Six-Sided Dice is a column which features six writers each giving their own takes on a topic. These writers will vary between CouchBound staff, community, and writers from other websites. Very rarely will all six have similar opinions, so we look to bring you an interesting read every other week.
This week, we take a personal route and ask our writers what their favorite anime genre is and why. We are also short a side this week because unfortunately Jade has been having some major computer issues. Throw that thing out a window if you haven’t already Jade! Now, on to our answers!
Isaiah Taylor – I gravitate more towards horror anime film like Blood and Vampire Hunter D. Good horror seems difficult to execute in anime. When done well a horror-oriented film or series seems incredibly focused on details and individual character narrative. When done wrong, we get a series like Le Chevalier D’Eon. An anime I like for it’s rococo-style art and concept, but damn did that story and script not work out in the end.
Horror anime is kind of nebulous. It can encapsulate several genre’s into one. Anime like Bio Hunter or Paranoia Agent combine several elements of psychological horror, mystery and science fiction. There is a tone in both that is harder to mesh in fluffier anime.
The first anime film that gave me nightmares was Ninja Scroll. The first time I heard voice acting match perfectly with their characters, coupled with the first time I’d seen graphic animated death — I didn’t sleep for two days because of it. I was ten and my mom didn’t know I watched it over a friend’s house.
Ken Chan – I watch many types of anime which sometimes makes it hard for me to keep up with everything. Lately I’ve been into 2 extremes, gory, mystery shows like Deadman Wonderland, Higurashi, Puella Magi Madoka Magika and Bakemonogatari and happy bright shows like Denpa Onna, K-On and Shinryaku! Ika Musme.
For me, the darker stories are what I enjoy taking in like Deadman where everyone is so messed up with tragic backgrounds. Higurashi, where everyone has a turn at going crazy and killing their friends with their own hands until they figure a way to end the loop. However, after watching stories like that (and the usual hectic grind that is real life), I enjoy, and sometimes need, to watch happy shows. K-On is one of these shows which has no real storyline but instead is about enjoying the simple things in life like silly conversations with your friends. As an escape from reality, it does it’s job perfectly.
One thing unites everything I watch, humor. It is present in all these shows even in the darkest shows. Shiro has childish tantrums in Deadman, the girls all abuse Araragi in Bakemonogatari. A Doujin OVA Kowarekake no Orgel blends these elements incredibly well. It has a sad story but it is filled with many happy moments with the broken android child.
Ed Tremblay - When it comes straight down to it, I’m a sucker for anything with a hefty dose of humor. I love to laugh and the sometimes crude, raunchy, foul humor that you can find in some anime really hits the spot. Cromartie High is a great example, even if the best story elements are relegated only to the Manga. But nothing can touch Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi for sheer ridiculousness in the laughs department. Wall to wall hilarity that, with one single episode boasting too many references (Many of which were clever and quite obscure) to count.
And of course, decent sci-fi anime such as Macross Plus and Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise hit the spot any day.
However, I’m also quite partial to what could the most surprising genre of all, especially to those who have met me; I will sit down and marathon a sappy romance anime without a second thought. Diamond Daydreams was a series that I really liked… and caught a lot of flak from when my lady friend caught me!
Derek Lavigne – When this question was first brought up as a possible topic for SSD, my immediate reaction was to reject it because, honestly, I have no idea on earth how to answer it. My first thought would be to say that the Space Opera style show (Bebop, Outlaw Star) is my favorite because I really enjoy them. Then I thought to myself that I didn’t know any anime fans that didn’t like those types of shows, so I felt it might be a bit of a cop-out. So I sat and thought and came to the only possible conclusion.
There’s only one type of show (technically two) that has made me sit all the way through multiple bad series, and that’s the Real Robot and Super Robot genres. While they are technically different, I still lump them together as I love them for the same reason, the robot designs. Ever since my first exposure to this type of show way back with Voltron, I’ve always enjoyed studying the giant robot designs and choosing favorites just based on the way they look. Seriously, I dare anyone to try and sit through Gundam Seed: Destiny and do anything but stare at the robot designs while you try and not lose you lunch over the emo kids.
Kyle McLain – I’m going to throw a curveball when I say that my favorite genre right now would have to be “Sports Anime.” Sports anime is this huge, pervasive genre that gets little to no play in the west. However, shows like “Touch”and “Dogaben” are mentioned in the same breath as DBZ and Gundam in terms of Japanese cultural touchstones. Which is to say nothing of “Slam Dunk”,which is considered to be, by many Japanese people, one of the best — if not the best anime/manga of all time.
Believe me when I say I’m in no way, shape, or form a “jock/muscle head/sporto”, but while a lot of what’s new out there hasn’t really interested me, sports anime has blown me away by how well done it is, and just how fun it is to watch. Newer shows like “Giant Killing” (soccer), and “Major”(baseball) represent the themes and ideas that got me into anime in the first place.
So what are some of your favorite anime genres? We’d love to hear what you think in the comments section below. Until then, we’ll see you in two weeks for another edition of Six-Sided Dice.
