Three words: Catchy theam song. FTW

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Elfen Leid's story was boring like an overemphasized version of the done-to-death stories. NEXT
And seriously. Do not forget to build up the character as it goes. And make references to previous chapters if necessary to avoid unexplained or unexplainable occurences.

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Then you can use your other ideas in different animes/mangas and not pile it all together

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What is Deus Ex Machina anyway? What are you talking about? Why does it suck?

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You need to know if it's serious or not. Like if there's a group of people trying to find/kill God because he's so unfair to people and gives all the good things in life to corrupt priests, you don't want any humor or relief characters. It'll suck. HARD.

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Don't try to make it kid-friendly. that's what killed many of the dubs. Make sure it's at least PG-13. At least.
p.s. I post many at a time because I only go an the computer once in a while.

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What he said. That and it felt like some guy who wrote down all his fetishes on paper and tried to build a story around them.



God from the machine, where a plot device comes out of nowhere and solves a seemingly unsolvable conflict.

Like everyone getting trapped in an alternate universe just then the cosmic maintenance man who looks like a freaky skeleton who saves everyone by giving people rides to real life on his freaky skeleton horse.



Fix'd to sum up The Golden Compass in a nutshell

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sums up every old school FF game, but that don't matter.

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Fix'd to sum up The Golden Compass in a nutshell[/quote]

I thought you didn't like The Golden Compass.

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and Soul Eater's next, so stupidity in story is popular nowadays. but don't let that distract you.

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Here is, from me, Emperor Ing, the person you all don't know or care about, the definitive list to make a great anime that will be aired on Toonami, or whatever replaces Toonami since that went down. If you follow these steps, you will a series, a manga, games, movies, everything~!!


1. Make the main character an angsty teenage boy with long hair:
This step is a surefire, because it connects to your audience the fastest. The broodier the better, people! This character does not have any parents, or at least any that play an important role in the story, he is a loner, a "lone wolf", so to speak. He often stares off into the distance for periods of time, furrowing his brow about the upcoming trials he must face! This character is perfect for any series, whether it be comedy, action, or even sci-fi!

2. Have a completely random character, most likely a female, to illicit laughs from your audience!:
The perfect foil for your main character is the attractive female lead that is completely koo-koo out there! She often says things that bring a great sense of shock to the cast, often making them fall over themselves, jaws agape and wide-eyed, and she has the ability to mysteriously inflict great damage to a male character is that male character happens to look upon her lustfully whilst she is in a compromising position (which if you want a successful series, you are going to want a lot of those!). When she does get angry, a freak glandular problem causes her head to grow five times its normal size, and she will yell at the male character, with her limbs flailing back and forth not unlike a hummingbird. She is the risk-taker, the "adventurous" one, the one with the big smile to contrast with the main's gloom. You can't have a series without her!

3. The amount of females in the series is inversely proportional to the amount of clothing they wear:
This is pretty self-explanatory, but to suffice, the more women you have, they should all collectively have less clothes on. This is a sure-fire way to attract views (it's been statistically proven!), and the more instances of having screen time for these characters, the better for you! Make sure to have a hot bath scene, those are real winners!

4. The love interest should blossom slowly, but not too slowly:
Eventually, the main and the female lead will have spent enough time (three episodes) together to develop a bond of love and trust that would put Lord Byron to shame! Make sure you show that with lots of blushes, fitting music, and wistful glances at one another while sleeping. Also, lots of unnecessary awkward social moments putting these two together (like stumbling into aforementioned hot bath scene, or maybe even sleeping in close proximity!) are a sure-fire way to bolster the passions between the two. Pretty soon, what would have amounted to a tepid fan-pairing is now a fully-fledged canon shipping material!

5. Substance over style for best results:
Animating is a lot of hard work! Luckily, today's animators have realized this and found ways to curtail the process to get more episodes out, and faster. To do this, have closeups of your characters' eyes, so you don't need to animate anything at all while the character gives his sermon or monologue, or soliloquy. Likewise, animating the mouth during a face closeup is a great stylistic choice that everyone should use, because it works. To simulate real animation while two characters are talking, have them stand still, and pan the camera while they talk (mouths animated, you can't be THAT lazy. Or can you? Read on to find out!). Believe me, your teenage girl audience won't tell the difference at all! Also, if one of the "crazy" or "insane" (Read: Totally badass) characters is wearing a mask or a mouth-guard, then you don't need to even animate the mouth at all! So, the more badasses you have, the more money you make! It's fool-proof.

Whoever said filler episodes are a bad idea are obviously blatantly homosexual and quite possible boring. They are ingenious ways to pad out your season, if, let's face it, that totally cool arc you had about the wizard ninja did not end up as long or as cool as you liked it to. So, you will make the audience get a taste of the other side of your characters when they aren't battling the wizard ninja; show them off doing more mundane things. These can include looking for pets, helping out the local village maiden from a totally forgettable weak bad-guy you thought of on your way to McDonalds, or even something as crazy as the male lead trying to show his affection for the female lead, but since he is socially awkward, his male friends "in the know" help him out with advice, with hilarious consequences. By the time these fillers are done, your audience is ready for action, as well as your characters, and we all have our standards lowered after three episodes of puppy shopping.

6. Have two popular characters? Need an idea? Have them fight!:
This principle is fairly obvious. By making the two main popular male leads fight, you've ensured yourself a good 4-5 episodes right there. You'd have to be one of those losers who don't like fillers or just plain retarded not to pass that opportunity up! The fight should be rife with the techniques mentioned above, namely, the less you show, the better. Let those viewers flex their imaginations! And people think that cartoons are melting kids' brains these days...

7. When in doubt, have them shout!:
This technique is good for a particularly long series, one that has had dozens of episodes but is no closer to reaching its conclusion than the end of season 1. So, how do you keep people up to speed? Why, the main characters will periodically "shout" main plot points at each other, usually before a big fight, because talking is usually really really boring. If the hero continually shouts at the villain "I will never forgive you!" You can be sure to assume that that villain must have done something pretty nasty. See? It takes care of characterization, too! Just have everyone shout at each other in action-packed episodes, and you'll have a fan-base in no time!



There are many more pointers to give out, but I assure you, if you follow these steps to the DOT (that means NO Deviation) I promise that you will have an above-average anime series waiting to win all the awards and be cosplayed by overweight people.

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I can tell you worked hard on this, but few of theese ideas will work. Like maybe 1 filler per story arc at the most. Preparing for/celebrating after a battle is not filler. And with love, wait for a while where they are nice to each other, then put the episode/s where they fall for each other.

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Have rice balls. And call them rice balls no matter what people are reading them. You will have followers allready.

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Not necessarily. An angsty main character gets annoying. It's like making Sasuke the frickin main character of Naruto. Bad idea unless this 'angsty' character actually has a valid reason like amnesia as in Casshern: SINS. Perfect for a more mature anime because it gets the plot-demanding audience going. However, angsty main characters will inevitably meet some sort of downfall due to a fatal flaw. If you're going to put angst, leave it to less than 5% of their personality. A main character needs a strong will, some bits of recklessness, and the classic "don't give two shits about what happens to *insert person here*" attitude. The asshole type of main character generates laughs, but doesn't necessarily mean it'll be a great one. Chances are, he's a damn softie underneath. Then there's the overly-serious character who simply does things to be logical and intelligent, etc. The Lone Wolf idea isn't half bad, nor is it half good. You have to remember that a Lone Wolf is a common idea amongst artists. Then they scrap that idea for newer characters. If you're going to make a Lone Wolf character, make sure he stays that way. Some manga do that and they turn out very well.
Example: Trigun. (Vash wanders by HIMSELF. Fights by HIMSELF. Gets stalked by OTHERS.)



Can't be completely sexist on this one. Same with the previous note. Not all main/side characters can be one gender each. Makes things seem boring and predictable. Are you basing this on crap you see on the mainstream, or basing it on what anime requires most, which is a great story and even better ways to carry it out that will be done?
Examples: Larry Butz. Kazuma Kuwabara.



Fanservice is useless without a severe limitation of it. Unless you're a pervert looking for an ecchi anime to be your creation, I highly suggest avoiding following this guideline.
Examples: Dear god, look up at least half the anime out there! LEARN!



I can agree with the slow love blossoming schtick. But you can get that last bit about fan-voted/supported-pairing and send it straight to hell, because frankly... it matters not what the fans think if the artist cannot collaborate with it and make it a more plausible pairing. It has to make sense. BUT. If they were lovers before, it might make things interesting if you put the skillfully timed reference to their relationship.
Examples: Like I said before. LOOK OUT THERE FOR EXAMPLES.



You should be smacked for the self-contradiction. But you present a damn good point, however. I will shoot down that last one about the masked/mouth-guarded badass, because shading will blow your cover. About the close-ups. You do NOT necessarily need to repeat them. But when it will affect the overall outcome of the arc/story, you have to make sure they are animated to look like they would be saying it in real life. Keep in mind that you need to consider the possibilities of mystery when you do so.



I find that laughable. Padding out the season is pointless if there is no reference to that specific arc. You will have no memory of that season because the filler did not co-exist with the manga. Because Anime is based on manga, you have to understand that pointless animation will waste time and money. If you want to remain true to the manga, have patience and release episodes sparingly so you can have a cushion to make more when the manga ends.
Another reason: Fillers have no relevance. They are unnecessary and annoying. That's like saying: OKAY! LET'S WASTE TIME BORING OURSELVES WITH IRRELEVANT CRAP.
Oh, and although I am not gay.. are you homophobic?



Popularity should not matter in a fight as much as the character's essence. Rivalries are based on what type of character they are. Shit like the 'imagination' you mention will cause fanfics. Don't forget that. Are you serious in forgetting how long the fillers were in Bleach, Naruto and Dragonball Z? Don't think we forgot. Because some of us still remember. And if you want to have two popular characters go at it for an epic battle, they had better be on opposite sides on some sort of conflict. Otherwise, you'll be making pointless violence rot people's minds further.



It's cliched. But it works... and it'll get the action started. A long-as-shit discussion while yelling will make the anime boring in an instant. If you want to make the anime with so-called epic fights, they have to be rare. Too many and you have an anime with nothing but pointless fighting. Like Naruto.


Bullshit on the last statement. You're basing this on mainstream crap that gets the weaboos all excited. Keep to the principles that create the good anime. It'll at least do you some good.

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I don't. Note the fact I cut out words. I'm saying it sucks hard.

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DokenMaster is obviously upset because he is not smart enough to realize that my list is the definitive (well, almost definitive) guide to making the perfect anime. I have conducted this with extensive research, careful testing and hypotheses, and have brought to you all a reliable list of pointers for the aspiring anime anime-tor.

He has been brainwashed into thinking shitty anime is good anime, and gives pointers on how to NOT make the perfect anime, which is contrary to the topic's purpose. May a mod edit his post accordingly, so we won't have instances like that in the future?

Also, he is quite possible boring.

No-Life Man is almost in the same boat as DokenLoser, but his inclusion of rice-balls (an important factor I had neglected) saves him from mediocrity, and places him in the upper echelon of the anime world.

Congratulations!

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You are making a mainstream-biased list. You insane!?
What makes a anime/manga classic is plot and how it is carried out.
What you are suggesting is the cloning of Dragonball, One Piece, Naruto and Bleach. Same shit. Literally. Clone a turd, and guess what! YOU GET ANOTHER TURD! Polish it, and it is STILL A DAMN TURD. LOGIC!
Have you no concern for explanation of how things get done? Popularity does NOT matter in the face of the perfection of a manga. Making a good manga involves the use of a plot to explain what happens. The mainstream bias you present does not hold either. And trust me. I've been watching anime for 18 years and I've learned more than you can fathom. Call me names all you like, it still does not back up your thesis.
Learn from history. Learn from wisdom. Learn from BASIC LOGIC.

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Doken raises a strong point. If you notice, a lot of mainstream stuff follows the same suit.

First...don't get me started on Angsty main chars, they REALLY get on my nerves sometimes, they became way too cliche after not too long. If they aren't going to die or something later, or suffer greatly through external forces (Go watch Darker than Black), just don't even consider using one. Seriously, you want to keep variation, don't go with what's "cool" in today's culture, make a character how you want to.

Random characters...Doken, I commend you for using Kuwabara as an example, you could strike him with straight logic and he'd be struck dumb. And if they're female...dude, you don't need fanservice in randomness, just take a good look at Kagura from Gintama. And hey, what about the transvestite characters and such? Seriously, you want something funny, you can't really beat a man in a dress.

Excessive fanservice...okay, I got one word for you, Cosprayers. It was kinda nice, but the series didn't need all the girls essentially trying to buy the guy's favor with sex, it's just...ugh, you can do so much better with the premise. Fanservice is nice in small doses, but don't take it overboard like Cosprayers, Ikki Tousen, etc.

Slow relationships are actually a good idea, but it has to be done RIGHT, and fan pairings just usually suck in general. If you want a nice slow relationship example, go read Pastel. The way I see it, you have it kinda strong from the beginning on one side, but make the other either show no signs of caring for the other, or have it so they don't care much at all at first, but the other grows on them.

Substance over style...seriously, in some cases, substance IS style. There are scenes where you can get away with this (crowd pans, speeches, etc.), but if you're gonna do something like a talk between two characters or even a small fight, try to include atleast some emphasis on the characters themselves.

Filler episodes...I'm not even going to humor this with a response

Popular character fights...seriously...this is usually bull unless they serve a purpose. Naruto vs. Sasuke round 2 (where Sasuke left afterwards) was good, but the previous fight which got stopped, that was not needed). If you're going to have characters fight...please, for the love of god, don't skip on style. If you're gonna have a domestic dispute, show some furniture flying into someone's face, do it like the Kurosaki family!

The shouting cliche is nice, if done right. Make the shouting matches as short as possible, then have them either walk off pissed or break someone's nose.

Seriously, the way I see it, if you're gonna make an anime, make it with little filler, and as much substance as you can include without raping style.

flying furniture scares me.

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My avatar resents that. Although, y'know, a backstory wouldn't hurt him.

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he isn't emo at the end of 3rd strike, though. although your avatar basically says he's the emo-looking guy who wants to kick your ass for calling him that.

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You know, I really can't help but think that Emperor Ing was being seriously sarcastic about his last two posts, but there's one thing I want to point out, and it's about the filler episodes.

I don't really give a shit if you think it's hilarious but I used to watch the sub of Rockman.EXE (Hey, it's a TON better than the shitty dub Megaman NT Warrior), and pan to the last episode.

Anyone played the first Megaman Battle Network? Last boss was the Life Virus/Dream Virus. In the manga they ALMOST got the battle right, except they made it a little too angsty. But its attack was AWESOME.

In the anime, THEY MADE MOST OF THE FUCKING EPISODE FILLER. I'm serious. In this version, the Dream Virus found its way into the real world, and attacked the humans. What a calamity, yes?

How did they defeat it?

...

BY @#$%ING SPRAYING WATER ON IT!

And 75% of the episode didn't even FOCUS on DV!

What the fuck.

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anyone but me find it funny that No-Life Man gave himself advice?

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Yes.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-vn9Cm73ao

I'd still prefer Char's theme... (WHEN HE RUNS FOR PRESIDENT!!!)

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Or this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIyQdMxUmkA

Or this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkBWh1M1jT4

Or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WI70bIO4So



Really?
OT: You're a YGO fan? I see you have Bandit Keith as your avatar.



That is one thing to note. Never ever stray too far from the main storyline.

Naruto, well, some parts were a little off. But the jutsus were awesome.

Which means, your anime/manga has to convey the message you wanted to have. Take Ouran for instance, its a satire against stereotype bishounen. Beneath impressing ladies with their exaggerated personalities, they are completely different when they aren't doing their job as hosts.

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You just compared Anime Ja Nai to a Naruto opening, a Yu-Gi-Oh! opening and a Full Metal Alchemist opening.


='(

Not really. Flying furniture normally signals me to get heavier furniture.
And if you were wondering, GA72 is a yugioh fan and player of the card game? We hang out and I beat his ass with my T-Virus (Zombies/Virus) deck. He knows why.
Ahem. Another note on making a 'perfect' anime and/or manga...
accuracy. Anime requires the manga to live. To make sure it stays good, adhere to a good manga's storyline.
then there's...
Manga. Unless you're too stupid to realize that rushing is bad, you will realize that patience is a good key to making a good story. Don't do anything without providing the reason in previous installments.

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Cool, I'm currently building a Spellcaster deck right now. Any tips?

Definately needing a manga. Everything starts from the manga.

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Agree. Plus, you should preview your plot in advance and think about it. You should build the universe (if you want to make fantasy), the relationships between the characters (friendship, hate, love, etc...) and develop them (if two characters always spend time together, they will have a strong relationship, if a character loves another character, try to come closer of him/her, etc...). Don't make a boring relation. Any relationship should know happiness, sadness, etc...

Also, the main character can be an optimistic idiot (but may grow in intelligence later in the story), an angsty character (his angstiness should have a VERY GOOD explanation) who tries to change his nature (for example : spend time with his future fiends or persons very important to him), a funny character (not a pain like Larry Butz, I mean, someone who looks like an idiot, but use deliberately to annoy the others characters), etc...

I will post others ideas later.

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Sometimes, a jackass is always a good idea if the manga's solely for the comedic purposes.

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These are all terrible ideas.

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This another one of your sarcasm fits?

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Yes! I'm so happy

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For a fantasy world, you might need to create the laws for it, if not it'll be too confusing.

In anime, I'm thinking sometimes it'll be good to have purely awkward moments for comedic purposes. Like in the second episode of Naruto and such.

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Although you should change small parts in the anime to make it different enough to make people buy both Too different, and they'll complain. Too similar, and it seems repetitive

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take this to note: make sure it does NOT stray away from the manga. Hell, make the manga good, but if you leave a gap by mistake, make the anime fill it in. Because explanations can be made in numerous forms. It might be considered filler, but you can look at it this way: it will basically force them to buy both in an effort to understand a gap you left behind. But limit it to mistakes only. Do not do it on purpose.

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Refrenceing other animes. But don't do that too much.

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Yeah. You'll make the same mistake as the lame-ass popular ones out there if you do.

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