Since the bandwagon for this has appeared...
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No, though no worse than Toei is, at least.ahill1 said:
Same as I posted in this thread: http://www.dbzeta.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8707&p=205047&hilit=openings#p205047Keedounan said:
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Hunter X Hunter is in my opinion the third best Shonen series. It's power system of Nen is very detailed, it's world building is quite expansive and it's character writing is overall some of the best in anime/manga, let alone Shonen. The battles are also all very interesting due to the range of various options of combat, be it through strength or strategy, with a good deal of tactics within almost every fight. However, it is very inconsistent in terms of quality and narrative, with almost each excellent arc being followed by a shit one, such as the great character writing and unique plot twists of Yorknew being followed by the generic adventure with little continuity and protagonist not using what he's gained to it's full advantage that is Greed Island, nor the even better character writing and wonderfully conveyed themes of the Chimera Ant Arc being followed by the wish granting tranny and troll election of the next arc. I can see why Togashi changes the flow of the narrative constantly so that each arc feels different and he can convey his thoughts on a wider range of topics than if it were focused on just one goal, such as friendship, crime, games, human nature/worth and politics, but it also feels frustrating when plenty of plotlines are either discontinued or halted due to this.
Moreover, even the Nen system has it's fair share of flaws in that we're not given full details on it's working. Sure, we know how one activates their Nen, but we're never told how things such as Nen Vows are created or why. These Vows in particular allow for a lot of asspull power ups, such as Kurapika's chains becoming so overpowered. Compared to this, the Alchemy of FMA, whilst far less interesting, is a lot better due to it's self-consistency.
Nevertheless, Hunter X Hunter (specifically, the 2011 anime) is one of the most enjoyable and inventive series I've seen, as whilst having inconsistent quality, it's at least filled with variety and what it does good, it does excellently. If every arc had the same quality as Yorknew and Chimera Ant, I'd probably place it above FMA, though due to that not being the case, it ranks a few steps below it, though still in my top 10 for anime/manga.
2011 Anime - 7.5/10
Manga - 6/10 (Mainly due to the art being
most of the time)
Moreover, even the Nen system has it's fair share of flaws in that we're not given full details on it's working. Sure, we know how one activates their Nen, but we're never told how things such as Nen Vows are created or why. These Vows in particular allow for a lot of asspull power ups, such as Kurapika's chains becoming so overpowered. Compared to this, the Alchemy of FMA, whilst far less interesting, is a lot better due to it's self-consistency.
Nevertheless, Hunter X Hunter (specifically, the 2011 anime) is one of the most enjoyable and inventive series I've seen, as whilst having inconsistent quality, it's at least filled with variety and what it does good, it does excellently. If every arc had the same quality as Yorknew and Chimera Ant, I'd probably place it above FMA, though due to that not being the case, it ranks a few steps below it, though still in my top 10 for anime/manga.
2011 Anime - 7.5/10
Manga - 6/10 (Mainly due to the art being
most of the time)
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Favorite food?
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Either BBQ Chicken or Medium Rare Steak for main meals. Sticky Toffee Pudding for desserts.
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I said FMA would be the best if not for Ashita no Joe, which I'd consider the best Shonen, as well as my favourite manga.
Ashita no Joe as both a series and a Shonen avoids most of the problems and cliches present within most series. It's protagonist is no ambitious boy scout or dumb muscle, but starts out as an asshole con-artist using his wit to get by before certain changes cause him to completely develop as a character. The character development in general for most of the main and some supporting characters is excellent, with it being clear how and why each character gained a new outlook on life. Moreover, this is one of the few sports series to keep stakes high, with many boxers dying or being permanently damaged due to the sport, something that Joe is forced to acknowledge and accept on many occassions, not to mention the pain he puts himself through to accomplish his goals, such as him cutting down his weight to stay in the Bantamweight class. Despite being the protagonist, his win record is also average at best, making him far from the overpowered protagonist present in most other series. It also features one of the most iconic and impactful finales of anime/manga history.
The only flaw I'd say the series has is a few of the support characters, mainly the children, gain a lot of admiration for Joe over too quick an amount of time and with little justification, though you could excuse that as kids being overly impressionable. Anime-wise, there are also a few animation errors and recycling, though for something created in the early 70s, that's easily excusable, not to mention made up for by Dezaki's brilliant directing.
Other than those minor flaws, Ashita no Joe is a series that seems to hit all the right notes; great plot twists, excellent character development, constant stakes with no plot armour and wrought with inspirational moments.
9/10
Ashita no Joe as both a series and a Shonen avoids most of the problems and cliches present within most series. It's protagonist is no ambitious boy scout or dumb muscle, but starts out as an asshole con-artist using his wit to get by before certain changes cause him to completely develop as a character. The character development in general for most of the main and some supporting characters is excellent, with it being clear how and why each character gained a new outlook on life. Moreover, this is one of the few sports series to keep stakes high, with many boxers dying or being permanently damaged due to the sport, something that Joe is forced to acknowledge and accept on many occassions, not to mention the pain he puts himself through to accomplish his goals, such as him cutting down his weight to stay in the Bantamweight class. Despite being the protagonist, his win record is also average at best, making him far from the overpowered protagonist present in most other series. It also features one of the most iconic and impactful finales of anime/manga history.
The only flaw I'd say the series has is a few of the support characters, mainly the children, gain a lot of admiration for Joe over too quick an amount of time and with little justification, though you could excuse that as kids being overly impressionable. Anime-wise, there are also a few animation errors and recycling, though for something created in the early 70s, that's easily excusable, not to mention made up for by Dezaki's brilliant directing.
Other than those minor flaws, Ashita no Joe is a series that seems to hit all the right notes; great plot twists, excellent character development, constant stakes with no plot armour and wrought with inspirational moments.
9/10
I recently lost it, but it was an iPhone 6sahill1 said:
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What are your political views?
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No. Just seem to have misplaced it somewhere and don't know where.ahill1 said:
Not entirely within either camp, but for the majority of scenarios, I tend to be more right wing than left.GreatSaiyaman123 said:
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Can't speak for most, but it seems to be kind've split depending on the region, or the foreigner in question.ahill1 said:
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Rurouni Kenshin is amongst the top 10 Shonen in my opinion (I'd rank it about 7th as far as Shonen go). It's setting is rich in historical detail and effective compared to it's peers of the demograph considering there aren't many battle Shonen that have a historical setting, save from a few works Hara did after he finished Hokuto no Ken. It's character writing is it's strongest point as Kenshin is one of the most well constructed protagonists of the medium. His layers as a character are well presented, with it not feeling unnatural for him to go from cold to klutzy, plus the developments he makes on his outlook on life both before and during the events of the series are very well handled. The other supporting characters are also quite good and most gain a necessary amount of development, though none to the extent of Kenshin. This was also one of the first Shonen series to offer balanced characterisation to it's villains, with the trust Shishio puts in the Juppongatana members and vice versa being a possible inspiration to the Phantom Troupe's comradery, as well as Enishi being very justified for his vengeance against Kenshin. Some characters can feel a bit too archetypical at times, such as Sannosuke often having little going for him beyond the dumb brawler after his introduction, though such characters at least show their layers of personality through various interactions.
It's story is also one with which I can't find any real flaws beyond sticking to the Shonen formula up until the Jinchu Arc, with the Tokyo Arc being slightly episodic and the Kyoto Arc having the typical route of each character having a major opponent in the arc. A shame that the Jinchu arc was never brought into the anime, since it was the one where character writing was at it's best. You could say the feats of the characters and some of their powers are unrealistic and immersion breaking for a historical setting, though if you were to interperate the "Romance" in the title as of the romanticised, hyperbolic tale variety moreso than the relationship variety, it can be excused, with it being little different to the exaggerated aspects of the Chinese epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Still, for a Shonen manga that follows a few overused tropes, it's still effective for what it is, pulling off such formulas to the best of it's ability and easily better than any other swordsman focused Shonen, having a good balance of story consistency and good character writing.
7/10
It's story is also one with which I can't find any real flaws beyond sticking to the Shonen formula up until the Jinchu Arc, with the Tokyo Arc being slightly episodic and the Kyoto Arc having the typical route of each character having a major opponent in the arc. A shame that the Jinchu arc was never brought into the anime, since it was the one where character writing was at it's best. You could say the feats of the characters and some of their powers are unrealistic and immersion breaking for a historical setting, though if you were to interperate the "Romance" in the title as of the romanticised, hyperbolic tale variety moreso than the relationship variety, it can be excused, with it being little different to the exaggerated aspects of the Chinese epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Still, for a Shonen manga that follows a few overused tropes, it's still effective for what it is, pulling off such formulas to the best of it's ability and easily better than any other swordsman focused Shonen, having a good balance of story consistency and good character writing.
7/10
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Watched the first 3 episodes and dropped it. Had to struggle not to drop it after the first 5 minutes where it ruined what interest it had by having the afterlife be a high school of all things, not to mention doing nothing interesting with the setting, and the events of one episode practically have no relevance to the next. From what I've seen of Thatanimesnob's review of it, it just gets worse from then.
1/10. Possibly the worst anime I've seen.
1/10. Possibly the worst anime I've seen.
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Meruem is both a well developed and constructed villain. His turn from entirely villainous to compassionate was very well paced, as it was taken with realistic steps rather than grand leaps. For instance, by the time of his battle with Netero, him only having conceded to sparing exceptional humans rather than all of them. The way he's written in parallel and similarity to Gon during the arc was also very effective; Pitou tells Meruem to not destroy the head of a human due to it being the most delicious part, whilst Kite tells Gon to destroy the head of a Chimera Ant to quickly kill them, Meruem constantly loses against Komugi at Gungi whilst Gon constantly loses his battles to Knuckle, Meruem changes into a more compassionate and "human" character, whilst Gon becomes far darker and "inhuman". Moreover, Meruem's views on matters such as what makes a King or the worth of human life are quite sound and even agreeable notions. A King should logically stand out as the pinnacle of his race or nation and humans aren't exempt from the food chain. His relationship with Komugi was also presented as one of both innocence and depth, being both unconventional enough to be memorable and pure in it's intentions enough for it to be truly moving at times. It also presents a good lesson in that even the most skilled and well rounded can have a superior in some area, something heavily overlooked in most series in general, not just Shonen. His bout with existentionalism is also notable, with him questioning his role in whether or not he should subjugate humanity as his nature demands, as well as fixation on learning his name showing he not only desires what conveys his purpose, but also questions his role as "King".
The arc of a villain becoming compassionate is nothing original, but no villain has done so as effectively or well paced as Meruem did.
9/10
The arc of a villain becoming compassionate is nothing original, but no villain has done so as effectively or well paced as Meruem did.
9/10
