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Poll: Favorite Anime Directors Part 5


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britannicamoore



Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 2618
Location: Out.
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:40 am Reply with quote
wow those two are neck and neck.

Shinichiro Watanabe has my nod again.
although for some reason I see Kon pulling this one out.
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Deltakiral



Joined: 07 Oct 2004
Posts: 3338
Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK)
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 12:19 pm Reply with quote
I voted for Kon (I've voted for him in every poll) again and at the time of my vote it was 84 to 82 Kon.....now that is a tight race. I kind of think that in the long run that Kon will probably be number just like the last two polls.
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undeadben



Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 1212
Location: West Texas
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 12:38 pm Reply with quote
I've voted for Kon every single time as well, so I'm not changing my vote when it's just down to two. However It will be interesting to see how much of the vote either one of these two alone would get against Miyazaki. Although I'm pretty certain I would vote Miyazaki if Watanabe wins this one.
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KAtchan15



Joined: 22 Dec 2006
Posts: 460
Location: NYC
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:10 pm Reply with quote
Wow! this is a pretty close race. 119-124, between these two I vote for, Watanabe. Although If it was Shinichiro Watanabe vs. Miyazaki, I'd vote for Miyazaki. I just loved Spirited Away.
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Iritscen



Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 793
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 2:22 pm Reply with quote
As I thought would happen, it's close but with Watanabe in the lead. See, the Anno voters mostly went to Kon, but anime fans whose education starts with CN first and occasionally ventures into stuff that's not on CN are not familiar enough with Kon (and his works are mostly for older folk than the average CN viewer), whereas Bebop and Champloo are very much in the Cartoon Network limelight, so newer anime fans can only think of what Watanabe's done, and draw a blank with Kon. There'd be a bigger lead for Watanabe-san for this reason if more of the new fans actually knew his name. But just listing the directors' names, and not saying what they've done, skews the voters towards the veteran set, which almost offsets the new-fan popularity of Watanabe.

Does that make any sense?

It would be interesting to see a poll just of people not in the U.S. Somewhere that one director hasn't been clearly hyped over the other by local television.

(Just to be clear, I'm not saying that only n00bs would vote for Watanabe or anything; he's a fine director. But I did vote for Kon myself.)
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NGE1113



Joined: 12 Oct 2005
Posts: 1081
Location: Alexandria, VA.
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 2:24 pm Reply with quote
I don't think there's going to be a runaway victory for the winner of this poll; there's still only a fifteen vote margin as I post this. All things aside, I voted for Kon; as much as I admire Watanabe for what he' done, Kon's work was just that much better.
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mufurc



Joined: 09 Jun 2003
Posts: 612
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:25 pm Reply with quote
Kon is more artistic and "deep," but that doesn't change the fact that I simply like Watanabe's works more. I loved the many layers of Bebop (a show that too many people take at face value), the whole mood, style and composition... it's something I haven't seen in anime before or after.

(By the way, how is Watanabe's popularity new? As far as I know, Bebop and Champloo aired in the US relatively a long time ago.)
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15279
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:15 pm Reply with quote
Watanabe's a lot like Spike Jonze: stylish, but still disposable.
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DKL



Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1933
Location: California, USA
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:34 pm Reply with quote
I voted for Kon (again, Madhouse regulars almost always win, in my book), but I will say this:

The best thing about Shinichiro Watanabe is that he actually has a competent grasp of stylish filmaking.

Whereas half of the stuff I regularly see, admittedly, feels either too fluffy or devoid of sophisticated style, Champloo and Bebop both have this good sense of... uhhh... adult sophistication.

But then, putting that aside... Watanabe also knows how to tell deep stories... I mean, come on!

The character history exposition used in both Champloo and Bebop was pretty tight... though, in some ways, not particularly new, it's done pretty dang well.

Anyway, this is what I think...

But yeah... I voted for Kon.
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HellKorn



Joined: 03 Oct 2006
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Location: Columbus, OH
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:41 pm Reply with quote
I chose Satoshi Kon for numerous reasons, however most notably because not only has he shown to do intellectual work without being pretentiousness instead crafting it into a distinctive style (like Chiaki Konaka), which it seems many anime series composers and directors can't do, but he also can create genuinely entertaining works that while still having a bit of social commentary, are just fun to watch so as long as you weren't expecting something else (specifically Tokyo Godfathers). I loved Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus, and Samurai Champloo, so Watanabe is unarguably talented in my eyes, but Kon simply creates elements that defies so many conventions in anime (Millennium Actress, most certainly) and anime that are just simply "unique" from what has come before and will come afterwards.

Still, it looks like Watanabe is going to win out in the end, judging by the currents result.

Iritscen wrote:
See, the Anno voters mostly went to Kon,


I would've definitely went for Kon instead of Anno if it was between them, though I obviously don't speak for everybody.

Quote:
but anime fans whose education starts with CN first and occasionally ventures into stuff that's not on CN are not familiar enough with Kon (and his works are mostly for older folk than the average CN viewer), whereas Bebop and Champloo are very much in the Cartoon Network limelight, so newer anime fans can only think of what Watanabe's done, and draw a blank with Kon.


Both directors have had their works shown only on [adult swim], and considering that Paranoia Agent has made Kon more noticed in general, I think it does put more of a balance when you have Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo working for Watanabe.

Quote:
There'd be a bigger lead for Watanabe-san for this reason if more of the new fans actually knew his name. But just listing the directors' names, and not saying what they've done, skews the voters towards the veteran set, which almost offsets the new-fan popularity of Watanabe.


Uh, mufurc already pointed it out, but fans wouldn't exactly be "new" to Watanabe's works. That would be more appropriate for Kon, actually. Albeit, I do agree that there should be a link to their respective profiles detailing works that they've done.
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MorwenLaicoriel



Joined: 26 Feb 2006
Posts: 1617
Location: Colorado
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:05 pm Reply with quote
I'm only really familiar with one of each of their works--Paranoia Agent for Kon, and Cowboy Bebop for Watanabe (I saw a few episodes of Samurai Champloo, but didn't like it enough to really get into it)--so i just have to go with the lasting impression each of those works has left on me. I LIKE Cowboy Bebop, and heartily agree that is a VERY well done anime--but, Paranoia Agent REALLY struck me. Everything in the show--from the story, to the characters, to the art direction and animation--is quaility work that defies the conventions of the medium. I'm seeing Millium Actress as soon as I can, and I'm hoping to see Paprika if it comes into theaters nearby me.

So, I voted for Satoshi Kon.

Although no matter who wins, I'll probably vote for Miyazaki in the next poll--his work is one of the things that really got me into the anime fandom.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15279
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:08 pm Reply with quote
The only people who like Anno anymore were the old-schoolers from the 80s.
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hanachan01



Joined: 11 Dec 2005
Posts: 504
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 10:33 pm Reply with quote
GATSU wrote:
The only people who like Anno anymore were the old-schoolers from the 80s.


Um, what? I became an anime fan in 1998, and Anno is my favorite director. I didn't watch Eva until a year ago either. I like a lot of older anime (Macross is one of my favorites), but I watch newer stuff as well. Evangelion moved me in ways Kon or Watanabe's anime couldn't. I probably sounds like a foolish fangirl right now, and no, Eva didn't change my life, and there were flaws, but it was the most moving anime I've ever seen IMHO. I'm not saying you have to agree with that, but please don't call all Anno fans old-schoolers from the 80s.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15279
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:09 pm Reply with quote
Well ok, the majority of Anno fans are those who were around at Gainax's inception.
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Josh7289



Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 1252
PostPosted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:38 pm Reply with quote
GATSU wrote:
Well ok, the majority of Anno fans are those who were around at Gainax's inception.


I doubt that. I've been watching anime (and knowing it's anime) since about 1998, too, and the only reason I've been voting for Anno up until now is solely because of Eva. No other anime has been able to match it, and I doubt any ever will.
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