Why Japanese TV Shows are better than American TV Shows

When I was a child growing up, the only kind of TV shows and stories that I was exposed to were all Western. Now that I reflect on it, almost all of the American shows that I watched really seemed to have no complicated plot, and it seemed as if the creators of the show just didn't really put too much effort into making their work good. As long as they could come up with something by the deadline, then it was fine with them. As a result, these shows never really had any deep emotional impacts on me during or after I watched them. It was basically like I watched an episode because I had nothing else to do, then moved on to something else without a second thought. That is not the kind of story that I am going to enjoy very much.

http://www.sodahead.com/fun/asian-cartoons-or-american-cartoons/question-1133367/?page=2

Of course, while I was watching them, I didn't consider this because I was a child and didn't know any better. I couldn't understand the joy of watching a story with a complicated plot and complex characters.


After I saw my first Japanese anime series in the year of 2011, I was amazed at just how different the experience was. The plot was so intricate that the author obviously put a load of work into it, and the characters were developed extremely well. I didn't even mind reading subtitles because it was just so much more interesting than what you could find on American television. You can actually become absorbed in the story in a much deeper way than with American shows. It made you really want to see the next episode in the series. Everything from the story down to the art, Japanese shows win hands down.

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/western-animation

So why do I think that Japanese shows are more interesting? For one, there is definitely more work put into the storyline. A lot of Japanese anime series actually start out as a light novel, or a written story, that comes out every few months or so with a new volume until it ends. If an author's light novel or manga is found to be popular or exceptional, then they may get an anime deal and have their story turned into a TV show. I think that the Japanese work ethic has a big part to play in this. Japanese people get extremely into their field of work and try to perform as exceptionally as possible. My opinion is that American people have adopted a lazier attitude because our country has been successful in the past. The only western form of storytelling that I can still find enjoyment in is literature, where good author's will still work hard on essential things like plot and characterization.

Over the summer of 2012 I read and watched some of the best stories I have ever encountered in my life. I haven't turned on my TV again since.

Current Favorite Series:

Stein's;Gate

Episode 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz-L_sgaLUY

(This series is hard to get into until around episode 4 or 5, but the plot and characters are excellent. Sword Art Online or Accel World are probably easier series to get into)

http://wall.alphacoders.com/big.php?i=345052

http://stuffpoint.com/sword-art-online/image/53472/sao-picture/

http://randomanimeviewer.wordpress.com/articles/spring-2012-top-10-anime/