Forum - View topicHey, Answerman! [2007-05-11]
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5633 Location: Southern California |
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I LOVED the banner! Nice work integrating Answerman with the perfect scene for it!
The baby gazelle is cute. This Flake was lame but like Zac the signature made me laugh. I must be watching the wrong anime because I haven't seen that many cat girls. I don't hide my fandom, it's just sometimes it's so darn hard to explain it to other people. I'm not really sure what to say about the Rant, but it certainly was different than anything we've had in a long, long time! |
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malikchan17
Posts: 23 Location: The boonies, CA |
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About the rant, I saw nothing about transgenderism in the review of Princess Princess. I saw plenty about crossdressing (which transvestites also do), but nothing about boys who thought they were supposed to be or wanted to be girls but weren't.
I couldn't finish it because of the misuse of the word transgendered. It's like calling Dr. Frankenfurter a transgender when he is quite obviously a transvestite, seeing as he gets off on wearing womens' clothing but he shows no want to be a woman. |
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Livre
 Posts: 16 Location: Ottawa |
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Out of curiosity Zac, have you managed to slug through all the e-mails sent to you yet?
In regards to the rant, Isabella is one of my favourite characters. And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't homosexuality/transgendered behaviour still viewed as being wrong in Japan? (I have to no idea if I can accurate here, so please correct me). It would seem that while taking it in a funny light is a way for Japan to have characters who are gay or transgendered, and enables them not to produce anything that would give them a serious role. Take American's Will and Grace: People find it funny, and there are two protagonists who are gay, but the show is not something to take seriously, it's a comedy. Last edited by Livre on Thu May 10, 2007 11:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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britannicamoore
 Posts: 2618 Location: Out. |
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It seems to me that most shows are toned downed from the manga they came from. I agree with Answerman about the blood in movie. It's fine to watch a killer string people up on a church- but if someone loses their clothes holy hell that chick is naked this movie is now rated R.
I'm confused...you're embarssed to be an otaku but you wear your hobby on your sleeve? I wonder if i'm the only one who didn't quite get what this person was going for...to me if you enjoy it and aren't ashamed you like it...then don't worry about others. Neko hitos. gotta love them. Theres also a lot of Inu hitos as well. Then theres another one I can't think of...maybe someone esle can. Actually I think the downfall of mankind will be technology. And I probably could go into a long rant as to why but its probably better left unsaid. The gazelle looks weird. Sort of like a Gariffe and a deer. Weird. As for the rant....well. Intresting topic of choice. It was an intresting read. Sadly this takes me out of the chance of winning because the writing was far beyond my caliber. Till another week- nice column once again! 
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Iconoclast
 Posts: 56 |
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Haha... The Flake Of The Week made me laugh pretty hard. Especially the signature.
I'm pretty darn close to the glbt community and a big anime fan... so the rant was a very interesting read. 
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Celes
 Posts: 223 Location: Madison, WI |
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Mmm...I couldn't bring myself to finish the rant, to me it just seemed kind of boring...it might be because I don't really think about whether a character is gay or not because he/she is transgendered or a transvestite or whatever...I usually just roll with it. I've found that in many animes when I guess a character is gay (especially when they go around kissing people of the same gender or making suggestive comments), it turns out they aren't afterall and that they are just super flamboyant or something, so I stopped trying to guess!
But I do love Isabella...a wonderfully written character in the ParaKiss manga, I have all the anime but I haven't watched it yet. I don't understand cat girls either. I am aware some people might think it is sexy, like the playboy bunny girl, but...anything that has anything to do with furries just makes me...blech.  Give me a bishie with his shirt off any day (and not Inuyasha!).
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Moros
Posts: 369 |
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XVII
Last edited by Moros on Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:49 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Cuprin
Posts: 63 Location: Sacramento - Life stinks |
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Totally agree - it's not just in the movies (or TV), it's really an issue in the gaming community. Show a little skin, and the game will most likely be banned, but they think nothing about GUSHING wounds as much as possible. There are games out there I won't play because there's too much of that garbage. Mankind is already in decline, and it's not technology or anime, it's the G__ D___ lawyers. I'd rant on that, but I'd probably get sued... |
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Merciful Evans
Posts: 18 |
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The ranter touches on a subject I've considered in the past. It's true, anime does have a surprising amount of transgender characters, most represented incorrectly for tired gender-bending humor.
On the other hand, several more recent series in manga and anime are treating irregular sexual identities better (not just Paradise Kiss). D'Eon of Le Chevalier D'Eon isn't transgendered so much as possessed by his sister, but the series treats the matter gravely and avoids mocking D'Eon for donning a dress now and then. I haven't actually read After School Nightmare, but the protagonist is evidently intersex. It's worth noting that not all intersexuals are attracted to both women and men, as the main character seems to be, but it's possible. And Kino no Tabi's anime portrays Kino as cheerfully ambivalent on the subject of gender identity. Anime does quite well, really, considering how many people aren't really sure what transgender means; it's an umbrella term that transvestitism does, actually, fall under! Edits: fixed last sentence, Kino no Tabi bit. Last edited by Merciful Evans on Fri May 11, 2007 12:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Iron Chef
 Posts: 487 Location: Seattle, WA |
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RE: Blood vs. boobs: Go watch "This Film Is Not Yet Rated." Very enlightening as to how the rating system works. (Spoiler: Not very well.)
Big ups to Dan Thompson for a well-written, eloquent and balanced rant. I just love seeing good writing. Well said, sir. And yes, the gazelle COULD outrun me. I ain't ashamed ta say it... Coming next week: A picture of a jackelope. |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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I must be living in the wrong part of the country if I'm not being targeted by people who hate anime. In my area people find it neat to see me reading manga or watching anime, even if they're not into the whole anime hype like us. I'm not embarrassed to say that I read manga or watch anime.
Catgirls, they've been down for a while. If my mom were to ever see one, she would probably inspect a lot of my anime to make sure I'm not watching hentai spoiler[(though she found out I had hentai in the house, so I had to give it to one of my friends to stash until I can get out of the house)]. |
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Lady Multi
Posts: 673 |
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Rant: Um...no matter how you look at it...most those listed were Shoujo and/or romance anime. Ranma 1/2 shouldn't count because its not like he ASKED to be turned into a girl when cold water is dumped on him...all those characters are straight. The Naruto series holds a truckload of shonen-ai hints that have been clearly picked up on... (some that have been twisted from the dubbing and wording
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Princess Princess is shoujo. One of the Princesses has a girlfriend who is shown in the series; as in, he's straighter than you could image from a young man wearing lace and pantihose. (The other 2 are just cute together. ) As for the other students' reactions: they are using their imagination...as in SEEING them as girls instead of guys. For example, they refuse to let 'em change in front of them into their girl's clothes so they won't "ruin their visions" or something. They are all they have at school to bestow the vision of beauty while on vacations they have real life to live.
Kyou Kara Maoh was one failed to mention with ambiguosity. Wolfram wears a pink nightdress, for goodness sakes...okay...so he's ingaged to Yuuri, too.... Un. I'm not gonna go into the other characters... un. Ah, and in the game Final Fantasy VII, Cloud crossdresses. ...the whole nine yards if you try hard enough.
Anyway, characters like that happen, that's all. I personally like those characters *hugz Nuriko and cries*. Ah, bishies rule...crossdressing or not. Meh...I've ranted in reply to rant and I'm sleepy...un. |
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Tortoiseshell Tabby Girl
 Posts: 153 |
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In my eyes, gazelles are very cute and cool. When gazelle's are young, they can be very cute with their little wagging tails, large dark eyes, and their spindly legs that they wobble on after being born. Adult gazelles are very beautiful because they are designed to be sleek and streamlined in order to run away from predators. They're built for speed, and they sure as heck can outrun a human being; that's one of the things that makes them so darn cool. Check out some footage of a cheetah going after a gazelle and you'll get to see two cool animals in action, both racing in order to survive. Ungulates are awesome! Oh, and I think gazelles were mentioned in the lyrics of "Hemisphere," the opening theme of RahXephon, which is just way super cool. |
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Nermal
 Posts: 223 Location: I was made to hit in America |
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Regarding fanservice, I was a little surprised when I first started getting into anime. I watched Love Hina and was totally amazed at the number of times Keitaro accidentally gets himself into naked situations...amazed, but not necessarily bothered. Nowdays I'm not really phased by it, but I generally try to steer clear of shows that are a bit too heavy on the fanservice to keep my brain from melting.
As for the ashamed otaku, I'd say that the more you try to hide something the more it seems weird/shameful. But on the other hand I don't think you should force yourself to display something because you don't want to be seen as a coward. The "easier said than done" solution would be to stop caring what others think/find new friends. Do what you want; it's your hobby and not anyone else's...unless you are a conjoined twin. |
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief
 Posts: 1684 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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I liked the rant (very well written), but I think its author is being a bit too critical.
There is a "norm" in society, much as we might not like to adhere to it. Japanese society is especially aware of these norms -- blending in is almost mandatory, which is why homosexuality is, if not hidden, avoided politely as a personal statement. From a storytelling perspective, if a character veers off from that norm in some way (as most good characters do), there should be a reason behind it. It's simply good storytelling to build the reasons why a character has become what he/she has. To say someone is simply born a certain way is coincidence, and seems a little lazy, even if it happens all the time in real life. That said, homosexuality and blurred gender roles have figured prominently in Japanese history, and is even part of the aesthetic. Bishounen were admired for their feminine beauty; homosexuality was even taught in major educational institutions. More recently, there is Takarazuka Theater, the famous theatrical troupe dating back to the 60's that is entirely comprised of females in male roles. (Schoolgirls often even develop crushes on the actors!) Incidentally, Rose of Versailles is one of Takarazuka's usual stock of favorites. While more organized homophobia was one of the unfortunate influences of Western society after WWII (according to some sources) I also think one of the major reasons for homophobia -- worldwide -- is that most straight guys are instinctively terrified/horrified of penis (other than their own), so the thought that someone might force theirs on them instills a fight-or-flight response. (It goes without saying that such thinking is neanderthal at best, but I'm of the mind that humanity hasn't really evolved THAT much.) Perhaps it's easier for a straight author to imagine a gay/transgender character to overcome this through some rationale in their lives. |
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