieces were rotating more often than Team Rocket's sad attempts at catching Pikachu, it got to the point where I didn't believe they were really going to India and as of now I doubt they've made it there yet as Minekura has released a prequel as well.
Bonus: Pokemon
X&Y might save it, so it's on hiatus rather than giving up on it.
Choreographing a fight scene takes some effort on the animators part to do especially when said show has high standards but sadly these ten fall flat. Today I present the Top 10 Worst Anime Fights
10. Needless - The Endless Fight Against the Girl Squad
Midway through the anime, Adam Blade and co. fight against the girl squad and a number of other entrants in what resembles a bedroom. For a series that prides itself on a lack of commonsense and manly testosterone, they waste most of it on this one very long fight that throws in too many lame twists.
9. Bleach - Everyone Against Aizen
Speaking of endless fights, this one takes the piss in terms of length. I've never been so desperate to see someone die and the way Bleach extends itself to make sure Ichigo has some hidden superpower drawn out of nowhere, pretty much killed off any interest I had in this series.
8. Yu-Gi-Oh - Any of Mai Valentine's Duels
Summed up with this.
Although the Abridged Series does a better job.
7. Naruto - Kabuto vs Sasuke
This isn't even a fight, it's just dialogue and flashbacks which are boring as hell. Naruto likes flashbacks a little too much and spoiled what was a very good story arc.
6. Tekken - All the Fights
It baffles me that an Anime film based on a fighting game has such lousy fight scenes. I don't even think the Street Fighter American Cartoon was this bad.
5. Digimon - WarGraymon vs MachineDramon
I'm not a fan of the one slash duel but I understand the significance in most cases, in Digimon considering that more effort was made on the other fight scenes and considering that MachineDramon was curb stomping most of the cast, it came as a disappointment when he was taken out by one slash.
4. Angelic Layer - Anyone of Hikaru's battles in the Layer
While I do enjoy Angelic Layer, I can't stand the logic behind this universe's rules. Hikaru was made a light weight type but seems to have no problem toppling foes twice her size in one hit and seems to take thousands of hits before seeing real damage. No one that small can take so much damage and defeat a foe in one hit!
3. Soul Eater - The Final Battle
Soul Eater is awesome but has one of the most Anti Climatic endings in Anime history when the final boss is defeated by "Being Brave"
2. Sailor Moon - Most Regular Episode Fights
The Monster of the Week shows up and is defeated by a bunch of special moves followed by a thrown tiara or an over the top Moon Scepter attack sequence, rinse and repeat next episode. This is why Pretty Cure is beating you! They actually fight!
1. Pokemon the 1st Movie - Mewtwo Army vs Human & Pokemon Army
When this kicks off, Mewtwo blocks the special moves of the Pokemon so it descends into a painful to watch fist fight/body fight/wing fight, whatever the Pokemon is, then we have the biggest hypocrisy in history when the human characters start saying that fighting is wrong, then Ash does the stupid thing by getting himself killed while the tears of the Pokemon bring him back to life. For a movie that sets itself up so well only for that to happen is just plain wrong.
To move on from unique art styles and considering I covered a Samurai in the Walk of Fame, lets move on to Sword Styles. Rules this time that I'm sticking with just swords not other kinds of blades or light sabers.
Of course Erza earns extra points for style
10. Kenshin Himura from Rurouni Kenshin
It seems weird to begin with such a common looking style but considering the fact that he began as a cold hearted killer and became a no killing badass with a reverse bladed sword does turn a few heads especially from the likes of his enemies.
9. Yoh Asakura from Shaman King
At it's strongest, Yoh's oversoul can turn into a giant Samurai Sword which seems to have rocket boosters. It's so big that you can threaten giants with it.
8. InuYasha from InuYasha
Although InuYasha is better at the whole bigger is better argument with Tessaiga, a sword that would make the Bleach cast jealous, this sword comes in many textures including Dragon Scales and Diamond.
7. Mifune from Soul Eater
One of my personal favorite styles is Mifune's, using several swords stuck in the ground and a deep understanding for spacial awareness, Mifune can attack with all the swords in any battle situation.
6. Kuchiki Byakuya from Bleach
Choosing just one of the hundreds of sword styles in Bleach was a job in itself but Senbonzakura wins due to it's execution, style and the fact that you're essentially being killed by cherry blossom petals.
5. Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail
One look at the above picture tells you that "you are going to die" in a very awesome way. But out of all of Erza's armory the Heaven's Wheel wins hands down. Just look at it!
4. Roronoa Zoro from One Piece
For a show that redefines the term "Pirate" it's unusual that the only pirate looking character Zoro is not even a pirate to begin with. Come on, he wields three swords one of which is between his teeth and he certainly makes the most of it.
3. Saber from Fate/Stay Night
For a while we don't actually see her sword until she goes full power and uncovers Excalibur, that's not to say it's bad, to be able to fight with an invisible sword is very useful until you stab yourself with it by accident.
2. Masamune Date from Sengoku Basara
Three swords are cool, six swords made to look like claws is epic and Masamune makes a point of going all out against any opponent, who says the Sengoku period has to be accurate, why can't he ride a horse with motorcycle handle bars and tail pipes.
1. Killer Bee from Naruto
But I have to say, I still can't work out how Killer Bee's sword style works but after using it in the games and seeing it in action, it's easily the most impressive sword style I've ever seen. Pity his rapping needs work.
Lets face it Anime is weird and first impressions of any series makes for some funny stories, so today I'll be showing you some of my favorite stories over the many years of anime watching.
I do not count shows where I saw a trailer first.
10. "Hold on a minute, isn't that supposed to be Amy?"
This was my reaction to the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, having previously seen all the cartoons it came as quite a shock when the only female character is a catgirl, rather than Amy, Sally Acorn or a character that looked more animal like.
Significance: My first encounter with a Catgirl and the video trailer of Dirty Pair Flash led me into the anime world.
9. "Rave Master wasn't that good, there is no way on earth this will be good"
My sister first informed me of Fairy Tail and this was my reaction but thanks to natural curiosity I ended up watching possibly the worlds greatest anime.
Significance: I owe a number of shows a re-watch with Rave Master on top of that list.
8. "That's supposed to be a manga art style? it will never last"
Yet sadly Bleach is still going and while it started good has since remained a franchise zombie over a year after it's end was announced.
Significance: Taught me that it's not a good idea to collect a long series.
7. "I don't follow what's going on but the giant combat robots look awesome"
This was my opinion of Gundam Wing during Cartoon Network's promotional clips of episode 1 & 2. I didn't understand what the characters were saying but screw that there is a giant robot with a beam scythe.
Significance: I ultimately declared Transformers as utter rubbish.
6. "Okay we have transgender orange ninjas and lazily choreographed fights"
What I thought of Naruto after seeing a couple of scenes in an AMV, but it wasn't until I saw Rock Lee vs Gaara that Naruto became awesome.
Significance: Dragonballz had finally been surpassed.
5. "We have a guy in a suit, a pointy nosed man with a catapult, a guy who can stretch his limbs, a guy with three swords, one of which is in his mouth and we have a girl to make up the bunch; oh and a ship is somehow plummeting down a water slide; is this about pirates or do these characters just travel on a ship?"
Another show I first saw as an AMV, and yes to someone whose grown up on the Captain Hook school of piracy, it didn't look like what it really was.
Significance: Stereotyping is not required for a good series.
4. "That was hilarious, what the hell did I just watch?"
Try and describe episode 1 of Excel Saga with nothing to go on but the box art. Go on give it a try, film your reaction for more effect.
Significance: I seem to be immune to weird now.
3. "Wait a minute did Washu do what I think she just did?"
One show I watched a lot with my older sister was Tenchi Muyo and being older and wiser meant she was far more well informed than I was so she showed me some scenes cut from the Cartoon Network broadcast and.....
Significance: First realized this anime stuff is not for kids.
2. "I want that ice cream, the one with the orange balls with stars on" & "Why is there two versions of the same character on this video?"
Back in the 90s on regular holidays to Spain, Dragonballz was broadcasting and it never clicked in my young head that the image I was looking at was Goku & Gohan and not two Gokus. I never did get Dragonball ice cream, no longer exists now.
Significance: Toss up between this and number 1 as my first ever anime experience.
1. "There is a giant Panda throwing buckets & kettles at me which somehow causes me to transform between color schemes and movement, after collecting certain items a girl runs into me and the level is complete, there is a portrait with an unusual art style and the next level begins"
What I just described is a Ranma 1/2 game on the Gameboy, I've owned a Gameboy since 1992 and I'm convinced it still works. One of my games was a Ranma 1/2 game on a flash card which at the time were sort of legal in Europe but not so much anymore.
Significance: Understood the existence of Japan and it's products.
So those are just some of the stories from a lifetime of anime, I would love to hear some more stories, so don't be afraid to post comments.
Everyone has seen them at least once, even if you don't want to, they are the long running series that still entertain us long after the original concept became out of date, but by this point they probably should call it quits, so today I'll be showing the top 10 Animation franchise that should end.
This covers anime & cartoons, also to make it more fun I'll be putting in the year that each series started, so lets begin
10. Futurama - 1999
After being cancelled in 2003, most people assumed it would never come back but good news everyone, it did comeback in 2008. The only problem is, no one cares, in fact none of the new episodes are that memorable, so maybe it should've stayed cancelled.
9. Family Guy - 1999
Another show that got cancelled and reinstated but this show fared a little better than Futurama, but these days the jokes have gone from funny to down right stupid, South Park has been around longer and doesn't have any trouble with this as it offends everyone and is self aware that the animation is a crude showing of said victim and shouldn't be taken seriously, Family Guy cannot do that anymore and suffers as a result.
8. Pokemon - 1997
These days following Ash Ketchum seems like a chore; the franchise has seen varying degrees of fortune equivalent to the stock market and very much like the real life stock market is in permanent free fall with the only hope being it's successor (X & Y Series) to restore it's good name.
7. Naruto - 2000
What started as a charming series of ninja battles has turned into one of the most infamous anime of all time, the strain of keeping this series going is starting to show as the flashbacks seem to last forever, (we've had four in the last year) the so called big secrets revealed were worked out years ago and even a death of a certain character is less tragic, more WHAT! WHY!
6. Spongebob Squarepants - 1999
I'm starting to notice a trend here that most of these seem to have been made all around the same time but that's not entirely true, the later ones are much older. I have to wonder who this show is aimed at now; I can see why it's popular but if recent episodes are anything to come by, I'm starting to think that the show has been moldy for some time. A more terrifying thought is that according to the creator, Spongebob is 26 years old, that's right he's supposed to be the same age as me. I feel really insulted by that.
5. Transformers - 1984
Please end this franchise; stop making films, stop making horrible CGI cartoons, stop making toys and realize that the concept of the same two factions fighting each other in every single retelling of this tired story is no longer fun.
4. Scooby-Doo - 1969
This is the oldest franchise on this list, what started as a groundbreaking show about crime solving teenagers and their dog, has become the biggest zombie of the animation world, at times Scooby-Doo has had several bouts of identity crisis with Get-A-Clue and some of the more random movies skewing the formula, and urban legends are being reduced to dust with the Mystery Inc series destroying what little it has left to offer which seems to be what Warner Bros is good at these days.
3. Bleach - 2002
I've never known a series to go into such obscurity that they literally are making it up as they go along, at this point I've given up trying to follow anything it comes up with, to make things worst this franchise was earmarked for ending over a year ago, why hasn't it ended yet?
2. The Simpsons - 1987 (From the very first short)
I've come to hate the Simpsons in recent years with the writing being so stupid that I can't possibly enjoy the episode, there have been episodes so bad that I question why it was even aired, or why Matt Groening is allowing his creation to be seen in such a way. It's been on so long that they had to change the canon because apparently kids these days would consider the series too old if they found out that their favorite characters were born in the 80s. God I wish I could swear right now.
1. Dragonball - 1984
But this franchise wins the unwanted award of having it's story read so many times that I could recite every scene, but looking back, the story is terrible. Yeah Toriyama is a good artist and can do a good fight scene but his story telling is terrible. Juvenile humor, extending scenes for longer than it needed to be, unfunny jokes and allowing his series to become such a zombie that Vegeta has been reduced to doing silly dance moves.
(The youtube video containing that has been taken down)
It's not entirely Toriyama's fault but he should take responsibility for his creation and end it before we learn that Goku has a sister.
So that's your lot, if I've learned anything from this is that I worry for the health of Fairy Tail, My Little Pony & Adventure Time as they continue to entertain the masses.
