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Fear the power of fangirl rage

Not directed against anybody specific, but these are confusing contradictions that I’ve heard or read from fans over the years.  Some of them may have even come from myself.

• How can you say that all the new (or recent) anime that’s been released in Japan is awful, yet you’re willing to shell out money on the releases by the N.American anime companies, which come from the same “awful” anime pool but delayed by two years?
• Why is it that slow, slice-of-life series like Aria are extremely popular and adored in the blogosphere, yet never transfer over to the rest of the anime-watching crowd that feeds on a steady diet of Naruto and Bleach?  Are bloggers really such a different breed of fan?
• Why do a majority of fans still think that just because a series has cute girls and love and romance, it is then shoujo? Kanon, Chobits, and Love Hina are NOT shoujo.  (Frankly, in my opinion, it doesn’t matter anymore. If you like it for the cute girls and the romance, then that’s why you like it.  You don’t need to quantify that liking shoujo = liking romance.  There is such a thing such a romance for guys, y’know.)

I think this week has been designated “hate on other fans” rage week, at least based on the posts that I’ve seen pop up on AnimeNano and such. I personally am trying to remain optimistic, or maybe understanding, about fandom and the behavior of the few members of the community. For all the whining and griping and snark that I usually make towards other fans, I think most people are generally okay to deal with.

But don’t get me wrong — I also would not hang out with a person merely because of our shared interest. Because let’s face it, some anime fans are weird.  Even at AnimeNext, a person who can run a panel about an obscure fandom topic may not be able to have a normal dinner conversation that doesn’t involve yelling or debating and other displays of obnoxiousness.  I know we’re all members of the same cult of fandom, but at least try to fit in when we’re with the mundanes, okay?

I’d like to think that being an otaku isn’t the only defining aspect of your life… or, at least, you should act like there’s more to you than just anime.

This is the second year that I’ve gone to AnimeNext (in Secaucus, NJ) and like the previous year’s experience, this was another laid-back anime con. For what it was worth, I actually enjoyed myself.

Two of our friends had a bunch of panels throughout the weekend, so the Boyfriend and I spent most of time sitting in the panel rooms and partially listening to what people had to say, and partially snarking on some of the panelists’ statements. I thought the Manga Translation and the Manga Production panels (both run by Mari Morimoto) were informative and practical, especially since the panelists were trying to give the “straight talk” of the business of manga & publishing. I think it’s important for fans to be aware of the realities of this industry — yes, most of these companies exist because of the fans, but at the end of the day, we as fans must realize that these companies also have to think about their bottom-line, and if that means disappointing a segment of fandom, then that’s what they have to do.

We also checked out the AMV contest, and like others have mentioned, a good majority of them were just awful. But, I do have to appreciate the fact that the some of AMVs that were selected used series that aren’t Naruto or Bleach. They had a Baccano! and a Nodame Cantabile AMV. I think that alone cancels out the Advent Children and FMA AMVs.

Otherwise, I had a good con experience. Maybe being “away” from fandom and anime has made me slightly more tolerant of fan quirks, so now when I see them acting out at cons, I think it’s more amusing than annoying. I still hate those yaoi paddles though. Anyone who buys those deserves to get slapped on the head with their own paddle.

There hasn’t been a lot of happy fun things to write about in these past two weeks — what with the Akiba incident, the R-R melodrama, Tokyopop canceling a bunch of manga titles — and I also have a few personal things going on, so that’s why I’m late. Yes, lame excuses are lame.

Windbell looks at behavior of people on subways, notably in Tokyo and in Singapore. I actually think that the Japanese are the most well-behaved out of any people that I’ve seen. They’re quiet on trains, and when they need to make a phone call on their mobile, they step away from the crowd or cover their mouthpiece when they’re talking, making sure that they’re not being a nuisance. That’ll NEVER happen in New York.

A couple of popular shoujo series from Hakusensha are coming to TV soon: Skip Beat (anime) and Here is Greenwood (jdrama).  To be honest, I haven’t read either series, but from the initial buzz, it seems that a lot of my fellow shoujo fans are hyped up for both.   Oh! And before I forget, this summer also will see the premiere of the jdrama adaptation of Cat Street (by manga artist Yoko Kamio of Hana Yori Dango fame).

I’m a week late to the party, but Kabitzin wrote up a great list of anime dads. The ones that immediately come to my mind are the dads from Ouran High School Host Club — between Ranka, and Tamaki’s and Kyoya’s dads, that’s an entire group of fathers to compare and contrast.

Anyway, the New York Asian Film Festival starts tomorrow, and ANN covers the movies that have either an anime/manga predecessor.  I know I’m definitely seeing a few of those, even the ones that aren’t based on a prior work.  Japan Society has more movies for its Japan Cuts series, including “Sakuran” and “Sukiyaki Western Django,” both of which I’d really like to see.

That’s it for me.

There’s a bunch of NYC events related to anime (with maybe a side helping of Japanese culture on the side) that may be of interest.

• Lolita and Maid Fashion Day 7-June - Kinokuniya Bookstore - 10:00a to 7:00p

I didn’t even know there was an official day designated as International Lolita Day (or “Loliday,” as the EGL comm calls it)… but if you feel like dressing up as either a maid or lolita, head on over to Kino. More information here.

• Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody 11-June and 12-June - Union Square Stadium 14 - 7:30p
  

I really haven’t cared about Bleach in a few years now, but if you can’t make it out to San Diego Comic-Con later this summer to see Kubo Tite himself, maybe seeing Masashi Kudo, the movie’s character designer, and Ken Hagino, producer, would be a good consolation prize? Or how about a Kon to greet you at the theater? No?

• Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence & Sisters of the Gion 14-June - Brooklyn Museum - 1:00p to 5:00p

Part of the Brooklyn Museum’s film series “From Samurai to Superhero” and a tie-in to Murakami’s exhibit.

• AnimeNext 20-June to 22-June - Meadowlands Expo Center

Not exactly in New York, per se, but it’s close enough. It’s actually one of (if not the only) NY-area anime cons that actually feels like a typical anime convention, since most of the people who attend actually stay at the hotels, as opposed to commuting from home (which is what most people do for NYCC and NYAF).

• Satoshi Kon: Beyond Imagination 27 June to 1-July - Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center

There will be multiple screenings of the various Satoshi Kon movies, but the director’s appearance will be on 27-June at 6:15p following a screening of his most recent work, Paprika.

I’m personally looking forward to a bunch of these events myself, even though I know I’ll be groaning inwardly at the behavior of some of my fellow weaboos fans.

This picture has nothing to do with the content of this post. I’m just a typical fangirl.

What’s kept the otakusphere busy these past seven days?

• The first posts for the all-girl round robin are up and itsubun has a summary of the common points. A good number of them are interesting and bring up good points about this hobby.

I didn’t join the discussion for this first topic because I never really thought that watching anime and reading manga were “escapes.” To quote Cameron, he has a problem with the word escapist because “escapist implies that we use entertainment to get away from our lives.”

Just because somebody enjoys reading & watching fantasy does NOT necessarily imply that this same person wants to join that other world in lieu of this one. (Frankly, some of the problems that you have to deal with in various anime universes are more complicated than they should be, so no thanks.) I’m not trying to get away from this world and my life reality– it’s actual kinda pleasant — so I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to write about escaping when it’s not really why I’m in this hobby.

• The (first of many?) Macross Frontier OST is out, and I’m sure that’s going to be the music of choice for many an anime fan this summer. Omo wrote a great post comparing Aquarion and Macross F and how the former actually paved the way for the awesomeness that we’re all enjoying in Macross F right now. (C’mon did you really think I was going to pass up the chance to not link to a post about Aquarion? I love that show.)

• There was also some hub-bub about fansubbers being TEH EVIL and ruining anime. What, this is news? Everytime an industry person has been asked about fansubs, they’ve always taken the time to mention that fansubs are not only bad for the U.S. anime industry, but they are also rife with inaccuracies and mistranslations. Has this stopped the fansubbers from proliferating? Has it stopped you (and me) from watching them? No.

Ugh, writing about news stuff is exhausting. Lemme show you cute Soul Eater gashapon and cosplayers instead. Oh, if you haven’t read this post on nirai kanai about Soul Eater, go go read it now. (Am I the only one who cackled at the idea of tokyojupiter linking to nirai kanai?)

Canned Dogs translates an a Japanese blog entry about the realities behind Comiket. If I ever get a chance to go, I’d still like to see Comiket for myself, but I don’t think I’m as obsessed with the idea of going as I was a couple of years ago.

Speaking of going somewhere, show of hands — who’s going to Otakon this year?

There are a small handful of series that anime bloggers generally agree on as their favorites, and among this select group, I’d like to think that Aria is one of them.

Words that have been used to describe Aria (and its sequels) include: slow, pleasant, relaxing, cute, charming. Even the negatives don’t sound too bad. There’s no major conflict, all the characters are likeable enough, and the president of each company is a cat. I mean, seriously, this anime must’ve aiming for the maximum likeability score ever.

The OVA, which I watched last night, gave an interesting twist to the usual placid mood of the series. Akari wakes up from a nightmare where Alicia has left Aria company upon Akari’s installation as a prima. Unlike Akari’s usual anxieties, you can generally understand that this is a true possibility. Alicia herself had to deal with Grandma leaving her once she was a full-fledged gondolier herself.

I think the OVA may have been one of the first instances where Alicia isn’t as cool and collected as she usually appears. She was noticeably upset after her trainer left her, so much to the point that Akira and Athena had to bring her up to the Campanile to bring her back to her usual cheerful self.

Truth be told, of the three prima, I liked Alicia the least. She was always so ~perfect~ that she seemed more caricature than human. I like that this OVA took the time to show that Alicia had felt insecure too, that her perfect veneer isn’t always flawless, and that like Akari, she just needs to see a smiling face every once in a while.

Hazukashii serifu kinshi!

I’ve been away from the otakusphere, as you well know, so there’s a new batch of blogs that popped up during the last year or two that I’m only learning about now. So, in the spirit of Sasa’s weekly roundup, I’m going to do my own version. These are posts that amused me; the bloggers didn’t bribe me with sexual favors or anything.

This past weekend saw three anime conventions playing host to a whole bunch of N. American fans. Gia has lots of news and tidbits from Fanime (including having the best Gurenn Lagann souvenir EVER), whereas Omonomono has extensive coverage of Animazement. I’ve sort of grown out of cons, I think (I used to go to at least 3-4/year, now I think I just want to go to one or two, at the most) — but seeing the JP guest list and vibe of Animazement makes me want to check it out someday. Did anybody go to Anime North?

Hynavian reviews Variante, a 4-volume series released by CMX that I’ve been wanting to check out. From the write-up, it definitely falls under the dark & gory category; no fluffy shoujo bunnies here. Speaking of fluffy shoujo, Alafista links to an Oricon poll that reveals that young Japanese women think that NANA best “represents love realistically and is a good handbook on love.” It’s followed by Kimi ni Todoke (which won the 32nd Kodansha Award for Best Shoujo), Hana Yori Dango, Love Com, and Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai. I don’t know if I agree with that. Granted, it’s pretty common that what the Japanese populace thinks doesn’t necessarily agree with the rest of the world, but I think that tidbit deserves another post later this week.

My current blog crush is Iwa ni Hana. Wabi Sabi’s commentary is informative and insightful, sometimes even leaning towards the academic. It’s a refreshing change of pace. I’m happy to find blogs that focus on evergreen topics about anime and manga and culture, not merely what’s currently airing at the moment on Japanese TV.

If you’re in the New York area, there are a few events going on this weekend that may be of interest (list stolen from MA-SOC):

• May 30: HALCALl will be featured in a radio interview that’ll also be broadcast on Samurai Beat Radio in Japan. This will all be happening at the Kinokuniya bookstore in midtown starting at 6 pm.

• May 31: In commemoration of the first movie in the Chinatown Sunset Cinema series, NANA, happyfunsmile will be performing starting at 7 pm. The movie begins at sunset.

• June 1: Japan Day at Central Park’s East Meadow. It seems like it’s going to be a big Japanese summer festival smack dab in the middle of NYC. There’s various family events planned but also shows later in the day, featuring HALCALI, happyfunsmile, Gaijin a Go GO, and Shota Shimizu.

I started off writing this post with the sole intention to gush about my boyfriend. As I’ve mentioned previously, my boyfriend is also an anime fanboy whom I met at an anime convention.

As a full-fledged nerdling couple, we spent a good part of yesterday evening not only watching the latest episodes of Macross Frontier and Chi’s Sweet Home, but also talking about the nuances of anime fandom and how we think that this fandom differs from the sf/f fandom, for instance. At some point during that conversation, I was struck at how much my thinking has changed that occurrences like that now seem…normal.

I wish there was some sort of survey of how many fangirls actually end up dating ‘one of their own?’ It really wouldn’t have been terrible if my boyfriend wasn’t an otaku himself, but the fact that he is makes a lot of things so much more convenient. If I’m squeeing over a seiyuu or hyperventilating over the cover of a new artbook, I do not have to explain my behavior at all. He knows the deal. He’s an otaku too.

Even to a certain extent, it got me into thinking that a good number of the people closest to me even act the same way. I did not decide to fill my entire peer group with just fanboys and fangirls; by coincidence or subconscious design, it just happened that way.

There’s actually quite a few great things about having otaku as your closest friends:

Their passion is contagious. One of the biggest concerns when you’re first meeting & talking to somebody is that the unspoken worry that the two of you won’t have anything to talk about. Hence the long awkward silences, which would lead to insecurity and anxiety, and possibly a very bad date. If you’re both anime/manga fans, I’m pretty sure that neither of you would run out of stuff to talk about. Otaku, in general, are passionate about their favorite series and would be more than happy to sing its praises to anybody who’s willing to listen. I’ve been a part of (or listened to) many conversations where the speaker’s enthusiasm about his fave new show was so compelling that everybody else became so hyped up to see the show for themselves ASAP.

Fanboys and fangirls are generally willing to share. From my experience, otaku friends, in the interest of getting you interested in a new book or show, are generous with their resources. Be it a DVD, or a manga volume, or a burned CD/DVD with a bunch of fansubbed eps, otaku love to share. It’s almost one of the defining characteristics of fans — the other being the “collectionist” mentality — and should be exploited for all its worth.

Anime/manga fans are creative. There’s a whole gamut of creative types throughout fandom. You have fan artists, fanfic writers, cosplayers, fansite makers (a dying breed, but there are still some out there), AMV creators, doujinshi circles, etc. Name a series, any series, and I’m sure there are tons of fanworks for even the most obscure ones. Also, there are a good number of authors, journalists, reviewers, and anime bloggers who have who have proven that the art of creative writing isn’t dead. Anime and manga fandom encourages participation, in any format where you would feel comfortable.

There’s room in here for everybody! It’s difficult to feel isolated in fandom only because there seems to be a group (or sub-group) for every possible permutation of interests that exist. Anime is not a genre, rather, it’s a means of presenting genre. There is so much variety and choice that one isn’t restricted to just the same thing that it seems most people are consuming. Sure, most new fans watch Naruto and/or Bleach, but that doesn’t mean you have to. There are a lot of series that could appeal to your palate based on your pre-existing tastes and preferences, and nobody is going to call you any less of a fan if you stick to the few things that appeal to you.

I must confess that I never fully bought into the well-worn stereotypes of otaku sitting alone in front of their TVs or computer monitors, for all the otaku that I’ve gotten to know (online and offline) are actually quite social. In this ‘community,’ if you will, there appears to be a constant craving for the shared experience. The anime blogging community is kept afloat by the belief that we think that other people care what we think about the series. We reach out to like-minded people, linking to them on our blogrolls, commenting on their journals, stalking their posts on aggregators because we like the idea that there are other people out there who are interested in discourse about an episode of a Japanese cartoon.

You know what? I do. If you’ve read this far along, I think you do too.

Happiness is having a wonderful boyfriend who will buy you a bright yellow Moyashimon plushie when you’ve had a bad day at work.

See, even Renji’s making friends with it already.