What Constitutes Quality Anime Discourse?

I finally did it. I absolved myself of my sins as a MyAnimeList fan by becoming a casual Anilist enjoyer (the UI and database are superior). After a year of reading terrible reviews, I’m finally free. At least, that’s what I thought before encountering a slew of terrible anime takes on the internet. The ubiquity of these horrendous takes prompts me to crystallize my opinions on what constitutes quality anime discourse. Without being an elitist, it’s first important to understand common issues plaguing discourse within the community.

1.Elitism

Axiomatically, people’s opinions regarding anime are subjective. Rating anime, while fun, should keep this fact in mind. All too often, anime fans will react to someone’s ranking of specific anime, celebrating commonalities of opinion and belittling differences. Even I’m guilty of this. This notion that some people’s taste is superior to others detracts from the fun of anime. It’s excellent that so many kinds of shows exist because it means that there is an anime for everyone. Labeling someone a philistine for appreciating a mainstream show or claiming to ‘understand’ anime better than others is disrespectful. Instead, people should happily recommend different kinds of shows to each other and respect conflicting opinions. Everyone should just enjoy sharing interests, without the interference of ego. 

2.Appreciation for art

As anime fans, we have a tendency to reductively label anime as good, bad, or mid. We forget that just because we don’t like a show doesn’t mean that it is bad or can’t appeal to anyone. Furthermore, the labels ‘overrated,’ ‘underrated,’ and ‘well-rated,’ unnecessarily associate a show’s reception with its quality. At best, calling a show ‘underrated’ or calling a commonly praised show ‘well-rated’ encourages people to watch it. At worst, it sparks controversy and deters people from trying a show because it’s ‘overrated.’ These three labels hold little worth when taken as opinion as they don’t directly comment on the quality of a show. In fact, it might impart poor expectations for the quality of a show. And who’s to apply one of these labels as fact? Is there some algorithm for computing how ‘well-rated’ a show is? One Piece has sold over 500 million copies, compared to Berserk’s 55 million as of the time I’m writing this (exact figures differ across various sources). By almost any popularity metric, One Piece is more successful than Berserk. Does that mean One Piece is ‘rated’ more highly than Berserk? Berserk is more highly rated on most rating sites, like MyAnimeList and Anilist. Does that mean Berserk is more highly ‘rated’ than One Piece? Even if there were a comprehensive, decently accurate method of comparing the reception of a series, it shouldn’t matter. Anime and manga require lots of effort and dedication to produce. Art and storytelling require tremendous amounts of skill and should be appreciated as much as possible. Instead of rating an anime when asked about it, we should explain what we think of it and present its unique artistic value. For example, I don’t like Neon Genesis Evangelion. However, out of respect for the passion poured into the anime, I encourage everyone who asks me about it to give it a try. I elaborate that it has a complex, mysterious story that slowly envelops its equally complex and psychologically fascinating characters. Yes, I warn them that they may dislike the cryptic nature of the plot or be exasperated with said characters, but never to discourage them. 

3.Enjoyment

We tend to forget that the main reason most of us watch anime is for entertainment. Therefore, our ‘objective’ as anime fans should simply be to enjoy anime as much as possible, which has several implications (no, I will not posit a convoluted utility function). First, we should begin watching each anime with an open mind. Don’t allow yourself to drop an anime because the premise is weird. Second, we should avoid binging anime for the sake of completion. If you ever find yourself overwhelmed by the plethora of anime and feel the need to maximize the number of anime watched, don’t be. Accept that you will never finish every anime and remind yourself to cherish every episode you watch. It’s entertainment, not a to-do list. Finally, it’s good to find enjoyable ways to engage with the community. Part of the fun of being a One Piece fan is reading new chapters with my friends, having discussions, and watching online theory videos. Group watches/reads, discussions, fanfiction, anime-based videogames, theory videos, and analysis videos are all great ways to further appreciate the anime and manga we love. 

4.Common misconceptions

• Shounen/shoujo/seinen/josei: Shonen, shoujo, seinen, and josei are demographics—not genres. Although these demographics have commonly associated characteristics, an anime is classified according to the demographic of the magazine the source material was published in (assuming the anime is even based on a manga). For instance, Attack on Titan is shonen despite its mature content because it was published in a shonen magazine. Thus, many anime contain tropes that commonly appeal to readers of these magazines or appear to blend traits of different demographics. One shouldn’t assume that one demographic is worse than another or that they will dislike anime from foreign demographics.

• Powerscaling: Powerscaling is certainly fun, but typically speculative. Many series explicitly state limited information regarding the relative strengths of their characters. ‘Powerscalers,’ as they are often pejoratively known, should keep their assumptions in mind. Also note that the writers of a series will choose a character to be as strong as they intend for narrative purposes. Many times, protagonists have overcome characters stronger than them for the sake of the story.

• Plot armor/contrivances: ‘Plot armor’ refers to elements of the plot that seem contrived in order to benefit a character. In reality, every fictional character could be argued to have plot armor because every fictional story ever written was manipulated by the writer. Contrivances become an issue when they feel too disruptive or unfair to the story. Not all stories have thoroughly detailed or realistic plots and that’s fine. Some stories actually thrive on contrivances and avoid boring the audience with unnecessary details. 

• Use of tropes: Tropes are patterns or recurring motifs found in art. Anime fans commonly express grievances with cliche tropes and understandably so. Many anime overuse existing tropes without deliberation or a unique artistic flair. However, note that all art is derivative. Countless tropes, like the hero’s journey, are so ubiquitous that we hardly notice them. Every story told builds on the stories that preceded it. When a trope is executed with careful intent, the artistic influence should be celebrated. One of my favorite examples of this is the use of the pacifist trope in Vinland Saga. I’m jaded by naive heroic ideologies that attempt to settle all conflict without violence. Pacifism in literature typically relies on the hero’s luck or the assumption that all villains can be reasoned with. Without mentioning spoilers, Vinland Saga resolves this issue by thoroughly illustrating the violence that perpetuates in its world. Pacifistic choices are clearly established as burdensome and there is always a cost to avoiding violence. Not everyone in Vinland Saga can be reasoned because its characters were indoctrinated to revel in violence since birth. Vinland Saga transformed one of my least favorite tropes into one of my favorites by masterful writing. 

5.Reviews

This is the part when I criticize MAL and AniTube reviews. Reviews should help anime fans make an informed decision on whether or not to watch an anime. The issue with most reviews is that they exist to convey the reviewer’s personal opinion, which can cloud the audience’s judgment. Reviews should describe all aspects of an anime and allow the audience to draw their own conclusions. Generally, reviewers highlight the issues of an anime without elaboration, tainting the review with personal values. It may be impossible to write a completely unbiased review, but that’s not what I propose. I believe that reviews should depict an anime in the best light possible, providing creators the benefit of doubt and selecting proper grounds for criticism. One shouldn’t criticize Berserk for not being funny enough or dismiss Spy x Family as garbage for having a logically flawed premise. As anime fans, it’s easy for us to forget that behind most creative work is passion and hard work. 

Most of my criticism boils down to respecting different opinions and having an appreciation for anime. I don’t consider myself an expert on anime, but I am a proponent of quality discourse, whether it regards anime, manga, books, video games, or politics. The bottom line is, I want all of us to enjoy anime as much as possible.

Recommendations

1. Super Eyepatch Wolf: Super Eyepatch Wolf is one of the most electrifying YouTubers I have ever watched. His content never fails to persuade me to try a new anime or manga because his words ooze with passion and the same appreciation for storytelling that I champion.