Mediocrity in Greatness

[Arxane]

We all have our favorite series, series that we often point to as something we watch time and time again...or at least whenever we have the time. But things in life are rarely perfect, and anime is no exception. While some anime series/movies are considered excellent either by most people or just personally, there's often something there that keeps it from reaching perfection.

It can be either a single episode, subplot, character, etc. Maybe you love "Cowboy Bebop", but you find the episode "Boogie-Woogie Feng-Shui" dull and inconsistent. Or maybe you enjoy watching "Trigun", but you can't stand the comedic episodes before the series gets more serious. Or you adore "Hellsing", but think the Incognito story-arc was horrible. Or you're a devoted "Inuyasha" fanatic, but you want the character Koga erased from the series entirely.

What's the thing(s) in your favorite anime series that keeps it from reaching perfection? I'm NOT looking for:

- Dub/sub comparisons. It's easy to take potshots at 4Kids/Saban/Nelvana versions of anime series, and that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for flaws in the original untouched series.
- Mentions of character voices, both English and Japanese. This can easily degrade into complaining about dub voices, which I'd like to avoid. Rather look for flaws in the character itself.
- Discussions about possible second seasons to series with bad endings. If you don't like the ending to "Beserk" or "Fruit Baskets!", then you can say so, but please don't turn this thread into a discussion on how they need a second season. I see too many of those at the Anime News Network forums.

[Mynd Hed]

I'm with you on the Hellsing / Incognito example. I've heard the story behind it and it makes sense why they did it, but it still doesn't make for a remotely satisfying ending.

I'm almost certainly in the minority here, but I'd also like to chime in and say that I didn't feel that the second season of The Big O lived up to the first. Too little of that fantastic noir style from the first season, and too many cliffhangers. I preferred the storytelling style in the first season, with its nice mix between self-contained stories and continuity, where the continuity was mostly subtext but still important to the overall impact of the show.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I felt Cowboy Bebop could have done more with their cast. While I was satisfied overall with how Faye was handled, I felt chracterizations for the rest of the case was lacking in some cases. There was a certain detachment to the whole show that made it hard to fully get into.

I felt Escaflowne started off the series with an unusually intelligent cast, but in the second half it devolved into sappy romance and googly eyes out of Hitomi. I did not think Hitomi ever had control over the direction of the series, she seemed more like an observer until the writers decided they wanted to use her as a plot device.

[Tash]

Pokemon: Johto

Need I say more *fanboy*

[Chrono1995]

Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop certainly could've done a lot more with the cast, especially with the past of Jet. Ed, however, had no development at all. When I first watched episode 24, I felt a surge of emotion because of how well "Call Me Call Me" and the scene went together, but later on I was asking myself why. Ed, after all, just seemed like a character along for the ride.

As awesome as Cowboy Bebop is, despite the many well-executed scenes murging the music and the visuals (see Spike storming the Red Dragons in episode 26, or the "Green Bird" scene), the only scenes that really get to me now involve Spike and Faye, who were handled quite well. The rest just invoke a "that's cool, but not mindblowing" kind of reaction.

I think the series as a whole could've worked better if it was just a bit longer. Maybe if we get a prequel...

-------

Big O

Mynd Hed, you're not alone. I began to really miss the noir style and storytelling methods of the first series as the second season went on. It just didn't feel like the same show. Compare "Enemy Is Another Big" and "R-D" to "The Greatest Villian" and "The Show Must Go On" and you'll see what I mean.

Also, the majority of the plot points and big revelations weren't anything mind-blowing, except the chaotic Lain-esque trainwreck of episode 26. The majority of the plot points up until then were making a big deal about things we already knew about, and to be perfectly honest, the second season didn't really answer much of anything or simply left loose ends hanging.

Spoiler:

It seemed to scoff at answering the questions of the viewer, simply because of the "ALL RESET" ending it would pull out of its ass in episode 26. Despite the amount of sense you can get out of it, ignoring questions and all the loose ends by just saying we're watching a "TV Show within a TV Show" at the end is just cheap writing dressed up as pseudo-intellectualism.

[Proteus3]

Gasaraki had a huge problem and that was characterization. Gasaraki's greatest asset was its plot. It had a huge, multi-layered story with layer upon layer of subplot. Somebody once mentioned to me how each episode was an "information overload" and they are pretty much right. Unfortunately, that leaves little room for the characters. There is little character development in the series and it seems like the characters get overpowered by the storyline.

Gundam Zeta could have trimmed some of its subplots. Sometimes you got the feeling that they are just adding stuff that wasn't all that necessary. The whole Rosalia thing bordered on silly. The mechs from Gundam Zeta on also seemed to lack the grittiness from the original and seeemed a bit too superpowered.

Ghost in the Shell is one of my favorite anime movies, but the plot could have been handled better. For first time viewers, the plot can just be confusing. It is probably the result of compressing an even more complex manga, but the storyline could be clarified a bit more. The first viewing you can the gist of the plot, but it takes at least two to get everything.

[A.Magik]

DRAGON BALL Z- Now don't get me wrong, the show has plenty of plot and character development than some detractors actually claim. However, it seems that the show wasted a lot of drama potential because it had no part of the action story. Toriyama skimmed past a lot of it in between sagas. I would like to see the birth of Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Pan. I would like scenes of Gohan and Videl's relationship developing, like a wedding scene. I would like to see some dramatic scenes concerning Bulma's romantic triangle with Yamcha and Vegeta, Gohan's guilt in letting Goku die in the Cell Games, or some angsty confrontation like Gohan or Chichi pestering Goku for ignoring his family obligations. However, since none of these scenes have anything to do with a saga or action, and AT had mixed feelings about writing non-action drama, they were passed over.
Also, I wished they hadn't robbed Mystic Gohan of having a bigger role in the conclusion of the Buu saga than just giving spirit energy far away. AT built up Gohan's role in that saga, then deflated him because of fan pressure.

EL-HAZARD: THE MAGNIFICENT WORLD OVA1- Best of all the series, I still felt that it seemed a little rushed (part 8 appeared to be crammed). Perhaps some length could have added in the middle, like 1 episode (forget 18 more episodes!).

RUROUNI KENSHIN- Now, I actually like some of the post-Kyoto filler stories, but I still wish they adapted the Jihichuu Arc. I would like to have seen animated scenes of:

Spoiler:

Kenshin's emotional self-destruction over the 'death' of Karou, Sanosuke's reunion with his family, and the three epilogues with Kenji, Yahiko, and the picnic.

Scenes that I don't think were used in the adaptation SAMURAI X: REFLECTION.

SLAYERS- I love Zelgaldis, and I felt that most of the middle part of this series suffered because he wasn't present.

A.Magik

[sterfish]

Fruits Basket: The Episode focusing solely on the Prince Yuki Fan Club girls. Although it explains their motives (and features some interesting subtle elements), the characters themselves aren't really that interesting and the episode is borderline boring.

Excel Saga: Episodes 22-25. I like these episodes (and they feature the hilarious ridiculousness of Pedro's storyline), but they are my least favorite in the series. It would've been better to make fun of storylines like the one they did in these eps, rather than playing it semi-straight.

His and Her Circumstances: Final 4 eps or so. The story of these eps is still good, but this is the poster child for good budgeting.

Hellsing: The last episode. No TV series should have to wrap things up by telling us what happened in text.

Gasaraki: The last two eps. Something about this ending really soured me on the series. I really enjoyed the complex plot and I really felt let down by this ending.

[Proteus3]

Gasaraki: The last two eps. Something about this ending really soured me on the series. I really enjoyed the complex plot and I really felt let down by this ending.

The ending to the political storyline in Episode 24 was great and very well doen IMO, but Episode 25 attempt to wrap up the Gasaraki and mythological storyline was a mess.

[StrangerAtaru]

Unfortunately I'm probably one of the few that liked what Konaka did in the second half of Big O. Maybe it could have turned out differently if they were made with the first half, but I do sort of see a pattern in his series in that he sets up an entire world in the beginning of the series, then pretty much tears it apart by the end. Seeing as this happened in both Lain and Digimon Tamers, it is easy to compare the second half of Big O and see how similar all three shows are in a way....

As for Cowboy Bebop, the lowest point in watching the series for me has to be "Wild Horses". Its one of those episodes that try and show a little bit of everything that shows the charm of the series, but it turns out extremely dull and boring. (meanwhile, I still love Ed's character, but that's another story)

In trying to recall my own dissapointing moments in watching anime, two come to mind. The first one is "Senkaiden Houshin Engi", also known in this country as "Soul Hunter". It is a really fun series that plays around with Ancient Chinese history and the characters of a classic book, but....

Spoiler:

After the "defeat" of Dakki in ep. 21, the show falls apart as it transforms itself into manga fanservice, explanations that come a little too late, and a typical tale of "choosing your own destiny" that I've seen done better in other anime. And it doesn't even have that much of an ending either! But there are still a couple of good moments even amongst the denoument...

The other that comes to mind is the final set of episodes in Macross/Robotech after the end of the main Zentradi war....

[Mynd Hed]

The majority of the plot points up until then were making a big deal about things we already knew about

I noticed the same thing, but I thought that was justifiable simply because of the amount of time that passed between Acts XIII and XIV. I think that if I hadn't had two years to wring every possible bit of information out of the first season, a lot of those revelations would have been a lot more, well... revealing than they actually were. It did affect my enjoyment of the second season, but given the circumstances, I don't think there's any way they could've gotten around that.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Weiss Kreuz- The entire Gluhen OVA. After waiting so incredibly long after OVA number 3 was promised, the whole thing left a sour taste, and it wasn't just the character redesigns that did it.

Slayers- The ending to Slayers NEXT. Yes, I think it was rather weak in comparison to the ending of the other two series because it was so damn rushed. Everything from Episode 45 on went flying past for no reason, except perhaps the contract on the series was running out.

Wolf's Rain- Need I say it? The four recap episodes. Even if they weren't technically part of the series, I bet they were a pain in the ass for the people who tuned into the show every week. I know I loathed them.

The endless amounts of filler added to Inuyasha- 15 filler episodes, almost all in a row. Gah....The series is long enough WITHOUT filler, dammit! And now they're making more. >_<

[Conekiller]

the final epsiode of Mahoromatic (without spoilers, I plan on writing up a sereis-wide review soon) suffice it to say that it was as if Cardcaptor Sakura led right into Cowboy Bebop's Real Folk Blues pt 2 for it's finale. yikes

[shogunthethird]

I liked the first season of Saiyuki but around season 2 they lost all plot focus and it degnerated into a yaoi-fest, here they were dealing with the resurrection of demon king Gyuu and all of a sudden you can't swing a nyoibo in that series without hitting a bishonen

[Artimus Gigan]

Any re-cap episodes ever made.

I loathe them with such loathing it is unfathomable.

[Conan-san]

Any re-cap episodes ever made.

I loathe them with such loathing it is unfathomable.

well, there's the one in the new storyline of Sonic x with

Spoiler:

the chaotix geting a tape of Sonic X and prity much MST3K the events thus far

that's how a re-cap episdoe should be done

[Weatherman]

For me I would have to say the last 6 or so eps of Trigun. Except for the one episode set on the farm, the whole thing felt insanely rushed. I could never notice how much of what was going on affected the characters as it was always "gotta get to the next villan, gotta get to the next villian, gotta get to the next villan". I realize they had to deal with the constraints of a 26 episode budget, but after the big fight with the guy with the machine gun hands the pacing completely broke down.


Since it hasn't been mentioned...the last couple episodes of Evagelion. I don't mind when a show decides that it's time to make the audience completely recosider everything it saw before, but at least give us some kind of absolution. Even if they really do kill everybody, don't just toss us off a bridge without some kind of flotation device.

[Nin-Nin69]

Cowboy Bebop - No real outcome for Jet or Ed. A major disapointment towards fans.

Excel Saga- I liked the show with it's random plots that went nowhere besides the Pedro. The conflict between Il Palazzo and Excel seemed meanless and dull. They made up for it in the final episode though.

Hellsing- Thank you for the rushed crappy ending guys. Oh and I wanted to see more of Father Anderson and less focus on the Police Girl.

Inuyahsa- Too many fillers. Jeez, it's DBZ all over again.

Ghost in the Shell- The plot could've been done better if they didn't focus on the very short and stupid parts of the manga. Also the major terrrorist meeting at the house was never explained, but was a big issue in the manga. Not to mention the lack of Fujikomas. (sp?)

Fatal Fury 2nd OVA- The whole issue with Terry becoming a drunk after loosing to Krauser seemed pointless to his true character. The kid being there didn't help much either. Oh but he took a beating and brought him his gloves. That made him sober again and changed his heart.

GTO-

Spoiler:

They never got into the arch of the manga with Mayu, the relationship between Onizuka and Urumi, and further conflict between Miyabi and Urumi. Plus I didn't like the idea of changing the English teacher's phedophile and scat fettish to crossdressing. Not to mention Uchiyamada's conflicts with his family, his wife cheating on him, also he felt up women on the train and bus. If you don't compare the anime from the manga's point of view, then I wouldn't change it.

[Roger Smith]

i dont know..
from all the anime i have watch that will be...
Utena. they only air 2 episodes in Mexico because it got very low ratings and i dident like it what with the ring its not LTR and also Gulliver boy..
think yugioh designs with magic and making technology look at its greatness

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Three OVAs? I count one normal-length series, one two-episode OVA and the Gluhen series. Have I missed a few?

Gluhen was the never-finished third OVA originally. The mess over the character designs gave the writers time to lengthen out the story and fill it out some more, and they decided to air it on television as well. So, although technically it IS a series, most people still refer to it as the third OVA, since that's what it was supposed to be.