Every other month Hollywood gets the bright idea to remake a movie or show that had past success. Aren’t they tired? Aren’t there enough creatives out there that can make something that’s cool, groundbreaking, and different? Even if it’s not a remake, it’s taking a concept from another show or movie. They’re making a show called How I Met Your Father? Why? For what reason? We have a sitcom about the Rock’s life for some reason. We have mid Mortal Kombat movies being released in 2021. We have hundreds of Fast and Furious movies. We have Disney running out of ideas all together and just deciding to make live action versions of old movies/tv shows like Aladdin, Mulan, Lion King, even a live action Kim Possible.
I wish American television took some inspiration from anime. There’s a ton of creativity and uniqueness in anime and I really appreciate it. The show Hunter x Hunter has like 6 different arcs, all of them feel like they could be their own unique tv show. While they have the same core characters, they of course have different story lines and different side characters. But beyond that they are different on a foundational level. Every arc takes place in a completely different setting and is tonally different from the arcs that came before.
Speaking of things that have similar ideas, but are vastly different, I would like to declare my love for the workplace sitcom. The office was groundbreaking for American television. Unlocking a new type of comedy which resulted in several mockumentary style shows coming out over the next few years. The Office and Parks and Rec are 2 of my favorites, and now there’s Abbott Elementary. Similar to the different arcs of Hunter x Hunter, even though all 3 are under the same umbrella, they have unique settings and characters. Despite the notable similarities between Abbott Elementary and the other shows mentioned, the setting makes it feel fresh. I also really like how it’s a predominantly black show that’s not about the characters being black. We need more of this.
I know we all love the MCU but I can’t be the only one that thinks their movies have become pretty formulaic. And who can blame them? It’s gotten them billions of dollars, literally. On the flip side the DC is influx at the moment and that allows them to be more experimental and take more risks. That’s how we get shows like Doom Patrol and Peacemaker. Doom Patrol is simply the weirdest show you’ll ever see. It’s intensely absurd but still somehow portrays mental health issues more convincingly than a show like Euphoria (with way less penises involved too). Peacemaker is only a few episodes in but it’s been really good so far. It’s also extremely unique. The soundtrack, the general framing of the show, I still can’t think of a good comparison for the characters and the show as a whole (I guess Guardians of the Galaxy?). John Cena as Peacemaker has been great.
It’s easy to follow trends to try to guarantee your success. It’s more difficult to think outside the box. I have a lot of respect for unconventional ideas in shows/movies. Innovation leads to advancement of the industry as a whole. There are countless creatives with cool, new stories to tell. There are countless new characters waiting to be made. There are countless untapped perspectives waiting to be used. I’m ready to see them.
Just some guy on the internet 