Lets Keep Talking

Some anime may be good throughout their runtime but rarely leave a lasting impression. Meanwhile, other shows may have certain flaws and become the ones we keep thinking about long after their credits roll down the screen.

So what separates these two kinds of anime? How can an imperfect one become one of our all time favourites while a technically better series never connect with us?

Personally, I don't think great animation, a good story or memorable characters automatically make an anime peak. The way a series incorporates its elements together creates an experience that can become memorable to us.

01 | THE MOMENT THAT MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT

There are those scenes that make us pause after seeing them. Whether it's a character achieving their goal, a sad farewell or a long-awaited showdown.

Part of what makes the most memorable episode's of Hunter x Hunter so impressive are all of the elements that led up to them. The understanding of one's situation and what a character is going through can influence the way we view them. It all becomes more meaningful when we put ourselves in their shoes and what we understand from the situation is placed into consideration.

A fight isn't automatically peak because of how it looks, and a character's achievement isn't automatically heartwarming either. It has to be built upon what has occurred before for us to understand its significance to the character.

Hype is good, but hype with buildup is an altogether different experience.

02 | WHEN EVERYTHING CLICKS

The execution of things like writing, music, animation, voice-acting and direction can all be great individually but how they complement one another is the most important thing.

A soundtrack can make a scene more emotional without any extra lines of dialogue, and the way a scene is directed can imply something without the characters stating it outright.

The visual presentation of Mob Psycho 100 is a good example of how the animation can be used to convey what the characters are feeling or the tone that a series wants to have.

An anime doesn't need to have movie level quality animation in each of its episode's to do this. Sometimes a simple scene, well-directed and portrayed with proper pacing can have a bigger impact than an episode made up of flashy animations.

It's not about what it shows, but what it does with its tools.

03 | A STYLE OF ITS OWN

There are series that have enough characteristics that define them as their own. These can vary between the atmosphere they have, the way their story is told or presented and even the kind of comedy they use or the subject they approach from a unique angle.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a good example of a series that has its own presentation. It distinguishes itself from other shows through its poses, characters and overall approach towards its plots and fights.

A series doesn't need to be completely different from everything else to be considered peak. Sometimes, it's putting known elements together in a different way that makes one stand out from the rest.

Personally, I appreciate it when an anime knows what it wants to do and goes through with it. It doesn't have to be something everyone would like, but it should have its own identity instead of just relying on a formula that many other series have used.

04 | IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE HIGHS

For me, what defines a peak anime are the moments in between the grand ones. The things that made us smile that aren't always dramatic and don't occur often. Does it know how to make mundane things interesting? Does it know how to build relationships without making everything unbearably emotional? Can we root for someone and be happy for them simply because we want them to be happy, even when nothing special has occurred?

These types of scenes give us the background for bigger moments and allow relationships to grow. We get to know the characters and see them evolve, and even if things are simple, it's all the things that happen that matter.

An anime that has constant spectacular and thrilling events can entertain us for a certain amount of time, but one that can keep us enjoying the journey, even when not much is happening, is something else together.

Not everything has to be a resounding moment for us to like an anime.

This is also the reason why personal favourites are not always something that everyone agrees on. An anime can have obvious, glaring flaws and be one of the best things that ever happened to me simply because I connected well with the few good episodes in it or how enjoyable it was to me when watching.

Sometimes, the experience defines what makes a series special, not just its content.

THE TAKEAWAY IN THE END

I don't think there's a set formula that defines peak anime. Some series can be great at telling stories, others at creating characters, using their tools and presentation and even entertaining without meaning much beyond what they are.

For me, peak is not so much about an anime with the least amount of flaws and more about one that allows for an experience that's hard to forget with every episode that passes.

Two people can have a completely different experience when watching the same series. One puts stock into how good the story was, another in the characters, and a third just wanted to have a fun time watching the series with friends.

And isn't that how being an anime fan is all about really?

Which anime is peak to you? Is it the one you consider the best or the one you enjoyed the most?