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Realistic or fantastic?

Mr Cat Dog

Mr Cat Dog

Frasier says it best
11,344
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What sort of anime/manga do you normally go for? The more 'realistic' ones with simpler designs and a greater emphasis on emotion or the more 'fantastic' ones with more outrageous designs and a greater emphasis on spectacle?

Gogogo...
 

Seiren

Playing the Spirit's Tune~
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  • Age 34
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I lean more towards the 'fantastic' category, but only because the storyline and the emotions conveyed within anime that would fall into the 'realistic' category are often poorly done and/or predictable, and the lack of anything else to distract me from how badly it's written drive me away from it.

A good story can entertain me just as much as a lot of show can - stuff like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Steins;Gate rank amongst my favourites and, whilst calling them 'realistic' might be a stretch, they portray a more realistic image than fantasy settings, etc - but the problem is finding a good story. I've seen it all before, and it doesn't entertain me anymore. Plot twists are only good if you don't see them coming, and if you've seen the same plot twist being used somewhere else in almost exactly the same fashion, it loses its impact.

For some reason, I never tire of action sequences. They can be very samey as well, but it's the little things that make them interesting. I'm probably just too unforgiving of plotlines being re-used in different anime. xD
 
Esper

Esper

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I... can't answer this based on your categories. I don't know how to separate them.

Like, I've got Cardcaptor Sakura for instance. I wouldn't describe it as "outrageous" but I could see it as having an emphasis on spectacle. And it might not be "realistic" or "simple" but it does have an emphasis on emotion.

I guess I don't favor one or the other?
 
Mana1

Mana1

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Scarf said:
I... can't answer this based on your categories. I don't know how to separate them.

Like, I've got Cardcaptor Sakura for instance. I wouldn't describe it as "outrageous" but I could see it as having an emphasis on spectacle. And it might not be "realistic" or "simple" but it does have an emphasis on emotion.

I guess I don't favor one or the other?
Click to expand...

I thought this meant Realistic or Fantasy

CCS is probably Fantastical - pretty summoning scenes, costume changes, etc.

I much prefer fantasy/combat anime. High school comedies and realistic ones (except for some detective series I've seen) tend to bore me a little.
 
Mr Cat Dog

Mr Cat Dog

Frasier says it best
11,344
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I guess by 'realistic', I meant that the stakes are inherently lower than that of a 'fantastic' series. Obviously there is potential for high-levels of emotion in both, but I've often felt that 'realistic' anime series tend to focus more on that sort of thing because they haven't got as much of a sense of spectacle to lure viewers in. Hopefully that clears things up a bit.
 
Krazzikk

Krazzikk

502
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11
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Well from your choices I would say realistic. I was animes like Pantasia, and Haruhi, but I used to watch One Piece which would go under 'fantastic'. It really just depends on what you describe as fantastic and realistic =D
 

Mentalii

Back
653
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12
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I prefer realistic anime (even if there's often a "fantastic" touch in them). Animes with too much spectacle tend to annoy me, I like action but when it's pretty soft. I also love all that concerns mystery, but in the most realistic way possible.
 

Spinosaurus

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Considering the only anime I even watch are about crimes, boxing and baseball, (Detective Conan, Hajime no Ippo and Major respectively) then obviously realistic for me.

Generally I'm not a real fan of anime, and only watch the aforementioned shows because they involve a hobby or interest. The only fantastic anime I even like is the original Dragon Ball, but in the end it still involves an interest of mine. (Karate fighting.)
 
Elite Overlord LeSabre™

Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'
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Depends on the anime, its genre, and what I expect from it. If it's a mahou shoujo series like Pretty Cure, then I expect to see a lot of fantastic sparkling attacks, transforming sequences, and larger than life villains.

However, if it's a slow paced slice of life series I'm watching, I want things to be kept as realistic as possible. Typically, I don't want to see elements like vampires, zombies or magic mixed into my slow paced slice of life (I can however point to two series - the older Someday's Dreamers and the more recent Natsuiro Kiseki as ones that featured a bit of the supernatural while still retaining a very realistic and believable feel to the show). The same could be said for the high school romance series... I'd rather it focus mainly on the romance without the extra gimmicks.

Again, it all depends on the genre of the show and what I'm in the mood for at that time.
 

YungKnowledge

Kigo & Jori Shipper
367
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13
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I guess I have to say Realistic because I like anime like Case Closed, Honey Clover, and Slam Dunk. I like other animes but those happen to be my favorites as right now.
 

Shadow Broker

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Realistic

I like realistic anime better. The more detail in the art the better. I like both, but realistic anime really gets me. Things like Grave of the Fireflies. SADDEST MOVIE EVER. :(
 
Legobricks

Legobricks

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Given that I've started watching Legend of Galactic Heroes, I suppose realistic.

Stuff like Gurren Lagann generally turns me off at so much as a glance.
 
ZetaZaku

ZetaZaku

AEUG Pilot
580
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11
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I watch them all, from shows like Gundam that feature some realistic elements, to shows like Pretty Cure that feature magical girls. But it really depends on the genre. If I watch an action show, I want it to be realistic and not like Black Lagoon where people run towards bullets and get missed. If I watch a slice of life, I don't want supernatural elements (example: Clannad, where the supernatural elements ruined the show for me) and just want them to do interesting stuff.
 

BBA_Beyblader_321

💕
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  • Age 30
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A bit of a mix... I enjoy things like Ao No Exorcist and FMA, but I REALLY like things like :
Beyblade, Air Gear, Prince of Tennis, etc. Things that are plausible but have that twist thats totally unrealistic~ XD
 
Treecko

Treecko

the princess without voice
6,316
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12
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I prefer realistic anime more than fantastic, though I like both. Several years ago I would of said fantastic cause I was still watching more of the popular series such as Naruto and Bleach and at the time the popular stuff were mostly fantasy. Now I've been watching more not as popular anime which tend to be more realistic. Some of my favorites such as Azumanga Diaoh and Lucky Star fall into that slice of life genre. Some other favorites include Durarara and Haruhi (which does have some fantasy elements in it).
 

voltianqueen

WITH SEAWATER
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  • Age 30
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I usually prefer fantastic anime (and everything) over realistic ones. It really just depends, though, since I love shows like Azumanga Daioh and Yuru Yuri, meanwhile some other favorites include Madoka and Digimon. Depends on what I feel like, I guess, but I usually want fantasy.
 

AresTheAwesome

The Awesome Trainer...
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  • Age 28
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Well odds are there wont be much Giga Drill Breaking or Super Saiyan Transformations going on in realistic so...
 
antemortem

antemortem

rest after tomorrow
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I admittedly prefer a mix of both. I like anime that get into the nitty-gritty, sensitive side of emotion, such as some obvious elements of, say, Eureka 7 or Durarara!!!. At the same time, I like elements of fantastic/fantasy, and the more explosive designs, plots and characters, such as Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist. If I had to answer one way or another, I'd go with fantastic.
 
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