Blog 195 > Propaganda & Pop Anime

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Greetings, my Trusty Toyboxers! Welcome to another full-scale broadcast and fighter-bomber assault on your dried-up defenses, hehe. But seriously, this week, we take a wrong turn into the animated apocalypse of propagandized “pop anime”, otaku-oriented merchandising, scantily-clad “funimation”, ghostly cyber-digital memories, fiesty Filipina gals and tasty Vietnamese dishes, lol. No-no-no, not tasty gals and fiesty dishes! That was last week, haha. Plus, on top of all this, we’ve got a delicious inter-dimensional serving of high-res “Clannad” and “Clannad After Story” wallpapers! Who can ignore that? Well, enough of the irritating intro. It’s time for our five-part show to begin…

Part 1 of 5 > Propaganda, Pop Anime & Clannad

Pop Music. Huh? What’s “pop anime”? But first of all, before we tackle that, what do you think of “Top Forty” or “pop music“? What do you think of Britney Spears, Mylie Cyrus, and the talented yet mass-packaged stars of “American Idol”? Well, love them as uplifting performers or hate them as soul-less celebrities, they’re an undeniable force in popular culture. Because by definition, “pop music” is popular. Duh. And double duh, lol.

Propaganda. Secondly, according to Wikipedia, here’s the definition of “propaganda“.

“Propaganda is the dissemination of information aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people… Propaganda often presents facts selectively… or gives loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda.”

While anime as a whole may not have any clear political agenda, it may have a certain culturally-charged message in its storytelling. Cultural not political. And yet, doesn’t any culture have an embedded political composition?

Pop Anime. So what’s “pop anime”? It’s intriguing. In my brief Google searches, the term “pop anime” doesn’t seem to have any cultural or sociological definition. Not yet, lol. So I suppose I’ll take this moment to coin the term “pop anime” for the first time ever, hehe. Essentially, my definition parallels the Wikipedia definition of “pop music“.

“Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and a conventional structure… Lyrics in pop music are frequently about love, relationships and life experiences. The primary objectives of the pop music genre are audience enjoyment and commercial success.”

Similarly, here’s my newly-coined definition of “pop anime”.

“Pop anime” is the mainstream genre of Japanese animation which features stories about love, sexuality, romance, independence and overcoming personal obstacles, frequently targeting viewers and portraying characters of grade-school and high-school ages. These stories are often highlighted by bishoujo or bishonen characters, as well as a verbally or physically comedic style, rarely dealing with explicit violence or controversial political issues, but revolving around at least one of two central quests — the “quest for love or friendship” and the “quest to be the best”.

Pretty slick and straight-forward, eh? By this definition, “pop anime” would include everything from the long-running commercially-successful “quest” sagas such as “InuYasha”, “Naruto” and “Bleach”, to the shorter one-season “slice of life” comedies such as “Ichigo Mashimaro”, “Azumanga Daioh” and “Lucky Star”. Even “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” could be included. However, by this same definition, “pop anime” would *not* include the more psychologically, politically or violently charged titles of “Evangelion”, “Death Note”, “Code Geass”, “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” and “Hellsing Ultimate”. Which makes perfect “pop” sense.

So where does the propaganda fit into the pop? Well, after reading Otaku Dan’s recent posts on the digital format war and the death of another anime magazine, the issues triggered old notions of merchandising, magazines and mnemonic devices I’d written about almost three years ago. In fact, I’ve included three of my articles below, hehe. Essentially, in our current economic climate, when money (or a lack thereof) determines the life and death of magazines and media formats, anime as a marketable and merchandisable industry can only survive in a few directions. One of those sustainable directions is as “pop anime”.

You know where I’m heading, don’t you? As anime gravitates more and more towards commercially-safe “pop anime”, the view of its own culture tends to get skewed. For good or for ill. In American “pop music”, songs seem to reflect an idealized (or demonized) view of life, love and relationships. And American pop performers are both loved and hated for it. Likewise, in Japanese “pop anime”, shows seem to reflect an idealized or supernatural view of Japanese life, love and relationships. One might say, this view has evolved to the point where social concerns, such as xenophobia, misogyny and pedophilia are not simply down-played or over-looked, but often portrayed in playful comedic terms. As if Japan never had a problem with foreigners, women or young girls. We continue to see an endless string of moe maids, kawaii catgirls and lolicon character designs. And anime is both loved and hated throughout the world for it. So while this animated form of entertainment may not be feeding any political battle, one could argue that “pop anime” may still represent a defensive form of propaganda in a cultural war against other gradually-imported cultures. How Japanese life *should* be. How the Japanese *should* live. But like I said, propaganda or not, intentional or not, superficial or not, that’s the definition of “popular”, isn’t it?

So do you love “pop anime”? Do you hate it? Or do you care at all?

Clannad After Story [11]. Having said that, I finally finished one of the most-perfectly-crafted “pop anime” series of all time. At least in my opinion, lol. The “Clannad” and “Clannad After Story” series! Yup, yesterday, I watched the 24th and final episode of “Clannad After Story”, completing my 11th anime-title-or-season of the year. Here’s my quick-and-easy speed-review.

Aww. Wow. Double-wow. Triple-wow. Such an incredibly awe-inspiring, breath-taking, heart-breaking and soul-warming ride, followed by a cute yet fateful flashback bonus-story, and concluded with a still-gripping recap finale. An ever-resounding 5 of 5 stars! My #1 anime title of the year thus far!

I mean, what else can I say? If you’ve seen it, you definitely know what I mean, hehe. Thus, in celebration of the final conclusion of “Clannad” and “Clannad After Story”, here are 11 high-res wallpapers for your otaku consumption, lol. Enjoy!

Ah, here’s the adorable female protagonist, Nagisa.

Here’s another more-dramatic angle, lol.

The five central girls of “Clannad”! Fuuko, Kotomi, Kyou, Nagisa and Tomoyo!

Just three of the girls, lol. Kyou, Tomoyo and Nagisa!

Now this wallpaper might be fan-made. But the detailed quality of the leaves, the haze and the shadows might point to the original studio artist.

But here, the lower quality of the leaves, plus the footer signature clearly marks this wallpaper as fan-made, lol.

Wow, I love the detailed texture on the robot. Studio designed and drawn!

Ah, another studio-textured masterpiece!

But here, the simplicity of the robot reveals the fan-made, but beautifully-vectored, portrayal.

Not quite sure about this one. Since the characters don’t quite look like themselves, hehe.

Ah, no question about this final studio-detailed wallpaper. Simply breath-taking art.

That’s it! That’s the end of Part 1, folks! Now, as I mentioned above, here are three of the anime articles I wrote as a staff writer for the fan-based LasVegasOtaku.org Subarashii blog/zine. Sadly, while I joined in May 2006, LVO disbanded in July 2007. Awww, lol.

 

Part 2 of 5 > Otaku Merchandising: From Lucas to Vegas

24 October 2006

Star Wars
Fig. 1. May the Profits Be With You! Famous still from the original Star Wars (1977). Click to enlarge. 		George Lucas. Whether you admire or avoid him, his name is inescapably tied to material consumption and consumerism. Specifically, by unconventionally acquiring the licensing rights to his original and earth-shatteringly successful Star Wars (1977) three decades ago (Fig. 1) — in a time when film studios held the narrow “could care less” belief that secondary spin-off publications or properties were never profitable — the soft-spoken and once-unknown filmmaker and his sudden skyrocketing fortune undeniably proved to them otherwise. Studios had no choice but to take notice. And as a result of his winning gamble, Lucas — whether accidentally or not — gave birth to a revolutionary new form of consumer industry, and is regarded by many as the pioneer of modern-day entertainment-driven merchandising. Ah yes, as a little kid, I still remember sleeping in my sky-blue Star Wars bedsheets!
Akihabara
Fig. 2. Viva Akihabara! One view of Tokyo’s Akihabara shopping district (2006).

Las Vegas Otaku Merchandizing
Fig. 3. Got Jedi? Star Wars and WWE action figures at Wal-Mart.

Las Vegas Otaku Merchandizing
Fig. 4. A Higher Power! Power Rangers action figures at Wal-Mart.

Las Vegas Otaku Merchandizing
Fig. 5. Figured It Out? Naruto and Tenjho Tenge figures at Borders.

Las Vegas Otaku Merchandizing
Fig. 6. Bearing Fruit! A Fullmetal Alchemist wall scroll and Fruits Basket plush doll at Borders.

Las Vegas Otaku Merchandizing
Fig. 7. Hitting the Books! Fruits Basket and InuYasha bookmarks at Borders.

Las Vegas Otaku Merchandizing
Fig. 8. Coastal Wave! A wide variety of wall scrolls, figures, plush dolls, and other goodies at Suncoast.

Las Vegas Otaku Merchandizing
Fig. 9. T-ing Off! Snakes on a Plane, Samurai Champloo, Fullmetal Alchemist and Trigun T-shirts at Suncoast.

Las Vegas Otaku Merchandizing
Fig. 10. Got the Munchies? Pocky, Pucca, and other snacks at Suncoast.

 2006-2007. Three decades later, global merchandising shows no clear signs of stalling. On the contrary, while the free and ever-evolving internet exchange of digital files (MP3, AVI, etc.) may eat away at the conventional sales of DVD titles, CD soundtracks, and disc-based videogames, the industry continues to leap and bound in other branches. Bed sheets may be less common, but toys, models, action figures, dolls, posters, even T-shirts, keychains and cellphone accessories — based on successful and less-than-successful films, shows, tunes and games — have found their way into our everyday consciousness. One can find anything from LEGO Star Wars products to WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) toys to Lost (ABC TV) fan gear to Snakes on a Plane T-shirts, and everything in between!

Tokyo, Japan. Consistently one of the top-two or top-three most-expensive cities in the world over the last two decades. The home of the largest most-recognized electronics-based megacorps — including Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic — on the globe. And the cutting-edge mecca of anything related to anime, manga, videogames and otaku culture as a whole. Focusing their consuming eyes and ears on Tokyo’s infamous Akihabara shopping district (Fig. 2), the rest of the otaku world waits in anticipation and jumps in enthusiasm at the latest offerings. In terms of merchandising beyond the standard products of disc deliverables (DVDs and CDs) and paper publications (manga and novels), the multi-billion-dollar otaku-entertainment market (as observed in the December 2004 paper by the Nomura Research Institute) further thrives on these aforementioned toys, models, action figures, dolls, posters, T-shirts, keychains, cellphone accessories, and anything else that’s marketable. For example, let’s take a look at three popular titles.

  • First, the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime (1995-1996). Built upon this classic post-apocalyptic and psychological anime series, one Japanese “Evangelion Store” — http://www.evastore.jp/index.cgi — embraces a more adult-tailored, but nonetheless broad, spectrum of products. Not only does it offer T-shirts and 2007 calendars, but also PVC figures, 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles, white-and-red “NERV” coffee mugs, silver “Angel” rings and pendants, black-and-gold Zippo lighters with etched “Rei Ayanami” dog-tags, silver-and-red “EVA 02” wristwatches, and even “EVA 01” bikes!

  • Next, the Fruits Basket manga (1999-ongoing) and anime (2001). Revolving around this endearing mystery-laced and zodiac-based story, the “Fruits Basket Store” at FUNimation‘s Z-Store — http://everything.zstore.com/fruitsbasket.cfm — takes a younger, more school-kid-oriented approach, displaying not only buttons, posters, wall scrolls, T-shirts and 2007 calendars, but also cellphone straps, PVC keychains, Velcro wallets, Bobble Heads of “Tohru”, “Shigure” and “Yuki”, as well as animal-shaped “Kyo”, “Shigure” and “Momiji” backpacks!

  • Finally, the NANA manga (2002-ongoing) and anime (2006). Based upon the emotional soul-searching tale of two very different 20-year-old women, the “Goods” section of Nippon Television‘s “NANA TV Animation” website — http://www.ntv.co.jp/nana/goods.html — boldly targets the cellphone generation. There are several artistic styles of semi-transparent cellphone screen stickers, including one which acts like a mirror when the back-light is turned off. There is one cellphone strap with a crystallized design, which uses a solar battery to cause it to glitter. Even more, there are cellphone surface-cover stickers, cellphone charms, as well as cellphone face-plates for the Panasonic FOMA P902iS model! Meanwhile, the non-cellphone-related products include strawberry-flavored candy, rose-shaped and lotus-shaped bubble-bath drops, rose-scented “Black Stones” pocket tissue, and keychains of thumbnail-sized “NANA”, “Black Stones”, and “Trapnest” CD cases with miniature CDs inside them! Intriguingly but not surprisingly, according to the “NANA” fansite at http://www.nana-nana.net, these goods can be purchased at either general stores or vending machines throughout Japan. For Westerners, this is certainly a cultural wonder to behold!

Las Vegas, Nevada. Undoubtedly, the most-famous and most-popular gambling center in the United States. The home of the greatest concentration of casinos — including Caesars Palace, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay — anywhere in the world. And the town also proudly referred to as “Sin City” and “The Entertainment Capital of the World”. So now, expanding its rippling reach from Tokyo, how strongly does this otaku-powered merchandising phenomenon filter down and find its way to the Las Vegas area? Well, on a partly-rainy and partly-cloudy Saturday, October 14th, I decided to visit a handful of nearby stores in Henderson, the most-populous suburb of Las Vegas. Here’s what I managed to find.

  • At the Wal-Mart on Lake Mead Drive and Boulder Highway, next to the colorful rows of Star Wars and WWE action figures (Fig. 3), there are even more rows of Power Rangers (Fig. 4) and G.I. Joe Sigma 6 action figures and toy gadgets.

  • Next, at the Borders bookstore on Sunset Road and Stephanie Street, amongst the manga aisles, a Naruto statue and Tenjho Tenge figure of “Maya” stand ready on one bookshelf (Fig. 5), while a Fullmetal Alchemist wall scroll and Fruits Basket plush doll of “Shigure” hang quietly from another (Fig. 6). And just outside the check-out counters, a Fruits Basket bookmark of “Yuki” and InuYasha bookmark of “Sesshomaru” wait patiently on a rotating tower (Fig. 7).

  • Lastly, at the Suncoast store in the Galleria Mall at Sunset Road, behind the racks of movies and videogames, a diverse array of anime-, manga-, and gaming-related items are on display towards the rear of the establishment. A Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex wall scroll hangs from above. In one corner (Fig. 8), additional wall scrolls of Tenjho Tenge, Sonic X, Burst Angel, and Samurai Champloo are unfurled, as Final Fantasy X action figures are squeezed beneath them. Flanking these, Monsieur Bome‘s PVC figures for “Jingai Makyo: Chaos Gate” and “Jungle Emi” are displayed on one side, while Last Exile plushies of “Lavie” and “Alvis” are dangled on the other. In another corner (Fig. 9), beside the Snakes on a Plane pile, additional T-shirts of Samurai Champloo and Trigun are stacked. And in the middle of the floor (Fig. 10), stands a snack-food display featuring the chocolate-, strawberry-, and almond-flavored biscuit sticks known as Pocky, alongside the chocolate-centered wafer candy called Pucca Chocolate. In fact, on that visit, I bought my first box of chocolate-covered Pocky to give it a try. It’s no wonder Mizuho-sensei from Please Teacher! is so addicted to those things!

Consequently, while my visits involved just a few stores within just a few hours, I think this hints at the extent to which otaku-related products may be offered throughout the entire Las Vegas region. Depending on your personality, this could be either comforting or scary! But in tracing the rising path from 1977 to 2007, and riding the expanding wave from Tokyo to Las Vegas, two projections seem inevitable: (1) Entertainment-driven merchandising will continue to thrive throughout the international and global otaku communities. (2) And with it, Japan’s exotic appeal and cultural influence will continue to flourish not simply in the East, but especially in the West. Then again, perhaps this was destined to happen. After all, Lucas’ unexpected success originated with his admiration for the legendary Akira Kurosawa, widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors in history. It’s only fitting that their prosperity — borne of the love of Japanese cinema — should ultimately accelerate and foster an otaku-cultural phenomenon — borne of the love of Japanese storytelling.

xJAYMANx joined Las Vegas Otaku.org in May 2006. (Sadly, LVO disbanded in July 2007.) Exposed to the classics — Speed Racer (1967), Battle of the Planets (1978), Star Blazers (1979), The Transformers (1984), Robotech (1985) and Thundercats (1985) — as a child in the 1980s, he attributes his triggered rediscovery as an otaku to The Matrix (1999) and The Animatrix (2003).

 

Part 3 of 5 > Scantily Clad FUNimation

21 October 2006

Anime Ad
Maximum Speed. Speed Grapher ad in MAXIM November 2006. Click to enlarge.

Anime Ad
Bloody Stuff. Trinity Blood ad in Stuff September 2006. Click to enlarge.

 MAXIM. Yup, that’s right, girls, girls and more girls. Lounging alongside Stuff and FHM, it’s probably one of the “Big 3” most-recognized almost-nude magazines for men. So if you’ve browsed through the latest Anime Insider or NewType USA at bookstores and magazines stands around town, you’ve probably blinked at its racy pulse-quickening covers.

But why am I bothering to mention this? Earlier this mid-October week, while flipping through my latest delivery of MAXIM (November 2006; cover price of $4.99), I inevitably landed on page 165. But not-so-predictably, my eyes widened — behind the cologne insert and beside the “shameless plugs” for batteries, beard trimmers and beer — at the 1/3-page ad for the dark-edged secret-society anime Speed Grapher (DVD Volume #3; Amazon.com price of $26.99).

Whoa! An anime advertisement, not in another anime or videogame magazine, but in a leading men’s magazine!

Created by GONZO, originally broadcasted on Japanese TV in 2005 and licensed by FUNimation in 2006, Speed Grapher depicts the shadowy lives of a weathered-and-weary war photographer and a sheltered-and-sad underground goddess as they take their twisted odyssey through a decadent world of conspiracy, corruption, sex and violence. Having watched this adult-geared series, I must admit that MAXIM readers make perfectly logical targets. I mean, if I noticed this ad, how many others might?

So have similar ads appeared in similar mags before this one? While I can’t be sure of FHM, I perused through my previous MAXIM and Stuff issues since April 2006. And guess what? Other than a rare star-studded feature — Samuel L. Jackson as Afro Samurai — I discovered one other clearly anime-titled ad! This time, on page 79 of Stuff (September 2006; cover price of $4.99), a similar 1/3-page ad boasts the gothic-sci-fi vampire anime Trinity Blood (DVD Volume #1; Amazon.com price of $26.99). Just like Speed Grapher, Trinity Blood was created by GONZO, originally broadcasted on Japanese TV in 2005 and licensed by FUNimation. Its blood-soaked tale portrays the ever-deepening struggle between vampires and humans, which threatens to destroy the delicate balance of a post-apocalyptic world. Likewise, with its stylishly violent content, I don’t doubt that Stuff readers make just-as-logical targets.

But it’s rather revealing that the anime titles in both ads were licensed by the same entertainment entity. In any case, I’m keeping my eyes peeled. Now that FUNimation has taken these bold new steps into “lad mag” publications, let’s see if these ads are on the leading edge of a growing trend… or just random blips on the radar screen.

 

Part 4 of 5 > Ghost of a Memory

04-06 October 2006

Motoko Kusanagi's Wristwatch
Motoko Kusanagi‘s “external mnemonic device” from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Click to enlarge.


Genshiken's Saki & Ohno
Raven-haired Ohno and golden-haired Saki from Genshiken. Click to enlarge.

 What drives me as an anime figure collector? Why spend money on figures and not simply anime DVD titles or CD soundtracks?

Well, to paraphrase Harunobu Madarame, the quintessential otaku character from the Genshiken manga and anime, my quick answer is: “I buy what I like because it’s a true reflection of who I am.” Unfortunately, this still doesn’t quite specify the reason why figures and not something else.

Digging deeper, my foremost reason likely stems from a concept most profoundly introduced to me in the cutting-edge cyberpunk Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series. In one touching scene, Batou hands a wristwatch back to its owner, that is, his Section 9 partner and superior officer, Motoko Kusanagi. After everything they’ve fought and endured, their quiet conversation ticks towards what her wristwatch means to her, especially as her only “external mnemonic device.” In other words, in a cyber-enhanced future where networked digital memories can be duplicated, rewritten or deleted at any instant, and where the definition of her reality and identity is so fluid, her simple watch serves as a solid and undeletable material reminder of her own unique memory, personality and individuality.

Similarly, in today’s information era, where music, movies and television broadcasts can — legally or illegally — be copied, downloaded, viewed and copied again without any intermediate physical carrier-container, I’d say that the “tactile” or “hold in my hands” value of a solid DVD or CD has clearly diminished for me. However, while such tactile value has plummeted, it seems that the drive to grasp a physical reminder of that tune, film or show in my own hands still remains. From my perspective, a not-so-endless not-so-easily-copyable 1/8-scale PVC figure depicting Saki Kasukabe from the Genshiken anime carries more value to me — in terms of my memory, personality and individuality — than owning the endlessly-copyable digital video files of the series.

So what does this all mean? Well, after coming across over a hundred titles, and over a thousand episodes, I’ve seen enough anime stories either touching or tackling the loss of memory or personality — including Blood+, Chobits, DearS, Ergo Proxy, Ghost in the Shell, Haibane Renmei, Kiddy Grade, Lain, Noir, Onegai (Please) Twins, RahXephon, Solty Rei, and To Heart — to safely say that the ideas of personal memories and cherishing them as long as we can, not only in our hearts but also through photographs, souvenirs, or other mementos, is firmly ingrained in anime and manga storytelling. In my case, beyond digital discs or files, collecting anime figures simply reflects my own way of remembering the anime titles and characters I cherish.

 

Part 5 of 5 > Filipinas & Vietnamese Dishes

Ah, yes. Now we come to the final randomly-Asian food-frenzied portion of the broadcast, lol. After a long-drawn and hard-fought Tiger Team Monday, I decided to visit my friend Vanessa in the newest office building across the parking lot. At about 7pm, here she is at her desk, avoiding the rowdy kids at home, hehe. Coincidentally enough, my company headquarters might be moving into her building within the next year or so!

Hey, pretty cool and stylish conference room!

Later in the week, Thursday to be exact, my colleague Melanie (meh-LAH-nee) treated me to a belated-birthday lunch at the Vietnamese noodle-soup place “Jenni Pho” where I believe “pho” (fuh) means “beef noodle soup”, hehe. Here’s a night-time shot from the customer-review website, Yelp.com.

Such weird-looking spring rolls!

Here’s Melanie, showing me some of the finer points of mixing Vietnamese sauces, lol.

Wow, beef-noodle soup and some kind of shrimp-noodle dish. I didn’t even know that the noodles were hidden beneath the shrimp until Melanie told me, lol. Doh!

Here’s Melanie, tossing some sauce into her “pho” beef-noodle soup, lol.

Hmm, impressing myself with my mediocre chopstick techniques!

More sauces. For those weird-but-tasty spring rolls.

My “pho” beef and noodles! Mmm-mmm, good!

My shrimp and beef! Mouth watering yet?

Yet another shot of “pho” beef and noodles!

Yet another shot of shrimp and beef!

Too much food!

Yet not enough!

All gone!

And we’re done! So, my Tasteless Toyboxers, what did you think? Did our full-scale fighter-bomber assault destroy your dried-up defenses? Did our animated apocalypse of propagandized “pop anime”, otaku-oriented merchandising, scantily-clad “funimation”, and ghostly cyber-digital memories fry your brains? Did our fiesty Filipina gals and tasty Vietnamese dishes fulfill your appetite? Or did our delicious inter-dimensional serving of high-res “Clannad” and “Clannad After Story” wallpapers finally satisfy your hunger? In any case, let’s thank Ushio, Nagisa, Motoko, Saki, Vanessa, Melanie and Jenni-pho for their profoundly-precious guest appearances, hehe. I’m sure that the propaganda and pop anime were just as perfectly delicious, lol. Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.

 

52 thoughts on “Blog 195 > Propaganda & Pop Anime”

  1. Pop-Anime?
    Do you really want me to rant once more about Animes that throw everything that could be too offending/different abroad and water everything down to a tasteless soup served with Characters without Character to cater to the biggest possible market? ^_^

    Dont get me wrong! There are good Pop Animes but like in Pop Music theres that big chunk thats just awfully bad. Meh…

    I agree that Anime often delivers a wrong image of japanese Society /Life.Ive never beenthere but I can tell that theres more than clumsy little girls,big breasted girls battling it out (Rrrrr….) and everyday Life isnt like its portrayed.Thats a common problem with mass media as a whole.Average Joe wants an easily digested meal and nothing that keeps the stomach working.Thats why we are having idealized Characters in idealized enviroments on TV.

    It isnt as bad between nations of the same culture but as soon as it becomes intercultural it often creates a totally wrong image in the viewers head.Those people called “weeaboos” are a perfect example for this.A lack of critical approach to whats served to them makes them…well you know i guess I dont have to write it.
    Those people see themself as rather culturally open minded but in the end they are the one that are culturally ignorant.

    Ahh those food posts…Tasty”!

    Blowfish´s last blog post > Giving back some Love!

  2. I’m not sure I fully agree with your definition of “pop anime.” Because a lot of that stuff isn’t necessarily popular. Shows like Clannad and sola can get lumped in there too. And while Key makes some hugely popular Japanese games, and Kyoto Animation does the same with anime…it doesn’t transfer across the water. These are niche titles in America, not “pop” titles. A majority of America’s anime watchers are casual watchers, and really only watch shows like Bleach, Naruto, and Death Note. Basically whatever Cartoon Network chooses to feed them. And you’ll never EVER see a show like Haruhi Suzumiya or Azumanga Daioh shown on Adult Swim.

    Now if we’re talking about Japan only….. As political or propaganda….. I watch a lot of anime, and there are rarely foreigners in them (these days at least). If there are, they’re foreigners that were either born in Japan and raised outside, or were born outside but raised in Japan. I.e. – they’re really Japanese or they were raised Japanese. Which kind of negates a sense of xenophobia. This idealized view of life you’re talking about is closely related to the moe genre, I think. These high school romantic comedies where the main male character is tailed around by any number of female characters, all of whom are in love with him at some level. And the main girl is either short tempered and violent, or submissive and domestic. And while this is common, it’s hardly new (see Tenchi Muyo, Love Hina, even Evangelion). I think I get what you mean by an idealized or demonized view. Clannad is idealized, I’d say, while e.f. A Tale of Melodies would be demonized. But I’m not sure it’s really that simple.

    I think I see where you’re going…. Saying that in order for the industry to survive it has to follow one of these, become “popular” along the lines of pop music. Though I’d have to look at the volume and diversity of titles coming out and disagree. Yes there are tons of moe type shows, but I think that’s just the trend. Trends come and go by their very nature. Sometimes it has to do with “the times” and sometimes it doesn’t.

    Though again, if we’re talking about America….. Marketing for anime in America is horrible. I read an article a year or two ago talking about the target audience for Victorian Romance Emma. It’s a small title, how should it be marketed, etc. I was surprised to see that there was no thought of advertising it outside of the “anime” market. Meaning that I think it should have been advertised to older females who enjoy literature like Jane Austen novels. Because that’s an excellent target audience, if you can get them to deal with a Japanese only dialog track. There’s no reason to not advertise outside of the standard market, meaning the otaku. Understandably anime is still seen as just some “cartoon,” but how can you change this view point if you’re not pushing it outside of a singular market? The niche titles really have it the worst, and were it not for fansubs, I don’t think they’d sell at all here. While nearly any kid on the street could probably recognize Naruto…but at the same time probably wouldn’t recognize it as “anime.”

    Japanese merchandising and marketing makes me really jealous, BTW. Some of the companies try here. Bandai makes some great (but incredibly expensive) collector’s sets. But otherwise it’s kind of sad….

    On Clannad:
    Just d/led the final episode, but I stopped watching it pretty early on, wishing to wait for more episodes before I got into it. Now it’s over and I still haven’t gotten around to it. I’m trying to go through my back log before the new season starts, so I finally watched Kannagi, and I’m nearly finished with Kuroshitsuji. Probably watch Clannad next.
    Where do you find these wallpapers, BTW?

    Also, I really miss Suncoast.

    Kris´s last blog post > Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

  3. @FlyingBlow: Hehehe, u don’t have to rant if u don’t want to! LOL, but you’re right, there are good and bad ones out there. Definitely. I’m just outlining the subject and style, not whether it’s actually artistically *good* or measurably *popular*. Right, “idealized environments” and “idealized self-images” were exactly what I trying to convey. Nothing necessarily wrong with it, but that’s part of “pop anime”… Ah, tasty indeed!

    @Kris-chan: Hehe, wait-wait. Before I reply, here’s what I just told FlyingBlow above: “I’m just outlining the subject and style, not whether it’s actually artistically good or measurably popular.” So regarding your points…

    Exactly, “popular” is pretty subjective depending on who u talk to, which demographic group u mean, and how big or diverse that group is. I mean, even whether or not to use commercial or merchandised earnings as a measure of “popularity” is pretty subjective too, lol. Which contradicts the “popularity” behind “pop”. But that’s how “pop music” is too, right? (Edit: Still, it’s a good point. So in my definition, I changed “popular” to “mainstream”, hehe.)

    Yeah, I think you’re right about xenophobia. It hardly appears. And on the flip side, some form of moe almost always appears, lol. But that’s what I mean. It’s part of the “idealized” view of how Japanese life should be. At least, in terms of “pop anime” subject material. Yeah, I agree with the idea of trends. But I’m going to assume that (like “pop music”) while the specific styles (like “modern rock”, “glam rock”, “grunge rock”) may come and go, there will always be a “pop anime” mainstream (whether the “pop” genre of the month is “magical girls”, “harems”, “martial arts” or “slice of life”).

    Haha, yeah, American perspective on anime is pretty narrow. But that’s okay. Even if American kids can’t differentiate “Naruto” as an anime genre, it won’t matter to them that it also fits the notion of “pop anime”, would it? Haha!

    P.S. Let’s see. I find most wallpapers on Konachan.com and Google. Although AnimePaper.net seems to have a huge archive too… Hmm, I don’t miss Suncoast as much. Though I admit, it was my only source of Pocky, lol.

  4. That’s a pretty interesting take on it. I never thought of doing a parallel comparison to pop music. I’d have to say that I feel that way about most anime in general and a number one reason why I refuse to touch Naruto, One Piece, Bleach and whatever else for as long as I remain indifferent.

    I am of the minor party and believe that anime is a unconscious and subconscious reflection of the country itself. While it is true that no country is free from societal problems, it is not to say that a stereotype doesn’t exist for a reason. It is a fact that some of those problems such as pedophilia, misogyny and extreme fanaticism stem from the country’s roots and inability to properly punish those bad situations. I honestly believe there are some fantasies concerning the taboo and the fascination is reinforced through the media which is altogether accepted over there.

    To put it simply and bluntly, think of it as akin to porn. You want a situation in your love comedy per se where you have a typical and average looking male with nothing remarkable about himself the object of a harem of attention. It would follow a concept of desirability in which the male is sought after and the women are sprung, if not immediately. If not that scenario, then there are many others.

    All in all, I think it boils down to wanting escapism through an idealistic and unrealistic notion. As a side note, I am just nauseatingly sick of damn Haruhi. They need to stop making Saber and Kanu figures. This is just my opinion.

    By the way, that food looks good. Are you giving up anything for Lent?

    Jem´s last blog post > Kotobukiya Mini Haul

  5. @Jem:
    I am generally not a fan of the popular shows that you mention, like Naruto. In fact, I can’t stand Naruto, Dragon Ball, or One Piece.

    Bleach has been some sort of unexpected exception, though. I really enjoy the story and the characters, though I’d recommend the manga over the anime. It’s put together better and there’s not excessive filler to pad it out.

    Kris´s last blog post > Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

  7. @Jem-chan: Hey, thanx! Yeah, I didn’t think about it in this specific way until recently, with all of the troubling or bad news surrounding anime companies, magazines and sales. I mean, how must anime survive, right? Will anime as we know it survive in the next 10-20 years? At the same time, I like bits of “pop anime” as much as I like bits of “pop music” too. Including “Naruto” and “Bleach” during otherwise-boring treadmill runs, hehe. | No, I agree totally. I think any form of art or entertainment is both an intentional and unintentional, both a deliberate and derivative, reflection of its country. And anime is no exception. In this case, while there are obvious controversial “anti-pop” exceptions, it seems to fit more and more that mainstream “pop anime” represents an “ideal” reflection of Japanese life. Yeah, I like the “porn” analogy. In fact, one of the other commercially-sustainable directions I hinted at was “hentai”, lol. But you’re right, “idealism” and “escapism” and “fantasy” all tend to come hand-in-hand, pun intended, hehe. | As for Haruhi and Saber and Kanu, while they may be “pop anime” characters, their over-marketing and over-saturation is an entirely different issue, lol. Don’t confuse the two, you “anti-pop” heretic you, hehe. But I feel your pain. Or used to. | P.S. Thanx! Those Vietnamese noodles tasted just as good as they looked. If not better. Ah, Lent. I don’t think I’ve observed that particular tradition in years, lol. Does that make me bad? But if I did, hmm, I have no idea what I’d give up. Any suggestions? >_<; @Kris-chan: Haha, seems like some of the icons of "pop anime" are taking a beating today! Like I've mentioned, "Naruto" and "Bleach" aren't half-bad when one isn't intent on finding all of its evil faults before dinnertime. But let me take a wild guess... Has "School Rumble" risen to the top of your most-evil examples yet? ^_^ @Dan-the-Man: Heyyy, what did u mean "all those hits"? Like it's a bad thing? But yeah, your particular posts definitely triggered some old thoughts and new metaphors. Right, that was the connection what I was aiming for. The mainstream "pop anime" show of the month, just like that "pop music" song of the week. Exactly.

  8. @Jay
    Haha, it’s up there! I’m sorry, I really didn’t like it. :(
    Other stuff I’ve hated:
    Dragon Ball, Naruto, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World, Black Cat, Negima, Please Twins/Teacher, Someday’s Dreamers, Trinity Blood, Super Milk-Chan, Boys Be….

    Kris´s last blog post > Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

  9. @Kris-chan: Hehe, no worries, I think I understand why u don’t like them. Maybe… But of the hated ones u listed: I still like “Naruto”, “Ugly Yet Beautiful” was okay, loved the first “Negima”, liked “Onegai Teacher” and loved “Onegai Twins”, “Dreamers” was okay, but loved “Trinity Blood”, lol… Just cuz I think “anti-pop” anime like “GitS:SAC” and “Hellsing Ultimate” is awesome, doesn’t mean I don’t like “pop anime” too! ^o^

    P.S. Did u see my answer to your “wallpaper” question above?

  10. Yes. Konachan and google. I didn’t know if you had a specific place or what.
    animepaper I think requires a log in, so I don’t usually get stuff from there. Google searches find me some good stuff too though.

    Kris´s last blog post > Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

  11. @Jay: Lol!!! I know the over-saturation of those characters is a different issue. I was ranting and it carried over into your blog and got magically typed in, haha.

    Well, I have always been told that you give up something really important to you for the duration in order to make it meaningful. There is a coworker I have that is giving up pork. GEEZ!!!! A filipino give up pork?!?!?!?! I have given up steamed rice for at least 6+ mos. and my body went into withdrawal. As a matter of fact, I ended up eating waaaaaaaay less pork during that time. I never want to put my body through that again *shudders* hmm, you can give up updating us, toyboxers, a weekly update *devil grin*

    Jem´s last blog post > Kotobukiya Mini Haul

  12. @Kris-chan: That’s fine, lol. Yeah, I’m the same way with AnimePaper. Are u doing a bit of collecting, perhaps? If I happen to steal some walls from someplace, feel free to steal some from me! Haha! ^_~

    @Jem-chan: Ah, Jem-Jem-Jem-chan, how I missed your magical ranting! How did I ever survive the empty doldrums? You gotta teach me some of that magical typing!… Hey, so u *are* Filipina after all! Ehh, pork’s no big deal. Then again, I grew up with hardly any Tagalog, any accent, or any of its culture. Just the food, lol. Mmm, the pansit and litsun and lumpia! Ah, I miss my mom’s and grandma’s lumpia! Plus, the Vegas Jolibee is too inconveniently far from me, lol. Not that have any spare cash to burn. Hahaha, but pork withdrawal? Is that even possible? Since when can u get chemically addicted to pork? Are u sure u didn’t say “porn”? LOL! Hmm, giving up a weekly mega-post? What? Don’t. Think. So. My posts are too boring for u, Ms. Pork Addict? I mean, even giving up office foosball would be tough! And what about u? {Evil grin} Umm, maybe u can give up ordering anime figures for a few months? Especially naked ones? >_<;

  13. Mmm, I have a pretty ridiculous amount of wallpapers on my computer. I change them out fairly regularly. Right now it’s a really lovely image of Kyoko and Katsuya Honda from Fruits Basket (Tohru’s parents).

    And I certainly did take a couple of those Clannad ones up there. In my opinion, one can never have enough wallpapers. :)

    Kris´s last blog post > Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

  14. @Kris-chan: LOL, “ridiculous” is pretty subjective, don’t ya think? I mean, I’m not a regular collector, but according to the count in my main folders, I’ve got over 500+ going back as far as 2006. In fact, the primary reason for my collection was to find high-res images as DVD covers for the anime titles I burn onto disc, lol. But I’ve been so busy or lazy, that I’m now about 70 anime covers behind schedule!

    So if I were to guess, u probably have 1000. Or wait, maybe 2000 wallpapers! Now *that* would be ridiculous. Beyond a shadow of a doubt! >o<;

  15. I agree with some of the stuffs you said but you are “just outlining the subject and style, not whether it’s actually artistically good or measurably popular.” ^_~ It’s weird how popular animes are sending the wrong images of how we look at Japan, and yet in Japan, they watch “The Hills”, “The OC”,”Baywatch”, etc. and think all Americans live near the beaches and living the rich Hollywood life, lol.

  16. @xJaymanx: Ahhhh Clannad….. so much love.
    As for the end of Code Geass. The thought did cross my mind. How could it not? Specially when C.C asked Lulu a question. Though, it could be argued she’s talking to the dead. Like Kallen was. But I’d prefer he was alive. Maybe C.C traded her immortalness with Lulu before confronting Charles… that would explain him being alive lol. And leaving an opening for OVA’s, movies, new series etc etc lol.

    Meimi132´s last blog post > Shirley Appears!

  18. @Fiddlestick: Haha, great name, Fiddler. Thanx. Yeah, I mean, it’s too subjective to decide what’s “good” and what’s “popular”, right? How do u measure it? With cash earnings? With polls? Then who do u ask? Otaku? Non-otaku too? And how many? One thousand? One million? LOL, true about “Baywatch” and other American shows! TV is all propaganda, isn’t it? ^_^

    @Meimi-chan: Ahhh yes, “Clannad” is like a love ballad. Hehe, get it? Clannad = Ballad? Okay, that was bad, lol… As for the end of “Code Geass”, there are probably hundreds of theories by now. I mean, at the very least, it could’ve been a fake sword in a magic-act illusion. Or at the very most, he could’ve been medically and surgically saved, lol. Not to mention all the Geass-related supernatural possibilities! So have u read about the time-slot fiasco behind the second season production? Kinda sad that the aired plot wasn’t what was originally planned. Oh well. But it was still epic!

    @Kris-chan: Haha, 600-700 is still pretty insane. Didn’t u get the memo? LOL, I think 500 is “crazy” level. Then 750 is “insane”. While 1000+ is “ridiculous”. So how many “School Rumble” walls do u have again? Haha. >_<;

  19. LOL, none at all!
    But I do have 6 Ah! My Goddess, 13 Angel Sanctuary, 25 Cowboy Bebop, 19 Evangelion, 32 from various Final Fantasy, 12 Gunslinger Girl, 14 Kuroshitsuji (which I found yesterday), 11 Saikano, and so on and so forth in various styles and quantities.

    Kris´s last blog post > Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

  20. @Jay: hahaha!!!! I have Spanish and English mixed in my blood. Someone mentioned French and Italian, but I’m not too sure about that. I came here at a very young age, so my tagalog is broken. “Taglish” in a sense. Yes. It is possible. My body went into withdrawal when I didn’t eat rice for at least 3 mos. No Jollibees, Jay. Why don’t you try Nanay Gloria’s or DJ Bibinkihan?

    I can go 1 month without buying a figure. Wait, what about preorders done months in advance? 3 months? Are you out of your freakin’ mind? lol At that point, a bunch of hot ALTER or Queen’s Blade figures have gone by as well as limiteds. I always tend to put in a full deposit on my limited preorders and my order window is not large all the time. Naked! You can’t take that away from me. I don’t buy naked figures. I buy hot scantily clad women that can rip a man apart, silly. I choose not to utilize the option to take off the clothes, but 99% of my figures are in boxes. Maybe one day out of curiosity, I will undress them and include the pictures in a review. No, I definitely did not say “porn”. I’m not into porn. Hentai is better because the idealized portions are funny as opposed to weird or slimey looking.

    Jem´s last blog post > Kotobukiya Mini Haul

  21. @Kris-chan: Holy ker-rappp! I mean, 25 for a single anime? Granted it’s “Cowboy Bebop”, but still! Or 32 for “Final Fantasy”? Heyyy, here’s an idea… If u have Photoshop, take these wallpapers and desaturate them into black-and-white, and voila, you’ve doubled the number of wallpapers! Or change the hue slightly, and you’ve tripled them! Unfortunately, you’d have to do this 600-700 times, hahaha.

    @Jem-chan: Ahh, but by the nature of the country’s conquered history, doesn’t any Filipino or Filipina have Spanish or English or other European blood in them, hahaha. On top of that, even my Dad looks a bit Japanese compared to my Mom! So I wouldn’t be surprised by a mix of Japanese or Chinese blood too… But being born in the US, like I mentioned, I’ve got no trace of Tagalog, lol. So when u talk about “Nanay Gloria” or “DJ Bibinkihan”, I’m totally clueless. {Blink-blink} You’re in SoCal, right? Well, if I ever pass thru there, you’ll have to take me to those places!… Hahaha, 3 months too long? Yeah, I know too well about your scantily-clad bad-ass-chick warrior “fetish”, hehe. But whether or not I was teasing u about “porn” and “naked”, you’ve again confirmed my image of a hard-core PVC-addict who might rip *my* arms off if I ever nudged her figure boxes the wrong way! Noooo! {Shudders}… P.S. Heyyy, hentai not slimey? I supposed you’re not referring to the “tentacle” genre of hentai, are u? ^_~

  22. Definitely agree with you, but unlike most filipinos, the mixture is not saturated with filipino blood that it might as well not exist in the first place. There are people who are a little confused with what I really am. Ah, well, they are the equivalent of Panda Express for filipino food. It taste good, but if you’re like me and love rice, then you won’t be very satisfied with their tiny rice portions. As much as I’d like to say that I am not that scary, you are very correct in your assumption that I’d go crazy over some type of residue. C’mon, I’m a collector after all. I just want my belongings to be in as mint condition as possible. I love crisp boxes, but I’m not unreasonable for dings if given specific circumstances. Ah, I was trying to stay as G-rated as possible, but I can see the confusion. What I mean is that 2D slime and gunk is easier to stomach than 3D bodily fluid. Whenever I’ve seen hentai or an image, it makes me laugh or wonder who comes up with the corniness. If you translate that over to 3D, it just makes my sensitive stomach unsettled to the gagging and consistency of the liquid. *shudders* I have slight stomach problems so the fluid is just too much for me. While I mentioned earlier about “corniness”, this is not to say that there isn’t some great hentai out there. What makes it great, you say. Well, if the plot is more creative or less idiotic and the sex scenes aren’t bland then it’s great, I suppose. Tentacles is just wrong…

    Jem´s last blog post > Mmmmmm Pork Loin Chops

  23. @Jem-chan: Ah, interesting! Multi-national cocktail, eh? But that’s cool. Probably cooler than “Panda Express”, lol. Ahh, really? I also felt that “Jollibee” was a “Panda Express” level of Filipino food. Yeah, can’t go wrong with heaps o’ rice, hahaha. And now that u mention it, haven’t had “Panda” is a while. Mmm. Actually, u see Melanie above? I’ve been invited to her son’s 9th b-day party, not this weekend but next weekend. So I’ll be sure to take photos and let u know how good her Filipino grub is!

    Ah, I gotcha, mint perfection. I used to be that way too, about 3 lifetimes ago. Not with figures, but with baseball cards, lol. But nowadays, I don’t think I could keep up the perfection without getting utterly paranoid!… I think I also understand the 2D versus 3D slime. I mean, 2D has just enough detachment from “reality” that it can be tolerated with laughter or bewilderment, lol. Thankfully, I don’t recall having seen any anime-type tentacles in a live-action porno. Which may be a good thing. Whew. Of course, who knows if a new “Pirates III” will push the special-effects envelope even further than “BSG”? Okay, maybe not.

    P.S. Hey congrats! Check out the “About” page. I finally moved your new banner to “Five-Star Toyboxer” status! Which means what? Umm, your guess is as good as mine, lol. >_<;

  24. LOL!!!! Ooooh, eat plenty Jay. Relive the pride of your nation. If there’s anything to really look forward to at a filipino gathering, it’s definitely the food.

    I know someone who was big into buying and reselling whatever was the fad. Then, he pulled one of those rare Michael Jordan signed rookie cards that you could only get if you buy multiple boxes. He accidentally dropped it and it had no visible damage. Due to his fanatical collector mentality, he sold the card for lower than a regular inflation price because he could not bear the thought of knowing it was dropped. For him, it wasn’t “mint” anymore. Since then, he is no longer anal like that.

    That’s cool. I’m really honored. Not too many people whose verbosity is so eloquently strung together like yours. Believe it or not, I do appreciate the more insightful or intelligently worded blogs. I think you are just amused with how much of a weirdo I am.

    By the way, Jay, do you have a mini banner or something? I finally leveled up to noob status and figured out how to upload media into the wordpress site itself. Granted, I never looked very hard, either.

    Jem´s last blog post > Mmmmmm Pork Loin Chops

  25. @Jem-chan: Hahaha, pride? So that’s what the high-pitched gossiping is called? Haha, I’ll try to eat well, but not *too* plenty. Maybe if I cut down on the rice, I’ll have room for more meat, lol. Ahh, thawed {wink-wink} and cooked {blink-blink} meat… Yeah, that’s exactly the type of anal perfectionism I meant. Luckily, you’re nowhere near *that*, right Jem?

    Hey, no problem, my pleasure! LOL, but “eloquently strung verbosity”? Sounds like some stringy diarrhea of the cerebrum! Nahhh, kidding, I know what u mean. And I know that u know that I’m amused. Ah, but amusement is a triple-edged street corner, yes? I wouldn’t be amused if I didn’t recognize the same weird frequencies or idiosyncrasies in myself, u weirdo, lol.

    Hmmm, I’d congratulate on your new “noob” status, but u might get too cocky and create a mini-banner for me, haha. But I really should have a mini-banner, shouldn’t I? What widths to u take? {Pause for effect} I typically prefer 120px widths which fits my right-most column. Let me know… Hmm, on cold days, I don’t look very hard either. LOL.

    P.S. Hey, thanx for the Shout! Haven’t decided what to do with it yet. Not that it’s such a global issue, lol.

  26. Oh, wait, I lied. After I posted about that, I actually sorted out the images in my My Pictures folder. I put all of the strictly wall paper images into a separate folder, and it says there are only 400 files in there. Still a good amount, though. But less than yours.

    I have other images I use, or plan to use. I have some I want to make into wallpapers, but I don’t really have the tools or the skills to do so. Also I’m lazy.

    Kris´s last blog post > Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

  27. @Kris-chan: Only 400? I guess u aren’t as “crazy” as u thought, lol. Yeah, I rechecked my own folders. Still looks to be in the 500-520 range. Still crazy, dammit… Hmm, no tools, skills or drive. Now that would be an impediment for any endeavor, wouldn’t it? Hehe, but gotta start somewhere, eh?

    P.S. Hey, I just realized that “Kris-chan” is phonetically similar to “Christian”. Not that it means anything. Any possible thoughts? ^_^

  28. Yeah, clearly I need to go hunt down some more cool wallpapers. :) I’m kind of picky (big surprise there, eh?), though, so I only grab the stuff that really stands out to me. Your blog is helping. ^_^

    For my name…. My name is actually Kristin, which comes from that (“Christian”) anyway.

    Kris´s last blog post > Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

  29. @Kris-chan: Ahh, duhhh, I should’ve realized the “Kris-Chris” connection! But wait, lol, despite 400+ walls, u still feel the need to hunt down even more? Actually, one of these days, I might add a “Wallpaper” section on my blog. Since 800px and even 1024px resolution is becoming obsolete, maybe I’ll just include 1024px or higher. We’ll see, lol.

    P.S. Hey, speaking of cool (or geeky), do u have a “Girl G33k” 468×60 banner I can add to my “About” page and random rotation? Or particular images I can use to create one from scratch? After all, I think u might quality for “Five-Star Toyboxer” by now!

  30. One can never have enough wallpapers! I believe I mentioned that earlier as well. :) Sometimes I go through and get rid of the really old ones (as screen resolution grows, or if it’s something I liked at the time but don’t care for any longer). And I’m constantly on the look out for great images. If there’s a new game or show I’m really into, I always hunt around for wallpapers. Like my recent Kuroshitsuji acquisitions.

    I don’t have a standard banner. For my site I take screen caps from shows or I shrink down a wallpaper. I haven’t really thought of making anything official. I’ll look into it, though. Or have someone draw something up for me; I may already have something that might work.

    Kris´s last blog post > Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

  31. @Kris-chan: True, lol. Well, unless u run out of disk space! But why get rid of any? Even if they’re outdated nowadays, I still have my favorite “Dark Angel” wallpapers (like this one) starring Jessica Alba from 2000, lol. And they still kinda hold their sentimental value… But hey, I may need some of your “Tsubasa – Reservoir Chronicles” walls. Just finished the first season last night! Then “Dennou Coil” will be next, and maybe “Kuroshitsuji” after that, lol. ^_^

    P.S. Ah, no problem. Whenever it’s ready, send it over. Or I can clean it up. Whichever works. Thanx!

  32. I’d be happy to send along my Tsubasa images. I’ll do that now! I still have your email from…didn’t you send me the BSG song? So I’ll send them there!

    Kris´s last blog post > Galaxy Railways

  33. Er, well, OK you didn’t say send them, lol. But I might as well anyway. There’s 9 of them coming your way. A couple of them are REALLY nice. The rest are a little mediocre, but still pretty.

    Kris´s last blog post > Galaxy Railways

  34. @Kris-chan: Haha, thanx! Yeah, I sent the BSG “Watchtower” tune. But whether or not I explicitly asked for the walls, there’s nothing wrong with a little enthusiasm, is there? And there’s nothing wrong with using Photoshop to erase the annoying bits of text or enhance the saturation in the colors too! ^_~

  35. Ah, but I don’t have photoshop. I think I did at one point (kind of), but I don’t know where it is anymore…. And to be honest, I wouldn’t know how to use it even if I did have a copy. I think the couple of times I tried I made a complete mess of whatever I was attempting to do.

    Kris´s last blog post > Ace Attorney DSi

  36. Fruits Basket actually ended at 23 volumes in 2006. I haven’t had the chance to finish reading it though, only got up to about a few episodes before the end of the anime u_u~. Will read once I’m back in Sydney :3

    And two of my friends are filos, so I’ve also heard of “pho”, along with “pho’king delicious”, lol.

    Quite an interesting read… shame this computer’s so slow… takes ages for the words I type to show >.<;; Take care~

    Koshiko´s last blog post > Where on earth is Koshiko!?

  37. @Kris-chan: Haha, aww, poor Kris-chan. Are u sure your banner will survive the creation process? ^_^

    @Koshiko-chan: Ahh, never read the “Furuba” manga. But at the time I wrote the “Merchandising” article, it was October 2006. So I’m safe, hehe… How come so many Filipinos know about Vietnamese “pho”? LOL, what’s the deal? Hehe, I gotta tell Melanie that “pho’king” joke! Hey, thanx, I appreciate it! You too, enjoy the rest of your Chilean trip! Haha, “Chilean Trip” sounds like the latest hip-hop artist. Or the latest alcoholic drink! >_<;

  38. I have figures of Kyou, Tomoyo and Nagisa. But after watching and disliking Air I’m not anxious to give Clannad a try. Also yay for Genshiken quotes :) I love Genshiken SOOOO MUCH! That food looks absolutely delicious too. I’d love to try it but I’m not sure I’d be able to fit everything I want to try in my tummy.

    lovelyduckie´s last blog post > Alice (POP Wonderland) Alter

  39. @Luckie-chan: Awww, that’s too bad… I’m assuming u meant the “Air” (TV) series and not the “Air” film, right? Wow, I was on the verge of tears at the end of that. As well as “Kanon” and “Clannad”. But you’re right, the structure and tempo and emotional waves are pretty similar among the three dramas… But if u loved the off-beat otaku comedy in “Genshiken”, it could explain why u didn’t like “Air”, hehe… As for your tummy, u could always get a “take-home” box, haha. Don’t have to try and finish everything in one sitting, silly! ^o^

  40. Pop anime, eh? Would shows like Akikan fall under that one? I gave up on it after episode 1. I don’t think I mind the shows that fall under your definition of ‘pop anime’ though. It’s always good to have a nice balance- GITS, Code Geass and Death Note (the manga only) are epic shows for me, but epic after epic would have driven me mad. Perhaps. Or maybe that’s just my my inner anime connoisseur compensating for there not being enough epics out there…

    George Lucas. Love the concept,but hate the cinematography.Nuff’ said.. OMG is that NANA I see there?! Burasuto banzai~ Right, chill~ moving on^^;;

    I understand your argument at part4/5 and it’s link to GitS, but there’s no way I’ll buy a DVD set, not just because of the exorbitant prices, but the face that they’ll probably die out on me after a short while. Which is why I go with original Japanese manga:)

    Food looks delish, by the way… don’t like my beef boiled though><

    aprilius20´s last blog post > Hot breakfast and cold classrooms just don’t get along very well

  41. @A20: Hmm, haven’t seen “Akikan” yet. But considering the “soda pop” girl, it looks like this fits both the social and *literal* definitions of “pop anime”, haha… Yeah, I like a mix of the “pop”, intellectual and controversial as well. Luckily, since I usually watch multiple series in parallel, a string of epics is tolerable (alongside a string of pop)… Yeah, “NANA”, lol. As for “GitS”, while both Volumes 1 and 2 are still captivating today, there’s something to be said about a two-season orchestra of motion, dialogue and music. Whether the media format is obsolete or not! ^_^

  42. @Jay: I might have been misunderstood- I meant that I won’t buy DVDs for any anime regardless of how much I like it- detioration due to frequent usage and time being a major factor. The GitS anime series is excellent in my book, although I haven’t read the manga- not particularly attracted to the original artwork^^;; But for the record, S.A.C’s Motoko is drop dead gorgeous:3

    aprilius20´s last blog post > Hot breakfast and cold classrooms just don’t get along very well

  43. @A20: Ahh, I see. I thought u meant “die out” referring to “obsolete media”. That’s fine. But that’s too bad. I guess you’ve never seen the full-color hentai “boat scene” with Motoko and two other women in the unedited version of manga volume one! You should see Batou’s reaction, hahaha. ^_^

  48. @A20: Hmm, I don’t blame them for hiding, lol.

    @Jenn-chan: Hehe, “Unlurk”? Is that a new blog setting I missed? Is that the check-box right below “Lurk”?… Agreed, “Clannad” FTW!… But why surprised? Shouldn’t Vietnamese food look Vietnamese everywhere? Just as McDonald’s should look like McD’s everywhere? LOL, but I should be glad. Especially if they’re more delicious-looking. Wait, what about those sauces and spring rolls? They don’t look delicious enough? Actually, they weren’t bad. Not bad at all… Then again, I was pretty hungry. That usually helps. >_<;

  49. @Jay-san: Nah, I meant the sauces and spring roll looked the same as here, while the rest looked more delish at your side. :) Just surprised, since I’ve seen Chinese food in America, and hrmm.. :P Even Chinese food here…and geesh, their ‘Singaporean noodles’ — never seen them in Singapore. -shakes head- Heh. And speaking of hungry, I should eat too!

    Your blog’s more advanced than mine, I don’t even get the setting! XD (It’s set on default to lurk. ._.)

    jenn´s last blog post > Queen’s Blade 2 – Mega Miko Power! (Too Little Boobies)

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  50. @Jenn-chan: Ahh, I gotcha. Yeah, I guess we’re just more delish over here in general. Including food, hehe… Okay, since u brought it up, I just gotta ask. What’s wrong with the Chinese and Singaporean food over there? You make them sound like “slop out of the bucket”, lol.

    P.S. LOL, awww! So that explains the Lurk Version 2.1 on my blog dashboard. ^_^ But heyyy, is this the comment with the anti-spam weirdness? I cleaned out the slashes, but I think I’ll keep the double “Luv” cuz that looks so kewl! ^o^

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