Do you prefer mainstream or obscure animes?

[SpacemanHardy]

In other words, are you a fan of more mainstream anime shows like DBZ and Naruto, or do you like the lesser-known shows that only go on for one season?

Personally, I vouch for the latter. I think if a show has too many episodes, it starts getting really stale after a while. Shows like the two mentioned above, as well as Bleach and One Piece, which both have 100+ episodes, just do not appeal to me. It's as if they stretch out the series arcs way too long just so they can increase their episode count.

I actually prefer animes that start out, tell a story, then end. That's it. None of this multiple story arcs crap. Most of my favorite series have either been 12-13 episodes or 24-26 episodes. Very, VERY occasionally I'll find a series I like that goes on for about 48-50 episodes, but no more than that. I find that when you have a small or average amount of episodes to tell a story, then the story is usually more focused and tight, with less room for veering off or creating plot holes. Also, I HATE it when fights in particular last longer than one episode. Don't get me wrong, I love watching fights. If it takes an entire show, that's fine. If it goes into a second episode, however, that's pushing it. If the fight lasts three or more, then THAT'S JUST STUPID.

That's not to say that there aren't any really popular shows that I like. Shows like Bebop, Trigun, Ghost In the Shell, and even Haruhi are some of my favorites. However, I still feel drawn to the shows that no one really talks about.

Has anybody here ever watched Mushi-Shi? Gankutsuou? Ergo Proxy? Solty Rei? Speed Grapher? Heck, even Read or Die or Mezzo? Probably not, yet all of those are personal favorites of mine that I hold very closely to my heart.

Anyways, that's my two cents. What about you?

[[Asian-Jesus]]

You actually like Mezzo? Ugh, it's just glorified hentai. It's down below with Love Hina.

[Violent Ken Masters]

I'd say I'm into more mainstream because those anime's usually build up characters and stories more than others.
Although I hate it when they make an anime and it's usually some type of Tenchi Muyo romance series, and in the 50 episodes basically nothing happens in the end.
Like Tenchi In Tokyo. I thought how it started was great, Tenchi was getting a new life, he had a girlfriend, and then they just crapped on the series by saying the girl is just an illusion.

The only series that was very short and I liked a lot, I would have to say Elfen Lied. Each character had a very unique story and the ending just made you wonder.

Cowboy Bebop was great, except the ending left you wondering whether Spike was dead or alive, (he could have passed out, I know the guy who made the anime won't say whether he's alive or dead because he doesn't want to disappoint any of the fans).
I don't really care for shows that only go one season because in the end, it just leaves you wanting a lot more. I enjoy fights that last long, because it shows how much the characters can take for so long. Plus there's always room for filler episodes on any important plot details, as opposed to where in a one season show it will be story, fight scene story (that was how Cowboy Bebop was). Cowboy Bebop was great but it just made you wonder way too much, like practically leaving you totally in the dust at times. Like in the last episodes it made me wonder if Faye had a thing for Spike or what. The problem was, they didn't give enough time to answer everyones questions, which is the way I feel about most obscure animes.

[SpacemanHardy]

You actually like Mezzo? Ugh, it's just glorified hentai. It's down below with Love Hina.

Did you watch the actual series or just the OVA?  Because the OVA was pretty much as you said.  The series, on the other hand, I really really liked.

[[Asian-Jesus]]

You actually like Mezzo? Ugh, it's just glorified hentai. It's down below with Love Hina.

Did you watch the actual series or just the OVA?  Because the OVA was pretty much as you said.  The series, on the other hand, I really really liked.

The animation was terrible. And no, I didn't want to watch hentai with a plot.

[SanjiSasuke]

I don't think I like anything short...

[Negi Springfield]

both

I don't know if you guys know it
but Negima (for the most part)
is not really main-stream :/
It only has around 21 episodes
with only 2 story arcs
(the manga is ALOT longer XD)
I don't really know that much obscure anime...
now Mainstream...about that
nothing good comes on anymore...
I mean DAMN...
atleast not on Adult Swim/Toonami
but there was nothing I loved more then the High-time of Toonami
Gundam Wing
Sailor Moon
Rounin Warriors
Tenchi Muyo
Yu Yu Hakisho
Dragon Ball Z.......

speaking of
DBZ
is that what you meant by same fight for more then 5 episodes?
cuz I could of sworn Goku vs. Freiza was like....9
Today on DRAGON BALL Z....
Freiza watches as a tumble-weed blows by
*episodes lasts for 30 mins*
NEXT TIME on Dragon Ball ZZZZZZZZZZZ
Goku watches the same tumble-weed blow by
XD
I know what you mean by the whole thing
now
some of the more obscure anime I watch...
Negima!
Negima!?
Tenjou Tenge
.......
that's it
XD

[[Asian-Jesus]]

This topic has me wondering though, since when does an anime become obscure? I mean, if more episodes are made, wouldn't that mean it's mainstream? Same goes for manga.

[Captain Cold]

i think i am 50/50 its what ever strikes my fancy i have no preference as long as it keeps my attention because i have such a short one  

[Gigan X3]

I like...I dunno, I like what I like regardless of how famous it is.

My favorite Anime is Cowboy Bebop, There's only 26 episodes but even though they're all about Bounties they are all very different, You got the Crazy Pierrot Le Fou with a really Dark and Violent Episode then you have Mushroom Hunters with all the Adventure feeling and the beat.

And at last we have the movie with someone who gets you to see some of Spike's sides never seen before in the Anime.

Second favorite is Samurai Champloo, It is short but I like the style and music in it, I also like the random Episodes with no sense, Zombies? Baseball? I'm in.

3rd Favorite is One Piece, 4th is DB/DBZ( Hate GT, Love all SSJ4s though ), 5th is Hellsing, 6th Neon Genesis Evangelion, 7th Bleach, 8th The Melancholy of Haruhi, 9th School Rumble and 10th is Afro Samurai.

Did anyone notice that Most of them range between 13-26 Episodes long? I like few episodes because You get better animation and they concentrate the most on important matters, Although I like DBZ and Bleach's Fillers a lot, Goku's Driving Lessons? Don Kanogi? Alright!

[SpacemanHardy]

All I have to say is,

This is my basic analysis of shows like DBZ, Naruto, and the like:

Hero: "Yeah!  I'm the Hero!  I'm a scruffy teenage punk who doesn't have any strong powers, but I have infinite potential!!"
Villain: "I'm the Villain, ARRGH!!  I'm the strongest being in the world!!  No Way can you beat me!!"
Hero: "Oh noes!!! He's too strong!  I'm getting pummelled!!"
*three-to-four episodes of fight*
Hero: "I'm dying, I can't beat him!!  Ahh... But what's this?!  A ancient power that's been sealed inside of me?!  Haha!!  I'll use it to defeat you!!"
Villain: "Arrrgghhh!!!  Your power is immense!!  You've beaten me!!  I see now that you truly are powerful!!  Let's be friends from now on!!"
Hero: "Okay!"
*13-20 episodes of filler*
Villain2: "Garr, I'm the new villain!!  I'm the strongest being in the world!!"
Hero: "But I thought the first guy was!!"
Villain2: "Uhhhh... Well.... He's not!! I am!!"
Hero: "No worry!!  I'll use my super secret unlocked technique on you!!"
Villain2: "Hahaha!!!  You fool, that won't work on me!!!"
Hero: "Oh noes!!!  Not again!!"
*four-to-six episodes of fight*
Hero: "I take handle this!!  I think I might actually lose this time!!  But wait!!  What's this?!  Yet ANOTHER ancient power that was locked away inside me has come loose!!  Hahaha!!  I'll defeat you now for sure!!"
Villain2: "Aiiiiiieeeee!!!  I am undone!!  You are simply too strong!!!  Please, let me be your friend too!!!"
Hero: "Sure, why not!!"
*another 20-30 episodes of filler, then repeat the above scenario*

Don't even try to argue.  You know it's like that.   

[Gigan X3]

Yeah!  I'm the Hero!  I'm a scruffy teenage punk who doesn't have any strong powers, but I have infinite potential!!"

That already failed on Goku

He's like too dumb to say something like that and he was like UBER strong since always.

[SpacemanHardy]

Yeah!  I'm the Hero!  I'm a scruffy teenage punk who doesn't have any strong powers, but I have infinite potential!!"

That already failed on Goku

He's like too dumb to say something like that and he was like UBER strong since always.

Goku's probably the only exception to the rule, but the rest of it still kind of applies.

[Negi Springfield]

Goku is so stupid I'm surprised he has a son
let alone 2 
....
....
....
....
 

[Gigan X3]

Goku's probably the only exception to the rule, but the rest of it still kind of applies.

Sure does, Naruto is way too much...I was trying to like the anime, there were some cool fights like Rock Lee's but those explanations...Ugh..They explain EVERYTHING like if we were retards.

Kakashi: Naruto jumped and he kicked his opponent while airborne, then he fell.
Sakura: NO WAI!
Sasuke: Hmph!

Goku is so stupid I'm surprised he has a son
let alone 2 
....
....
....
....

And yet his stupidness is part of what makes him so Likeable and Funny. Same goes for Goten and his "I told You I've never tried that Food!" in response to Brolly's second "Kakarot!".

[Violent Ken Masters]

All I have to say is,

This is my basic analysis of shows like DBZ, Naruto, and the like:

Hero: "Yeah!  I'm the Hero!  I'm a scruffy teenage punk who doesn't have any strong powers, but I have infinite potential!!"
Villain: "I'm the Villain, ARRGH!!  I'm the strongest being in the world!!  No Way can you beat me!!"
Hero: "Oh noes!!! He's too strong!  I'm getting pummelled!!"
*three-to-four episodes of fight*
Hero: "I'm dying, I can't beat him!!  Ahh... But what's this?!  A ancient power that's been sealed inside of me?!  Haha!!  I'll use it to defeat you!!"
Villain: "Arrrgghhh!!!  Your power is immense!!  You've beaten me!!  I see now that you truly are powerful!!  Let's be friends from now on!!"
Hero: "Okay!"
*13-20 episodes of filler*
Villain2: "Garr, I'm the new villain!!  I'm the strongest being in the world!!"
Hero: "But I thought the first guy was!!"
Villain2: "Uhhhh... Well.... He's not!! I am!!"
Hero: "No worry!!  I'll use my super secret unlocked technique on you!!"
Villain2: "Hahaha!!!  You fool, that won't work on me!!!"
Hero: "Oh noes!!!  Not again!!"
*four-to-six episodes of fight*
Hero: "I take handle this!!  I think I might actually lose this time!!  But wait!!  What's this?!  Yet ANOTHER ancient power that was locked away inside me has come loose!!  Hahaha!!  I'll defeat you now for sure!!"
Villain2: "Aiiiiiieeeee!!!  I am undone!!  You are simply too strong!!!  Please, let me be your friend too!!!"
Hero: "Sure, why not!!"
*another 20-30 episodes of filler, then repeat the above scenario*

Don't even try to argue.  You know it's like that.   

Since when did Freiza ever become Goku's friend?
Besides, I could easily sum up 90% of the  of the cowboy bebop episodes. 

Spike: Oh hey Jet, it's a damn shame we're broke
Jet: Yeah
Spike: (checks comp), hey there's some guy 400 miles away from us on another planet that has a bounty on his head
Jet: Aliright! Let's go get us some cash!
*Spike searches planet to find his target, gunfight*
Spike: Well we got the guys.
*Something stupid happens and they don't get their bounty money.
Eventually there's some stupid bounty and that bounty person becomes a key character and they go into that characters story while Spike is trying to get bounty. (seriously, Faye and Ed both started as characters that Spike and Jet were searching for because they had a bounty).
Then last 4 episodes, they typically go into the main character (Spike's) story and finish the anime.

See. 

@ Gigan, it's true Goku's been uber strong since always. I mean in the first episode, Bulma like shoots him in the head, and Goku just barely gets hurt.

[SanjiSasuke]

Short series:
Action:
Hero: I am a dignified person with 1 bad thing
Villain: KILL HIM!
*almost all episodes full of minion killing*
Villain:C'mon lets kill each other!
*both die*

Romance:
I just hate them

And if it counts, I did think of one decent short series: Cyborg 009(Anime was pretty short)

And: Usually it is a power struggle, as in a switch of who is winning with battles better than two swipes of a fist. And usually the villain dies. And what you want the villain to be overwhelmed instantly? That would suck.

And half the people who read comics always say "what?" if you DON'T spell it out so tha is why Animes do it

[[Asian-Jesus]]

Goku's probably the only exception to the rule, but the rest of it still kind of applies.

Sure does, Naruto is way too much...I was trying to like the anime, there were some cool fights like Rock Lee's but those explanations...Ugh..They explain EVERYTHING like if we were retards.

Kakashi: Naruto jumped and he kicked his opponent while airborne, then he fell.
Sakura: NO WAI!
Sasuke: Hmph!

Then don't watch the english dub. Duh! I mean, Naruto in America (in america...) for the most part is aimed towards a younger audience.

[Gigan X3]

Spike: Oh hey Jet, it's a damn shame we're broke
Jet: Yeah
Spike: (checks comp), hey there's some guy 400 miles away from us on another planet that has a bounty on his head
Jet: Aliright! Let's go get us some cash!
*Spike searches planet to find his target, gunfight*
Spike: Well we got the guys.
*Something stupid happens and they don't get their bounty money.
Eventually there's some stupid bounty and that bounty person becomes a key character and they go into that characters story.
while Spike is trying to get bounty. (seriously, Faye and Ed both started as characters that Spike and Ed were searching for because they had a bounty).
Then last 4 episodes, they typically go into the main character (Spike's) story and finish the anime.

Hey Sure! But as I said all episodes have a very different feeling except those about Vicious. That's the cool thing, it's the same theme but in a whole new way.

Then don't watch the english dub. Duh! I mean, Naruto in America (in america...) for the most part is aimed towards a younger audience.

I wouldn't like to know how bad is the dub since I have never ever seen it, I have first 50 episodes on DVD Uncut Japanese Language with subtitles, Naruto Clearly does things in Kiba's Fight yet they have to waste half episode explaining the obvious. Most of the time it's Sakura who never understands what's going on, Well at least she gets smarter between and after the Chunin Exams.

[SpacemanHardy]

And here's another thing....

Do you absolutely positively HAVE to yell out the name of your attack when you use it?!?!

I mean, come on!!  That's just stupid.  It's okay if you name your various attacks (if that's your thing, I mean, if that kinda thing makes you happy), but it just sounds so incredibly cheesy everytime they yell out some silly Japanese word whenever they use the attack.

And DON'T try to convince me that they HAVE to do it to activate it.  If you haven't figured out how to properly use your maneuver without screaming it's name out, then you need to go back and practice it some more.

I mean, honestly.  If you and I were in a fight, and I rear back and punch you in the chest, would you expect me to shout out something like "Raging Knuckle!!" when I attack you?  I swear....

[[Asian-Jesus]]

Spike: Oh hey Jet, it's a damn shame we're broke
Jet: Yeah
Spike: (checks comp), hey there's some guy 400 miles away from us on another planet that has a bounty on his head
Jet: Aliright! Let's go get us some cash!
*Spike searches planet to find his target, gunfight*
Spike: Well we got the guys.
*Something stupid happens and they don't get their bounty money.
Eventually there's some stupid bounty and that bounty person becomes a key character and they go into that characters story.
while Spike is trying to get bounty. (seriously, Faye and Ed both started as characters that Spike and Ed were searching for because they had a bounty).
Then last 4 episodes, they typically go into the main character (Spike's) story and finish the anime.

Hey Sure! But as I said all episodes have a very different feeling except those about Vicious. That's the cool thing, it's the same theme but in a whole new way.

Then don't watch the english dub. Duh! I mean, Naruto in America (in america...) for the most part is aimed towards a younger audience.

I wouldn't like to know how bad is the dub since I have never ever seen it, I have first 50 episodes on DVD Uncut Japanese Language with subtitles, Naruto Clearly does things in Kiba's Fight yet they have to waste half episode explaining the obvious. Most of the time it's Sakura who never understands what's going on, Well at least she gets smarter between and after the Chunin Exams.

I've tried to like it when I was in Japan, but it was just TOO bad for me. When i got back to America, it just got worse.

[MaverickZr0]

And here's another thing....

Do you absolutely positively HAVE to yell out the name of your attack when you use it?!?!

I mean, come on!!  That's just stupid.  It's okay if you name your various attacks (if that's your thing, I mean, if that kinda thing makes you happy), but it just sounds so incredibly cheesy everytime they yell out some silly Japanese word whenever they use the attack.

And DON'T try to convince me that they HAVE to do it to activate it.  If you haven't figured out how to properly use your maneuver without screaming it's name out, then you need to go back and practice it some more.

I mean, honestly.  If you and I were in a fight, and I rear back and punch you in the chest, would you expect me to shout out something like "Raging Knuckle!!" when I attack you?  I swear....

What if Ryu all of a sudden stopped saying "Hado-ken!" ?

[SpacemanHardy]

And here's another thing....

Do you absolutely positively HAVE to yell out the name of your attack when you use it?!?!

I mean, come on!!  That's just stupid.  It's okay if you name your various attacks (if that's your thing, I mean, if that kinda thing makes you happy), but it just sounds so incredibly cheesy everytime they yell out some silly Japanese word whenever they use the attack.

And DON'T try to convince me that they HAVE to do it to activate it.  If you haven't figured out how to properly use your maneuver without screaming it's name out, then you need to go back and practice it some more.

I mean, honestly.  If you and I were in a fight, and I rear back and punch you in the chest, would you expect me to shout out something like "Raging Knuckle!!" when I attack you?  I swear....

What if Ryu all of a sudden stopped saying "Hado-ken!" ?

That's a video game.  That doesn't count.

[MaverickZr0]

Ah gotcha. But then it'd be an ordinary blast If Goku stopped saying "Kamehameha!" wouldn't it?

[SpacemanHardy]

Ah gotcha. But then it'd be an ordinary blast If Goku stopped saying "Kamehameha!" wouldn't it?

9 out of 10 of his blasts do exactly the same thing anyways.  The Spirit Bomb and maybe one or two of his other energy blasts are the only ones that are different.

Actually, it would probably make more sense if he DIDN'T shout out Kamehameha whenever he used the attack.  Then his opponents wouldn't expect which attack he'd use.