Tag Archives: tonari no 801-chan

Ogiue: Definitive Fujoshi Icon

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Mousou Shoujo Otakukei Volume 3 has been out in America for a number of months now (under the name Fujoshi Rumi), and in the back of the book the author Konjoh Natsumi describes her experience meeting the guys who played her manga’s characters in the live-action Mousou Shoujo adaptation. In one of the panels, she talks about the fact that her “Yaoi Antenna” went off as a result of seeing these guys together, and I think it’s quite telling just how she decided to portray this Yaoi Antenna.

Interesting, no? Konjoh could have chosen plenty of other icons to portray the tingling of her Yaoi Sense. Ohno’s mole, a pair of glasses, a wheeled suitcase, a furry ball of a creature emerging from the back of her skull are all valid choices, but it is the Ogiue fude which immediately brings to mind the image of the “fujoshi.”

Now, Konjoh is not against making obscure references because she does so pretty regularly, but I wouldn’t count this as among the “obscure.” This is a clear sign that in terms of fujoshi characters, Ogiue is pretty much #1 no matter how you slice it, even if a million pretenders to the throne should appear.

Muteki na Fujoshi: 801-chan’s Small Anime Revival

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Months ago I reported on the fact that the popular Japanese webcomic turned franchise Tonari no 801-chan, about a hardcore fujoshi and her otaku boyfriend, was getting an anime and later that the anime was getting scrapped. Well now it is back in the form of a 90-second opening-only anime titled Tonari no 801-chan R to be released with volume 4 of the published manga, a follow-up to the Drama CD released previously.

This opening special will be directed by Yamamoto Yutaka, the director of Kannagi who had also previously worked on Haruhi and Lucky Star (before getting fired), and is the modern father of the Dance Op/Ed. It will also have an opening composition by A-bee, who worked on songs for Lucky Star and Keroro Gunsou. As for the singer, why that will be for Nico Nico Douga to decide, because they are holding an online audition to be the singer OF the 801-chan opening.

The test song is the third Yawara Opening, “Makeruna Onna no Ko,” and you can download the song here and then upload them here, provided you have a Nico Nico Douga account. They are looking for female singers, though if you’re a guy with a feminine voice then you also have a chance. The audition schedule is available but in Japanese, so I’ve provided a translation.

All times are in Japan time. Check to see how it translates to your own time zone.

6/19 13:00 – Open for Auditions
7/6 00:00 – Closed for Auditions
7/9  21:00 – Preliminary Results, as Chosen by Nico Users!
7/16 21:00 – Decision-Making Process LIVE

After that, the vocalist will be decided and recording will begin on 7/20.

Who knows? Maybe someone outside of Japan could land the role. I’d look forward to that.

If you’re curious to check out the 801-chan comic, keep in mind that it is still a free webcomic and that provided you understand Japanese you can read it on the official website.

This takes me back to the time when they announced the first Genshiken drama CD with Mizuhashi Kaori as Ogiue, followed by the release of the OVAs and then Genshiken 2. While I’m not quite as excited for 801-chan as I am for Ogiue (this is not 801-chan Maniax after all), I still really hope this does well.

801-chan Eliminated: Behold My Might, For I Have None Who Can Oppose Me

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There are reports that Kyoto Animation has dropped Tonari no 801-chan but no one is really sure why.

No one, except for me.

I told you that I wouldn’t let any lesser fujoshi usurp her throne, and now you see my power. I hope, as you read your latest volume of Nodame Cantabile, that you are trembling, knowing that Ogiue Maniax is not just a name, but a power source capable of destroying anime in their infancy with but a single gesture.

(In all seriousness, I’m kind of sad this happened. I was looking forward to what KyoAni could have been accomplished.)

(Maybe they’ll go the Xam’d PS3 downloadables route.)

Kyoto Animation to do 801-chan, Hiyorin and Konata cameos deemed inevitable

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When I first heard that Tonari no 801-chan was getting an anime, I was interested in seeing how they would adapt it to a full show. I figured that it would be something fairly low-budget and a decent show, but with the news that they of Haruhi and Lucky Star, those lords of chaos known as KyoAni, are going to be animating the show, well that changes things. 801-chan now has the potential to not only be a show that everyone’s talking about, but the show everyone’s talking about. I for one welcome new shows centered around the concept of the fujoshi.

One problem.

With KyoAni being the engine behind 801-chan, there’s a chance that Yaoi-chan will be the most popular fujoshi around.

And I cannot allow that to happen.

From Internet to TV: Tonari no 801-chan Anime Announced

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Many doujin artists these days end up publishing professional manga, but what we don’t see often is a webcomic reaching that kind of notoriety. Tonari no 801-chan (The 801 by My Side) has managed to achieve such a position, starting off as a humble comic on an artist’s blog and turning into a variety of media, the most recent being an anime to debut in 2009.

Tonari no 801-chan, the tale of an adult fujoshi named, of all things, Yaoi in an otaple relationship whose boys-love-loving side manifests itself as a furry little creature called 801 (801 can be pronounced as “yaoi” hence the joke). I was referred to it by kransom in the past but never took a good look at it until recently.

The very first comic involves the very normal Yaoi transforming into 801 and citing almost word for word Ohno’s famous line from Volume 4 of Genshiken:”There’s no such thing as a girl who hates homos.”

I think I’ll be sticking with this one, and I’ll be looking forward to the anime next year.