Are anime/manga/visual novels your favorite mediums?

[Niko]

Believe it or not, there are many people are apart of anime communities and use all mediums and then rant on how bad all three are. Others say that they like books, video games, sports more.

So, Niko poses this question to Fuwa:

Are these your favorite entertainment mediums? If not, what is and why? What other mediums do you enjoy?

[CLuBLioN]

My favorite would be music, second would be games and third would be visual novels these are my favorite mediums

[nohman]

This is an interesting question and one that's a bit difficult to answer. I don't really watch much anime and I read 0 manga, so those are pretty much immediately disqualified for me. Visual novels... well, I wouldn't be on Fuwanovel if I didn't really, really like them. They're a great source of catharsis and good way to spend an evening by myself. Out of any medium, I'd say visual novels are the best for immersing a reader in a narrative.

 

On the other hand, I love film. I watch a lot of them. By volume, I've consume magnitudes more movies than visual novels. A movie offers things that visual novels simply can't. They're good for socializing. The advantages of cinematography allows stories to be told in ways that are impossible for written mediums. They're also more digestible. Fully reading a visual novel can eat up multiple evenings, while 1 movie will usually just eat up 2 hours of your time.

 

Music is kinda set a part from the rest in my mind. It's more pervasive than the others and its not primarily used for storytelling. If I'm alone and not reading/watching anything, I'll usually have something on to listen to. It's there when I'm in the car. It adds value to each of my days, but it's not really something I think about a whole lot.

 

Overall, I'd say movies are likely my favorite medium. As much as I really like visual novels, I can go months without reading any. On the other hand, I watch 1-2 movies a week without fail.

[arakura]

For sure. I have trouble ordering them for certain reasons, but really they make me feel things that I cant find elsewhere. Games interest me, but I for some reason just can't enjoy them. Sometimes this is true of music as well, but less often. Movies are fun, but I don't really empathize with them or feel that they are super dear to me, in general.There was something in anime (at first, then reaching outwards to manga and then visual novels) that really took a hold of me and made me feel like 'I need to be tied to these in a very deep way'. The other medium I would put up on the charts with these three is the book. I dont read much, but I seriously need to start reading more because I have found so much enjoyment in my life from the books I have read. I'm the kind of person who stays up all night reading, not caring about having to wake up in three hours.

 

And that really troubles me because for all that I love anime, I dont do that with anime. I did it with a few vns and often with manga...

Now I'm confused

[Darklord Rooke]

Sports, games and books are all ahead.

 

I love sport. Before my skin condition forced me indoors I played Golf, cricket and tennis. After I was limited to indoors I played squash. I also watch as much sport as possible, from motor racing to cycling to rubgy league to tennis. I love them all. I’ve been in a huff today cause Australia just lost the cricket…

 

Books and gaming are pretty high up also. Books will always be my favourite medium for stories (the detail and the different ways scenery can be described can't be matched by the visual mediums imo,) and gaming will always be there when I’m in need of a gameplay fix.

 

Visual Novels would come somewhere after those three, equal in place with interactive fiction or interactive stories (like “The Walking Dead” or “Sunless Sea.” The Walking Dead made a bigger impact on me than any visual novel I’ve read… but that’s because I’m a sucker for post-apocalyptic/survival stuff.)

[Heizei_koukousei]

I have always been a gamer. I still have every gaming console I have ever owned. In the past I loved to collect Nintendo handhelds from the original Gameboy up through DS lite. But then at some point I completely dropped all of that for anime and VNs.

 

Anime can keep my attention for longer periods of time than VNs so I would say I am definitely slightly more of an anime fan than VN fan. But right now I would say anime and VNs are my favorite entertainment mediums

[sirjabberwock]

I was once a huge sports fan, and I'd play video games all day. That's changed drastically. I only tend to like the cream of the crop video game-wise nowadays and I the only sports I even pay attention to anymore is baseball and a little bit of German football (American football can fuck off for all I care).

I adore all three of those mediums, and have stayed up all through the night marathoning any one of them uncountable times in the past year plus. The only issue I have is that when I start getting overly tired, it gets tougher to keep a good pace on VNs :\

 

The other medium I would put up on the charts with these three is the book. I dont read much, but I seriously need to start reading more because I have found so much enjoyment in my life from the books I have read. I'm the kind of person who stays up all night reading, not caring about having to wake up in three hours.

Ofc my interests wouldn't be complete without the arbitrary common interest with Ara. It's really starting to freak me out

[SilverLi]

Visual novels and anime in my case are something I enjoy really much but I don't play/watch it every day. I think I last touched a VN was a month or two ago. But that doesn't mean I dislike it. I just haven't found that motivation and state of mind I enjoy when playing a VN. Anime is something I watch almost every day. I got a schedule for viewing all new releases and I mix that with some older animes I need to catch up on.

 

But in my heart I am a gamer and music fanatic. Music is something I listen to at least 5 - 10 hours every day. I don't play games without listening to a playlist or two. Yes I know I am ruining everything a bit but I don't care. Playing something you like with an epic song is sometimes priceless.

 

I also enjoy reading but that's something I rarely do nowadays. I really enjoy reading my fantasy/history but somehow I don't got enough time to do that. Yes I know I can prioritize my hours better.

[Nimbus]

I feel that I am currently in no position to give an accurate answer.

Music has been a big part of my life since I first started playing guitar (over a decade ago) and I feel that I am able to express myself in ways that would otherwise be impossible without it. 
Video games have allowed me to become much more social and a more critical thinker all the while expanding my imagination and helping to carve a potential career from creative writing.
Movies have always been a source of laughter in ways that no other medium can be (at least until someone makes "Blackadder: The Video Game").

As for VN/Anime/Manga, these are things that have only recently entered my life and are thus still taking shape in terms of their importance and influence, though Visual Novels have shown me  side of myself that even I didn't know existed, which is something that can't be ignored.

If I had to choose a favourite I probably would choose video games, though this would by no means be an easy choice and if asked again in a years time it could well be something else.

[Life]

I would say VN's are my favourite medium as of now. The other two not as much but honestly, I go for almost any medium when it comes to entertainment.

[babiker]

Hmmm, personally, Books are high on top of my sources of entertainment, I value them the most by far. I suppose VNs would come in second place...?  I'm not much of an anime guy, watching only the best of the best (that also has little to no fanservice. Gotta keep that echi away).

Also, does youtube count as an independent source of entertainment? Cuz if so, it beats VNs for me

 

Yeap, those three would be my list. Books, Youtube Videos and VNs. And to each, I am contributing to  

[Kosakyun]

I don't even know man.

I guess it depends on my download priorities.

It goes like this:

Visual Novels > Anime > Artbooks > Music???

 

Well, that's the gist of it. I don't really play visual novels much, since I hardly have the time. But I do love them. Anime is, well, an essential part of me. I learn a lot of things from it. Artbooks? I love looking at boobs the different artworks of artists. Compare, see, and realize you love them all~! Music? I just like singing. I seldom download music.

 

Fuwa's something that takes up most of my time though.

[madvanced]

This is one of those topics that are difficult to answer.

 

I love VNs, music, manga, video games and sports. I've distanced myself a bit from anime since I've felt that most adaptations are sub-par to say the least.

 

I don't think that the answer is a constant one because at one time I may as well be thinking that VNs are the holy grail(dat reference) but next time I'll advocate, for example, for video games.

[Okami]

For me it's simple, yes they are my favorites by far. In my opinion only the best of the best of other mediums are worth watching/reading/playing, and only few on the very top of all other media are as good as a great anime/VN at best. I mean forget the media Anime are best thing in this word for me by far.

[Cyrillej1]

Without a doubt, Video Games (particularly RPGs) are my 1st favorite medium, so that goes to the top of my hobby list.  The way it can draw me into its world, care for the characters, blow my mind with graphics or a touching story.. I just love the immersive feeling I can get from some amazing games. Plus, I've been playing them since my earliest memories.

 

My 2nd preferred medium would probably be Anime/Movies/TV-shows. I grouped them together since I consider them similar in the experience they provide me. It can be relaxing to just sit down and watch something. I enjoy it for the same reasons I do for gaming... sometimes I love the story, or the characters, or the lessons they give me, etc.  I can be immersed in them, but not as much as a video game can.  

 

Visual Novels/Manga would be my 3rd preferred medium. Maybe because it sometimes feels more like work to read through. I mean I still enjoy them for the great stories/characters they can provide, but it has to really draw me in somehow for me to continue (perhaps because I have lower attention span when it comes to actually just plain reading.. at least in a video game format I can actively participate while I read). My VN list is pretty short, and I had stopped playing them for long awhile.. it was only after I started learning Japanese that I started to get back into them again. Out of the few Japanese VN I've tried reading so far... the only one that seems to have really peaked my interest and makes me want to keep playing more is Soukoku Arterial^^  the story/characters seem interesting and I look forward to playing the dungeon part and card battles too.  I really like VNs when they have a great story to tell, but I think my favorite kinds among them are probably the ones that include gameplay elements, such as Danganronpa, 999, etc. if those count. So this medium can sometimes be the same as the first medium.

 

Soo not surprisingly, Books would make 4th place.. I'd only choose to read them for fun if I am somehow unable to do any of the preferred three.

 

-This can easily be seen if I were to compare my completion lists xD  I've played/completed more video games, than I have for anime, and more anime than I have completed visual novels... and there's only a handful of books I've read, lol.

[Zakamutt]

I can't give you an order guaranteed to be correct, but...

1. VNs. I think they have given me some of the most intense experiences I've had, to be honest. Really like the medium's synthesis of visuals, music and text.

2. Games. Don't play much any more either... but gaems are reals cool.

3. Books. I don't read many books per se these days, but I used to be a huge bookworm (as my library can attest). I do read all these web articles I get linked to by Will O'Neill (creator of Actual Sunlight, thus) and others at times.

4. Music. When I get into it it can last forever. Which can be a problem. Quite often I want things to be quiet, though; one of the reasons why I tend to mute sound on ts3. I used to be really afraid to listen to any I found on my own due to its ability to influence my emotions on a primal level since I've always been somewhat musical. Maybe I still am somewhat.

5. Animaymay. Probably because it's still new to me, but also bizarrely because there's a certain distance to it due to it being drawn. I could put film above this, so can't really consider myself sure. They are both moving pictures though... fuck it, I'll just consider them both the same thing!

6. Mango. Not bad to read sometimes but comparatively meh. Great when you don't want to hear stuff though.

>sports a separate medium

[pokemon123]

At the moment probably Visual Novels. I occasionally play video games I guess? I mostly play touhou and pokemon right now. I occasionally watch anime as well.

[solace]

my top 5 mediums are as follows

1.visual novels

2.video games

3.music

4.manga

5.creepypasta

[monkeysrumble]

Tough question, but after much thinking...

 

1) Video games- In my opinion it's the greatest form of art and has been the gateway to everything else I enjoy.

2) Books- These are probably some of the most enjoyable and most useful things ever.

3) Visual Novels- Though I haven't read many of them I have enjoyed every single one of them I have read.

4) Anime- Would have been higher then VN but the source material is always better. This ranks higher because of the amount I have watched it, could probably go lower with the more source material I read.

5) Live-action television- As much crap as there is on it there are still some masterpieces to be found on here. I'm also a big sci-fi geek.

[Stray Cat]

For me it would be:

1. Music-When I'm doing mindless work, exercising, etc. I'm almost always plugged in.
2. Video Games-It's ingrained in me, thanks Nintendo.
3. Anime/TV/Movie-Next highest on consumption.
4. VN/Reading-I kinda see these two together but that may just be me.  

[ServeTheServant]

I always go through phases where I'm really into a medium for anywhere from a few months to years... right now, I'm really into Anime, but historically I've usually rated Video Games as my favorite.  I just overloaded a bit too much on them over the last year, so don't really feel like playing anything right now.  Similarly, I really love reading Books, but got really bored with and stalled on a book my boss' wife lent me for a while.  I didn't list Music, since I only really listen to stuff while working/browsing the internet and that doesn't really count as a standalone activity.

 

Right now, just in terms of time actually spent on each, it's probably

1. Anime

2. Visual Novels

3. Books

4. TV/Movies

5. Video Games

 

Theoretically, if I'm not bored of anything, I'd place them something like Video Games > Books > Anime = Visual Novels > Movies > TV

[Freestyle80]

Well currently my main source of entertainment is WoW:Warlords of Draenor so i guess u could say video games and next would be anime then manga

 

havent read VNs in a while(too busy with other things and read most of the translated ones that i wanted to),maybe during my summer break i'll finish one or 2 thats lying around lol.

 

As for TV,the only thing i watch is EPL(soccer/football)

 

and lastly books,i used to read long time ago but i dont really like to ;p recently only read the warcraft novels thats it

[Chronopolis]

Art+Text (+Music) (Visual Novel, strictly speaking about the medium. (the VN doesn't need music all the time, or even at all).

The reason why I think it has the most potential is A: it's not restricted to live-action or CGI because it's relies on still-pictures and B: the existence of art, text, and music gives crazy freedom. With just text, the area in which the reader is directly experiencing the medium are just the words and prose. As such it has somewhat higher immersive potential.

Gameplay is virtually ommited from this medium because as I say below, gameplay and story elements often have to comprise (the combination can create new unique products though)

Choices are a very interesting feature in that they allow multiple futures to be reflected. Also from a reading experience perspective, learning why a certain choice was "correct" or lead to a certain outcome is rewarding. There are . Not all stories need choices, and branches by no means need to be symmetrical. Whatever works best for presenting the story/world/characters/experience.

Text Not much to be said here, heck we use text to discuss works of all these mediums. The fact that you can define concepts using words and reuse them later on puts it far above music and text.

Games (purely focus on gameplay design and interaction). Includes things like the potential of MMorpg's, etc.

Art+Music combined (even ad hoc, ie. youtube songs that just have a picture with them). The number of combinations is vastly more than just art or music. If had to say, usually music is the energy/mood and art is the direction.

 

Anime (a bit bound by the cost of animation. I wish more quality scripts were designed to be made as an anime. I think what Japan has done is refine some of the visual, directing, and stylistic effects. Stuff like the monogatari series are a great splashy use of the medium.

Art

Real-life Action Unfortunately I know very little about what this medium is capable and good for. It definitely has things it just best which other mediums are not that well suited towards. Basically the presence of photographic humans in the story both are one of it's most utilizable aspects and a big restriction.

Games (as a storytelling medium ) (i think it's quite difficult to mix gameplay and story without losing out of one of the two...one often becomes supplementary to the other. That's fine, and in almost all cases that should be what games-with-story developers should be aiming for.))
Music (it feels a bit lacking by itself, like the emotion and impression you get from a song are limited to your imagination and previous exposure. Emotional response is like a mostly 1 dimensional sliding scale. I think if you learned about composition and could understand more

[edwd2]

My favorite would be oral storytelling. I remember my parents telling me classic stories when I was a kid, the most memorable being romances of the three kingdoms.

[BookwormOtaku]

I'd say games are my current top medium but after that it gets a little complex.

 

VNs tie with RPGs as my favorite in the game genre.

 

Anime I kind of watch about as much as live action TV nowadays, sometimes even less depending on which of my favorite shows are showing new episodes.

 

Manga I wish I read more of as there's a few series I've been meaning to read more of, but sadly it's below books these days, especially since I've been trying to reread Wheel of Time