Moth's Thoughts On Overhyped Anime: Attack on Titan and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure · 5:14am Apr 30th, 2017
In lieu of this week's Random Musings Blog, I'm going to go off on a little rant about a couple of pet peeves of mine. I get asked, from time to time, why I dislike two of the most popular anime series going right now.
Well, strap yourselves in. I'm about to tell you.
Attack on Titan
Believe it not, back at the beginning, I actually liked Attack on Titan. I stuck with it for about ten episodes.
But see, here's the thing:
It's bleak. It's depressing. And it doesn't take long for it to turn into Everybody Screams Forever. And that last part is what led me to actively dislike it.
When you watch Attack on Titan, it's a good chance you're going to run into an episode where more than half the episode is people SCREAMING IN DESPAIR BECAUSE OH MY GOD THE TITANS AND WE'RE ALL DEAD AND OH MY GOD!
Doesn't that annoy you? Because it sure annoys me. It annoys me so much that after a certain point I couldn't take it anymore.
There's also a lot and I mean a LOT of problems with Attack on Titan. The plot, the writing, the plot twists, and so forth...they're just all over the place. The only thing consistent about Attack on Titan is that it is consistently, relentlessly bleak and grim.
I don't know about you? But I have enough of that in my life already. I don't want the things I watch for entertainment to be that.
And, frankly, Attack on Titan doesn't deserve the insane amounts of hype it generates. But I understand where the hype is coming from. Believe me, I do. A lot of you aren't old enough to remember (or didn't know about anime back then) Neon Genesis Evangelion. If you don't remember it, well...
Attack on Titan is, for all intents and purposes, Evangelion 2.0. Everything Attack on Titan is doing, Evangelion did it first. Evangelion was the original bleak, depressing, existential apocalyptic horror science-fiction anime.
...well no that's Akira, but Akira didn't have giant monsters attacking humanity's last strongholds.
My point is, back when Evangelion came along, it excited people because it was so "edgy" and a lot of people hadn't seen anything like it at the time, so it blew up and became this huge, obsessive thing that you couldn't get away from.
Kinda like Attack on Titan is right now.
In time, people forgot about it, and if you look back at Evangelion now? There honestly isn't anything that great or special about it. Just like there honestly isn't anything that great or special about Attack on Titan. It's a phase, and it will pass, and it will be forgotten.
I don't hate Attack on Titan. I just lost interest in it because of all the screaming and am a little tired of all the hype.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
And then there's this asshole Jojo.
I'm gonna be blunt and brutally honest here:
My problem with Jojo isn't the show itself. Nothing about Jojo interests me. What little I've seen of it just doesn't appeal to me. On its own, with nothing else but the anime itself taken into consideration, it's just something I'd ignore.
No, my problem with Jojo is the fans.
Jojo fans are ridiculously obnoxious. They insert themselves into conversations that have nothing to do with them to make references only Jojo fans would get. They try to make everything about Jojo. If you're not a Jojo fan, they call you names and insult you. If you say Jojo sucks, they pile on you like rabid dogs.
I've been part of some pretty vocal (and, admittedly, annoying from an outsider perspective) fandoms in my day, but Jojo fans, well...
Jojo fans are rowdy football hooligans. And they have no off switch.
If not for the fans, I would simply ignore Jojo's existence.
But Jojo fans make that impossible, and their obnoxious behavior has led me to actively hate the show's very existence.
So yeah, there's where I stand on the two most overhyped things going right now.
Yeah, the JoJo fandom is pretty toxic, but its not as bad as....the Sonic fandom.
Anyway, yeah, JoJo is pretty good, but personally, while it may be in my top 10, it does have its flaws. Part 1 is pretty boring, but I can see its not for everyone. Like Free, I just don't like Free. or Crayon Shin-Chan, or mothertrucking SAO. I mean, the first two seasons had promise, or at least the early quarter of Season 2, then it personally went downhill swiftly
In my opinion, a show which is consistently dark isn't just bad if you feel your life is dark, but if everything is bleak and dark all the time in the show, I find it just loses its impact. If you just see terribly dark things all the time, you become desensitized.
4514376 I mean, look at Warhammer 40K. True, it is the originator of the term grimdark, but it does break it up a bit with (often dark), humor, or plenty of touching moments.
I wouldn't say I dislike Jojo, I just don't watch it.
I've never seen it so...Come at me bros.
I'd say the biggest downer with AoT (the show) is the pacing. With the manga, at least if you're starting fresh, you can kind of plow through and get back to the parts you like quickly enough. It rotates between the political theater, action, and interpersonal drama well enough for me. And, at least around where I am, there is finally some hope. I have seen what's in Eren's basement, and holy shit what?
Oh, and strictly speaking, isn't Rebuild more like Eva 2.0? Or maybe round 2. It's not 100% clear. So AoT would be, like, 2.5 at best.
Haven't seen Jojo, so I can't speak to that.
13 year old me would be so disappointed, y'know. Seeing a Jojo's fandom being an excuse to make shitty memes. I see why you wouldn't like it though, it's just one of those series that either catches you in an instant, or doesn't.
Yeah, I kind of hate AoT and never saw the appeal. I read through the manga to try to understand why there were so many AoT cosplays at the conventions and... still don't see it. As you said, its grimdark and depressing and mostly just screaming and gore and deaths and all that. Not to mention its just slow (and seems like every new major boss battle changes the rules, and some bosses have really thick plot armor). The most famous images look cool (the ones on promotional posters and volume covers), but in the story itself those moments are few and far between. And ugh, Evangelion and its wannabe pseudo-religious technobabble, there are still animes following that mold (not for the better). Not to mention the endless grimdark remakes, but that's a cashcow franchise for you.
I don't mind Jojo (certain sagas are better), but never quite understood its towering presence in anime/manga fandom. Maybe its just its long-running nature, maybe its just the crazy poses.
You reasons for AoT... the exact reasons I give for disliking A Song of Ice and Fire. Hell part of why I like pony is that it is so not that.
JoJo... I haven't had enough interaction with Jojo fans but again like you... I just don't care.
Never got into Attack on Titan. Missed the first episode when it aired on Toomani and I felt like I had already missed too much when I tried to watch the second episode.
Honestly, I still don't want to watch it, though. Basically for the constant bleak and depressing thing. It's just not for me. I'd rather watch a show turn a villain into a good guy despite an incredibly lousy backstory, even if it makes the show look slightly naive at times, than have to get invested in characters only to have them killed off en masse. I've made my choice and I stand by it.
AoT to me is kind of that show that sounds good on paper, but in motion it's just kind of like driving a train off a cliff. Except the train only goes 7mph. And you get bored about halfway through and just want to get it over with already. The plot is kind of appealing but already been done before, the titans are just plain fucking creepy, and the voice acting is mostly crying or screaming or screaming while crying. Pretty sure the only reason i'm watching it is to know just where those big bastards come from, then I probably wouldn't care less.
I'm sorry to hear you've had such negative experiences with the Jojo fandom. It's always depressing to see a fandom show it's more toxic side. I do understand why you don't like it, I can relate to toxic fans making a person actively despise something.
Literally the only thing I know about Jojo is that To Be Continued meme thingy. But if the fanbase is as toxic as you say it is then I won't even bother.
Also I can't believe I'm old enough to say I watched the original Neon Genesis Evangelion.
my first time seeing evangelion was during its adult swim run. didnt mind at all getting the dvd set when i found it!
as an anime attack on titan suffers from the issue of its plot is far more fleshed out and the early events meaningful later on, past the anime's end. the main issue with series like it is the manga goes for long term readership. it gets big, they make an anime, and they run out of material quickly. it's either pull a soul eater and make your future up, pull a naruto and tons of filler episodes, or wait till enough gets made and make a season two.
I didn't buy into the Attack on Titan hype when it came out because it just seemed kind of stupid, and I don't typically enjoy dark/grim media either. Because it stayed so popular, I decided to watch it within the last year, just to see what the fuss is. After the first few episodes I lost interest, but I picked it up again just to laugh at it's over-the-top "screaming" as you put it. That alone wouldn't be enough to keep me watching though. The plot is cohesive enough, especially in the later episodes, so I want to see where it goes now.
I have no experience with JoJo fanboys, so I'll count myself lucky on that front. I usually just ignore those kind of people though.
Not gonna lie -- most things I like are either really upbeat or really bleak, so AoT sounds pretty good right now. But then, I could get around to finishing the Song of Ice & Fire series if I wanted grimdark.
I had thought Jojo sounded interesting, but I agree the fans can be obnoxious; I definitely remember them trashing people on Facebook for no real reason in topics that didn't involve Jojo or anime.
But whatever, my to-watch list is already so long I may never see either of these.
As a Jojo fan, your assessment of the fanbase is honestly similar to how a lot of 'outsiders' view the brony fanbase: you've seen the vocal minority that can't control themselves, and that's painted a bleak view of it for you. Of course, here we can't just get you to watch the show and become a fan yourself, since you have no interest in it...
just found out Black Lagoon will be returning from hiatus some time this springkorsgaardscommentary.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/black_lagoon_the_lagoon_company.jpg
I can relate about AoT, it just went downhill. The only thing that kept me going was the EPIC THEME SONG, and then they changed it. THEY FUCKING CHANGED IT!!!!! (/•o•)/ |__| And don't even get me started on how bad the first episode of season 2 was. It's like they're not even trying at this point. They're probably like, "Hype? Check. Fans pouring in money? Check. We can make it as dumb as possible and nobody will care. OKAY THAT'S OVER LETS GRAB A BEER" and not bothering to make an actually good show. This is especially depressing considering these are the SAME PEOPLE that made Death Note. You think they would have learned their lesson.
As for Jojo, I watched a couple episodes and I thought it was weird (what would you expect from a show with "bizarre" in the title?) and I didn't really get into it. I have no idea where all the raging popularity is coming from, and I especially don't understand why it's showing up now even though the show has been out for like 10 years. And I have had run-ins with Jojo fans before and it is not pretty.
So yeah, two shows that really don't deserve all the love they're getting. Just my two cents.
4515280
That explains SO MUCH.
I can't get into AoT.
I have three of the Colossal Edition books and no motivation to read them.
I honestly preferred it when it was called Shadow of the Colossus.
As for JoJo, the only thing I care about with that is that Castlevania makes references to it. It seems to be a more mature DBZ, complete with overpowered fighters and stupid memes.
Meanwhile, I cannot find a current magical girl series that doesn't decide to go down the Madoka Path. If Madoka was the Evangelion to the Magical Girl genre, I want my damn GaoGaiGar for magical girls already!
4515461 Anything newer than Tokyo Mew Mew is a fartsicle.
I do agree with the Jojo stuff. I don't understand their fandom at all, and that's after I sat down and read the original story...only for it bore me to tears. You're not alone about that. As for Attack on Titan...it was supposed to be 10 volumes long, the manga that is. That would have just been a little more than the first season. Unfortunately, the author was told to keep going and it consistently got more depressing and more weird as it went on. And it continues to be more depressing and weird. I honestly feel bad for the author since there are plenty of times you can tell he wants to quit in the story.
4515618 Yeah, and he keeps making up shit as he goes along, and then, as I understand it, it just plain veered off into Lost territory. The "last survivors of humankind" AREN'T; the whole thing is happening on an island, and the world outside that island is JUST FINE.
4515624 It's exactly as you said, but even more ridiculous and even less interesting characters than LOST...somehow. Its frightening when you think about it that way.
4515269 ok this has my attention and it better not be false or people will lose their collective shit
4515287
I don't get it..
4516708 Death Note is garbage.
4516768 Well, season 2 was. I recall skipping a few episodes.
Although I find it interesting that about twelve different VAs in the English dub also voice MLP characters.
4516768 Really? How so. I find it compelling, like what does it mean to be justice? What's the difference between justice and vigilante? Can one man/woman claim themselves as justice? Who will punish wrongdoers if the legal system does not?
4515624 Or like The government secretly has assault weapons and specially trained operatives to curb the human population
4515618 The first Part of JoJo, Phantom Blood, is pretty boring, but then again, Araki was just starting JoJo, and he wanted Johnathan to be a symbol of purity and virtue, hence his....goody two shoes nature compared to say, his grandson from Part 2, who is a trickster, rarely readable in a fight, and kind of a smartass
4519317 Eh, I found it boring and quit.
4519319 Understandable. Part 1, even as a fairly recent JoJo fan, was quite dull. The anime made it more exciting, and the fact said manga is over twenty years old at this point, the older parts aren't as....exciting and odd as the later parts. There are worse manga and anime though
Ghost Stories, the anime with a sub SO bad, the dub team were basically just told to do whatever the Hell they wanted. Even the subs get weird.
4519326 Eh, no thanks. I'm not much into watching anime these days. It has to be really good to hook me in.
4519345 True, true. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid is pretty good, pretty good. Hmm, Yuri On Ice, while it has problems, is pretty good. KonoSuba is pretty damn funny, but yeah, I get it. I mean, there are some anime I'll pass on, just because it doesn't interest me for one reason or another
4519349 Yeah. I uh...prefer manga. I like the original material usually.
4519360 Eh, I started anime before I ever even knew what manga was, but I've read a few.
4519366 Eh, that's just me. Thanks for the suggestions though.
4519370 No prob. The first manga I read....I actually forget the title. I know it was about cooking, it had Wok in the title I believe, and the main villain was a perfectionist chef whose father used to whip him, and he flogs himself as a daily ritual, or something.
4519371 No idea. Sorry pal.
4519373 Then I started reading the Kingdom Hearts manga, pretty good. I've now been fluctuating between the Monster Musume and Jitsu wa Watashi wa mangas
4519377 Kingdom Hearts manga is okay. I prefer the games...and writing my KH fic on this site. But that's just me.
4519380 Same here
4519384 Welp, nice talking to ya. See ya around.
4519314 The problem with Death Note is that it goes out of its way to be clever and edgy, to the point where halfway through it forgets what it's supposed to be doing and spends much of the bulk of the series admiring its own cleverness and edginess in the mirror. The fact that absolutely none of the characters are in any way, shape, or form likable doesn't help. Light is a colossal prick, L is a complete mess and a total freakshow, etc. etc. There comes a point at which one just doesn't care anymore and is done with the whole thing. Kinda like Final Fantasy VIII.
4519461 Eh, true. I mean, Light is supposed to be a somewhat decent person, who is driven by his own self-righteousness to do what he feels is the moral thing, IE killing criminals, but I can see your point.
4519371
Sounds like Iron Wok Jan. if memory serves right, the main character would combine things that either shouldn't be combined or shouldn't be eaten and make wonderful dishes with them.
4520121 I believe that was it!
4519317 I bloody love Joseph Joestar i'd have to say my favorite moments ever are all in this clip