I agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeckoYamori
Printable View
I agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by GeckoYamori
Yes a thousand times.Moe finds its way into everything nowdays, even into my shmups.:(Quote:
Originally Posted by GeckoYamori
Sure, the Mega Drive originated in Japan, but it was the Western market that kept Sega alive.
I find it interesting seeing the rise in popularity of Japanese culture. Back in the late '80s/early '90s, I was probably the only guy in my high school that imported Japanese video games or watched anime movies (like Curse of the Undead: Yoma and Demon City Shinjuku). I have long lost touch with anime. I'm sure there's still some good stuff but it seems like you have to sift through so much juvenile and/or creepy shit to find it.
When I was younger, japanese stuff tended to be, like, Robotech.
I can't identify with today's japan at all. I'm completely out of the demographic. Even stuff like Gundam is just too... weird for me. Everyone seems to always be depressed in japanese stuff. It's a bummer.
I was huge into Japanese culture in my teens and twenties. It helped that I had a former Navy Seal who grew up in Japanese Fishing villages for an instructor. I was convinced, and still am in some ways, that Japanese wisdom and philosophy knows things that Western thought doesnt. It is more complicated than that, having a lot more to do with whether time is seen as linear or concentric circles, and whether the journey is more important than the destination.
I loved Transformers, and even got into a bit of anime for a while. I think Transformers the Movie is one of the greatest movies of all time, and Macross Plus is a close second. I have also really enjoyed Thundercats, Silverhawks, Ronin Warriors (or whatever), Japanese "westerns" (aka Samurai flicks), There was one Ninja epic I can't remember the name of too. In gaming, all of my favorite games are Japanese and I am convinced that their brutal schooling regiment has created better programmers and artists up until more recently (maybe).
That said, I would never want to live in Japan today, maybe the Japan my instructor described where you could hike from Temple to Temple, stay as long as you liked and learn whatever you wanted to virtually indefinitely, but not the commercialized machine that I see today. Plus, there is no way I'd let my kid see what they show on TV over there. But then again, I use the HTPC to prevent him from seeing what is on TV here too.
Cool little fact, did you know what actually created the emo, depressing, "looking to the sky with a straight face", "end my pain" bullshit?
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...gL._AA300_.jpg
BTW when I was a kid, all I had was Dragon Ball and by god was that good enough for me.
I used to rent Anime on VHS all the time. I first saw Akira when I was only 7 years old, and that sealed the deal. I also remember renting the Captain Harlock movie, "Arcadia of my Youth", which was awesome.
I agree, Japan and Anime today isn't as good as is used to be, so I don't even bother with the newer stuff.
It all actually might have started in 95.I think a lot of Japan's entertainment is tied to their economy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Thunderblaze16
That was a completely fascinating read. When I attended college, the japanese post-war economic bubble had just popped, and I was interested in both learning the language (which I did) and learning japanese economics in anticipation of a tech career in the future. I took several japanese economics classes... I would love to be in school today and take one, and hear what professors have to say about their struggles to marginalize a niche consumer base which dominates their economy.Quote:
Originally Posted by kokujin
+rep
Thanks for the rep.Yeah, it's kind of sad to read too.You're really lucky, I always wanted to see Japan in the 80's/early 90's, it's probably my greatest regret.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSonicRetard
Oh I've never been to japan. I studied japanese economics and language at the University of Texas.Quote:
Originally Posted by kokujin
Oh, lol.I thought you studied there.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSonicRetard
In the 90's i used to love Anime and Japanese games. Anime used to have better animation and much, MUCH more detailed frames and characters. I also liked the darker, more cyberpunk feel. There were more movies or OVAs with different character design and styles... Ninja Scroll, Akira, Genocyber, Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, Street Fighter 2 the animated movie, Perfect Blue, Urotsukidoji, Angel Cop, Armitage 3, most of the anime from Mashamune Shirow like Tank Police etc.... Today the majority of Anime looks like the same generic crap over and over again. Apart from some bigger movies, the animation is pathetic and the character designs are as generic as they can be. Too much quantity and no quality.
As for games, back in the 80's - 90's Japanese games were usually better than US made games. Especially in the 90's when 3D came along, Japanese 3D games looked smoother and sleeker with much better character animation and design. An example of this is the fighting genre. Look at all those late 90's 3D fighters and compare them with US made fighters. The US ones look too chunky and too jerky in comparison. A similar thing can be said for most of game genres.
Today though, Japanese games seem to be all style and no substance at all. While US games have also problems with all those generic shooters they produce, personally i find more and more US games that i prefer. Metroid Prime series was made in US and it was amazing, unlike the OtherM atrocity. Valve, with games like Halflife 2 and Portal series is my favorite developer right now. Dead space 1 and 2 also was a nice surprise. And the Japanese? I used to like Resident Evil but now its just a stupid action game filled with uninteresting characters and sexy bimbos. I used to like Sonic in the 90's and now... well, enough said. The only Japanese company i still like today (not nearly as much as i used though) is Nintendo.
And then there are those JRPGS. I just never liked them. Today, when i see games like Final Fantasy or any other game like that, all i see is silly looking characters with too much random decoration on their impossible outfits as if they are dressed for some weird gay fashion show, cute childish faces with smooth skin that look as fake as possible, noisy, whiny lolitas and children with sexy attitude that fight huge monsters (i smell some pedophilia here), obnoxious emo male characters that sometimes look like girls and dress up accordingly and of course the haircuts. Most of their RPGS and Strategy games involve "fabulous" design choices like that. So no, i prefer Western Strategy games and RPGs like Baldurs Gate series, Disciples 2 (amazing art, dark atmosphere and soundtrack), Diablo, Elder scrolls series, the Witcher and many, many more for PC gamers.
There used to be some freaking amazing Animes in the old days. Today? Mostly garbage for otakus or whatever they're called. Same goes for games, specially RPGs. JRPGs (talking Super Famicom era here) used to obliterate most western RPGs, today it's the other way around.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to reading Berserk, Vagabond and Vinland Saga.