Naruto, InuYasha, the Dark Knight Batman and other Guilty Pleasures

As I stumble across the world wide web, I constantly run into mentions of Manga, Anime and such. Apparently there are a number of Naruto fans out there.

I am partial to Japanese anime when they involve mysterious powers, battles between good and evil, and ambivalent character or two who might be a good guy and might not.

The Japanese seem to churn out this watchable stuff while all I see coming out here is crap like Ed, Ed and Eddy. And which one of you Chowder Heads, ordered Chowder, or Flap Jack. Mostly unwatchable crap. Even that imaginary friends show got old after awhile.

Compare that to say The Avatar or that Samuari Jack show.

How is it there is so much schlock here and so many Gems coming out of Japan. They seem to be willing to spend the money to attract and depict interesting myths and legends.

American cartoons and kids shows appear to be about stupidity. Appearing stupid, learning to be stupid, living with stupid people. Only occasionally do the makers of children’s fare here forget to be stupid and turn out something not half bad like that cute teenage witch show or Ben 10. Sponge Bob and the Fairy God parents aren’t that bad.

Come to think of it though, the genesis for these rambling musings, Naruto is a first class, grade A idiot. Nevertheless, the show is interesting. It depicts a alternate universe and peoples it with interesting characters.

I don’t know if characters or the world on Ed, Ed an Eddy are interesting because the drawing is just too annoying to watch. What dialogue I have heard on that show before managing to change the channel was imbecilic. There is a concept called the pathetic fallacy. If you want to show people a character in a story is bored, you don’t do it by making the audience fall asleep. The people who made Naruto know this. The makers of Ed,Ed and Eddy do not.

When they do make good American cartoons like the Dark Knight Batman, or Superman or anything backed by DC or Marvel comics, they are too short lived. and we must subsist on a meager ration of reruns.