Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenNinja
It's like Tom said in the Dragon Knight thread - there's a difference (a considerable one) between a show having gravitas and a show being "darker/adult-oriented". That's something a lot of people fail to realize.
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Exactly.
Take exhibit A: A kids cartoon is created that's fairly lighthearted and humorous. The antics are wacky, the jokes are amusing, and the characters are enduring. However, The show also has another side--seeds of a story arc are planted early. This arc is a bit more serious then the comedy, but it intertwines the two halves into an unbreakable whole. Further, the story has a point behind it, a message if you will, but it can be enjoyed without being realized.
Take exhibit B: A dark and serious series is created for the male 20's demographic. There's lots of sex, lots of violence, and lots of explosions. But...there's not much else. Everyone is a badass or angsts, and there may be a ton of different 'plotlines' reaching in different directions, but none of them really matter in the end. It's dark and gritty and devoid of any emotion because that's 'realistic'.
Which of these two is the one with gravitas?
PR's problem in recent years is that it's virtually non-existent. It exists solely to go through the motions of its Japanese predecessor without ever really caring, occasionally stopping to add a battlizer in. There is no joy in its creation, no joy in its existence. It's a battered housewife who's will to live has been beaten out of it.