Reviewer's Club

#1
Calling all reviewers! This thread is for you to chat/discuss about stuff related to reviews! Share the latest reviewable material, ask for things to review, anything!






Let's get the ball rolling: What criteria do you usually use to review animes? You don't have to have written a full review, but I'm just curious as to how you assess an anime when you see it.
 

~Kitty~

Kitty pawns all!
#2
well...

1. Animation style. I really really hate it when the animation style is poorly done. EG. Naruto 167...epic fucking shit.
[YOUTUBE]-pQrBd0G6wg[/YOUTUBE]

With animation like this I would give you some epic review. AKA My pain is greater than yours bitch.

2.Story. Well sometimes I watch animes with no sense. But mostly if the anime has no interesting story/plot I simply pass. Unless its got cute girls are senseless fighting.

3.Characters. Major part of my review. If I dont click with the characters I dont click with the anime. Also potentially affecting my review of said anime. Eg. Madoka Magica something... Story is awesome but I dislike the characters.
 
#3
1) Yeah, I do tend to look out for animation style as well, but I am aware that sometimes it can get quite subjective. For example, in the example you provided the animation was done like that to give fluidity to the action, though it's apparent that it wasn't really well received. I like the animation style of Bakemonogatari, but others are bound to hate it.

I tend to treat characters and story equally. IMO it's the interaction between the two, not the individual performances of each category, which gives me the greatest impression.


So, [MENTION=94]Graham Aker[/MENTION], you look out more for characters, eh? What do you think of those stereotypes? (eg. tsundere lolis, silent cold types) Are they annoying and cliched, or are they still nice?
 

~Kitty~

Kitty pawns all!
#4
1) Yeah, I do tend to look out for animation style as well, but I am aware that sometimes it can get quite subjective. For example, in the example you provided the animation was done like that to give fluidity to the action, though it's apparent that it wasn't really well received. I like the animation style of Bakemonogatari, but others are bound to hate it.

I tend to treat characters and story equally. IMO it's the interaction between the two, not the individual performances of each category, which gives me the greatest impression.


So, @Graham Aker, you look out more for characters, eh? What do you think of those stereotypes? (eg. tsundere lolis, silent cold types) Are they annoying and cliched, or are they still nice?

hrm...its one to have personality but sometimes its overkill.

Characters like Lolis and Tsunderes(sigh hate to admit) are badly overused. Especially loli tsunderes.

I dont understand why the producers think that leaving out this characters will kill their show....seriously...

The only thing I find to more annoying is main characters becoming stronger and stronger despite being dumb and annoying(not referring to Naruto or Inuyasha or anything)....

and of course the typical useless main characters that does next to nothing in action animes.

The only thing I demand in an anime is to at least have a badass character somewhere in the show. Though if all the animes had one it would kill the badass type fairly quickly.
 

Biomega

Net Ronin Of All Trades
#5
I like the animation style of Bakemonogatari, but others are bound to hate it.
I didn't watch the enemy per se, but I noticed the animation "style" of Bake-- it is too digital, it is not raw at all. It's true it is a personal preference of the style. I like fluid raw animation, but they don't make that kind of animation anymore -- it is too time and resource consuming.

Another point is all we do now is draw the character, and animate the mouth, and that's it. That's the whole scene.

And I hate the art style many of the current Artist. Not that the 80s did not fall to this trap. Many Character looked the same in the eighties. But it has evolved into this ugly creatures of glossy huge eyes, sharply faced monsters with no features, other than the slit that we assume it as the buccal orifice.

I am really tired of this. And if the artist wants add realism to the character, the characters will have prominent edges for the facial structure, and smaller and less glossier eyes, that's all. Oh, and your Bake- fell to this one problem, too.

I don't have problem with character archetypes. I have with the art style.
The only thing I demand in an anime is to at least have a badass character somewhere in the show. Though if all the animes had one it would kill the badass type fairly quickly.
Well, it depends on the type of the Genre. You do not expect a badass chracter archetype in a Slice of Life now, would you?
 
#6
hrm...its one to have personality but sometimes its overkill.

Characters like Lolis and Tsunderes(sigh hate to admit) are badly overused. Especially loli tsunderes.

I dont understand why the producers think that leaving out this characters will kill their show....seriously...

The only thing I find to more annoying is main characters becoming stronger and stronger despite being dumb and annoying(not referring to Naruto or Inuyasha or anything)....

and of course the typical useless main characters that does next to nothing in action animes.

The only thing I demand in an anime is to at least have a badass character somewhere in the show. Though if all the animes had one it would kill the badass type fairly quickly.
Well, typically all those sterotypes are meant to show logical extremes of human physique/emotion. Somehow people are attracted to them if they are attracted to a certain emotion/physique.

And yes, that thing about main characters getting stronger and stronger is annoying, but only if there isn't a good justification behind it. If someone gets defeated, then goes training for a long time and comes back stronger, it's perfectly fine, but if someone gets defeated, lies on the ground for ten seconds then gets up and is stronger, now there's something terribly wrong.

And for useless main characters, usually they are there to provide the emotional side of the story, since they're usually paired up with a fiesty violent person of the opposite gender.

And badass is always badass.

Hmm, when it comes to reviewing, although I do notice these stereotypes, I won't mark the anime down for having them if it is executed well. I don't know who came up with this "cliches are bad" mantra, but it doesn't work that way. Animes can be extremely stereotype-filled and cliche and yet pull it off well (like Negima for example).

I didn't watch the enemy per se, but I noticed the animation "style" of Bake-- it is too digital, it is not raw at all. It's true it is a personal preference of the style. I like fluid raw animation, but they don't make that kind of animation anymore -- it is too time and resource consuming.

Another point is all we do now is draw the character, and animate the mouth, and that's it. That's the whole scene.

And I hate the art style many of the current Artist. Not that the 80s did not fall to this trap. Many Character looked the same in the eighties. But it has evolved into this ugly creatures of glossy huge eyes, sharply faced monsters with no features, other than the slit that we assume it as the buccal orifice.

I am really tired of this. And if the artist wants add realism to the character, the characters will have prominent edges for the facial structure, and smaller and less glossier eyes, that's all. Oh, and your Bake- fell to this one problem, too.

I don't have problem with character archetypes. I have with the art style.
The digital part was almost entirely due to stylistic effect, and also because the art and animation was influenced by Nisio Isin, a Taiwanese (?) artist. Fluid raw animation is good, but I don't think it would have fit for Bakemonogatari.

Yeah, I've noticed that about the mouth animation only. The only anime I've seen so far which subverts this is Angel Beats!, and even then it was kinda awkward.

As for the style of current artists, I'm guessing that it's part of the anime trend in this decade. Each decade had a certain anime style which animators follow. I'm personally fine with it though.
 

~Kitty~

Kitty pawns all!
#7
I didn't watch the enemy per se, but I noticed the animation "style" of Bake-- it is too digital, it is not raw at all. It's true it is a personal preference of the style. I like fluid raw animation, but they don't make that kind of animation anymore -- it is too time and resource consuming.

Another point is all we do now is draw the character, and animate the mouth, and that's it. That's the whole scene.

And I hate the art style many of the current Artist. Not that the 80s did not fall to this trap. Many Character looked the same in the eighties. But it has evolved into this ugly creatures of glossy huge eyes, sharply faced monsters with no features, other than the slit that we assume it as the buccal orifice.

I am really tired of this. And if the artist wants add realism to the character, the characters will have prominent edges for the facial structure, and smaller and less glossier eyes, that's all. Oh, and your Bake- fell to this one problem, too.

I don't have problem with character archetypes. I have with the art style.

Well, it depends on the type of the Genre. You do not expect a badass chracter archetype in a Slice of Life now, would you?

Thats why I say I dont expect all animes to have badass.

Another thing about animation quality is the use of different styles between the anime.

Eg. Madoka...the whole "witch doodle" is...well it simply is annoying. :sigh:
although it has been successful for some cases. Eg. Episode one of TWGOK S2