Hello there, I'm new here and after seeing someone saying: "If it's unknown, it's unknown for a reason" I was so gobsmacked I felt compelled to respond to it.
The first thing I notice is that as far as I can tell, every person to have responded to this thread watches 'mainstream' anime exclusively. Because the examples of 'obscure' anime I'm seeing are examples that I would consider to be 'mainstream'. They are perhaps not as popular as Naruto or Pokemon, but they are far from 'obscure' releases.
And before anyone gets the impression I am some sort of elitist, I have seen many of the shows mentioned and enjoyed them. I have little desire to watch shows like Naruto and Pokemon, primarily due to their length and poor storylines.
Anyway, first I would like to state the
GOLDEN RULE of any form of Entertainment that should always be taken into account by everyone:
Popularity =/= Quality
Please note, this should not be interpreted as:
1. Popular things are ALWAYS of poor quality.
2. Unpopular things are ALWAYS of high quality.
It should be interpreted purely as it was written; popularity is not a factor in the quality of any given work.
If you believe that popularity is a factor, then you are incapable of thinking for yourself; it would mean that if you thought something was bad, you'd change your mind if I named ten people that liked it.
However, while it is true that
Popularity =/= Quality, Popularity can be used as an indicator of the quality of a particular work.
This can work in two ways; some people believe that general concensus is usually correct and expect that something is popular, there is a good chance it will be good.
Alternatively, some people believe that the vast majority of people are ignorant and will accept poor quality works simply because it is popular, and as a result will dismiss anything that is popular.
I used to be one of the former, but have since repented. Now I realise that Popularity has no bearing on quality, and don't take it into account when I decide whether or not to watch a given work.
However, there are certain things about mainstream entertainment works which are a factor in their quality which don't apply quite so heavily to more obscure titles. And that is outside influences like Marketing Boards and Television Executives.
Marketing people for example are primarily interested in making money, as that is why they exist. If something makes a lot of money, they will want that to continue for as long as possible.
This is the reason that long running shows like Naruto and Bleach have filler episodes. If they were split into seasons and followed the story of their mangas exclusively, they risk becoming unknown and losing substantial income.
Television Executives are another factor; they do not like to do anything too 'risky' as it may drive people away. Alternative art styles, strange music choices, excessive use of bad language... Anything that is liable to offend people or lose their interest, is generally frowned upon.
Overall, this means that mainstream shows 'play it safe' and avoid doing anything too outrageous, in order to continue to make money. Of course, that's not to say they don't ever do anything different; they just generally tend to stick with what they know.
Obscure shows do not have the same degree of meddling; they are not immune, but generally have more freedom as they are not expected to make as much money as mainstream productions.
They also have shorter runs, meaning they tend to have more developed plots (as plot details become blurred in long running shows) and much less filler material.
OAVs (Original Animated Video) tend to have good quality artwork and, as they are released directly to video, considerable artistic freedom compared to TV broadcasts.
Ultimately, Popularity is a factor in how a show is made. And thus, a factor in it's quality. But it is not the only factor, or even a significant factor.
Personally I determine what to watch using numerous sources. I have several friends who I believe to have good taste and ask them for suggestions on what to watch; if I am unsure about a particular series, I ask each of them for their thoughts on it and come to a decision based on concensus.
However, if I feel that I want to watch a particular show, I will pick it up. I recently ordered Initial D for example, based purely on my own desire to watch the show.
I also don't pay much attention to the 'genre' when deciding what to watch, particularly if it's a vague term like 'Shoujo' or 'Shonen' because I have enjoyed some shows in either demographic, despite being a nineteen year old male.
Usually I find that if something is truly of decent quality, I will enjoy it regardless of the genre.
To summarise, you should not take popularity into consideration when deciding what anime to watch, and should choose based on the individual merits of the show in question.
If you do, you are assuming that everyone has the same tastes as you, and that everyone has expert knowledge of every anime that has ever been made and the skill to select the best there is with 100% accuracy.
I don't care if they're good. If they're not dubbed in my native language then I'm not going to give them a chance.
This makes me feel sad inside, but at least that is far more reasonable than: "It's unpopular for a reason."
It surprises me that some people will not watch anything that is not dubber; particularly given the terrible quality of a large number of dubs out there.
I personally prefer some dubs: Gurren Lagann and Studio Ghibli movies in particular; but to dismiss any anime that has not been dubbed seems like a pretty ludicrous thing to me.
Have you ever considered what would happen if you were to go deaf?
Do you realise the huge costs involved in dubbing an anime?
Regardless, I'd point out that most of the titles mentioned in this thread have English dubbed versions available.
I hope this Essay/forum post has been informative, and that people are now aware of the
Golden Rule of Entertainment.
Thank you.
