Makoto Shinkai has many fans, but some say that his older movies were better.
His new works might be considered way too perfect and therefore uninteresting, as well as self-repetitive, but self-repetition is not necessarily bad.
Some also say his older movies are actually worse, but the reality is they all appeal to different people.
Makoto Shinkai has been somewhat of a controversial topic among anime fans. Sure, most actually like him, and it is impossible to deny the fact that his movies are some of the best-looking works in the industry. However, he is often criticized for self-repetition. There is even a point of view among his fans that his older works are better than his newer ones. The idea behind that opinion is understandable, however, both sides of the argument need to be addressed.
Did Shinkai lose his charm along the way?
The idea behind the argument that Shinkai’s older works are better is understandable. Fans who claim that consider his older movies, like 5 Centimeters per Second (Byousoku 5 Centimeter) and The Place Promised in Our Early Days (Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho) to have way more charm than his recent works. Sure, his newer anime might have perfected the “boy meets girl” formula, they are way too perfect, to the point where some may call them “sterile”. Besides, it just gets tiring to watch more of the same.
Self-repetition is not always bad
Exploring similar themes in your works, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. While it can be argued that the latter works would ultimately have less to say than the first one, it is way more nuanced than that. Shinkai still changes his formula with each movie, utilizing the same themes and formulas in different ways. Besides, Suzume, his latest movie, features no romance at all. It is also a question of how much nostalgia plays into the opinion that Shinkai’s older works are better.
A different opinion
There is even an opposite opinion on the matter. Shinkai’s newer movies have a wider audience and are more known to the fans, so surely, they are actually better than his older ones, right? Well, not exactly. Surely, the art is more refined, but the actual content of the movie also matters. Besides, popularity and quality have no direct correlation — newer anime in general are more watched nowadays than things from over a decade ago, and there are way more otaku now than back then.
Ultimately, Shinkai’s movies all describe different life situations, and the best one for you is probably the one you relate the most to. Perhaps that is why his works are so popular — different things are important to different people, and almost everyone can find something for themselves in his works. While the themes he explores are universally understood by everyone, the individual charm of each of his movies lies in the details.
Are Your Name and Suzume overrated?
Summary:
Makoto Shinkai has many fans, but some say that his older movies were better.
His new works might be considered way too perfect and therefore uninteresting, as well as self-repetitive, but self-repetition is not necessarily bad.
Some also say his older movies are actually worse, but the reality is they all appeal to different people.
Makoto Shinkai has been somewhat of a controversial topic among anime fans. Sure, most actually like him, and it is impossible to deny the fact that his movies are some of the best-looking works in the industry. However, he is often criticized for self-repetition. There is even a point of view among his fans that his older works are better than his newer ones. The idea behind that opinion is understandable, however, both sides of the argument need to be addressed.
Did Shinkai lose his charm along the way?
The idea behind the argument that Shinkai’s older works are better is understandable. Fans who claim that consider his older movies, like 5 Centimeters per Second (Byousoku 5 Centimeter) and The Place Promised in Our Early Days (Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho) to have way more charm than his recent works. Sure, his newer anime might have perfected the “boy meets girl” formula, they are way too perfect, to the point where some may call them “sterile”. Besides, it just gets tiring to watch more of the same.
Self-repetition is not always bad
Exploring similar themes in your works, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. While it can be argued that the latter works would ultimately have less to say than the first one, it is way more nuanced than that. Shinkai still changes his formula with each movie, utilizing the same themes and formulas in different ways. Besides, Suzume, his latest movie, features no romance at all. It is also a question of how much nostalgia plays into the opinion that Shinkai’s older works are better.
A different opinion
There is even an opposite opinion on the matter. Shinkai’s newer movies have a wider audience and are more known to the fans, so surely, they are actually better than his older ones, right? Well, not exactly. Surely, the art is more refined, but the actual content of the movie also matters. Besides, popularity and quality have no direct correlation — newer anime in general are more watched nowadays than things from over a decade ago, and there are way more otaku now than back then.
Ultimately, Shinkai’s movies all describe different life situations, and the best one for you is probably the one you relate the most to. Perhaps that is why his works are so popular — different things are important to different people, and almost everyone can find something for themselves in his works. While the themes he explores are universally understood by everyone, the individual charm of each of his movies lies in the details.
