How Do You Feel About Getting Incomplete / Cancelled Series?
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Opinions vary, parts of a series can (should?) both be episodic in nature and further a wider story arc.
Personally I get frustrated if I get emotionally invested is a series' plot/story arc that spans multiple volumes if that arc isn't resolved in some way.
I know, "It isn't the destination, but the journey, that is most important" however - one generally doesn't begin a journey without a destination or goal. - even if the initial destination isn't where the story leads- the story leads somewhere (and I find the most fulfillment if the story gets somewhere.
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@myskaros for my incomplete vs cancelled argument; an incomplete series is still continuing and all the plot points that have been set up can be resolved when they should be, a cancelled series is either cut-off in the middle of the story or is very rushed to tie every loosed thread possible. I made a point about Chekhov's gun which pretty much means if a gun is described hanging on the wall in Act I, it will be fired in Act III, aka only put something in a story if it is relevant, it is kinda like a promise to the audience saying "this will be important". Danmachi has a plot-point that is brought up in Volume 6, so if the series does not execute on that promise we the fans will be disappointed, angry, and hate it. This is why I rather a series be Incomplete than Cancelled because then the series has the opportunity to pay up that promise.
@Jon-Mitchell I have read vol 9 and I am talking about something else, What Hermes said in Vol 6 is what I am talking about.I completely understand wanting plot/story arcs being resolved, but I think Danmachi is a great example of how this can be done. Think about the Soma sub-plot that has started since Vol 2, it is resolved in Vol 6 and is also tied to the current story going on at the time. Danmachi is filled with a lot of sub-plots that span multiple volumes like Vol 3 ends on that started in Vol 1 (Where Bell fights what he fears most) or Hestia Familia's origin spanning up to vol 6 (Vol 6 can be seen as a conclusion vol with most of the plot-lines ties up and new ones being made).
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@drone205 I think we're thinking of "incomplete" in different terms. When I see "incomplete," I think "it never ended, and there is no circumstance under which the series will get a continuation." For example, the author died, got sick, or just gave up and decided to stop writing the series. You seem to be thinking of it as "there is a possibility it can be continued someday."
In the context of this discussion, I believe my definition is more relevant since it's opposite to "canceled," in other words "which is worse, when a series ends before being able to complete its story, or when a series never ends and remains forever incomplete?" If you're operating under the belief that "someday" there might be a continuation, I think that's a very different conversation. Wheel of Time is a very rare case, it's much more common to simply see a series die off.
Whoever said nothing's impossible never tried slamming a revolving door.
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@myskaros I totally agree with you there. Incomplete series for me too means it will never be completed (author died, etc). I consider a series that "may" continue as "On Hold/Hiatus" rather than "Incomplete".
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@myskaros said in How Do You Feel About Getting Incomplete / Cancelled Series?:
@drone205 I think we're thinking of "incomplete" in different terms. When I see "incomplete," I think "it never ended, and there is no circumstance under which the series will get a continuation." For example, the author died, got sick, or just gave up and decided to stop writing the series. You seem to be thinking of it as "there is a possibility it can be continued someday."
If we are talking in that context I still think I would prefer an incomplete series than a Cancelled series. If we say a Cancelled Series is one that is forced to finish than it still goes with my Chekhov's Gun point.
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@drone205 Sure, that's cool. I personally still prefer any ending to have closure as a reader :P
Whoever said nothing's impossible never tried slamming a revolving door.
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@myskaros said in How Do You Feel About Getting Incomplete / Cancelled Series?:
@drone205 Sure, that's cool. I personally still prefer any ending to have closure as a reader :P
What if the quick forced closure is "Everybody died". Would you rather that than having them alive but their story cancelled without a wrap up ending. =P
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I guess I should clarify that "as long as the author gets some reasonable opportunity to give it closure, that's better than leaving it open-ended forever." If the author is someone who would pull a "everyone died, oops" ending, I probably wouldn't have been following her/his work anyway.
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Personally, I prefer if the ending is rushed rather than canceled (ba dum tss) indefinitely. A rushed ending is still bad, but at least it's still better than being left on a cliffhanger forever.
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I actually like ambiguity and have no problem with stories not having the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed. At the end of the day I don’t care if the mc gets the best girl or in what plucky way the heroes triumph over the demon lord, I just want to see the fun and adventure and comedy that will eventually get them there. Honestly, with a lot of series it’s not too hard to imagine an ending.
I know I’m weird in that regard. I also stop reading and watching stuff before it finishes if my engagement wanes. I’d rather watch something new and entertaining than see plot points resolved for something that doesn’t hold my interest.
Examples in manga, Hikaru No Go ending very ambiguously and I loved it, Death Note had a definite and disappointing end and I would have been happy to see it end earlier.
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@the-green-death TIL Hikaru no Go was canceled :o
Whoever said nothing's impossible never tried slamming a revolving door.
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@myskaros Haha, didn’t realize that! I guess it proves my point that I don’t care if something is cancelled and just ends! I thought the ending just told us these characters are going to go on and on searching for the divine move and I liked that - it seemed like life.
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@the-green-death I mean, it does depend on how long the author had to plan the ending. Given enough time, it's very possible to wrap things up satisfactorily without the readers being able to tell. There are also some theories that the author wanted to end the series earlier, but was forced to continue it because it was "too popular."
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@the-green-death I have a similar feeling to you when it comes to endings. If the story can not even keep you engaged than the ending is kinda useless if you quit because the story was not good. I see the ending as just one part of the whole, this is why I will argue against "The End is Paramount" argument. In Manga, the first Chapter is arguably the most important Chapter, this is why the first Chapter is usually longer than the rest of the chapters following. Now I do not want to come across as a fool who we need the Plot to happen right away or else how can it obtain my attention. I am more interested in the core of the story, not the surface level details. You will not see me complain about Lizard ppl, you will see me defending them. I would rather have a good story that can hold my attention than an ending in a story that can not.
Edit: I think we differ on one aspect from what I can tell. As I said before I completely disagree with the "Ending is Paramount", but if a story were to end I would rather have a good ending that was planned and wraps everything up than one that is rushed and does not. In Danmachi, we know the end-game since Volume 6 and I would rather the story get to the ending organically than rush it (This goes back to my Chekhov's Gun Rule I stated in an earlier post).
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@drone205 Yes, I’d rather have a good ending than a poor ending but I’d rather something end without resolution than to have a rushed or forced resolution. My philosophical bent is a bit on the Zen Buddhism side of the fence though, so I honestly have no preference between an ambiguous good ending and a resolution fulfilling good ending if that makes sense.
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@the-green-death Oh, lol. I am the same way actually. I was just confused with you saying you prefer Ambiguous Ending. I would rather a series have no ending over one that is rushed.
