Narration

[Etyo]

I have been watching Anime for some time now, and I have not come across many Anime with Narration in it. Particularly I am meaning the Gods eye view type of narration. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. What are your thoughts would narration make something more fun?

 

Particularly, do you think that it would add or remove quality?

[Etyo]

Do you mean narration by a character? Or narration as in the type you hear at the beginning and end of every Pokemon episode (non-character?)

 

Come to think of it, I haven't seen much of it, either. Considering the lack of examples, I can't say for certain if I would find an anime like that enjoyable or not. Although, if there was an anime out there akin to 'Stranger Than Fiction,' that would be a must, and would also be totally hilarious.

 

edit;; How odd. I just watched an anime with narration (Adventure of Sinbad.) Twas oddly fitting, since there were some notable time gaps in between some episodes.

 

Either idea is great, but I particularly mean character Narration.

[Nutty]

Hmmmm... If I am remembering correctly the main character (forgot his name) of My Teenage Romantic Comedy SNAFU provides a lot of cynical narration on the world/ being a teenager in general. And the main guy in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya gives overall narration to the story as well.

 

I'm generally fine with narration and don't really feel like it the absence/ presence of it really affects the series much overall (from what I've seen so far). However it can fall flat and sometimes be plain annoying if you don't like the main character or his views - which is what I felt while watching SNAFU. But if you're a generally likable character like the guy in Haruhi, then the narration is fine.

[RepentantSky]

Now I don't know much about basics of film and TV shows do's and don'ts, but one thing I do know, is that narration that doesn't drive the plot in a positive way is looked down on heavily. I also know that narration is often used as a way to avoid one of the biggest, and more expensive do's, of show, don't tell. So with that in mind, I see most narration as a lazy excuse to defy what should be for the sake of saving money, no matter how much it drags down the overall quality of a product, because it's almost never used to the way it's supposed to be. So, no, I don't like narration, because I can think of maybe two times where it's been done correctly in any media I've ever seen, and both are examples of things that came out before I was born, and I mean like, we're talking just post silent film era here. The sooner any media industry that can and does use narration gets away from it, the better.

Edited April 2, 2017 by Guest

[Etyo]

@Nutty So for you, character Narration is a success if the character is fluid enough to be loved by most people, or rather just loved by someone who watches a show. I agree that this is the case that without a likable or relatable character it will be difficult to enjoy their thoughts on a topic or situation.

 

@RepentantSky I think you are on point, so narration can also be used as a mask for lack of funds or laziness. Which destroys the potential of the show/movie. Can you think of any shows where this is the case, particularly an Anime?

[RepentantSky]

@Nutty So for you, character Narration is a success if the character is fluid enough to be loved by most people, or rather just loved by someone who watches a show. I agree that this is the case that without a likable or relatable character it will be difficult to enjoy their thoughts on a topic or situation.

 

@RepentantSky I think you are on point, so narration can also be used as a mask for lack of funds or laziness. Which destroys the potential of the show/movie. Can you think of any shows where this is the case, particularly an Anime?

 

In counteraction to a previous post by Nutty that stated the narration in Haruhi is fine, I think it's done pretty horribly. If memory serves, most, if not all the narration in the show is used to convey emotions, thoughts and backstory, however little there is, that is either obvious, or again, should be shown, and not told. There's some narration in One Punch Man as well, that's not even meant to be comical, that basically narrates the scene you're already watching, as if it's afraid to be quiet for too long because it might lose it's audience. That kind of narration is not only pointless, and it's very good at taking out of the scene, because it's annoying to have something explained to you that obviously happening in front of you. I don't need to hear Saitama tell me that he's bored with beating everyone in one Punch, the lack of interest or expression on his face can tell me that.

Edited April 2, 2017 by Guest

[Nutty]

[POTENTIAL SPOLIERS FOR HARUHI AHEAD]

 

In counteraction to a previous post by Nutty that stated the narration in Haruhi is fine, I think it's done pretty horribly. If memory serves, most, if not all the narration in the show is used to convey emotions, thoughts and backstory, however little there is, that is either obvious, or again, should be shown, and not told. There's some narration in One Punch Man as well, that's not even meant to be comical, that basically narrates the scene you're already watching, as if it's afraid to be quiet for too long because it might lose it's audience. That kind of narration is not only pointless, and it's very good at taking out of the scene, because it's annoying to have something explained to you that obviously happening in front of you. I don't need to hear Saitama tell me that he's bored with beating everyone in one Punch, the lack of interest or expression on his face can tell me that.

Interesting point. Since it was a while since I last watched Haruhi, I had to revisit it in order to pinpoint why I thought the narration was fine. After about 10 minutes into episode 5 - I think this is one of the main reasons.

 

(Please note that I have only watched up until episode 5, so all my points bellow only reflect the show up till then)

 

Lets first consider the context of Haruhi. In a nutshell, the story revolves around Haruhi searching for Espers, Aliens etc. as she is fascinated by them. The irony here being that they are the ones attracted to her, taking forms of ordinary high school students to get close to her claiming that she is a powerful god. The main character, as well as the viewer sees this irony - which forms a huge chunk of the series' humor.

 

Kyon (the male lead) is definitely a first person narrator, however what gives him a different vibe than a lot of others is that he somewhat resembles an omniscient narrator.

 

An omniscient narrator is someone that Is all-knowing, almost like god or an omnipotent being. That being said, Kyon is not one of those, but he is "all-knowing" (sometimes going as far as to directly foreshadow future events) in terms of the series' premise. As established before, the show is about Haruhi not knowing that she is surrounded by the exact beings she is searching for. Having the male lead know all of this serves one distinct purpose - to add comedic effect by emphasizing this irony, and for the series to shift more focus onto the series' main character Haruhi.

 

In Kyons case, he didn't even need to know the irony of the situation himself, and the story could as easily went on without his narration. The viewer could be shown that Haruhi's 'friends' were not what they seem without Kyon having to find out. But if that was the case, Haruhi would just turn into a show about aliens spying on Haruhi secretly. Given their generally passive natures, the early parts of the show wouldn't escalate beyond the point of just a normal high-school slice of life, minus the comedy part. And if comedy was to be integrated into the show, it would have to be done through the aliens themselves - constantly stating the irony of the show - which is very out of character for those characters.

 

Kyon gives us a normal person in the story, someone we can relate to, someone we can laugh with. He brings a little sense of normality in this foreign landscape - he serves as someone who was just as confused as us, who later turns into someone who senses and pokes fun of the irony present in the story. That, paired with the fact that Kyon is a self-aware, likable guy in general is the main reason I think his narration is good - and definitely serves its intended purpose.

 

(At least for the first 5 episodes)

Edited April 2, 2017 by Guest

[zoop]

In counteraction to a previous post by Nutty that stated the narration in Haruhi is fine, I think it's done pretty horribly. If memory serves, most, if not all the narration in the show is used to convey emotions, thoughts and backstory, however little there is, that is either obvious, or again, should be shown, and not told.

 

Huh. I always found the ever present snark and cynicism present by virtue of Kyon's constant narration to be one of the most charming aspects of the show, personally. The straight man dead pan works exceptionally well in my opinion, particularly during the increasingly oddball events of the show. I don't really think the series would have been nearly as enjoyable without it, tbh.

 

With that said, that's about the only example of that sort of narration that immediately springs to mind with regards to anime.

@Nutty So for you, character Narration is a success if the character is fluid enough to be loved by most people, or rather just loved by someone who watches a show. I agree that this is the case that without a likable or relatable character it will be difficult to enjoy their thoughts on a topic or situation.

 

I think this really hits the nail on the head, to be honest.

[brycec]

I have been watching Anime for some time now, and I have not come across many Anime with Narration in it. Particularly I am meaning the Gods eye view type of narration. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. What are your thoughts would narration make something more fun?

 

Particularly, do you think that it would add or remove quality?

Really depends on the show.

 

For example, the narrator for Ookami really distracts me, but Haruhi's is okay.

 

I prefer little to no narration.

[Etyo]

Really depends on the show.

 

For example, the narrator for Ookami really distracts me, but Haruhi's is okay.

 

I prefer little to no narration.

 

Could you perhaps be a bit more descriptive as to why you prefer little to no narration, is there a particular reason you believe it doesn't work in Ookami?

[brycec]

Ookami's narrator is obvious. The narrator there just will not let me pick up on details myself, and explains everything. Come on! I want to enjoy the anime. If you watched Black Critic Guy's review of the show, what he did to the narrator in his video is what I want to do with Ookami's narrator.

 

That should answer things fully for you.

 

Some narrators are okay, but I just feel like I can immerse myself better without one.