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Hey, Answerman! [2009-02-06]


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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
Location: Anime News Network Technodrome
PostPosted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:31 am Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
You're right, we should be more inclusive at anime cons. Hey, why not have American comic book stuff there, too? Why not have booths for cartoons that are anime-inspired, like Teen Titans and Avatar? Why not a big Dungeons and Dragons tournament?


Pretty much all of this stuff has already happened at some of the bigger shows and a lot of the smaller ones. Every con has a Pokemon/Yugioh/whatever the hell RPG room, there's always a lot of Dungeons & Dragons going on, and there's always a LARP room too.

As an unrelated observation, the RPG/gaming room is always the smelliest room. Just sayin'.

Also this is a slippery slope argument that seems ignorant of the fact that nerds will be nerds and everyone who shows up for an anime convention is probably a nerd and they all share the same interests and we have plenty of space and time so why not accommodate people who want to go to a Bleach voice actor panel, watch the latest disappointing mid-budget direct to video CG anime movie and also slay a level 12 Lich Dragon in the same day. Who is that hurting? Why does your experience at the con have to be 'pure'? You're among people who likely will not bathe for the duration of the con; you are already in an impure space.

Quote:

I'm aware that a lot of these J-Pop/J-Rock groups appeal to the same group who are interested in manga and anime, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. They should at least be limited to those who've performed songs for anime.


Again, that's just limiting the audience. There's an extrapolation effect going on here where people discover other Japanese bands by igniting an interest in J-rock through anime, so the only place anyone's going to give a crap about most Japanese music acts is at an anime con. Maybe fans of ~BLOODY SEMEN TEARS~ or whatever discovered them because they were really into L'arc at some point, and found a whole fandom that they could get into, but really don't have a chance to see the band unless they travel overseas. It's OK if they're at your convention and seeing their favorite band, there are plenty of other people there just like them, and there's no reason for conventions to strive for some false sense of purity and exclusion.

So long as it's tangentially related I don't see the harm. MC Chris shows up to a bunch of anime cons and I don't see anyone complaining about him.

Quote:

I'd also appreciate if knobs like Piano Squall would not be considered honored guests.


On this point you are correct, sir.
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penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 8458
Location: Penguinopolis
PostPosted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:45 am Reply with quote
Zac wrote:
As an unrelated observation, the RPG/gaming room is always the smelliest room. Just sayin'.


It's many of the video gamers at the cons that are the smelliest. And it's not even from heft, either. They look starved and sleep deprived, and its obvious they don't leave those consoles to shower. Also, if you're anything but an expert gamer, they will try to have you removed to make room for people who they feel deserve to play games.

Forget the LARPers, the video gamers are the worst part of the conventions. I love video games, but not when they're bogarted by a bunch of jerks who treat Super Smash Brothers and Street Fighter like finding the Higgs-Boson particle.
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ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 7272
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:56 am Reply with quote
LauraOrganaSolo wrote:
This isn't debate club or a philosophy class. If you get off on nitpicking facetiousness and sarcasm and don't want to address the actual arguments or issues at hand then I guess you go ahead and knock yourself out then.


To the contrary, I would say I am attempting to make actual arguments. In that particular case it is your comment which used a straw man that did not make an actual argument. Let's just drop this nonsense though. You made a comment. I pointed out that was inaccurate. Just let it go.

Quote:
I'm pretty sure conventions aren't going to just suddenly stop having concerts just because apparently it isn't anime enough for a very small minority of fans. So it's not irrelevant at all, really -- concerts are going to continue to occur at conventions. I'm not sorry.


Yes, I'm pretty sure a lot of things aren't going to just suddenly happen. In fact, a lot of things won't ever happen period. That doesn't really have any bearing on whether or not they should happen though and that is what we're discussing here.

Also, I wasn't especially clear on this initially so let me state: I am not opposed to J Rock at anime conventions. I just think there needs to be a limit.

Quote:
So long story short, you don't like anime conventions anymore. Sucks to be you I guess, but that's what happens when time passes and technology changes the way things are distributed and thoughts are communicated. It's not the fault of concerts though.


Again, this doesn't really have any bearing on the topic at hand. Will happen is different from should happen. I'm not placing blame on anybody either.
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LauraOrganaSolo



Joined: 13 May 2006
Posts: 109
PostPosted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:57 am Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
You're right, we should be more inclusive at anime cons. Hey, why not have American comic book stuff there, too? Why not have booths for cartoons that are anime-inspired, like Teen Titans and Avatar? Why not a big Dungeons and Dragons tournament?

You're a few years too late, bro. Seriously, how long has it been since you actually attended an anime convention that had more than fifty people show up? Three years? Four or five?

Zac wrote:
Also this is a slippery slope argument that seems ignorant of the fact that nerds will be nerds and everyone who shows up for an anime convention is probably a nerd and they all share the same interests and we have plenty of space and time so why not accommodate people who want to go to a Bleach voice actor panel, watch the latest disappointing mid-budget direct to video CG anime movie and also slay a level 12 Lich Dragon in the same day. Who is that hurting? Why does your experience at the con have to be 'pure'? You're among people who likely will not bathe for the duration of the con; you are already in an impure space.

This is something I have always thought but I guess I didn't voice it here.

Zac wrote:
Maybe fans of ~BLOODY SEMEN TEARS~ or whatever discovered them because they were really into L'arc at some point, and found a whole fandom that they could get into, but really don't have a chance to see the band unless they travel overseas. It's OK if they're at your convention and seeing their favorite band, there are plenty of other people there just like them, and there's no reason for conventions to strive for some false sense of purity and exclusion.

This is pretty much what I've been shooting for, although I think if you're one of many who listens to anime OPs and EDs, you might actually like J Rock if you gave it a chance (I disliked one of Asian Kung Fu Generation's OPs but I ended up loving one of their albums; go figure).

So thank you, Zac -- except the part about ~BLOODY SEMEN TEARS~. I'll admit I lol'd, but please don't lump all J Rock fans or J Rock acts with Dir en grey.

penguintruth wrote:
Zac wrote:
As an unrelated observation, the RPG/gaming room is always the smelliest room. Just sayin'.

It's many of the video gamers at the cons that are the smelliest. And it's not even from heft, either. They look starved and sleep deprived, and its obvious they don't leave those consoles to shower.

You guys are cracking me up.

Sorry to break it to you but whether you're a gamer or weaboo, everyone ELSE is going to stereotype you as a smelly, unwashed nerd. Pointing the finger at the other guy does not make you superior to him, although I guess maybe it makes you feel a little better about yourself?

As someone whose nerdy interests run the gamut, I object to the stereotypes. My friends and I all bathe pretty much every damn day of the convention (especially since several us cosplay and summer conventions are uncomfortably hot).
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penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:25 pm Reply with quote
LauraOrganaSolo wrote:
Seriously, how long has it been since you actually attended an anime convention that had more than fifty people show up?


Uh, Otakon in 2005 and 2006. There were thousands of folks.

And yes, I am better than the unwashed masses.
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14746
PostPosted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:56 pm Reply with quote
Zac wrote:
penguintruth wrote:
You're right, we should be more inclusive at anime cons. Hey, why not have American comic book stuff there, too? Why not have booths for cartoons that are anime-inspired, like Teen Titans and Avatar? Why not a big Dungeons and Dragons tournament?


Pretty much all of this stuff has already happened at some of the bigger shows and a lot of the smaller ones. Every con has a Pokemon/Yugioh/whatever the hell RPG room, there's always a lot of Dungeons & Dragons going on, and there's always a LARP room too.


Yeah, the first NYAF 2007 even had an Avatar panel. Laughing


LauraOrganaSolo wrote:

penguintruth wrote:
Zac wrote:
As an unrelated observation, the RPG/gaming room is always the smelliest room. Just sayin'.

It's many of the video gamers at the cons that are the smelliest. And it's not even from heft, either. They look starved and sleep deprived, and its obvious they don't leave those consoles to shower.

You guys are cracking me up.

Sorry to break it to you but whether you're a gamer or weaboo, everyone ELSE is going to stereotype you as a smelly, unwashed nerd. Pointing the finger at the other guy does not make you superior to him, although I guess maybe it makes you feel a little better about yourself?


I've always just followed the great Geek Hierarchy Chart: Laughing




LauraOrganaSolo wrote:

As someone whose nerdy interests run the gamut, I object to the stereotypes. My friends and I all bathe pretty much every damn day of the convention (especially since several us cosplay and summer conventions are uncomfortably hot).


Especially that one time when all of them went together and turned the Otakon hotel pool soupy brown. Laughing
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poonk



Joined: 05 Jun 2008
Posts: 1490
Location: In the Library with Philip
PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:39 am Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
I'm aware that a lot of these J-Pop/J-Rock groups appeal to the same group who are interested in manga and anime, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. They should at least be limited to those who've performed songs for anime.
I for one would love to see, for example, Bump of Chicken or Akeboshi (just to name 2 of my favorites, who have done anime themes and happen to be otherwise fantastic), but somehow I can't imagine them whipping a room of con-goers up into a frenzy like a visual-kei group can, probably because they're less, well, visually stimulating (although I do think BoC's Fujiwara Motoo is attractive Razz ). There seems to be something about V-K that especially appeals to the younger crowd (although not only to the younger crowd, if that makes sense).

Edit: The bottom square in the above chart made me LOL heartily...
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LauraOrganaSolo



Joined: 13 May 2006
Posts: 109
PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:16 am Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
LauraOrganaSolo wrote:
Seriously, how long has it been since you actually attended an anime convention that had more than fifty people show up?

Uh, Otakon in 2005 and 2006. There were thousands of folks.

Oh come on, you weren't even there for L'Arc~en~Ciel which is by and large the "biggest" J Rock band to ever play at a convention. You have nothing to complain about. And there were thousands of folks because Otakon is second only to Anime Expo (and probably not by much) in terms of attendees. Don't go to one of the largest conventions on the continent if you disagree with anime conventions having turned into "Japanese entertainment conventions" several years ago.

enurtsol wrote:
Yeah, the first NYAF 2007 even had an Avatar panel. Laughing

Probably related to the fact that there are many, many anime inferior to Avatar in terms of production, plot, and characterization. I will fully admit I have weaboo tendencies but ignoring Avatar just because it's American is a little sad.

enurtsol wrote:
I've always just followed the great Geek Hierarchy Chart: Laughing

HAHAHA Oh gosh, I'm glad Brunching Shuttlecocks hasn't 404'd after all these years. Hell yes.

enurtsol wrote:
Especially that one time when all of them went together and turned the Otakon hotel pool soupy brown. Laughing

PLEASE. That would require a couple of them to wear something that might show their (okay, our) pasty white skin in public. =P

poonk wrote:
I for one would love to see, for example, Bump of Chicken or Akeboshi (just to name 2 of my favorites, who have done anime themes and happen to be otherwise fantastic)...

You'd be surprised, I think -- Bump of Chicken is pretty popular. There's also bands like The Pillows who are totally non-visual and pretty well-loved by anime fans. Also, OMG Akeboshi <3
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