Jordan

Jordan

I started writing about anime when I was 15 and it looked far worse than this. If you like my articles, check out my Goodreads to see what I'm reading.

Columnist III

  • Plebian Penman
  • Common Writer
  • Aristocratic Author
  • Noble Scribe
  • Royalty
  • Lurker
  • Pssst
  • Hand Raiser
  • Vocal
  • Outspoken
  • Extrovert
  • Sharp-Eyed Citizen
  • Town Watch
  • Detective Deskman
  • Penman Patrol
  • Forensic Fiend
  • Lieutenant of Letters
  • Relentless Redactor
  • Legendary Writer
  • Motivational Columnist
  • Treasure Hunter
  • Motherboard
  • Heart of Japan
  • Actor
  • Otaku
  • Japanophile
  • Animepedia
  • Kanji
  • Article of the Year
  • Article of the Month
  • ?
  • Articles
    58
  • Featured
    36
  • Comments
    534
  • Ext. Comments
    183
  • Processed
    521
  • Revisions
    350
  • Topics
    14
  • Topics Taken
    2
  • Notes
    34
  • Topics Proc.
    97
  • Topics Rev.
    22
  • Points
    12422
  • Rank
    2
  • Score
    12588

Latest Articles

Anime
59
Literature
49
Anime
59
Anime
107
Anime
38
Anime
74
Web Videos
31
Film
58

Latest Topics

7

Top Young Adult Movie Adaptions

Mockingjay part 2 has just come out with the last Divergent movie in the line up for release. Write about the top movies that are adapted from young adult novels. How do they stand up in time? Is their target audience broader than young adults? What similarities or differences are there between them? Movies of interest may be the Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, Enders Game, The Fault in Our Stars, Twilight…etc.Of course, there are more out now than ever and the list does not need to be confined to trilogies, so long as it is adapted from young adult books.

  • This is very interesting. I really like this topic, especially your emphasis on the target audience, and what makes them stand in time. You could even talk about the Eragon series. – emilyinmannyc 8 years ago
    0
  • Oh God that Eragon adaption was infuriating! I like to pretend it never happened. Thanks for your feedback. – Jordan 8 years ago
    1
  • I feel like there really aren't too many differences in most of the movies you mentioned. Almost all of the movie-adapted young adult novels are in the apocalyptic/science fiction genre. Many of the movies all have the same "feel". I still think this is a good topic though! – Dominic Sceski 8 years ago
    0
  • What an interesting topic! One could even start looking back time and considering older (pre-Twilight) young adult adaptations, before the genre exploded as a "thing." The Harry Potter series, for example, or less "huge" films Inkheart or the Narnia movies. Maybe the question is, why has young adult become SO popular as a genre? – sophiacatherine 8 years ago
    0
  • I think "Twilight" would be a good one to talk about. Along with Harry Potter. Those are two series that come to mind when I think about YA movie adaptations. Especially since their Fandoms are so loyal and unwavering. – diehlsam 8 years ago
    0
  • Too funny, Jordan: my daughter's opinion of the Eragon movie "Ugh. Horrible." – Tigey 8 years ago
    0
1

Anime for Children that Didn't Make it to Television

There are many anime aimed toward children, although only a small number of those are aired on televisions in the West. What are some of these series? Why might they not have been aired on television and instead released on DVD only? There is an Answerman on Anime News Network on "Why are anime still censored?" which could be useful to refer to. Fancy Lala, Creamy Mami, Kaleido Star other magical girl series, and maybe even Tamako Market are some examples that could be considered appropriate for that audience.

  • If possible, read "Killing Monsters" by Gerard Jones! – Ian Boucher 8 years ago
    0
  • It would be a curious thing to know what quality parts of the anime allowed for translations in other countries, with the U.S. being a notable recipient. It might be a decent idea for someone to study the background of countries that aired the anime (perhaps who aired the show and what the demographic are watching), to see what distinct traits might be consistent with the argument. – N.D. Storlid 8 years ago
    1
  • I definitely agree with this. There are a number of children's anime that came out in Italy and France, for example, that didn't make it here. Maybe there is more of an audience for them in those countries? – Jordan 8 years ago
    1
0

When Does the Anime Harem Genre Thrive?

The harem genre is a term used for anime that have one guy surrounded by a bunch of girls (usually they have a romantic interest in the main character). Sometimes there are ‘reverse harems’ where it’s 1 girl surrounded by a bunch of guys. Take a look at the history of the harem genre in anime, which series have been popular, why the harem genre is popular/interesting and some of the most entertaining, high quality, maybe even odd harem anime. Are love triangles a more effective system?

    4

    Anime that Deserve a Reboot

    Take a look at anime that either were adapted so poorly from the manga or are left incomplete that deserve to be remade from scratch. Kanon 2006 or Space Battleship Yamato are examples of anime that have done this.

      2

      Anime That Fit into US and European TV Genres

      Write a list of anime television series which may not have been big cross-over hits like Attack on Titan and Full Metal Alchemist, but probably could work as popular series in this market. Series that come to my mind are Eden of the East, Paranoia Agent, Terror in Resonance (mystery series), High School of the Dead (zombies), Maison Ikkoku, Nana, Usagi Drop, Kaleido Star and other sports anime (soaps), Dance with Devils (fantasy), Sound Euphonium (music)… any others that come to mind may be added, but try to avoid anime-only genres such as mecha, ecchi (too much of it anyway) and magical girls.

      • Before you got to the examples, one of the series that was screaming in my mind was indeed Eden of the East. It is series like these not are not only easier to relate to a US/European audience but also make it easier for them to watch as it becomes more relative. – Kevin Mohammed 8 years ago
        2
      • Great to hear you agree! That show is fantastic. – Jordan 8 years ago
        1
      • A bit concerned about calling 'zombies' and 'music' TV genres - that makes the article swing more towards the realm of finding shows that remind us of Western shows (The Walking Dead being the case in point for the former). Unless that's the point. In fact, a guide correlating a really popular Western show to a few anime, popular or not, could help shed light on how the moe side of things isn't all that different to whatever you're planning to binge on Netflix tomorrow. I'd happily try to put that together. – JekoJeko 8 years ago
        0
      3

      Anime Production Companies and How They Differ from Western Studios

      Compare the Japanese and Western animation industries. In particular, look at some of the major studios in Japan today and in the West, and compare how they function. How is the work load divided? Is the software used to animate the same? How many series will be created at once? Is the pre or post production sequences done differently? Interviews with anime staff on Anime News Network, Youtube documentaries on Animation production, or information from the Hey, Answerman column may be useful to refer to.

      • This would be fascinating to read about, looking at cultural differences in animation studios, are there any in particular you had in mind when considering this topic? – Camille Brouard 8 years ago
        1
      • Other than Studio Ghibli, there's very little information on how Japanese anime is produced that I've been able to track down in either video or written form. I've always wanted to understand the methodology behind how they draw each frame of movement, and how they choose when to draw that frame. Because while anime is often very limited in its animation, it is decidedly skillful in how it retains a strong sense of expressionistic and stylistic movement, that also incredibly fluid when it needs to be, and subtle and frugal the rest of the time. But no manual exists for this that I know of. There's also no explanation as to how, where, and for how long Japanese animators learn their craft for the stunning animation they produce in the amazingly short time spans that they do. Each studio is different, and has reproduced the art-styles of numerous directors, but in almost all cases, everyone is a brilliant talent, unlike a lot of animation produced in the West, where we're much more simplified in our art-styles, rather than semi-realistic with a unique shape to faces and eyes. The best documentary I've seen on the system is the 45 minute piece created for "Little Witch Academia." And Studio Trigger is definitely one of the strongest examples of Japanese animation today. – Jonathan Leiter 8 years ago
        4
      • I think how you search for the information (search terms) can make a big difference. I've seen a number of videos on it. There are also books. Some other studios which might have information are Sunrise, Toei, Gonzo, Gainax, Production Ig, Bee train, Bones, Kyoto animation, Madhouse.... – Jordan 8 years ago
        0
      • I believe I saw a video on an American produced Japanese culture Youtube series which toured Madhouse for a special episode. Ghibli just seems to be the main one that gets the most coverage in terms of televised documentaries and other special behind-the-scenes footage. – Jonathan Leiter 8 years ago
        1
      • The main avenue of investigation seems to be drawing style. Investigating this would likely yield much of what you seek. – JDJankowski 8 years ago
        0
      3

      Significant Mecha Franchises in Anime and How They Stand Today

      Compare, contrast, give history, information on influence and possibly rank famous mecha anime franchises. Ones of interest may be Voltron, Gundam, Patlabor, Macross, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Fullmetal Panic.

      • As an expansion, I think it'd be kind of cool to talk about which type of mecha would be most useful in real life today. – Tatijana 8 years ago
        1
      • Interesting idea Tatijana. Do you mean which weapon would be the most useful if mechas were real? – Jordan 8 years ago
        1
      • Of course there are already plans for the US and Japan to have a mech fight which can be thrown in as a part of this article or even to introduce it. Granted it may not be like what we see in anime it is still something that we are actually going to have a live giant robot fight happening soon. – Kmo 8 years ago
        1
      2

      The Portrayal of High School Life in Anime

      The majority of anime are aimed toward teenagers to young adults, so high schools appear time and time again as a setting. How is the experience of high school portrayed in anime? Is it optimistic, pessimistic or somewhere in between? Does it depend on the genre? Are there any particular titles that break the mold or explore aspects of Japanese high school life in a different way? As a background, some mention of how Japanese schools differ from the West would be useful. A title of interest might be Flowers of Evil.

      • I've often seen Japanese high-schools in anime as being a rather cordial and pleasant environment compared to how American schools are often portrayed. Japanese schools seem more bright, more airy, more inviting. Usually they only get presented in a negative light when the main character we follow is having a strong negative response to their environment. They believe that their lives are a cage wrapped around them and they want to escape. Or they think that their fellow students and teachers are all beneath them, are idiots, and this is a waste of their time. But besides that, the schools seem pretty enjoyable, especially in the lighthearted, comedic, slice-of-life shows like "Azumanga-Daioh," "Lucky Star," "Genshiken" (although that's technically a college I think), and "Pani-Poni Dash." – Jonathan Leiter 8 years ago
        5
      • In Japanese and Korean culture, high school is considered more of a pivotal moment in one's life, both socially and educationally. Because of this, compared to Western culture, school life is actually riddled with studying for grades and club activities as students have the intent of getting into a prestigious university to further their lives. It could be said that anime depicts much of its settings in high school to give the essence of the lighter side to a busier lifestyle. You could also say that since high school is a pivotal moment in a person's life, the anime takes place in high school since the story is a turning point in the lives of the protagonists as well. – Baek 8 years ago
        1
      • That's a really good point, Baek! The cultural implications of high school ought to be mentioned in the article as well. Thanks for your feedback. – Jordan 8 years ago
        0
      • High School life series have become a common theme in most anime. Many people question as to the reason why. In my opinion, the reason is because they are attempting to appeal to that type of demographic. People try to find the legitimacy within a high school life anime, but isn't it possible that the theme is done that way specifically for the point of having a "get-away" type of feel to it, making people wish that their high school life were actually like that or creating some form of fantasy within the viewers life about what high school could be like. Whats more, there are even some series that take an interesting twist and instead focus on college lifestyle like "Golden Time" which definitely got a lot of people's interest. – Kmo 8 years ago
        0

      Sorry, no tides are available. Please update the filter.

      Latest Comments

      Jordan

      Thanks a lot for your thoughts! I hope you can find a show that you like out of the ones I suggested.

      5 Anime Soaps for Skeptics of the Medium
      Jordan

      It might be entertaining, sure, but there were other mecha/action shows that I think might be better to watch than that one in terms of aesthetics. That being said, you’re still allowed to like it. Thanks for your comment. 🙂

      Digimon: Analyzing the Impact of the Monster Franchise
      Jordan

      Hurry up and publish some articles so I can actually get this feedback before articles are published. 😛

      I don’t see what you mean about how having shows ‘shortened’ isn’t ‘evidenced enough’. That sort of deduction is always going to be an opinion. It’s not like television making is science where you can figure out what parts need to be kept and cut with a formula.

      To me, filler is something which doesn’t add anything to the characters or the story. Large portions of Chunibyo is just the characters hanging out and having fun…. which didn’t seem like the point of the story. To me, it was about the main relationship between the two characters, and Rikka’s issues with 8 grader syndrome.

      K-ON’s story is even thinner with Chunibyo… I don’t see why you are comparing the two when I didn’t even try to do this in the article. Their goals are different. Haruhi has more in common with Chunibyo than K-ON does with Chunibyo.

      Ten Years of Kyoto Animation: Missed Tricks and Lasting Hits
      Jordan

      The eyes are gigantic, but I think the KyoAni designs are far better than the ones from their respective video games.

      Ten Years of Kyoto Animation: Missed Tricks and Lasting Hits
      Jordan

      Thanks Foss. 🙂

      Influence of the I-Novel (私小説) on Makoto Shinkai's Films
      Jordan

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I agree. 🙂 sounds like you’d enjoy Haruki Murakami’s novels. You should try find one if you can!

      Influence of the I-Novel (私小説) on Makoto Shinkai's Films
      Jordan

      I’ll try to! I am very busy but I do what I can. Thanks.

      Influence of the I-Novel (私小説) on Makoto Shinkai's Films
      Jordan

      For his short films I think this is understandable since there is only a limited amount of time to express a particular idea or explore characters, although I agree that the pacing of his stories can have problems. For example, The Place Promised in Our Early Days frustrates me to no end because of the pacing, even though the story itself was interesting.

      Influence of the I-Novel (私小説) on Makoto Shinkai's Films