Category Archives: anime

Imagawa and the Pile of Money in Eternity Island – A Dilemma in Anime Direction

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Imagawa Yasuhiro does not have very many works tied to his name in a directorial capacity, but mention the ones that he has worked on and you will tend to get very positive reactions from some very loyal fans. His most prestigious work is probably the Giant Robo: The Animation OVA series, an intense labor of love that took many years and many more delays to complete, while his most famous work in America is probably Mobile Fighter G Gundam. And in my personal opinion, he is an astounding director. Possibly more than any other director, he has the ability to take the endless dreams of childhood and translate them into something mature and complex while still remaining faithful to those childhood notions. So why does he get so little work?

We have his latest work, Shin Mazinger. You look at this series, and see a lot of areas that seem to suffer budget-wise. The opening consists entirely of reused footage. Scenes are repeated over and over, and a lot of shortcuts are used. However, the show is still amazing, and still coming out without too many hitches. Sub suggested to me that Imagawa is so much of a perfectionist that the more money you give him, the more likely your anime will never see the light of day because he’ll be too busy making his animators re-do everything to get that one moment just right. As mentioned above, he took practically forever to finish Giant Robo OVA, but he was also kicked off of Shin Getter Robo Armageddon for taking too long. But with Shin Mazinger, where his spending power is limited, Imagawa is forced to make decisions and the result is something that is both Great and On Time.

Imagawa is thus the kind of director to whom you could give 25 cents and he would make the most astounding animation ever that will challenge your very ways of thinking. Imagawa would take those 25 cents, create GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE LEGENDARY EAGLE, and when the show reveals that WASHINGTON AND THE EAGLE WERE THE SAME FIGURE ALL ALONG (like two sides of the same coin one might say!!), you will notice that your ass is no longer in your chair.

Money is to Imagawa as Time is to Tomino Yoshiyuki and No Editors is to Kawamori Shouji.

The Silent Ogiue

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Every so often I have to check that my fondness for Ogiue has not simply become a formality, that she is my obsession just because I say she is. It’s also the case where without new material, it can sometimes be difficult to maintain such a fandom unless one goes deep into, say, writing fanfiction, which I have no intentions of doing in regards to Ogiue.

And so I thought of the many reasons why I’m so into Ogiue, and I realized that there are a few things I’ve never talked about despite the fact that, well, I’ve talked so much about her. One in particular stood out, quite appropriately I might add, and that is the strength of Ogiue’s silence.

I’ve previously talked about how Ogiue’s words are always weighted with all of her inner conflict and that it came through very strongly especially when she tries to be succinct. This is taken to its logical extreme when Ogiue says nothing; she really, really exhibits her tension whenever she leaves her mouth closed. This effect is mostly achieved by her facial expressions, including the one we see so frequently coming from her, this kind of surly restraint.

It’s effective because you know she wants to say something, but is actively avoiding it. And even as she gets more comfortable with Genshiken and Sasahara, this never goes away completely.

Further True Karaoke Tips

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Actually, it’s just one tip but it’s a big one.

By “True Karaoke” I am referring to the singing of anime songs, preferrably the manlier the better, but keep in mind a lot of shoujo-esque songs can be pretty manly.

No matter your level of Japanese fluency, no matter if you have the songs memorized or you read them off the screen or if you have to print out a sheet with the romaji, the following tip is going to be very important to your karaoke endeavors.

ALL ANIME SERIES ARE LISTED UNDER THEIR FULL JAPANESE TITLES.

The reason I am pointing this out is that I and others I know have had trouble with this, looking for a song without remembering what the full title is and thus having a very hard time pinpointing it.

It’s not “Evangelion” under E, it’s “Shinseiki Evangelion” under “Shi.”

It’s not “Voltes V” under “Bo,” it’s “Choudenji Machine Voltes V” under “Chi.”

Akagi Mahjong Densetsu Akagi, Votoms Soukou Kihei Votoms, Utena Shoujo Kakumei Utena.

It’s something easy to forget, even if you’ve watched every episode of a series and you’re a really huge fan, so keep this in mind next time you’re with friends and feel like tearing the roof down with your impassioned version of the Otokojuku opening.

And remember, that’s “Sakigake! Otokojuku.”

The Deception of Hirasawa Ui

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This is Hirasawa Ui. She is the younger sister of the Light Music Club’s lead guitarist Hirasawa Yui. She is also a TRICK designed to pull in otaku and leave them with more than they anticipated!

Yes Ui is a little sister, and in that sense many fans may be drawn in by her “little sister” appeal. However, that imouto moe is only on the surface, and what lies underneath is a beast from yesteryear, ready to reclaim the throne of fandom, away from the tsundere, away from the “Onii-chan!” spouting imouto, away from the maids, away from the tsundere imouto maids.

Hirasawa Ui is actually a 1980s Childhood Friend Shounen Heroine in the guise of a little sister. She bears few similarites to Kyon’s sister from Haruhi or Cardcaptor Sakura, while her personality is closer to that of Yuria from Hokuto no Ken or Minami from Touch! Closer to her is Mikan from ToLoveRu but Mikan still leans closer to the imouto moe side. Capable, smart, responsible, and always in a position to help those close to her, Ui is the start of a secret plan to bring back the 80s Shounen Heroine, or at the very least the To Heart’s Akari-style childhood friend (as opposed to the To Heart 2 Konomi-style childhood friend).

“Oh!” you might say, “But she’s not the most popular character!” But that’s where they get you. Because she’s not in the main cast, because she’s not at the forefront of her show, she can slowly build up momentum. She is the first of many. She is avantgarde.

Now that you know the truth, you have two choices: embrace it or fight it. Just know that Hirasawa Ui will be there to serve you tea and make sure you’re comfortable.

Correction to AnimeNEXT 2009 Panel Information

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It turns out that due to a mistake on the side of AnimeNEXT that my panel proposal was never submitted and so my panel did not go through and my previous information is somewhat incorrect. The anime blogging panel you will see was the one proposed by Omo. The good news is that I will be taking part in this panel along side Omo, Super Rats, and Moy in what is sure to be a fun and informative panel.

Again, that’s Sunday June 14th at AnimeNEXT from 2-3pm.

And I will still be doing the “I Can’t Believe You Haven’t Seen This!” panel alongside the Reverse Thieves on Saturday June 13th from 9am-10am. I highly recommend you wake up for this one, especially if you’re itching for titles to expand your interests.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.omonomono.com%2F&ei=kJAmSsuEJpXFtgex5YzbBg&usg=AFQjCNEo2LqA0pF_iKQ7sq2Qa165MbXe4g&sig2=yZwFb9QgV106sbeCowMNBw

Saki’s Comment and Ogiue’s Transformed Wardrobe

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At the beginning of Volume 5 of Genshiken, Saki comments on Ogiue’s clothing, telling her that if she wore clothing that fit better Ogiue would look much cuter. While we know that at the end of the chapter Ogiue made one failed attempt to revise her wardrobe, what we can see in later chapters is that Ogiue did indeed take Saki’s advice to heart. It’s something not immediately noticeable, but her clothes do start to fit better and become a little more feminine (though still boyish most of the time), especially after she starts to date Sasahara. This ultimately culminates into the outfit that Ogiue wears to Sasahara’s graduation, one of the few times we ever see her in a skirt (the first time is at dinner celebrating with everyone on a doujinshi well-sold).

Some visuals:

Robo Fashionable

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Emotion, Intelligence, and the Comics Ambassador

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In writing my two responses to the Christopher Handley case, I worked very much from my own feelings and thoughts on the whole situation. However, when I read Newsarama writer Jeff Trexler’s blog entries about the Handley case, particularly his post titled Handley, Comics and Obscenity, I began to think about my approach to talking and writing about censorship and obscenity in regards to comics.

While I do put emotion into my writings, particularly the two Handley posts, I know that I come across as emphasizing the logical and the intellectual, trying to use my own knowledge in conjunction with my desire to increase my understanding of the situation. However, as Trexler puts it, this can be considered a case where I am seen as a “liberal outsider” who is simply not understanding the fundamental truths as perceived by, say, an Iowa jury. I want to be able to convince not just the people who think in the same fashion as me, but also those whose value systems and deeply rooted beliefs stand much further away. I want to be able to change my writing style accordingly, but I don’t think it’d be a surprise to anyone literate in any language in the history of man to say that changing one’s writing style as well as one’s mode of thinking can be extremely difficult. The way this post is going so far should tell you that already: I’m trying to reason out how to write in a way which appeals to the heart rather than the head; irony in itself.

I’ve mentioned what I’m about to say when I previously talked about the Geek Logical Fallacy, but we as people often run into situations where the values we subscribe to in trying to make sense of the world or convince others of an important truth that are seemingly irreconcilable. No more does this arise than with the topic of religion, especially on the internet. A believer and a non-believer enter into an argument about the existence of a higher power, and both can be dense in their own ways. The believer will quote his religious text, which he deems as the source of Truth with a capital T, and that clearly everything comes from this Truth. However, to the non-believer these are all irrational beliefs full of contradictions and appeals to emotion. The non-believer meanwhile will start trying to use his self-proclaimed intellectual and logical superiority to lord it over the believer and show through this “logical” progression that everything the believer believes is false and wrong. Of course, the believer will take this as a direct attack and will stand his ground. The non-believer is trying to convince the believer using intelligence, while the believer is trying to convince the non-believer using logic, and both parties regard the others’ core value as being less important than the one they themselves emphasize.

This is part of the reason why so-called “Intelligent Design” has been able to make in-roads at all into harming the teaching of Science in public schools. The people in charge of the movement know their target group, and they are able to prey on their fears and prejudices. When Scientists representing Science come in and go, “Well that’s not how Science works you see, I have these facts to support my claim,” it can all come across as white noise, it’s not hitting the people where it matters because Science thinks it can logic its way to victory.

And that may be the situation manga and comics as a whole may find themselves in. Sure, comics are not exactly science, and there is a very emotional aspect of them, but in any future cases similar to Handley’s that may pop up, we may end up in situations where the people we’re trying to convince cannot be convinced in the way that we normally would convince our peers. A scientist can convince another scientist using science, but it takes something more to branch out to the rest of the world.

What we basically need are Ambassador of Comics, Comics versions of Carl Sagan, if you will. Though I would not even begin to presume I can fill this role, I write now to try and see if I can’t help just a little bit.

Christopher Handley’s Guilty Plea and its Implications

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Christopher Handley has plead guilty for possessing obscene manga. While on the surface it seems a simple matter, the implications are enormous and complex, and to tell the truth I’m not sure I can get around to everything that I feel is worth saying, but I will at the very least try to get people to think about the causes and effects and consequences of this decision.

Handley was threatened by the government through a variety of means. While it is legal to have obscene materials in the privacy of your own home, they tried to get him on charges of having obscene material shipped across states, which it was because it came from Japan. However, that material was never meant for others, it was Handley’s personal pornography, and it involved no actual people, only fictional characters, concepts in a story. Of course, that’s not how the government prosecution wants you to see it.

The whole matter comes down to underage pornography. While there is the matter of the government never being too specific on the manga that caused Handley to be charged in the first place, ultimately they want you to think that it’s child porn even if it isn’t, even if all the characters are well over 18 and have adult proportions, even if they mistake Gaogaigar for lolicon. That’s where this discussion will take place.

A minor in the United States is someone under the age of 18. I am perfectly fine with that number. It’s different in other countries, sometimes higher and sometimes lower, but 18 is fine. It is fine, that is, when applied to real people, and that’s what the law should be about. However, anyone would be daft to believe that teenagers under the age of 18 do not have sex. Legally, it would be ideal if this did not really happen, but it is the truth and it is reality, and fiction should have every right to depict an aspect of reality while not being completely beholden to it or the law. In other words, if fiction were to be forced to depict a world where everything is legally okay or turns out that way, fiction would die. Imagine Death Note without murder. Imagine Kare Kano without sex between its high school-age characters. Both are possible, but both are enriched by these acts which can be deemed wrong by some, and while both are not considered “obscene” normally, when you start to hack away at the “obscene titles,” what you might not realize is that you’re also chipping away at more “innocent titles.”

Luckily, the US is not controlling all fiction. Shows about teenagers dating and having sex have been a staple of television since the 90s, the most prominent example probably being Beverly Hills 90210. And sure, they eventually grew up and become full-fledged adults, but the start was always the sexualization of teenagers, even if those teenagers were played by adults. Here we are in America, sexualizing teenagers while also saying that it’s wrong. Again, I am perfectly fine with the law saying that a guy who is 30 should not be fooling around with a girl who is 16 along as this law is for real people and not fictional characters where that huge age gap and all the implications behind that age gap can possibly factor into the story. And it seems like for a lot of entertainment in America, the government understands this, but something is particularly dangerous about comics.

I have to wonder if the the idea of comics being “for kids” has influenced this perception in any way, that comics should not have the ability to go that far when in fact it might be more suited to taking things a step further than perhaps any other form of media or art or entertainment. Purely text fiction would not so nearly incur the wrath of the government or normal people as the potential for obscenity requires some digging; it is not as immediate as visual imagery. I do not ask comics to be like literature or high art, but what I do hope is that comics, comic creators, and comic readers as a whole can achieve all of the possiblities of the medium without having to worry about their ideas being considered too “obscene” or “wrong.”

If you think the material is bad, you are allowed to say so, but it should not be possible to run to the government and tell them on someone with whom you disagree, even if the “you” I mentioned IS the government.

I understand that not everyone is as closely connected with the world of fiction as myself or others, and they may see this guilty plea and its consequences as being very cut and dry, very black and white. “What does it matter that there are a few less stories out there,” one might say, “If it protects people from getting hurt?” But the “matter” is that ultimately these are ideas put on paper, and you are trying to protect people from harm that may or may not happen based on a fictional work where the motive of the work may fall entirely out of step with the perceived harm that it could potentially generate. It is thought crime, and while the term thought crime is bandied about and misused constantly, this is a very valid example and I ask that you consider the idea that your own private thoughts, thoughts which may exist only in your head and in a diary or journal in your home, could be turned against you without there being any actual evidence of intent to carry it out in reality.

As a final note, I want to talk about the manga Ressentiment. It is a title where people have the ability to have virtual sex with virtual girls, and the main virtual girl is depicted and designed to be around high school age, and it’s all designed to be a part of the story. It can be offensive, but it’s all there aesthetically to give the reader a sense of disgust or sadness. When she’s naked, or put into an obscene position, she is a fictional virtual minor. Who is harmed by this? Can the law extend so far as to protect a character who is part of the fictional world of another fictional world, and punish those who read about it?

Hey You Got Your Starcraft in My New York Anime Festival

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New York Anime Festival has announced that it will be the proving grounds of the WCG USA finals. As someone who enjoys watching Starcraft AND enjoys watching anime, this feels like the most wonderful kind of Peanut Butter Cup.

While the Starcraft scene in America pales in comparison to South Korea’s, where it’s treated as a legitimate sport full of pride and rivalries and an official Air Force Starcraft team and most importantly fangirls, it is still full of good players who are always seeking to push their game and the game in general forward. The winner here gets to fly to Chengdu, China for this year’s World Finals.

I know sometimes people, including myself, will say, “Hey get your irrelevant topics out of my anime convention!” and Starcraft is an AMERICAN game played mostly by Koreans (I know how racist that SOUNDS, but what I mean is that you can’t even use the IT’S A PART OF JAPANESE CULTURE angle with it). However, I am willing to make an exception. Really.

I hope they get some announcers to liven up the event, and I hope they’re good announcers of course, even if they’re not Tasteless.

Oh, and don’t forget there are other games too. I know some will be more interested in the Virtua Fighter USA finals.

New York Anime Festival 2009 is September 25-27 at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan.