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Do you object to the idea that plot, theme, or characters are the primary aspects of a story wherein merit is found?

zeo1fan wrote:

I'm opposed to stories that aren't actually stories that don't have merit.

Everything else aside, what do you believe would fill the gaps left by these shows if they ceased to exist, and how would that come about? Where would the concepts come from, who would fund them and why would they do so, would they be successful enough on a consistent basis that the industry could stay financially healthy over the long term?

zeo1fan wrote:

Do you object to the idea that plot, theme, or characters are the primary aspects of a story wherein merit is found?

No, I don't. Why would I? What does that have to do with what you've been babbling on about?

Do you have any specific examples or are you just ranting about generic "shows"?

You mean of shows with no driving-force?

zeo1fan wrote:

You mean of shows with no driving-force?

Name them.

Are you arguing that shows like these are a necessary evil?

Yuruyuri and K-On are the primary examples of series without a driving force.

@zeo1fan. A series does not have to have a plot to drive it. You can easily have a character-driven one. And sometimes a tacked-on plot hurts a show. Ano Natsu de Matteru does really well when it had character-driven middle episodes and basically had sidestepped that annoying alien plot.

Aria is an amazing series despite it not having much of a plot. One of my favorite shows, Maria Watches Over Us was heavily character-driven and there really weren't any villains in it.

So yes, please name a series that you didn't like so we can discuss the merits of that show.

EDIT: Haven't seen Yuruyuri. Have heard that it's hilarious.

K-On is very much a character piece. Most of the episodes revolve around Yui's character traits(lazy, can only devote herself to one thing and forgets things not related to them, her perfect pitch and lack of musical experience), Mio's traits(serious, introverted, socially anxious, loves sappy lyrics) and Ritsu's (acts without thinking, lousy with details or paperwork, very extroverted). I really enjoyed K-On as I loved its characters.

zeo1fan wrote:

Are you arguing that shows like these are a necessary evil?

I'm sorry, I was going to edit in that those weren't rhetorical questions because they do come across as such, but then my net connection had a hiccup. I honestly want to hear by what means you believe a change could occur, and then we'll worry about arguments.

So, I've been reiterating that a "show about nothing" can save itself through characters and themes. And nobody seems to pay attention when I cite Louie as a positive example of this. K-On is a prime example of bundled quirks planted in a show about nothing for the sake of making money and spawning derivative pieces. At least K-On had KyoAni's stimulus going for it.

Plot/Character-Driven (Indiana Jones, for example)
Character/Theme-Driven (Silver Linings Playbook, for example)
Plot/Theme-driven (Inception, for example)

Simply one of these pieces couldn't realistically sustain a good story on its own, the same way a story can't be sustained on Pathos, Ethos, or Logos alone.

zeo1fan wrote:

So, I've been reiterating that a "show about nothing" can save itself through characters and themes. And nobody seems to pay attention when I cite Louie as a positive example of this. K-On is a prime example of bundled quirks planted in a show about nothing for the sake of making money and spawning derivative pieces. At least K-On had KyoAni's stimulus going for it.

Could you use an anime as an example of what you're talking about? My cares for American sitcoms are approximately zero.

Anyway, you also have to establish why K-On is just "bundled quirks". You have been stating that as a fact. You need to back it up.

Quote:

Plot/Character-Driven (Indiana Jones, for example) Character/Theme-Driven (Silver Linings Playbook, for example) Plot/Theme-driven (Inception, for example)

[citation needed]

Quote:

Simply one of these pieces couldn't realistically sustain a good story on its own, the same way a story can't be sustained on Pathos, Ethos, or Logos alone.

*claps*

Brilliant.

Would my answer be invalid if it were idealistic?

Citation where? I learned Plot, Character, and Theme as the primary building blocks for film and television in school. Louie isn't a sitcom. It's a black comedy about a comedian with a couple kids who encounters questions about life, society, and humanity in the day-to-day.

Is learning about film in school harmful to my credibility?

zeo1fan wrote:

Would my answer be invalid if it were idealistic?

I'm afraid so, because what we need to worry about here is how a collection of profit-driven businesses would accomplish this.