Explain These

[Myoti]

I've been wondering a bit recently about some anime/manga I might like to check out, but I have big thing about true "originality".

Please explain how these are and what makes them (from your view and/or the view of the majority of fans) so good/popular. DON'T just be fanboy/girlish on me. Give me some real facts on these:


-Rurouni Kenshin - I've wondered a bit about this one. Is it just generic samurai action with an anime twist, or... what?


-Inuyasha - I dunno about this one... I've only seen a few episodes and wasn't that impressed. It may be good (or worse) later on, so I'm not too sure about trying this one...


-Bleach - A bit mixed on this as well.
I'll admit to having only read the first chapter, at the first one felt kinda... wierd. Kinda like it was explaining too much at one time or something.
I did flip through a few others, however, and it does look pretty nifty (Hollows = kewlness). Maybe...

[Tenshi no Ai]

Knwoing from my own personl views (and also tryign to go along with what many others woudl say)

Kenshin - an interesting main character I guess. I mean, one minute he's "oro"ing after getting smacked in the head and stuff, and other times he gives off his famous "Kenshin glare" and takes down opponents twice his size. Also, I'm sure the first OVAs would add to the popularity, with the whole story about the scross-shaped scar and everything... overall, I'd say an itneresting mix of characters go into this. I'm just SO into the manga and watch the anime as I progress through the manga. Yeah, I'm still sayign the characters.

Inuyasha - It's sort of like Kenshin with the different array of characters: from the peverted Miroku, to the bad-boy outside, kindISH on the outside, Sesshoumaru. It's got bishies, and action, and demon battles and everything! The beginning plot got me hooked, but the dragged on eps, fillers, and contunously, non-ending plot (and HORRIBLE anime ending) got me out of it :/

Bleach - ...never have watched the anime/read the manga on this actually. Well, I did read the Shonen Jump preview when it was just coming out, but appeared to me to be another one of those sub genres of "people who can see spirits that no one else can" so seemed alot like another Yu Yu Hakusho/Hikaru no Go/Shaman King etc :/ So since Shonen Jump were full of those, wasn't about to get into it. So honestly, I don't udnerstand its popularity either.

I know one anime I personally never got (and still sort of don't) the popularity of, was FMA. I remember forums would have PAGES of "FMA!!!" "did you watch FMA last night?!" and so on... probably the overratedness of it all drew me away from it... still, it's one of those series I probably wouldn't get into and watch really unless it was on TV or or somethin :/

[Myoti]

Hm... I can probably rule out IY, then. Kenshin maybe... and still not enough to know on Bleach...

Funny, I actually find FMA (so far) to be quite good. Maybe a little overrated, but original enough for me to like.

[Nate]

By the way, if you're irritated by people who constantly speak in the third person, avoid Kenshin like the plague. It's beyond frustrating.

Nate hates people who talk in the third person. He has never liked it, and he never will.

[Myoti]

Well, it depends... sometimes yes, sometimes no... hmm....

EDIT: Either way, Zoro still OWNs him.

[Tenshi no Ai]

By the way, if you're irritated by people who constantly speak in the third person, avoid Kenshin like the plague. It's beyond frustrating.

I don't mind it too much in the manga, but since it's constantly repeated in the anime and I watch the JPN version of it, it's said enough that you tend to memorize yet another usless JPN phrase... gozaru. ...sort of like if you've ever seen Rune Soldier and it's "hohoemi desu!" :/ (Meh not exact spelling and stuff cause I haven't heard either of them for a bit, but you get the point )

[FadedOne]

Kenshin: uh..dunno honestly. My brother is an RK manga fanatic though. I should drag him on here and have him explain. XD

Inuyasha: I love the characters, but there's soooo many episodes. I recommend the movies and then whatever Inu anime you can watch on tv..dont even attempt to buy it, lol. However, i have heard that the ani-manga is good.

Bleach: I will not be fangirlish...i will not be fangirlish... XD Ok, hard facts. Bleach is not for everyone. I've heard some say that it's too much incessant fighting. I disagree!

One thing that I love about Bleach(both the manga and the anime) is the random humor thrown into the drama. You're right in the middle of a dramatic plot or scence and the writer throws in some completely wacky moment(for example...Rukia's art! )

The character development is good....I love the main characters. They have individual personality quirks and perks. For example, the main character Ichigo is a bit of a jerk, but he's very protective of his family and will go to any lengths to be strong for them. And one of the main girls....Inoue, well she's kind of flaky, but she's also hot. And really sweet. The characters are just so...endearing(sp?). They make you cheer for them. Plus, there's wonderful violence...even Ichigo does get sliced up ALL the time and still lives. XD

I fully recommend you checking Bleach out. As far as content goes, if you're curious....the manga has far less language. Personally though, I still like the anime more. It depends on your preference. Both anime and manga have a few off-color jokes here and there, but i haven't seen any nudity(yet) and it's very overlookable.

(pardon any babbling or confusingness on my part. i'm supposed to be asleep already. must wake up before 6. =/ )

[MasterDias]

Bleach - Actually, since you are a fan of One Piece and Naruto, I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't like Bleach.
It's got an interesting cast, some well-choreographed fights, some absolutely killer plot twists later on(that blow all of the plot twists in OP and Naruto out of the water), and a well thought-out world.

I would definitely recommend Bleach to you. As far as shonen manga go, I would say that it's more original than much of what's out there and there are certainly enough differences to set it apart from YYH and Shaman King.

Rurouni Kenshin - Part historical fiction set shortly after the Meiji Restoration, part shonen action, with a dose of romantic comedy and you will have Kenshin. It's split into three main arcs and Watsuki does know how to tell a good story with some cool fights. I don't know if you are a history buff or not but I would recommend that you look into it just the same.

Here is a fact that I've always found interesting: Rurouni Kenshin's manga-ka, Nobuhiro Watsuki, had three assistants who would later go on to do long shonen manga themselves -Eiichiro Oda(I'm certain you know the name...), Hiro Mashima(Groove Adventure Rave/Rave Master), and Hiroyuki Takei(Shaman King).

Inuyasha - Only one of the three you listed that I'm not following at the moment. I've read one volume, seen a couple episodes and one of the movies... The characters are likeable (as Rumiko Takahashi characters generally are) but...the sheer length and drawn-out nature of the series at the moment(this coming from someone who is a big fan of other long series). I'm waiting to see when the manga ends...and then I might consider getting it.

So to sum up my opinion: I would strongly recommend that you check out Bleach. I would also recommend that you check out Kenshin. I can't really give you that much advice on Inuyasha as I don't follow it...but many complain about the length.

[Myoti]

This:

I've heard some say that it's too much incessant fighting.

and this:

One thing that I love about Bleach(both the manga and the anime) is the random humor thrown into the drama. You're right in the middle of a dramatic plot or scence and the writer throws in some completely wacky moment(for example...Rukia's art! )

is reason enough for me to check it out.

Here is a fact that I've always found interesting: Rurouni Kenshin's manga-ka, Nobuhiro Watsuki, had three assistants who would later go on to do long shonen manga themselves -Eiichiro Oda(I'm certain you know the name...), Hiro Mashima(Groove Adventure Rave/Rave Master), and Hiroyuki Takei(Shaman King).

Yes, I knew of this as well. Quite interesting.


So... I'll most definetly be hunting down Bleach, then possibly Kenshin later on.

How is the English manga of Bleach, though? I mean, yeah, most of the manga out there tend to stay true, but there are some cases... (Doppleganger in Naruto, "Zolo" in One Piece, etc.)

[CDLviking]

For me, the thing that makes RK so compelling are the moral dilemas that come into play. Kenshin has taken a vow never to kill again, but there are times when other people's lives are on the line, and he has to decide whether he can keep his vow and still save them. I liked Trigun for the same reason, but found it even more compelling. Downsides to RK are some of the filler episodes in the first and last arcs, and sometimes the comedic elements don't mesh well with the dramatic elements in the show.

For Inu Yasha, I liked the basic plot of the show, but they can't seem to stay on course, too much filler, too long, better off buying the manga. It's sad that all of Takahashi's manga seem to translate into over-long, filler laced anime.

[uc pseudonym]

My contribution to this thread will be recommending Bleach. Keep in mind I am biased toward action series, but let me temper that by saying I'm rather unimpressed by both Ruroni Kenshin and Inuyasha. In terms of coreography, Bleach is many steps above Inuyasha (not hard, if there is any at all), and I haven't seen enough Ruroni Kenshin fights to offer a decent opinion there.

Here are the bad things I have to say about Bleach: Kubo Tite uses too many large panels, so events move slowly; the humor isn't generally very intelligent or effective; the plot is good but spends too long setting you up for the twist that gives it any real quality; certain ideas and plot elements weren't fully planned at the beginning, and hence some evolution can be seen.

But in all honesty, those things aren't that big of a deal. Many different series drag, I would say far worse things about the humor of most series (particularly Ruroni Kenshin), and Nobuhiro Watsuki basically admits he makes things up as he goes, which means his series has no continuity resembling that of Bleach.

Now for some good things. Once the plot twist is finally revealed, it is apparent that the series has a well-planned plot that has considerably more depth than the typical action manga. Furthermore, Bleach has a plethora of interesting characters (in a literary sense you could probably argue too many). I definitely consider it worth your time.

How is the English manga of Bleach, though?

Pretty good so far. They haven't done anything that strikes me as pointless, anyway.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Bleach is amazing. Good soundtrack, the plot has major twists and keeps you wondering. The fight scenes are spectacular and the characters are memorable. Lots of depth of characters, even some minor ones. Bleach has a knack of putting in random funny moments during very serious moments, so I like that. The concept is quite original and the weapons rock (Shikai and Bankai!)

The viz bleach manga is allright. Unless you want to be current with whats happening now or something. Also unless you're a "purist" of some sort who likes certain things retaining their originality. (Chaning "shimigami" to "death god" or maybe some names of attacks)

[Tenshi no Ai]

Also unless you're a "purist" of some sort who likes certain things retaining their originality. (Chaning "shimigami" to "death god" or maybe some names of attacks)

"Changing"... or "translating" though? It's just been translated :/
I actually find it odd in english manga when they through in odd Japanese words like "sugoi" "kakkoi" and "kawaii" (as I've been reading through .hack manga).
And yet another thing that bugs me is when they translate NAMES of characters, like in Chobits from "Sumomo" to "Plum"

*cough* I'm done my part...

[Radical Dreamer]

Rurouni Kenshin--

Pros: The reason why this is such a popular series (and my personal favorite...*tries hard to be fair and unbaised!*) is because of the sheer variety of genre that it compiles into one series. I find myself cracking up one minute, sitting on the edge of my seat in an action sequence the next minute, squealing in fangirlishness from a romantic scene (or an unexpected appearance from one of the characters) the next minute, and enjoying the historical aspects the next (even though it's not totally historically accurate). It's such a wonderful blend of all of these genres, and Watsuki does a wonderful job of pulling them all together to make a truly interesting story.

Cons: The reasons why someone might not like this series...Well, I personally don't like Watsuki's earlier art style (in the manga...this isn't a problem in the anime), though it improves greatly as he moves the series along. Watsuki is a very talented artist, but his characters look different (ish) during the first two manga (although it's improved by the second). Watsuki's art style changes throughout the entire series, to be honest, but his storyline keeps your attention, and his skill as an artist is obvious, as he makes great improvements through the series. His is now one of my favorite art styles.

Another turn-off would be the number of volumes in the manga (28...yikes!), and for the anime, the number of episodes (92), many of which are filler; however, the second season is completely without filler, and is one of those "must-see" anime, in my opinion. Also, the story doesn't really pick up and totally suck you in until around the 7th volume in the manga (I was completely hooked on the anime after the 7th episode; however, in spite of the filler). From there, it only gets better, but the first 6 volumes are really mainly used for setting up the second arc (which starts with number 7).

Overall: A fantastic series, and VERY clean, as well. There is a little language, and plenty of blood, but if that doesn't bother you, then it's great!


InuYasha

Pros: I like this anime (I don't LOVE it, but it holds my attention...most times...XD), and I think the main reason would be for either the characters or the love story. There is a lot of action, but it usually ends up with InuYasha using his Wind Scar, and that's that. There's comedy too, another aspect I like, and some of the storylines are good. The music is super catchy too, if you like j-pop.

Cons: It draaaaags. On and on and on and on. It's like, DragonBall Z with a different storyline and better-looking characters. The length of this series is probably its main downfall, but if you don't mind going through all those episodes (some of which are very good, mind you), then it shouldn't be a problem (though it is for most people...with lives. ).

It's also quite repetitive. By repetitive, I mean this:

Kagome: I sense a Jewel Shard!
Sango: Just like you did in the last episode?
InuYasha: Shut up, Sango! Where's the shard, Kagome?!
Kagome: I think it's....Over there!
Miroku: After we find this shard...will you bear my children?
Sango: *slaps Miroku*
Kagome: Oh look! The shard is inside a demon!
Shippou: Oh no! Save us, InuYasha! *looks scared but cute*
InuYasha: Shut up and get out of my way! WIND SCAR!
Kagome: You saved us InuYasha!
Sango: And now we have another Jewel Shard!
InuYasha: Let's go find Naraku!
All: YEAH!

So you see. XD Not to say that I don't like this show, because I do, but it's the worst when it comes to originality and a quick story. XD

I haven't seen Bleach, so I can't say anything there, but I hope you find my other two explanations useful!

[Myoti]

Nah, I'm not a purist if it actually keeps the right translation.

"Dragging" doesn't bother me if something actually happens, i.e. One Piece (if that can be counted as "drag").

Hmm... well that's a bit of a dilemma... must decide between getting more FMA or starting on Bleach...

That reminds me... I have the first Viz volume of FMA. Are there any problems later on in the English versions I should know of?