Childhood Nostalgia, Fleeting Media Memories, and Gen Alpha

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Streaming is the norm now. Many media works even exist solely on streaming platforms. And as more of them get removed without any physical media, I start to think about how late Gen Z/Gen Alpha will remember the shows and movies they love. In fact, I wonder if history will repeat itself, and whether the kids of today will feel similar to how I felt as a 90s kid on the internet. 

When I first began going online, downloadable video was not especially common, and stable streaming in the vein of YouTube or Netflix was simply not a thing. In this environment, it was a dream to find fellow fans of the things I loved, and I have fond memories of those days. It also meant that when it came to older cartoons and other works that failed to make a big splash, fandom was experienced indirectly—through fragments, memories, and derivative works like fanfic. Over time, as sharing video became more feasible (better quality, larger storage space, faster internet, etc.), we started getting to actually see these things we might only vaguely recall having watched as children. Sometimes, there might actually be an official release. 

But now we have an industry de-prioritizing physical media. We also have a generation that apparently doesn’t know how to search for things, and search engines that are increasingly useless. And even the literal Internet Archive is constantly under fire. It feels like everything is being fragmented again, as the children and teens’ favorite shows become inaccessible to them. Perhaps they will have to work off memories within fan groups to share and express their passion. 

Granted, the internet itself is very different from 25 years ago. People are perpetually connected, and kids grow up in a world where easy access is the norm for much of the world. Instead of screenshots of questionable quality, clips are the norm. They might be able to retain the visual memories much better as a result. Even the struggle over dealing with apocryphal information might occur in a new context, given how easy it is to proliferate falsehoods.

Nostalgia is always powerful, but it might be especially strong for a generation whose visual record is being restricted to the point of complete obfuscation. 

Let the King Show You How It’s Done! Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc

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A part of me can’t believe that I got to watch an all-new Kinnikuman anime in 2024. 

While I didn’t really get into the series until the late 2000s, I became engrossed in the eclectic mix of ultra violence, slapstick silliness, surprisingly compelling characters, and sheer unpredictability, all couched in the aesthetics of pro wrestling and heroics. When the original manga started up again in the 2010s after concluding pretty definitively three decades ago, I entertained the thought of reading the new volumes, but I put the idea off with the intent to get around to it eventually. Having an anime adaptation come out worked out in my favor. 

So here we have Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc, which takes place shortly after the end of the original series, where Kinnikuman defeated his rivals for the throne of Planet Kinniku. In this new universe, members of one of the three main factions, the Perfect Choujin have emerged to stop a peace treaty on Earth between their side and the Justice Choujin and Devil Choujin. More powerful than the previous Perfect Choujin that Kinnikuman and his allies had previously faced, they’re eager to prove their superiority in the ring. With most of the strongest Justice Choujin severely injured from previous bouts and Kinnikuman himself attending to his kingly duties, the Perfect Choujin have a seemingly overwhelming edge.

Kinnikuman is actually a very influential Shounen Jump series, to the extent that many of the things it popularized are now part of the fabric of battle manga. It predates Fist of the North Star, JoJo, and Dragon Ball, while being the series to put tournament arcs on the map. It features a silly hero with a heart of gold who continually turns fierce enemies into loyal allies. It literally has characters talking about Friendship Power as an actual source of strength, and it’s such a big deal that the Perfect Origin Arc opening theme (by the band FLOW) has lyrics that go “Friendship Power! Super Muscle!” But as much as its influential tropes are taken for granted nowadays, that doesn’t necessarily mean Kinnikuman is eclipsed by its many descendants. It actually doesn’t matter how many shounen works you’ve experienced over the years; nothing actually prepares you for the Calvinball-esque nature of Kinnikuman.

For example, something that is incredibly hard to tell is whether a character is meant to be a serious winner or a comic relief jobber, not least of which is because sometimes you have comic relief winners and serious jobbers. Is that muscular dalmatian man a bigger threat than that giant baby? Who can know? Regardless of wins and losses, it can be rather surprising who the most compelling characters are. 

The battle logic is equally ridiculous and unpredictable. If you’re accustomed to the outwitting/out powering one-upmanship of other Jump titles, Kinnikuman has a more raw version that will twist itself into any and every shape. Logic is a game of improv, and it manifests in supremely goofy yet dramatically engaging storytelling.

Getting into Kinnikuman this late isn’t really an issue like jumping into a much later arc of One Piece might be. However, that’s simply because starting from the beginning wouldn’t make much of a difference. In fact, it might be even worse because the emphasis on pro wrestling wasn’t even there from the start. Instead, viewers can suicide dive right into a world where the 80s never really left, where one wrestler is a giant cassette player, and Spinning Toeholds are the most awesome thing ever. And if you want to see the actual Muscle Buster, watching the Perfect Origin Arc is the easiest way to do so.

Look Back vs. Chainsaw Man

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Look Back is a one-shot manga by Fujimoto Tatsuki, author of Chainsaw Man. It’s an excellent work about a young girl driven by a love of drawing and petty jealousy, and it was recently adapted into a beautiful film that does the source material justice. I’d rather not spoil Look Back, so I highly recommend anyone go check it out, but I also think it’s a very accessible work that can help those who are skeptical towards or hesitant to look at Chainsaw Man in understanding Fujimoto as a creator.

I find Chainsaw Man to be one of the best things to come out of manga in the past five or so years, but I understand well that its reputation and image can be off-putting. Between the less-than-noble hero, the gore, and the amount of fans who want to call Makima “Mommy,” Chainsaw Man can appear on the surface to be rather paper-thin and rely too much on gratuitous violence and sex appeal.

But Look Back is about as far removed from that kind of content as you can get, and consequently makes it crystal clear that Fujimoto is a very capable and compelling storyteller. While Chainsaw Man is indeed generally grotesque in a variety of ways, it doesn’t use those things to cover up other deficiencies. What both works have in common is interesting characters with a lot of actual mottled grayness and depth to the their shallowness (and vice versa), as well as the continuous upheaval of expectations. It’s just that Look Back is something of a cleaner package that feels more down-to-Earth.

So if you’re someone who’s felt like Chainsaw Man isn’t for you, you might very well be right. But even if you are, I think Look Back can help to clear up some of the misconceptions about Fujimoto’s work in general, and can provide a path to appreciating the author’s violent mega-hit as well.

Instant Curry from the Japan Railway Museum

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When I visited Japan’s Railway Museum last year, I wasn’t able to eat at the museum itself. However, I did stop by the gift shop, where they were selling two different kinds of instant curry! I brought them home with me, and now I’m here to give my report.

The first item is the Shinkansen Nostalgic Beef Curry, meant to replicate the actual curry served on the Shinkansen for decades before the dish was retired in the 2000s. It’s also something you can order at the aforementioned museum restaurant. 

I was pleased with the flavor—while it’s not the best curry I’ve ever had, it definitely ranks very  high among microwaveable versions. The curry didn’t taste artificial at all, and it even had a surprising kick, especially given that Japanese food tends to shy away from spiciness. 

The second item is the Beef Tongue Tasty Curry, which advertises itself as using 30 different spices.

This one was noticeably less spicy than the Shinkansen Curry, though the key ingredient, the tongue, gave it an interesting depth of flavor. While the package didn’t have a ton of meat in it, the amount was still pretty substantial, and it had visible slices of beef tongue. Once again, I came away satisfied.

(Broccoli not included).

Overall, I think they were fine purchases. I just hope I can go back to the museum and try the real deal someday.

A Few Words on the Election

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The events of the past few days have me switching constantly between grief and rage over the fact that the US re-elected a man whose party and policies are aiming to cause harm to so many people in both marginalized groups and the people who voted for him.

I know that there are a lot of people who voted to stem the tide of unchecked crony capitalism and fascism, but it deeply bothers me that so many either don’t seem to realize what they’re unleashing upon the world or don’t seem to care. Some things are based on very disparate belief systems, and some are just aggravating nonsense. Do people really want the FDA to not exist, right as we have deadly diseases contaminating cold cuts and fast food—things that are most reliably eaten by working class people? 

We already have unavoidable climate change happening at a rate faster than predicted, and now we’re getting an administration that either doesn’t believe it’s real or knows but would rather line their own pockets and that of corporations and billionaires. Then there are people who escaped authoritarian governments in other parts of the world who don’t seem to realize what is coming for them, or believe that they’re safe because they’re the “good ones.” Whether it’s the model minority myth or the actual belief that one’s proximity to whiteness will protect them, I’m worried that too many people will realize that they’re still seen as an “other.”

For some, a horrifying future is actually what they want. Others likely just focused on what they think would keep them safe and secure. I understand that it’s hard to think of greater problems when things like the cost of a meal have risen to untenable levels. Nevertheless, the result is the same, and I worry for myself and those who will face far greater challenges than I likely will.

In my monthly update post for November, I encouraged people to vote and didn’t give any recommendations. I felt it wasn’t my place, and that as long as I’ve made my position known, that was for the best. I sorely underestimated how poorly actual news reaches people, compared to propagandistic cable news and social media scams. People are subsisting on a junk diet of conspiracy theories and disinformation, and they don’t even realize it. Gen Z voted well in favor of the right, and that is the saddest thing to see of all because it means we as adults failed to educate them. 

While not apolitical, I’ve kept Ogiue Maniax relatively light on politics because I wanted it to first and foremost be a space to talk about my hobbies. That’s still my intent, but I now understand just how much actual factual information is simply not reaching people. I thought I could leave that aspect of the fight to others, only to now realize that I can’t take knowledge for granted. I thought that ignoring the problems would minimize their reach, but all that really happened was that the influence got stronger.

So as limited as my reach is, I feel that if there’s a topic I can address in a way that I think could contribute to a better world, I should probably do it. I just hope I have the courage to always speak truth to power. And I’ll try to do more outside the blog too—because I can rarely expect people to come to me.

I Finally Get Hunter x Hunter

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Last year, I started reading Hunter x Hunter by Togashi Yoshihiro. Its reputation was known to me: I had often seen people online (and even sometimes offline) mention it as their favorite series and an example of what shounen battle manga could be. My early impression was mixed because it felt like a Test into another Test into Training into a Tournament into More Training, and it made me feel like what lied ahead was an endless string of tournament arcs. The fact that Togashi’s other famous manga (YuYu Hakusho) was home to some of the most well-known tournament arcs added to this hunch.

Turns out that I was off the mark. Hunter x Hunter is indeed a shounen battle manga with world building and a convoluted power system (“nen”) that seems especially vulnerable to ass-pulls, but what I eventually came to realize is that it’s all about setting up a world where Togashi can do whatever he wants. 

Creating and identifying forgeries at an underground auction. A card game inside a game world. An all-out battle against mutant insects. The job of “hunter” and the role of nen are intentionally open-ended, and can be bent to fit any scenario or situation. Hunter x Hunter can basically change subgenres on a regular basis, and it all counts as part of the greater work. However, it takes a seriously good manga artist and storyteller with a specific kind of versatile imagination to pull this off well. While there are many great manga creators, it’s hard to think of another who could do what Togashi does.

One of the drawbacks as a result is that the wildly different story arcs usually start off with a ridiculous amount of exposition—the kind that made me always think, “What the hell are you trying this time?” But the reason this happens is because Togashi is basically pulling out a new instruction manual for a new board game every time, and it’s one of those modern games that you can’t fully appreciate until you know the ins and outs. He’s essentially meticulously setting up the pieces, and once you see how the entire board moves, it becomes a riveting experience. Nevertheless, it still requires you to go through it with some patience.

I ended up finishing the Chimera Ant arc, which I kept seeing people praise most often, with some even calling it the greatest arc in a shounen series (and possibly any series) ever. I don’t know if I agree, but I think there’s a solid argument for it, especially in the way it manages to embrace the orthodoxy of standard battle manga but also defy expectations. The arc is the most reminiscent of Dragon Ball of anything in Hunter x Hunter, even having a villain cut from the same aesthetic cloth as Freeza and Cell, but the entire saga taken as a whole makes for some powerful and poignant human drama. 

Because I read Hunter x Hunter over the course of a single year, I did not have to experience the delays that occurred while it was being serialized due to Togashi’s poor health that leaves him at times completely debilitated. This inevitably changes my impression of the series compared to someone who read the series in real time. Despite that, I can easily see why Togashi has his loyal following that sticks with him through all the challenges he faces.

A few months ago, in the wake of Toriyama Akira’s passing, I saw some comments on social media asking why Togashi can’t get others to take over Hunter x Hunter for him. The fan response was largely an adamant refusal—no matter how rare the chapters have become, it just wouldn’t be the same without him at the helm. I can appreciate this sentiment because we’ve seen plenty of cases of creative works falling apart in the wrong hands, even if those hands are well-intentioned. Togashi’s sheer versatility while still adhering to the spirit of shounen feels nigh-impossible to replicate, and it makes Hunter x Hunter a work unlike any other.

The Ballot Is Cast: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for November 2024

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I haven’t forgotten what the world was like four years ago. I’d long been hesitant to talk about anything political on Ogiue Maniax, but the importance of the US election in the face of a pandemic that killed a previously unfathomable amount of people made me address it more directly. When the dust cleared, I thought (or perhaps hoped) that at least one of the monsters we had to deal with would be gone for good, but I was apparently too naive. So here we are again.

I hope everyone can vote if they are able to. I won’t say who to vote for (though my leanings are probably obvious), and I know that voting is a drop in the bucket in terms of effective political engagement, but I truly think this is a crucial election that will determine so much of the future. Let’s do away with the fearmongers who want to scapegoat various groups while they pick the pockets of their supporters.

In other news, I need to mention the fact that Patreon is changing the way it bills supporters due to Apple shenanigans. Whereas I used to bill everyone at the start of the month, now it depends on when you started subscribing.

So thank you to my supporters on Patreon. I still have no idea what this will look like next month!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog highlights from October

Bringing It Home—Gundam Reconguista in G Part V: Crossing the Line Between Life and Death

Reviewing the 5th G-Reco movie.

Gaogaigar, Godannar, and Gundam X: Kakazu Yumi Otakon 2024 Interview

My interview with the voice of Yuffie Kisaragi.

Good-Character Jammer Canceler: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom

And here’s a review of the newest entry in the SEED franchise.

Kio Shimoku

Kio tweets about a lot of events related to his artbook.

I also posted my notes of Kio’s talk at Umeda Lateral. It was quite extensive, which I appreciate.

Closing

I hope we come out of this with a brighter future.

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights October 2024

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This month, Kio enjoyed various media, but his PC might need replacing!

Kio has been thinking up the plot of an eromanga (different from the one he’s currently working on), and is now up to 4 chapters. He hopes he can get around to actually drawing it eventually.

Kio watched The Queen of Villains, the Netflix series about the iconic Japanese heel pro wrestler Dump Matsumoto. He found it to be a really good and intense work. The scene where Dump “awakens” to herself was cathartic.

After updating Windows, KIo’s PC no longer worked. However, starting it up in safe mode and updating some drivers brought it back.

Kio mourns the death of Ohyama Nobuo (original voice of Doraemon and Kappei in Zambot 3).

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1844982989521850833

Kio got a model kit of the Daccas from The Five Star Stories.

Kio enjoyed this month’s chapter of The Five Star Stories.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1845003881035727162

Kio got his copy of Mujina, Perfect Edition.

Kio has inked 80 pages of his current eromanga project.

Kio’s PC went into factory reset mode. He thinks it might have been because there was a power outage when Windows was updating. A person in the replies helped Kio with some troubleshooting, but seemingly to no avail. Kio had stuff backed up, though, so it should be okay.

Kio is a fan of the manga Fist of the North Star: Legend of the Apocalyptic Drama Shoot, which presents Fist of the North Star as if it were a live-action television production where all the characters are actors. He likes that the production issues feel plausible for what happens in the original work.

Kio watched Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance. He likes how the Zakus really comes across as weapons, whereas normally mobile suits come across as more like living beings, or like ASIMO vs Atlas.

Requiem for Vengeance is practically a monster movie.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1847930835883929640

Kio watching another DVD from How Do You Like Wednesday? This time, they’re in Vietnam.

One person in the replies talked about how at the time, it seemed like this might be their final show, but Kio didn’t get into How Do You Like Wednesday? in real time, so it was different for him.

The Ranma ½ remake has been great in Kio’s eyes (even if they aren’t showing nipples anymore). It captures how the series felt in the beginning.

Kio watched Voltes V: Legacy. “Combination transformations are justice.”

Kio finally inked the line work for the final 80 pages of his doujinshi. He still has to add grays, blacks, text, and color for the cover, though (all of which take quite a bit of time).

Kio has a stomachache.

Hunter x Hunter coming back gives Kio life.

Kio talked to a younger person who was aware of the fact that Patlabor came out first with Yuki Masami’s manga. As Kio looked at this month’s issue of Model Grafix, it hit him that the people who would naturally know this are probably around 50 years old.

VTubing and the Dancer’s Conundrum

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With the 3D debut of hololive’s ReGLOSS, we have the arrival of another fantastic VTuber dancer. Todoroki Hajime might very well be the best yet, her experience as a professional backup dancer coming through loud and clear. She’s mentioned her love of dance since day one, and other talents have praised her abilities along the way, so there was a good deal of anticipation for Hajime in 3D.

It was well worth the wait, but I have to think about the fact that the wait happens in the first place. Being a VTuber known for dancing comes at an inherent disadvantage.

Almost all VTubers these days begin with 2D models; it’s the faster and more economical option compared to 3D. The drawback to this approach is that movement is much more limited. Certain skills are not really affected by this—singing, chatting, and gaming all work similarly to what non-virtual streamers do. 

However, dancers cannot show their strength at the start. They require a 3D model plus more advanced motion tracking, as well as literal space they can move comfortably in. For indie VTubers, this can be a very tall order, with the technology being very expensive. Even in a more established company, talents rarely get them any time soon. hololive, arguably the best place for virtual dancing, still has a typical lead time of around 7–12 months, with Hakos Baelz especially delayed (18 months!) due to restricted travel to Japan resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Brave Corporation—owners of VSPO, V4Mirai, and more recently IDOL Corp—often have the shortest lag time, but even that is measured in months. The early period starting from debut is a vital time to make an impact and establish one’s image, and a reputation for dance is harder to include when the audience can’t see it.

After these dancers (or any other very physical performers) show the world what they’re capable of, they still face hurdles. Namely, they often simply cannot dance as frequently as others engage in other methods of performances. For hololive, proximity to their studio in Japan is a major factor—those living overseas have to invest a lot to even be there, and if anyone wants to dance more often, they basically have to stay in Japan. I have to suspect that this has been a factor in both Bae’s, hololive English’s Koseki Bijou, and hololive Indonesia’s Vestia Zeta’s decisions to move to Japan. And even after that, they have to deal with well-known scheduling issues when it comes to booking studio time. Other companies have to rent out dedicated spaces that specialize in 3D motion capture.

Even in a stream to stream comparison, dancers have it tough. A karaoke session can go for hours, bringing attention and even money through viewer donations. Dancing, in contrast, is much more physically demanding while also having to deal with cumbersome and costly equipment.

The upside of being a dancer is that one does finally get the chance, it makes a hell of an impact. There is probably nothing that shows off better the concept of a VTuber as a bridge between the real and the virtual. Hajime’s debut performance of “Bandage” has done incredibly well, with her clipped VOD (see above) already close to 2 million views. I have zero doubt that she’ll get some of the loudest cheers when she appears at the annual holo fes concerts.

There’s definitely value to building up hype over many months for a 3D debut, and wowing viewers with an incredible choreography and sheer ability. At the same time, though, it does give those who shine brightest through their footwork and movement something of a slow start. While I know it isn’t realistic, I do wonder how things would be if VTubers could stream dancing on a whim, or at least as easily as they could do anything else. 

Tanaka Atsuko, Shinohara Emi, Ohyama Nobuo: Goodbye to Voice-Acting Greats

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I wanted to express my brief thoughts on three different Japanese voice actors who passed away recently. I don’t mean to diminish any of them, but I’ve been unable to write in a timely fashion as of late, so this is the best I can do.

The first is Tanaka Atsuko, voice of Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell and Bayonetta. Her voice had this wonderfully mature and rich quality, and every time she showed up, it felt like she elevated whatever character she played. This death blindsided me—it almost didn’t even seem possible that she would be gone so soon. She was 61.

The second is Shinohara Emi, voice of Sailor Jupiter, Kaho in Cardcaptor Sakura, and Youko from Maria-sama ga Miteru. She was also 61, and could sound powerful in different ways. I think just seeing voices from Sailor Moon leaving us really makes me feel the passage of time. 

The third is Ohyama Nobuo, the original voice of Doraemon. While she was 90 years old with a long and successful career, her work was important to me because of another starring role: Kappei, the main hero of Zambot 3, whom Ohyama played two years before Doraemon. Reportedly, Zambot 3 (and Gundam) director Tomino said that he was unsurprised that she got the part that defined her career because she was an incredibly versatile performer. While Ohyama hadn’t voiced Kappei in a long time, and you can tell that her clips in later Super Robot Wars games are recycled from previous appearance, her passion was more than evident. She also now joins Daitarn 3’s Suzuoka Hirotaki as being immortalized in those recordings.

The past few months have been a lot. I hope we can continue to celebrate their careers