True Originality

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shankmyster

New member
I am well aware that this is a stupid thread, but I thought I?d go ahead and get it created. As I?m sure you all know, ideas have been repeated throughout the ages and each generation borrows from its predecessors. This is obviously true for animation as well, as every animated program has borrowed one thing or another from the entities that have been created before it. However, I wanted to ask if there has ever been an animated program, or at the very least an episode of an animated program, that you?ve felt was truly original. Granted, originality is a fleeting concept and original things can quickly grow stale, though originality in its time should still be appreciated.

I apologize if the point of this thread is unclear, but after hearing so many accusations that one show is ripping off another show, I wanted to see if there is actually anything original being created in recent years. Ideas have been flourishing for quite some time, and considering all of the books, movies, television programs and so forth, it?s hard to imagine that true originality exists in this day and age.
 
I think that almost every show I have seen so far, there is a small part of it that's similar to another show, such as ideas, characteristics, etc. But, that doesn't mean that show doesn't have it's uniqueness.

The only show that I have seen to this day that is unique from the rest, is a show called Aishiteruze Baby.

I think that show is unique, because it focuses on some real life problems, such as a 5 year old who is abandoned. Sure, it may sound cliched, but in anime, it's the very first time I've seen it. Also, the 5 year old really acts her age, she has fears, hopes, dreams just like everyone else. What I love about her character is that alot of stories revolve around how she reacts, which I consider realistic.

Another thing is that there is no magic or fighting in this show. I have never seen anything so far without some type of magic/ fighting... AB definitely is different in that category. It focuses on the relationships between people, family and especially between Yuzu and Kippei (who is looking after her). It shows how they bond and the ending is so worth it and really good. (in the manga, cos the anime just stops half way...)

Another thing it shows is how or why people react the way they do, which I consider something I have NEVER seen in animation. Such as, jealousy and anger, what people can say during those times. Alot of the problems such as parents hitting their kids- something i don't even see in real tv shows. So to me, it's a very new thing.

But I still love shows that have similar characteristic, because I usually like to look for the small things in a show that stands out from the rest, and I do believe there is something in every show that's unique.

EDIT: There's probably shows that are similar to this, but not that I've seen.... so others may not acutally find it unique, I do =P
 
If a show isn't blatant and slavish with what it takes from another (i.e. Coconut Fred and Spongebob), I generally don't have a problem
 
Never seen Law & Order, so wouldn't know what that is. This show is quite original me since I haven't seen anything similar to it [yet] especially in animation form. Just the fact it didn't have a good vs evil thing took me a while to believe.
 
-Mickey Mouse, Mighty Mouse, Jerry Mouse
-Donald Duck, Howard the Duck, Daffy Duck
-The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Addams Family

*sigh* Cliches
 
Considering the Addams Family was a sitcom based on a comic strip (or rather, and illustraited Laughing square) from the New Yorker, (and Charles Addams didn't plan on it turning out the way it did, initially) it really doesn't belong there.

That said, when was there ever originality? All ideas are derived from pre-existing ideas. Literary references, paralells to myths... all things come out of others. The only original thing that ever existed was when man first started a written language.

As for animation, for originality, you need to go all the way back to Windsor McKay's first animations. Even then, pre-existing themes permiated it.

You cannot have any more originality that's pure originality. You can be original on a pre-existing theme or genre, but you can't have something that hasn't existed in some shape or form.
 
To me, it's all about the execution. As there are few ENTIRELY original properties out there, as most all of them boil down to the same basic themes or plot types (i.e. man vs. nature, man vs. self, etc.), all I really care about is if it's executed differently enough that it doesn't SEEM like a blatant retread of what we've seen before. I mean, I could nitpick every movie and say, "Shakespeare was doing this centuries ago", but that wouldn't really be fair.
 
You really have hit at the heart of my many complaints of general animation. most ideas for shows are found from other successes. The problem is then everything looks alike. I've seen times when animators have been given a certain amount of free reign. It's not something that can sell toys, so is most likely from over seas. You get some crap, but you'll get some gold. The problem with the US is they seem to favor crap to gold.
 
QFT.

It's dang-near impossible to come with a concept that absolutely NO ONE has ever thought of or done before, but if you can manage to do something new and creative with it so it doesn't just look like you're being a copycat and you can manage to throw a familiar theme a curve so it's at least different from all of the other examples, then that's good enough for me.
 
It is impossible because there are millions of ideas out there, and it's hard not to wind up with at least a parellel. No 2 snowflakes are alike, sure, but they have similarities. And considering we have almost 100 years of animation to go by, there's very little you can do with any given idea.

What bugs me is oversaturization ruining perfectly good ideas. Super Hero parodies for example. You have movies that parody super heroes, you have cartoons that parody superheroes, you have cartoons with random superhero parodies in them. You can try to edge out and do something on your own, but you'll wind up having a similarity or two, even to something you've never heard about.
 
As has been said, it's how you present the cliched idea that determines originality. Some shows that have went a different way:

1. Avatar The Last Airbender: Zuko has been conceived as the character while antagonistic was meant to join with the protagonists. While having the antagonist siding with the protagonists has been done, the writers did a bit of a fake out around the end of Season 2 letting us think he would side with Aang. Instead, he would fight against them only to eventually side with them in the later half of Season 3.

2. Gargoyles: Future Tense had Goliath dreaming of a corrupt future of the world (courtesy of Puck). While the episode would seem like a "shock value dream ending", it proves to be a foreshadowing. Stories afterwards (cartoon and comic) would have major and minor events occuring in the later stories, with more events planned into coming to pass.
 
come on I'm sick of people saying theres no orginally anymore come on even the most agenent works of art were inspired by something or someone that happen .
even the most orginal shows and movies are always compared to something else mainelly because orginally is a risk doesn't mean it's a garuntee sacusses most it's a sure fired failure
 
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