A death balance in anime??

[Ryujin]

I was just thinking about a few things... for instance these days I get a little bit sick of the new "pansy" hero in some anime "Kenshin, Vash etc..". Not that I think the anime that they are in is bad, but sometimes I get a little bit sick of how the anime tries to warp events just so that nobody gets killed. I mean I don't have a problem with someone not wanting to kill people, but they just still have to do it sometimes.

On the otherhand I don't want to have something like Miyu where the story tries no matter what to make the "new person" of the episode die in some way to maintain some depression, or darkness. Again you don't want people exploding all over the place for no reason.

Basically what I'm saying is, depending on the story style and tone of the anime obviously, that there should be some kind of death balance if it can improve the storytelling or overall experience. Not too many people dying just for the hell of it, but not nobody dying and the show being really pansy...a balance inbetween somewhere I think is needed to keep an anime interesting.

What do you guys think?

[Elcoholic]

I like lots of anime for the extremes. I started watching it for the things that happen in animes that you won't find in a live action series (huge robots and lots of gore to name a few). Japanese imagination has no boundries and they love to exagerate which I think causes lots of these charrecters creations. The exteme macho/lazy/crazy/pansy/violent charrecters just makes anime what it is and sets it appart from other animated projects.

I love shows like FotNs for their extreme violence and equaly like kenshin and trigun for the original charrecters. What I don't watch anime for is comedy or love shows (although I don't mind if its a small part of the show). Thats stuff I just can't get into and of which there are plenty good live action shows.

So, I don't care as long as its something original I won't find in live action form.

[Ryujin]

Oh no, I'm not saying that I don't like those anime that I mentioned. I mean Hokuto No Ken and Rurouni Kenshin are some of my favourite anime, even though they are on opposite ends of the killing meter.

What I'm saying is that sometimes I think certain events get a bit twisted to fit into whatever these anime have chosen as their style,

eg: Have you ever watched the Turtles and just wanted to hit somebody because they all have weapons, but the only people they ever use them on are robots, which ends up with them just fighing a bunch of robots all the time, or pulling a sword on a person, and then just jump kicking them or something stupid like that

Or in Fist Of The North Star, Kenshiro is supposed to save some town or something, but half the time he just stands there while loads of people get randomly killed, seemingly for no good reason other than to waste time, show some gore, and get Kenshiro mad because he is a bit slow to realise that people are being savagesly killed around him

*SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!*

Or in Kenshin, I mean everybody saw that bit comming where Kenshin attacks chou with whats supposed to be a real sword, but fiddle-di-de it turns out to be ANOTHER reverse blade, sword, I mean what are the chances. I'm sure everyone sighed when that happened, or when Kenshin masters the Amakakeru Ryu No Hirameki, and we think he's killed his master, but then, whoops nope he is alive for some half assed reason.

*/END SPOILER*

I mean, I enjoy these programs, but they could benefit alot more if certain characters that by all rights should die, do die, to help advance the story and make things more interesting, also to stop people from randomly dying just for the hell of it, only when it needs to be done, because mostly it does not advance the story much and ends up waisting some time that could be better spent with some character development or some good fights.

Hence the whole death balance thing

[Blight]

eg: Have you ever watched the Turtles and just wanted to hit somebody because they all have weapons, but the only people they ever use them on are robots, which ends up with them just fighing a bunch of robots all the time, or pulling a sword on a person, and then just jump kicking them or something stupid like that

Yah, reminds me of samurai jack. He goes all death dealer on robots but will refuse to fight people with his blade a lot.

What I hate is when a character is killed off for an insignificant reason. Like I hated it when Wolfwood got killed in Trigun. He didn?t die in the manga (at least from what I?ve been told) so why kill him in the anime. It just seemed like a waste considering how sad his death actually was, and that many view it as unnecessary. It did annoy me how none of the main charters could kill anyone in Kenshin , but that was a plot devices for why Kenshin was even a wonderer at first, but Sanosuke should have been able to X people. All hell of people die in Gungrave as well, but just think that shit is cool to watch, so I guess it comes down to the tone and speed of the show as to weather the killing is balanced or not.

[Schultz]

Yah, reminds me of samurai jack. He goes all death dealer on robots but will refuse to fight people with his blade a lot.

What I hate is when a character is killed off for an insignificant reason. Like I hated it when Wolfwood got killed in Trigun. He didn?t die in the manga (at least from what I?ve been told) so why kill him in the anime. It just seemed like a waste considering how sad his death actually was, and that many view it as unnecessary. It did annoy me how none of the main charters could kill anyone in Kenshin , but that was a plot devices for why Kenshin was even a wonderer at first, but Sanosuke should have been able to X people. All hell of people die in Gungrave as well, but just think that shit is cool to watch, so I guess it comes down to the tone and speed of the show as to weather the killing is balanced or not.

For kenshin killing people just pick up the Oav's .. He kills enough people in those.. ;o) and speaking of which i need to get some more gungrave.. Pretty good series from what i have watched..

[Ryujin]

I've seen everything Kenshin related, TV series, OVA's, Movie. I was just saying in general, I mean I think Kenshin is a fantastic series.

[ghostjacker13]

Basically what I'm saying is, depending on the story style and tone of the anime obviously, that there should be some kind of death balance if it can improve the storytelling or overall experience. Not too many people dying just for the hell of it, but not nobody dying and the show being really pansy...a balance inbetween somewhere I think is needed to keep an anime interesting

.

I enjoy watching all kinds of anime, but the ones i consider my faves are anime i consider "realistic". There has to be death, since it's a part of life.

Take Gundam0080. Al sees war as being glamourous, heroic and a great, big adventure. Only after Barney's death, does he begin to understand the true nature of war and all its harsh realities's.

Hey, mindless killing and deaths are cool too. Remember Tetsuo blowing apart the medic when he 1st escapes from the hospital. CHOICE MAN!@!#

[Banishing_Blade]

I like watching all kinds of anime. From the extreme violence of Gungrave to the insanely stupid of Lupin the 3rd. Although I don't like a lot of love stories, some are alright though. Especially when it is not the main plot of the story like Kayko and Yuseke of Hakusho or Maria and Brandon of Gungrave.

[Cidien]

Vash actually does kill someone. He kills Lagatto. =P

If you like killing get Hellsing. =P Although i'm sure you already have it or have seen it.

Actually if you want the R1's I have the box set for sale on my trade list. /cry

[Puppet Master]

I like watching all kinds of anime. From the extreme violence of Gungrave to the insanely stupid of Lupin the 3rd. Although I don't like a lot of love stories, some are alright though. Especially when it is not the main plot of the story like Kayko and Yuseke of Hakusho or Maria and Brandon of Gungrave.

Lucky for me I finally get to see gungrave recorded it last night...I just wish Lupin was still on the air

[guitarshredder]

From the extreme violence of Gungrave...

Does anybody know when Gungrave (ENG Dub) will come to the STORE???

[Ryujin]

I think some of you are missing my point a little...what I'm saying is that if the story has things set up in such a way that someone should die or whatever, then they should not use some predictable cop-out.

Also I like some things that are really violent and some that are really..pansy I guess? but that does not mean that I want to see people die all over the place for no reason, and I don't want something where nobody ever dies. Well unless its a comedy or romance etc..

I'm basically talking about anything thats action orientated that involves fighting of some kind, that at some stage, some people should die sometimes, but that depending on the situation it should have some significance to the story or situation.

For example if a bunch of people are fighting in the war, thats a story element, then obviously alot of people are going to die all over the place. But thats fine, its a war, its significant to the story etc... but if a bunch of people, both good, bad and neutral start just exploding and dieing all over the place, or if every fight someone gets into nobody ever dies or is seriously injured.

I mean I really like alot of varied anime withing this range, and I'm not saying that I want any of these to change, Kenshin needs to have people not die because thats the basic story of Kenshin, in Fist of the North star, people need to die to show the horror and chaos of a post-apocalyptic world. I'm just asking that if you were to make your own anime, or if you could think of the ideal anime that you would watch, or like to see, then do you think that a death ba;ance should apply in somehwere to make the story and overall experience better and more believable

[Blight]

Yes, the cop-out ruins the whole point of someone dying. I remember watching DBZ for the first time and when someone would dye it was a big deal. But later, when someone would die I would be like ?So what, they'll be back.? And I?m starting to worry about the same thing happening in Hakusho, not sure yet. One thing I hate is when weapons are used and every one seems to be just knocked out. I really hate that. But as you have described it, it sounds like you have a problem with the predictability of how death is handled rather than balance issues.

[Black Howling]

I think some anime could be better if they had the main carhacter (who cares if it's spelled wrong!) die! Like if Kenshin Died then Samanosuka would become the main carhacter (!) and learn loads of new moves! Like Shin Futaino ki wami!!! (LOL!)