3 notes &
Revised Favorite Anime List: I’ve been watching really good shows the past few months and I thought it was time for my favorites list to reflect my feelings towards the shows I love.
One of the most important concerns with making such a list is how truthful it is to what one really values. In my case, these would be:
- Compelling stories
- Charismatic characters
- Drama (something important is at stake for the characters)
- Well-animated action
- Crowning moments of awesome
- Crowning moments of heartwarming
And, a secondary tier:
- I’m not hung up on plot, but an intricate plot can astound me.
- I’m not hung up on scale, but I will favor grand scale over small.
- I’m not hung up on music, but a great soundtrack will delight me.
The initial ranking I had in mind based on these considerations never made it to draft form. I wondered for a bit, as I built the eventual list with the assistance of my friends pontifus and 21stcenturydigitalboy and came up with this conclusion:
While the list of favorites is indeed the clothes I wear to face the broader anime fandom; the clothes that distinguish me from other fans, I take into account the kind of role I play as an anime fan: I am an advocate. I think most fans make their lists from a standpoint of a judge: the shows in it represent the most value for them; the shows they consider the best they’ve seen. In other cases, these are shows they deem the most important in shaping their tastes and identity. Neither cases are mutually exclusive, though they may conflict.
The primacy of advocacy for me is this: I want more people to watch these shows. I want these shows to win new fans. This is what distinguishes me from others I feel, in how I make this the primary reason for why I list them.
“But ghostlightning, most of these shows have established fandoms and/or are very popular.”
Yes, but I do think that a fan of a certain kind of show may not be a fan of another. I personally experience a divide between fans of science fiction shows, fans of robot shows, fans of shows featuring young girls, fans of shows that focus on the minutiae of daily life, etc. While there are fans who have broad tastes, the divides exist.
I want the GRIMDARK robot anime fan to discover what’s beautiful about K-ON!! and I want the moeblob otaku to enjoy the intensity and excitement of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. I want people who enjoy mostly currently showing anime to discover the effort and excellence in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. I care about people discovering value in shows they thought they wouldn’t like.
Why? Because I experienced so much of this the past two years. My favorite anime isn’t diverse for diversity’s sake, but I like it that it’s diverse. I think it makes a case how no matter what your core taste is, there’s a possibility that you’ll enjoy my most favorite show: Super Dimension Fortress Macross.
