Category Archives: industry

Why hasn’t there been another Evangelion?

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Evangelion is an anime which resonated with the Japanese population because it accurately captured what they were feeling at the time of its broadcast. Probably for similar reasons, this is also why it resonated with fans around the world. It materialized feelings.

Now, I think the reasons why there has not been another Evangelion, in the sense of a title which transcends the normal/otaku divide and causes a lasting emotional influence on the public at large are many. I feel that the otaku community may have gotten more insular. I feel that the animators respond to this by trying to cash in easily on things like moe. When the shows DO try to resonate with their audience, there is resistance and backlash. Perhaps a show has the power to reach fans far and wide and affirm their feelings has been shown, but it was put in a bad time slot. I do not fault anyone for doing any of these things, and it may be a sign that there is simply too big a diversity of opinion among people now for a show to hit on the level Evangelion did. Blame everyone and blame no one.

So what’s the answer to my question? Perhaps that for an anime to affect people on such a large scale again, there has to be large scale events affecting Japan in the real world that the normal person and the reclusive otaku can feel in their daily lives.

Publisher’s Weekly Interview with Kio Shimoku

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You can read it here as well as buy it on newstands.

Reading this brings me joy because Kio Shimoku rarely speaks, and on top of that, it confirms many longstanding theories I’ve had regarding both Genshiken and Ogiue, such as Genshiken being about portraying otaku as human beings who think and feel and cry and love.

To feel that I accurately understood the important themes and particularly the themes surrounding Ogiue fills me with great joy.

Thanks to Anime News Network for this information, and kransom for bringing it to my attention.

Genshiken 2: Post-Recording Thoughts from the Cast

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This is a translation of an interview at the official Genshiken site.

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These are comments from the main cast from post-recording for episode 12.

Please give your honest post-recording impressions on the end of this show!

Sasahara Kanji: Ohyama Takanori
When I first began to play Sasahara, the various directions Genshiken goes meant that I’d be a part of this for a long time, and thinking, “It’s over?” really makes me sad. Whenever I read the script, I feel like I’m about to cry.

Kohsaka Makoto: Saiga Mitsuki
It’s going to continue isn’t it?

Kasukabe Saki: Yukino Satsuki
At the time it felt like… “Ah!”

Madarame Harunobu: Hiyama Nobuyuki
Man, it was a blast!

Tanaka Souichirou: Seki Tomokazu
Whaaa, it’s over already? But we’re doing a 3rd one right?

Kugayama Mitsunori: Nomura Kenji
Somehow I-I’m really sad…

Ohno Kanako: Kawasumi Ayako
For this Genshiken series, I thought, “A lot of things happened, huh…”

Kuchiki Manabu: Ishida Akira
Ahh, it’s all over isn’t it. I’m glad that Sasahara managed to get a job.

Ogiue Chika: Mizuhashi Kaori
Eh? It’s over?

Angela: Kaida Yuki
Oh wow, there were so, so many things, and I mean that in a variety of ways. But… when I reflect on the mood of the project, I genuinely had a good time with a great studio.

Susanna: Goto Yuuko
I wanted to do more! Sorry, I actually just said how I really felt. But after Kujian, I really wanted to do Genshiken, so I’m happy that I was able to be in it.

Please tell us about the difficult parts of playing your character.

Sasahara Kanji: Ohyama Takanori
In [Genshiken] 2, well there’s the making of the doujinshi, his job hunt, those matters of love, so many things that it made me tremble, just having the right attitude to play such realistic parts in a lively manner.

Kohsaka Makoto: Saiga Mitsuki
I was always thinking, “I have to keep being the usual Kohsaka.”

Kasukabe Saki: Yukino Satsuki
English.

Madarame Harunobu: Hiyama Nobuyuki
I wasn’t sure when I should use Madarame’s inner voice!

Tanaka Souichirou: Seki Tomokazu
The kiss scene, and the boys’ love scene were difficult. There’s going to be a 3rd series, right?

Kugayama Mitsunori: Nomura Kenji
Well, it has to be his peculiar way of talking. It was difficult figuring out to what extent I should play it.

Ohno Kanako: Kawasumi Ayako
The English was…. (sweats) really tough.

Kuchiki Manabu: Ishida Akira
I didn’t have any samples to base such an all-out extreme character like this on, so the troublesome part was using my imagination to figure out how he would speak and act.

Ogiue Chika: Mizuhashi Kaori
The Tohoku dialect was tough…but now that I’m completely familiar with it, I have trouble speaking normally (laughs). I also had to take care not to make her too tsundere-esque. She’s a shy person after all.

Angela: Kaida Yuki
It’s obvious, but it’s the parts where I didn’t speak Japanese.
After that, it’s using certain vocabulary which I’ve never heard myself say. I thought, “Heeey, you’re a girl! Is it all right for you to say that?”

Susanna: Gotou Yuuko
She’s such an abrasive character, so I had to try hard not to shy away from her.
The difficult part was imitating the lines of anime characters. Other than that, nothing really.

There sure was a lot going on (laughs), but what do you think were the most impressive scenes in Genshiken 2?

Sasahara Kanji: Ohyama Takanori
Ogiue going to Comifest incognito, getting found out, running into Ohno and having her interest in yaoi doujinshi revealed and confirmed. Square mouth and swirly eyes, Ogiue’s panic attack had me laughing hard.

Kohsaka Makoto: Saiga Mitsuki
Whenever Kucchii appeared.

Kasukabe Saki: Yukino Satsuki
Madarame’s serious reflection at the graduation ceremony.

Madarame Harunobu: Hiyama Nobuyuki
Probably the criticism that we engendered because of “Madarame is a Total Bottom” (laughs)

Tanaka Souichirou: Seki Tomokazu
The kiss scene with Ohno. <3
Is it okay for us to be doing this when there’s a 3rd series to do?

Kugayama Mitsunori: Nomura Kenji
It has to be… Ogiue’s fantasy scene!
That BL was rather shocking!

Ohno Kanako: Kawasumi Ayako
The Ogiue’s fantasy episode was great.

Kuchiki Manabu: Ishida Akira
Ogiue going undercover for Comifest and being found out.

Ogiue Chika: Mizuhashi Kaori
-The Tanaka and Ohno become a couple episode
-The BL episode
-The reverse of the BL episode, where Ogiue became the fantasy instead (laughs). (And Ogiue’s disguise)
-A PORN GAME MAKER(Kohsaka)

Angela: Kaida Yuki
Before our appearance, I would hear about this scene and that scene, and they were truly strong scenes among a variety of strong scenes. Now after all this, I want to see all of them.

Susanna: Gotou Yuuko
The scene at Comiket where they first sell a copy of Ogiue’s book.
Those two are way too cute together.

Say something to the “Genshiken 2” characters!

Sasahara Kanji: Ohyama Takanori
Sasahara, I’m really glad you managed to find a job. Don’t give up and keep striving!
After that, keep following through on your genuine love for Ogiue!

Kohsaka Makoto: Saiga Mitsuki
Sasahara, congratulations on your job!

Kasukabe Saki: Yukino Satsuki
Madarame, find happiness!

Madarame Harunobu: Hiyama Nobuyuki
Make sure to become a productive member of society!

Tanaka Souichirou: Seki Tomokazu
Hey, guys, there’s going to a 3rd series right?

Kugayama Mitsunori: Nomura Kenji
Get a move on, Kugapii!

Ohno Kanako: Kawasumi Ayako
Sasayan, congratulations on your job! I’m really glad for you.

Kuchiki Manabu: Ishida Akira
You can only do whatever you want when you’re a student!
…Though recently I’ve seen people who’ve been ignoring that and doing it anyway.

Ogiue Chika: Mizuhashi Kaori
Everyone, you deserve a break!
All the things that happened to Sasahara this time, it was all really interesting!

Angela: Kaida Yuki
To Sue: That’s not fair! Please speak more English!

Susanna: Gotou Yuuko
Madarame, I love you!

You all had fun in post-recording, so please tell us what was most impressive about doing these episodes!

Sasahara Kanji: Ohyama Takanori
[Genshiken] 2, was pretty risque, or should I say, there were a lot of H-scenes, but for it to have become such a big topic of discussion, I’m glad we talked about it.

Kohsaka Makoto: Saiga Mitsuki
Every time we laughed, the laughter would never die down.
It’s because the writing would still always be there.

Kasukabe Saki: Yukino Satsuki
Everything about Ohyama

Madarame Harunobu: Hiyama Nobuyuki
I can’t just squeeze out one when there’s so many, but it would have to be the great atmosphere working at a fine place like this.

Tanaka Souichirou: Seki Tomokazu
Starting the kiss scene with Kawasumi. Did you figure?

Kugayama Mitsunori: Nomura Kenji
Man, there was so much that I’ve forgotten it all. Every time we’d have such entertaining conversations, though there’s also a lot of conversations I can’t tell you about…

Ohno Kanako: Kawasumi Ayako
Kuchiki’s ad-lib was really interesting every time.

Kuchiki Manabu: Ishida Akira
Finding out that there’s salt in chocolate.

Ogiue Chika: Mizuhashi Kaori
Generally speaking it was really fun being such close, intimate friends with everyone. The idle chatter was of course really fun, but nothing beats seeing everyone smiling while performing. I think this is an experience I’ll cherish.

Angela: Kaida Yuki
When Team America appeared, it was obvious that the members who spoke English and the ones who could only speak Japanese had obviously different airs about them. I’m jealous of those who got to speak Japanese. I hate them. (laughs)

Susanna: Gotou Yuuko
I thought, wow, Angela’s English is impressive.
The most impressive part is of course, the actual content of her lines.

Finally, let’s give a message to all the fans!

Sasahara Kanji: Ohyama Takanori
I truly thank you for sticking with Genshiken 2. I would be happy to be Sasahara again some day.

Kohsaka Makoto: Saiga Mitsuki
I really want to do Genshiken “3!”

Kasukabe Saki: Yukino Satsuki
Let’s do Genshiken 3!

Madarame Harunobu: Hiyama Nobuyuki
Anyway this looks like the end of the road!! …Though somehow it feels like more is going to happen so keep cheering on “Genshiken!”

Tanaka Souichirou: Seki Tomokazu
We’ll see you again in the 3rd!

Kugayama Mitsunori: Nomura Kenji
Should I say “I’m glad you enjoy it” or “I’m glad you enjoyed it?” It was all really interesting. Cheer for us!

Ohno Kanako: Kawasumi Ayako
I want to come back and do Genshiken 3. Please keep cheering for it!

Kuchiki Manabu: Ishida Akira
I’m grateful for your support in bringing Genshiken to its 2nd series. Thank you very much.

Ogiue Chika: Mizuhashi Kaori
Let’s do Genshiken 3!! (laughs) Im laughing but I’m actually serious!!

Angela: Kaida Yuki
Doing this was an incredibly precious personal experience for me. To all of you who watched Genshiken, I thought, “They’re real. There really are people who are moved by the events in this show,” and I’m glad to have been able to feel this way. …Um, I tried my best.

Susanna: Gotou Yuuko
This was a project where I sympathized with everyone and was utterly moved (laughs), and I would both laugh and cry. I’m glad that you were all able to enjoy it.

——————

If Moe is to Survive, Compromises Must be Made

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Moe is associated with lolicon largely because Moe is about weakness, and little helpless girls are about the easiest way of conveying moe.  We’ve seen this trend before in American comics, only it was about gruff manliness and it was called 90s EXTREEEEEEME.  What better way to show that someone is a real man’s man than giving him 8 guns and arms the size of a buick with veins everywhere?  What better way to show a girl has her weak side than by making her weak physically AND emotionally?

When you take a girl and make her defining traits just her weak points, that becomes her whole character.  It is easy, yes, but I would dare call it lazy.  Why bother actually creating character flaws when you can just make someone pure and perfect and helpless?   As with 90s extreme, I feel moe, as it continues to exaggerate certain specific features, as more try to take advantage of it with half-hearted attempts, will receive a backlash.  Some might welcome the backlash, that’s okay.  But for those of you who do like moe, you’re going to have to accept that certain changes have to take place.   Rather than the moe character, we must have the character with moe traits.

We already have these characters among us.  They are the ones who we CAN see as competent, but as with all humans they are not perfect.  They have emotional problems, doubts, and fears.  I believe people like moe in the first place because it allows us to relate to a character on a very emotional level, that our feelings are understood by others, and manifested in characters.  I believe it is a common fear among otaku and dorks in general that those in normal society are “perfect” and never have to deal with the same issues that they themselves face constantly.  Moe characters if they are too extreme are too far-removed from reality, and thus lose their significant impact.  If instead a moe anime uses more “normal” characters, but show that they have the same issues that otaku face, then we have more than just a marketing tool, we have something that can motivate otaku to move forward, to come to a greater understanding of others.

Crossing Gender-oriented Genres and Fan Reaction

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I’ve been thinking about those works which cross the line between various genres of anime, particularly those which bridge the gap between “male-oriented” and “female-oriented” labels. Series like Saint Seiya and Cardcaptor Sakura manage to capture an audience beyond their main targets, while others such as Gundam Wing and Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha not only bridge the gap, they cross over and begin to set fire to the ropes.

I know I have some issues with Nanoha, and while I think it’s a fine series overall, it never completely shakes that feeling that yes, this is totally intended for guys like me who love Cardcaptor Sakura (though not in that way personally), and it is kind of creepy for doing so. I know Gundam Wing is often considered far more of a black sheep than G Gundam among male fans of the Gundam franchise, for the way it perhaps overly de-emphasizes aspects often associated with Gundam, never mind that the original series garnered more than a few female fans of Red Comet Char Aznable and his zany (dead) friend, Garma Zabi. It’s just interesting to see this negative reaction in both myself and others pertaining to certain series and our expectations of what a show should entail.

I wonder if it’d be possible for genres to swap almost completely.

New York Anime Festival Review in 3 Steps

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1) This con was small. The Jacob Javits Center is huge. There may have been a Magic: The Gathering tournament going alongside it, but I hope to see more panels, more rooms, more everything next year

2) Guests were good, not great, but I enjoyed the panels I went to immensely (except for the cosplay competition)

3) Unicorn Table was awesome. Also I picked up all of Votoms for 66% off. Also I got an Anime World Order T-Shirt from Daryl Surat.

Fansubs, Digital Distribution, Shenanigans

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This post is perhaps far too late, and even then, lots of people have more knowledge and insight than me, so I won’t really bother with explaining about WHY the anime industry is in danger. To sum it up, the people in charge need to catch up to modern times. That’s about it.

All this talk though has reminded me that Nintendo is planning on a service for their Wii where a person can purchase something from their online shop FOR another person. You buy, say, a virtual console game, and then the game gets sent to the person you bought it for. And I think this would be a great system to implement somehow for anime.

There’s little doubt that a good number of anime fans love to spread word about their favorite anime, and having the ability to purchase episodes for your friends (because they’re lazy or refuse to watch but you just know they’re going to like it!), I think, would only be embraced by people.

Granted, once the episodes are obtained, it’d probably be pretty easy to pirate them. Maybe there could be some kind of reward system for recommending a show to someone, a way to earn goodies like Naruto headbands or copies of Iroha Gokko and Anato no Tonari. Barring that, I look at the Wii again, with its library of virtual console games, and the fact is, people are ACTUALLY buying them, including the NES ones. You can download the entire NES library for like 50mb onto your computer, and people are still buying NES games.

I know that selling old games isn’t exactly like selling new anime, though.

Except perhaps when the anime isn’t new at all, and it’s just never been released here.

Does learning Japanese hurt the domestic anime and manga industry?

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I have taken years of Japanese. I studied abroad in Japan in a university with virtually no English speakers. The result is that I am more or less fluent, and that at some point I decided to start buying some manga in the original Japanese because it usually comes at a lower cost. Genshiken is an example.

However, by doing so, I am also directly taking away from sales of the Del Rey release in respect to me personally. At the same time, though, my early fandom into Genshiken I know has caused other people to pick up the manga as it was being released her. My consistent and long-term Ogiue fandom has caused people to take notice of Genshiken, buy it, read it, and enjoy it immensely. If I had never started reading the Japanese versions, this may not have happened. So it’s tricky to say, at least as it concerns myself and my interactions with others, whether or not this has hurt the chances of certain things succeeding in the US.

I think there may be a certain balance, and that there is a potential point where if too many anime fans were fluent in Japanese, it would hurt the domestic industry, but that with a certain percentage of fans as Japanese-literate that it may actually be very beneficial. This might sound like I’m encouraging a portion of the anime-viewing population to remain ignorant, but that’s not the case, and the chances of “too much” of the population learning Japanese leans on the slim side anyway.

Mangaka or MANGAKA? Artist or ARTIST?

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I’ve recently been reading a book called Adult Manga which came out in 2000, which deals with various aspect of the world of manga during the 90s, including the otaku community and issues on censorship during that time.

One chapter is titled “Manga Editors and Unusable Artists,” and it talks about the increasingly creative roles that editors were taking during the 90s. On the topic of “unusable artists,” the chapter recounts various editors lamenting the situation that artists were in at the time. One mentioned that with manga becoming so commonplace, they had to take risks picking artists who were willing to be more experimental, but often times it seemed the artists didn’t have the enthusiasm to try something new. Another editor talks about how the current generation of manga artists aren’t really manga artists. He compares the previous generation of mangaka, and how they consisted of people who lived in and addressed issues of their time, with mangaka of today, who often seem completely disconnected from reality. In other words, they were just people who grew up just reading manga (a topic I discussed in a previous post). This same editor basically says that too many of the artists only know how to draw cute girls. The book then goes on to mention one particular artist who seemed so far removed from the public that he had to ask his editor for relevant story topics.

I found this to be extremely relevant to my own situation, as I am both an artist and an otaku, and I know how easy it is to fall into the trap of just wanting to draw cute girls and just ignoring the real world and sticking with anime and manga. For me, it is a struggle to appeal to others and to express myself, as often times the art in which I am most invested is not the most aesthetically pleasing, at least in terms of moe qualities and the like. Reading the chapter on unusable artists has refocused my attention, and I realize that I must at least take the occasional look into the real world before I can progress artistically. I also need to improve my ability to draw cute girls as well, but the former must come before the latter if I dare to try and make a difference with my art.

That said, I’m still an otaku and I’ll still be making incredibly dorkish posts just like this.