From the Sunni Triangle to the Canvas Ring

There are many other better sites devoted to the politics, so I stay away from them in this blog. However, this post is more about entertainment than politics, though it is inspired by Muntadahar al-Zeidi. He was the Iraqi reporter who tossed his shoes at President Bush during a press conference. There have been many conclusions drawn by the politicos and partisans. After some thought, I've concluded that the shoe throwing means that Iraq could benefit from the introduction of pro-wrestling in the next few years.

I recognize that Iraq could use a stable infrastructure, public order, employment, and good jobs before devoting any thoughts to semi-nude men pouncing on each other in scripted violence. However, the world does not proceed in an orderly fashion, and people are always looking for some enjoyment out of life, no matter how hard it is. I take that as a sign of resilience of the human spirit. And one does not need to take the place of the other. A few enthusiastic luchadores should not hold up rebuilding the sewage system, there are plenty of youths looking for jobs.

But, why wrestling? I cite this brilliant post from Captain Japan's Sake-Drenched Postcards. The cultural gist was that the occupied and rebuilding Japanese used American heels (1) in their matches to bolster their pride. Though it was scripted, the sight of Japanese beating Americans was still a visual symbol to hold on to.

Recall that David Carradine was chosen for the original "Kung Fu" series, because he was half-Asian. While the creators of the series showed respect for the power of Asian mysticism and martial arts, they changed their original choice of lead actors, because they feared offending their largely white audience by showing an Asian hero beating on white villains. The symbolism was significant for Japanese wrestling fans and American viewers.

Similarly, al-Zeidi's use of his shoes was symbolic, as opposed an actual violent attack by using a knife, gun, bomb, or simply a heavier object. His action appealed to a sizeable number of Iraqis that cheered his symbolic defiance. Pro-wrestling has always adressed the events of the day with such, physical acts. Along with the heel Destroyer, mentioned in the Sake-Drenched Postcards, former wrestling hero - turned wrestling villain - Seargant Slaughter kissed what was claimed to be the boot of Saddam Hussein to the jeers and boos of the American crowd during the Gulf War in the early '90s. Anyone who remembers wrestling during the Cold War probably remembers the regular heel Nikolai Volkoff (2). The use of patriotic storylines indicates that these played well with the crowds and had an impact.

The visceral melodrama of pro-wrestling appeals to young men, who are the most likely to act out anger and frustration violently. These actors could fight it out with American and British heels and, hopefully, Iranian ones eventually. The staged battles would be a (non-lethal) catharsis for a nation defeated in war as it was for the bombed-out Japanese(3). A charismatic tag team Shia-Sunni duo would be more reinforcement that Iraqis are Iraqis before sect. These high flying actors would be one of many groups of creators helping the people endure the long night. Stories, movies, music, sports are the signs returning normalcy; so why not pro-wrestlers? After all, everyday life takes all kinds.

Notes
(1) in wrestling, the heel is the bad guy that usually looses at the end.
(2) and those who don't should know that his role was parodied in Avatar during the boulder episode.
(3) I realize that the circumstances of the wars were very different. The Japanese were apart of the aggressors in WWII. However, the Iraqis derived pride from fighting Iran to a standstill. After the Arabs lost several wars to a badly outnumbered Israel, the Iraqis considered the outcome of that Persian gulf war to be an achievement. Then they got walloped twice since the 90s.
(3 cont'd) Here's a thought experiment, would America have been impacted by the Vietnam war in the same way if America had successfully established a sustainable South Vietnam? What would have happened if America won strategically AND militarily. Then again, I wouldn't be here to write this post, invoking a destructive time paradox.

Loser + Vampire: The Anatomy of a Harem

After watching most of the first season of Rosario + Vampire, my thoughts on harem series have become fleshed out. While the most obvious feature of the harem is the number of femmes throwing themselves at the hero, the other key feature of the harem genre is the "zero" hero, where the viewer can insert himself into the unfolding events. From this starting point, the actions of the lead throughout the series and at the end must also fit in the scope of this everyman aspect. Much of these thoughts probably apply to otome (2) series; however, my experience with the reverse harem is mostly confined to Fushigi Yuugi (3).

In both Rosario + Vampire, the lead Tsukune Aono is too stupid to get into high school after graduating from middle school. He played some soccer in school. He does not have any outstanding abilities, unique appearance, driving ambitions, or dearly held beliefs. From what I saw of the series, his hobby disappears from the story. Also, little is said about Tsukune's families or their friends from before the story starts. As far as I know, none of his pre-Yokai High relationships, past, or interest influences his decisions or provides a jumping point for advancing the plot or a hook for a side story. Tsukune serves as placeholders for the otaku viewer. Though the story is told from a 3rd person perspective, the thinly detailed leads counts more like a 2.5 person perspective.

With the blank slate of a lead, the question usually arises about what the females see in him. The answer is that there really isn't much to see. In Rosario, Tsukune forms a bond with Moka through their shared loneliness as he does with Yukari the witchling. His simple openess to and belief in Shirayuki wins her devotion. Similarly, in the now-venerable Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi wins over Ayeka by being sympathetic to her after she finds that she is stranded on Earth. Meanwhile, her bond with Ryoko the Space Pirate is established, because Ryoko observed him over the years as he grew up. She is the childhood friend in a one-sided way.

These good intentions and coincidences are within the reach of the otaku's abilities and preserve the ability of the otaku to continue inserting himself in the main character's shoes. This is in sharp contrast to the sports hero who must improve himself to strive to be the best. The sports hero usually tries to inspire the fan to strive. The epic or traditional hero transforms himself through his journey. There is an aspect of growth in these other types of heros. Not the harem lead. What is required of him is the continuance of his devotion and good intentions to the women around him.

After the bond is established, it is passionate and nigh unbreakable. Mako et al. end up defending Tsukune from monsters week in, week out. They also fight each other over him, though his actions make it clear that his bond with Moka is the strongest. Such is the devotion of the harem. This all-consuming and slavish devotion marks the bond between the harem and the lead.

The end of the tale comes when the main character must choose. Part of the lead's good intentions is the unwillingness to cut ties with any of the harem girls. To shed the girl's devotion is to hurt her. So the lead is forced to enjoy her devotion (4). I haven't seen the end of Rosario, So I'll need to draw on other works.

In the Shuffle! anime, the long relation between Rin and Kaede is a stark illustrator to this. As children, Kaede grew to hate Rin, to the extent where she drops an exacto knife on his face from the top of a stairway. When she realizes that the root of the hate is a lie, she devotes herself to him unconditionally. When Rin chooses another girl, the crap hits the fan and crazy Kaede comes back out, showing the psychic shock that comes with severing a harem bond.

Throughout the Tenchi series, this attempt to do no harm leads Tenchi to maintain the untenable equilibrium between the girls. Indeed, Tenchi the Movie 3 starts with Tenchi attempting to flee the bickering over him and is lured away by the phantom Haruna. During the protracted chase, Ayeka and Ryoko make it clear that their romantic feelings drive them rather than a sense of justice or platonic friendship or fellowship. The long standing rivals become allies and bolster each other when hope fades. At the end, Ayeka gives in during a bittersweet scene and asks Ryoko to bring him back. Severing ties is serious business in a harem, because it also disentangles the underlying weave of the story's central conflict.

Still, the choice is within the otaku's grasp (5). The otaku may make a different choice from the placeholder, but the story clearly leads to happily ever after (6). And the key to the placeholder is to keep most of the main character's action within the scope of the otaku from the begininng, to the middle, and to the end.

Notes:
(1) translation at www.baka-tsuki.net.
(2) one female, many men.
(3) and (parethetically) my friend the Polish "Ponytail girl" was accused of having a harem of her own. During her first weeks at college, she befriended a group of computer geeks: a jewish genius, a gay guy with a 'fro, a guy obsessed with poneytails, and the silent one. I was declared an honorary member at one point. Her relationship to all of us, save one, was strictly friendship. But that's neither here nor there and is, therefore, confined to the footnotes.
(4) Again, something the otaku consumer can do.
(5) That is where the safe habor of the fanfiction comes in to safely shelter his favorite 'ship.
(6) for every rule, there is the exception that proves it. School Days with the bloody "nice boat" ending is a parody with the main character sleeping around (and violating the harem trust) and caring only about his own convenience and pleasure. He basically gets what he deserves at the end. The appeal of School Days is partly in the shocking break from the harem pattern.

Defraggler

Causeiambetta pointed me to a defragging software called Defraggler. I don't defrag often and the Windows native defragger shows me a mass of raw meat when I request an analysis. This is before AND after the MS defrag. I'm behind the times with computers, but I knew enough to know that this was no good.

So I down loaded Defraggler along with Ncleaner. Ncleaner did its job cleaning up junk files that have lingered around for years. However, it balked at going through my registry. I don't blame it. I don't like to go their either. Defraggler fought a long and hard battle against the tangled forest that is my 40 GB hard drive (it was pretty big when I bought it).

There were 160k+ framented files. At the end of the five hour struggle, there were only 12-14, depending on which defragmenter was asked. Well fought, Defraggler.

Apples to Apples

The trend in anime has been to transfer stories from lite novels, manga, and video games to TV. There are usually three versions: original, manga, and TV series. While the characters and plot remain similar, the different interpretations lend themselves readily to comparison and contrast. There is also a secondary effect when the director takes the fan's exposure to the original story into account.

George Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo, the epic boxing story, cleaves closely with the original. On the plus side, Tomokazu Seiki, who played Van Fanel, lends his scrappy voice to the light-footed prodigy Miyata Ichiro. Another plus is the spirited Engrish opening by Shocking Lemon. Otherwise, every punch, weave, and ring of the bell is almost straight from the manga. This is mediocre adaptation.

On the otherhand Shakugan no Shana the TV series takes a more considered second look at its source material. As usual, this is heavy on the spoilers. The first episode takes a diced up look at Sakai Yuji's final day of innocence, before he is exposed to the Crimson World. The first major divergence is the role of Hirai Yukari.

In the original lite novel, she had already been devoured and was a Torch. The script writer includes her in Yuji's first day, fleshing out Yukari as a normal girl with normal teenage energy and love life. This heightens the horror when she is devoured by Friagne's servants and then fades away. The writers go for a triple, since it also shows Yuji's strong sense of humanity when he tries to help the Torch and cements his disbelief at the situation. Shana's coldness is similarly cemented.

Also, the second Crimson Denizen and Flame Haze show up while Friagne and Shana are still playing cat and mouse. In exchange, Friagne is nerfed, and Yuji is less proactive in the destruction of Friagne. Since Friagne is the first of several opponents, this makes sense and lets the writers keep Alastor's true form (the Deus ex machina at the end of the first series) hidden.

While this keeps the story moving, I liked the original where the heroes go on the offensive. However, since his role in finding the Corpse Collector follows soon afterwards, this is not a big omission, and it is still in the original novel.

Another nice touch is the initial antipathy between Yuji & his buddy Ike and Satou & Tanaka. This adds some subtley to the story and natuarally keeps Shana's team separate from Margery Daw's. All in all, these additions, makes the first two DVDs interesting even to fans of the first two Shana novels.

Quick Manga Recommendations

"Watachi no Tamara-kun" (Our Tamara) scanlated by SCX Scans
"Yankee-kun to Megane-chan" currently scanlated by rycolaa
"C-Blossom Case 729" scanlated by Condensation
"Holy Land" currently scanlated by Illuminati-Manga

Vampires and Anime

The only two vampire anime that I have watched are Vampire Hunter D and Vampire Princess Miyu. Unlike the noir atmosphere that I saw in the Big O, the 'vampire' in most anime seems to be either flavoring or to be missing the Gothic atmosphere. Van Hellsing and Blood probably have their defenders, but compared to

• LeFanu's "Carmilla"
• Bram Stoker's "Dracula"
• Stephen King's "Salem's Lot"
• Rachel Klein's "Moth Diaries"
• White Wolf's "Vampire: the Masquerade"

I think that I'll pass on other vampire anime. In general, if the words 'anime', 'vampire', 'guys' & 'hot' are combined in any phrase, clause, sentence, or paragraph, then it's probably safe to skip it. But if the dear reader has not seen D's Bloodlust, it's time to get your undead on.

Blazing Copout

The ending to the Shakugan no Shana anime must have been the biggest copout ending since the Battle Royale novel. However, Battle Royale did not have magic or mysticism to fall back on, and the author could be forgiven for trying to create a happy ending to relieve the mad and gloomy premise that he had created. Since I’m talking about endings, this should obviously be a massive, scorching hot flag that this will be chock full of spoilers.

During the final scene, Shana’s patron Alastor the Heaven’s Flame manifests to drain out the overflow of Existence that the Ball Masque had created. In the transformation, Shana is supposed to irrevocably destroyed and Yuji annihilated with them. She accepts her duty and Yuji follows her willingly.

I admit that I forgot about his ability to defend against the Flame Haze’s ability through the magical ring Azure. So that explains how he survived, but Shana is suddenly able to contain Alastor’s full form and isn’t destroyed.

That ending was the easy way out after the author managed to paint the plot into a corner. I think that there was a plausible or better way to end it all. The key was Hecate, whose power was to link vessels.

Yuji’s contribution to the mess was his insight into the way devices worked. Since Hecate had joined with him, he might have been able to get a gist of how to do it as well. He didn’t need to gain the ability to forcibly invade others, but a little bit of the power would have been enough.

If he had been able to link up with Shana and then use Azure to expel some of the fire, then it would have been a less abrupt ending. Even better, it didn’t use any tools that weren’t available before. Why doesn’t someone write a fanfic of this?

Someone just might.

Complaint #2 is the pointlessness of the grand scheme of the Ball Masque. Megalomania is an old favorite. Maybe to fuse Crimson World to Earth or to fuel a war in the Crimson World so that the Judge of Paradox could conquer the other world.

Sigh, there was so much potential to blast past the sailor suit she-samurai, meido massacre, and the egregious Engrish. Despite all this, Shakugan no Shana still coulda been a contender to the Hardcore Hall of Fame, but copped out in the end. And despite these flaws, it is an enjoyable entry for most otaku.

P.S. After reading the 1st volume of the series again, I realized that this power was revealed after the battle with Friagne. From the perspective of a transfer, it was a delay revealing the power. However, taking the series as is, it looks like a clumsy Deus ex machina.

Watersheds and Tropes

I've touched on this before, but I wanted to flesh out my thoughts on tropes. Somewhere between "Lord of the Rings" and "Dungeons and Dragons", sylvan elves and deep-dwelling dwarves became common, even an old hat. It wasn't just Dragonlance or "Crystal Shard", Dennis McKiernan's "Iron Tower" trilogy featured halflings in the form of warrows. The other example was the change from the monstrous vampire of Bram Stoker to the Anne Rice/Camilla sauve immortal. These trends are not accidental, nor are they entirely acts of cynical plagarism.

E.B. White said it best when he wrote "Let [the writer] start sniffing the air, or glancing at the Trend Machine, and he is good as dead, although he may make a nice living. Any reader of R.A. Salvatore or fan of Drizzt Do'Urden can readily feel the heart felt sentiments in his early novel. Imitation has been called a form of flattery, but that statement misses the joy that sends the newborn fan to the library or bookstore fiending for more.

Out of the thousands of fans, a handful may combust and try to become creators themselves: writers, artists, film makers, game makers, etc. The first inspirational work was actually a vector with direction and the impulse that sent the fan moving. The vector may be dominant or it may be nearly lost amidst a plethora of different influences, but it is there and all of the influences are still there. Inspiration does not happen in a vacuum.

The analogy that I propose for these tropes is a watershed. A river cuts its own path through erosion. As rain falls, it gathers and reinforces the river. Tolkien's pen let flow the first stream. As other authors, tributaries, linked up with Middle Earth's conception, swelling the stream into a fullbore river.

The same idea applies to yaoi. These girls found the BL images to be beautiful. The few who decided to become mangaka had these moving images in mind when they first put pencil to paper. When they reached out for other fans, they connected with those that had similar inspirations. And when they reached the stage where they began publishing, their art reinforced the current of shounen-ai work, then a new generation opened their works and a few of them picked up their pens.

The rushing river reinforces itself as it down cut into the bedrock, but even mighty rivers meander and die, but that is an article for another time.

Current Reading

I am reading about Russia, Japan, and Albany, NY:
"Russia under the Old Regime 2nd Ed." by Richard Pipes
"Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa
"Legs" by William Kennedy

Princess Army Epiphany

I have a friend of Polish ancestry and we never let her live down hanging with us at the college anime club when it played Princess Army: Wedding Combat. This show managed to live up to it's kitschy title in all of the wrong ways. The air headed female character had two potential loves. A master martial artist who dominated the well known martial arts world in Poland of all places (this yaoi poster boy was labeled a "typical Polish male" to the consternation of our lovely Polish friend). The other was a well meaning local boy. There was also a gay guy that liked judo ground work. After the pseudo-rap scene, we just about had it.

I think that this was truly the definitive moment, when I realized that not all anime was for me. Not Detonator Orgun, not Oz, not even Battle High, I have Princess Army: Wedding Combat to thank for the epiphany.

Scanlations

Here are the Ivyscans releases that I've contributed to:

Desert Storm part 3
Innocent Dragon chapter 1A & 1B
Yokohama Monogatari Vol. 1 chapters 7 & 8

In the works are
Hana Saita (short story)
Innocent Dragon chapter 2A & 2B
Yokohama Monogatari Vol. 1 chapter 9

Gee, it really felt like I did more in the past 10 months. However, I shouldn't complain since I can barely keep up when I do get the assignment and, more importantly, quality takes time. Also, each piece was 40 pages, which will bring me up to 9 x 40 pages = 360 pages.

Back to work.

The Pen and the Scythe

I went to a funeral today. A friend's mother passed away. She was 64. He was always talkative and solid guy. Not book smart, but sharp and wise. He's a family man.

At the funeral, under the warm, clear sky, I couldn't say a word. I signed the card that was passed around work. I said what I could in there. Whatever is written is never enough, but the only way to write is to remember who it is for. In this case, it WILL not be enough. However, if the words and sentiment can bring a moment of comfort, then they have done their job.

The preacher quoted the "Prairie Home Companion" while speaking directly to the grandchildren. He talked about a "storm home", where the children of Lake Woebegone stayed when the snow cut off the roads and couldn't go home. He told the children that their grandmother had gone to her storm home in Heaven and quoted a Psalm where there he talked about a city where there is a foundation and walls made by God. And where Jesus prepares rooms for people and there was one for their grandmother.

The preacher sounded a little bit like Garrison Keillor, while his words were more hushed that huge, he tried to comfort the children, who needed it the most. Here were simple words at their best, performing the miracle of connecting human sorrow. That sounds can connect human hearts really is amazing.

The RICE must flow.

I'm convinced that this is a law of medieval East Asia and still a force in modern Asia.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080919/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_tainted_rice

Creativity versus Originality

"The difference between originality and creativity is that the originator is the one who is the surprised by creativity."

I might be mangling my Teacher's quote, but in that sentence, he provided razor sharp dividing line between the two phenomena. Many moons ago, when I was in college, an art exhibit showcased crucifixes soaked in urine. One of my then-friends gleefully pointed it out as a poke in the eye to Christianity. Reflexively, I declared that it wasn't art, but had to back away when asked to define art. Instead, I commented that it wasn't good art. My friend had the grace to conceded that point.

More recently, a young woman claimed that she had created an exhibit from the remains of an abortion. Fortunately, the story turned out to be just a story. Again, here was art as a statement, which turned out to be bad art. No one had done it before, so it stood in its originality. Yet it was so starkly lacking in creativity, which is necessary to transcend the level of an intellectual exercise or a gaudy show of technique.

The truly creative appeals to the senses through perspiration, the mind through skill, and to the emotions with the lingering echo of the spontaneity that gave birth to the work. It is this holistic trinity of body, will, and spirit that grants great novels, paintings, movies, and other works a life of their own, like Pygmalion's statue. They are truly the children of their creators, and like children of flesh and bone, the creator gains immortality through the continuing life of their children.

Sister Soldier

For the longest time, I hesitated in watching a show about nuns with guns. Between the price and Hillary Haag's voice, I decided to give "Chrno Crusade" a try and, ye, it was good. The series is uneven, but very good.

At the outset, the tone and the animation of the series changed drastically from episode one to two. The pilot episode was deliciously dark and moody with drained bodies and a monstrous demon. The smooth action and detailed animation won me over. During the next few episodes, the series looked like it was going to settle into a monster of the week slugfest, with a kid sidekick (Azmaria), and ominous overtones, but still formulaic. This was reinforced by the introduction of gadgets like the Gospel round.

My expectations were pleasantly shattered, when the story ramped it up with the Prophecy of Fatima and continued to grow in size, until it encompassed a rebellion in the realm of Hell and an assault on Heaven itself.

Despite the DBZ inspired battles between the Devils, the sincerity of the series and pitch perfect voice acting carried the spirited series to the level of definite quality.

Shinkai III: Killing Me Softly

I admit that I'm a sucker for sappy, sentimental movies, so Shinkai's "5 centimeters per second" go me hook, line, and sinker. This work showcased even more sophisticated animation and visuals than his previous work "Place Promised in Our Early Days". However, "5 cm" shed the storyline and plot that weighed down Shinkai's poetic bent in "Place Promised".

Practically every scene looks beautiful and amazing. The character designs are simple, but effective against the soulful backgrounds and incredible landscapes. There is none of the foil-shine from early CG fractals; these are digitized oil colors. He managed to capture the smear of dusk clouds, the blaze of the sunlight, the glare of the train lights, and even the subtle motion of falling snow.

My personal siren Hillary Haag played the lead female role Akari and completely pulled me into the sweetness of the first story and led me to the kill by the end of the third, short vignette. I knew what was going to happen when the trains passed by each other in the last scene, and I had to ask "carve my heart out with a spoon, why don't you?" And so they did. Sappy stuff gets me everytime.

One Shtik to Rule the All

The first time that I heard the title "My Heavenly Hockey Club" [1], I automatically put it on my auto-pass list until I heard the author's name: Ai Morinaga. The mangaka behind "Your and My Secret" [2] and "Yamada Taro no Monotogari" [3] has been called appalling, and I have to agree, though she is also appallingly funny.

In each of her works, there is one bizarre conceit that is presented and then explored, extrapolated, and exploits the situation until it becomes a self-contained microcosm of madness that becomes everyday. In "Your and My Secret", the main characters are a girly-man and a barbaric girl who switch bodies and find out that they are more compatible with their new gender roles.

"Yamada Taro" follows a dirt poor youth who seems princely and rich. Morinaga manages to squeeze humor out of a normally serious situation by stretching it to its absurd limits and mixing in some innocent and not-so innocent bystanders for the reader to laugh at. The prime victim is Ikegami who falls for Yamada, since he's a prince and then realizes he's poor, but stays stuck on him.

"My Heavenly Hockey Club" is no less subtle. It is a blatant parody of "Ouran Host Club" and even has its own man-'ho host chapter in volume 3. For those who haven't been exposed to the other Haruhi, the heroine in "Ouran" damages a rare vase at her prestigious high school and is roped into joining the host club as a cross-dressing hostess. "Hockey Club" similarly begins with the plebian Hana, who is borderline narcoleptic, sleepwalking to school. She is hit by a rich boy's car. Since his field hockey club is short a member, he uses the car's damage to blackmail her into joining the all-boy's hockey club. Like "Ouran", much is made of the patrician and plebian divide.

Ouran Host Club [4]

Not Ouran

And that exhausts my limited knowledge of "Ouran". To continue with "Hockey Club", the newly established field hockey team attempts to play a match. Since there are no other teams nearby, they use the club's considerable resources to get into stupid situations. Hana is tempted along, because she is a slave to the basic pleasures in life: sleeping, eating, and bathing (really, soaking). The rich boy Izumi initially treats Hana as his personal toy, not in an ecchi way, but as an object for his own amusement.

As the club stumbles from disaster to disaster (meeting a bear, eating magic mushrooms, getting lost in a jungle), Izumi develops an attachment to Hana. The lack of physical attraction on Izumi's part, his fear of ghosts, and his general ambivalence toward girls adds up to a kid-like feeling to this budding romance. As Izumi bumbles from one chapter to another, he seems like a grown up child, simultaneously shielded by his wealth and landing into mayhem because of it. If he sounds like an annoying person, you would be correct.

But you must remember, when reading Ai Morinaga, you aren't laughing WITH the cast, you're laughing AT them. [5]

= = =
[1] Originally licensed by ADV, this is now licensed by Tokyopop. [6]
[2] Currently fan scanlated by the NCIS group.
[3] Licensed by Del Rey.
[4] Combine the kid and the tall blond and, voila, you've got the girly guy in the middle of the "Hockey Club" shot.
[5] The dividing line between a tragedy and a comedy is that, in a tragedy, misfortune befalls someone you respect. I've forgotten the source for this.
[6] With new, unimproved, and unnavigable site!

Te of the Fujoshi [1]

[rough draft]

"I like my shota sweet and hardcore, like I like my yaoi."
- CLAMPisbest 07-15-2006, 08:02 PM on Tokyopop Message Board

I've been reading the hilariously angry writing of the Ex-fansubber. Her sentiment a survey of anti-yaoi fangirl articles that was taken by Renegade Anime Blog back in 2006. This includes the landmark rant at Tainted Blogs by Ashley, which summed up the complaints about yaoi fangirls

1. They take their yaoi too seriously for the non-yaoi fans to relate to.
2. They are authoritative in their ignorance.
3. Some of them are too loud and disruptive on forum and at Cons, therefore hard to ignore.

Similar complaints have been leveled at lolicon fans.

The purpose of this rumination is to explore the basis of the heated reactions at work. Toward the end of an earlier post, I touched on creation versus consumption as way to deepen my appreciation of the hobby. The alternate probably would have been lessening the amount of time and interest, getting out of the hobby.

I think that all fans reach this point. After the initial surge of interest, the question becomes "what's next?" And the answers are to deepen the interest or pull back. As an example, Ex-Fansubber creates doujinshi, attends cons (at least for now), and maintains a formidable blog; this is one fan who entrenched in the hobby. This process of deepening interest plateaus, because there are limits to time and energy. However, over a period of time, people generally will stop watching, become casual viewers, or become devoted fans . [2]

In this process of becoming a hard-core fan, the hobbyist 1) develops a stronger sense of discernment or taste and 2) crosses a line into ownership or identity.

Let's trace the development of a hypothetical fan to illustrate these ideas. Otaku A gets hooked from Escaflowne [3] and enjoys shounen romances and a smattering of shojo. He watches a load of other mecha shows and swords and sorcery. He builds a collection. As Otaku A's experience grows, a baseline of expectation is established.

A show just about robots isn't going to excite him, unless it's well done or does something new. He develops definite categories of quality: unwatchable, mediocre (I've seen this before), good, etc. He can identify the tropes (high school transfer student, childhood friend, mega-sweat drop). In a way, Otaku A has become a bit jaded. On the other hand, his interest has led him to dig through the available information and read up on the nitty-gritty production details (directors, animators, seiyuu) and seek out like minded people who he likes to talk shop with.

As Otaku A invests more time and energy into anime, his opinions are going to be more important to him. This doesn't mean that he's going to start flame wars, but by refining his sense of "good", what is not good becomes "bad". Ex-fansubber and Renegade obviously judge much or most or, perhaps, all of yaoi in the "not good"category. The second part of my description, delves into why the reactions are so heated.

Language is revealing in hobbies. Observe a sports fan. He'll talk about who "we acquired", that "we couldn't stop their passing game", or "we suck." This is an obvious change from "I am a person who watches the BoSox" to "we hate the Evil Empire". [4] The anime hobbyist goes from watching something on the screen to identifying as a fan or an otaku. This invokes the root of fanatic back into the term fan. In other words, the fan participation has crossed from isolated acts into regular behavior.

These language tags go beyond semantics, because they are signs of ownership. The thought collection on a forum, the physical space at a convention, and the social construct of a fandom become precious to Otaku A and potentially for all the fans out there. Even if Otaku A could brush off loudness as a casual rudeness, he may still take umbrage at the fan girls who run around as described in the above posts. [5] The behavior that he finds detracting also detracts from a part of his own identity.

Whether the heat is legitimate or not, is a question for another post. And it's not one that I'm going to tackle at the moment.

= = =


[1] The title is thanks to my older brother, who reminded me of the other half of the Tao of Pooh.
[2] This may be a big assumption on my part, but my experience has borne this out. Free time is scarce for most people, and they are actively searching for enjoyment and entertainment. Note the verbs, this is a dynamic process.
The opposite of dynamic is static or stagnation, which itself is not a state of equilibrium, but of a spiral downward. This intuitively makes sense when you think of someone sitting or standing still, while time moves inexorably forward.
[3] OK, I admit that it's kind of old school, but it's what I know.
[4] Though in actuality, you Bostonians ARE an Evil Empire now.
[5] And if he'd wanted to get spanked, he would have gotten hazed by Sigma-Upsilon-Kappa back in college.

The Business End of Fandom

I felt a certain resignation about the trouble at ADV and relief at their recovery. Their dubious Anime Network, ailing manga line, and trickle of new titles were harbingers to trouble. The releases of UFO Maiden Valkyrie was a come-down from Rahxephon, Kino's Journey, Kaleido Star, etc. I'm glad that ADV is getting back on its feet and I ordered Kanon 2 & NHK 1; 5 CM per second will be next.

One of my concerns is that the English voice versions will permanently suffer from this down turn. they've found and cultivated real gems in Lucy Christian, Chris Patten, and Hillary Haag. I've bought some anime just to hear Hillary Haag in them. The funny thing is that I bought "Princess Nine" to listen to Nagasawa Miki (Ibuki Maya in "Evangelion) as Hayakawa Ryo. I ended up listening to the English version and have listened for Hillary Haag ever since.

Fortunately they're back. Bandai has announced that they are reviewing their pricing scheme. While they're at it, they can meditate about the failure of the original "Gundam" (not Wing) to ignite America. Maybe the Gilligan style steering wheel in the Musai cruisers and the White Base might tip them off. Maybe, because "Macross" and "Robotech" also explored the themes of war, civilians at war, and idea of a ship as a home, but with considerable more polish.

Also, Right Stuf & Corneranime Store continue to contribute through Nozomi Entertainment with the slated release of "Maria-sama ga Miteru". Unfortunately, Geneon couldn't get it done, though Maria-sama was produced by the main branch of Geneon. It's been a rocky couple of months for anime, but it continues to go strong. Even if it doesn't, I'll still be here, and I'm pretty sure that other old skool fans will be, too.

Lovely Complex Episode 6

Synopsis:
The previous episode ended during the sports festival. Koizumi admitted her feelings for Otani to herself, while dragging him to the drag-filled gym.

Koizumi-Otani a match made in... strike that

Episode 6, “A Maiden's Determination! Love-Love Confession Plan!!”[1], jumps to summer vacation. The Lovely Com crew visits the beach for a day of fun and games. Risa is also there for an Umibozu concert. Nobu admonishes her to keep her eye on the birdie, which is Otani. At this point, Risa hasn't told Nobu that she likes Otani yet. Nobu forces her to come clean, and Risa admits it.

Nobu confronts Risa

The crew minus Otani gathers at a blanket. Nobu asks them to give Risa time alone together with Otani. They readily agree. Risa freaks. Encouragement comes from all around for our tall heroine. Risa is embarrassed and tries to stop them. Otani's appearance puts a stop to the fuss. His zebra striped trunks and tied hair, makes one think that Seiko-chan (AKA the Trap) may not have been a bad match.

Encouragement from a Love-com Love-in

Risa and Otani to play in the ocean while the peanut gallery stares, chants Cthulu-style, and generally makes Risa self-conscious. This awkwardness builds, until she snaps at Otani who is oblivious as always. His horseplay and laughing face win out and she joins in a wave fight. Misfortune strikes when she steps on a shard of glass.

More encouragement from the peanut gallery

Chiharu gives Risa first aid back on land. Risa doesn’t want to hold them back from having fun, while she sits out. Nobu entreats Otani to keep her company. Nakao assists on the serendipity play over Risa's protests. Otani agrees. He wants to get a tan, which dovetails with Risa’s immobility.

Risa tells Otani that she'll be fine alone and that his scrawny body wouldn't improve with a tan anyway. The comment hits a nerve. He drags Nakao and Suzuki, away from their women, to the sea after threatening Risa with a lawsuit. Nobu scolds Risa for blowing the perfect setup.

A little later, Risa sits on a blanket, shrouded from the sun. Otani approaches from her blind side and pretends to hit on her. He bears drinks, though he teases her before giving her a can. He claims that he’s just messing with her in retaliation for the tanning barb. He even puts on her Deep One face.

Old Ones in Osaka

Risa stops the exchange and simply thanks him for the drink. Otani asks if she's just being quiet or if it's the wound. After she chooses choice B, Otani offers to go for some medicine. The offer is refused out of awkwardness. He takes her refusal in stride, while the rest of the crew watches the non-action in anticipation.

Risa tries to break the impasse by telling Otani that he's a good guy, then offers a hypothetical situation where she likes him. He's breaks into nervous laughter, which she joins. Otani flatly orders her not to gross him out. She's shocked.

Risa reacts to rejection.

Otani brusquely attempts to change the subject. Risa calls him a midget. Her casual insult rebounds with twice the force: "Don't get your hopes up about ever finding a boyfriend, Amazon." The harsh words reduce Risa to tears.

Nobu & Co. to the rescue

To him, this is a schoolyard trash talking match. To her, it's the cruelest rejection. Nobu leads the cavalry to the rescue. Otani doesn't understand why Risa is crying. Nobu yells that Risa is emotional, because she's in love. The cat is unintentionally out of the bag or so they think.

Otani immediately asks who the lucky guy is. They are shocked and awed by his density. Risa gets their sympathy, while Otani feels left out. Remember, everyone knew that Risa liked Otani for a while now, except for our hero with a Gundanium skull.

Words fail them.

Day gives way to dusk and the Umibozu concert. Otani asks about Risa about her foot. After hearing that it's OK, he turns the subject to her love life. She refuses to tell him who it is. He then concludes that she fell for a shorter man, which was why his Amazon insult hit home. Otani then surprises Risa by encouraging her to ignore the height difference and steam ahead.

However, he finishes his heart-felt talk by bugging her again for the name of who she likes. He doesn't like being left out of the loop. Risa replies "you'll know soon enough." She stops him in his tracks with a smile, then takes their picture with the camera that she brought for the concert. Risa masks the picture’s intent as a punishment for making her cry.

Risa takes his words to heart and resolves to steam ahead in romance.

Otani begins to get scared

It’s another day. Otani and Nakao play a basketball game in the gym, while Risa chats with Nobu on the sidelines. Otani has been bugging Nobu for the identity of Risa’s love. Nobu scolds Risa that she should make her move during the summer break, before any love rivals appear. Risa freaks, again. She’s told that she must be direct and tell him directly. Symbolically, Otani tosses in a clean shot.

After the games, Nobu continues pressing the direct strategy onto a doubtful Risa. Nobu even pulls out the shojo flower power in demonstration. Risa is extremely nervous even by the idea of getting him alone. Nobu’s coaching is a combination of instruction, bad cop, and fire breathing. Risa relents and begins to record Nobu’s recommended confession. However, Otani and Nakao show up at that moment.

Risa screams in surprise. Otani is annoyed, because Risa is being secretive again. Nobu tries to get her to confess. She draws away Nakao, leaving All Hashin-Kyojin alone. The stage is set. Despite her stage fright, Risa bravely follows Nobu’s game plan and begins her confession.

Rafflesia arnoldii AKA corpse flowers

Otani is nearly moved to bowel movements by her grotesque performance. Risa goes into offensive mode. Nobu stops her with a flying knee to the right kidney.

Coach Nobu’s flying knee

Otani recovers from her frightening performance and tells her that he has something to say. They head to their usual hang-out at the Ikebe diner. He repeats his question: who does she like? Considering that he just countered her confession, she has some justification to be upset. He complains that he’s only one left out the secret. In her mind, she slams down her palm before boldly declaring that Otani is the one. In reality, she grabs her head in frustration, while Otani tries to get her attention.

Risa hits her limit break and gets ready to declare it. Otani, who’s been calling her for a while, jumps up to demand the name. Spooked by his demeanor, she falls back on Nobu’s game plan, which turns into poorly muttered mumble-jumble.

Love confession round 2: No hits below the belt, keep it clean.

Risa’s self-consciousness gets the best of her again. She fails. Otani tells her that he’s honestly concerned and wants to help her. As proof of their closeness, he reminds her that they are All Hanshin-Kyojin, which was the extact wrong thing to remind her of. As she’s clutching her head in despair, he asks her if she likes him that much. She answers yes. His questions continue. She confesses that he’s an idiot, but a good guy. He’s shorter than her, but sweet.

Otani realizes that she might be coming to basketball practice to see him. Risa thinks that Otani has finally realized that he’s the one. Mr. Gundanium does not disappoint, well, he doesn’t disappoint us viewers. He guesses that Risa’s sweet a freshman and feels quite proud of his powers of deduction. Risa takes another critical hit. She tells Otani to drop it, and that she’s on the verge of tears. Otani backs off.

The setting skips to Risa’s room, where the three girls are having a low key celebration of Risa’s birthday. Chiharu cheers up Risa by giving her a pink bunny faucet for her bath. Otani calls her up; he learned about Risa’s b-day through Nobu. Otani asks if she’s free. The girls tell her to go. He invites her to the top of a building and asks her to wear the same kimono from the summer festival (see Episode 2).

A dolled-up Risa comes to the windy rooftop. Otani gives her an autographed Umibozu CD along with the collector’s badge, but his main gift is watching the fireworks show together.

Romantic fireworks display.

He wants to cheer her up with the invite, since she’s been so touchy lately. Moved by his concern, she confesses her feelings to him. Otani doesn’t show any reaction. Risa is left waiting for an answer as the episodes ends.

The gauntlet is thrown.

Commentary:
At this point, the series enters into the classical shojo mode, where the the heroine overcomes her fear of rejection. Confession leaves nothing to doubt, it leaves the confessor vulnerable. This also begins Risa's laborious struggle for Otani's attention.

I'll keep the commentary light for this episode and have a sum up at the end of the arc.

[1] Fansubbed by Kiss Sub.

Hip-Hop Irony

On an earlier post, I commented that women enjoying yaoi is like suburban white youths rolling down the street blasting hard core hip-hop out of their stereos. After reading Thomas Sowell's "Black Rednecks & White Liberals", there is a richer irony in that perception. According to Sowell's research, there could be nothing more white than the mentality espoused by the worst of gangster rap. The glorification of touchy honor and ready violence, coupled with the apathy to education and work, traces its roots to the boonies of Britain and was transmitted to black Americans during their enslavement.

Sowell writes about difficult subjects without the difficult language. I highly recommend his book; there's plenty to learn regardless of the side of the aisle that you sit on.