Forum - View topicShelf Life - Dragon Age
|
Goto page Previous Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
|
|||
Much as I appreciate the sentiment, Jairstout and I do not get along. It is unlikely anything I say or do will ever amuse him, unless it involves me getting hit by a bus or perhaps spontaneously combusting. But, back on topic, Splitter, I'm curious as to what your response is to what I said earlier re: you insisting that Erin was trying to tell people they can't criticize her opinions in the forums. Last edited by Zac on Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:26 am; edited 1 time in total |
||||
|
||||
Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
|
|||
|
Wow, when you remove the main controversy from the topic, the discussion can continue in a civilized, funny, illuminating manner! My faith in internet humanity is restored! (*considers going to certain religious boards and getting people to stop talking about gay marriage, abortion, and health care...*)
Erin, that's some serious work ethic you got. Don't know if I could sit through an awful show and then get dissed just for *disliking* it. Just curious, what was the worst manga you had to read for a review? I used to read your stuff on PopCultureShock a long time ago. (PM me if you'd like; I really want to know!) |
||||
|
||||
CCSYueh
 Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
|
|||
|
My complaint on the DB sets is they don't match up to the old sets so I wound up re-buying stuff I had, but god knows Funi loves doing that to us on DBZ.
It sounds like you're talking Red Ribbon & Commander Blue in the old sets...Tao Pai is set 5-Commander Red. So next would be Fortune Teller Baba (Isn't she Roshi's sister?) A mini tourni as the boys have to defeat her fighters including Dracula & it's pretty cute plus we get Grandpa Gohan. Pilaf comes back again. Tien & Chiaotzu show up for tourni in the name of their master who is Roshi's rival & Tao Pai's brother, the Crane Master. The King Piccalo saga which follows is where it starts with the DBZ style stretching fights out a bit longer than needed. Yeah, realistically Sasami was a harem character, but she, Skuld & even Kaolla Su in Love Hina seemed more an excuse for a kid sister character & Su & Skuld supply the Bulma endless supply of devices to accomplish whatever needs be done. (the inventor bit). The morning show I listen to was talking chest size the other day. The gals were "I just don't see the male fascination wth them" & the guys were "You don't get it. You have 2 amusement parks on your chest. Two Magic Mountains". But the smallest bra thing does sound impossible. THe smallest bra is a training bra-what's not to have in stock? Most guys I know don't really understand bra sizes. I had a chance to pick up Popotan, but everything I saw at the time trashed it so I passed. Fan service isn't what it was a decade ago |
||||
|
||||
|
Lemoncookies23
Posts: 355 |
|
|||
Or spontaneously combust while riding a bus. Which is coincidentally how George Carlin, someone I do think is funny, said he wanted to die in his Napalm and Silly Putty book. 
|
||||
|
||||
Splitter
 Posts: 1276 Location: Knockin' on Heaven's Door |
|
|||
The way I interpreted Erin's disclaimer, I gathered that she didn't want people criticizing her opinion as a be-all end-all review. Naturally, that applies to all reviews, not just hers, and standalone I can appreciate that. The problem I have is that I've never seen a reviewer take that kind of defiant "you need to judge other reviews against mine" stance in their review, disclaimer or otherwise. To me, it seemed she was ducking criticism rather than taking the blows. This is ANN. I've been here long enough to know reviewers take blows and take them hard, but I have never seen one complain about it like Erin has. That's why it came off, from my POV, that she was weak and implying that people shouldn't criticize her unpopular opinions. Let me be clear, I have nothing wrong with Erin's stance on anything. She has a right to a strong opinion like anyone else, but I believe professional reviewers should be ready to take the blows, especially if they're in the market to deliver blows themselves, and especially if the reviewer is for ANN and knows what the people here are prone to saying in response to unpopular sentiment. |
||||
|
||||
|
belvadeer
|
|
|||
Well put Ashen, I could recommend one good one where they took a more unique turn with dragons. It's an older anime, but it works on so many levels for a dragon lover like me. And quite seriously, they really need to stop with all the "big bad evil dragons who blow up stuff" portrayals. It's not only stale and mundane, but it's insulting to dragons. Can't writers see that people have more respect for them than simply a target for a sword or whatever? Truth be told the Dragon Drive manga turned out better than the anime, but only because the manga had a longer story and the anime only finished the first season. If Kenichi Sakura decides to make another dragon manga series, he'll have my vote. |
||||
|
erinfinnegan
ANN Columnist
 Posts: 598 |
|
|||
I think we kind of covered it already earlier in the thread, but I'm surprised that's how you interpreted it, and I regret that my explanation wasn't clear enough. I had found, after several columns, that it seemed as if a few forum members were taking my reviews as some kind of definitive stance on any given series. I was befuddled because most people I know read more than one review or reviewer to determine how good a movie or an anime title might be. Also the same titles get reviewed more than once on ANN by different people, so you don't even need to leave the site to compare opinions. I wouldn't want readers to think that my column is the ultimate ANN viewpoint on a series. I certainly don't speak for everyone who writes for the site! I feel like I'm talking in circles here. My point was mostly, "If mine is the only review your reading, you're doing it wrong." I don't mind if people tell me, ad nauseam, that I'm wrong or my views are unpopular. I'm happy to get any feedback at all. That said, I don't think my views are as unpopular as you think they are. Sure, there is a very verbose forum who disagrees with me, but I think my tastes are fairly mainstream among average anime fans, many of whom don't participate in the forum much. For every "I disagree" posts, there are several agreement posts, but people who agree tend to write much less (they have less to say). Especially in response to my first column, many people posted to say they have the same favorite series as I do. |
||||
|
||||
|
_Earthwyrm_
|
|
|||
Yeah, I know quite a few dragons who find the stereotyping a serious problem in their life. I think they started an online petition for fair representation of their species, but it didn't get anywhere.
This is the absolute truth. When it comes down to it, views that seem unpopular from interest expressed on the Internet really aren't as unpopular as you'd think. The average Joe just doesn't spend their time like that. Also, I'm really enjoying your reviews so far, Erin, keep up the good work! And certainly, don't feel like you've got to dance around the toes of the forums (though it's evident that you don't feel that way anyway) - it's all only so much hot air. 
|
||||
|
Agent355
Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
|
|||
|
What would be the "proper potrayal of dragons" anyway? They aren't exactly housepets. Off the top of my head, I can think of myriad ways dragons have been represented:
You got your Western/European dragons (fire), your Eastern/Asian dragons (water), your west/east hybrid dragons, your weredragons, your mech dragons, your cutesy, jive-talkin' dragons (Mushi from Mulan), your smart, setient dragons, your wild beast ferocious dragons, and your wish-granting dragon's balls. *phew* I think it's time for pheonixes to make a comeback... |
||||
|
||||
|
CCSYueh
Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
|
|||
People are more prone to complain than praise, aren't they? If one agrees with a column, there's not much to say. "Ditto that?" (Doesn't someone else have that locked up?) No to mention the anonymity of the net emboldens people. I was an operator for about 10 yrs & I found people can get quite nasty when they feel you don't know who they are. To your face, they get mad, but usually not quite as vicious. This isn't a popularity contest. The point of the column is one person's opinion of titles. Obviously people who have bothered to buy a "perishible" title may disagree with that review. THere's a place for comments after the reviewer has made her comments, so it invites people to make their comments. I've made comments in argument to support a poorly ranked title as much to let others know it isn't necessarily that. I've seen people here comment "I was thinking of buying this title. Thanks for the warning". Why wouldn't fans of the title protest. The loli fans are passionate & rather defensive, so reviewing one of those titles is asking for trouble. Really the same can be said about harem titles in general because the type of people who buy them can be the obsessive type as some of the artists have learned. |
||||
|
||||
|
belvadeer
|
|
|||
I just pictured something funny like that 
No they certainly aren't pets. In my opinion, they need to be shown being more noble and heroic. That's always been my preference. The smart sentient dragon-type also has a lot of potential in even standard genre anime. I actually have an idea for something like that, but it might seem too uninteresting to talk about. |
||||
|
Cloe
Moderator
 Posts: 2728 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
|
|||
I can definitely understand this sentiment. I did a lot of blind purchasing myself, back in the early 00's, and ended up sitting through a lot of series I had to convince myself I liked at least a *little* bit, or else I would have had to admit that I'd tossed $90 into the incinerator (a fact I can only admit to now). The one exception: Brain Powered. I'd bought the box set because I loved the soundtracks so much, and to this day I don't think I've seen past episode 6. Maybe one of these days I'll get bored/depressed/high enough to sit down and watch all of it for the camp value and hilariously inappropriate opening credits.
I think the answer is obvious. ;p |
||||
|
||||
|
belvadeer
|
|
|||
|
Ummm, Puff does get some mention since his story is actually kind of sad toward the end, but I'm surprised anyone would bring that old show up.
|
||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group