Worst anime cliches

[Raiden no Kishi]

Darn. there goes my idea.

As well as the ideas for approximately 92.6% of all shounen manga.

.rai//

[minakichan]

Ooh, here's one I don't like:

Robot racism. In the future, robots programmed by humans gain sentience that exceeds their normal programming (or is simply the result of advanced AI that allows for humanlike learning processes), but humans still treat them like machines and deny them human rights AND THAT'S RONG.

I mean, I know it's supposed to be a noble metaphor for present-day racism, but whaaat. I don't think my toaster should be allowed to vote or get married, and if a computer is somehow not acting correctly, that means that either the hardware is busted, it's corrupted, or the most basic laws of everything are being retardified. When a PC malfunctions on you, you're supposed to Ctrl-Alt-Del that thing, not grant it constitutional rights and make it illegal to speak to it hatefully (in which case I would probably be jailed and fined). orz

[blkmage]

Ooh, here's one I don't like:

Robot racism. In the future, robots programmed by humans gain sentience that exceeds their normal programming (or is simply the result of advanced AI that allows for humanlike learning processes), but humans still treat them like machines and deny them human rights AND THAT'S RONG.

I mean, I know it's supposed to be a noble metaphor for present-day racism, but whaaat. I don't think my toaster should be allowed to vote or get married, and if a computer is somehow not acting correctly, that means that either the hardware is busted, it's corrupted, or the most basic laws of everything are being retardified. When a PC malfunctions on you, you're supposed to Ctrl-Alt-Del that thing, not grant it constitutional rights and make it illegal to speak to it hatefully (in which case I would probably be jailed and fined). orz

Says you until you meet your Digimon partner, go off adventuring, and then realize that he/she is just datums.

I don't know if that's so much of an anime wellspring of ideas as general science-fiction. I can't recall too many cases in which anime had us thinking about artificial life as humans. It seems like whenever that comes up, the robots and AI tend to be more like pets or animals and the question isn't so much about equal rights but whether or not they're alive.

Now, spirits and demons, are they human, DO THEY GET TO VOTE?

[Kung_Fu_Master]

When the hero trains for nine episodes just to learn a new technique that will soon be trumped by soneone with an even greater one in which the hero will again train for a new technique and so on and so on.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]This really isn't a cliche that I've seen all over anime, but you guys probably know what anime I'm speaking of witout me even saying it:

I hate the fact that the hero of the story (between the age of 10 - 15) goes off on an adventure for months and years at a time...AND DOESN'T GO TO SCHOOL! Seriously, dude, you're ten years old...by my estimate, you're in the 5th or 6th grade...YOUR BEHIND SHOULD BE IN SCHOOL!

And is it just me, or are Japanese parents (Dads, mostly) always out on a "business trip" leaving the main character or characters to their own devices? [/color][/SIZE][/font]

[Fish and Chips]

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]And is it just me, or are Japanese parents (Dads, mostly) always out on a "business trip" leaving the main character or characters to their own devices? [/color][/SIZE][/font]

This is truth in television, actually.

[RidleyofZebes]

Personally, one on the cliches in anime that gets me the most, is when the main character (and the supporting characters, at times) always have the most outrageous hair/clothing possible. Yet, they're considered "normal" and passers-by on the street never give them a second glance, unless the ccharacter in question has done something in that episode to make them a local/global celebrity. -_- C'mon, don't tell me I'm the only person who notices this?

[Kung_Fu_Master]

Do tell Ridley, Do Tell

[Mr. SmartyPants]

This is truth in television, actually.

And even real life.

Of course, their trips aren't always primarily just business.

[Fish and Chips]

And even real life.

That's...

That's what truth in television is, Ryan.

[minakichan]

Another one:

Dangerous Karaoke Boys!

DKBs: "Hey, strange-random-girl-on-the-street-who-happens-to-be-all-alone (probably while waiting for a male lead love interest!) You're cute! Let's go play and karaoke together!"
*force-y ebil grabbing motions*
Girl: "Kyakyakyaaaa~"
Male Lead: "UNHAND HER, YOU FIEND!"

This happens so often in manga I wonder if Dangerous Karaoke Boys exist in real life in Japan. I mean, I know they take their karaoke seriously... but...

[Nate]

That's...

That's what truth in television is, Ryan.

Ryan's that guy in Pootie Tang, Fish.

"You know what? Nobody we know can get in this party, man. They don't let no light in. They don't let no electricity in. They don't let no water in. They don't let no air in. Air is going, 'Man, I'm air. I'm on the list. Let me in.' And they won't let air in. And you know air gets in everywhere. That's how exclusive a Biggie Shorty party is."

"You know what else? It's hard to get in, too."

[Momo-P]

Maybe it's just me, but I REALLY hate it when you see this crap happening:

MAIN GIRL: Oh no, what do I do?! I can't sing/act/model/cook/whatever at all, but now I've been forced into this competition! What do I do?! ><
RIVAL: [Fufufufufu, now MAIN GIRL will make a complete mockery of herself and MAIN LOVE INTEREST will be mine!]
MAIN GIRL: *goes on stage and wows people even though she's never done anything remotely like this before*

Seriously, it's bad enough that the main character is usually portrayed as super cute anyways, but now she can just...sing? Awesomely? WITH NO PROBLEMS? Or model? Or act? It's just stupid and irritating.

Another thing I hate is the whole "Japan is superior" dealy. I have no problem with showcasing your own country, but so many stories just get so insanely ridiculous with it. For example, if you're going to fight a guy with a wooden sword, you might as well just forfeit the match. It doesn't matter if Jesus Christ Himself gives you the power to strike these guys down in less than a second. You will lose, because nobody can match the speed of a samurai and nothing in the world is sharper than a Japanese wooden sword.

[Ingemar]

Here's one thing that irritates me:

The fight scene play-by-play.

I understand why it exists. When I was reading the Rurouni Kenshin manga I'd be totally lost without it. Seeing characters suspended in air with heavy motion blur and other various visual effects is kind of... confusing.
I guess what contributes to the overall weakness of print-to-animated adaptations of action series is due to the play by play. In manga, you need it to know what the hell is going on. In anime, it just ate fifty percent of the screen time.

Also, why are the other (marginally) useful characters narrating when they could be helping? (Barring the inexplicably strict etiquette of one-on-one combat, I guess).



I saw some complaints about big boobs, too. I'm not a big-boob hater. What I hate are oddly drawn boobs. I started watching Bleach a week ago and every time I see Orihime I have to tell myself

IT'S NOT A TOOMAH.

[Raiden no Kishi]

Also, why are the other (marginally) useful characters narrating when they could be helping? (Barring the inexplicably strict etiquette of one-on-one combat, I guess).

Etiquette's pretty important in Japan.

I saw some complaints about big boobs, too. I'm not a big-boob hater. What I hate are oddly drawn boobs. I started watching Bleach a week ago and every time I see Orihime I have to tell myself . . .

Wahahaha. Wait until Matsumoto shows up.

.rai//

[Fish and Chips]

Wahahaha. Wait until Matsumoto shows up.

She's smuggling beach balls in there, I swear.

[uc pseudonym]

The fight scene play-by-play.

I understand why it exists. When I was reading the Rurouni Kenshin manga I'd be totally lost without it. Seeing characters suspended in air with heavy motion blur and other various visual effects is kind of... confusing.
I guess what contributes to the overall weakness of print-to-animated adaptations of action series is due to the play by play. In manga, you need it to know what the hell is going on. In anime, it just ate fifty percent of the screen time.

Personally I think this is a major weakness in general. If you have to explain what is going on, that's a crutch because your art is inadequate. Sometimes I can accept some explanation for non-intuitive techniques, but if characters are talking I want them to be saying something significant.

With Ruroni Kenshin it became steadily more ridiculous given the supposed speed of combat. First there is speed that cannot be followed by the eye, then speed what does not even appear (what?), and greatest of all is speed that means you go somewhere faster than people can explain that you are going there.

[minakichan]

With Ruroni Kenshin it became steadily more ridiculous given the supposed speed of combat. First there is speed that cannot be followed by the eye, then speed what does not even appear (what?), and greatest of all is speed that means you go somewhere faster than people can explain that you are going there.

It's very practical though. When Yamcha or Krillin or X other not-so-powerful DBZ character cries out "They're moving so fast that I can't even see it!" the animators really only have to draw flashing vertical lines appearing in various places on the screen at very short intervals.

Now THAT is an intense fight.

[Fish and Chips]

I find it more irksome in general when characters just stop what they're doing to explain their latest technique, rather than talking while fighting. There's some leniency here, such as if the good guy is knocked back by the bad guy, who proceeds to lecture him while he closes the gap between them, but there really is no reason to cease fire immediately in the middle of a heated volley with no give or take to say, "I see you are (un)familiar with my technique. Let's just stand around while I explain the intricate inner workings of my entire battle strategy," instead of just executing it during combat.

An early volume of Bleach has an epically hilarious example of this between Ishida and some random mook. And though I enjoy it, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is really, really guilty of this, though it's kinda necessary after some villainous stands start relying on ADVANCED MATHEMATICAL THEORY.

[Doubleshadow]

Bathouse scene.. There's always one or so of those.. XDD]*Ducks and Covers* /o_o\[/SIZE]

Oh, yeah. I have an especial dislike of totally unnecessary onsen scenes. There is one in the OPENING of Grenadier!

Major annoyance: Heroines who are totally emotionally dependent on the love interest, especially when he deserves everything their taser has got! And when their relationship starts with an unforgivable act of abuse and they are moping about how they love him anyway... I just want a blowtorch and bleach.

Finally:

DBZ <-- Pretty much that.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

Oh, yeah. I have an especial dislike of totally unnecessary onsen scenes. There is one in the OPENING of Grenadier.

Well, now to be fair, it is established that the main character enjoys taking hotspring baths (conviently enough).

[Nate]

For example, if you're going to fight a guy with a wooden sword, you might as well just forfeit the match.

You seem to be unfamiliar with Tatewaki Kuno.

What I hate are oddly drawn boobs.

Not a Satoshi Urushihara fan then I take it?

[EricTheFred]

For me, it is the main guy trips and falls on some girl, and somehow he winds up on top of her with a hand on each... er, you know what I mean. It would be virtually impossible (and incredibly painful for the girl, I bet) and personally I don't think the guy stands a chance with that girl from then on, no matter what, yet they somehow end up on perfectly friendly terms after that, every single time.

For example, if you're going to fight a guy with a wooden sword, you might as well just forfeit the match.

Actually... that's a reference to a real-life guy named Musashi, who was one of the greatest swordsman in Japanese history. He got tired of how easy it was to win with a steel blade, and carried nothing but a wooden practice sword after that (and continued to win every fight.)

Very interesting character, Musashi. Wrote a book called "The Five Rings" (or "Book of the Five Rings") which is considered one of the absolute classics of Japanese Literature.

[oro!]

I hate all of the crazy gender-bending love quadrangles that happen in many shoujo manga. Why? Why? And of course, it's all quite natural/caused by magic.

[ShiroiHikari]

One of my biggest issues with anime is female characters. Very few of them are interesting and well-rounded (er...shut up, you know what I meant). Most of them are walking, talking, bouncing cliches.

[teigeki_calesa]

^

And so goes the justification of rabid yaoi fangirls (and others who want to look tough) for the female character bashing/hating.

Not to accuse or antagonize anyone here though; but female-character bashing has become so prevalent nowadays, and all of it being perpetrated by females is kinda disturbing.

[ShiroiHikari]

Well...I just call 'em like I see 'em. There are good female characters-- I just feel that there are more good male characters. XD I have this problem with books and cinema too, not just anime.

(No hard feelings, by the way.)

[KhakiBlueSocks]

Also, why are the other (marginally) useful characters narrating when they could be helping? (Barring the inexplicably strict etiquette of one-on-one combat, I guess).

Took the words out of my mouth. It's like a DVD Commentary track or something...


"Okay, while those guys are fighting, allow us to explain what's going on, and please pardon us while we emit gasps of horror and bemusement during the battle."

Umm...dudes, this is a BAD guy...I'm sure he doesn't follow the rules of etiquette...YOU CAN HELP YOU KNOW!!!

Another cliche that I'm not a big fan of is the horny best friend (HBF) of the protagonist. Often found in harem anime, the HBF can often be seen trying to hit on the female leads or anything else with two legs, a pulse, and breasts. He is often left to fall flat on his face as the aforementioned female leads are completely devoted to the "hapless loser". You can often identify the HBF in english dubs by watching the end credits and looking for the name "Liam O'Brien" (No offense, he's one of my favorites, just stating a point!)

[Nate]

You can often identify the HBF in english dubs by watching the end credits and looking for the name "Liam O'Brien"

Ukitake is a HBF? :p

[Nia-chan]

My worst anime cliche: anime itself.