[Darth Kenshin]

OK I've been meaning to start this thread for a while, and now that one of the admins asked people to "indicate why we're watching a show" in another thread, I hope this isn't redundant. I think it's a bit different, so I'm creating it any way.

The essense of this is to tell us what characteristics of a show are important to you. Not what particular shows you like (Bleach, Naruto), or what genre (action, comedy, etc.) but what things you prioritize when watching and rating a show. With all the recommendations going around here, I thought it would be helpful. It's a bit hard for me to transcribe what I'm thinking, so I'll give an example: someone a while ago told me that Evangelion was the greatest anime ever and I should watch it. I did, and wasn't too impressed. The person who recommended it told me how great the religious undertones were, and how the art was so powerful. But to me, I couldn't get past the fact that every character sucked. He said to me "Oh, if you like character-driven shows, then of course Evangelion isn't for you." Unfortunately, I had already wasted time watching it. So, I figured if we just put down what characterstics we value in a show, it would help determine how much stock we put in each other's recommendations. If someone says "watch show X, it's great!" but it turns out they prioritize art and animation over something like pacing, I probably wouldn't heed that recommendation. Sorry for the lengthy intro... I hope you understand what I'm getting at here. Anyway, I'll start. The things that are most important to me when watching anime are:

1) Pacing - If you have a great story to tell, but can't do it in a way that maintains interest throughout, it's pretty hard to enjoy. This is why I typically don't enjoy shows more than 50 episodes long

2) Character Personalities - I always like when shows have very likeable characters that you empathize with, or very evil villains that you want to see get destroyed. It just makes it so much easier to enjoy. Would any of us appreciate Full Metal Alchemist as much if we didn't TRULY want to see Ed and Al get their bodies back? I don't think so.

3) Character Development - Not the same as #2. Essentially, I'm more intrigued by a show if it's evident that the events occuring impact the characters to some degree. It also can make up for a thin story, and even sometimes, questionable pacing. For example, I managed to tolerate DBZ beyond the Frieza Saga because I actually enjoyed seeing Vegeta transform from an anti-hero to a truly good family man. The gradual progression was the only reason to keep watching that crap. The show that does this best is Berserk, with Guts, Griffith (probably the best example in any media ever aside from Michael Corleone), and Casca.

4) Emotion - I like shows to move me, which is why I love Wolf's Rain. I dont' like when shows have no real emotional pull, and I don't like when shows treat the viewers as children. I'm not talking about romantic relationships. I'm talking about establishing some kind of emotional connection with the audience. FMA manages to do this incredibly well. The deaths in that show really hit home, and really took it to another level. Same for Trigun. And of course, the tragic events of the Trust & Betrayal OVA truly stand out.

5) Plot - It might be weird to have plot this low, but let me explain. A lot of great shows can have a very simple plot (like "saving the world from danger" or something). Some classics (like Cowboy Bebop) have a very thin over-arching plot, and most episodes are self contained. As long as the plot isn't completely stupid and nonsensical (Dragonball GT), I can still get into a show. I know some people aren't in to shows without a true central plot, but I'm not one of them

6) Moral/Theme - I do like shows that are thought provoking and manage to make a strong point about either religion, philosophy, politics, or what have you. However, I rank it low because I just think the other things are needed for a show to successfully make those observations. If a show has a powerful societal message or thought-provoking undertones, but is paced poorly (like Death Note), has crappy characters (Evangelion), or an absolutely ridiculous plot and premise (Paranoia Agent) it becomes too easy to miss whatever point the creators were trying to make because the other stuff is distracting (you don't know how many people I've talked to completely missed the point Kon was trying to make in Paranoia Agent).

7) Balance - Some people have this very high, but you should know that I don't value it too much. I don't care if a show is very dark and has no humor (Berserk) if it fits the rest of my criteria. But it's always good to have some balance. FMA and Chrono Crusade to a marvelous job of being very deep at times, and very comical at other times.

8) Art and Music - This always feels like icing on the cake to me, and nothing more really...

9) Action - Just know that if you're one of those people who only enjoy action shows with epic fight scenes and cool powers, I'm probably not the person whose recommendations you'd want to check out.

Again, I apologize for how long this is. I'm curious to see what you people think.