Top 6 Anime Cliches

We’ve all heard it or said it before at one point in time: ” There’s nothing new under the Sun.” Any and everything that can be done has been done. And with the way Hollywood is throwing out remakes, rehashes and revamps, it’s kinda hard not to agree with such a statement. The world of anime is not exempt from this. Clichés and tropes are pretty much what a good portion of shows run on these days, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If done the right way, even the oldest of ideas came seem fresh and new. You need only look at My Hero Academia for the perfect example of a new take on shounen battle anime.

So, today we’re going to celebrate those long running clichés and tropes that we have come to both and enjoy & grow tired of over the years. Starting with:

#6 Quiet/whiny Characters with Hidden Powers

I can’t be the only one who’s noticed this over the years. How come it’s always the most annoying characters that get to have super powers, or are the “chosen one” destined to save the day? Or how come it’s always the quiet kid that sat in the back of the class that can alter the world with just one swipe of their hands? Half of the time these characters want nothing to do with saving the day and would rather let their great power go to waste.

Looking right you, Vash!!

Why can’t a guy who actually WANTS to be awesome get superpowers? The whole “looks can be deceiving” thing isn’t all that great compared to someone who’s gung-ho about saving the world! Sort of a nitpick, I guess, but it’s still grinds my gears every now and then.

 

#5 Touchy Feely Teammates/Quiet Moments in Sports Anime

It’s a little known fact that yaoi fan girls are my least favorite sect in the anime fanbase. Nothing against them personally, and definitely nothing against those of the LGBT community. It just gets REALLY annoying seeing male chars that I enjoy watching all snuggled up together under a blanket watching a movie like an old, married couple when looking up images of them!

I will admit that there is tons of source material for fangirls to grab hold to when shipping their favorite male chars, and the show’s creators only have themselves to blame! As a former football player, I know ALL about the camaraderie and bond that is formed between teammates competing together in arena of sports. But there is a big difference between that and the full-blown Full House moments that take place in most sports anime. I kid you not when I say there have been multiple times where I expected Kuroko and Kagami to actually kiss or something when watching them spend time together. If I wanted to watch a show about romantic tension, I’d watch Golden Time or something dang it!

GIVE ME MAH SPORTS AND NOTHING MORE!!

#4 Androgynous Characters

You knew it was coming!!

Traps are a HUGE thing nowadays in modern anime, but the trend of putting gender ambiguous characters in shows is actually quite old. Many a time in the past I’ve thought for certain the broad was doting upon was in fact female, only to have my world torn asunder when “she” turned out to be a “he”!!

Males aren’t the only ones to be given this sort of treatment. I have seen my fair share of female traps as well. Androgynous dudes just seem much more prevalent in anime as means to mostly please the female fan base. BL games/manga/anime and all that…I’m a simple guy that likes simple things! I like to know the chick I’m looking at is a chick and nothing more! Stop confusing me, anime!

Girl you are so fiiine….Wait…that’s a dude?! * Flips a table.*

 

#3  Characters With Bowl Cut Hairstyles

There are only 3 indisputable truths in all of life: Death, taxes and the fact that there will always be one person with a bowl cut in your anime. I only just noticed this recently, but at least 75% of the anime I’ve watched have had either a dude or chick with a Bieber cut. Just look at all these examples:

Not even sure why such a hairstyle is so prevalent in anime series, especially given that it’s not only reserved for the typical nerd/dork characters. Regardless, it seems like a trend that won’t be going away any time soon.

#2 Long Winded & Over The Top Transformations

Talk about beating a dead horse. I think there are actually more jokes about this cliché than there are actual transformations! Even Robot Chicken took a stab at mocking it with a parody of Sailor Moon. I think the most common issue anyone has with them is the fact that the villain/hero just stands there while it happens! Numerous times have I screamed ” What are you waiting for?!” every time I just see some poor sap watching his opponent change into a much more powerful form in order to pummel them into the ground. Is there some unwritten rule that you don’t attack a person who’s going through some sort of metamorphosis? And even if there is, why would villains follow it?!

# 1 Filler Episodes

Oh boy…do people forever hate filler episodes! No matter the genre of the anime, nobody ever seems to enjoy when a show moves away from the overall plot for some random nonsense that, 9 times out of 10, has nothing to do with anything. The most common of these types of episodes are the beach/hot springs episode. Personally, I don’t mind them all that much if they are done right. I understand the need to give audiences a moment to breathe after watching an epic battle or some heart wrenching moment, but that doesn’t mean you have veer from the plot totally. You can keep things going along and still have a beach episode. But, as it stands now, most people can do without them.

Did I miss an other common place clichés or tropes in anime? Let me know down below. I’m NEETaku and this was Just…My 2 Cents!