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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 1490675" data-attributes="member: 151">That varies dramatically from series to series.  Sometimes you're simply assumed to have read an article in New Type or elsewhere that helps flesh things out, but as often as not, they simply don't bother detailing certain story elements.  The Japanese emphasize different story-telling elements and perspectives.   On top of this, that style varies from anime to anime.  Consider, for example, the Giant Robo OVA.  There, you get a good deal of information up front, but as more and more information is revealed, you learn that things are different than how they first appeared: the bad guy isn't necessarily bad, for example.  One thing that appeals to many folks is that some anime, such as Last Exile, forces you to work it out, and doesn't bother spoon-feeding you extensive exposition.  Take a show like RahXephon: the concepts of the series are it's central mysteries...you have to wait to find out what's going on, because that's the whole point.  A show like Cyborg 009, on the other hand, throws it all out in front.  Cowboy Bebop is a mix: Spike's backstory is a mystery that is revealed over time, but the main themes are straightforward....but if you want to learn why Earth is a mess...you need to wait until someone mentions it. This can be a maddening or intriguing process, depending on your taste.  A show like Kishin Robot Corps, for example, can be completely derailed by a failure to explain the nature of the evil aliens giving giant robot technology to the nazis (among other things).  However, a show like Trigun is as much about the Journey as it is the end result.  Why did Wolfwood leave the Gung-Ho Guns?  Where did Vash and Knives come from, exactly?  You get hints, and are expected to work it out on your own.   In the case of Last Exile, certain things seem to come through: the world is currently controlled, indirectly, by the Guild.  The guild appears to A) have access to superior technology, B) have four families, each with a specific task and piece of knowledge to guard, C) provides some of the technology that powers the Van Ships, which in turn is where they derive their power.  The series seems to be focused on breaking the guild's power and freeing mankind from their yoke, but it's obviously much more involved than that. Was there a particular point you were curious about?</blockquote>

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