Category Archives: manga

The Different Perceptions of “Realism” in Anime Among Fans

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What does it mean for an anime to be “realistic?”

It’s a question which seems simple, until you realize that different people interpret and prioritize different aspects of an anime as “realism” based on their own personalities and beliefs.

Take the Gundam franchise for instance. Depending on who you ask, you will get different answers for what is the “most realistic” Gundam series. Let’s look at just Universal Century.

Some will say First Gundam, because of the complex morals the characters possess.

Some will say Zeta Gundam, because it shows how easily government corrupts.

Some will say Gundam 0083, because of the grittiness and detail of the technology and battles.

Some will say 0080 War in the Pocket because of its depiction of what impact war has on the innocent.

Some will say 08th MS Team because of the way it follows the down-to-Earth “common soldier.”

And so on.

In every case, the supporters are correct, but only when they define “realism” by their own standards. Just as easily, I can accuse First Gundam of being unrealistic for having characters realize things a little too quickly, or Zeta for its over-the-top characterizations. I can accuse 0083 of being unrealistic for a lack of depth in its characters, and 0080 for being too preachy in its anti-war message. I can even accuse 08th MS Team of not being about the REALLY common soldiers, i.e. the ones NOT riding in Mobile Suits, or simply say that Gundam as a whole is nowhere close to “realistic” because the concept itself is preposterous.

The idea of “realistic romance” also has the same issue. Is a show realistic because the characters talk like real people? Is a show realistic because it conveys emotions in a way that is easily relatable? Is a show realistic because nobody falls in love (provided you believe true love isn’t realistic)?

You can already see some of the different ways to define “realism” in regards to fiction. There’s an external realism, where everything looks and acts as it does in the real world. There’s an emotional realism, where the characters’ feelings appear to be so genuine that they mirror your own. There’s a conceptual realism, where complex ideas and ideologies show a world of shades of gray. But in these cases and beyond, how we define realism is of course based on our experiences in life.

It’s just up to us whether or not we want to understand everyone else’s “reality.”

Chase the Lightning

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As open as I try to be with anime fans, I occasionally still have bad reactions upon seeing my fellow otaku. In some cases it’s because I don’t want to see them making fools of themselves,  or more specifically, making fools of themselves in a way that can obstruct or harm others, as is the case with some of my previous comments on the Anime Convention Scene. I’ve come to realize recently though that what bothers me possibly the most is seeing anime fans purposely constrict their exposure to anime.

Whether it’s the Naruto fan who cannot see beyond ninjas and jutsu, or the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex fan who deems any show not similarly themed and animated to be inferior, I feel that people such as these would be served well by expanding their horizons and looking for anime that is beyond their current myopic scope. I’m not asking anyone to really go out on a limb, or to watch absolutely everything that’s out there or even 50% of what’s out there, but what I am suggesting is that those who call themselves anime fans (and I consider the above Naruto and SAC fans “anime fans”) to try out other anime, to get a real sense of what the medium has to offer. You don’t have to go from Violence Action Fest Razor-kun to Fruity Mangirl Vampire, but even a small step is okay. Does your anime have to be mind-blowing? Does your anime have to be an action-adventure? Does it have to feature cute girls or cute guys? Give more shows a chance (provided you have a feasible way of obtaining them of course).

The real problem though is that to expect one show to be like another show is unfair. Both Naruto and SAC are big hits, but you cannot expect lightning to hit twice. If you really want to be electrocuted that second time, you should be chasing the lightning, not the other way around.

I also understand that as an anime blog, my content and scope may seem limited to those who ask, “Why don’t you just blog about comics and animation as a whole?” And to that I say, because I’ve only got so much time, and anime alone is a deep enough well to drink from, and I already do occasionally talk about other animation and such, but always in regards to how it relates to anime.

The Fujoshi Files 13: Kinon Bachika

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Name: Bachika, Kinon (キノン・バチカ)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Ambiguous
Origin: Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann: Guren Gakuen-hen

Information:
Kinon Bachika is the third-eldest sibling of the Bachika family. She, along with her brother Kittan and her sisters Kiyoh and Kiyal, attend the highly unusual Daigurren Academy. As the assistant to the head of the School Disciplinary Committee Rossiu Adai, Kinon can frequently be seen at his side helping him to administer the rules properly, a necessary task given the high number of delinquents at Daigurren Academy, though the unique rules of the school mean that fighting is not only allowed but encouraged.

In her free time, Kinon finds the opportunity to draw racy images of her male classmates and teachers in romantic congress with one another. These include well-known figures such as Kamina and her own brother Kittan, but also her boss Rossiu, for whom she has feelings.

Fujoshi Level:
Kinon Bachika can be seen carrying around her sketchbook constantly, always eager to think up new pairings to whet her fujoshi appetite. However, Kinon is also somewhat embarrassed by her obsession, and tends to keep her sketchbook close by.

Go Go Curry to Arrive in Singapore

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I’ve spoken about my fondness for the Japan-based curry chain Go Go Curry in the past on a number of occasions, commenting on how it’s one of my favorite places to eat ever and that I’m a frequent visitor to the 38th and 8th location in Manhattan. For those of you who live in Singapore and have been eager to try this food which I so highly praise, your opportunity arrives on October 15 16.

Yes, Go Go Curry is opening up a Singapore locaton. I’m not sure where exactly in Singapore it’s going to be, but still it’s an opportunity for many people to try it out.

Now, I know you Singaporeans know a thing or two about curry, so I want to explain that Japanese-style curry is not quite the same beast as the kind you’re more familiar with. There is no coconut used, for example, and it tends to not be as spicy (though some places in Japan will intentionally make extra spicy curry). The sauce also tends to be more thick, acting more like a nice gravy. Go Go Curry meanwhile has a bolder flavor than most Japanese curries, so it’s also not exactly the indicator of the average of Japanese curry. But that’s also what makes it so good, and judging from the franchise’s success, a lot of people agree with me.

Incidentally, Go Go Curry is also currently holding an Akiba Cosplay Photo Contest. While I’m pretty sure you don’t actually get to go to Akihabara (that would be very expensive!), if you love cosplay AND you love curry, you have no reason not to participate. I’m still a little regretful I never participated in the eating competition myself.

On a side note, Akihabara was where I first fell in love with Go Go Curry, so that location holds good memories for me.

Otaku Diaries: Surprise! Nerds Think They’re Smart

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The Reverse Thieves’s Otaku Diaries continue on, and this time the theme is self-image. More specifically, it’s about how the otaku interviewed view themselves physically and mentally, and probably to no one’s surprise, the vast majority of anime nerds polled stated that while they believe themselves to be average in appearance at best, they also believe they’re smarter than the average person. It’s as if we’ve fully embraced the nerd moniker.

In some cases, the otaku are rather extreme with the degree to which they consider themselves more intelligent than the average, which begs the questions, just how is it that they determine the average, and why do those responses have either a strong or subtle hint of negativity to them?

The concept of intelligence is such an odd thing in that while we are sure that it exists, we are never really sure what entails someone to be “more” intelligent than someone else. We can give IQ tests, we can discuss politics and philosophy, we can converse about anime, but it is difficult to get a complete idea of a person’s intellectual capacity, especially if you see them only briefly. What is the average intelligence actually supposed to be like, and why are we on the winning side?

I ask this question to you, but then I remember I too answered that I was smarter than the average person, so I guess I should direct this at myself as well. So when I think about “average” intelligence, I do tend to think of someone who is perhaps not as perceptive as me in certain ways, but is able to do just fine in the world. They can think about complex ideas, and while they perhaps cannot work out a conclusion, will at least be able to conceive that a solution exists somewhere out there. I mean, average is average right? And environment can play a large role in just where a person directs or cultivates his brain matter.

But then I think about my friends, classmates, previous co-workers, family, just various people over the years, and I’m not sure how many people I know are average or below average in intelligence. Even the bullies who picked on me had to be smart in a certain sense, if they could bother me with just words. Even friends in the past where I’ve thought, “I’m probably smarter than him,” have surprised and humbled me. Maybe the “average” is higher than any of us expect.

The Fujoshi Files 12: Susanna Hopkins

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Name: Hopkins, Susanna (スザンナ・ホプキンズ）
Aliases: Susie　（スジー）, Sue （スー）
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture

Information:
Susanna Hopkins, typically known as Sue, is an anime fan from Boston, Massachusetts who was influenced at a very young age by Japanese friend Ohno Kanako. Since then, she has become a consummate fangirl whose blunt personality and striking physical features, namely her long blond hair and piercing gaze, are capable of throwing off even the most hardcore of otaku. After her first visit to Japan along with her friend Angela Burton, Sue formed a close bond with Ohno’s fellow clubmate at the Society of Modern Visual Culture at Shiiou University, Ogiue Chika, though that relationship can occasionally be an antagonistic one.

Sue is well-versed in anime and manga both popular and obscure from nearly every decade, and her tendency to use anime phrases in everyday speech is backed by an incredible memory that facilitates her language-learning capabilities. Sue’s actual age is an enigma, but the fact that she eventually starts studying abroad at Shiiou University implies that she is either over 18 or a genius, with neither choice being out of the question.

Fujoshi Level:
Susanna Hopkins is not unlike many other female American anime fans, but Sue takes it to another level entirely, something that extends to her fujocity as well. Her knowledge of anime and manga is equivalent to that of an old-time otaku veteran, and her apparent lack of shame allows her to confront anyone and everyone while loudly expressing her interest in boy-on-boy action. Sue is a fujoshi dynamo, and woe to those who stand in her way.

My Academic Personal Interest in the Portrayal of Otaku and Fujoshi

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You may have noticed that I avidly pursue manga and anime about otaku, and enjoy writing about the topic. Ever since Genshiken and the Densha Otoko boom (and arguably before that with Comic Party), I have been trying to expose myself to as many similarly themed works as possible. You might ask, “Do you think that stories about otaku are a superior genre compared to others?” or even, “Do you have a fetish for fujoshi?” I will tell you that I do not, and that furthermore, these questions are irrelevant.

There are those who will watch a show and desire more of the same. They will become fans of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and be disappointed when every anime they see does not turn out to be like SAC. I have no such illusions. I may love Genshiken, and may even compare other works to Genshiken, but I will never expect another work to be just like Genshiken because I know how unrealistic an expectation that is.

Instead, what I am fascinated by is the very portrayal of otaku in anime and manga itself. I want to see the optimistic and the pessimistic, the highs and the lows, the strong and honest works and the exploitative cash grabs, and everything else in between, to get a better sense of how they are seen and how creators want otaku to be seen. The Fujoshi Files are a result of this desire, and also to track the extent to which the “fujoshi character” and “fujoshi personality traits” have become prevalent in anime and manga. I like Ogiue very much, yes, but it is not due to her fujoshi attributes, but rather the way in which they are indicative of her deeper personality and thoughts. It is an academic pursuit, but that doesn’t mean it can’t get personal.

That is why I dedicate myself to finding these works. I want to know more, and if I so happen upon a particularly powerful and moving story then I am all the better for it. If not, at least I learned something.

Uwa…! New York Anime Festival 2009

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New York Anime Festival ran on my home turf of NYC this weekend, and I was there once more to experience anime, Jacob Javits-style. The most significant parts of this convention were the fact that this would be the last year that NYAF stood on its own apart from New York Comic Con (a merged con will stand in its place next year), and that the creator of Gundam Tomino Yoshiyuki would be there. As a long-time Gundam fan, I could not ignore the fact that he was set to appear in my city. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (unless you were at Big Apple Anime Fest years ago; then it’s a twice-in-a-lifetime opportunity).

Friday morning, I got an official NYAF tweet telling me that people were already lining up for autograph tickets, and so with a somewhat mad dash and a long train ride, I and others managed to get to the autograph line on time and obtain our golden passes. Secure in the knowledge that I would get to meet Tomino in person, I continued on through the con.

I helped run a couple of panels this year, namely the Anime Bloggers Roundtable, and Anime Recruitment. For the latter, I was mainly a tech guy, but I managed to chime in on a few subjects, and when asked about why I was a fan of anime more than other forms of media, I gave an answer that I felt satisfied the question. My response, to sum it up, was that anime and manga are capable of addressing and portraying an incredibly diverse number of topics in a way that is appealing on both a basic surface level as well as a deeper and more emotional one. Feel free to disagree.

As for the Bloggers Roundtable, it was great fun and I got to learn quite a bit from my fellow bloggers, but I hope to learn even more and really see the differences in our blogging styles come to the forefront. Ed Chavez, who came onto the stage like a surprise pro wrestler, as well as others, mentioned that he would like to see more direct interaction between bloggers and I am inclined to agree.

I also attended panels such as the Central Park Media retrospective, where I learned that John O’Donnell is a fiercely honest businessman and speed-reader, and saw representatives of Del Rey, Funimation, Vertical Inc, Bandai Entertainment, and Harmony Gold discuss the status of the anime and manga industry, ultimately coming up with the conclusion that while the industries were in trouble, this was old territory despite being on a new frontier. I also saw the US premiere of Cencoroll, a 30-minute short vaguely reminiscent of Pokemon and Alien Nine, created by just one man a la Shinkai Makoto and his first major work, Voices of a Distant Star. It was a fine work to be sure, the animation was beautiful, and the story was simple and stylish.

But I know you’re all here to learn about Tomino, or at least my own experiences with Tomino, as all the actual news aspects have been covered in spades by various news sites. In other words, I expect you to be here for the Ogiue Maniax Tomino Experience, and I assure you that it was something.

I first saw Tomino at the opening ceremonies, where he came out with the intent to cut the red ribbon and officially open the New York Anime Festival. With a big smile on his face, and a propensity for throwing peace signs, Tomino appeared and disappeared in an instant. I knew he’d be back though.

Tomino’s keynote, despite its questionable translator, addressed a number of topics, but what it mainly focused on that I found significant was the idea that movies, film as it were, could not succeed with only one person behind the wheel. Tomino emphasized again and again that making movies, making anime, was a team effort, and that one cannot suffice on emotion and desire alone. He further explained how while he did not agree with everything that Mecha Designer Ookawara Kunio and Animation Director and Character Designer Yasuhiko Yoshikazu’s philosophies entirely, it was their combined effort which made the original Mobile Suit Gundam so successful. In addition to having it contrast with the very existence of Cencoroll, what was amazing to me was seeing Tomino embrace his status as Gundam’s creator, something he was extremely hesitant to do in the past. My personal theory is that years back Tomino was bitter that he could not escape the ominous shadow that Gundam cast upon his career in animation, but when the 30-year mark hit, he came to an epiphany that made him realize that having a work you created survive and evolve for three decades is more than most creators could ever hope for. Some might say that Gundam today is a corruption of what it was, but to have something so influential to corrupt in the first place is in itself an achievement.

The next day, Tomino Q&A was in session. First the panel began with a video summary of Tomino’s greatest works, including Triton of the Sea, Space Runaway Ideon, and Overman King Gainer. The attendees, including me, sang along with as many songs as we could. It shouldn’t surprise you that I knew a lot of them (I could hear myself being the only one singing along to “Come Here! Daitarn 3”). Also, much to Patz’s chagrin, Garzey’s Wing was missing. With that over, Tomino was introduced once more and the Q&A was in full swing. Despite the plans to ask a number of questions from the ANN forums, Tomino decided to give priority to those who were in the room. You can find out the answers to all of the questions here, though I should point out that the person asking the One Year War question was asking for an “alternate” conclusion and not an “ultimate” one.

The answer that surprised and intrigued me the most was the fact that Mobile Suit Gundam’s original fanbase was actually teenage girls. In retrospect it is very easy to see why this would be the case, and I mean that in the best possible way. Next were his answers that one of the main themes in Gundam is that adults are the enemy because they’re too set in their ways, and that as an old man he is a “super enemy,” and that to get anything done in anime you need sponsors and investors. Everyone could sense the cynical Tomino, and it turns out he’s the same as the pleasant Tomino.

What was especially great though was that I managed to ask my own question, to which I received a most satisfying answer.

Q: You had worked with the late director Tadao Nagahama. Is there anything you can relate about your personal experiences with him?

TOMINO: I worked with director Nagahama for several years before Gundam, and what I learned from him was the sense of right in stories aimed towards children. When creating works for children, it should not be biased in one way or another or leaning more in a political sense, but to provide a very pure and good story.

It’s different from the response Ishiguro gave at Otakon 2009, but I expected that and I learned a lot from that brief statement.

The panel then ended with a showing of a 5-minute clip from Tomino’s Ring of Gundam. Overall, the Q&A was a rousing success, though I wish there were more non-Gundam questions asked.

Outside of the actual con itself, a number of friends and I did some con-esque activities that made the weekend more fun as a whole. On the Thursday prior to NYAF, we watched the Eureka Seven movie, and learned that half the dub cast has trouble sounding convincing or serious. We also learned that the voice director tries his best to avoid calling E7 a “cartoon.” On Friday, we had the most Japanese of foods, Go Go Curry, and then spent the evening laying out some Most Serious Karaoke along with the likes of the Reverse Thieves, One Great Turtle, and others. Sub and I discovered that they actually had “Kanjite Knight,” and it rocked so hard we had to sing it twice. This will easily be a part of our karaoke repertoire from now on. A few trips to the Japanese bookstores of NYC were also made, where I rediscovered the Hulk Hogan manga I gave away years ago. This time, it’s definitely getting scanned.

New York Anime Festival is very unique in terms of its panel and events scheduling, in that there tends to be very few panel rooms and opportunities to see someone speak, but what is there is definitely a big hit and immensely enjoyable. I did not attend the AKB48 or Makino Yui concerts, for example, but I’m sure fans of each had a good time. What ends up happening as a result is that you get these long periods of having nothing to do except maybe go around the dealer’s room, or just sit around with friends (and luckily the Jacob Javits Center has plenty of places to sit), and actually recommend this as a way to just enjoy the con without enjoying the con. In my case, I also watched Starcraft matches as part of the World Cyber Games USA finals to pass the time (congratulations to Greg “Idra” Fields for winning WCG USA, and getting a chance to play some of the most fierce Korean pros in Starcraft history). Overall though, the panel situation is quite different from Otakon, where you feel compelled to run around to get to the next panel and have to decide on what not to attend. Things will be different next year of course.

And what of my autograph session? When I handed my DVD box to Tomino, he looked at it for a second, and as if his mental dissonance was correcting himself, he suddenly exclaimed, “Uwa…!” Then he inscribed his name, and handed me one of my most valuable possessions ever.

I can see the good times.

The Fear of Ridicule

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Anime fans are no strangers to being ridiculed. We tend to be socially inept to varying degrees, and we have a hobby that others don’t really understand (or more specifically, they don’t understand how we could devote so much time and energy and emotion to it). This creates a strong fear inside of us, that someone, whether it’s people at your school, your co-workers, your friends and acquaintances, does not think very highly of you. I’m no exception, and I know that I am neither the first dork nor the last one to experience this fear. I understand that it’s the kind of thing that can paralyze an individual, and make them unable to interact with others and grow, which in turn paralyzes them further.

Perceived ridicule comes from all angles, but the most interesting by far is the ridicule that comes from your “in-group,” in this case other anime fans. It’s one thing to be attacked from the outside, you can retreat, you can defend, but when the attack happens from “within,” it makes you feel that much more vulnerable. Again, you don’t even have to experience an actual slight. All it takes is the fear of one, and then it becomes a matter of overcoming it or ignoring it.

The reason why this fear of ridicule is so strong and present is that none of us can say we have never met a fellow fan who has weirded or creeped us the hell out. In some cases, as we get to know them we realize they’re okay overall, but there are those who are just somehow unapproachable, whether it’s due to their abrasive personalities, tendency to kill any line of conversation, or just someone whose presence in a room makes everything worse. We’ve seen these people, and then we think, “Wait, maybe I’m like that! I’m so busy thinking less of this person, but I bet that guy doesn’t think he’s that guy either, so maybe I was that guy all along!” Then you start to wonder what qualities about yourself might make you the person no one wants to be around, and now, even if you weren’t that guy, you might become him inadvertently, or worse yet, in your efforts to not be him as much as possible, you change yourself into a sad shell of who you were.

How do you move past this point? I’m not sure if any anime nerd will ever be able to completely rid themselves of these feelings, but we can take things one step at a time, and learn more about ourselves and others. If we know what we like and what we do not, and have confidence tempered by humility, then I think we’re on the right path.

Saki Reveals Previously Sillhouetted Character

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In Episode 11 of Saki, Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club captain Takei Hisa recounts a time when she was explaining to the technical and methodical Haramura Nodoka that there are certain characters who believe strongly in the “flow” of a game and work to control it in order to obtain victory. One of the girls referenced is Ryuumonbuchi’s Inoue Jun, who could previously be seen calling for tiles at key moments to disrupt her opponents. The other girl was merely in shadow, with no information about her other than a vague hint at her play style. That is, until now.

Here she is, standing with her teammates at the National Team Finals.

Things are going to get serious for next season.