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Shelf Life - Fists of Fury

what I wrote in the review reflected my own personal opinions and values... Notably, I actually enjoyed Ikki-Tousen, which involved high school girls getting their clothes ripped off, because I feel the tone was different, even though that show also offends tons of people.

The Japanese industry is not only okay with marketing such titles to older otaku-- they are counting on it.

If Fox put out a Lisa Simpson body pillow of her stretched out in lingerie, blushing, the American public would flip their sh*t.

SakechanBD wrote:

The Japanese industry is not only okay with marketing such titles to older otaku-- they are counting on it.

This is where my bs meter sort of flicks. Every sector of entertainment panders to its audience. That's the producer's job, even altering the artist's work in order to broaden the market or increase chances of financial success. So criticizing this particular sector for doing that seems disingenuous. That's why I end up discussing cultural sensibilities, because I don't see pandering as a valid issue.

With a play, there is no chance of being transported into it, because you are watching live actors recount a tale on a stage in front of you. If one of them coughs, you are suddenly reminded that you are not part of the production.

FYI, Malaysia is not in the Middle East. ; )

Ralifar wrote:

I've got a request. I'm really not trying to by a smartass or anything like that, but could you guys(PJ, Zac, Blood, and anyone else that wants to talk about it) start your own thread if you want to continue discussing your interpersonal skills or lack-there-of?

And yet a smartass is what you are coming across as to me. This is a thread in the Talkback forum dedicated to discussing "Shelf Life - Fists of Fury." It's not like we've been debating boxers vs briefs here. Nonetheless, I certainly hope the villain who is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to read our posts eventually lets you go.

I simply said that the Japanese pandered to their older otaku audience... Because while all the characters are 14, the creators know that many of the viewers are much older.

And although you think that a viewer has no part in a creative work, I am arguing that viewers are definitely an integral part in any show or movie, and pandering is surely one of the signs.

Also, if you wanted to argue film theory...

pparker was just making a reference that the middle east reaction would be even worse than Malaysia's.

Yeah, you guys stopped discussing the article a while ago and are now working on whether or not your responses and behavior are appropriate. It's distracting from people who are trying to talk about the shows.

Well, I'm not in anything anymore. I was in the army for seven and a half years. I joined when I was 18. I was stationed at FT Hood, TX for four and a half years. I did two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. You want to know what the worst portion of my Military career was? Worse than any of my deployments. It was the year I spent recruiting out of Memorial City Mall in Houston. This was actually why I volunteered to go over to Afghanistan, so I wouldn't have to spend another year doing it.

The military has it's ups and downs. You probably didn't do wrong by yourself by joining. All those deployments did contribute to me being able to amass a large anime collection.

I've spent the past year and a half in Afghanistan just working as a civilian contractor. I'm going home next month though to let the Government pay for me to finish up my degree in computer science.

I don't care if you think you're in good physical shape or not. You have 2 months to get into better shape. I guarantee it'll make basic training much easier. That's probably the best advice I can give you. Not that you asked for it.

@Amelia (ReiClone88?) where did you get/come across that last picture (the one in the silver frame)? It is certainly something I wouldn't mind owning, that's for sure.

Can digital cameras even take B/W photos?

pparker wrote:

I realized later she was objecting to the catering to the "wrong" audience--it being inappropriate for older guys to enjoy watching 14 year old girls for purposes of titillation. My attention went onto the continued general criticism of anime for sexual content that offends the sensibilities of a non-Japanese audience. My sincere hope is that Japan completely ignores such external attempts at re-conditioning their artists and producers to pander to Western sensibilities instead of their own. I'm aware the general public in Japan doesn't support otaku-targeted works. But they also don't have the same cultural history of hang-ups on sex and nudity in their entertainment that are present particularly in the U.S. I happen to think that's healthy.

I'm not terribly concerned about whether or not titles like HiMM offend the delicate sensibilities of an American audience. I certainly don't have "conservative" values, and I never will. That being said, what I wrote in the review reflected my own personal opinions and values. Even in the context of a gag comedy, I don't think it's funny to force a middle school student to dress up in outfits, and then drool on her when her skirts rip. She could be 24, and I'd still be upset at the concept. (Notably, I actually enjoyed Ikki-Tousen, which involved high school girls getting their clothes ripped off, because I feel the tone was different, even though that show also offends tons of people.)

I certainly don't expect the Japanese anime industry to change their products to cater to the whims of American audiences, because the number of Americans who are buying HiMM is a mere fraction of the number of Japanese who are buying it. But also, there is simply a different cultural climate. The Japanese industry is not only okay with marketing such titles to older otaku-- they are counting on it. One simply has to look at the bevy of merchandise out there-- body pillows, moe dating sims, automatic masturbation machines that plug into your computer so you can use them while you're reading visual novels, etc. If Fox put out a Lisa Simpson body pillow of her stretched out in lingerie, blushing, the American public would flip their sh*t.

My point is, I care not what the Japanese or domestic viewers think. My extreme dislike for HiMM is entirely from my point of view. I find the show distasteful, and I know there are plenty of folks who disagree. And while age is indeed artificial in animation, that was a large source of my distaste. I am equally bothered by moe girls who are supposed to be 18 as I am bothered by buxom, mature girls who are supposed to be 14. However, upon reading the review, someone who enjoyed echhi, fanservice-laden comedies should be able to say, "Bamboo thought this was trash, but I bet I'll like it."

My sense of humor is a little dry, and that gets me in trouble sometimes. It's difficult to convey through text. My comment about tissues is about as serious as if I were to say, "If you don't like Cheetohs, then you hate America." I bet you $10 people would be offended by that, too, but in both cases, I'm just kidding.

The idea of young otaku buying skimpy or semi nude bedsheets depicting moe girls to me is taboo. But it's Japanese culture. In Japan sex is viewed 4th dimesionally. They see fictional animated characters whether young,old whatever engaging in sex as fictional, therefore benign. If a young teen buys these bedsheets and wants to jack off on them. That's acceptable to them.(Masturbation is a very common acceptable subject in thier culture and the Japanese have a very liberal view on it) Though there are many Japanese people that could care less about anime, they at least respect it.

DFBTG wrote:

@Amelia (ReiClone88?) where did you get/come across that last picture (the one in the silver frame)? It is certainly something I wouldn't mind owning, that's for sure.

I agree, that framed photographic artwork looks awesome. Homemade, maybe? I'm now inspired to try it with my own figure collection. Can digital cameras even take B/W photos?

Jedi Master wrote:

DFBTG wrote: @Amelia (ReiClone88?) where did you get/come across that last picture (the one in the silver frame)? It is certainly something I wouldn't mind owning, that's for sure. I agree, that framed photographic artwork looks awesome. Homemade, maybe? I'm now inspired to try it with my own figure collection. Can digital cameras even take B/W photos?

My Aunt's friend is a professional photographer, he's not an anime fan, but he finds anime figurines to be a fascinating art form and occasionally photographs them.
For my 17th birthday my Aunt ordered a high-resolution poster-size print from him. A few days later after she gave it to me during her visit, we took it to be framed at Michael's.


Here's a link to the original picture on his Flickr, but you'll need to be signed in due to the set it's in being labeled 18+:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceaserfineartphotography/2092348666/in/set-72157603391772986/