I remember starting a thread like this once before, but it was dropped apparently due to its age. I remember getting some good responses. And to encourage more of you to make responses and not just click on, read, and log out, I thought I would again start a thread on Dumb but Fun anime.
What is Dumb but Fun? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like. The story is dumb, the artwork and animation are dumb, the characters are dumb, the writing is dumb. But it is sure fun to watch.
No, not all these characteristics need to be present. Two would be enough. Also I am not talking about anime which is unintentionally bad; that is, I am not talking about poorly conceived and made anime. Basically, we are talking about anime which does not take itself seriously. So here are some to start us off with, in no particular order.
FLCL. Not the two total crap sequels, but the original. Poor Naota is the only normal person in a town full of eccentrics with development issues. It all comes to head with the arrival of an alien named Haruko. My understanding is this series started out as a joke, and then grew to be a Dumb but Fun classic.
Kill la Kill. Ryuko is out to avenge her father’s death, with one half of a giant scissors, and three-fourths naked. The real mover of this anime is Ryuko’s side-kick, the ultra-hyper and empty-headed Mako. It’s all about a conspiracy to enslave the human race to their clothing.
Kill Me Baby. Airhead schoolgirl Yasuna wants to be best friends with her classmate Sonja. Sonja is a professional assassin. Next we meet Agiri, a ninja looking to make a few yen, and the Unused Character who just wants to get into the story.
Space Dandy. This is Cowboy Bebop with a full lobotomy. Dandy and his friends, a catlike creature named Meow and a vacuum cleaner turned ship’s computer named QT, search the universe for unregistered alien species. Oh, and boobies. We can’t forget hunting for boobies at Boobies. (Just watch the series.) And we can’t forget the villain, the evil Doctor Gel. He’s hunting Dandy for some reason. Dandy doesn’t even know Gel exists.
Cromartie High School. Takashi is a nice guy, well behaved, and a model student – until he accidentally is enrolled at Cromartie High, a school for juvenile delinquents. He quickly becomes head of one of the school’s gangs, and then becomes the head of all gangs thanks to his knowledge of yogurt. But there are other gang leaders to contend with, including the late Freddie Mercury. There are plenty of running gags which never grow old. The animation is almost intentionally bad, but it works with this anime. The only problem is that much of the humor pokes fun at Japanese culture, so western audiences may not get all the jokes.
Papuwa Island. This is a sequel to another series which was never released in the US. No matter. You can still follow the story – as if the story was important. Kotarou is a young boy with the power to destroy the world, or at least a good chunk of it. Suffering from amnesia, he washes up on Papuwa Island, where he is given shelter by a little boy name Papuwa and his man-maid Liquid. Also on the island are a cross-dressing fish and snail, a stoner mushroom, a manly female warrior, and other eccentric or incapable characters. It’s wall pretty normal to Papuwa.
So there is a start. What are your favorite Dumb but Fun anime series or movies? And why? What are they about? Feel free to discuss.
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