My relationships with television shows.

[timepiececlock]

Avatar: The Last Airbender - I've basically dumped everyone for you. (except Scrubs) Are you happy? Cause I am.

Battlestar Galactica - I feel we're growing apart. It could have to do with the fact that I haven't seen you since you picked up the crazy pilot and tried to kill Adama. Again. AGAIN! Why does that man not have a bodyguard?

Veronica Mars - You're like my t.v. fuckbuddy. I tend to wait and see you in large bursts, but I will always come back in the end. Please don't kill off my ship!

Naruto - I've started reading you again, I've heard your animated twin will be laying off the filler someday soon, and my new non-canon ship is all I read of your fanfic now. Basically it's just like last year, except the guilty new ship.

House M.D.: I've sort of informally dumped you though you might not know it yet. How sad is it that right now one of my favorite shows on tv is a cable kids-to-teen fantasy series, and that said show has a better understanding of archetypes, parallels, symbolism, cross-season story arcs, character development, philosophy, and continuity than a big-budget, star-driven, hour-long network drama? It's a sick sad world.

Grey's Anatomy: I've seen most of season 2 and most of the current season, and for some reason I'm still watching you even though I never really liked you all that much, and even though Derek Sheppard still hasn't been eaten by a bear. Why is that? Oh well-- as soon as I'm not living with my parents anymore I won't be sucked into your twisted universe of irresponsible co-dependent whiners. P.S. Christina should go postal on the entire rest of the cast.

Scrubs: I'm working my way through your fourth season reruns, and you continue to be a joy in my life. You are weird and wacky and funny and I love you.

Doctor Who: I haven't seen your Christmas Special, but I'll probably watch it in the next two weeks. I'm still in mourning over how you lovingly reaffirmed my OTP, left dialogue clues for enough babyfics and alternate universe fics to fill a cookie jar, and then cruelly tore my OTP apart. I've forgiven you, but I'm still not sure if I've healed yet.

Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip: You and me were kinda killing time together because we're both madly crushing on Bradley Whitford. This doesn't make for a lasting relationship, but for now it's decent enough.

Lost: I'm like a season and a half behind, and I'm perfectly okay with that. Maybe I'll watch it four years from now when it ends. And after the entire audience bitches that it never made any sense or went anywhere, I will laugh at you. I will laugh loudly.

Heroes: The first half of season 1 didn't thrill me, but you're the kind of show that I think could be really good if only someone else were writing it. Your pacing sucks and you have no dramatic tension. But you have POTENTIAL. I wish you would use it! If only they'd invite Joss Whedon to pen a few episodes. Then it could be love.

The Office: You're that boyfriend whose socially embarassing but has the brilliance and charm of a warm, shiny, sparkly thing. I love you though sometimes I can't look directly at you.

Comments

surfing the friendsfriends list

[a-white-rain.livejournal.com]

I've sort of informally dumped you though you might not know it yet. How sad is it that right now one of my favorite shows on tv is a cable kids-to-teen fantasy series, and that said show has a better understanding of archetypes, parallels, symbolism, cross-season story arcs, character development, philosophy, and continuity than a big-budget, star-driven, hour-long network drama? It's a sick sad world.
I don't think it's sad at all. I think it's Joy because this proves that animation can be down well, and intelligently and it doesn't have to come from another country, and maybe we'll get more (not that we don't have some awesome cartoons, but they're few and far in between and none of them reach the depth of Avatar). I vastly like the animation field to the live action one and I'd love if more people could see it as a source for depth.

That said, I had such high hopes for House. To see it suck is Sad.

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I would definitely like to see more series like ATLA, shows that pick out the best aspects of anime (complex characters, dynamic charcter design, more exciting and sophisticated storylines) and then combine them with the budget quality and social/cultural awareness of an American cartoon. It's pretty unusual, and I haven't liked a Western cartoon this much since Gargoyles, which was almost like an anime in its own dark way.

I vastly like the animation field to the live action one and I'd love if more people could see it as a source for depth.

I couldn't possibly choose one over the other; that's like choosing movies over books when I love and want both, and see no need to choose between them.

The problem with expectations of depth is that most of the time, there's not a lot of depth. Depth has never been very important in American animated tv shows, though companies have strived for it in feature-length films. Most American cartoons don't have much depth, at least not depth in the way you're probably expecting. Because most of them are for kids and treat kids as stupider people rather than as younger people, and any depth there is tends to fall more along the lines of morals and ethics. Grey areas are not terribly popular and they kids would rather see comedy than drama. Most kids WOULD.

Nevertheless, there are shows that stand out. I think the people who blindly assume something has no depth because it's animated is probably not worth your time convincing anyway, because they obviously didn't think their beliefs through very well or they'd be able to think of well-written stuff they have already seen that's animated.

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[a-white-rain.livejournal.com]

Well, I agree that most children would want to see TEH FUNNIE (although I think that many are turned off by things like Mucha Lucha. I expect more series like Teen Titans would work, with some character development mixed with crack), but I mean, aimed more to adults. Many people assume that animation hs to be for children, and I don't understand why. :(

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

That's simple: because you're probably talking to Westerners, and in Western countries, particularly America, most animation is for kids unless expressly said to be otherwise (like Southpark or Adult Swim shows.)

ATLA is for kids too; it's aimed at the 7-14 tween age range, and that's the range of most of its general audience numbers. The fact that it has an online following of teens and adults is incidental.

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[a-white-rain.livejournal.com]

I mean, in general, I know many people who won't touch anime/cartoons because it's for kids! I wish that view wasn't so wide-spread, because it would be cool if animation was more of a contender.

I know ATLA is for kids, but I also think it's rare gem and even if the animation field had more advantages, we still wouldn't get as good as this often because not everyone really seems to care as much as I feel the avatar creators do (Nick, on the other hand... Ew on the movie.)

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

*I should add, there's not a lot of depth in most anime either. Really, there isn't. Anime series tend to be more dramatized, but that doesn't necessarily give them emotional depth or relevence. The only difference is that anime tries to be dramatic whereas most American animation tries to be funny.

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[a-white-rain.livejournal.com]

You got a point, but in general, anime seems to try and put in character development and themes and plot. Or, at least, I can name more that can (Bleach, Dragonball Z, Naruto, Inuyahsa, FMA, Ranma 1/2, Case Closed, off the top of my head. Although I do hate the Bleach anime, but, objectively, outside of the manga it isn't too bad.)

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Let me stop you right there: DBZ was not deep. It just wasn't. I loved it too once upon a time, but "deep" is never one of the descriptors I'd choose for that show. There was only one character on that series who got any real character development or depth, and even he didn't get as much as he could have.

Ranma 1/2 was fun and interesting and INSANE, but it wasn't particularly deep either. It had characters that never ever changed. Which is a good thing, because it's basically a sitcom anime and characters didn't need to change. It didn't have a plot, it had a situation.

I haven't watched Bleach or Case Closed for more than an episode or two.

InuYasha tries for depth, and Naruto actually succeeds at it, and FMA is one of the most deeply moving animated shows I've ever seen.

I think what you mean by depth is different from what I mean. I don't think having rounded cahracters or a plotline or even themes gives something "depth." To have depth a series has to have multiple themes that cross episodes and seasons, it has to have dynamic characters that grow and change over time, it has to resonate emotionally or philosophically wiht its audience, it has to have a storyline that grows and changes over time, and it has to have something to say to the world in its overall meaning.

I usually like that in dramatic series like FMA or ATLA, but I don't think its necessary for sitcoms like Ranma 1/2.

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[a-white-rain.livejournal.com]

I believe Dragonball Z had that depth you're talking about. Flawed? As hell. DBGT? Canon rape to the extreme. However, what it does, it does very well. And how is there only one character with development. O_o. I mean, Goku was often a static device (but so are other main characters in a lot of series it see, Naruto himself, as much as I love him) but pretty much the rest of the cast has wonderful development.

I'll agree with you on Ranma 1/2, although I enjoyed it in the manga. But I'll disagree with you on Inuyahsa, even if the manga is dragging like hell. I found I loved the anime and found it well-rounded, even if sometimes Kagome/Inuyasha moments were written wrong.

FMA anime was powerful and moving, plot holes aside.

Bleach and Case Closed are awesome, well, at least the Bleah manga is awesome.

Another one I forgot to mention was One Piece, which is probably one of the best stories ever told. And then there is Princess Tutu, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, FCLC, Samurai Champloo, and Samurai X, all of which are good series (even if I don't like Cowboy Bebop, I can see how it's still a good story.)

All these animes do have flaws, but I also think Avatar does. And while anime often pales in comparison to the corresponding manga, I get the feeling they're trying to tell a story instead of being mostly cheap laughs.

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

DBZ was so repetitive and often boring that it eventually made me stop caring and stop watching. I didn't notice any of the characters going through particularly meaningful persnality changes except Vegita, and he was a supporting character, not even the main character. The characters got physically older, but with the exception of Vegita their personalities didn't change or grow, really, because they were rarely ever pulled out of the familiar set-up.

PT: yes yes
CB: yes
OS: sort of
FLCL: yes yes
SC: sort of
SX: dunno

And while anime often pales in comparison to the corresponding manga, I get the feeling they're trying to tell a story instead of being mostly cheap laughs.

Like I said, anime often goes for drama whereas western cartoons go for comedy. In both categories you get cheap stuff and you get stuff with depth.

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

And I've read enough bad manga to know that it's usually fifty/fifty when comparing manga to anime, not a majority.

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[vehemence.livejournal.com]

Ahh I was doing some early morning livejournal stalking surfing, looking @ the entries of a bunch of people i dont know and I came across your little rants and was totally delighted xD I never knew how to describe my feelings about the Office but you just hit it. Right on the damn mark in the pit of my soul xD But omegosh don't say such a thing about anime D= You just gotta find the right ones ^_^ I just finished Now and Then, Here and There and its like the most in depth and non-pretentious tv series I've ever seen. And it does it in thirteen episodes too. Ah well *doesnt know the right way to back away after commenting a stanger's LJ* bye ^_^

Re: surfing the friendsfriends list

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

The Office is pretty great. :)

But omegosh don't say such a thing about anime D= You just gotta find the right ones ^_^ I just finished Now and Then, Here and There and its like the most in depth and non-pretentious tv series I've ever seen. And it does it in thirteen episodes too.

All I can say is that some day you'll have to come to grips with the fact that not all anime is sacred. THere are some good, a few fanastic, and a whole lot crappy. It's a lot like American television that way.

::watches you back away, waves goodbye::

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

Haha. Your description of DW WINS. *is still feeling the post-Doomsday emo pain*

[easytodistract.livejournal.com]

I've been trying and failing for months to find something to distract me from AtLA. And I still cannot believe I could be -this- nuts over a Nicktoon.

I think I'll make a list similar to yours, only it's a list of shows and such which failed to distract me from AtLA.

[raedyn-l.livejournal.com]

I'm still in mourning over how you lovingly reaffirmed my OTP, left dialogue clues for enough babyfics and alternate universe fics to fill a cookie jar, and then cruelly tore my OTP apart. I've forgiven you, but I'm still not sure if I've healed yet.

I've watched the Christmas Special.

And I have to tell you, She-Who-Is-Not-Rose really isn't as annoying as she seems.

So don't let that get you down once you watch it.

[raedyn-l.livejournal.com]

Also, I dumped House a long time ago. For Bones. Possibly the least advertised show on Fox which I have ever seen.

And ever since Doomsday aired, I've been watching Bones like a hawk just so I could feel that sparkly "My OTP is FINALLY sort of half canon" feeling again.

No glomps or handholding like with Rose and the Doctor, but there are LOTS of fluffy intimate moments and witty banter and "Bones, it says here you shot someone." "He was going to set me on fire!!"

They're happy with each other in a quieter way, I suppose. :D

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I've watched it twice; it didn't do anything for me.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I wasn't worried. I don't feel anything about her one way or another because I haven't seen it.
















I kill people who hint at spoilers, you know.






I kill them with my brain.
















No, you're alright. Just kidding. or am I?

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

And I have to tell you, She-Who-Is-Not-Rose really isn't as annoying as she seems.

Considering Donna isn't even the new assistant, what anyone thinks of her is kind of irrelevant. Even me, who loved the hell out of her.

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

House M.D.: I've sort of informally dumped you though you might not know it yet. How sad is it that right now one of my favorite shows on tv is a cable kids-to-teen fantasy series, and that said show has a better understanding of archetypes, parallels, symbolism, cross-season story arcs, character development, philosophy, and continuity than a big-budget, star-driven, hour-long network drama? It's a sick sad world.

I'm so with you on this one. I kept going, "Well, I'll wait until hiatus and DL the shows I've missed." Hiatus came and went, no DL. Then I thought, "I'll just wait for the season three DVDs." I forget the show's even on TV anymore, until Tuesdays, when people post about what's just aired. It's sad because I had a lot of fun with the series in the first season. Season two wasn't that bad, but season three completely lost my attention.

Heroes: The first half of season 1 didn't thrill me, but you're the kind of show that I think could be really good if only someone else were writing it. Your pacing sucks and you have no dramatic tension.

One of the drawbacks of them making it so much like an actual comic book. Storylines tend to drag on and on, even dropping out of consciousness for an issue or two, before they ever come back to it. It's cool they want to do a comic-feel, but adhering to the comic storyline handling standard is a bad idea.

[jurnalfiksi.livejournal.com]

...Dr. Who Christmas Special with Catherine Tate sucks. Dr. Who Christmas special that debuts Ten is OK.