People watch anime for different reasons: some come for complex stories that cannot be found in any other type of media, some are fans of stunning animation, some choose less serious projects because they want to chill and not think about anything meaningful, and some are just here for a great adventure. No matter what your reason for coming is, we all need a reason to stay. So what is it that makes an anime good and keeps you invested in the story?
The first thing we’d like to talk about is the characters. It may seem strange not to start with the plot, but hear us out. The plot, while being extremely crucial, is not always the first thing we notice. That’s why in the beginning of the story we’re first introduced to the main character(s) and given an idea of what they are like. They might be relatable like Denji (Chainsaw Man), who is not a hero and is just trying to survive in a crazy world, or pretentious with a god complex like Yagami Light (Death Note), whose ideology may seem fascinating yet bizarre. Characters have to interest you and make you want to understand them and see their actions and reactions. The first episode of Death Note can be summarized in a couple of sentences and the main conflict of the series isn’t clear yet, but Light with his ideas is exactly what forces you to keep watching. We understand his goals and we have to know if he’s ever going to reach them.
Now let’s move on to the story itself. After introducing characters, the anime should give you something to look forward to. Creating mystery and raising intriguing questions is a good way to attract viewers’ attention. Take, for example, Attack on Titan, where we’re left with so much unknown after the first episode. What are these titans? What do they want from people? How does the world work? Moreover, Attack on Titan doesn’t stop at this and raises more and more questions as we move deeper into the story. A series just has to remember to answer these questions along the way, or everything might become too complicated and hard to understand.
Going back to talking about characters, we have to mention motivation. Characters have to make us feel, but they can’t do that if we don’t understand their actions. Viewers don’t have to relate to their motivation or share it, but they shouldn’t feel like everything happening on the screen is illogical or stupid. It’s important for the characters to be motivated by clear and comprehensive emotions, desires and goals. Let’s remember Tanjiro (Demon Slayer), who’s driven by a fully obvious wish to save his sister. You don’t have to have your sister being turned into a demon to understand this character and his motivation.
What makes us want to really care about an anime?
People watch anime for different reasons: some come for complex stories that cannot be found in any other type of media, some are fans of stunning animation, some choose less serious projects because they want to chill and not think about anything meaningful, and some are just here for a great adventure. No matter what your reason for coming is, we all need a reason to stay. So what is it that makes an anime good and keeps you invested in the story?
The first thing we’d like to talk about is the characters. It may seem strange not to start with the plot, but hear us out. The plot, while being extremely crucial, is not always the first thing we notice. That’s why in the beginning of the story we’re first introduced to the main character(s) and given an idea of what they are like. They might be relatable like Denji (Chainsaw Man), who is not a hero and is just trying to survive in a crazy world, or pretentious with a god complex like Yagami Light (Death Note), whose ideology may seem fascinating yet bizarre. Characters have to interest you and make you want to understand them and see their actions and reactions. The first episode of Death Note can be summarized in a couple of sentences and the main conflict of the series isn’t clear yet, but Light with his ideas is exactly what forces you to keep watching. We understand his goals and we have to know if he’s ever going to reach them.
Now let’s move on to the story itself. After introducing characters, the anime should give you something to look forward to. Creating mystery and raising intriguing questions is a good way to attract viewers’ attention. Take, for example, Attack on Titan, where we’re left with so much unknown after the first episode. What are these titans? What do they want from people? How does the world work? Moreover, Attack on Titan doesn’t stop at this and raises more and more questions as we move deeper into the story. A series just has to remember to answer these questions along the way, or everything might become too complicated and hard to understand.
Going back to talking about characters, we have to mention motivation. Characters have to make us feel, but they can’t do that if we don’t understand their actions. Viewers don’t have to relate to their motivation or share it, but they shouldn’t feel like everything happening on the screen is illogical or stupid. It’s important for the characters to be motivated by clear and comprehensive emotions, desires and goals. Let’s remember Tanjiro (Demon Slayer), who’s driven by a fully obvious wish to save his sister. You don’t have to have your sister being turned into a demon to understand this character and his motivation.
