Debate Cartoon Network -- Yay or nay?

Well, since there seems to have yet to be a thread on this, I decided to start one. So, what is your opinion on CN, and all of the anime they play...?

 

Well, I like the "Adult Swim" aspect of CN for it doesn't show the stereotypical Anime that all the little children know about, which gets adults thinking "Anime" are just the energy-ball-power-level-magic-wand stupid shows on television these days.

While, I dislike "Toonami" because it provokes children and parents into thinking anime are just the energy-ball-power-level-magic-wand stupid shows on television these days", when it really isn't. My little cousin watches Toonami and believes he can watch Adult Swim cuz he thinks all Anime is the same, which really annoys me when he see's my copy of "X" or "FLCL" in my room, and complains that I "make fun" of him by not letting him watch my Anime. (...my cousin uses a lot of things out of context... ~_~)

Anyway, I guess "Toonami" can be a good thing by introducing Anime to people in other countries...but it is a double-edged sword by provoking sterotypes about anime..

^.^ Just my 3 nickels and a dime.
~*Foomz*~

(Woah, I just noticed that this has to be the smartest sounding post of mine on this message board... *neo "Woah"*)

 

If it wasnt for cartoon network...i dont think i would be watching anime at all....cuz that was were it all started. Im am thankful for that.maybe all the other childish cartoons like powerpuff girls and other stuff should be cancelled or sent to nick..

 

Cartoon Network is ok. I watch DBZ on Toonami and Inuyasha on Adult Swim.

I dont like when Cartoon Network plays Powerpuff Girls or Scooby Doo several times a day though.

 

I was watching anime long before I'd seen a single show on Cartoon Network. I think CN's done a lot to introduce younger viewers to anime - but this has both pros and cons.

Personally, I don't like many of the casual fans of anime that Inu Yasha, Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu Yu Hakusho, and other Cartoon Network shows have spawned. These people like anime, they claim - but most have only seen a couple of dubbed shows. They know next to nothing about Japanese culture, nor do they care to learn, and they'll have forgotten all about anime within a few years because it's just a fad to them. They bring nothing to the fandom by way of intelligent opinions, and they encourage the networks to air slaughtered versions of good shows purely for profit.

I'd be far more supportive of Cartoon Network if it didn't edit all the shows it runs. As I see it, if they have to cut out or alter several episodes' worth of material to make it appropriate for their target audience - maybe they ought to find a less objectionable program. I don't like that they're showing so little concern for the preservation of the series' original content.

Even stuff that goes in their Adult Swim lineup is edited, did you know that? There was an instance in Outlaw Star where lines were changed to hide a little yaoi humor. If they're pitching this to an older audience, notably ADULTS, why do they need to change something like that? It wasn't anything worse than a few general, non-descriptive comments.

It's good that anime is getting a wider audience outside of Japan, it really is. It means we can get official subs instead of fansubs, more merchandise is readily available, etc. Cons will be bigger and better because more people will attend. But I'm wholeheartedly against the butchered versions of anime that are broadcast on Cartoon Network and other networks.

At least the mangas we're getting are printed the right way these days... It was awful when they'd all been mirror-flipped to read left to right. -_-;

 

I've not had CN as a channel until this past September, seeing as my household is too poor to afford cable. I love college. :anime:

Anyway, my opinion of CN's anime lineup is very much like that of Fuuma. Yes, some of their shows are nice in that they introduce anime to new audiences in a positive way, while others tend to slaughter that positive-ness. Outlaw Star, for example, was apparently shown (again, I've only had the channel for half a year). I believe that show was very innovative, and offered a wonderful storyline without too much... um... negativity. On the other hand, there's DBZ. Now, I've not actually seen much of this show, so my opinion doesn't really matter, but from what I have seen, there wasn't really much material, if you will.

I was probably introduced to anime by my father, honestly. I can't really remember, it was a long time ago, but I know he's been a fan since the 70's thanks to channels such as CN. Basically, yes, the channel does have the good quality of introducing anime to new people, but it also has the negative side that every channel in its position will have.

 

I agree with you all the way....I have noticed that adult swim is a bit " childish" CN was like my steppin stone into anime...ever since then i have been gaining knowledge on all sorts of anime...most that arent even shown in the US yet. But i really like watching anime in english rather than in japnenese...i dont know why but maybe im too lazy to read the subtitles lol

 

I agree. The trouble is that they're pitching to the lowest common denominator, because they're really in it for nothing more than profit. They actually run essentially two types of shows: action-heavy stuff that appeals to teenage boys primarily (sometimes with a romantic subplot that attracts girls, though the bishounen in many of the action series do that anyway), and things with spin-off collectibles. Ever since Pokemon, every network is searching for the next big collect-'em-all show. *cough*Yu-Gi-Oh!*cough*

And it's frustrating to go into anime forums or RPGs and see nothing but preteen/teenage girls squealing over Sesshoumaru, and preteen/teen boys going on about DBZ. You're absolutely right that there are more anime series - and, dare I say, far better ones - out there to be experienced.

CN and all the other anime-running networks care very little for providing the anime as it's meant to be seen. The people who handle the US broadcasts see a marketing opportunity - they don't have respect for anime as an expressive medium, nor do they realize how many hardcore fans they alienate with their watered-down dubs.

See, I've got no problem with fans who start out watching crappy broadcast dubs and move out into the broader world of anime. But ugh, I really wish these "OMG (fill in name of a bishounen from a widely-known dub) is sooooo hot!!!1!!" had never seen their first anime...

As to your preference for dubs, I won't argue with that. Personally, I feel that subs are far superior; the Japanese voiceactors often give the characters much more emotional depth. Still, if you're watching a reputable, uncut dub, it's not as if your experience is lessened too much.

Actually... I like subs because I think Japanese is a pretty language, too. ^^ A few years back, there was a public station that I got in California's Bay Area that actually ran uncut subs on Sunday night... It was great. That was where I first saw Evangelion - all of it, raw, with the official subs. They also ran Lum, Dirty Pair: Flash, and a few others.

On the other hand, official dubs often have some of the dialogue changed to make it flow better. I'd have to take that on a case-by-case basis to say how I feel about it, sometimes it's done decently and sometimes not... but, for example, in Saiyuki, the dub often has Hakkai swear - where he pretty much never does in the sub, he's very polite. Also, in a dub you don't get the various suffixes (-chan, -san, etc) that help define how the characters feel about each other. I think subs provide a more complete experience. ^^

Lastly, there are always cases where a dub VA just really doesn't fit the character. Voices are so important to the way we see a character - so much can be lost when a voiceactor doesn't get the right inflection or tone. Perfect example: Dilandau from Escaflowne. His Japanese VA (a woman, by the way) gives him such depth - it's one of the most incredible voiceacting jobs I've ever seen. By contrast, his English voice is flat and shallow... makes him seem more like a crazy brat than the complex personality he is. So that's another reason I don't really like CN - I'm not fond of dubs.

 

I agree that if not for the likes of CN, I doubt I would like anime.

But I still hate them! The only good stuff they play is Home Movies, Futurama, and Family Guy.

And by "sending them to nick", you best not mean me(which I don't doubt you do), because I sure don't wnat them!

 

Ooh, ooh, and some fansubbed, so you get the sense of what's new!

In other words, I completely agree. :anime:

 

I am in favor of CN--as stated by other members, it has been my induction into anime. I know it is only a small portion of what is out there, but then I can always be like Izzy and get the DVD's.

Victor

 

One bad thing I don't want happening is them taking some other anime's into a lineup and editing it, (Like X, that would need serious editing in order to show on CN: AS) because then whenever I say something about Fuuma or Kamui or some other character, people will think, Oh you just watch Adult Swim you poser anime freak
.....yeah thats just what seems to go on in my mind sometimes...lol

Anyway, I love Family Guy and Futurama, showing them was a good move by Adult Swim.

Personally, once an Anime goes past 52 episodes, it tends to get really bad.... (Well maybe not Inuyasha...or Kenshin...) For example, they stretched the DragonBall series waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy too far. (Z, GT, etc..) I tend to get so annoyed when my cousin goes, DragonBall Z is one of the best animes ever. grr......... I just keep getting the urge to choke his neck every time he says Goku can beat Fuuma.
(Although he doesn't know who Fuuma is...)
(My cousin is young too, so yeah)

 

You know, I agree. It's a bit elitist - we don't want to share our favorite series with the masses - but you know... there's a reason. These days, when someone asks me what anime I've seen, I hesitate to list series like Rurouni Kenshin that I'd seen subbed before CN got them - because I don't want to give the impression that all I watch is crappy dubs.

I'm just thankful that Escaflowne got pulled off the air as early as it did... -_- It didn't run long enough to get a fad fanbase.

I mean, look at what the networks have done to shows like Card Captor Sakura, Sailor Moon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, etc - perfectly good series that many anime fans hesitate to watch because of the dubs. They've gotten a reputation as children's shows even among those who ought to know better. I actually sincerely enjoyed the CCS manga, though I was skeptical of it originally because the dub was so bad. Likewise, Sailor Moon and YGO are darker than they appear in the dubs, more mature.

 

I'm not really for it. The editing has turned me off some shows that I may have liked otherwise.

 

I can't particularly say anything about the fanbase that series shown on Adult Swim and Cartoon Network get... but one thing that people seem to be forgetting is that both AS and CN have quite a few borders and restrictions; most of the anime out there, the really good ones, have already been licensed by other stations (even though they aren't showing them), which knocks out a lot of series that AS and CN can show. They got lucky enough to be able to have a great series like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun (as well as my now favorite series, Witch Hunter Robin).

I admit, I dislike a few of the shows they show (Big O, anything Dragonball, Inuyasha)... but it's nothing for me to hate them for. They're doing all they can to try and bring about anime to more of a crowd, but it's difficult for them to get ahold of many of the anime out there as if they make anymore screwups (such as pulling in a series no one will watch/watches) then the whole thing can go down the ****ter.

 

If it wasn't for Adult Swim and Cartoon Network I never would have found anime. PRAISE BE TO CTN AND AS!!!!!

 

Either scotland doesn't get the same cn as everywhere else, or i'm livin in a different time zone! I watch anime on toonami, there's never anythin I like on cn i.e. its powerpuff girls or nuthin...
it doesn't even hav dragonball or inuyasha! i feel so deprived :anger:

 

I think that cartoonnetwork's anime is good on adult swim (especially family guy) but toonami is gay as hell well it used to be but when gundam seed comes im going to start watching it again :anime:

 

Umm... hate to break it to you, but Family Guy is an American-produced cartoon, not anime. As is Futurama.