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selenta
Subscriber
Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 1774
Location: Seattle, WA
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:50 am
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That was pretty good indeed. I actually really like the flake of the week comment: "so this is what it's like to not have any shame" That whole section was great
I also really liked your gifts for people you hate section, good stuff. Today in Class 5-2 would have been a hell of a contender if it'd been released stateside though for 'most horrible gift' to someone with such preconceived notions. I can imagine the look now on uncle's face.
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief
Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 1684
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:01 am
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Wow, Zac, you really hit the nail on the head regarding what it's like being "industry" and active on a largely interactive website.
Truthfully, I came back to writing for ANN largely because I missed the one-on-one interaction that a forum like this affords. I really and truly enjoy it -- being able to share and having strangers share back with you is possibly the greatest joy I've ever found on the internet.
And yet, boy can it suck. There were times where I was the forum ombudsman for CPM where I just wanted to put an axe through my monitor. There were times where I literally got so angry at being told how to do my job by complete strangers that I had to take a walk and not read the forums for a few weeks.
Sadly, being a little sensitive is often what makes for a good writer in the first place. And if you're not sensitive, you're probably not going to be much affected by the great comments either.
That said, ANN has some of the best, most intelligent conversations of any forum I've read, and has almost since day one.
And to the RANTer... Grow the hell up. Art, be it good or bad, high or low, is a reflection of the world and of humanity in general. To not depict an ugly side of humanity is to sweep it under the rug, where it will only fester. To paraphrase J.C. Fuller, it's only through the free exchange of ideas that the truth can be hashed out.
I was offended by 9/11, and I think that never should have happened, but never depicting terrorism because of it is stupid. We explore these ideas and their effects on people to better understand them. We'll never completely eradicate terrorism, just like we'll never completely eradicate child soldiers and violence in third world countries... but free art and conversation about them -- even in an inappropriate comedy -- encourages thought and understanding. I can't think of anything more important than that.
To that end, you should really see "Now and Then, Here and There." Since you are so sensitive to stuff like that, you will probably not sleep for a week after you watch it, but you will get such a deep understanding of child soldiers that you could never even suggest that their stories shouldn't be told. That is, if you can think rationally about such art to begin with.
Even in children's anime you see characters having to come to terms with difficult things like death and injury. They're a part of life, and shielding a child from them only makes them harder to deal with later.
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osakanodaioh
Joined: 01 Dec 2006
Posts: 5
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:09 am
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[quote="HitokiriShadow"]
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Everyone should give Kodocha and Full Moon a try.
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I agree. Fullmoon is an excellent series, as well as Kodocha, with focus on excellent drama save any real "violence".
About the rant, i think its misplaced. To me, I think its all just a part of the story and the mise-en-scene. The fact that kids are killing and what not are in fact *suppose* to be disturbing is all just part of the story.
It's the intensity, subtlety, and the different perspective is the appeal of the more mature anime.
Alternative entertainment is suppose to disturb. So just let anime be.
And also its true, censorship is up the individual.
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ACDragonMaster
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
Posts: 405
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:13 am
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HitokiriShadow wrote: | I love the Gifts for People You Hate section. I'd like to see what you recommend for the Radical Fundamentalist Christian. You know, the ones that were claiming Pokemon was from the devil and burned Pikachu effigies? And I'm completely serious in my desire to see the recomendation for them. |
One word: Eva.
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linlinchan
Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 286
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:13 am
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I'm just going to come around and say something no one wants to hear, even though I'm SURE someone out there feels the same way as I do.
Judge as you will, but senseless ultra-violence is the very reason I became interested in anime and manga back in the day when the only things really available here were Akira and the like.
If I hadn't been interested in the violence, I might have just been satisfied sticking to American cartoons at the time.
It's a choice.
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rpb3000
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 25
Location: Middle of Nowhere, OH, USA
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:28 am
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You know, it occurs to me that good old classic American cartoons were riddled with senseless violence. How many times was Daffy Duck's beak shot off again? And Tom must have plenty more than 9 lives...
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HitokiriShadow
Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 6251
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:30 am
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@ACDragonMaster: Looney Toons was the first thing that popped into my head in that first paragraph or two of the rant.
I think a few people missed the part where the ranter said he wasn't really against the violence...
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baisengan
Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 26
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:30 am
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penguintruth wrote: | I think the fans who rant against sex and violence should maybe stick with safe, non-threatening shows and stay away from action, drama, comedy, romance, and mystery programs. What is this, the Christian Anime Alliance, suddenly? Why don't we have the next lecture talk about how sinful it is to have people drinking alcohol in anime or maybe the use of Christian imagery in a non-Chrisitian culture as "blasphemy". If something's too violent or has too much fanservice, don't watch it. But chances are, you won't find many anime or manga without one or the other.
Nobody's boycotting anything here, I guarantee it. |
i totally agree with you...
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britannicamoore
Joined: 05 Dec 2005
Posts: 2618
Location: Out.
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:33 am
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penguintruth wrote: | I think the fans who rant against sex and violence should maybe stick with safe, non-threatening shows and stay away from action, drama, comedy, romance, and mystery programs. What is this, the Christian Anime Alliance, suddenly? Why don't we have the next lecture talk about how sinful it is to have people drinking alcohol in anime or maybe the use of Christian imagery in a non-Chrisitian culture as "blasphemy". If something's too violent or has too much fanservice, don't watch it. But chances are, you won't find many anime or manga without one or the other.
Nobody's boycotting anything here, I guarantee it.
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i wish i could have wrote it like this. i agree with you 100%
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cardcaptormanda
Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 237
Location: United States
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:58 am
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I don't think I could be more confused by this week's rant. I was reading, and it was making sense at first (although I didn't agree with a word of it), and then, after saying "I encourage all of you to boycott this tidal wave of violence." he says "I enjoy fan service and violence (and all of the anime mentioned above. Well, maybe except Noir and Utena) as much as any hot-blooded male. I've just finished watching Speed Grapher, and for the lack of anything good lately with both sex and violence, I think I'll re-watch Kite for the third time."
I don't get it. I'm not even sure if I should address some of the individual points in the rant, because I'm half convinced this rant was either a joke, or some "clever" way to prove what hypocrites the fanservice haters are. If that's the case (and I believe it is), he didn't make it even close to clear enough. Regardless, there is no hypocrisy in mentioning sex and not mentioning violence. Last week's rant was about fanservice, period. It wasn't about "everything wrong with anime." Why would violence be mentioned in a fanservice rant? Why would it be mentioned in the discussion of said rant?
That said, on the off-chance the ranter was serious: in order for a child to not be exposed to violence, they would have to not have a television in their home and also never leave the house. They shouldn't have any pets, because they could fight with each other, and they'll have to be mighty careful about what they read as well. And of course, don't watch anime. If they do all of these things, then they will be "safe." Oh, and since it's hypocrisy to mention violence and not sex, they should wear a blindfold when they bathe, so as not to see what they shouldn't see, and not own any dolls or figures with removable clothes (we wouldn't want them to see the semi-realistic "bad places"). Handling underwear should also be avoided, as well as seeing their parents kiss, since it might harm their impressionable little minds.
Ok, now they're safe.
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HitokiriShadow
Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 6251
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:08 am
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The ranter's point was in the first sentence of the last paragraph. The point of the rant seems to be pointing out the hypocrisy of singling out fanservice while ignoring the violence. And that he wasn't against either (hence the comment about watching Speed Grapher and Kite).
At least I think that was the point. After the long anti-violence crusade, the last paragraph briefly says several different things with little clarification of what the whole thing was about. It makes clear that he is not against violence and fanservice... but not what the real point of the rant is.
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ice9
Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 21
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:24 am
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[qoute]What are we doing to the innocence of these children? Do we want our children to be like the hardened Kirika from Noir, or the cold-blooded killers in Gunslinger Girl?[/quote]
I thought the whole idea of Gunsling Girl was that what the girls were doing was horrible and was destroying them. Still, they really were scarily calm about the idea of killing.
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Dante80
Joined: 05 Feb 2006
Posts: 218
Location: Athens Greece
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:35 am
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jsevakis wrote: | To that end, you should really see "Now and Then, Here and There." Since you are so sensitive to stuff like that, you will probably not sleep for a week after you watch it, but you will get such a deep understanding of child soldiers that you could never even suggest that their stories shouldn't be told. That is, if you can think rationally about such art to begin with.
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Right on the spot. Together with Hotaru no Haka (and "Johnny got his gun" of course), NTHT is maybe one of the best ANTI-war dramas I've ever seen...a must-watch for everyone (especially if you take into account its price!)...
PS:Sevakis...sevakis...that sounds like a name from my country!...
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ACDragonMaster
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
Posts: 405
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:44 am
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HitokiriShadow wrote: | @ACDragonMaster: Looney Toons was the first thing that popped into my head in that first paragraph or two of the rant. |
Ha, that was actually my first thought, too. Man some of those things are violent...
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JTtheBrick
Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 99
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 5:44 am
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Whenever I see a "Save the children!" rant, I always think of lazy parents who rely on PBS and Sesame Street to educate their children. My God. Where is the interaction with that? Kids don't need overgrown birds to teach them, they need parents, actual people to talk to them. Stupid parents are those who wants the world to teach their kids. Parents must guide their kids until the age he/she can handle the world. As for children exploitation on screen, you're sick if you "enjoy" it.
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