Let's Talk About Writing

An anime can have amazing characters, an intriguing plot and thought provoking themes, yet still fail to make them work together. Whereas a simple story can accomplish so much with so little.

I believe the issue is a matter of how well a story can utilise its elements. Just having good characters doesn't make for a good story, what they believe in should dictate their actions, which then shape the plot, and what happens after should provide a more grounded look at their beliefs and the ideas the story wished to convey.

1. Characters That Make Sense Even If They Are Contradictory

A well written character doesn't have to make sense. People contradict themselves and do silly things all the time. Fiction can do the same as long as they are consistent in what they do aside from the consequences of their actions.

We don't have to like what someone does or think they are right to do what they do, but we should understand what made them do it. There's a clear difference between understanding and justifying someone's actions.
Example - Vinland Saga

2. Choices That Affect More Than The Plot

The things a character do shouldn't just affect the plot and the people around them; they should also change who they are.

Sometimes a decision can hurt a bond between two people, or make someone realise that the thing they wanted wasn't what they needed. They can get everything they worked for only to find out that they don't want it after all.

Not everything has to be a sad realisation, but whatever it is should actually be a worthwhile consequence that affects either the person, the others around them or at least the plot.
Example - Re:Zero

3. Themes That Go Beyond Asks Questions

A story can look into moral dilemmas, free will or what makes us human without spelling everything out. However, just asking questions isn't enough, I feel like stories with genuinely interesting themes are far more engaging.

Personally, I find it far more interesting when a story looks at the concepts behind what it is doing. If two sides of a debate clash, the writing should delve into the reasons for their beliefs, where those reasons are valid or not, where the arguments are sound and where they fail.

Their beliefs should also be tested in practice, it's much easier to write something that sounds good in theory, but it's something else to write about what happens when said philosophy is actually put into practice.

A story doesn't need to give us answers, but they should give us something worth considering.
Example - Monster

4. A World That Shapes Its Characters

A world isn't a setting to put the protagonist in, the world should shape the people in it and what they can do. A person that grew up in a place with different rules may see things differently than someone whose life was lived someplace else. This may be enough to put two people at odds without having to explain anything else.

The world should feel like it would continue existing even if the protagonist wasn't there. They may be the focal point of nearly everything that happens, but they aren't the reason why anything in the story exists.
Example - Made in Abyss

5. Dialogue That Lets Us See How The Characters Think

Good dialogue goes beyond exposition, they can explain what is happening, but they can also show us how the characters think about the situations at hand.

Two people may see things very differently depending on what they value. The reasoning for their stances can shed light on what they believe even if they aren't consciously aware of it.

A conversation can also give new weight to past conflicts, we may see why someone did what they did or realise that the reason for the argument may not be as straightforward as was originally thought.
Example - The Monogatari Series

6. Payoffs That Make The Journey Worthwhile

A good payoff doesn't necessarily have to be a surprise. Sometimes we can see where things are going and it can still be rewarding because of everything that had to happen to get there.

It's less about whether or not we saw it coming and more about how well the writing led us there. Important setups should have a payoff of their own and major conflicts should see their conclusions tie back to those setups.

A twist can grab us by the surprise even if it doesn't really do much else after that. A good revelation can make everything up to that point feel different without having to do anything differently afterwards.
Example - Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

7. Pacing And The Use Of Time

A story can have all the right ingredients, but if they happen at the wrong moment it can ruin all of them.

A major revelation can be wasted if the story feels too rushed trying to get there, an emotional scene can feel misplaced if the bond between the characters wasn't properly established beforehand. Even if it is all brilliantly written, an idea can become tedious if it is explained over and over again long after we understand it.

Pacing isn't about being quick or entertaining the audience at all times. It's about knowing when a story should be quick and when it needs to slow down. It's about finding the times to move the story forward and when to stop and let the characters do something for once. It's about knowing when to cut a scene short for the good of the story rather than dragging it out in an attempt to make everything last forever. It's about the balance between giving the audience enough time to grasp what is happening without it dragging on too long.
Example - Steins;Gate

The Takeaway In The End

I don't think good writing can be boiled down to a singular checklist. A comedy doesn't need the same kind of writing as a mystery or a romance. A simple story doesn't need to look into the meaning of all existence to be worth telling.

To me, it's all about execution and how everything comes together. Who the characters are and what they believe dictates who they are as people, and how the world around them interacts with them. The consequences of their actions should give weight to the themes of the story, and the importance of those themes can be dictated by how well the writer executes on their presentation. It's about good pacing that knows how to utilise time to its advantage.

I think when those things work together everything else has the potential to be something far greater than the sum of its parts.

That's my thought on what makes for good writing anyway, what about you? Which anime do you think gets it right?