Forum - View topicHey, Answerman! [2007-04-27]
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Next Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
|
|||
I dont really think thats what he's saying. he doesnt say anywher in his rant that Stores should stock old shows. he's more just encouraging Anime fans to check out some older classic titles. The only problem with this is it can be tougher to find em. I mean at least the more popular ones are probly still very findable, but still youre gonna have to at least be looking for em. Theyre not the kinda thing youre likely to come across at the store and decide to buy. Im fairly satisfied with the new Rant format. This rant was hardly amazing but at least it was something new. Its not like the old rants were amazing either. The only reason they got more of a response was cause they tended to be on more controvercial topics that people has something to say about. Everything on those topics have been said anyway though so better that we get rants like this. The Flake: Ug...Its people like that that really kill me. Firstly, people who use Japanese word or prases are just so incredibly lame its not even funny. Even worse though are people like that who go around doing something like that that makes em look like a complete loser, but then they dont get why people make fun of em. Its just like the Naruto Otakin kid from a few weeks ago. If youre gonna be this lame fine, but at least realize that you are a loser and everyone is gonna make fun of you. |
||||
|
||||
Richard J.
 Posts: 3367 Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis. |
|
|||
|
Insert "fictional worlds have their own rules" statements, minus irrational anger.
Just accept that the gorgeous high school girl is a virgin and has never been in a relationship before. Really, is that such a bad thing for a character to be? You know, there are people in the real world who are virgins and haven't had so much as a date. (Though I imagine they're mostly men.) Personally, I like the inexperienced characters because I can relate to them. In regards to the rant: Old shows can be good, but if they weren't replaced with new shows every now and then, things would get kind of boring. Best advice for anyone looking for an older anime is shop on-line. (Stay away from the eBay unless you know a bootleg when you see it.) And that tiger cub isn't cute. It's the eyes. Something about those eyes is giving me a case of crawly flesh. They look possessed. |
||||
|
||||
|
darkheart510
Posts: 4 |
|
|||
well, i'd like to contend that lots of shojo manga have "innocent, naive, virgins experiencing first time romance" for example, i think sunako-chan in yamato nadesico shichihenge is 1)a virgin 2)naive 3)innocent in regards to romance and relationships. All the girls in KareKano experienced love for the first time. there's also Hana-kimi, happy hustle high, complex, and w-juliet. Given the fact that all these girls are bright and vivacious, they still conform to the stereotype that manga girls should be virgins and romantically innocent; which i feel is more social commentary than some kind of subliminal plot by manga-kas, thus bringing me to my next comment... The question in the column made a connection to sexual experience and the innocence and naivete of a girl, implying that should a girl have any sort of sexual contact, then she will no longer be a "innocent, naive, virgin." Since real life teens have sexual contact earlier and earlier, manga is incorrect for depicting girls as "innocent" and "naive." What pisses me off is the assumption that 1)all sexual contact will be vaginal-penile intercourse. 2)once girls have sex, then they will be sexually experienced and "mature" Those assumptions about female sexuality are what makes shojo and shounen girls the way they are. Just because a girl has sexual contact, does not mean she isn't still shy, innocent, naive, etc. I know a few girls who've had sex but are still naive. The connections which you make "innocent" and "naive" to a girl's virginity implies the idea that to no longer be a physical virgin means she is mature and sexually experienced--both of which, are negative female traits in the age range of 15-18 (thus labeled "slut".) So to draw a manga about a "slut" would make it pretty hard for editors to agree to. By pointing out unrealistic portrayals of manga girls, the underlying social context/stereotypes which dictates those portrayals of female sexuality is revealed. To back up my assertion, i'd like to analyze the idiotic-fluff aimed at 10yr olds called "Ultra Cute!" The two protagonists are both experienced at the dating game and yet they both seem really innocent and immature in their relationships with boys. they both know how to dress up in skimpy dresses, but every other page, they're blushing and saying things like "oh, i love him so much..." Also i'd like to point out that even though the ages of shojo girls are unrealistic, you have to remember the age of the intended reader, which is 12-16 yrs old. At this age, most girls are still "virgins" and romantically inexperienced. So most girls, by reading shojo manga, get to vicariously live the life of the female character. Because of all the anxiety of love/life/relationships, shojo manga is a safe ground for these girls to "see" and "experience" before ever holding hands with a guy. I feel that this allows the girl to gain some self-confidence as well as reassurance that she is not alone in her trials. Even though one might say that fiction is one thing and reality is another, shojo manga certainly shapes how a girl sees and what she wants in a relationship. So because our current beliefs/stereotyping say that a sexually experienced 15 yr old is a no-no, manga-kas unconsciously draw their characters unrealistically older even though their target audience is much younger. I feel that this is pretty much true in japan as well as the U.S. augh~~ did you understand my mini-rant? i'm sorry if i misunderstood something someone said. |
||||
|
||||
Kenotic
 Posts: 167 |
|
|||
I don't know why they'd have to be men, I knew plenty of real-life sweet girls in college (not shy and naive, a la moe/anime characters -- but still quite sweet and cute) who were quite beautiful and dateless. Sometimes it's just a decision and choice someone makes. Most of this deals with wish fulfillment. That demographic wants a main female character who is just as shy around the opposite sex as they are. The character works because she's not threatening -- she's not outgoing enough to catch the eye of the annoying jock who gives you rail tails in PE. She's just polite and shy enough to know that she isn't going to go to gossip with girlfriends (she only has one or two -- if that) and laugh about your attempt to hit on her. And, as Welcome to NHK suggested, she falls for the protagonist for no apparent reason and hasn't a malicious bone in her body. To be fair, this wish fulfillment thing isn't just for the boys. Women have had reality-free romance novels for much longer than okatu have had doe-eyed anime girls. They'll also be much more fierce in defending them 
|
||||
|
||||
|
ArielTsuki
Posts: 178 |
|
|||
|
@ the blushing, hot virgins question: While I do agree that the hot, blushing virgin girl is exaggerated, it's far from being unrealistic, especially in Japan, which Zac showed not even 2/3 of young people lose "it" after 19. Besides, it's very common for everyone to discover first love around the high school age. This isn't exclusive in Japanese culture since it's very common in American culture as well. Stories of first loves is interesting because it shows a character going on a journey they never seen before.
@Ranter: Where does the ranter live? I can find the Ranma anime very easily, especially on the net. However, alot of anime that's been in American older than 10-15 years tend to be discontinued use to lack of interest and/or license expiration. Besides, it's easier to get the manga version of these series anyway. And expect Newtype to go into vintage anime is kinda the antithesis of what's the magazine is about, which is to talk about current anime series. Although, they do have articles about classic anime time to time, don't expect it to be a regular feature. |
||||
|
||||
BankaiSeikei
 Posts: 20 Location: Campus |
|
|||
|
So everyone who keeps talking about the virgins in the most recent question that popped up. I recently emailed Answerman about his column, and hopefully he'll get it, but this is what I wrote him. (This is the truth about dating and relationships in Japan. Japanese women are no where near as sexual deviants as Americans.)
The truth is that anime portrays women at a somewhat true degree. I lived in Japan for almost two years for study abroad in college, and have several friends who went over to Japan on exchange programs in high school. The fact is that most Japanese women don't date, and most men don't even date in high school. Dating typically begins in college, because that's when they have succeeded in their parents eyes. At birth you're taught that school and family are the upmost important. I actually made a post about this in a thread on the message boards. Women and Men actually in high school sit on separate sides of the classroom. One half of the room is made up of all guys and the other half would be all women. So imagine segregation of the sexes. In fact it's pretty much considered to forbidden to cross to the opposites sex. In most instances when a person of the opposite sex crosses to the other side, it's because of it's club related and it cannot wait. It's really surprising to see this, because in America, yea we easily mingle with each other. Lets say out of every 300 Japanese students in high school, one will half a relationship, and most of the time it's not with a person from the same school, it tends to be an older person. Did you know that in a Japanese High School it's not uncommon to see a guy sitting on another guys lap. In fact they give massages to each other, while we find that "GAY", the Japanese find it normal. When you hold hands in Japan with a person of the opposite sex, it means that they're more then friends. My friends that went to Japan in high school, said that people would stare at them if they hugged someone of the opposite sex, and that person had found it very awkward to hug someone of the opposite sex. It's considered a big no no, unless you're dating and it's serious. Relationships aren't a big deal in high school and most peers will frown upon it to the other person, because of it. Most of the time Japanese students are to busy with school work and their clubs to even get involved with a relationship. The average Japanese High School Student wakes up eats breakfast, goes to school, is in class for 8 hours, does club activities, and then goes home to eat dinner and study. So I don't believe that statistic is true for for Japanese women not being virgins. |
||||
|
||||
|
Naru2099
Posts: 13 |
|
|||
|
[quote="ikillchicken"]
I was thinking about that flake from a little while ago about that Otakin that said they felt they were being discriminated. But yeah, I really try to stray away from those people. Cosplay: Yeah, just wear what you want. Don't let people's opinions sway your decision to buy a costume. If someone looks down upon you for buying a costume, just ignore them. I cosplay a lot, and I've bought costumes before. I'm almost 22 and I'm starting to learn to sew so I can put my idea to fabric. But remember, cosplaying is something to do for fun. I know some who take it too seriously, and it's not a pretty site. Rant: I have to agree. I do wish that some older series would appear on shelves again. Recently, I went and starting going through Hokuto no Ken, because I was interested in it. Unfortunately, I wont see it in a bookstore anymore. (Unless I get lucky like I have before) But I do have to praise newer series because they bring fans into anime. Will most anime fans embrace older series? Unless their names are Sailor Moon, Evangelion, or Dragonball Z, then no. I don't look at it as seeing how far anime has come, because they are a lot of series in mid 80's-early 90's that I think are better than a lot of anime out now. |
||||
|
||||
|
Aiken no Anko
Posts: 1 |
|
|||
|
Wanted to insert a little something on the subject of the first question, Japanese school girls sexual experience. Yes, it's true that what is shown about Japanese personalities in anime/manga should usually be taken with a grain of salt (pretty often a huge one), but in this case Zac is a little off, as far as i know it.
Consulting a book I have read about difference between Japanese and American culture (I'm neither though, mind you), around a third of American 13-15 yearers have lost their virginity, while only 2% of Japanese schoolkids (boys and girls) had had a boy-/girlfriend or kissed osmeone of the oppsite gender. Of course, this poll was only taken by Japanese schoolkids in small cities, not like in Tokyo, where the situation is a bit different. And I guess the "sexier" the girls are, the higher the chance that they have gotten laid. But currently living in Tokyo, attending a Japanese all girls high school, I sitll say that the romantic and/or sexual experience of Japanese girls are usually lower than in western countires (at least compared to sweden where I come from). Few girls have a boyfirend (even though I guess the number is higher in co-educational schools), and I would dare guess almost noone has any sexual experience. As far as the talk go (not only with the high school girls but with University-aged girl firends I have) most Japanese girls have their first boyfriend during high school or university and loose their virginity between the age of 19 and 23. My rough guess is that in Sweden most girls have their first boyfriends during elementary school and loose their virginity during the age of 13 to 19. But maybe we Swedes are promiscuos not only compared Japanese but to Americans/other Europeans as well...? Oh, and before I post it, I jsut read Bankaiseikei's post, and I agree to most of it, except for the fact that girls and boys sit at oppisite end of the classroom. yes, I go to an all girls school, biut I have visited co-educational ones, and it was never like that. However, during breaktime, girls only hang with girls and boys only with boys. Those few times I have hugged a Japanese boy however (witch is normal as greeting between the genders in sweden) they have all found it "hot" and that they were "lucky". What is considered as "Gay" (or more like it, not) is also like BS said. Interaction inside one gender is very free. If you have been to a Chinese high shcool however (as I have been) the Japanese are very very chase in-gender too. In China, if two peopel of opposite sex walk togheter (not even holding hands) they are probably dating (especially since the chance that they should be siblings are real low), while boys hug/massage/sit in the lap/hold hands/hold aroung each other middles and stuff all the time. But Japanese probably seem prett "gay" to western people pretty often too. |
||||
|
||||
Steroid
 Posts: 329 Location: At home, where all good hikikomori should be |
|
|||
|
Cheers to buying costumes but not competing in them.
Jeers to not releasing kid shows uncut and subbed. I'm not saying to actually press out a run of ten thousand and get them into the stores, but would it be so hard to take the translation, turn it into a sub file, make a master, and then sell copies online? I can't imagine it would take too many to defray the costs of making that master. I'm not interested in Beyblade, but I *would* have liked to see Pokemon subtitled, if for no other reason than to become familiar with the proper names for the characters. But if I wanted to see Beyblade in a manner that's A)uncut, B)possessed of the original audio, C)translated and D)legal, and I was willing to pay any price, it would still not be possible. Physically possible, but not economically possible. And that should never happen. And Jeers to flaking and discriminating against people who just want to have fun with names. It's no one's place to tell you what to define your life around, and if it's anime, more power to you. Neko-chan, remember that all they have are numbers and loud voices. The power and the glory are yours. I say throw it back at them. Learn how to insult cuttingly and make fun of the norms. After all, you're far more right than they are. |
||||
|
||||
|
Canuckian
Posts: 184 |
|
|||
|
Oh, I just read the side part on the main site that had "spinning tops" on it, and I knew my sad question has been answered. So, yes I am admiting, I, Canuckian, wrote that question. Not as a joke, because that was seriously my thoughts on it. I was a younger lad when it(Beyblade) hit the airwaves and the stores, so I was lost in it.Also the only reason I mentioned Uncut, is because of odd and questionable edits by Nelvana, for example, in the last episode of the series, Nelvana edited out a sequence of stills showing the main and supporting casts of the 3 Seasons, no blood, no nudity, nothing objective. Yet it still got cut, that boggled my mind, Why would Nelvana do that? I guess because their name is Nelvana.
Also, don't expect me to fly to a store to buy a Bakugan toy, I've seen them, they look cheaper then my spinning tops. Which the anime series, is liscened by Nelvana, can't wait to see what edits happen there. |
||||
|
||||
Pinkwings
 Posts: 234 |
|
|||
|
The whole Blushing naive girl thing reminded me why I love NANA so much. The girls in that series are more realistic and actually make mistakes. I wish I could find more series like that. >_>
Btw I am now making it my goal to avoid those types of series. The ones where females lack brains and their goals revolve around pleasing their man. Last edited by Pinkwings on Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:47 am; edited 1 time in total |
||||
|
||||
Jedi General
 Posts: 2485 Location: Tucson, AZ |
|
|||
|
Wow, I LOVE that banner. Awesomeness.
I's have to say that I agree with the rant. Even though I haven't been a serious fan for even a year yet, I'd like to be able to easily check out the older titles. I'm tempted to just find fansubs of these old titles because I cannot purchase and/or rent them anymore because they've gone out of print. Going out of print is understandable, but still. It's annoying being a relatively new fan and not being able to check out older out of print series that other fans talk about. In regards to the question on how girls/women in anime are portrayed, I've always pretty much that they aren't portrayed in an entirely true manner. I mean, in many shonen shows, many time the girls are complete fantasy. They are just too perfect, and while enjoyable to watch, I know that not all Japanese women are like that. That's what makes shojo so nice. The girls seem much more realistic, although I think it is safe to say that the guys in shojo aren't all that realistic either sometimes. Life in Japan would be pretty boring if everybody acted like they do in anime though, if you ask me. Anime are just cartoons at their heart, and I've come to accept that cartoons aren't always entirely realistic, if realistic at all. That's just common sense in my mind. Last edited by Jedi General on Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:08 am; edited 1 time in total |
||||
|
||||
|
~Brain.Wav~
Posts: 22 |
|
|||
Sort of what I did one year at Otakon. It was sunday, and I had a sudden epiphany. I took a piece of cardboard, wrote "I'm Envy" (from FMA) on it, and taped it to my badge holder's strap. Sure, I didn't win any awards, I didn't expect to. I did get a few comments though, and I believe one person did want a picture. As for the rant. This is what online shops are for. And if its really old, and out of print, then there's eBay. |
||||
|
||||
Eos
 Posts: 168 Location: Jersey |
|
|||
|
[quote="fighterholic"]
....rare? Since when are good looks a mandate for having sex? Anyway... I enjoyed the rant, it didn't take the "you know what I hate" approach. He could have easily written "all new anime sucks, older titles are better," but instead he expressed his desire to see classic titles get their share of attention. Kudos to you. The banner was cool too, I love Higurashi. 
|
||||
|
||||
Levitz9
 Posts: 1022 Location: Puerto Rico |
|
|||
It's a lot like that. People know Naruto, not Ninja Scroll or Ninja Cadets. People know Fruits Basket, not Fushigi Yuugi. They know Vampire Knight, not Vampire Hunter D. On the other hand, how many people remember 'Welcome Back, Carter'? It's the times. But I DO wish it wasn't that way--I would really like to see Bubblegum Crisis... |
||||
|
||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group