Sometimes it seems that the only thing anime fans love more than anime is complaining about anime. There’s a long list of things anime fans like to complain about, whether it’s tired story elements, overused tropes or problems within the industry that cause frustration for fans. I asked J-List Twitter followers “what annoys you about anime?” and here’s a list based on their suggestions!
Let’s start a thread about things that annoy us in anime. Tell is what annoys you!
Anime is Cowboy Bebop. pic.twitter.com/1b0FZrZ8AV
— J-LIST 🎃 (@jlist) October 30, 2019
Anime that end without resolution. One thing that annoys us about anime are shows that exist primarily as an advertisement for the manga or light novels, or ones that end with a “non-ending” because the original work isn’t over yet. But what I really hate are shows that get me to care about characters then never tell us how their relationship will be resolved. It gets to the point that I learn what creators and studios do this, and avoid their works in the future.
Mysterious light beams. Censorship on the broadcast version of a series. It’s become common for “beams of light” to cover up the sexy bits. Want to see the full uncensored version, like the Okaa-san Online ecchi scenes? Buy the $90 limited Blu-rays!
Dense protagonist. I know most anime protagonists are supposed to be bland Japanese “everyman” types that we can overlay ourselves with while we watch. But they get tiring, fast, especially in harems with girls who are actually interesting to viewers. Just pick one of the girls, will you?
Over-reliance on common tropes. I get that anime is always calling out to previous works and keeping certain tropes and visual gags going across the years. But when you can guess the relationships of every character in the first five minutes — this is the rich class president, that’s the sharp-tongued girl who will be the main character’s deadly enemy before inexplicably becoming their ally at episode three, this girl will transfer into the MC’s class at the end of episode 1 — it can get kind of ridiculous. I also hate it when they use magical barriers (kekkai) so characters can fight, destroy the city and pose a lot, then cancel the barrier, restoring the city to pristine condition.
Unnecessary ecchi scenes. This one is difficult to answer. Should a show feature visual fanservice or yuri tension to draw viewers in? I believe the answer is yes, depending on the kind of series it is. When the reboot of Space Battleship Yamato added in a reasonable amount of sexy visuals, I was fine with it, since it’s part of making a successful modern anime franchise in the 21st century. Can it be taken too far? Absolutely!
Shonen anime that are overly praised by fans. Some fans reported frustration with the fandom that fawns over neverending shounen anime, some have been running for longer than some readers might have been alive. (One Piece just reached its 20-year anniversary.) What do you think of these shows that go on forever?
Recap episodes. These can be annoying, yes. But I liked the recap episodes in Jojo Golden Wind because they allowed me to reset and recall important details I’d not been following carefully enough.
Writing problems. Plot building and foreshadowing that doesn’t go anywhere. Poor writing in anime (I’m looking at you, Mayoiga: The Lost Village). Anime that could try to build some tension or drama but doesn’t know-how.
Dubs. Subs. As a person who understands Japanese, I naturally prefer subs. Others prefer dubs, perhaps so they can watch more casually, without having their eyes glued to a screen. Fans debate this endless on social media.
Cliffhangers. They can be frustrating, especially when they’re never resolved. *cough* Highschool of the Dead *cough*
Cheap CGI. I’m perhaps the biggest detractor of the “cell look CGI” to try to make animation cheaper (because, you know, those animators just make so much money). I do try to be understanding of it in some cases, as long as anime studios don’t expect us to form emotional connections to CGI “waifus.” And sometimes CGI anime can delight me when it’s not trying to copy the “moe” anime style.
Fans raging against the wills of the creators. Sometimes things happen that make fans angry, and they express that anger online, which is fine. But if they go overboard, hating something that the original creator has blessed (like Shirow Masamune’s approval of the 2017 Ghost in the Shell) or howling that “best girl” didn’t win (Oreimo), or “ragequitting” Gurren Lagann after the death of Kamino, well, it gives me pause. Come on, guys! Let’s keep things on a positive vibe, okay? After all, it’s just an anime!
So, what annoys you about anime? Got any other pet peeves with the anime industry? Let us know on Twitter!
Do you love the sexy girls of Senran Kagura? Then we’ve got great news, a huge new large-sized mousepad of Hikage from the series. It’s a mousepad that will send the signal to your friends that you’re truly the king of otaku!
