Is it odd for adults to watch animation?

SilverScreen · 26-05-2014 07:04PM

Studio Ghibli films such as Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away appeal to all ages. Age doesn't matter when you have excellent storytelling like in these films.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 26-05-2014 07:05PM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

And I replied its not, and told you that "Waltz with Bashir" is one of my favourite movies.

However, certain types of cartoons are very juvenile. Family Guy, South Park, American Dad, all that stuff is all fairly immature. Really can't stand it, and I find people who enjoy it generally don't have the most refined taste in comedy. I also find the chinese stuff just weird and creepy, and most of the people I know like it just to be 'quirky' or 'zany'.

The Simpsons was one of the finest satrical shows on TV for a good 10 years. Family Guy has it's moments as well. Both can be fairly sophistciated when they want to be.

The other two, I don't watch so can't comment.

Boradly speaking, though, the immaturity angle is a bit of a cop-out for me. And and Dec is immature. Most of the ****e ITV/TV3 puts out is immature. Jedward is immature. And none of them are animated.

So the question thuis is this: is you problem with the expamples you mentioned the fact that they are animated or just the fact that they are immature?

FunLover18 · 26-05-2014 07:07PM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Ones that don't rely on toilet humour to get a laugh out of their audience.

Are you one of the comedy snobs who thinks Stewart Lee is a genius?

Aongus Von Bismarck · 26-05-2014 07:08PM

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

The Simpsons was one of the finest satrical shows on TV for a good 10 years. Family Guy has it's moments as well. Both can be fairly sophistciated when they want to be.

The other two, I don't watch so can't comment.

Boradly speaking, though, the immaturity angle is a bit of a cop-out for me. And and Dec is immature. Most of the ****e ITV/TV3 puts out is immature. Jedward is immature. And none of them are animated.

So the question thuis is this: is you problem with the expamples you mentioned the fact that they are animated or just the fact that they are immature?

I think I answered that by telling you that one of my favourite movies is animated. Its down to the subject content. Unfortunately the vast majority of animated stuff out there is aimed at either kids, or immature men. Beavis and Butthead is another example of one that is held up as a hilarious animated show, and its simply low-brow stoner humour.

Fescue · 26-05-2014 07:10PM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Ones that don't rely on toilet humour to get a laugh out of their audience.

I wouldn't say that South Park or Family guy rely on toilet humour. They may use it at times but they are much broader than that.

Adamantium · 26-05-2014 07:11PM

Anime seems to be treated with the same disdain that serious sci fi, in that it can't explore serious stories, when in fact it has shown the most potential of all visual forms to explore much more than you'd get away with in any other media.

For e.g. Some of the stuff in Battlestar Galactica would have immense uproar at the time, but because it was sci fi and the message was wrapped in an allergory for the real world, nobody batted an eyelid, and paradoxically few took it seriously and watched it.

People only give a **** about good drama/themes when there is real world uproar at it. BSG was a far more provocative and deep story than Breaking Bad, but the watercooler talk was about BB, because the plot was SPELLED OUT.

Mass audiences don't wet themselves over allegories in general.

Lyaiera · 26-05-2014 07:12PM

Fescue wrote: »

What qualifies as comedy for those of refined taste?

Bob's Burgers and Archer.

Links234 · 26-05-2014 07:13PM

FunLover18 wrote: »

Are you one of the comedy snobs who thinks Stewart Lee is a genius?

Hey!

I like Stewart Lee

26-05-2014 07:15PM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

...the people who I know who are fans are slightly 'off' too.

Which is why some people keep their interest in it a secret, I'd imagine.

psifyou'rewatchinganythingotherthanSidonianoKishiBabyStepMushishiandChaikathisseasonthenyou'refilth

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 26-05-2014 07:16PM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I think I answered that by telling you that one of my favourite movies is animated. Its down to the subject content. Unfortunately the vast majority of animated stuff out there is aimed at either kids, or immature men. Beavis and Butthead is another example of one that is held up as a hilarious animated show, and its simply low-brow stoner humour.

You sid you found it odd that grown men watched Japanese animation. Now it's immature animation. Now you're mentioning shows that arent'; even Japanese!

Your viewpoint seems to be moving about all over the place. Japanese animation is not in anyway immature. I;d argue that you don't watch enough of it to say. And the shows you mention are not immature because they are animated. They are just imature.

Fescue · 26-05-2014 07:19PM

Sometimes I find the people who protest about things been juvenile and immature are trying a little too hard at being a grown up, which in itself is very immature and juvenile.

Gatling · 26-05-2014 07:21PM

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

Good lord no.

One of the greatest films I have even seen was animated:

When The Wind Blows.

Stunning movie

Watership down is another .

First animation program I loved was Robotech amazing at the time way ahead of transformers imo

90s the best animation series was Batman

Burky126 · 26-05-2014 07:21PM

The older I get,the more appreciation I have for the animation artform and how all the best animation is usually in what would be called "children's animation" from the 30's/40's.The attention to detail goes over your head as a child and re-examining it as an adult makes you realise the timeless quality it has.The humour and acting is varied and appeals to everyone and has way more thought put into it than most "mature" animation - let alone media around today.To dismiss the achievements of Chuck Jones,Tex Avery,The Nine Old Men of Disney and Miyazaki to name a few,is just pure ignorant!

Links234 · 26-05-2014 07:22PM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

And I replied its not, and told you that "Waltz with Bashir" is one of my favourite movies.

So that's one of your favourites, but if someone appreciates Grave of the Fireflies or Barefoot Gen, they're weird? That makes absolute 0 sense to me.

I knew a guy who didn't watch anime, would refuse to even consider watching it 'cos it's all ****e according to him. He was a headcase with anger issues, and took a hammer to his computer one time. People who don't like anime, eh?

FunLover18 · 26-05-2014 07:22PM

Links234 wrote: »

Hey!

I like Stewart Lee

I don't dislike him but there is a certain faction of his fans who think he's god's gift to comedy and think themselves above "toilet humour". The one Lee fan I know personally hates Family Guy because it's "immature"

RDM_83 again · 26-05-2014 07:24PM

I think there is a bit of a difference between liking something like American Dad, Archer or the Simpsons which are all pretty simplistic and sometimes puerile but have an obvious appeal to adults compared to watching something that is a childrens show aimed mainly at children, I recently had to suffer on the bus overhearing hours of conversation about Pokemon from a bunch of guys and girls in their early twenties (the horror of forgetting your headphones :eek: ).

Also while their is obviously classic anime, I just don't get the appeal of a vast amount of it, perhaps its a cultural thing but the majority of it seems to be just awful.
Also while Animation has its place I am not sure it really suits every type of film or story, I recently saw "When the Wind Rises", there was a scene that if it had been filmed with actors would have probably been very emotional but animated it just didn't work.
I don't think animation works for anything subtle, even the emotional films mentioned so far of this thread work more of hammering your emotions and dialogue than the human response, think about the feelings and meaning a decent actor can portray just by a slight change of body language and facial expression, all that is missing from animation.

Links234 · 26-05-2014 07:26PM

FunLover18 wrote: »

I don't dislike him but there is a certain faction of his fans who think he's god's gift to comedy and think themselves above "toilet humour". The one Lee fan I know personally hates Family Guy because it's "immature"

I wouldn't consider myself 'above' any toilet humour or anything, but to be fair, there's plenty of reasons not to find Family Guy funny. It had stopped being good ages ago, it relied on way too many recycled jokes, like that damned chicken. It was funny the first time, but after that... yawn. It's like the Simpsons, just became stale.

Ruu · 26-05-2014 07:28PM

I got the Dungeons and Dragons boxset a few years back and watching it at the moment. Annoyed that the final episode never made it to production though.

Maximus Alexander · 26-05-2014 07:31PM

The only thing that would be odd is an adult being made to feel uncomfortable for doing something harmless that they enjoy. Seriously, if you like watching animation then knock yourself out, and let anyone who has a problem with that be damned.

Burky126 · 26-05-2014 07:31PM

Links234 wrote: »

I wouldn't consider myself 'above' any toilet humour or anything, but to be fair, there's plenty of reasons not to find Family Guy funny. It had stopped being good ages ago, it relied on way too many recycled jokes, like that damned chicken. It was funny the first time, but after that... yawn. It's like the Simpsons, just became stale.

Plus the animation is horrible.It's barely animation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63wJItfmu_0

GLaDOS · 26-05-2014 07:38PM

While I don't watch anime, the likes of Archer, Metalocalypse and The Venture Brothers would be amongst my favourite TV shows. Similarly, I'd rank Toy Story and Up as 2 of my favourite movies. Animation is merely a medium for a story, it's the quality of said story that determines whether it's good or not. Anybody who belittles an entire medium is stupidly close minded as far as I'm concerned.

And I don't care if it's clichéd at this point, Simpsons seasons 1-9 are classics no matter what age you are

Lyaiera · 26-05-2014 07:38PM

I do know quite a few anime fans who are annoyed at the way anime has gone recently. I don't really watch it (Hunter x Hunter and FMA aside) but they're saying that the Japanese stuff has gotten very, eh, risque. And not in a good way. Lots of "young girls" and fan service, and panty shots. This was from someone who was a big fan of anime. He maintained the signal to noise ratio became absurdly bad and it wasn't worth going through the new stuff to find the good stuff. He still loves the stuff from the 80s and 90s, so maybe he just became a bit hipster.

Also I tried watching Topen Tengun Something Lagan on a friend's recommendation and that put me off anime for quite a while.

Still, I have nothing against. I'd probably go back to it at some time. I have to watch Cowboy Bepop from start to finish at some point. Good for anyone who does manage to pick the best from it.

The Diabolical Monocle · 26-05-2014 07:40PM

Fair city is broadcast to the teles of the whole country.

If watching that shyte is normal then I'll happily be abnormal.

biggebruv · 26-05-2014 07:42PM

Give me a night of

FAMILY GUY
SIMPSONS
AMERICAN DAD
ROBOT CHICKEN
TOM AND JERRY(the animation in those shorts is amazing even still today

)

anyday over a night of sh!te like whats currently on itv right now "entertaining the masses" like brit got talent or X-factor

Davarus Walrus · 26-05-2014 07:53PM

It's not an art form I have much interest in, no more than free form jazz or 'street art'. I did enjoy some of the animation shorts at the last IFI festival. You couldn't compare the artistic merit of such pieces to the gross stupidity of a show like Family Guy. Family Guy was never funny.

I remember going out in Galway back in around 2001/2002. It was rag week. I called over to see a friend of mine from school who was in college in Galway. It was the Monday night of rag week, but he and his bunch of neckbeared friends considered a good evening to be sitting around smoking hash, drinking lager and watching Family Guy. Laughing like gormless idiots at the tired and extremely hackneyed scenes. "Remember the time" said the fat main character before breaking to a dream sequence that was about as funny as a festering pile.

Most of them are now working the night shift in Boston Scientific, which is an altogether funnier joke.

26-05-2014 07:54PM

RDM_83 again wrote: »

I don't think animation works for anything subtle, even the emotional films mentioned so far of this thread work more of hammering your emotions and dialogue than the human response, think about the feelings and meaning a decent actor can portray just by a slight change of body language and facial expression, all that is missing from animation.

Very good point.

The majority of anime has tried to remedy this with melodrama and comically over the top reactions. I dont think its true that the medium isn't capable of subtle story telling, its more a case of a common failure to work around it. I'd name a dozen or so exceptions but unfortunately there arent many more than that.

Of course it has its limits, but so does film. In other areas where film is restricted, animation allows for limitless creative control/potential. I just wish it was more often reached.

Lone Stone · 26-05-2014 07:57PM

only if your masturbating to pepper pig

Fescue · 26-05-2014 07:57PM

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

It's not an art form I have much interest in, no more than free form jazz or 'street art'. I did enjoy some of the animation shorts at the last IFI festival. You couldn't compare the artistic merit of such pieces to the gross stupidity of a show like Family Guy. Family Guy was never funny.

I remember going out in Galway back in around 2001/2002. It was rag week. I called over to see a friend of mine from school who was in college in Galway. It was the Monday night of rag week, but he and his bunch of neckbeared friends considered a good evening to be sitting around smoking hash, drinking lager and watching Family Guy. Laughing like gormless idiots at the tired and extremely hackneyed scenes. "Remember the time" said the fat main character before breaking to a dream sequence that was about as funny as a festering pile.

Most of them are now working the night shift in Boston Scientific, which is an altogether funnier joke.

I think that post says a whole lot more about you than the gormless idiots.

wispa9 · 26-05-2014 07:59PM

I used to animation was a bit juvenile, until a friend recommended Archer. It's a great animated series, and definitely not for kids!

OneEightSeven · 26-05-2014 08:01PM

Dragon Ball Z is excellent.

Is it odd for adults to watch animation?

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