Otaku Dan: The Life of an Anime Fan

Censoring the Vampire

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:03:00 +0000

Ok, I know that this post is a little late to comment on this "issues". I waited for everyone who was going bat sh*t insane to clear their mind of fanboyism and to think with logic on this matter.

It was around Friday of last week I heard that FUNimation had licensed Dance in the Vampire Bund. The thing is that this anime will be released with minor edits. When people found out about this, the Internet exploded in rage. People ranted that FUNimation sucks and that they're Nazis because they were going to censor this anime. I ended up closing TweetDeck for the day due to that.

FUNimation is well known for licensing anime series that will interest casual anime fan and even catch the eyes of non-anime fans. By the way it looks like, FUNimation licensed Dance in the Vampire Bund with the intent on cashing in on the whole vampire craze that was started by Twilight. But, they know it has a lot of things that would make it controversial to the general public.

Imagine yourself as a parent who knows nothing about anime. You see this animated series with the word vampire in it. You think to yourself that vampires are the cool thing and that your child will appreciate you if you get them this. Trying to be the cool parent you are, you sit and watch this with your kid. Then out of nowhere, you see a man rubbing oil on the body of a little girl who is only wearing a black thong. You would be shock by this and tell the other parents about this. Then before you know it, you're suing FUNimation for over 25 million dollars because your child is "emotionally" damaged due to their product.

This is why FUNimation is doing those edits, it is to avoid sh*t like this. Yes, they should have not licensed this anime if they knew that it's controversial. But FUNimation wants to make money and I see nothing wrong with that.

The funny thing is, the people who ranted about FUNimation editing this anime were not going to buy it in the first place. So, what are your thoughts on this issue?

Ryomou Shimei

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:30:00 +0000

I recently purchased, Ryomou Shimei Blue Nurse version by Wani Book. There's a funny story on how I got this figure. I was on the phone and browsing my Amazon.com wish-list and I looked away for about a minute. When I turn my head, I see the confirmation page on Amazon. It seems that unconsciously, I wanted this figure and bought it. I decided to keep it because it was only $30 USD.

Pad Hacked Arcade Stick

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:38:00 +0000

Do you remember when I review the MayFlash arcade stick? I mentioned that it was not responsive with certain games. when I finished modding, the problem was not resolved. I later found out, it was defective from the start. I spent so much money and time on this arcade stick and I was mad. My only option was buy a new one and use its parts or do a pad hack. well, if you read the title, you can guess which one I picked.

I used an old PlayStation one controller because it is easy to work with.

Since I needed a new start and select buttons, I got two 18mm Sanwa buttons. I had to enlarge two of the original holes that was on the case.

I painted the outer rim white to match the case. looks nice.

Replaced the stocked wires for the joy stick. the ones it came with sucked.

Since I'm modding the PCB, I had to solder the wires on specific places so it can get a signal. Depending on the model of the controller you use, the PCB will differ. Slagcoin has a list of PCBs from different controller models showing were you would have to solder. Red are the buttons, green is D-pad, and black is the ground. I like the Kenyan color scheme.

Finished product.

If you have any questions or help, just ask.

Early March Figure Preorders

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:03:00 +0000

I'm glad that March is here because, new figures are up for preorder. As of now, not that many new figures are out but it is still worth checking out. Come on in.

Akiyama Mio FREEing version by FREEing. This figure will come out in July for the price of 6,314 Yen.

Gutto Kuru Figure Collection Leina by CM 's Corporation. This figure will come out in May for the price of 9,180 Yen.

Revoltech Nowa by Kaiyodo. This figure will come out in early April for the price of 2,347 Yen.

Amaha Masane -Cool White- version by Orchid Seed. This figure will come out in May for the price of 7,043 Yen.

Kosaka Tamaki -Panic- by Kotobukiya. this figure will come out in June for the price of 6,800 Yen.

None of these figure preorders peek my interest. If I had to choose a favorite among these, it would be the Mio figure by FREEing. I have a thing for maids, what can I say. So, what are you going to preorder?

Art Class Project

noreply@blogger.com (Kararu-chan) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:01:00 +0000

I'm majoring in graphic design and that means I have to take art classes. I'm in Drawing 1 currently. We don't do any anime, but I thought I'd share with you all a drawing I did in a manner of which I am not used to drawing in.

I had to draw the picture above using an eraser. The trick to drawing with an eraser is to of course, use it on paper that is covered in powdered graphite (drawing pencil lead).

So first off, in class, how we got the powdered graphite to cover the drawing paper is by rubbing it into the paper with a paper towel. It was messy and fun. -smiles-

Needless to say, I can't wear any good clothes while in class.

Now, I couldn't just draw that picture though. I had to add something to it so it would be interesting. So, I got artistic and did some abstracting around the glasses that are not in the center of the page.

When putting something right in the center of the page, it is actually very boring and just... Well, can't have it right in the center of the page.

This was the first time I did a drawing like this and I'm very proud of it.

The finished product:

Also, I now have my own blog that is about all art, including anime and manga.

It's a wordpress blog and I just started it last week. I should be having a new post up on Wednesday, hopefully. *~Kararu-Chan's World of Art~*

Sincerely,

Kararu-chan

Figma Yuki Nagato

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 06:39:00 +0000

It was about time that I get Figma Yuki Nagato. For some reason, I would put off getting her and ended up buying other figures. It took me about two years to get this figure and I finally have her. I know that there are ton of Figma Yuki Nagato figure photo shoots in the net. But I decided to do an all black and white photo of her to spice it up a bit.

I know that it's a small photo shoot, but this has inspired me to do more black and white photography.

Miku Hatsune, The Music

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:46:00 +0000

I will tell you the truth, I have not been a big fan of Miku Hatsune songs. I was attracted to her mainly because of her look and I really never paid attention to the music. In the last month, I forced myself to sit down and listen to songs that have been created. It's really good.

The thing that I like about these songs, their created by different people. There are fans all over the world who are creating original songs with the Vocaloid program. Each song is unique from any other and I like that. These are a few Miku Hatsune songs that I recommend for you to check out. If you do listen to Miku Hatsune songs, what are your personal favorites?

I'm Back

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:05:00 +0000

Well, I'm back from my small break from blogging. I needed this break because my mind and body was asking for it. .

The reason why I took this break, I felt the symptoms of burning out settling in again. However this time, it was not because I was tired from blogging, it was more like I was too physically exhausted to do a thing. I have been pushing myself too hard when it comes to college. I will be honest, there have been times that I've focused so much on studying that I forget to eat or sleep.

I recently went 3 and half days straight with minimal sleep(about 4 - 5 hours ) studying for a test and getting ready for a speech. Now that I have overcome those obstacles, I'm getting back in to the flow but first, I'm going to sleep for 16 hours and catch up with about 3 weeks of anime that I have missed. I do have a figure photo shoot coming up and License This is making its comeback. Since this post is a little short, why don't you check out a few of my personal favorite posts:

Why Do We Blog?
Interview: Patrick W. Galbraith
Your Parents and Anime
How to Act at an Anime Con

Beast Master

noreply@blogger.com (Shadowsofsilver) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:14:00 +0000

Hajimemashite, it's Silver-chan! Time to be reviewing, Beast Master. (Disclaimer: These are my views, which Otaku Dan may or may not share. But he should!)

Beast Master Vol 1 & 2

This manga’s main story is about a normal if overzealous animal-loving girl, Yuiko Kubozuka and a not so normal looking boy, Leo Aoi. Leo Aoi looks scary with his wild eyes and glare. So no one at his new high school will go near him! There are even all sorts of rumors that he beat a bunch of thugs almost to death! Or that he lived in a dangerous place like L.A.! But Yuiko isn’t so sure he’s that dangerous. She has seen Leo’s special connection with animals. But he does have a few secrets. When ever Leo sees blood he goes berserk. Will Yuiko be able to help him during these violent moments? Or will Leo's ferocious side turn on her?

Now I rate these volumes of manga a 4 out of 5. The main story was rather good in both volumes. The art is lovely, even when showing some strange emotions, but then it was funny. All questions you have are answered, which is always nice.

I didn't like the bonus story in the first vol. I give it a 2. Even the mangaka says she wrote it some time ago. It would have been better to have an extra chapter for the main story. Now the bonus story in vol. 2 was better. I give it a 4. It was amusing, though now I know more about cactus than I think I need to.

All in all, I think both volumes are well worth what I paid for them. I will read them again and maybe let my friends borrow them. Nah, they can buy them. You should always support the mangaka. Also, I think I will see about other manga that she has written. She has a nice style, flows and they were funny.

Well, this is what I think and feel, and it's up to you if you want to read it. Ja ne'

MayFlash Arcade Stick Mod

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:40:00 +0000

Well, I modded the Mayflash Arcade stick that I reviewed the other day. It was a lengthy process but it was fun. This is pretty much some of the things I did.

Before I started anything, I covered the lid with electrical tape. This is for just in case if a wire becomes loose during gameplay, it won't short circuit the PCB.

What I'm placing is the big PCB for the buttons.

I'm painting the case, joystick, and dust cover. I first sand it down, so the primer can stick to it. Since I'm going to be using the arcade stick a lot, I use a special paint that is meant for cars. 2 coats of paint should be enough but I used the entire can.

came out nice.

I used a desoldering braid to remove the solder from the PCB.

I solder the new wires and used quick disconnects for the buttons. For the buttons, I had to make the holes bigger by 2 millimeters.

A wiring diagram for the buttons. Thank you, MS paint.

Final product

Special thanks to K1TSCHY. He has great a tutorials for on how to mod the mayflash arcade stick and he even made the template for my stick. I used Sanwa OBSF-30 buttons. As for the Joystick, I did not replace it because there is a wide range of choices. And I really did not know which one to pick.

Mid February Figure Preorders

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:03:00 +0000

I find it awesome that more figure preorders are out. These new figures are pretty nice and several of them are a must get. Come on in and check them out.

Senhime by Alter. This figure will come out in June for the price of 6630 Yen.

Erica Hartmann by Kotobukiya. This figure will come out in May for the price of 5,780 Yen.

Sanya V. Litvyak by Alter. This figure will come out in June for t the price of 6,630 Yen.

Konata Izumi Beach Queen Version by Wave. This figure will come out in late August for the price of 3,230 Yen.

Kagami Hiiragi Beach Queen Version by Wave. This figure will come out in late August for the price of 3,230 Yen.

Azusa Nakano by Alter. This figure will come out in June for the price of 5,440 Yen

Asakura Nemu by Circus. This figure will come out in May for the price of 7.480 Yen.

Nendoroid Azusa Nakano *Second Shipment* by Good Smile Company. This figure will come out in June for the price of 2,833 Yen.

Tomoe by Griffon Enterprises. This figure will come out in mid April for the price of 5,440 Yen.

Figma Rider by Max Factory. This figure will becoming out in May for the price of 2,429 Yen.

I'm will be getting both Konata and Kagami. They look so cute together. I may also get Figma Rider but at the moment, I'm not sure. So, what are you going to preorder?

MayFlash Arcade Stick Review

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:03:00 +0000

I recently acquired the MayFlash arcade fighting stick. I have been needing to get a new one for about several years. This arcade stick is meant for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PC. It is also compatible with the GameCube, Wii and Xbox 360 if you buy the special adapters. The cool thing is that I got it for $30 USD. This arcade stick sounds like it came for the heavens but its too good to be true.

I will admit, that I like the design and button layout of this stick. But that's were my love for this stick ends. The actual buttons that original come with the stick sucks. At times, they are not responsive and to get any form of response from it, I would have to press hard. I hurt my index finger due to this abomination. Also, for some strange reason the joystick would not respond with some of my games.

This thing looks so dull

In overall, this arcade stick is the worst of its kind. And I'm glad that it is because I am going to be modding it. I will be replacing the original buttons and give it a new paint job. As for the joystick, I will leave it be because I like the feel of it. I may do a pad hack as well but I'm not sure if i should do it.

Visual Novel Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (marmar04) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:57:00 +0000

Top 5 Visual Novels for Beginners

#1 One: to the Radiant Season (AKA One: Kagayaku Kisetsue)
I recommend this as a first because it's a classic. It's a pre Key visual novel made by many of the people who would go on to form Key. Many of you unfamiliar with eroge and vn's are fans of the anime Kanon, Air, and Clannad. All of these anime were based on vn's made by Key.

#2 Kana Little Sister (Aka Kana Imouto)
This was the first vn I played and I found it very hard to stay dry eyed towards the end. This one is licensed and available from J-List or what ever online anime retailer you prefer.

#3 Snow Sakura (AKA Yuki Sakura)
Cute, soft, and simple harem eroge. Won't amaze you with a stellar story or bring you to tears, but it's entertaining all the way through with cute character designs and decent ero scenes. Also available from J-List and other retailers. Saki-chan = love

#4 Shuffle.
love the op Simple, brain dead simple... But of course has the famous anime based on it. Cute character designs and art from the famous artists Hiro Suzuhira and Aoi Nishimata. First VN I was able to collect all the CG from without a game guide. Available for download from Manga Gamer. Tho honestly... the way they translated the h-scenes suck.

#5 Da Capo
Another one that has a popular anime based on it. Available from Manga Gamer... tho once again they messed up the ero scenes. (Referring to women's genitalia as a love tunnel? Are you serious guys?) Other than that everything is fine.

Top 3 recommendations for people who already read Visual Novels.

#1 Tsukihime.
Pretty long. In fact I've yet to finish one story route and then another hidden one. H Scenes aren't the greatest but believe me, the story in this VN is outstanding.

#2 A Drug that Makes You Dream (Yume Miru Kusuru)
Slightly dark with beautiful artwork and character designs by Kiyotaka Haimura, known for Toaru Majutsu no Index. Available at J-List too.

#3 Wanko to Kurasou
Perverted and filled with delicious high quality ero scenes. Mikan = love

Top 2 non-ero Visual Novel recommendations

#1 Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume.
Guaranteed to make you cry. You have to be completely heartless to stay dry eyed through this one. Quick read and there's no choices in this visual novel. Story by Key and art by C02A. A must read for anyone.

#2 Clannad.
Has the extremely popular anime based on it. But believe me, the visual novel is much better. Tomoyo = love

And for the heck of it here's a couple visual novel ops I like. Bittersweet Fools, Little Busters, Kanon, Figu@Mate, Moonlight Cradle, and Tomoyo After.

Valentine's Day Gallery

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 05:05:00 +0000

Today is Valentine's day and I decided to post a gallery featuring cute anime girls giving chocolate. I hope you enjoy this gallery.

Woot Loot!

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:15:00 +0000

It has been a while since my last loot post. The reason behind that, college books are really expensive. Let me just say, with what a spent on books I could have bought a Playstation 3, two games, and a skin for the PS3 from GelaSkins. My budget was really tight for the last month and half. But now, I can breath again. Lets see what I got this month.

I bought Saint Seiya volume 28 and FullMetal Alchemist OVA. I won Pumpkin Scissor complete collection.

Not in picture because I was too lazy to take a new picture:
Old Boy volume 6, 7, and 8
DS lite charger stand
Mayflash arcade fighting stick
Figma Yuki
Genskiken 2 volume 3
A present for a very special lady of mine. I'm mentioning this because it's torture for her that she has to wait. I'm bad, really bad.

2010 Spring Anime Season V1

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:01:00 +0000

A big batch of new series have been announced for the spring 2010 anime season. Most of the new stuff looks interesting, but there is one obvious series I'm waiting for. The chart below is originally from Chart F*gs.

What I will watch:
K-ON! season 2
I really enjoyed the first season and OVA. And I still want some more K-ON!

Kiss x Sis
The manga is a guilty pleasure for me and the OVA was decent.

Ikki Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor
I have seen the previous 3 series, might as well watch this too.

Gundam Unicorn
I'm a hardcore Gundam, what can I say?

What I may watch:
Black Rock Shooter
Iron Man
Angel Beat
Mayoi Neko Overun!
Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan

The up coming spring season has some interesting series. I know that this chart is subject to change, but I hope that none of these series are rescheduled for another season. So, what are you planning to watch during the spring anime season?

New Writer: ShadowsOfSilver

noreply@blogger.com (Shadowsofsilver) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Hajimeashite!, I’m Shadowsofsilver, you can called me Silver-chan. I will be reviewing manga for OtakuDan, all types. Yep, that includes everything from echii to yaoi. I read everything, even though the naughty stuff makes me blush.

A little about me?
I’m a college student working hard for that degree. I’m a anime watching‘, manga reading’, cosplay lovin’ girl. I have been watching anime for several years now. My sizes are…I probably shouldn’t put that here.

Fav Anime.
Tenpou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi, Black Blood Brothers, Rosario + Vampire, Junjou Romantica, Shonen Onmyouji, Ghost Hunt, Natsume Yujin-Cho, Mushi-Shi, Devil May Cry, to name a few.

Some of the manga I love and own.
Kekkishi, XXXHolic, Bleach, Princess Princess, Ouran High School Host Club, Fruits Basket, Pet Shop Of Horrors, Junjou Romantica, Trinity Blood and Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge.

My anime planet profile has a lot more, though I’m still not finished updating it. Bad me!. I am also on OtakuDan’s IRC chat run by marmar04 from time to time. Come and chat with us! I don’t bite…hard.

Interview: Patrick W. Galbraith

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:01:00 +0000

I recently interviewed the writer of the Otaku Encyclopedia, Patrick W. Galbraith. His perspective on the otaku culture is very insightful and interesting.

What was the first anime you saw and what was your initial reaction to it?

The first anime I ever saw was Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It was destiny, fate, love at first sight. With Nausicaä. Seriously, the girl ruined me for real women, and I was only in grade school. I’m from Alaska, and there isn’t much to do there except for drink liberally, engage in sporting activity or stay at home. I was too young to drink and too meek for sports, so I ended up spending a lot of time at home. My older brother was learning Japanese and was into anime, so we watched VHS tapes of whatever he could find. Being in Japanese and with often sketchy subtitles, it was way beyond my ability to comprehend. So I did what any young lad would – I looked at the pretty pictures of beautiful girls. I guess maybe I still have a tendency to do that! I was 12 when my family moved to Montana, and had trouble adjusting to the new environment and retreated into my room and my anime. My passion for it accelerated until a point when there was no stopping or going back. When I started tattooing my two-dimensional wives onto my body, I knew my life was over. I think I was still stuck on Sailor Moon and had just watched Neon Genesis Evangelion, which introduced me to Asuka, who I love dearly to this day. I was reborn as something else, as an “otaku.” This love, or perhaps lust, for anime brought me to Japan. I wanted to learn everything I could about the country, people and pop-culture that had such a huge impact on my life.

How did you permanently move to Japan?

I studied here from 2004 to 2005, and moved to Tokyo permanently in 2006. I was really very fortunate to be affiliated with a good school and receive academic scholarships, which really facilitated my getting started building a new life. I threw myself into studies and otaku hobbies, which increasingly began to overlap. I spent a lot of time in Akihabara. I felt I found myself there among the stacks of manga and toys, reflected on the screens playing sample anime and demos from dating simulator games, shoulder to shoulder with other young men who for whatever reason went down the same path as myself. I took notes on every store I went to, from every person I talked to, just trying to soak it all in. But I was soon to learn that Akihabara was a place in transition. In his book Learning From Akihabara, Morikawa Kaichiro, a professor at Meiji University, explains that it was only in the 1990s that Akihabara became the sanctuary of otaku, a place supposedly without power where subculture had a chance to emerge and blossom. The private room is opened into public space, if you will. However, otaku soon started to appear in this discourse of “cool Japan.” Politicians talked about how Japanese pop-culture was going to take over the world, spurred by otaku creativity. Large tract development appeared in Akihabara, and the area was promoted as a hotspot for tourists. The media came out in force, seeking out extreme otaku for prime-time TV programs. This caused something of a backlash however, with some Japanese objecting to the public display of subcultures that clashed with traditional values and sensibilities. The chaos and friction was incredible, with the image of otaku bifurcated into a schizophrenic good/bad construct – the tension was palpable on the streets of Akihabara. And even as all eyes turned to Akihabara, I became aware that this was just one area for and face of otaku, and our image of otaku was becoming skewed, or manipulated in many ways. Sure, maybe I am a moe otaku who hangs out in Akihabara maid cafes and plays bishojo games, but that doesn’t mean most people are. Together with Adrian Lozano, I founded the first regular, English-language tour of Akihabara in 2007 as a way to introduce people to the changing Akihabara cityscape, and give them some perspective on how the otaku culture was changing. I wanted to place Akihabara and the new otaku boom into social, political and economic context, and explore how they fit into the wider otaku scene historically and contemporarily.

So what is it like living in Japan?

I absolutely love it! I add to that a small caveat, because I really don’t live in Japan. I have always lived in Tokyo, which is a totally different place. It reminds me a bit of Rahxephon, you know, where Tokyo is this planet unto itself. In this little bubble where I live, I can watch late-night anime in real time, go to theatrical openings and idol concerts, hang out in maid cafes, attend events and meet new and interesting people everyday. It is so easy to meet people into the same things, get access to events and information, talk with journalists and scholars working on topics similar to own. My hobbies, research and work all converge in the otaku hobbies, and I can be close to them in Tokyo. I intend to continue writing and perhaps take up teaching, though the number of academic posts is down even as the candidates are up the world over. I guess I will take my chances and see how it goes. The city provides me with unique opportunities that I want to follow through on to the full extent of my abilities. It is also a place where I can learn and grow, to expand on that potential. I was born in Alaska and grew up in the mountains of Montana. I never had a credit card, used a train or taxi or stayed out all night before coming to Tokyo. The absolute reversal of everything I knew has made this a place that even now never ceases to amaze me. I have fallen for Tokyo, the same way I fell for Nausicaä – that one love that ruins you for life. I honestly don’t think I could ever go back to where I was before. There isn’t anything waiting back there, so I chose to continue this journey of discovery.

What was your inspiration to make The Otaku Encyclopedia and how long did it take you to write the entire book?

It took about five years to put the book together, or about four years of data collection and one to edit it. The whole thing was occurring in tandem to my ethnographic fieldwork among otaku, which began in 2004. When I got to Japan, every single time I talked to someone I’d encounter all these words and concepts that I was only vaguely familiar with, so I asked them to explain. I collected hundreds of pages of interviews and notes that were edited down and organized into the current book. There is so much more that could have gone in, but the publisher, Kodansha International, wanted to keep it a small size and affordable price. In a way I am happy about this, because it makes the information accessible to a wider audience with perhaps only casual exposure to the culture. On the other hand, I would love to collaborate with a group of otaku writers inside and outside Japan and publish an expanded addition, or perhaps a series with volumes focusing deeply on certain topics. Anyway, the process of putting the book together was a long one because there was so much information out there to synthesize, and so many stereotypes to confront and work through. Coming at this as a fan and student of Japanese popular culture from outside Japan, I was very concerned with how the media portrays otaku and their activities, both in the sense of media images generated in Japan and those conventional understandings disseminated among fans outside Japan. The media image is especially important in the case of otaku, because the mass media played, and still plays the most important role in setting the parameters for discussion. And the mass media tends to construct easily recognizable stereotypes. Often the definitions are presumed in advance and never questioned openly, as if we all implicitly understood. This tends to make definitions appear self-evident, while reinforcing received stereotypes. My job was to interrogate constructed images. I hope to bridge generational and geographic gaps – otaku inside and outside Japan, of different groups and generations, male and female – in the ongoing discussion of otaku.

What is you honest opinion on the word “otaku”?

It is what you make it. Honestly, it means nothing. Absolutely nothing. Otaku-like behavior is being super deep and narrow in your interest, which is intense and long in duration. You can be that way about anything and still not identify as an otaku. Conversely, you can identify as an otaku even if you are only casually interested in anime and manga. The word is arbitrary. In fact, it was created and applied by others as a pejorative for people they didn’t like. Nakamori Akio famously slammed “otaku” in his 1983 article, but actually he just personally found dojinshi fans to be gross, right? He used the word “otaku” to mean “those weirdoes,” the implication being “those weirdoes who are different from me.” Indeed, Nakamori saw himself as a representative of the “new breed,” or shinjinrui, and insisted that this generation of creative, individualistic youth was different from otaku. Only in his mind, I say. Likewise, as information-consumer society reached new heights of excess in the 1980s, there was a general anxiety about the direction of Japan’s young people. And then, in 1989, a young sociopath named Miyazaki Tsutomu murder and cannibalized four little girls. The media, just like Nakamori, used the word “otaku” to describe people that they didn’t like, but this time the entire generation of young people deeply involved in new media and technology. Sharon Kinsella suggests that otaku became scapegoats for all that was wrong with Japan, and a lot of wrong during the recessionary 1990s. Again, the word otaku and its application are arbitrary. Miyazaki was certainly a member of the VCR generation, and seemed to have an intimate relationship with media and technology. He even visited Comiket. So he seems to have been an example of otaku. But he himself didn’t even know this word. Further, even if he was an otaku, does that mean that all otaku are socially inept, sexually suspect and potentially dangerous? I think not. Those crimes committed by “otaku,” or those identified by the media as “otaku,” are numerically small. And who is to say that these so-called otaku are representative of anyone else? If a doctor commits a crime, then are all doctors by virtue of being “doctors” evil? Is there some essentially bad about doctors? This is an irrational line of inquiry, even more so if we did not know who exactly we were talking about when using “doctor” in the broadest possible sense. Such is the case with media criticism of otaku. The same is true for the positive otaku image emerging in the 2000s. Is the protagonist of the TV drama Densha Otoko representative of all otaku? He hangs in a maid café in Akihabara, so the answer is no. He says the word “moe” out loud in response to exciting things, which was not common until this show. Moe was online slang, funny because it is a written pun, surely used by the guys on 2channel in the 1990s, but not spoken aloud. So, we see that Densha is in fact another constructed image. The bifurcation of the image into Miyazaki-Densha, demonstrates just how bipolar and schizophrenic the “otaku” image is. This is because it does not have, and never has had any basis in reality. There is so much tension in the word otaku. You can see this when you write it. Otaku can refer to a subculture in the 1980s (おたく), fans of Japanese popular culture overseas (OTAKU), an international, popular or cool fan culture (オタク) or people interested in newer anime, manga and games, usually with cute girls (ヲタク). You can be “otaku style” (otaku-kei), or identify with a particular place (Akiba-kei), or a specific hobby group (Gun-ota, Mo-ota, ani-ota). Even as “otaku” becomes a more popular category in Japan, some people in the States are abandoning the word in favor of “anime fan.” I personal choose to identify broadly as a wotaku, and specifically I am Akiba-kei and moe-kei. But, most normal people don’t care about the internal politics of the word, and they call me otaku, or I say it to them because it is the most expedient way to explain that I am really into anime. I think we need to be aware of who is using the word, in what context and how, and then react accordingly.

What is your current opinion on “the moe bubble trend” and when will the bubble burst?

Moe is being unfairly blamed for everything that is going wrong in the anime industry today. Let’s face it – the anime industry on the whole is suffering, perhaps even dying a painful, prolonged death. This is completely structural in nature. Consider the production committee system, which benefits sponsors instead of production houses. They invest money into a work, and receive a portion of the profits. This is often called “Tezuka’s Curse” because that great creator sold his works for so much less than they were worth, a precedent that keeps animators in a constant state economic crisis. A fourth of animators now work below the poverty line. In Tezuka’s defense, he did manage to position anime as a major force in mass media, and many great animators followed him. However, as the economy gets worse, it is increasingly less appealing for young people to become animators. They can’t expect much money, and the sponsors and broadcasters have them in a corner, only supporting those works that have a mass-market appeal and commercial potential. We all know that anime films got so huge and excessive in the 1980s with Aklira, Totoro and Honneamise that the industry collapsed. Something similar happened with OVAs. Then, the TV anime bubble occurred after Evangelion. I submit to you that the reason why another Evangelion does not appear is not because it is no longer possible due to lack of creativity, but because the market structure resists it. First, after the bubble burst, anime production was farmed out to South Korea and China because this is where cheap labor could be found. As a result, young creators are appearing there instead of Japan. Further, anime series started to be blue chip properties run in prime time or niche shows run after midnight for otaku. In the former case, creativity is limited due to the broadcast laws and sponsors, and the latter due to limited funding and the need to pander to viewers. So, young creators in Japan are moving towards dojinshi and bishojo games because the barriers for entry are lower and they have more creative control. Second, after Evangelion, the digital distribution of series gradually became easier, which cut into already minimal profits for studios. They tried to supplement with media mix and merchandise tie-ins. Hey, Evangelion did the same thing. Its characters are cash cows. Before that, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross did it. But with more studios doing it and fans increasingly able to get it for free or even make their own stuff, the market is killer. They have to pander to smaller audiences with more niche and appealing characters that can appear in multiple media outlets. This tends to limit their mass market and export potential, and encourage the inclusion of certain popular characters and scenarios. That said, Urusei Yatsura did the same thing, right? Let’s not delude ourselves and say sex came into anime with moe. Fans didn’t suddenly become interested in cute girls in anime, just as girls didn’t suddenly become interested in homosexual relationships. This is the culmination of something that has been running deep in this media fantasy for a long time. Okada Toshio says that otaku are dead, or that they only look at beautiful girls. He says that his generation dissected anime and paid careful attention to all the details, creating a system of knowledge production around anime. This is the “advanced visual sense” that defines otaku, a new way of viewing and interacting with media. OK, aren’t fans today dissecting images of cute girls and paying all sorts of attention to the details of their production? If older otaku view anime as an exploded image, then younger ones view characters as an exploded image. Just because their focus has changed does not necessarily mean that they are less intense about their hobbies for a shorter duration of time. They are still very narrow and deep in their interest. If there is trend towards shallow consumption going on, it has to do with the massive amount of media and material young otaku have to consume, which makes it harder to go deep on every single element of “otaku culture,” as Okada seems to imply an otaku must do. And let’s not overlook the fact that behind those stock moe characters, many young anime creators today are coming out with some great stuff. If they can sell it with the characters, if they can establish that economic crutch, then they have a great deal of room to experiment with elements of story and style. I mean, seriously, is there anything more epic than “the endless eight” in Haruhi? They are playing with viewer perception. When the second season came on, and it’s all out of chronological order, you keep thinking to yourself, “Haven’t I seen this before?” You have, both in this series itself an in elements of other series. It is interrogating the mechanism of anime production today, and of time itself. When the endless eight begins and the same scenes are repeated week after week, the viewer demands to skip this and see more of the good parts. But no, it is repeated over and over, giving a true feeling of helplessness. Like it or not, this was an innovative move that got a response from viewers, got them up out of their seats talking about, and promoting, the show. Are we going to argue that Creamy Mami or Mazinger Z are somehow better stories than Clannad and Higurashi? They are older, yes, but no more redeemable than the anime made today. They had a more captive, less savvy TV audience to support them. We are blinded by nostalgia. Moe is a response fans can have for an extremely wide range of characters, so when we talk about “moe anime” we are talking about a huge body of collected work, some of it bad, but not all of it. We shouldn’t condemn all of it because of a few bad series. How about Gundam, this seminal real robot franchise – is Mobile Fighter G Gundam the pinnacle of storytelling and character development? So should we toss out Gundam because it tried to mix Dragon Ball with mobile suits? And about this supposed lack of new creative talents – not everyone can be Miyazaki Hayao or Oshii Mamoru, and criticizing them for that while worshipping a handful of aging auteurs isn’t going to improve the situation. There is a criticism of “nothing new” in moe anime. OK, so was Evangelion “new?” It had its own critics back in the 1990s for remixing elements of other stories into it. That does not make it any less of a show. So, my position on the moe bubble is this – we need to stop blaming moe for a general downward trend, start looking past the character designs to find redeemable qualities and support creators who are in fact trying to do good work despite bad conditions. Moe does not constitute this radial rupture in anime, where suddenly we have sexy characters, remixed stories and lots of character merchandise. I don’t see the point of adopting this elitist stance to anime of the past and tearing down what we have today. Is the solution to character-driven anime to wish the entire industry dead? It’s well on its way, guys. Support the anime industry as it is, or help change it for the better by supporting compromise series like Zetsubo Sensei, Higurashi and Haruhi, but don’t just make irresponsible criticisms.

What do you see will be the next big trend in anime?

I think the next step is super-limited animation. As Thomas LaMarre suggests, there will be fewer action-images and more time-images. This means anime will become more about thoughts and emotions. Viewers will look at these still images draw out suggested meanings, empathizing with the image and having an affective response to it. There will be more interest paid to style and presentation of visual data, as we see in Bakemonogatari and Moryo no Hako. There will also be more anime that attempt to convey a feeling or mood rather than a narrative of change and progress. Lucky Star and K-On! are good examples of this, giving a feeling of peace, comfort and nostalgia to the viewer. Nothing happens, yes, but you feel something when you watch. This also means that consumers do not have to see it all to sense the appeal and support it, a very good trait to encourage casual viewing in a media-saturated society. Along with this, character designs will become more important. The suggested depth a character will draw in fans. This is a likely development because if the focus is on characters, then media mix and merchandising is possible, and fans can get drawn in at various points in the unfolding series of the character. That is, they won’t have to consume the character in an assumed chronological order or canonical series. Consider Hatsune Miku, Toho and Hetaria, which are character based, open to fan-participation and spread virally. People can get into this even if they have never used the synthesizer program, played the games or read the web comic. Things will get easier to access and participate in, even to the point of active rearticulation, like “open-source” anime. The character draws them in, and how deep they go from there depends on their level of interest, expertise and time and monetary constraints. In a way, all these possible developments in anime are telegraphed by bishojo games.

What else would you like to promote?

I hope you check out The Otaku Encyclopedia and Otaku2.com. I have also just released an audio tour, Tokyo Realtime: Akihabara. In summer 2010, I will be teaching a course on Manga Culture at Temple University, Japan Campus. Roland Kelts will be teaching the anime course. Application is open to anyone. Maybe we can get a real “otaku university” thing going here!

New Writer: Marmar04

noreply@blogger.com (marmar04) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Hello, I go by the nick of marmar04 and I guess I'll be making posts once in a blue moon. I'll be reviewing eroge and whatever else Dan throws my way. I'm also the owner of the official Otaku Dan IRC channel... Why isn't Dan the owner? Because he knows even less than I do about IRC.

About me?

I'm a 22 yr old lolicon that's been watching anime on and off since middle school. Started to really get back into it when I was 19 and haven't stopped since. Favorite artists are: Akira Kasukabe (love his shota stuff), Humikane Shimada, Na-Ga, and Konoe Ototsugu. My top anime are: Martian Successor Nadesico, Strike Witches, Full Metal Panic, Tsukiyomi Moon Phase, Gunbuster, and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

I also have a blog of my own, that I never seem to update anymore... And my anime-planet.com profile if you wanna look at the anime I've seen.

Back to the IRC thing. Many of you in the anime world already know of Internet Relay Chat. Whether it's to just chat or download all the latest anime from your favorite fansub group the IRC is a wonderful place. The honorable Otaku Dan has given his blessing for me to create an official IRC channel for his blog. Come idle and wait for random conversations to pop up here and there, or talk about what ever crap Otaku Dan is spewing on his blog. Who knows! Maybe the honorable Dan will grace us with his presence once in a while!
links:
Click Here for those of you who have no clue what IRC is.
How to register a nickname
More tutorials

Otaku Dan Giveaway

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:05:00 +0000

Well, I'm having a giveaway. This giveaway is sponsored by J-List. Since J-list is sponsoring this, I got the idea of a scavenger hunt that include them.

There are 9 items that you have to find, they're all scatted in J-list. When you find think you found all 9 items, just email me your answers. Whoever is the first with the most correct answers, wins. First place wins, iTunes music card and the second place wins, Tsudere Tribute T-shirt.

Below are the 9 riddles that you need to figure out:

It has two hollow arms plus a hollow front and back, but two legs it does lack. It has some stripes and Some visual teeth and claws. Plus three colors: Black, white, and orange.
Horizontal white and blue, with curvy hugs For rounded bottoms.
Games are fun with Idols to play with Who are Masterful with the stars.
Purple and round, with powerful sound.
Hangs on a chain and is pretty long, despite being small With a sharp point.
If you don’t know what to get them, this is the perfect solution, for the person who has everything.
It brings luck with its kitty cuteness.
Her hair is monstrous and her boots kick ass with sexy arsenal on her person.
Yet another with hollow arms and hollow insides, with black on white and a cute diva.

You have until February 8th, 12:00 AM eastern time to submit your answers. Good luck.

EDIT: a third place prize has been added, a bag Kit Kat maple flavor.

Survived 2 Years of Blogging

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:01:00 +0000

WOW, 2 years of blogging. As I look back, I cannot believe that I have lasted this long. When I started, I thought I would have just quit after 2 months. However, There's was something that had me coming back. I could proudly say that blogging is special to me.

I want to thank everyone who has supported my blog. I am grateful for those who visit and comment here. When I started, I really did not think that my blog would grow like this. I have met a lot of great people because of this blog. I want to also thank the haters. Because of you, you just keep fueling the flame of passion that I have for blogging.

Thank You

One more thing, later this week, I will be announcing a special giveaway.

Early February Figure Preorders

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:12:00 +0000

New month means new figure preorders. There is a lot of nice new figure preorders for new figures that will be coming out in the upcoming months. Let me just say, these figures are hot.

Actsta: Teana Lanster by Good Smile Company. This figure will come out in June for the price of 8,867 Yen.

Kagamine Rin -Nuclear Fusion- version by Max Factory. This figure will come out in August for the price of 8,867 Yen.

Ilfa by Alter. This figure will come out in June for the price of 6,460 Yen.

Figma Kotobuki Tsumugi by Max Factory. This figure will come out in April for the price of 2,533 Yen.

Figma Akiyama Mio by Max Factory. This figure will come out in February for the price of 2,533 Yen.

Tokiha Mai by Wave. This figure will come out in late June for the price of 3,610 Yen.

Himeji Mizuki by Wave. This figure will come out in late June for the price of 3,610 Yen.

Tosaka Rin by Wave. This figure will come out in late July for the price of 3,610 Yen.

Teana Lanster by Wave. This figure will come out in late July for the price of 3,610 Yen.

Subaru Nakajima by Wave. This figure will come out in late July for the price of 3,610 Yen.

Hoshino Ruri -Frill Style- by Kotobukiya. This figure will come out in June for the price of 5,225 Yen.

Kasugano Sora -Sukumizu- by Kotobukiya. This figure will come out in May for the price of 6,460 Yen.

Saber -Triumphant Excalibur- by Good Smile Company. This figure will come out in July for the price of 8,867 Yen.

I'm impressed that Wave is still releasing those swimsuit version figures at a low price. I'm only interested in two figures, Saber -Triumphant Excalibur- and Kagamine Rin -Nuclear Fusion-. Everything else is a pass for me. So, what are you going to preorder from this list?

Big Anime Wallpaper Dump

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:05:00 +0000

I have been backing up most of my files. While in the process, I decided to share some of the many anime wallpapers that I use. What you currently see, is ten percent of what I have. I may some day upload the rest, have fun with them.

Ita-DS

danielmer88@gmail.com (Otaku Dan) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:02:00 +0000

I have always like to cover my DS with skins. It's a great way to protect them and it looks good at the same time. For some time, I have been looking for anime themed skins for my DS but what I have found is limited to Naruto and Bleach skins. On my search, I stumbled upon a website that I can have custom made skins.

The website I found was GelaSkins. The quality is superb. It is not cheaply made and the material that it is made of will not create bubbles when applying. The only negative about the skin is if you have sweating hands, it will be slippery.

I am considering getting skins for my Wii and PlayStation 2. So, do you use skins as well?

Artwork For My Art Class

noreply@blogger.com (Kararu-chan) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:01:00 +0000

So for my Design Foundation class, our first assignment was to pick three objects (One mechanical, one organic, and one random trinket in the house that has no purpose *I can't remember the word used for that last object*). From those three objects, we had to draw five thumbnails of each that are abstracts from the objects. My objects: My,somehow still alive, Bamboo. A trinket that Otaku Dan gave me at Christmas. Lastly, cat claw clippers. From those five thumbnails we had to choose three that we liked best. Oh! The pictures had to be in black and white only. Our second assignment was to get rid of one object. I threw out the cat claw clippers and kept the trinket and bamboo. We also had to draw them in white, black, and ONE color. I used blue for the trinket and green for the bamboo. We had to draw 5 new thumbnails of each and choose three that we liked best.

The first two are my two favorite drawings from assignment one:

These last three are from my second assignment.( Unfortunately, I'm not good with photoshop and don't know how to brighten my images or make them sharper without ruing the quality. Sorry for them being so dull. They aren't dull in real life.) These are my best ones:

I'm still an amateur. I'll get better at this as the semester goes on. (And another note, I prefer only drawing in black and white. I honestly despise drawing with colors.)

Sincerely,
Kararu-chan