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Shelf Life - Sporty Spice


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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4450
PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 3:29 pm Reply with quote
RestLessone wrote:
I'd say you can typically divide sports anime into anime that use a sport as a catalyst and setting vs. series that are truly actually about the sport. They'll often have similar themes, but the structure is different. Anime like Ping Pong or Free are about sports but only to an extent; the bulk of the plot is about growth and character's personal lives. Haikyu, Ace of Diamond, KuroBas, and Yowamushi Pedal are about the sports; episodes revolve around training and matches. Growth and development is often tied to competition and developing a cohesive team. (KuroBas and YowaPedal also get thrown into the subcategory for crazy/fantasy-like/superhero sports series masquerading as real.)


Agreed. I tried to explain this viewpoint to somebody at a convention this weekend when they said that sports anime was taking off in America. I don't see anything wrong with a story falling into either category, but I do think the distinction is strong enough that I have a hard time agreeing to the idea that Ping Pong and Free! represent an upsurge in popularity of sports anime as a whole.
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Firstsummer



Joined: 11 Jul 2014
Posts: 8
PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 5:27 pm Reply with quote
Interesting to see Ping Pong and Windy Tales in the same week, both go for a more sketchlike style which might put people off, but I would encourage anyone even slightly interested to check both of them out. Windy Tales in particular is a minor hidden gem, slow moving but beautifully told.
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leafy sea dragon



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 7163
Location: Another Kingdom
PostPosted: Wed Jul 29, 2015 3:32 am Reply with quote
If a lot of works of fiction have similar themes, character types, and plot points, especially if they're released near each other chronologically, then that pretty much means it's a genre or a sub-genre. That's the way I see it.

Western media about sports can pretty much be divided along similar lines. Raging Bull is less about boxing than it is about the protagonist's mental state. Same goes for The Wrestler, only with wrestling. Cool Runnings is about a team of misfits attempting to get good at a sport that isn't easily practiced in their own country. Even going way back, you have the old Disney short "Casey at the Bat" for which baseball is only really a backdrop.

I feel like it's comedy where sports stories are most closely tied to the sport. The Big Lebowski HAS to be about bowling, Caddyshack HAS to be about golf. That being said, you do have exceptions--The Waterboy, a favorite among my peers when I was in middle school, doesn't have to be about American football.
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Shippoyasha



Joined: 28 Aug 2007
Posts: 459
PostPosted: Wed Jul 29, 2015 4:26 pm Reply with quote
That review of I Wanna Be Strongest didn't make sense to me. So you are saying people who like trashy shows can't enjoy it? What? That's the definition of schlocky fun. I did think they kind of overdid it with the training pains and long, drawn out moans and groans, but it was fine when the action got going.

I do think schlocky pro wrestling anime has a future, just with a bit less torturous training and more action and animation fidelity. Fanservicey pro wrestling does make sense considering people actually wrestle in more skimpy outfits in real life.
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CaptainAvatar



Joined: 28 Aug 2006
Posts: 381
Location: Saint Louis, MO
PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:43 am Reply with quote
Quote:
Save your time, save your money, and save yourself the irreparable damage to your faith in humanity.
- Paul


I always love that one! Laughing

As far as Inari Kon Kon, I would likely have bought it, but subtitled only limits the desire to re-watch it. I guess if I ever get the itch, I will just re-watch it streaming.
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