"Perfect"

[Nate]

but why why do you like endings that end evil like. It feals like the whole series ones watched is a big waste of time. Why did one need some 24 episodes or more to explain how this group of people are going to fail.

Why

Well, I can't think of any anime I've watched where evil won out over good.

I think you misunderstood me. An unhappy ending does not always equate to an ending where evil won. Like I said, Magic Knight Rayearth was a good example of an anime that did not have a happy ending. The bad guys didn't win, but the ending wasn't happy. If you ever watch the series, you will understand.

[Mi-Ru-Me]

OK Im sorry I shouldnt have used evil I probably showld of said something like what the main characters were fighting for. Something like that.

What I really dont like are when they develop relationships between characters and there is no solution like if 4 chick want a guy who wins see love hina showed who wins and gives a solution at the end were as tenchi does not.

[Nate]

What I really dont like are when they develop relationships between characters and there is no solution like if 4 chick want a guy who wins see love hina showed who wins and gives a solution at the end were as tenchi does not.

Hmm...well, it's good and bad, in a way. It's good because then the fans can make their own decisions about who he picked. However, I will say I DON'T like it when they cop out of it in a cheap way.

For example, in Saber Marionette J to X, the three marionettes ask Otaru which one he would take for his wife. They told him that he had to choose. So he DOES choose...and as he yells out the name of the one he chose, there is an explosion that masks his voice. So the audience never gets to hear it. BOOO.

For that matter, GXP was actually supposed to reveal who Tenchi picked, but things still seemed to be the same as they were in the original series, so... *shrugs*

Then again, I haven't seen the last two or three discs of GXP.

[Mi-Ru-Me]

I heard that there may be more added to the oav series so cross my fingers.

[Nate]

I heard that there may be more added to the oav series so cross my fingers.

Yeah, but it won't be the same. GXP was released by FUNimation, not Pioneer/Geneon. So they couldn't get the same English voice actors. So in GXP, all the English voices for Tenchi and crew SUCKED. And I mean SUCKED. Plus, so far in GXP there has been no closure on D3 or Lady Tokemi. Not only that, but they still won't release the fourteenth OAV episode in America. And no, the fourteenth episode is NOT the Mihoshi Special. I have the Guardians of Order sourcebook for the Tenchi RPG, which has a synopsis of the fourteenth OAV episode of Tenchi, and it has not been released in the States (and apparently never will :/ ).

Yeah, I know what you're saying. I think the sequel to GXP/Tenchi Muyo is called Ryo-Ohki, or something like that.

So long as they get the original voice actors back...but I don't foresee that happening. ><

Boy, this thread went WAY off-topic.

[Kenshin17]

Perfect for me:
No nudity
Massive loads of action
Equally massive loads of Mecha (and action involving those mecha)
Cool Characters
A good (not to sappy) romance plot line
Cute girl (preferably with a gun...shotgun)
A seriously complex engrossing plot

and...Steller artwork (probobly by Gonzo)

[Mi-Ru-Me]

Boy, this thread went WAY off-topic.

Yes we did get it off topic but It was nice any how plus it was all for a good reason.

[Kaligraphic]

Okay, here's a definition of a perfect anime - one in which all of the episodes have been completed and released, and the series is ended.

Because the word perfect also means complete.

[Ashley]

Deep characters + involving, engaging storyline with subplots + unexpected (but not cliche!!) twists + at least ONE hot guy character + some romantic tension, even if it's not a shojo + some great comedy scenes.

Wow, I think I just described Cowboy Bebop.

[Kaligraphic]

Well, it is completed.

[Meza]

A good storyline, good characteres, seriuos and i guess sometimes funny and good background music.

[CDLviking]

Should be on ther serious side, but can have comedy
I like the idea of living spaceships, especially as seen in Tenchi Muyo
There should be one continuos and epic story line that wraps up in 26 episodes at most
Sub-plots are acceptable, but shouldn't take the story away from the main plot
No matter how high the tech level, there should always be some good hand to hand fights or sword fights.
Characters should die, nothing like a little self sacrifice
They should NOT come back to life, EVER
Villian should be really evil, none of this I want to destroy the universe, or rule the world garbage, show some real motivations (to borrow a quote from the Simpsons: "When Mr. Burns tried to steal the Sun, he crossed the line from everyday villainy, into cartoonish super-villainy." Exactly what should not happen)

To clarify some stuff on Tenchi Muyo GXP, it resolves absolutely nothing from the show, but only adds some further wrinkles that may, or may not have any affect on Tenchi. It does have one or two cool ships in it (and one awesome mecha), but there is very little of actual worth to it.

[Ingemar]

My perfect anime would involve:

A villain with the power to turn babies into gold
The long-awaited duel between Bill Gates and me in hand-to-hand combat
Dancing
Chuck Norris punching Suzumiya Haruhi in the face
Evil people who are evil for its own sake and we like them for it
A "cynical-antihero" type whose character NEVER develops, to the chagrin of Tohru Hondas everywhere
Humekitties
DBZ in reverse--the bad guys consistently get weaker and easier to beat. That means that Goku or whoever would have to be bad@zz as a baby and basically... that's it! BABIES THAT CAN DESTROY THE WORLD!!!
Dancing

[Fish and Chips]

We've probably exhausted most options and opinions for art and animation, and storyline can branch off in so many directions. So I'm just going to cut to the chase and throw in these two things: first, I'd like a more ambiguous cast of characters, groups or motives that may not be so easy to define or lable as "Good" or "Evil." Perhaps a character or group thereof might be seen as the villains at the beginning of the show, but as the series continues it's suggested or revealed that they're really humanitarian or even the good guys fighting against another evil, which may or may not (via convenient and convincing plot twist) end up being the fellows you initially thought were supposed to save the world. I'd like to have to think or pay attention for once to define who's on whose side, the good guys and the bad guys, if even that line is so clearly drawn. The series could end on a purely subjective note, leaving it all in the viewers laps to decide who was right and who was wrong.

Secondly, when it comes to action/fight scenes, less is more and quality over quantity. I'd much rather see a few memorable duels than dozens upon dozens of mediocre This is the good guy, these are the mooks, who's gonna win? battles. That's not to say there's not a time and a place for the slaughter of nameless, ageless, culturally ambigous peons in the name of justice, that's one of the great joys of life; but as is the key in all things, moderation. This also goes for repetive, endless fights, a la' Dragon Ball or Naruto, wherein every other episode or so is just another fight, because the episode just prior is a continuation of the last person you had to defeat. Please, instead give me a handful of well-executed, fluidly animated battles, where not everything is designated by power levels.

[Kkun]

We've probably exhausted most options and opinions for art and animation, and storyline can branch off in so many directions. So I'm just going to cut to the chase and throw in these two things: first, I'd like a more ambiguous cast of characters, groups or motives that may not be so easy to define or lable as "Good" or "Evil." Perhaps a character or group thereof might be seen as the villains at the beginning of the show, but as the series continues it's suggested or revealed that they're really humanitarian or even the good guys fighting against another evil, which may or may not (via convenient and convincing plot twist) end up being the fellows you initially thought were supposed to save the world. I'd like to have to think or pay attention for once to define who's on whose side, the good guys and the bad guys, if even that line is so clearly drawn. The series could end on a purely subjective note, leaving it all in the viewers laps to decide who was right and who was wrong.

Secondly, when it comes to action/fight scenes, less is more and quality over quantity. I'd much rather see a few memorable duels than dozens upon dozens of mediocre This is the good guy, these are the mooks, who's gonna win? battles. That's not to say there's not a time and a place for the slaughter of nameless, ageless, culturally ambigous peons in the name of justice, that's one of the great joys of life]a la'[/I] Dragon Ball or Naruto, wherein every other episode or so is just another fight, because the episode just prior is a continuation of the last person you had to defeat. Please, instead give me a handful of well-executed, fluidly animated battles, where not everything is designated by power levels.

I'm going to second all of the aforementioned ideas described.

I'd also like to say that the perfect anime for me would involve a good deal of political intrigue that is not retarded (a la Gundam Wing).

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I'd say that Paranoia Agent and Monster are "Perfect" animes for me. To me, a perfect anime would be something that's scary in a psychological sense, some philosophical undertones, and includes a minor distortion between fantasy and reality.

[Raiden no Kishi]

If you were to ask me [and you did ~ poor, foolish you], I would describe my ideal anime thus:

1] The Setting
I would go for a steampunk-inspired setting, but with "space Western" themes and some martial-arts action. I would want it to be something of a mix between Cowboy Bebop, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Rurouni Kenshin in its general theme.

2] The Hero
The main character would NOT have any natural talent or gifting in a particular area, as I am sick of them in anime. Instead, they would have a more Rock Lee-ish background, in that their particular skills are the result of hard work and dedication, rather than any sort of a knack for their field of expertise. This character would also not be the confident sort of hero you usually see. He [for it would likely be a he] would be unsure of his abilities. He would also lose some of his fights. As to the supporting cast, I'm not certain. They would all be vital to the plot, however.

3] The Villain
I would want a "classical" villain, i.e. one who is in the villainy [sp] business for his own benefit. However, said villain would be devious about it, hiding their identity and motives from all except those sly enough to uncover the lies. A character whom my villain would resemble somewhat would be Makoto Shishio from Rurouni Kenshin, with some influence from Light Yagami of Death Note.

That's all I have for now . . .

.rai//

[Jih]

I think canime could use a lot more originality seeing as they've pretty much run out. More experimental shows would be fun too.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I think canime could use a lot more originality seeing as they've pretty much run out. More experimental shows would be fun too.

Problem being that the more experimental shows there are, the more defined that genre gets, thus the more cliched it will get.

We don't need 20 new Excel Saga spinoffs. I do however, generally agree with you.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Okay, this might sound weird, but the "perfect" anime for me would have a satisfactory ending. I have yet to see an anime series that has a good plot followed up by a satisfactory ending! Miyazaki knows what he's doing; all the Miyazaki films have satisfactory endings (especially Howl's Moving Castle; I love that ending!). Now what do I mean by satisfactory ending? Well: the guy gets the girl at the end if there's a girl to get (not like Scrapped Princess or Escaflowne), the goal is reached (not like FMA - even after a full-length movie, they didn't reach their goal!). It's probably just because I come from a Western viewpoint, but I like there being some kind of structure to the ending of a story. I mean, the ending is the most important part of any story! The ending is what ties up every loose end, what gives meaning to the whole story! If the ending is not satisfactory (especially if the heroes fall short of their goal), you end up saying to yourself, "Now remind me again why I spent all that time and emotional energy to get into a story that leaves me so disappointed?"
This is not to say that no ambiguity can happen. I understand that the Japanese excell at ambiguous endings. And to a certain extent, I enjoy these endings. Haibane Renmei and Wolf's Rain are two animes that didn't spell everything out completely, but left me reasonably satisfied. Yet even those semi-satisfactory endings weren't completely satisfactory - probably because the storylines of those animes weren't quite as epic as some others. There are quite a few books I could name that end satisfactorily yet leave room for individual interpretation. Even the video game ICO achieves that kind of ending. I have yet to encounter a fully satisfactory ending in an anime, though.

A slightly less controversial wish for a "perfect" anime for me would be a character like Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates of the Caribbean - you keep on wondering whose side he's on. And in the end, you're still not sure he was actually on either side at all!

[Fish and Chips]

the goal is reached (not like FMA - even after a full-length movie, they didn't reach their goal!).

I disagree. Both the Anime and the Manga place more emphasis on Alphonse's loss and recovery than Ed's. That episode 51 ends with Al getting his body back is closure enough, though we also have the film to return his memory. Or did you mean the Philosopher's Stone? They got that episodes ago.

[jon_jinn]

here are my criteria for a perfect anime:

1. A well-designed fantasy setting with realistic fantasy creatures and monsters as well as interesting, creative towns, cities, villages, and/or kingdoms that actually play a role in the plot in some way. (Best example: Berserk)

2. A direct, yet clever storyline that has nice plot twists, a little bit of suspense, and lots of excitement and action (of course).

3. Good, well choreographed action scenes that are smooth, fast-paced, and backed with a really good musical score. These fights should also include clever strategy and not too over-the-top with the brutal beatdowns. Add clever graphics and camera angles to these scenes and you will be packing some serious good stuff. More close-handed, one-on-one combat would be my choice. (DBZ meets Samurai Champloo plus a touch of Karas mixed with FFVII: Advent Children.)

4. Characters that each go through their own struggles and conflicts, and each have a flaw that, as the story progresses, begins to heal or disappear. These characters should hold specific goals that they are trying to attain or reach, and these goals should, by the end of the series, be met or somehow dissolved of. These characters should also have an impressive background story that not only unfolds as the plot progresses, but also plays an important piece in the story. Character development and friendships that grow as the story progresses are big keys. Also, these characters should have their own specific gifts and talents so that they won't seem merely like a pointless character.

5. A brilliantly devised and formidable antagonist that always seems to be a step or two ahead of the protagonist. An antagonist that also develops as the story progresses would add a nice twist to the story. The antagonist should also have a very in-depth background to provide reason for his actions. Add an unusual touch of "mysteriousness" to this antagonist and you can't go wrong.

6. A satisfying and mind-blowing ending that will make its way into the minds of its viewers. An ending that connects the loose ends and finishes happily. Above all, the ending should leave a positive, yet negative impact on its viewers. (Think: Cowboy Bebop mixed with Samurai Champloo and Samurai 7.)

[the_wolfs_howl]

I disagree. Both the Anime and the Manga place more emphasis on Alphonse's loss and recovery than Ed's. That episode 51 ends with Al getting his body back is closure enough, though we also have the film to return his memory. Or did you mean the Philosopher's Stone? They got that episodes ago.

What I meant was that at the end of the series, though Al gets his body back, Ed is sent to the other side of the Gate and Al loses his memories. That wasn't very satisfactory to me. And then in the movie's conclusion, Ed and Al are brought back together again - on the other side of the Gate. Wouldn't it have been more satisfactory if they'd been able to stay in Amestris?

And jon_jinn, if there was an anime like you just described, I think it would instantly be one of my favorites

[Fish and Chips]

What I meant was that at the end of the series, though Al gets his body back, Ed is sent to the other side of the Gate and Al loses his memories. That wasn't very satisfactory to me. And then in the movie's conclusion, Ed and Al are brought back together again - on the other side of the Gate. Wouldn't it have been more satisfactory if they'd been able to stay in Amestris?

I think it was satisfying enough that the brothers were reunited, but that's just my take on it. I already greatly prefer the Manga to the Anime in terms of plot anyway.

[the_wolfs_howl]

I think it was satisfying enough that the brothers were reunited, but that's just my take on it. I already greatly prefer the Manga to the Anime in terms of plot anyway.

Me too. I like the major antagonist better in the manga than the anime, and the way it really seems possible that Al might...just might...get his body back with no side effects.
Yay Hiromu Arakawa!