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Your Winter 2024 Daily Streaming Reviews

blahmoomoo wrote:

Strange. I wonder if the default option previously was by the anime season's week rather than by actual week, because the pages I have been using are the same except for the end of the URL. I'll use the by actual week page going forward.

Yeah, I noticed that on your Week 1 link, it runs from 1/1 to 1/14, so it seems like it should've been on that page. But I'm really curious, where did you find that link? I've looked through all the links under the Encyclopedia tab and still can't get there.

I wish Japan would slow down with making new series. It's becoming way too overwhelming. Do we really need to have... checks list... over 50 series airing at the same time?

Angel M Cazares wrote:

Zomb1e13 wrote: Honestly, gushing shouldn't have even been an option. The staff have already been pretty clear on how they feel about the show and the reviewers time would have been better spent on something else. I am sure ANN had the option to not cover it if they wished to.

I'm fairly certain that's not what the user meant. I think they're just understanbly not excited at the possible prospect of hate-watching reviews. Those are always frankly a waste of time and only benefit those who already dislike the show and are therefore uninterested, while those who care are ignored at best and mocked at worst.

Though, this is obviously all hypothetical. I hope the reviewer who got chosen did not hate the premiere and will provide a constructive perspective.

I wish Japan would slow down with making new series. It's becoming way too overwhelming. Do we really need to have... checks list... over 50 series airing at the same time?

Gnarth wrote:

Angel M Cazares wrote: Zomb1e13 wrote: Honestly, gushing shouldn't have even been an option. The staff have already been pretty clear on how they feel about the show and the reviewers time would have been better spent on something else. I am sure ANN had the option to not cover it if they wished to. I'm fairly certain that's not what the user meant. I think they're just understanbly not excited at the possible prospect of hate-watching reviews. Those are always frankly a waste of time and only benefit those who already dislike the show and are therefore uninterested, while those who care are ignored at best and mocked at worst. Though, this is obviously all hypothetical. I hope the reviewer who got chosen did not hate the premiere and will provide a constructive perspective.

Since the staff of reviewers that ANN employs are not part of a secret hive mind, there is a fair chance for a reviewer to take it seriously and/or make it enjoyable at the same time. Zac in particular had the talent to make you laugh as he tore apart your favorite anime.

Essedess wrote:

I wish Japan would slow down with making new series. It's becoming way too overwhelming. Do we really need to have... checks list... over 50 series airing at the same time?

One of the biggest complaints from anime fans in the past, was that their one particular thing was not represented in anime from Japan. Now we have a wealth of options for everyone. Now if you are a anime fan that just has to watch everything, well that indeed can be a burden, but I think most people just watch what interests them.

Another way of looking at it, is that anime is just a reflection of cable and streaming TV. There are soooo many cable and streaming channels, that you could literally not know about some trending shows, especially if you are not watching shows that talk about trending shows and actors.

Regarding the number of anime, for me the biggest problem is not the sheer number of titles getting produced, but that despite the volume, you don't actually have as much diversity as you'd hope. You get dozens of Isekai, LN adaptations and high school romcoms, but less Originals and genres like Mystery, Thriller, Adult Drama etc. Ideally you would have a balanced representation of most genres every season when you get 50 animes. In reality you get a dominance of specific genres, where individual titles are getting increasingly difficult to differentiate from each other. At least for me personally.

TarsTarkas wrote:

Since the staff of reviewers that ANN employs are not part of a secret hive mind, there is a fair chance for a reviewer to take it seriously and/or make it enjoyable at the same time. Zac in particular had the talent to make you laugh as he tore apart your favorite anime.

I completely agree with you about the reviews part. The fact, that you have reviewers, who give honest assessments and not just PR, is one of the best things here. The possibility, that one hates a show you like, makes it way better, when they end up liking it.

Otcho wrote:

Regarding the number of anime, for me the biggest problem is not the sheer number of titles getting produced, but that despite the volume, you don't actually have as much diversity as you'd hope. You get dozens of Isekai, LN adaptations and high school romcoms, but less Originals and genres like Mystery, Thriller, Adult Drama etc. Ideally you would have a balanced representation of most genres every season when you get 50 animes. In reality you get a dominance of specific genres, where individual titles are getting increasingly difficult to differentiate from each other. At least for me personally.

Each anime season has at least a couple of titles geared towards older adults; this season it's Snack Basue and (seemingly) Meiji Gekken: 1874. However, you'll never see a lot of thrillers or adult dramas in anime because a) the format isn't targeted at older adults and b) shows like those can usually be done more easily in live-action. Same with pure mysteries; most true anime mysteries (like Undead Murder Farce or InSpectre) have supernatural or other fantastical elements to them.

Because of its nature, anime (and really animation in general) inherently lends itself to fantastical content, so fantasy, supernatural, sci fi, magical girl, and lavish idol shows will always be disproportionately represented. Because of that, a more balanced genre distribution will never happen.

I get that. There will never be a complete balance due to the nature of anime and its aim towards younger fans. But, especially the lack of truly original shows is pretty striking and frustrating. Shows, that actually have an ending, where you can't get spoiled online, is an important counterpart to the regular hype shonen and LN shows, that have large fanbases all to willing to share plot details and vague rumblings about future developments. This season you really don't have stuff like OddTaxi and Sonny Boy and last year I can't think of one truly great original anime of the top of my head

I voted on The Fire Hunter S2, partly because I do view it as an ambitious, if ridiculously messy & occasionally incomprehensible production trainwreck, but to the shock of no-one it didn't get voted in....