Forum - View topicTales Of The Industry - Oyaji-san Leaves A Gift
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Tenebrae
Posts: 486 |
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Wow.
Also, while the anonymous contributor will probably deny it all the way to their grave, I'm certain he or she asked someone fluent in japanese to translate the outburst, |
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Usagi-kun
 Posts: 877 Location: Nashville, TN |
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The censoring doesn't bother me one bit. Awesome column, and it is only getting better. It will keep getting better, as long as insiders know we can be hush.
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Ashen Phoenix
 Posts: 2910 |
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Jesus Christ, yes. This was such an unbelievable story. Tales of the Industry is my new most beloved column from ANN, though I'm a regular reader of basically everything. 
I would never want to be in that situation--the bathroom  , the interview scream-fest, and the thinly-veiled animosity throughout. Just yikes.
I commend anyone who worked or still works in the industry who's ever had to deal with crazies like Oyaji-san, foreign or domestic. Nobody deserves that. |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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We are playing it as safe as possible, even to the point where it might seem excessive to you. But these are the rules we've decided on. "Independent verification" via unsolicited input from someone who thinks they know the people in the story is just another potential means by which discussion of their identities could happen. Again, we are just playing it very, very, very safe on this. |
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1747 |
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Ok, thanks for clearing that up, Zac.
When Japanese guests come to the US, in all but a few cases, they are treated as rock stars. They can do whatever they want with very few exceptions, and in many cases, they do. They rule the roost and it is expected that a convention will abide by their wishes unless they're not concerned word will get back to Japan and turn away potential future guests. While this normally means a guest and its management can specify how long/many autograph sessions they'll have and the guest can go wherever they like during their down time, there are several guests who take full advantage of the "anything goes" policy. It is not unheard of for guests to show up completely wasted at their panel/autograph session or blowing it off altogether, nor it is unheard of for them to ask cosplayers and attendees if they're free that evening. So, if a guest turns to their handler and says "I'm going to sign for two hours", they're going to do exactly that. If a guest says "I'm going to draw for everyone", they do exactly that. Yes, it is difficult on their handlers, convention staff and anyone else that has to modify that guest's schedule to deal with this request, however, upsetting the guest is the first and foremost thing that conventions want to avoid. They don't want to risk the potential fallout from that person returning to Japan and talking about their 'poor treatment' could have on their con. This is especially true when it concerns big name guests. So, in response to your statement, it is very much ok for a guest to blow off their schedule. Short of a criminal action, they can do whatever they want. |
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MetalUpa1014
 Posts: 283 Location: USA |
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I'm assuming that even to the Japanese staff, this guy was a handful. I'd personally feel bad for everyone involved. I have to wonder that if he's such a nationalist why he would even come to an American convention in the first place.
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bemused Bohemian
Posts: 404 Location: central Mizzou (Moral Oralville) |
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Tales from an industry involving CAD, architectural animation:
I used to work for a large multi-national manufacturing firm that specialized in aluminum architectural curtainwall for high-rise office buildings and shopping malls. Our outfit specialized in converting all the long shot dreams of architects into absolutes using our product line for applications none was/were designed to withstand. This division of Alumax had so much global business the CAD operations consisted of 2 5-day shifts working continuously. Not long after my date of hire this outfit added two more 20-something drafters to our stable on night shift, one who(m) shared the same company telephone as myself. Bruce was a good choice: hard worker, industrious, possessed all the attributes a company looks for in a moldable dedicated employee but one, which I inherited much to my chagrin. Bruce was a handsome gentleman, newly minted married, with 1 child in the hopper, or so he thought when he said "I do". No doubt he must have marveled how this child took 14 months to arrive instead of the norm. Apparently, he had a great social life before committing; too bad his closure skills with the other bachlorettes went lacking. This was in an era before cell phones. A lot of this lore is now bygone happenstance back in the days of land line touch phones. Bruce married a daddy's lady who was well off financially. It became obvious after 2 weeks on the job she wanted him fired so he could stay home and entertain her 24/7 as her office calls were relentless. She knew no sense of boundary and quickly developed persona non grata status within our sphere of CAD station influence. I would lose count of the number of times our shared phone would light up by the second hour into our shift, always for husband, never an architectural dilemma. Over time it became such a nuisance our supervisor finally had to step in and offer our gorgeous newbie 2 choices re employment security or not. Her calls ceased. Yay!!! Unfortunately, his "in the running" girlfriend calls did not. Bruce was quite the rounder and must have sowed more than his share of wild oats money and time permitting before getting tricked into marriage. These calls got so frequent I wound up fielding them rather than listen to the subdued rings kill my concentration working on tasks at hand. My desk partner was always in my debt performing marriage CYA. I could almost do the fielding by rote. "Hello, is Bruce there?", chimed a cute Asian voice on the other end. In my mind SHE was the one he should have married. Yes, a little clingy sounding personality-wise but no where near the battle axe quality of the significant other at hand. I usually answered "No, he's in another meeting. I tell him you called." This little gal was a successful fashion model residing in NYC and apparently had honed certain skills amenable to getting what she wanted. Her pitiful calls soon became relentless. Since Bruce could not afford another issue with our supervisor about unscreened personal calls it quickly became apparent I would have to get either devious or quit if I wanted to finish any task at hand without constant interruptions. Ringggg! "Hello, is Bruce there?", she chimed for the umpteenth time. "OMG, didn't someone tell you......I hate to be the one to inform you about Bruce but I shall if you insist", I intoned in a somber voice. "What??" "Tell me!" she replied, voice lilting a full-note downward in anticipation of hearing news. "Bruce was involved in a traffic accident recently and is presently in the hospital recuperating. I'm not allowed to divulge any more info than this. He's likely going to be out for several days, in my opinion however." After the crying stopped she hung up. That cheap shot was almost worth the 3 weeks of solitude. There we were, blissfully keying in coordinates onscreen as CAD professionals without psycho-social interruption. I informed my workstation co-worker that he was now officially dead. Expect no more calls from New York. Of course there is no greater wrath than a woman scorned but that's a tale for another time. Factory clime......still do not miss it. Zac or Mod: if this story is too windy or wordy do feel free to delete it. |
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Greed1914
 Posts: 4427 |
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And I'd say this story shows just what that can get you: massive headaches for pretty much everyone involved with a lot of wasted time and effort. Whether or not these whims are indulged is one thing, but to say that they are entitled to such asinine behavior is ridiculous. Mutual respect is not too much to ask. Even the people that traveled with the guest were not amused by his behavior. Making concessions to otherwise polite and respectful guests is quite reasonable, but I'd say more than a few lines were crossed here. |
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Kyon27
 Posts: 95 Location: Lake Stevens, WA |
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This has quickly become my favorite column on ANN, and I find myself eagerly looking forward to every new post.
I only wish we could have seen a translation of what "Oyaji-san" was saying that caused the licensor's rep to scream at him. Would love to hear what the rep was screaming, too. |
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DmonHiro
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So wait, the Japanese guys weren't that fond of Oyaji-san either?
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MetalUpa1014
Posts: 283 Location: USA |
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I'd certainly be embarrassed if I was in Japan and an American friend of mine was making an ass out of himself, being extremely rude and stating how his culture was superior. I'd like to think that that sort of behavior isn't indicative of most people who travel. |
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7jaws7
 Posts: 704 Location: New York State |
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Oyaji-san is clearly a weeaboo
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4575 |
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Said people generally deserve a swift five-finger salute to the face. Lord knows I could never work in an industry like this, because I'm not sure I could refrain from doing as much to the likes of Oyaji-san. |
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Tempest_Wing
Posts: 305 |
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Maybe, just maybe, there should be a blacklist for guests who get too disruptive in a con, to ban them from all North American cons all together. It's obvious a guest of this caliber won't care in the end, but I think it's the most a con could do that is both possibly damaging for the guest in terms of reputation and not excessive like legal action. From what I've read so far, I think everybody would be happy in the end. Well, except the diehard fans of that guest.
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yaki-udon
Posts: 83 |
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As a Japanese who loves both Japan and America, I don't want to believe he is a 100 percent Japanese.
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