What is the best era for anime?

[LesterJester]

First a bit of background, in that I took animation, 3d modelling and multimedia courses back in college and have a pretty good understanding of cartoons and games. I say this because I'm a bit bias.

While I'm no longer into anime, it used to be really good back in the 80s and earlier.

Why?

Because back then they didn't cheap out on the animation.

Shows like Astroboy, Macross/Robotech, had interesting characters, some rich and original story telling and the animation was generally fluid and alive.

Then the 90s hit with shows like Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball and everything took a damn nose dive into the shitter.

Sure the stories were sometimes interesting, but the animation went to crap.

Recycled power up scenes that went on for 2-5 minutes to fill out the time in the episode (the exact same scenes shown in every episode)

Bodies barely move or do anything in a scene, where the characters stand perfectly still with a slow ass panning of the background while only a mouth animates two frames (open and closed) while the characters monologue their drama at one another for what seems like forever.

When there's actual action or activity it's still a limited amount of animated frames looped to simulate running or kicking etc. Usually about 4 frames of animation and it isn't even fluid animation. It's jarring and disjointed.

It's like watching a damn storyboard rather than a cartoon and I don't give such shows the benefit of my time for their cheap budget efforts.

What's more is that most of the characters pretty much end up looking the exact same as each other, just with different whacky hair or different coloured outfits. Good guys have the rounder faces and big eyes while the bad guys have narrow squinty bad guy eyes, little pointed noses and angled jawlines so you can easily tell who's the bad guy, since we're all stupid.

I'm clearly generalising here and there are always exceptions. Legend of Kora is a good example of rich story telling, nicely drawn scenes and the animations are done very well.

Movie-wise, Ninja Scroll was also animated beautifully and visceral in its detail. The story was a bit generic and pretty predictable, but it was overall an entertaining movie.

But the main stream stuff like Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball (Z), Yugi-O or whatever the hell it's called and the other cartoon like Pokemon and Yugi-O with the spinner fighter crap... It's half assed shit made for marketing toys and trading cards, which in turn help make those cartoons popular like some twisted vicious cycle.

Their stories end up being identical to each other and if you plopped the characters from one show into the other and they fought not with a Pokemon but some cards they dramatically pulled out of their ass, you'd barely notice a difference.

The bad guys win some dumbass tournament one episode, then the next the good guys wipe the floor with them by using some magical rare thing their buddy gave them a long time ago that everybody forgot about.

And the day is saved.

From what you ask?

No damn idea.

[ZackBan]

Each had their hits and misses. But the 90's definitely were packed with great stuff. The one you used as an example "Yu Yu Hakusho" used to be my favorite growing up so I voted without even thanking.

But the 2000's and even now great stuff are being made. Unlike most media anime seems never to finish with it's golden age

[siseñor]

i'd have to say current. it has much more creative power what with cgi. i like anime that's cute with lines that change width with shading it just seems timeless
(demon slayer, that toilet boy anime)but for manga i think rougher lines and a sketchier style is much more exciting & lets the mangaka have a lot more creative power that can be lost in anime (black torch, jujutsu kaisen)sorry its a bit blurrythis guy...
i like the old astro boy stuff for sentimental reasons. also early 2000s anime was UGLY.

[JosyJosy]

Current, it's all I know, the new ones don't seem to do it for me at the moment but I keep my eye out for more

[Lynx122]

I like current there's a lot of variety and new concepts like Dr. Stone, Vinland Saga and the production and visuals are very polished. When I was growing up I only got to see a little anime and mostly read mangas like Dragon Ball or Naruto etc. So I don't have the nostalgia for old anime. I still checked some out later though.

[AFellowWeeb]

I chose current bc thats when i started watching it for real. Who am i kidding, i have a boner for character designs/artstyles, and in my opinion, the new ones look so squishy and cute, i preffer them

[Mijopapi215]

I am gonna say right now is and I mean animation as a whole because I love many shows that come on Adult Swim.

[Anonymous]

The original Ghost In The Shell is still the greatest anime so it has to be the 90s.

[AltCandice]

Tough decision for me between 90s and 00s but chose 90s.

[AdithyaR]

Early 2000s when Naruto began.
But the current times are doing really well too, some really good plot lines and great animations like Death Note or BNHA.

[btbc92]

The 70s-90s, followed by early 2000s. Most after 2010s are not good. Sorry to say.

[SlightlyEccentric]

90's

Yu Yu Hakusho
Inuyasha
Trigun
Rurouni Kenshin

Hell yeah it was the best

[SoWhatHuh]

It was the 10s, especially between 2012-15.

[pleasestopthis]

I like 00s and today's anime.

[OddBeMe]

Why aren’t American cartoons considered anime?

[NarutoUzumaki007]

Definitely 80s and 90s

[Bananaman177]

I will always prefer hand-drawn to CGI.

[Avicenna]

80s I guess

[R3DthatDude]

For me it’s the 90s

[Iron_Man]

I guess now

[Joxaren]

I think 2010-2015

[ALewis30]

The 1990s and 2000s