If Brand New Anime Shows Did THIS, They'd Turn Out So Much Better

Historically, there’s always a debate around which era of entertainment is better than the other.

We can’t help ourselves.

Old Hip Hop vs new Hip Hop.
Old music in general vs new.
Old films vs new films.
Older games vs new games.
Older anime vs new anime.

And the list goes on and on and on.

Fans believe older anime is better because of the nostalgia that comes with it. And newer series just don’t have that “classic” feel to it in comparison.

While newer anime shows are “good” and there are definitely some classics, there are many things new anime LACKS these days.

That’s what I’m gonna talk about. While using older anime as an example of what’s missing in 2019 and beyond.

What I Love About Old Anime (That NEW Anime Lacks):

1. Unique character designs

This is Kenzo Tenma from Monster. The main protagonist.

If you were born in the 2000s, you might say: “What’s so good about this design”.

In fact – you might laugh at how “old school” it is and wonder why fans believe this “looks good” compared to modern-day designs.

Here are some more examples to make my point

The anime are:

Dragon Ball Z.
Slayers.
Inuyasha.

The reason why these OLD designs feel “better” is because:

They’re unique. You can’t find dozens and dozens of “copy and paste” designs (unlike modern-day anime).
There’s a lot of thought put into it. There’s a reason Goku is so unique, even in 2019.
- NO character looks like Goku because his design (like a lot of older characters) is original.
There’s nothing “mediocre” about the designs in older anime. Even a “normal” character like Kenzo Tenma from Monster looks unique.
- In fact, he looks more Japanese than most modern characters in 2019, but that’s another story.

Here’s what “modern day” designs look like…

the rising of the shield hero naofumi and raphtalia

Not all characters look like this in the 21st century. I get that. We all know that.

But… that’s not even the point here. The fact is: you can find an almost “duplicate” version of A LOT of these characters.

It’s not hard to find.

Their designs are generally basic, lazy, and lack distinctive features that helps them stand out. Nothing distinguishes them.

The Rising Of The Shield Hero is an anime I’ll give “credit” for trying. The same is true for shows like:

My Hero Academia.
One Punch Man.
Kill La Kill.

And some others.

But the majority of modern-day anime are lazy when it comes to character design. As these images show…

main qimg 592d79136dfae63e369e75dbd708a50e

I’ll give credit to “Bleach” because it’s original. Loki, the character on the right side is a carbon copy from Fairy Tail (which proves my point).I’ll give credit to One Piece as well, since Fairy Tail (AGAIN) shamelessly copied the design.

I won’t act like there aren’t some similar looking characters from old school anime, but let’s keep it real. It’s not even close to the mockery you see today.

Back then it was more accidental, but nowadays it’s on purpose. And so many characters are forgetful and uninteresting in 2019 because there’s not much to remember them by.

2. Storytelling

Nana is a classic in the slice of life/romance genre. Produced by top-notch studio: Madhouse.

And even though slice of life is the type of genre that doesn’t stand out for its “storytelling”, Nana is another breed in itself.

Even though it’s “Shoujo”, unnecessary fan service, a**shots or whatever nonsense you see in 2019 doesn’t stand in the way of Nana’s storytelling.
Instead – it focuses on the characters’ lives, problems, stories, and similar aspects that are more important.

The same is true for anime produced by Madhouse like Nana.

Older anime focuses more on telling a story, especially if the context is there. And getting you hooked into the story.

Whereas anime these days will shove fan service down your throat until you choke to death. Or the story just won’t make sense as if the writers are throwing shi** at the wall to see what “sticks”.

I’m not saying modern-day anime is awful and there aren’t NEW anime that focus on good “storytelling”. That’s a broken mindset older people have because “things aren’t the same these days”.

But I AM saying there’s a lot less of it and that’s why newer anime can’t compare to older anime for the quality of storytelling and creativity.

Blame it on information overload.
And the insane amount shows being produced every year.
Or the obsession of studios trying to “compete” with each other. instead of focusing on being creative and bringing something fresh to the table.

Whatever you wanna blame it on, the fact is undeniable.

New shows like Land Of The Lustrous are clearly creative and different. AND good at the same time.

Same thing for all the good anime I’m not mentioning, but “storytelling” is an art that’s been ignored in favour of cliches and other bullsh*t.

It’s more common to see a “beach” episode when it’s not relevant, or fan service when it doesn’t make sense, than it is to see a well-written story with characters that actually matter. On top of a story that will leave you speechless, blown away or begging for more when all is said and done.

That’s why I like the storytelling in older anime in general. It’s better because it’s not “lazy” like so many shows today.

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