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What is the "Absolute Territory"?


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championferret



Joined: 15 Jan 2004
Posts: 765
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:23 am Reply with quote
Nothing on ZR boys then? People have been saying boys in shorts/stockings are moe for some time Laughing (typically with more victorian style fashion, since its not exactly common for boys to wear stockings nowadays, although I still notice it with ToukenRanbu and some of the boy idol games.)
I've seen people say 9S from Nier Automata is a ZR boy too!


Last edited by championferret on Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:28 am; edited 1 time in total
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#861208



Joined: 07 Oct 2016
Posts: 423
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:27 am Reply with quote
Adding to boy examples -

- Lelouch in the Code Geass rock band/idol spinoff (his first costume, the one with the bat wings)

..... I was going to say Atom from Marginal #4 in the song UFO, but he's actually just wearing shorts. Probably a bunch of other idol examples, though.

Definitely a bunch of examples from Touken Ranbu and Yume100, though. Pretty sure Gauche has it...

Edit: Does Ciel-style count? It's below the knee (except for Alois Trancy), but still. Especially with Yagen Toushirou.
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JacobC
ANN Contributor


Joined: 15 Jan 2008
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Location: SoCal
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:36 am Reply with quote
Boys are mentioned in passing in the article, with the caveat that they appear less commonly and their legs specifically are sexualized less than the girls. But yeah, feel free to list your favorite ZR boys in here too!
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yuna49



Joined: 27 Aug 2008
Posts: 3804
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:38 am Reply with quote
Of the five young ladies starring in Princess Principal, only the Japanese character Chise has a ZR outfit. The Europeans either have bare legs or covered legs with no exposed "territory."



Compare her version of their school outfit with that worn by Princess here: http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire1/d984e79bb799a4cc431fb6c1d7dbbad71490365542_full.jpg

Japan's most famous female golfer, Miyazato Ai, sported the ZR look throughout her career. I suspect those socks provided athletic support, but I always smiled seeing her outfits.



Last edited by yuna49 on Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:45 am; edited 1 time in total
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#861208



Joined: 07 Oct 2016
Posts: 423
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:43 am Reply with quote
.... if Chise's knees count, boys' knees count, too.


Chise and Yagen - easily best characters of the season.

edit: wait! L has the OTK version!

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Cerceaux



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:09 am Reply with quote
I like to wear this style in real life, it's actually quite flattering and makes your legs look longer especially when the socks are black. Of course I always have bike shorts underneath my skirt as protection against sudden gusts of wind. Wink
Of all the famous ZR-wearing anime girls I think Tohsaka Rin's look is my favorite. It's a simple but cute outfit.
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K.o.R



Joined: 31 Mar 2005
Posts: 221
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:12 am Reply with quote
Quote:
Sometimes the character design incorporates tighter skirts or long coats over their ZR to minimize the chance of exposure.


Now, I admit I don't exactly wear skirts a whole lot, but to me a tight skirt seems like it would be more likely to ride up and, er, expose. Razz
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Blanchimont



Joined: 25 Feb 2012
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:17 am Reply with quote
For all its prevalence in the various medias whenever fighting is involved, it'd make a pretty terrible choice of outfit for any real life theater of war. As bad as intentionally exposing your jugular vein to the enemy. Literally...
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#861208



Joined: 07 Oct 2016
Posts: 423
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:19 am Reply with quote
K.o.R wrote:
Quote:
Sometimes the character design incorporates tighter skirts or long coats over their ZR to minimize the chance of exposure.


Now, I admit I don't exactly wear skirts a whole lot, but to me a tight skirt seems like it would be more likely to ride up and, er, expose. Razz


I do wear skirts a whole lot, and this is true, but... there's a balance.
I have a certain skirt from the classic/gothic lolita brand Excentrique which is supposed to be worn with a petticoat, and without one, it is certainly vulnerable to gusts of wind... but that's because it's an incredibly light fabric, and a very full skirt - almost full circle. Other knee-length skirts are fine, and yes, a very tight skirt is more likely to ride up.

As for wearing ZR IRL, I only did that once, cosplaying Kallen's March Hare costume from the Code Geass Wonderland OVA. ... it's hard to keep OTKs up. Anyway, I like the full-tights look more, like Mirai from Beyond the Boundary. It also looks a bit more mature than the standard lolita look.

Anyway, more ZR boys -

Tinpla, Yume100's version of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.
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Jonny Mendes



Joined: 17 Oct 2014
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:49 am Reply with quote
One of my favorite is Airi from Queen's Blade. Zettai ryōiki+Maid Outfit+Red Hair+Twin tails=Total Moe Win.
Other of my favorites is Naruse Mio from Shinmai Maou.

And lets not forget the best school uniform in anime Akashic Records school uniform.

Also worth mentioned:
Evangeline A.K. McDowell from Negima!
Lala Satalin Deviluke from To-Love-Ru

Quote:
A series of characters played by Rie Kugimiya in the mid-'00s, like Shana (Shakugan no Shana), Louise (The Familiar of Zero) and Taiga (Toradora!) further cemented ZR's connection with tsundere
.
Other from her tsundere characters with ZR's is Aria H. Kanzaki from Aria the Scarlet Ammo.
One ZR tsundere not voiced by Kugimiya Rie is Fear Kubrick from C3

Quote:
(Even magical girl shows that frequently use ZR, like Madoka Magica and Yuki Yuna, are more male-aimed in nature.)

Yea, Fate Testarossa from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is one of the best examples.

Quote:
Some anime seem particularly dedicated to it, including a cast full of ZR-wearing characters (Ange Vierge, Demon King Daimao, School Days).

Also in Mai-Otome and the above mentioned Akashic Records


Last edited by Jonny Mendes on Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:26 pm; edited 2 times in total
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ajr



Joined: 29 Nov 2010
Posts: 465
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 11:57 am Reply with quote
Quote:
like maids 15 years ago, catgirls 20 years ago, and perhaps little sisters now


Eric, I think I can say the imouto/sibling incest fad has passed, as evidenced by a Google Trends search (granted, it's a search for the romanized term, so that's limiting), being usurped circa 2015 by monster girls (if not in popularity, then at least in trendiness), which IMHO have much more potential in terms of character design, behavior, and just trounces imoutos, maid, and nekomimi/catgirls as far as that whole otaku fad goes (still waiting for fun monster boys anime to really hit get it right) Very Happy

I'd also argue cat girls were in vogue more recently than maids, but maybe you just got your years switched (or the trend was more prominent prior to 2004, the earliest google trends goes.)

(meido vs. monster girls vs. catgirls, in case anyone's interested) ("maids" clearly picks up on non-otaku uses of the words, so I switched versions)

Nicely written article though, pretty comprehensive.
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tootbrush



Joined: 31 Oct 2009
Posts: 230
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:29 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
(Even magical girl shows that frequently use ZR, like Madoka Magica and Yuki Yuna, are more male-aimed in nature.)

Well... Precure, one of the two active magical girl franchises that's aimed at girls (the other being Sailor Moon), has included at least one Cure (or alternate form) with ZR every year since YPC5. Although granted, they may exist to attract male fans.
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7jaws7



Joined: 17 Aug 2013
Posts: 704
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 1:37 pm Reply with quote
Hitagi is my #1 love when it comes to this (and almost everything, really) but Taiga definitely gets an honorable mention from me.
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leafy sea dragon



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
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Location: Another Kingdom
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 1:45 pm Reply with quote
I've been wondering for a while: Is leg fetishism a really, really big thing in Japan? I don't really see many female characters in anime wear long pants; most wear skirts or shorts, whereas long pants have long been (no pun intended) more fashionable here in the United States. I've noticed the sheer popularity of skirts in Japan, but observing what people are wearing, the women's legwear I see the most often, by a longshot, are long pants. Like, as in a good 75% or more. (Similarly, shorts are not nearly as common on guys as they are in anime.) Then again, maybe it's climate-related: When it's windy, dry, and hot, the best apparel to keep you safe is loose clothing that covers as much skin as possible.

championferret wrote:
Nothing on ZR boys then? People have been saying boys in shorts/stockings are moe for some time Laughing (typically with more victorian style fashion, since its not exactly common for boys to wear stockings nowadays, although I still notice it with ToukenRanbu and some of the boy idol games.)
I've seen people say 9S from Nier Automata is a ZR boy too!


Yeah, I was hoping to see some illustrations of male examples of zettai ryouiki, as the idea is in no way limited to one sex. In real life, at least, it's actually pretty prevalent among soccer players, as they wear shorts and often have socks going up above the knees.

Blanchimont wrote:
For all its prevalence in the various medias whenever fighting is involved, it'd make a pretty terrible choice of outfit for any real life theater of war. As bad as intentionally exposing your jugular vein to the enemy. Literally...


Well, that can be said for the rest of the body as well, and among both men and women. Simply put, realistic battle gear does not make for good drama (unless it's a Space Marines story or something). You can see it in how a character you're supposed to relate to will usually fight without a helmet while the cannonfodder will all be wearing them.
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Kadmos1



Joined: 08 May 2014
Posts: 13536
Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP
PostPosted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 3:23 pm Reply with quote
These pics are from the "Action Girl" paragraph. The middle pic is 1st cover volume of "Guilty Black & Red", a web novel. What series is the right pic from?
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