Forum - View topicHey, Answerman! [2007-05-18]
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PantsGoblin
 SubscriberEncyclopedia Editor  Posts: 2969 Location: L.A. |
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I pretty much agree with you on all points, but we pretty much agree with each other on most points anyway... Although we differ in that I probably wouldn't have had the guts to make such a straight forward rant over something like this (not worth the effort imo), I'll applaud you for that... |
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teh*darkness
 Posts: 901 |
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I liked this essay. Made me think about my collection... I can't honestly say that I've rewatched anything in my collection by myself. I know I've watched the japanese track of series I've seen dubbed on tv, but I don't normally have the time to watch my collection more than once. Some shows I'll rewatch with friends, but that's about it. And then there's the size... I've got no less than 20 thinpacks that I have not watched a single episode of. Probably about 10 different ongoing series I buy with each release, and two long-running shounen series I'm following (Naruto boxsets and Bleach singles, until the boxsets come out)... As for manga, honestly not trying to brag (this fact actually makes me sad), but I now have over 100 manga that I haven't even read yet, including volumes 10-11 of Death Note
 . I know this is kind of insane, but I have this weird collector's mindset. I just buy whatever I can that looks interesting, and I'll either watch it myself or loan it to friends so they can enjoy it. This is the main way I get mileage out of my purchases, by letting others enjoy them as well. My 15-yo sister has watched my Scrapped Princess all the way through twice, while I haven't watched any of it yet. I also buy all the LE sets that come out, so I have a nice collection of soundtrack CDs, figurines and plushies. I also have an Urahara hat, 3 swords from Bleach (Ichigo's shikai and 2 different bankais, one 42", one 68"), a bunch of wallscrolls, game posters, anime calendars, etc. etc... I also watch fansubs, but to this day, I probably haven't watched half as many fansubs as episodes I personally own...
All this to say, it's a hobby... And I know people who have more Star Trek and Star Wars memorabilia than anime/manga stuff I could ever buy... it's just another hobby. Oh, and from the looks of it, I'll be picking up Strawberry Panic! and Nymphet. Thanks for the heads-up on the latter, all you worrywarts  .
PS> Seriously, if yaoi hasn't made the soccer moms worried about what their daughters are reading, what will this do? At least it's not bent. |
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Astraea
 Posts: 85 |
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1. That cat...thing was creepy. Not cute but curious.
2. Lolicon - Um. Not so good. They're catering to a very specific market with that one, and I'm not sure it's a good idea at all. 3. Interesting about the definition of 'otaku' and types of anime fan. 4. The ranter has a very good point. Though, everyone has to indulge their interests once in a while, and for some people it happens to be anime DVDs. Or in my cases DVDs or books. I rarely buy the former because of the price. |
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Moros
Posts: 369 |
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@Wolverine Princess
You make an excellent point. The fastest way Anime can be exposed to mainstream media is if Fans help the process along. Yes, I have read a little about Nymphet (and learned more than I wanted about Richard J. in the process). In all honesty, it doesn't strike me as being the seed that will sow our downfall (all this apocalyptic talk is making me melancholy). Although I would never watch such an Anime, it is not as bad as the premise would have us believe. BUT, in saying that, I still feel uneasy about how mainstream Anime is getting. Oh sure, I would love Anime to replace cartoons, and Manga to supplant comic books. The cost, however, may be a rather painful awakening. The cocoon of ignorance insulating us will not last forever. I can imagine many conservative groups having a field day with this, not to mention left-wing feminists decrying the status of women in a significant slice of Anime and Manga. Remember, what seems normal to us may be completely abhorrent in the wider public. I believe Tempest recently got a letter from a mum whose pre-conceptions about Naruto (and Anime in general) were incorrect. Imagine the reaction if knowledge of what Anime is really like becomes mainstream. What is mainstream? Dunno. But I do know that we must constantly re-evaluate our position. Do we allow hardcore Hentai, or lolicon? Cause it IS inevitable that something will happen. And when it does I don't want to have to explain to my parents why I belong to a community which openly tolerates - and even promotes - "certain moral themes". I would rather them going on living in ignorance. |
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Truered
 Posts: 515 Location: Uni |
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Wow that essay matched my feelings exactly. Just why have I blown over £300 (about $600+) on manga and anime since the end of January? I've ordered some stuff last night. And when I get paid next week I know I'll buy some more. Despite having Death note 2-10, NGE 2-10, Chobits 1-8, Cowboy Bebop 2-3, Bleach 2-14, Excel Saga 5-15 as well as Azumanga Daioh and Yotsuba to read. I almost seem to be saving them, not wanting to read them, as when I do I'll lose the feeling of knowing I have a vast collection to read and enjoy for the first time.
And my reduced attention span is exactly why I don't bother purchasing much anime. I often lose interest and stop watching my DVDs- of films such as Die Hard etc. I know I'm unlikely to sit down and rewatch many things, which is exactly why I only own a limited collection- NGE, Excel, some Ghibli films + Akira and GiTS. I prefer reading as it engages my mind more, and stops me thinking "You know, I feel like doing something else." Add to that the price- not "expensive" per say (I used to purchase Xbox 360 games at £40 a pop) but for one volume of anime, I could easily get 2-3 GN. I like to tell myself, it's just because I don't have time. But deep down I do wonder if perhaps I buy merely because I've become "addicted". However, as a person often very tight with their money I'd often feel unhappy about spending my money ("Did I really need Saints Row?") However I've yet to have a single regret on my manga and anime collection- and just buying and adding to my collection is almost as fun as sitting and reading them. As is the fact that I know after June I have two months in which I have to achieve nothing...and have a large collection of books to read through. |
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Moros
Posts: 369 |
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@Truered
I find it puzzling that you haven't got the first volume of so many Manga (listed four), yet have volumes 2 onwards. What is up with that quirk? |
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ZaWarudo
 Posts: 106 |
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Kodomo No Jikan(Nymphet) is fantastic. But then I love stuff where lolis turn the tables on adults. Her fledgling Tomoyo-esque friend is a bonus too.
Plus, her hair is just plain awesome. 
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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You beat me to this, but thats good cause you did a better job than I would have. Im as anti-loli as the next guy but i think people really are jumping on this without thinking it through. If you actually think about it, theres nothing wrong with that story. well, at least fundamentally. Potentially you could turn that into something sick, but just as easilly it could be something very innocent. its not like its about a teacher actually having an affair with a student. The point is he's in a tough situation because this student is in love with him and obviously he doesnt feel the same way. Honesty, I haven't read any of the manga in question so I cant say for sure, but it would have to be pretty bad to be worse than some of the already existant stuff that has potential to blow up on us. People should actually think things through before jumping on the old anti-loli bandwagon. Okay, thats enough...now i gotta go and cower in the corner in fear of that...thing...from the flake. |
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jetz
 Posts: 2148 Location: Manila, Philippines |
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Banner: From what anime is that? For some reason I think it's the perfect banner for "nymphet" thing
DVD covers: I don't really care about DVD covers. If I wanted to know anything about the DVD I just do research on it first before buying. I can also ask the cashier about the DVDs if I need to. Tsubasa: If it's gonna take more than 50K, then it's probably a scam. Maybe these folks are out to buy TRC DVDs or something like that. They should include some sort of clause that if in case their fundraising wouldn't work (and it probably won't) the people would be able to get their money back. Otaku: well what about those who only watch one series and calls themselves Otaku? And they're really hardcore about it too? Would you consider them Otaku? (Just annoyed at the kids in the forum I go to claiming they're anime experts when all they watch is Naruto) Nymphet: if Negima is worse, like some of the others already mentioned, then worrying about pedophile anime is kinda late. I think Negima is already mainstream (at least here)... Creepy animal(?) pic: For some reason I think this pic is shopped. Rant: I know I could've spent more money on clothes and other essentials instead of spending them on anime, but I can't help it. I don't like watching anime on TV because I don't like tagalog dub, and I don't like watching/downloading anime through the internet either since it takes more energy and more time. Sure I'll probably won't watch any of them again but I can always sell them if I grow tired of it or if it takes too much space. |
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Pinkwings
 Posts: 234 |
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I dunno..people are saying Negima is worse but I've seen a pic of the main girl(rin was it?) drinking out of a bottle of water that looked more like a shlong if you catch my drift. And a cover with her jumping off a tree which results in her dress coming off revealing her underwear as she lands in the teachers arms. Plus a pic of her giving her teacher a piece of paper saying she wants him to ejaculate inside her. I dunno if the whole manga is like that but it sounds pretty bad. She's a little kid.
Btw dont think I'm some weirdo who likes this kind of stuff. I just looked it up because I wanted to see what the fuss what about. 
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Mylene
 Posts: 2792 Location: Indiana |
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I enjoyed the essay, murasakisuisho (although I'm pretty sure it was probably written awhile ago, frentymon, but I'll try to find out at some point), even if some people have confused it as a "rant" about the price of anime, which it clearly was not. Rather, it was a sort of flow of thought discussion of why we buy anime, etc.
I have a lot of anime on my shelf that I've never watched, I'll admit it. I tend to stockpile things that I'm certain I will like--and I always buy things I haven't already seen at a pretty massive discount. I will not spend more than $5-$6 on a DVD that I haven't already seen (I have a Netflix account). However, as I work my way through slowly, I usually find a reason to rewatch just about every series. Sailor Moon I rewatch pretty frequently (currently in the middle of a rewatch) to refresh myself with trivia from the series. It's just one of those things I like having too much knowledge of. Magic Knight Rayearth gets rewatched for research regarding an RP/fanfic my husband and I do together. Utena gets rewatched because it demands to be rewatched so you can pick up nuances. I've actually found that deciding to pull a series into the RP/fanfic we write (entirely for our own pleasure) is the best way to reassure it will get watched at least twice, if not many times more. And then there are series like Azumanga Daioh and Galaxy Angel. If I'm in a bad mood, I will pop in a random DVD from either series and be feeling better. Sometimes I look at my collection, pondering it, but I never consider that there is something else I should have bought. During times of financial crisis, I do not buy anime. I rewatch what I've got and that's it. But during times like what I'm currently in, I'm not really exchanging the purchase of anime for anything else. I have food on my table, clothes on my back (perhaps not the most fashionable, but I hate shopping for clothing), good books to read (how I adore Murakami Haruki), and a mode of transportation to take me to my job. I'm not interested in owning 20 pairs of shoes, 1000 non-anime DVDs (something I don't rewatch? movies), a brand new car, a boat, or jet setting vacations multiple times a year. Anime is just sort of the thing that I collect. I still tuck away plenty of money in my savings account, not to mention the retirement plan. It doesn't take the place of anything else--except maybe just chucking more money into savings and becoming its own sort of 'collection.' "What do you collect?" "Money." "Oh, like coin sets?" "Nope, just money." |
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sk1199
Posts: 162 |
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Isn't there this well known critically acclaimed book called "Lolita" which deals with a young girl having an actual affair with an older man? I'm not saying that "Nymphet" is written as well (I haven't seen/read it) but I don't think it will mean the downfall of Anime if it is sold here in the U.S.. In fact I'd be willing to bet when Nabakov was published here the same things were said about his book.
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skaly
 Posts: 148 |
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Rant
I can really relate to the ranter. I have more than a shelf full of manga, many of which I know I will never read again, only a few of which I will. I think one of the real incentives for purchasing anime and manga is, for me, being able to share it with friends. Unfortunately, I only have one friend who is a fan whom I barely ever see, so most of my stuff just sits on the shelf like, as the ranter said, trophies. I generally feel that books are worth purchasing and DVDs are worth renting. But I still fall into the trap where I see something that I designate as a "must have." It gets even worse when I buy thinpaks of series I already own. Those Ranma sets are so tempting...... But getting back to the rant, I think it's natural to wonder just how much these objects occupying space on our shelves are worth beyond the monetary value. What do we actually do with these masses of things and stuff? If it continues to sit on my shelf, then it was worth no more than the entertainment value of having watched it once, in which case I should have just rented it. If you want to argue that we should support the artists, I would have to say that it's best to support the artists that you would enjoy over and over again. On the other hand, I've recently become interested in rereading/rewatching some of the stuff that have been gathering dust. I was never a huge fan of Love Hina, but for some reason I want to watch the show and read the manga again. Same with the first .hack show. So, given enough time, chances are you actually will get a second or third viewing out of these items. But I've been buying for years, and it sounds like the ranter is a relative newcomer. I'd wager this person hasn't been a fan long enough to grow nostalgic. |
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Truered
Posts: 515 Location: Uni |
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 I was writing the ones I hadn't read. I own the first volumes and read them so didn't bother listing them.
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crilix
Posts: 208 |
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