How Japan’s ‘BBC’ is rewriting its role in the Second World War

[Monoriu]

Well I compare it to US animation.  There are a lot of styles in US animation.  The Simpsons looks different then The Little Mermaid which is different than Bugs Bunny cartoons.  Japanese anime seems to have a much smaller range of styles, so in my eyes it looks derivative and stagnant.

I can only talk about Japanese animation, but there are a huge number of different styles within the genre.  One of the appeals of Madoka Magica is that it is produced by Shaft Studio and directed by accalimed director Shinbo, with their distinctive style (look up "Shaft head tilt" for an example).  Compare with, say, Dragonball, Spirited Away, Neon Genesis Evangelion or Legend of Galactic Heroes.  They all have very different and distinctive styles. 

[Monoriu]

Just trying to make wearing nothing but panties common at cosplay conventions. Could be good I suppose. 

Cosplay is huge here.  I've seen whole buiildings in Tokyo dedicated to cosplaying.  The more I watch, the more I realise that it isn't just about picking a pretty girl and putting her into a correct costume.  It is about acting the part.  It is easy to pick a girl with long dark hair and give her a magical girl costume.  It is hard to make her look sad and mysterious at the same time. 

[Admiral Yi]

They all have very different and distinctive styles.

They all seem to have identical styles of drawing girls.

[Monoriu]

They all have very different and distinctive styles.

They all seem to have identical styles of drawing girls.

You'll have a hard time convincing me that Miki Sayaka from Madoka Magica shares the same art style as Annerose in Legend of Galactic Heroes.

[Admiral Yi]

I'll just use my Jedi mind tricks.

[Eddie Teach]

The first girl is what we think of as "anime".

[celedhring]

I think evolution through time has a lot to say in this too. Annerose reminds me a lot of the anime I used the watch as a kid, like Harlock Saga or Saint Seiya. While the other girl is what I associate with contemporary anime look.

I agree that there's a lot more variety to anime than people think, but there's a vast representation of the "moe look" (or whatever it is called, I'm a goyim here) of big eyed women-girls with colored hair.

[Monoriu]

The first girl is what we think of as "anime".

This is a fairly generic anime girl



Madoka Magica is known to have a fairly distinctive style known as Puni Plush, with wide, cute faces that are uncommon in anime. 

[Monoriu]

I think evolution through time has a lot to say in this too. Annerose reminds me a lot of the anime I used the watch as a kid, like Harlock Saga or Saint Seiya. While the other girl is what I associate with contemporary anime look.

I agree that there's a lot more variety to anime than people think, but there's a vast representation of the "moe look" (or whatever it is called, I'm a goyim here) of big eyed women-girls with colored hair.

Also because Legend of Galactic Heroes is a serious anime from the start.  Madoka Magica wants you to think it is a cutsy magical girl show 

[celedhring]

Speaking of magical girl shows, Magical Emi was one of my favorite animes when I was like, 10. 

[Monoriu]

Magical Emi was one of my favorite animes when I was like, 10. 

Queen Millennia for me when I was a kid.

BTW, Live Evil, a fansub group, is doing English subtitles for Magical Emi if you are interested. 

[celedhring]

I'm not sure I want to revisit that part of my life 

Loved Queen Millennia too, aired in the same network. Emi at lunch time, Queen Millennia after school. And then there was Robotech, which I'm aware it was a mongrel of different anime series but it was just amazing. Give a 10 year old planes that turn into freakin' robots with lazer guns = win.

[Monoriu]

I'm not sure I want to revisit that part of my life 

Loved Queen Millennia too, aired in the same network. Emi at lunch time, Queen Millennia after school. And then there was Robotech, which I'm aware it was a mongrel of different anime series but it was just amazing. Give a 10 year old planes that turn into freakin' robots with lazer guns = win.

For the more recent stuff, I like Attack of Titans (hard hitting, serious, mature action show), Sword Art Online (trapped in a game world, Yuki Kajiura music), AnoHana (cry a river), Steins Gate (time travel), Fate Zero (gorgeous animation by UFO Table, Gen "Urobucher" Urobuchi script, Yuki Kajiura music, set in the Fate universe), Angel Beats (cry two rivers plus Key), Rebuild of Neon Genesis Evangelion (nightmare fuel, remake of a classic, animation that puts everything else to shame, mindscrew).

[Eddie Teach]

The first girl is what we think of as "anime".

This is a fairly generic anime girl



Madoka Magica is known to have a fairly distinctive style known as Puni Plush, with wide, cute faces that are uncommon in anime.

That pic looks like the Madoka girl. /shrug

[Monoriu]

That pic looks like the Madoka girl. /shrug

It is hard to find a Madoka pic without spoilers.  Here is Tomoe Mami from the same show.  I hope this one shows the Puni Plush style better.