Forum - View topicHey, Answerman! [2007-05-04]
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Calculusman
 Posts: 309 Location: Virginia |
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Ah! My Goddess was entertaining to me at first, but I think Belldandy's passiveness wore on me too and I finally just got tired of it.
Yeah, I like how people think that anything they make is the "greatest thing ever." I mean sure, I've tried my hand at writing a screenplay of a visual novel that I like before. But I admit that it probably sucks, since its the first screenplay I've tried writing, and admit that actually having a movie made from it is a hallucination on my part. As for the reviews, I agree with others on here, if you don't like reviews, don't read them. I mean, I've read reviews that I strongly disagree with, but I don't get bent out of shape over it. Some people just have different taste. And you should have put a duckbilled platypus up instead of a kiwi. |
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Jedi General
 Posts: 2485 Location: Tucson, AZ |
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Thanks, Lydia. Sandra had made some great banners indeed, so it's pretty cool to have mine chosen. I'll be sending in more banners now. 
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JC90
Posts: 18 Location: Oh, just here and there.... |
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I'm gonna have to agree with the rant. after the whole "Eureka Seven Fiasco", I was curious and decided to see what people on the Adult Swim message boards were saying. I was immediately appalled and ashamed of what I read. people were talking about boycotting/quitting Adult Swim, the "injustices" and "prejudice treatment", and some even went so far as to threaten to kill the people in charge.
what is this?! it's no wonder anime fans are the treated the way they are on the those boards: with over-the-top crap like that spewing from people, how could people not make fun of them? I witnessed this same phenomenom when I looked on the boards during the April Fools joke. it was the same (if not worse than) the Eureka Seven incident. I was seriously ashamed to call myself an anime fan when I read the posts. it just reminds me of how obsessive and crazed some people can get. |
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PhatPhil
Posts: 37 |
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Can't say much more... It does get kinda frustrating when I get a blank stare from the mainstream fans at an anime convention when I mention a series like Eureka Seven, Air, Higurashi, Blood+ or something of the like. There are too many people out there not bothering to branch out into the outerstream of anime for the real hardcore stuff, probably the BEST example of a REALLY hardcore, super nerdy anime would HAVE to be Genshiken. Personally, when an anime fan gets all the jokes in Genshiken, I think they've hit a prime. I put this series at such a high standard because you REALLY have to know your stuff to get the series. Feel free to call me elitist if you want but I bet most people who have seen and enjoyed this series will agree. Genshiken is a perfect example of a turning point for an anime fan. When they get this series, they've left the mainstream and can begin their exploration of the outerstream. |
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Tortoiseshell Tabby Girl
 Posts: 153 |
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Hmm. So, from the thread that was related to the Ah! My Goddess review and from this Answerman thread, it seems like, so far, people mainly view the character of Belldandy as being either "The Perfect Woman" or "An Emotional Doormat." So far, two stereotypes applied to a character. Personally, I've never applied either of these stereotypes to Belldandy. The former stereotype is just, to be plain, freaky, to me. I think that I have this response to that stereotype partly because I'm a woman and partly because it does tend to disturb me to know that there are some people who are finding their ideal of womanhood in an animated, fictional character. The latter stereotype just seems to be the lazy-man's (or woman's) interpretation of Belldandy to me. To me, it's just too easy to call her "An Emotional Doormat" or "A Stereotypical 50's Housewife." The word "passive," which has been mentioned at least once in this thread, is one word I've seen that I do think applies to Belldandy, but seeing as how I know a lot of passive people, especially ones who are able to intelligently use their passivity to their advantage (a possible synonym for that is "manipulate," but not always), I don't really see "passive" as a weak trait, although I will agree that Belldandy doesn't use her passivity in this "passive aggressive" way, at least not on purpose or very often.
The words that I think apply well to Bell are "Goddess," "Zen-like," "Wise," "Compassionate," "Loving," "Enlightened," and "Motherly." (There are more words that I can probably use, but who needs a super long list, eh?) Belldandy, to me, is first and foremost a goddess. This is another reason why the "Perfect Woman" stereotype doesn't really work, because Belldandy is not a human woman and she will be the first to admit that she is a goddess and not a woman (I believe that you can see her do this in the second episode of the first season of the TV series, if my memory serves me well). Belldandy has a goddess liscense that is of a higher class than her older, trouble-making sister, Urd, in part because of the level of--for lack of a better word--"Goddesshood" that she has reached (she doesn't lie or cook up crazy schemes or take Sleipner without permission, etc.). In all versions of the story, there isn't a whole lot of background about what heaven's education system is like (except maybe in the theatrical movie), but it seems that in the Ah! My Goddess universe, heaven's ideal for a goddess is the type of goddess that Belldandy is. And so, when Belldandy ends up with Keiichi Morisato for all eternity, all she has done--in fact, her entire career--has been as a high-class goddess who helps people in need and grants their wishes. That is what she's been trained to do. That's who she is. So, it's no surprise that she acts as a goddess towards Keiichi and to all the other humans she meets. Luckily, Belldandy ended up with someone as kind and as thoughtful as Keiichi. I've always felt that they make a good team and are wonderful life partners. If Belldandy had ended up with some advantage-taking sleazeball like Aoshima, I think that would have made the series very unappealing and sickening. spoiler[In fact, Belldandy tells Aoshima that she wants to do stuff for Keiichi not because he is forcing her to do stuff, but because he doesn't force her to do stuff.] Luckily, Keiichi helps Belldandy to learn a little bit about herself and doing stuff that is good for herself spoiler[(finding her favorite place--the place where the wind coming down the mountains meets with the wind over the water or something like that). ] Belldandy may not be aggressive and she may not shout and yell and talkback and go to protest rallies, but she still has her own quiet inner-strength. Except for the times when she does exhibit the flaws of a human from being around them and experiencing their ways--such as when she gets jealous (and doesn't know how to express her anger since she hasn't felt it very often to know how to express it)--she is pretty much a character who seems to have an inner-peace and doesn't appear to have the need to lash out or be aggressive. spoiler[The monk who's temple they "inherit" thought that Belldandy had reached a greater level of enlightenment than he, and that is why he left on a journey--to try to reach her level of enlightenment ](poor guy...). The characters in the series often experience the love, compassion, motherliness, and wisdom that Belldandy loves to impart--such as when she helped Sora spoiler[overcome her fear of the little go-kart she had to learn to ride. ] In fact, there's something about the way Belldandy's eyes are often drawn that reminds me of the way my grandmother's eyes would sometimes look--absolutely brimming with love. I actually often feel soothed and calm when I watch or read Ah/Oh! My Goddess because of Belldandy (those feelings are definitely not related to Urd or Skuld. Definitely not). Belldandy's strength is her own type of strength. As she tells Keiichi when he says that she and Urd are exact opposites, she corrects him by saying something along the lines of, "We both live as we choose." Belldandy's reactions remind me of the saying that the reed that bends does not break. In the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche, the human Psyche is sent on various tasks by Aphrodite. One of these tasks is to get the wool of these very aggressive sheep. When Psyche sees how aggressive they are, she loses hope that she will be able to fulfill her task, but a nearby reed in a stream bends over and whispers to her that she can pick the wool stuck to the bushes when the sheep sleep in the hot noonday sun. Now, one interpretation of the bending reed is that it is reminding Psyche to practice humility. Unlike the usual male heroes, Psyche is a mythical hero who can fulfill her task by using her mind and passively gathering the wool instead of aggressively killing the sheep or wrestling with them to get the wool off. In fact, the tasks that Psyche go through are lessons that help her learn what she needs to before her apotheosis (becoming a god--or in this case, goddess, when she marries Eros). Belldandy, a mix of Norse goddess and Buddhist sensibilities, often employs this method. Most recently in the manga she had "success" rather than "victory" (there's a difference between the two) when she managed to spoiler[peacefully convert the familiar that Hild had planted in her to a kind and gentle familiar, rather than having to destroy her, as Lind might have done.] This "power" actually impressed the leader of the Demons, Hild, quite a lot. There is something quite wise and impressive about being able to make friends of your enemy instead of blowing them away. By the way, that kiwi is adorable.
Last edited by Tortoiseshell Tabby Girl on Fri May 04, 2007 1:58 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Calculusman
Posts: 309 Location: Virginia |
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I'm just wondering - how can anything aired on Adult Swim possibly be considered anything but "mainstream" anime? I mean, isn't the very reason it's there because enough people like it that it's worth actually putting on TV? addition: and to the first poster that's quoted. You see anime fans on the same level as college professors and scientists? Um, I'm sorry but, no matter how cool you think anime is, it does not put otaku on the same level as people who study things that are actually important to the world for their entire lives. |
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PhatPhil
Posts: 37 |
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Well, let's look at something like FLCL. I mean HOW mainstream is THAT? You really have to understand it's core meanings to get the message, at least that's how I interpreted it. Generic fans might think, "Oh, it's a really super funny anime that's so cool and bizzare!" However more older fans might realize, "Well yes, it's an interesting dose of comedy and unique art, but at heart it's a 'growing up' sort of story, with maybe a small example of what's become of technological advancements." Or maybe I'm looking into it too much. But want a perfect example? Eureka seveN. THAT my friends is a real story of romance and acceptance between differences. The whole giant air surfing robots from my point of view, is just a gimmick. Any mainstream fan PROBABLY gave up on Eureka seveN once it got to psychological in Acperience I or so. But like I said, it's open for anyone's interpretation. But until a fan can realize a deeper more purpose filled meaning of an anime, I believe they really don't understand it... Again, this is just MY views, others probably feel different. =/ |
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Calculusman
Posts: 309 Location: Virginia |
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I'd make the supposition that there is a difference between something being mainstream and people getting all the nuanced and detailed points and messages that a show is trying to portray. There is no denying that FLCL is incredibly popular. It is, by virtually any definition, in the "mainstream" Does that mean that everyone "gets it." I don't know. But I don't think it matters. I'd say whether one understands a deeper purpose is it's own thing, but the popularity of things typically aren't determined just by who happens to "get" whatever the point is. While that would obviously make the show more enjoyable and better than it may be on the surface, I'd say that it has little to do with whether it's "mainstream" or not. |
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Richard J.
 Posts: 3367 Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis. |
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Very well. I shall do something about it. Borrow's Ms. Sanada's Cat Girl Raygun. Take this Kiwi! 
The Kiwi has been replaced by a cute catgirl with two cats. Personally, I think that's a lot better than a bird. I detest avian creatures. Moving on to serious thought, the column's not bad this week. On the subject of opening and closing credits: I'm of the opinion that as long as they include clean versions as extras they can change the letters into an alphabet I can read. It's not like they're cutting them out entirely, at least not usually. On writing: If you've got a good novel, don't bug Zac, bug a publisher. Or find out if anyone else agrees that it's good by self-publishing. Plenty of websites can help you with that. On the whole Belldandy and the "I don't like/get moe" segment of the column, which is starting to become a recurring theme, I have three comments. 1) I'll take Pandora from Because I'm the Goddess over Belldandy any day. She might be a tad lacking in brains, but I'll take wacky over serene. People who are so calm all the time make me nervous. 2) While I like moe, I do appreciate characters with. . .character. By all means give me a character I can like but give her a flaw or two as well. 3) Is moe the new lolicon topic? It's popping up all the time now. On correcting the Japanese: When the Japanese make an error, it's good to correct it. If no one corrected them, they might start to think their master plan to take over the earth with anime is working. Flake: Stays crunchy even in milk. Rant: I'd say something but then I'd only be providing the Ranter an opportunity to tell me how I have a persecution complex. So, rather than argue with someone who clearly has the pulse of all otakudom thanks to random manga girl, I'll just quietly do this  and leave the subject alone.
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Kaelis Ra
Posts: 18 |
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As a New Zealander, I must state for the record that the kiwi bird is made of win.
The rant was one of the better ones I've read. Still, it's not as though the phenomenon described is in any way limited to fans of animé or manga. Society is rife with the "victim" mentality, which is closely connected with the "passing the buck" pandemic. The people in Borders sitting in the aisles annoy me. Mostly because there is often a perfectly good armchair not two metres away. It annoys me more when they leave volumes on the floor when they're done and wander off. It annoys me yet more when they leave volumes too beat up for someone to consider purchasing. But then, I get annoyed pretty easily. Still, I've never seen the sitting in the aisles issue occur in any other section of the store aside from the manga one. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Come on now. Sure that sounds a bit over the top, but consider: It may take years to become a college professor, but it probly takes equally long to watch all of Naruto. 
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PhatPhil
Posts: 37 |
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I totally agree with you man but I don't think you quite get what I'm saying. 
What I'm saying is that a majority of these mainstream animes that are popular... Are getting an undeserved popularity, because all they're doing IS being mainstream, I.E. something everyone can get. While there ARE animes that do get credit where it's due, there are plenty out there that clearly were written as... Ya know, a PURE source of profit. And before someone charges in and says, "Well isn't everything done for profit?" I respond with, "How many of these do you think were actually done with the writers hearts, minds and overall ideas put into it?" or something like that. I feel if an anime has a heart, mind and soul that form into a good plot, that's what matters. But there are more series out there day after day that are all about eye candy without real material... Example (Yes, bring on the flames) Naruto. That anime just feels like it's solely in existence because almost EVERYONE can enjoy it whether or not it's ACTUALLY good. Another example I want to bring up is a TV show I am fearing for it's cancellation, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Because it doesn't appeal to the mainstream (I.E. it's not a CSI, crime drama, sitcom or the like, it's a show all its own) it's really risking being cancelled. When I see shows like Studio 60 being beaten out by some poorly written trash crime drama like CSI: Miami, it really saddens me to see that people will take anything their given, like how a dog eats generic dog food yet doesn't detest because he's too stupid to display discontent. Anyways, I'm half awake and therefore need to go to sleep before I say something very stupid that will make no sense and possible piss people off. Later. |
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la_contessa
Posts: 200 Location: Pennsylvania |
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RE: the Rant:
I hate to sound like a regular elitist in ADDITION to my anime elitism (hey, I'm getting better--I even watch Cartoon Network once in a while!), but I think a lot of the faulty reasoning ability by a number of otaku comes from a lack of education in things like economics and business. Like it or not, those things matter to every industry, anime or otherwise. I see at least two reasons for this: the young age of many fans and a lack of interest in econ. Seriously, I can't blame people for being bored by business classes--I go to an economics-based law school, and trust me, they ARE boring. However, if you go on spouting nonsense about how and why companies do things without understanding, you look kind of silly to those who are educated. This issue particularly irks me when it comes to fansubs, but I can see it in the author's Suncoast example, too--manga sells better in Borders, so Borders will invariably sell more of it. Imagine that, selling books in a book store! What a unique business model! Oh, wait . . . And I completely agree with this:
Except I would add that it IS my business if you read the manga for free, because less income for the companies means less manga for me to buy, and I would be quite upset if my manga were taken away. Last edited by la_contessa on Fri May 04, 2007 2:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Tortoiseshell Tabby Girl
Posts: 153 |
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 (Really, that emoticon says it all. I'm sure that Michiru, the sweet little blue bird in RahXephon, would cry too if she wasn't a fictional, animated bird.)
"Ah, RahXephon, cry for birds with music..." |
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Jedi General
Posts: 2485 Location: Tucson, AZ |
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Ab-so-lute-ly po-so-tive-ly. Don't these people realize that by essentially stealing from the folks who bring us all the wonderful manga they may cause manga to disappear from the US in the long run? Apparently not. Don't come crying to me when manga is gone when you did nothing (or very little) to help the industry. Plus, it's annoying how these people just get in the way. It get all kinds of annoyed looks from these folks when I try to be polite and say "excuse me." The unfriendly atmosphere makes me wanna get what I'm looking for fast and get the hell out of there. Edited to add:
While I don't particularly detest avian creatures, I will agree that the catgirl is much, much better than the kiwi. 
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