Well-well! Welcome to the Toybox! How does it feel to be a Fellow Toyboxer? Better? Yeah, right. Nevertheless, here’s another weekly mega-post to body-slam your senses and high-kick your brain into gear, lol. This time, we throw another bloody fist into our ongoing otaku-blog battles, another smash into what all these estimated blog numbers mean, a new crash into some angry clickstreams, a new backflip onto some featured otaku posts, and a final flaming explosion of super chicks and supercops! Haha, will anyone escape the mayhem? Who knows? So let’s pump up the volume, load up our weapons, and launch the bullet-blazing show…
Part 1 of 5 > Ongoing Otaku Outlook
Ready for more mindless blog battles? Haha, me too. Continuing our otaku coverage from last month’s Assassins mega-post, you’ll notice that Website Outlook has updated its look. Newer and bluer, but kinda annoying in its arrangement too, lol. But no matter. Here’s the latest crop of estimated theoretical values.
Taking the 6K-to-10K range, let’s begin with Gordonator at $7081 USD.
14 Apr | Gordonator
Next is Otaku Dan at $7337 USD.
14 Apr | Otaku Dan
Led by Panther at $7877 USD.
14 Apr | Clan Blue Panthers a.k.a. Panther
Above these, within the 10K-to-14K range, let’s begin with Dancing Queen at $11870 USD.
14 Apr | How a Girl Figures a.k.a. Dancing Queen
Next is my Toybox at $12133 USD.
14 Apr | xJAYMANx & xJAYMANx_toybox
Led by Mimi-chan at $12468 USD.
14 Apr | Angry Loli a.k.a. Mimi
Lastly, beyond these, within the stratospheric 250K-to-500K range, lies Danny Choo at $290394 USD.
14 Apr | Danny Choo
Led by the unstoppable Sankaku Complex at $367292 USD.
14 Apr | Sankaku Complex
Wow. So what the frak do all of these theoretical numbers mean? Well, hold your horses, and I’ll take a swashbuckling stab at it below, lol.
Part 2 of 5 > Outlook, Analysis & Deconstruction
So here’s my swashbuckling analytical stab, lol. Extending the graphs from my Assassins mega-post, I’ve once again reduced the “Sankaku Complex” and “Danny Choo” paths by a factor of 10, in order to fit them onto the same graphs with mere-mortal otaku-bloggers, haha. But as you can clearly see (enlarge if necessary), the last 30 days represented a slow month for otaku blogs in general! My guess is that the season of final exams dealt a heavy blow to bloggers and their readers.
With one major exception. “Sankaku Complex” actually took a slashing swing upward!
Next, let’s omit the “Sankaku Complex” and “Danny Choo” paths to get a closer view of the smaller blogs. As I noted, almost all of the otaku blogs across-the-board either stayed level or actually fell in value. Most significantly, “Angry Loli” (Mimi-chan) dropped, due to her understandable studies, travels and other responsibilities. Yet remarkably, still catching up to their new URLs, “Puppy52 Art” (Chun-chan) and “Wawawawasuremono” (Meronpan) shot up in value! Congrats!
Good. Now that we have a better idea of the general activity within the otaku blogosphere, let’s return our focus to “Sankaku Complex” and “Danny Choo”. Based on these admittedly theoretical values, why is “Sankaku” able to skyrocket while “Danny” by comparison seems to be struggling?
Well, from my perspective as a blogger-reader myself, I’d say the distinction boils down to two elements: “interaction” and “identity”.
Interaction. I first visited DannyChoo.com as early as mid-2006, later becoming a “DC Member” in December 2006. Since then, I’ve followed Danny’s site off-and-on, submitting Mirai fanart in 2007-2008 and posting various “Member News” items along the way.
But I remember a time (in 2006, perhaps 2007) when Danny would still reply to comments on an almost one-to-one basis, even if he collected a dozen mini-replies in a single posted reply, hehe. Understandably, as his popularity has risen and his free time has shortened, his ability to reply to comments has diminished. I mean, it’s almost a surprise when we see him pop up in a random post, haha. We understand this. But at the same time, the anticipation of waiting patiently for his specific replies disappears.
25 Nov 2008 | Danny Choo Daily Reach
Almost as a remedy for his diminished personal interaction, Danny introduced “Member News” around April-May 2008 to foster “DC Member” interaction. But was there an unexpected side-effect? Maybe? Because in July 2008, the “Danny Choo” traffic stats shockingly plummeted to only a third of what they once were back in June 2008. As an attempt to explain the phenomenon, here’s what I wrote in Mimi-chan’s related post back in September, as well as my Zazzle follow-up post back in November.
In fact, I’d pinpoint it to sometime in April-May when DC first launched the ability for readers to submit Member News. Once he did that, he triggered a double-edged effect~ (a) the amazing and inspiring interaction of readers and bloggers, but at the same time, (b) shifting away the burden of providing news from his own unique perspective, to the eyes of his members ~~ both newbie and veteran (we were all newbies at one time) ~~ at a flooding pace and scope difficult for the busy reader to match, without getting turned off by it.
Coincidentally, or perhaps as another related side-effect, Danny inspired many readers to launch their own otaku blogs. In fact, quite a few Toyboxers agree with this inspirational experience. Perhaps dozens, if not hundreds, or even thousands of other bloggers too. So this “amazing and inspiring interaction of readers and bloggers” was able to evolve and flourish *beyond* the specific DC sphere, as part of the general otaku blogosphere as a whole!
More recently in April 2009, atop Danny’s reduced *personal* interaction, as well as the evolution of *external* blogger interaction, came the further unsettling news of a guest blogger. Yup, another unavoidable indicator of the shift of interaction, another shift from Danny himself.
But is this shift in otaku “interaction” enough to explain the fall of “Danny Choo” and the rise of “Sankaku Complex”? Here’s where the concept of “identity” enters, hehe.
Identity. For the purposes of this limited discussion, I’m going to categorize the bulk of non-commercial or non-streaming otaku sites under two headings: “news site” or “fan site”. So if a site doesn’t directly sell otaku merchandise or stream anime videos, then it should fall primarily under the “news site” category (like “Anime News Network”) or the “fan site” category (otaku blogs like yours and mine, lol). If I missed anything, let me know. But for now, those are my general definitions for otaku sites, hehe.
Since the beginning, unless I’m mistaken, “Danny Choo” has always been a fan site. At one time, for a long time, his site title used to say: “Danny Choo : Anime, Figures, Idols, Gundam, Otaku and Events from Japan.” Which definitely sounds like anime fan’s site, hehe. But simultaneously and amazingly, at one time, his site was also the best place to catch the latest anime news and Japanese news! Moreover, while the “DC Member News” sections give the initial impression of news, they’re more-often-than-not fan-based posts, especially when compared to “Anime News Network” articles. But is there anything wrong with that? Nope, not at all, as long as you understand the site as a “fan site” in general.
Are there any other indicators that “Danny Choo” is a fan site? Sure. Besides the “Member News” fan posts, a recurring portion of Danny’s own posts feature “giveaways” or prizes to otaku gladiators who successfully complete a series of questions or tasks, hehe. While these giveaways require (or enforce) member-comment activity in order to participate, it’s still rather cool. But it’s not something you’d typically find on a “news site” if at all. On top of that, another healthy portion of Danny’s posts are devoted to his attractive mascot sisters, Mirai & Haruka Suenaga (in fanart and merchandise). Again, rather cool! But not something typically featured on a “news site”. Again, is there anything wrong with this? Nope, as long as we consider his site as a “fan site”.
So what’s the big deal? If “Danny Choo” holds the identity of a fan site, so what? If Danny needs to enforce a certain level of comment participation, so what? Well, nothing really, there’s no big deal. I mean, if this is a non-commercial or non-news site for the fans and of the fans, there’s no concern at all. In fact, if that’s the case, if pleasing loyal and devoted fans is the primary benefit, then declining page views or dropping blog worth shouldn’t be a big deal. Nothing to worry about, lol. Right?
Right? Well, when “Danny Choo” launched its new portal design in August 2008, it also changed its site slogan to: “Your portal to Japan. Life in Japan, figures, subculture and more.” Which sounds less like an anime fan’s site and more like a news site. Or perhaps a tourist site like the Japan National Tourism Organization website. Doesn’t it? Which kinda makes sense too! So which is it? Is “Danny Choo” a fan site, a news site, or a tourist site? Or is it all three? I think that’s the dilemma or the disappointment of its readers. The loss of identity compounded by the shift in interaction. In a nutshell, an “identity crisis”.
Sankaku Complex. Meanwhile, in yet another coincidence or related side-effect, another otaku blog-site emerged from the “DC Member News” interaction and fragmentation of April-May 2008 to overtake “Danny Choo” (in terms of estimated blog worth) just one year later. That blog-site is “Sankaku Complex”. Shocking? Amazing? Most impressive, to say the least, hehe.
But how? Is there a trick or gimmick here? Well, while “Danny Choo” as a fan site is no stranger to ecchi or eroge topics, “Sankaku” has plunged full-force into the pornographic arena. Some may call that a gimmick. But is that alone enough to fuel this site’s rise? From my perspective, I’d argue no. Even if you ignore or eliminate all of the pornographic or hentai posts, “Sankaku” would still primarily fall under the category of “news site”. No question about that. Whether you hate or love the topics, whether they involve anime or not, there are more posts here touching upon socio-political and socio-economic themes than “Danny Choo” and “Anime News Network” combined for the same time period. From Prime Minister Taro Aso to Japanese xenophobia. Which is rather difficult to do.
Yup, “Sankaku Complex”. A “news site” without mascot fanart or merchandise (yet?), without otaku giveaways enforcing comment activity, without other bells or whistles. A “news site” which boasts blatant pornographic fillers as well as controversial social and political articles. All of it, on top of the traditional anime, manga, figure, and eroge content. Hehe, I may not agree with it 100%, but that’s still tough to match. Either as a “fan site” or as a “news site”.
Deconstructing Danny. Heyyy, whether you enjoyed or despised my honest assessment as a long-time “Danny Choo” follower, here are three fiction-styled “Deconstructing Danny” posts, lol.
The biggest fans are always the harshest critics, eh? >_<;
Part 3 of 5 > Demographics, Clickstreams & Angry Toyboxes
Okay, my Tantalizing Toyboxers, enough analysis and assessment! Let’s have some fun! During my outlook-related net travels, I came across these fascinating demographic statistics for my “Toybox”. According to this particular website, as of last month in March 2009, my “Toybox” “attracts a slightly female slanted, teen audience”. Yup, that’s what it says. Female teens, lol.
If you take a closer look (enlarge if necessary), compared to the 58% female line (general audience), my site attracts 113% of that 58% reference line. And compared to the 40% teen (12-17) line (general audience), my site attracts a whopping 343% (over 3 times) of that 40% reference line! Holy crap, lol.
Scrolling down further, compared to the general audience, my “Toybox” makes the largest impact of 191% (almost 2 times) of the 38% reference line among households with kids 12-17. Duh, lol. That makes sense if my site already attracts teens in that same bracket. Furthermore, of course they’ll be less affluent and less college-educated in that age bracket. Still amusing nonetheless, hehe.
But the next couple images may partially explain why “female teens” even bother to visit my “Toybox” at all. Yup, “Angry Loli” also known as Mimi-chan, lol. According to the statistics at another website, the “Toybox” represents 13% (the 3rd highest) of her preceding upstream visits, as well as 10% (the 4th highest) of her following downstream visits! Among sites like “Google”, “Facebook” and “Danny Choo”, that’s unreal!
Then flipping it around to my “Toybox” clickstream statistics, “Angry Loli” represents 19% (the 2nd highest) of my preceding upstream visits, as well as 15% (the 2nd highest) of my following downstream visits! Hahaha, like I said, unreal!
Wow. I should really thank “Angry Loli” for her clickstream contribution. Again. Thanx, Mimi-chan! Which may also explain the “female teen” slant of my audience, lol. I mean, I knew our respective blogs shared a reader overlap, just by glancing at the parallel paths in our theoretical blog values. Plus it’s evident that “Danny Choo” has definitely helped “Angry Loli” as much as “Angry Loli” has helped my “Toybox”. But I didn’t realize our blogs were linked that strongly! ^_~
Part 4 of 5 > Featured Otaku Posts of the Week
Speaking of “Angry Loli”, I’ve decided to introduce a brand-new feature into my weekly mega-posts: “Featured Otaku Posts of the Week”. Nifty, eh? Who knows if I’ll keep it from week to week? But it sounds cool, don’t it? Hmm, let’s see. There’s no set of criteria written in stone. Just otaku posts which happened to stand out or stick out in my brain the most, lol.
The first one is Mimi-chan’s infamous “K-On Sucks (rant rant rant)” post on Wednesday, 15 April 2009, hahaha.
Here’s my reply, hehe.
@Mimi-chan: Yeah, I’ve mentioned on my blog that there seems to be nothing new. Each of them seems like clones of characters we’ve all seen before. But there’s nothing wrong with that! Nothing wrong with cute and cuddly! I’m just surprised at all the hype that this is something earth-shatteringly different. Simply because it comes from KyoAni? ^_^;
P.S. Due to a challenge, I just started “Akikan”. Haha, in just one episode, the over-the-top concept has already made me laugh out loud more than “K-On”!
In fact, I was one of those who encouraged her rant and told her how proud I was when she posted it. Well done! I just hope she’s enjoying all of the anonymous trolls who “chose to be offended” by her rant! I’m tempted to retaliate with: “Awww, another troll beating up a girl? How sweet! Sounds like another little tsundere boy in love. Awww. Mwahaha.” But I won’t, lol.
The next one is Otaku Dan’s introspective “Why Do We Blog?” post on Thursday, 16 April 2009.
Here’s my cool reply, lol.
@Dan-man: Haha, thanx man, didn’t expect this!
While I don’t think “famous” is the best term, I definitely agree with the allure of “popularity” or “acceptance”. Everybody wants to be accepted for who they are, right? But when they do it simply to fit the expectations of others and not for themselves, that’s when it starts to become a chore or hassle or disappointment. Been there, done that. Yup, popularity is very alluring. Especially during the height of my early “Mirai Suenaga” fanart days, lol.
But inevitably, when those heights crashed, I went thru those same crossroads. Who am I blogging for? Why blog at all? Is it worth it? And so on. I mean, my Blog 176 still has zero comments, lol. But I don’t regret making that post. I had a great time writing it… Ultimately, I think I came to the decision to go on, not only for myself, the love of writing or the love of anime, but also for others in the community who love anime too. Maybe not a million or even 100 others, but for those few who’ve become familiar names or faces. Like u or Blowfish or Panther or Mimi-chan. Those who make me think or laugh or yell “WTF?”, lol. Not only on my blog, but on theirs as well.
I think that’s the best form of self-promotion of all.
Finally, here are the twin posts on the latest “YouTube” situation. Otaku Dan’s “Taking You Out of YouTube” on Friday, 17 April 2009. And Mimi-chan’s same-named “Taking You Out of YouTube” on late-late Sunday, 19 April 2009.
Here are my respective replies. First, Otaku Dan.
@Dan-man: Hey, u finally posted this!
Sorry for the delay. I think I’m getting burned out at work, lol. But yeah, developments like these are always a bit scary. While I agree that a company exists to make money, there’s also a responsibility to the consumer not to sell poison or change up the product whenever the wind blows a different way. Unfortunately, the current economic winds are pretty harsh.
In the video, I definitely like the MTV analogy. Back in the 80’s, it was truly and genuine music videos 24-7. But over the decades, actual music has taken a back seat (way-way-way in the back it seems) to random shows that hardly link to music anymore. Which seems to be the path of this new “Hulu Tube”… Maybe if MTV started out with these random shows, it wouldn’t have been such a transformation. Or if YouTube started out with this “new” format to begin with, there’d be no reason to miss the “old” format. But alas, things don’t usually evolve that way… I suppose when popular trends reach a certain level of success, they can no longer escape the chains of the corporate world. Or can they? ^_^
Then Mimi-chan. Basically the same reply, hehe.
Heyyy, okaeri! So u just got back and the first thing u do is post on your blog? Hmm, I’ll need to speak to your brother about that, hehe… But throw some thanx to Otaku Dan. He first mentioned it to me while I was watching “Act One” of the *YouTube* Symphony Orchestra, haha. Kinda ironic, eh?
Yeah, developments like these are always a bit scary. While I agree that a company exists to make money, there’s also a responsibility to the consumer not to sell poison or change up the product whenever the wind blows a different way. Unfortunately, the current economic winds are pretty harsh… I suppose when popular trends reach a certain level of success, they can no longer escape the chains of the corporate world. Or can they? ^_^
Cool, eh? I might do these “Featured Otaku Posts of the Week” after all!
Part 5 of 5 > Supercops, Super Chicks & Super Kicks
Wow, have you read the latest controversy surrounding Jackie Chan’s “anti-freedom” and “Chinese need to be controlled” comments on Yahoo and Sankaku Complex yet? You have? Good. Well, believe me, I didn’t plan it at all. When I watched Jackie Chan’s “Police Story 3: Supercop” (1992) over the weekend, I had no clue! Sheer coincidence!
Well, if you’ve been following my Cops post (“Police Story 1”) and Tigers post (“Police Story 2”) over the past few months, you’ll know that I’ve been watching the entire “Police Story” saga, hehe. This time, we come to the biggest and baddest in the series, featuring action-film star Michelle Yeoh!
Ready for some fake subtitles? Haha, let’s go! Here’s Jackie’s girlfriend played by Maggie Cheung. Maggie: “Really?”
Maggie: “Did you really say that the Chinese people need to be controlled?”
Jackie: “Sure did. Here’s the proof.”
Maggie: “But why? I already control you.”
Ah, security director Michelle Yeoh. Michelle: “I control you too.”
Michelle: “Control flows through the barrel of a rifle.”
Michelle: “Bang. You’re dead.”
Michelle: “Control also flows through a fake smile.”
Michelle: “Like this.”
Jackie: “Oh, you mean, control like this?”
Jackie: “And this?”
Michelle: “No-no-no, Jackie, not like that.”
Michelle: “Control like this!”
Michelle: “Like a kick to the gut!”
Michelle: “Or balancing like a crane!”
Jackie: “Yeah-yeah, whatever. You’re not the boss of me.”
Michelle: “Yes, Jackie, I am.”
Jackie: “And if I say no?” Michelle: “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Michelle: “Wait! Did you hear that?”
Michelle: “I think your fans wanna kill you.”
Michelle: “Ya-ha! You’re dead.”
Michelle: “Any other fans wanna die?”
Michelle: “Shit! Where did Jackie go?”
Michelle: “Ya-ha! You’re dead too!”
Jackie: “Oh God, why did I say that?” Michelle: “Don’t ask me. You’re the supercop.”
Maggie: “I must control Jackie.”
Michelle: “Jackie, don’t you want me to control you?”
Maggie: “Is that him?”
Maggie: “Shit! What’s Michelle doing there?”
Michelle: “Shit! What’s Maggie doing here?”
Maggie: “Dammit! Is that him?”
Maggie: “Hmmm…”
Maggie: “Jackie, tell me the truth. Is Michelle controlling you?”
Maggie: “Tell me the truth!”
Maggie: “Why her? Why can’t I control you?”
Jackie: “Over there! The helicopter is over there!”
Michelle: “Dammit! Where?”
Michelle: “Ohhh. There!”
Michelle: “Those damn obsessed fans!”
Michelle: “I gotta get outta here!”
Michelle: “Jackie fans are the worst!”
Michelle: “Haha! Gotcha now!”
Michelle: “Holy crap! Ahhhhh!”
Michelle: “Ahhhhh!”
*SMASH!!!* Michelle: “Ouch! Fuck!”
Michelle: “Goddammit, Jackie!”
Jackie: “Sorry-sorry! But we have to catch those fans! They took my favorite shirt!”
Michelle: “Crap. Where did Jackie go?”
Michelle: “Get off! I’m taking this bike!”
Jackie: “Ahhhhh! Why did I say that?”
Jackie: “Ahhhhh! Sorry-sorry! I’ll never say it again!”
Jackie: “Ahhhhh! Oh no!”
Michelle: “Dammit, Jackie. Why do I always save your ass?”
Michelle: “Ya-ha! Now give me Jackie’s favorite shirt!”
Michelle: “I’ll say it again! Give me…”
Michelle: “…his favorite shirt! Ya-ha!”
Michelle: “Shit! Where’s that shirt?”
Michelle: “Here it is! Give it to me!”
Michelle: “Oops! Sorry, I didn’t mean it!”
Michelle: “I didn’t mean it! Jackie! Where’d you go?”
Hahaha, that’s it! That’s the end of the fake subtitles, lol. To find out the rest of the story, you’ll have to grab the DVD! But before we leave, here’s a final photo of the elegant, graceful and beautiful Michelle Yeoh. She definitely stole the show! Can’t wait for Michelle Yeoh’s “Supercop 2”, which is a totally different film from Jackie Chan’s “Police Story 4: First Strike”. Go figure, lol. But at least, it’ll star Michelle!
There you have it, my Tickled Toyboxers! Did we body-slam your senses and high-kick your brain into gear? Did we throw enough bloody fists into our ongoing otaku-blog battles? Enough smashes into what all these estimated blog numbers mean? Enough crashes into some angry clickstreams? Enough backflips onto some featured otaku posts? And enough flaming explosions of super chicks and supercops? Hahaha, who’s counting anyway? But let’s give our whole-hearted thanx to Mimi-chan, Otaku Dan, Danny Choo, and Sankaku Complex, as well as the incomparable Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung and Michelle Yeoh! Without them, my mega-post would only be a post, hehe… And don’t forget to pick up this DVD, okay?
Till next broadcast. Peace. Out.
Final Flashback
Jackie: “Oh, you mean, control like this?”
I feel that the magic that was once there at DC is fading, it has become more like a business. The I have ranted twice about the member’s news on how people abuse it and use it as if it’s their personal blog. Supercop is awesome but Jackie Chan must of been out of his mind when he did those crazy stunts like the helicopter scene. oh, when did I become a blogging genius, lol
Otaku Dan´s last blog post > OtakuGeneration’s Podcast
@Dan-man: Yep, I know what u mean. It’s been fading for a while. Even moreso when compared to a competing blog. But then again, fading for whom? For Danny? For the loyal readers who still actively participate? For the ones who no longer visit as often? After all, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, right? Heyyy, could u link those rants here too?… Ahh, haha, Jackie has been stunt-crazy since forever! Probably ever since he started out as a child performer, right? But “genius”? Did I refer to u as a “genius”? LOL, or are u referring to your influence on me and Mimi-chan’s blogs? ^_^
I don’t think Danny is really good at blogging at all. That is if you consider posting a bunch of pictures, then posing some question at the end to elicit some type of comment flooding, then, sure, he is a god among men in that regards. *sarcasm* I think you are volumes better than him. There! I said it! Let’s see how many DC fanppl don’t take kindly to that statement. I think there are pros as well as cons to Danny’s website. I think people are very enamored with how he gets free figures even though he gets them to help drive marketing and sales given all the traffic on his site. I guess what kind of irked me was that he had this seminar or something on how you should blog as if he, all of a sudden, got a Ph.D on the subject. How can you seriously tell people that when your blogs aren’t even gracefully strung out together like a lyrical hymn or something. I guess we both have different expectations in that regards. Maybe blogging with him has more to do with getting hits and comments rather than creative free thought. I, often, see that style of posing a question at the end of many people’s blogs. I guess I’d like to elicit some discourse with readers on my blogs through whatever content I’ve posted up rather than settle with a question. You know…to be able to provoke some actual thought through an indirect stimulus (e.g. your content). I am not asking for perfect English, but at least some more genuine thought from a person. It helps me appreciate that person that much more because they are people to me. There’s too much insincere “Oh, I love ” or the individual who pretends to know something. I don’t visit too many blogs, but the ones that I visit are really good.
Oh, that’s really interesting about your Otaku of the Week. That’s some nice exposure to the blogger and is a nice gesture to prove that you really do take the time to read our – cathartic in my case – thoughts. A lot of people really like K-On. I have, yet, to see it, so I cannot pass any concrete judgment.
Oooh, I love Super Cop. I am a big fan of Jackie Chan and am sad that he hasn’t come out with any movies lately. I wonder what he’s been up to lately.
Ok. So, I lied and ended up commenting instead of going to sleep. Promise I will sleep as soon as I hit the “Submit Comment” button.
Jem´s last blog post > Lei Fang at the beach
Ooops. Double post ftw!
I just barely remembered my password on Danny Choo and was a little confused with “Member News”. What is that section all about? I was under the impression that you doubled up on your blog and posted your links over there so that people would go visit your site. Well, at least, this is what I keep seeing a lot. Maybe this was the intent all along to have members post snippets of their posts with a link leading to their site. Danny has done this in the past and as the saying goes: “Monkey see, monkey do”. If so, “news” is a misleading name to give that section since it’s being misinterpreted as secondary exposure to your blog masked as some type of news. I really don’t know. It is 12:54am and I must tuck in now.
Jem´s last blog post > Lei Fang at the beach
I watched that not too long ago…
I basically stopped going to DC.com some time ago. It was not just the history I had, but also because there really was no more point. I find more interest and better reading in the aniblogosphere as a whole. Further, I myself stopped watching as much anime or blogging as much, and thus, there really seems to be no reason to keep going back to a site that has nothing of interest to me beginning a few months ago.
Ah well, I really should blog a bit more though. I have posts planned, but I am just too lazy to do them. Mostly about anime.
Panther´s last blog post > The Resin Temptation
here are the links to the member’s news rant posts
http://otakudan.com/2008/12/members-news-rant.html
http://otakudan.com/2009/03/members-news-rant-part-2.html
Otaku Dan´s last blog post > OtakuGeneration’s Podcast
For the record, I am a 25 year old female college grad with no children of my own. So there’s my demographic. :)
Also for the record, I have no idea what you’re talking about when you launch into these website comparison things. There are a few select sites I follow, and for each “interest” I have, there’s about one specific place I’ll go to on a regular basis, and then I kind of ignore everything else unless there’s something special going on.
But I did want to say that I think Danny is a super nice guy. I stopped visiting the DC site a while ago though because it’s just too hard to keep up with. The volume of people there, and the volume of personal posts (many of which are unnecessary anyway)…it was just way too much. As for him being a good blogger, well…. He doesn’t seem to just “blog” anymore in the sense that we seem to be talking about. But if I want to see some beautiful pictures of Japan, or pictures of all the crazy new figures coming out in Japan, it’s definitely the place to go.
People dream of having these websites, comic sites, blog sites or whatever becoming a business, something they could live off of. So they can do something they love for a living. But the reality is, that while this is an amazing feat and is really great, once it becomes a “business,” it’s a different entity and it gives off a a different feel. I’ve seen this happen with several web comics, and while I’m very happy for the owners, they do start to get absorbed in the business aspects of the thing and become these sort of unreachable beings.
Kris´s last blog post > Afro Samurai
@Jem-chan: {Looks both ways} Pssst, u shouldn’t say things like that, hehe. I mean, look what happened to Jackie Chan! Awww, thanx for the warm words. I really do appreciate your vote of confidence. But by no means do I have a Ph.D. on blogging either! True, posing questions is always an effective method. But like anything else, and depending on style or intent, there are times and places to use them best. I guess I’m lucky to foster a style that brings u, *Jem*, over to *my* side, haha… Hey, thanx! Yeah, sometimes I come up with stuff at the last-minute spur-of-the-moment. And this “Otaku Posts of the Week” thingie was one of them. Especially if a few cathartic, tentacloric, or even gastric, posts stick in my mind and I need a section to discuss them. So here’s *your* chance to grace my next mega-post! If I bring the feature back… As for “K-On”, don’t hold your breath, haha. I mean, it’s all “cute and cuddly” but not earth-shattering. Since “Queen’s Blade” is more your flavor, eh?… Heyyy, what Jackie’s been up to? Didn’t u catch my links at the top of Part 5 of 5? Pretty controversial indeed! So it was a bit disheartening for a Jackie fan like me too. But that’s what gave me the idea for my fake subtitle-captions… Actually, I think u hit the nail right on the head. I agree, a considerably chunk of “Members News” consists of exactly that. Doubled blog posts. Which I’ve been guilty of as well, before I stopped doing them. So yeah, misleading. And very easily abused. Particularly with posts from otaku-competitor “Sankaku Complex”! The concept is appealing on paper. But in actual practice, well, I’ve already analyzed the side-effects…. Awww, no worries. In fact, last night, I finished writing my reply to your new “caramel” comment on Blog 197. And shut down nearly simultaneously. At 1am, lol. ^_^
@Joe-man: And what’d u think?
@Panther-dude: Heyyy! Haha, I just remembered that “Supercop” had an evil henchman named “Panther” throughout the film! With a goatee and everything. Pretty funny since it ain’t too difficult to imagine u swinging around a machine gun!… Ah, I know what u mean, the same type of thing with any site. The matching of blogger-versus-reader interests, etc. You and I have discussed the “DC” evolution for quite a while now, and I think our perspectives have been pretty much validated for the most part. I just wanted to throw the new “Sankaku” variable into the mix… Blog a bit more? Didn’t u say not-too-long ago that u were taking a break or sabbatical from blogging? Or maybe that sabbatical has ended?
@Dan-man: Heyyy, thanx man! I’ll check those out as soon as I’m able!
@Kris-chan: Awww, thanx, u didn’t have to offer any demographics! But I’ll take notes anyway, lol… No idea about the sites? Well, essentially, these otaku blogs represent the bloggers I’ve befriended (or recognized indirectly via other bloggers) within the endless otakusphere. If u check out our blogrolls, you’ll see quite of few of our links spread around, lol. Including Danny’s! So I’ll grab their theoretical dollar values from the “Website Outlook” site and simply chart them in Excel. Not only to amuse my analytical nature, but to get an idea of the blog activity in the otakusphere in general, hehe… You’re right, I’m not questioning he’s a super-nice guy. He’s possibly *too* nice. But your reasons for leaving “DC” are pretty common in the otakusphere. Including mine. Exactly, a flood of posts. But typically yielding little value beyond the comfortable chat of comrades. Which is fine and cool too, if that’s your preference… Who knows what a *good* blogger is, right? That’s based on preference too. But when “it gives off a different feel” like u said, or seems to be undergoing an “identity crisis” like I said, something has changed. And for us common readers or visitors, *not* for the better… Maybe it’s just a natural law of the business world. Money is a tricky thing, lol.
Damn. For the record, I had a real meaty post and visited Dan’s links. Forgetting that I had clicked the link instead of opening it up as a new tab, I closed the tab. Grrr.
Ah, I’m a big girl who can handle those Choo stragglers with a twig if need be. I know you don’t have a Ph.D as blogging isn’t a credible field to declare in formal education, silly! You never once tried to do something, be it have a seminar with a powerpoint presentation filled with the obvious or carry a certain air, indicative that you were the top dog in blogging. For all I know, Danny could be a great blogger, but as it stands, that quality is mired by what the site is transforming into. Adding a question is not a bad thing if used sparingly and is appropriate to the content or style. If you are just incessantly posing a question as filler to get responses or comments, then that’s just, well, desperately trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel for content. Yes, you are, indeed, very lucky to have content that causes me to gravitate to your site. Kidding. That right there just sounds so haughty, haw haw haw *puts hand over mouth* Given how inconsistent I blog and how hectic my schedule is, I doubt I’d grace your Mega Post aside from some snippets or the comment discourse which I do enjoy. Maybe it is easier to verbally express these things than translate it into boguru form. Well, I really like anything, but Queen’s Blade is the nonsensical fun that I’m enjoying right now. I guess I’m just put off with Lucky Star and how the general audience has received it. Well, I guess that in itself is another problem with mainstream, but another time, another day to rant about that.
While I don’t think Jackie is not without merit in some aspect of what he has said, a little tactfulness is due in his situation. I read the article and laughed out loud because I couldn’t believe it. Well, I still love Jackie and am still a fan of his. His flicks are just great!
I am not familiar with DC all that much because I forgot I even had a login to the site and guessed the password for it just recently. I thought maybe that was Danny’s intentions that the Members News would include blog posts, too. He was doing it, so others followed suit. Perhaps, it was his intention all along which, in theory, isn’t that bad of an idea. Everyone is able to post their blog exposures, since it’s loosely translated as news for that individual, but a whole lot of unintelligent nonsense or attention whore-dom quickly reaches the surface. Since, I’m still fairly uninvolved with that, I don’t really care and it’s no real news (haha, get it!) to me, since people have done this before and will continue to do it in the future.
P.S. I don’t remember what movie it is, but seeing Jackie sport koala briefs always brings a smile to my face, haha.
Jem´s last blog post > Lei Fang at the beach
DannyChoo.com kind of changed it’s focus, so it’s not really a surprise that it shed some people along the way. However, I’d say it’s different and not particularly worse or bad on an overall level. I don’t visit that much anymore, because of that shift, but there’s a lot of blogs that picked up what Danny doesn’t do as much anymore. So people can get their fix. It is sweet that he was able to leverage his blog into something that can fund a lot of what he wants to do.
You know Jayman, now that I’ve taken the time to read through your tldr posts, they’re really great reads. I sometimes feel like you’re talking to me or something…while playing foosball. Still, like my index finger gets worn out trying to use the scroll wheel on my mouse that I actually use the slider to scroll past the Jackie Chan section. :)
super rats´s last blog post > Dis Content
@Jem-chan: Dohhh! That’s why I always type in Notepad or Mac’s TextEdit before posting! Oh well, u live, u learn… Haha, I wasn’t really serious about the Ph.D., but I know what u mean about “carrying a certain air” or “desperately scraping the bottom”. Who knows? I’ve always said that Danny’s a nice guy. So who knows what’s actually going on behind the scenes?… LOL, I’m a lucky guy indeed to create a vortex powerful enough to pull your attention towards my blog! LOL, for a second, I thought u wrote “naughty” instead of “haughty”! Hoh-hoh-hoh! But actually, you’ve already graced my blog recently, remember? Our discussion of “otaku trends”? But I didn’t include a screencap or image. Any suggestions for one?… Hmmm, I actually enjoyed “Lucky Star”. I forget how long ago I watched it, but maybe that’s the thing. I haven’t followed-up on its after-hype, so I wouldn’t really know. Has the fandom really gotten that bad?… Yeah, I’m still a Jackie fan. A little confused by his behavior given his freedom-fighting films, but still a fan… Yeah, I think I agree. Besides the “Sankaku” development, nothing really more to add to the DC situation, is there?… Hmmm, koala briefs, lol. For some reason, I’m thinking of Jackie in those “Shanghai Noon” films? Could be it? So how’s the caramel pop-porn?
@Super Rats: Heyyy, have u visited the Toybox before? I’m sure u have, lol. Welcome back!… Yeah, DC has noticeably shifted its focus to its members. Which is fine. Although the “Member News” sections seems to gather the most loyalty and the most hatred, lol… I agree, since the fragmentation, fans can still get their fix elsewhere. But I also agree that he was successful in leveraging his blog. Maybe that’s the point? By treating his blog as a means to something bigger, he lost the focus of blogging as an end in itself?… Hey thanx! That’s great to hear! I don’t mind the “tldr” if it filters out the less-attentive readers, lol. So yeah, thanx again! As for index-finger trauma, can’t help u there! But I hope the fake Jackie subtitles compensated for the pain, haha. ^_^;
A big read, as always. :) And ah, amusing subtitles. I think I watched that show…ages ago…
How come your traffic knows so much about us?! XD -paranoia- I mean, how can it track whether readers are even male or female..? ._.
jenn´s last blog post > Hetalia 5-6: Beach interlude stranded on a long piano
@Jenn-chan: Hehe, thanx, I hope “big” isn’t a bad thing!… Hmm, yeah, I’ve been wondering about that myself. While the information isn’t 100% complete or accurate (and I believe it admits this), my guess is that it derives the demographics from the IP addresses. Which is probably linkable to physical payer addresses. I can understand deriving household census data from a physical address, but I don’t know how it determines *which* household member is actually visiting the site. Hmmm. Maybe via your internet-provider login account? And making a “best guess” of age and gender based on birth and name data? ^_^;
I agree that DC has changed its focus over the time and that theres bound to be an identity crisis.This isnt his hobby anymore but serious business for Danny and therefore the whole thing shifts to a more professional “colder” atmosphere.
I find myself skipping alot of his articles lately since there isnt that much that interests me.My maincatch nowadays are his picture flooded articles.I like to look at nice pictures ^^
Danny has always been a “visual” blogger for me that defines himself mostly through the visual area and not so much through the word.
You on the other hand are more an “input” blogger that writes alot and brings up thoughts.You have your very own,hilarious writing style (i always love to read your Intro and Outro egment) and are able to match alot of topics in biiiig posts.
Whos the better blogger?None of you!
It always depends on what the visitor of the blog is searching for!
Is he searching for a visual or a intellectional stimilus?
You provide the better intellectual one while Danny provides the better visual stimulus
I like to compete Sankaku Complex with The Sun (the newspaper) it isnt very acurate and has an agressive marketing attitude and while noone would admit to read it everybody does
Blowfish´s last blog post > Flame Sorceress Nyx + The Shocking Truth
@FlyingBlow: Ahh, that’s a new perspective! Actually, while I lightly skim both “Danny Choo” and “Sankaku Complex” posts, the more political or social articles on “Sankaku” seem to grab me the most. But you’re right, I agree, the appeal of a blog depends on what the reader is looking for. I just hope Jem-chan doesn’t argue with u, haha! Luckily, I have her on my side! Which is probably a good thing. ^_~
@Jay: Nah, no arguing. I, too, can be civil at times. I agree that it was a great perspective. I like pictures, but I have been looking for some text to reel me in. Right now, I guess I can’t really appreciate pictures. I prefer Sankaku also for the wide array of articles posted there
@Blow: Well, there is no need to argue with you, but if you want to get punished then that can be arr…Ooops!
Jem´s last blog post > Lei Fang at the beach
I never really thought of DC as a new site or a fan site- for me it’s more of a online community, but that’s probably because I signed up quite recently. It’s funny- I always thought that if you can make money by blogging, why not take that opportunity? And yet it seems that some people are against the whole idea, like the folks at WordPress (although I suspect their reasons are more commercial).
I’d have to agree with Blowfish though- I don’t really read much of Danny’s articles, just giving them a cursory glance and maybe a brief comment, but the Japan photoshoots are the biggest attraction for me as well.
Besides the factors that you’ve mentioned above in relation to Sankaku and DC, I was wondering if user anonymity had a hand in the sites popularity. The requirement to have an account and strict community moderation over at DC would probably keep all the trolls and dimwits away- away to Sankaku where just about anybody can comment on something.
As for websiteoutlook.com, I used it a month ago on the major sites… youtube had like, 400million? 4.xbillion? I forget. It never really explained how it worked too (or I didn’t bother to take a look around), but I guessed it meant that that that value would be the based on page views and not actual income generated from ads. As usual, my site is exempted from using it:/
Why do I blog? As I said over at Mimi’s, I’ve forgotten. It’s just that I don’t like to give up once I’ve started doing something that keeps me going, I suppose. Very nice captions too, by the way:)
@ Jem: Lucky Star? Loved the show (and Konata), but the hype should have ended a long time ago. They just won’t let it rest…
aprilius20´s last blog post > French greens taste excellent, but printed nonsense is still nonsense
@Jem-chan: Damn, no death match? I was looking forward to some bone-crunching blood-smearing mayhem, haha. I’ll just have to be patient… Aww, I’m flattered my text could “reel u in”, lol. I agree. With the endless flood of photos and drawings and other images across the blogosphere, sometimes the artful use of text can make a big difference. Especially its cybernetic use, lol. ^_~
@A20: No, you’re right, DC is a community as well, even more so with its “Member News” section. But the core of that community is its site, and especially its creator. Instead, there’s a second guest blogger?… Moreover, I agree, there’s no reason *not* to make money from blogging. But there can be side-effects or reactions if a once-unprofitable blog gradually becomes profitable. Or if the perceived intent changes from simple self-expression to commercial profit. Stuff like that, lol… I also agree with Danny’s Japanese slice-of-life photoshoots. Those seem to retain the most appeal or value for me too… Hmm, anonymity might be a factor. Then again, on DC, u could theoretically create a generic or misleading account. So maybe the true factor is *laziness* in creating one, haha… Concerning WebsiteOutlook, yeah, probably a mix of page views, length of stay, international reach, etc. I never really dug deeper than the mathematical amusement, lol. But if anything, I gain a better general idea of the activity, the ebbs and flows, within the otaku blogosphere… Hmm, the concept of giving up? Yeah, that’s part of it. Plus seeing how far one can push himself or herself socially, intellectually or artistically. And of course, enjoying the willing participation and like-minded entertainment of a few good otaku, right? ^o^
@Jay: I think the reason why I have gravitated towards language more is due to my keen interest in literature and the aggravation of dealing with unintelligent people, haha. Since, I technically wasn’t born here, I really had to learn a great deal of understanding for the language. I don’t discredit beautiful pictures, but I’m more interested in seeing how a person can articulate themselves to me.
@Aprilius: Oh man, yes… Initially, I really liked Lucky Star because it was funny and made fun of the stereotypes. I, too, like Konata. Now, you see a flood of merchandise and it’s just a race of how many of this character can we make and milk for all it’s worth. I initially liked The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, but so much damn Haruhi pisses me off now. This is a great example of taking a good thing and turning it into something bad…well for me at least.
Jem´s last blog post > Lei Fang at the beach
@Jem-chan: If u haven’t already noticed, I love to write. Not just simply, or logically, but also with a sense of rhythm, style or having fun, hehe. So it’s always gratifying and inspiring when someone else “gets it” and can share that same wavelength at the same intensity… It doesn’t happen often. But when it does, it’s epic. ^_~
@Jem: I thought Danny was invited to the blogging seminar(s)? If I were him, I doubt I would refuse the offer. ^^;
Regarding dannychoo.com, I’ve found myself spending less time there as of late, or just skimming the various articles. I started reading regularly in ….late 2007 was it? The content+community was what drew me in initially, but now it’s gotten so big that’s it’s hard to keep up. (Well, RL and a bigger blogroll are major factors as well.) I still scour the member news for content that I wouldn’t have found otherwise, but most of the posts aren’t relevant to my interests nowadays. I believe his original intent was for members to post industry news as well as links to personal blogs. He’s always been the type to make sure others get exposure (hence the featured feeds/otaku.fm) but now there are too many posts that are probably better suited for a forum or blog, and it’s way too distracting. (I’ll admit I’ve posted some bad news items myself, but I have my own blog now where I can spew all kinds of crap xD) But things like this are bound to happen to any site that gets popular enough. Focus shifts, changes are made, and older members are left wondering what happened to the place they were familiar with.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love the site. It’s one of the places that first introduced me to the otaku blogosphere and figure collecting, as well as a lot of really rad people. Not to mention that his motivational posts have actually made an impact on me, especially during “omg wtf am I going to do with my life” senior year.
I fit right into your main demographic xD I wonder if you really have 8% of 3-11 year olds reading?
@Coco-chan: Ahh, possibly! In that case, if Danny was indeed invited, then refusing the offer might look bad too. I’ll let Jem-chan answer the rest, hehe.
{Nods} Yeah, I share almost exactly the same reasons for my fewer visits… Wait, when did u get your own blog? Hahaha, teasing of course!… Ahh, “left wondering what happened to the place they were familiar with”, that’s a great way to say it. Like a music band that suddenly hits #1. Or a little town suddenly over-developed, hehe. But that band or town still holds some cool memories.
A-ha! So both you and Mimi-chan are responsible for the demographics! Hmm, 8% ? Oh, that 8% represents the general average across the web. So then the 86 Index next to it indicates that my site attracts only 86% of that 8% reference average. Or just 6.9%. Hmm, I wonder. If any 3-to-11-year-old kids are visiting, it’s gotta be for the “Sailor Moon” and “Naruto” posts, hahaha. ^o^
@Jay: Yup, that does happen quite often. I suppose it couldn’t be helped in DC’s case- I wasn’t there long enough, but I think it was a gradual shift, so I suppose old viewers had time to adjust to it.
And when he started linking up with companies like GSC- I suppose it was inevitable. As for the guest bloggers, it does seem to give the impression that he doesn’t have as much time for the site that he used to have. I didn’t really mind the concept- just more to read, after all, but I was rather surprised that the guest bloggers didn’t get a special category separate from member news. Normally one would think that a guest blogger would be placed on equal ground with the main writer, but meh. The current guest blogger is a Phillipine cosplayer, I think (lovely lass too, which should attract more visitors^^;), but I haven’t been able to find her posts on DC as of yet. Too lazy to use the search box, lol
As for kids and the two anime posts… I suppose that would explain why the Naruto post doesn’t have any comments on it- “oooh the cute cat faced ninja boy! And that pink haired girl! Mommy can I dye my hair pink too? Right Click Save, and runs off performing jutsu hand signs”. Yeah, that seems quite plausible, haha! As for the older readers of that post, to be fair, it’s probably the ‘Narutard’ stigma^^;
aprilius20´s last blog post > French greens taste excellent, but printed nonsense is still nonsense
@A20: Actually, there was an intense war on DC last year among the Filipino readers over Alodia’s “genuine”-ness (I believe), including raves for her and rants smashing her on either side of the fence. Danny mentions the Alodia-bashing “Toycon 2008” link on his “No Bashing” post here, but he’s cleaned up the “Toycon 2008” post since then, haha. Pretty intriguing… As for “Naruto” and “Sailor Moon”, I’m not sure if you’re joking or not! Because I was joking with Coco-chan, lol. Thankfully, I still enjoy “Naruto – Season 4” for its mindless action-packed fun. Indubitably entertaining during my just-as-mindless treadmill runs, lol. Indubitably.
@….everyone?
All similar reasons why I stopped going to DC, even though I wasn’t there for very long. But poking around on there did net me some readers for my own little blog, and that was nice (like Jay! <3 ).
I think the site would be well served with an actual forum though. I think the sense of community he promotes is really great and all, but with so many readers and posters it can get easily get out of hand.
And anyway, while I don’t visit the actual site much anymore, he did Facebook me, so I follow him on there a bit. I do still enjoy his pictures of Japan and figure images when he goes to to some sort of event or gets in a new haul.
Kris´s last blog post > Afro Samurai
@Jay: Last year? Guess I wasn’t around then.Mmm, tried clicking on the ‘no bashing; link but gave up- took forever to not load^^;
I was joking about the Naruto post- or not, depending on how you take it. I know it does sound like a joke, but from what I’ve seen online there really is a sort of stigma attached to newbies to anime who start out on Naruto. Everyone just instantly assumes that they’re just crazy about Naruto, which really is a little mean.
The ‘talkative kid’ bit was related to your reply to Coco: “If any 3-to-11-year-old kids are visiting, it’s gotta be for the “Sailor Moon” and “Naruto” posts, hahaha. ^o^”
…buy all that aside, Naruto is actually quite good in terms of character development and drama- who cares if the fights are stretched like rubber bands when you can do an anime marathon to fully enjoy the opera, eh?
@Kris: Danny on facebook? I added him but don’t really get what he says there- it’s mostly ‘installing SQL server’ or technical things like that, and I just space out: o.0;
aprilius20´s last blog post > Economic Salvation for Japan: Look towards the Light.
@Kris-chan: Awww, really? I found u via DC? Seems so long ago!… Yeah, Danny’s a Facebook friend too, but I eventually hid his news feed (along with 75% of my FB friends). I don’t really need the Twitterese “checking my email” trivia, lol. ^_^
@A20: Hmmm, the “bashing” link still seems fine for me. Yeah, “Naruto” is what it is. Like any other anime (or blog), depends on what the viewer is looking for… Haha, exactly. Like I told Kris-chan, no Twitterese trivia, please.
I love reading these comments
Otaku Dan´s last blog post > Hating the Fandom
@Jay:
Yeah, something to do with a Rei Ayanami figure, I believe. One which I never did manage to acquire. :(
Kris´s last blog post > Afro Samurai
I don’t know if he was invited or not, but I know that he invited some local bloggers. He had this powerpoint presentation with concepts that were just, uh, really, isn’t that obvious, duuuude. If I got invited, I wouldn’t refuse, but I’d actually try to practice what I preach and give a better scope of blogging at it’s best, both with a visual and contextual balance.
I also feel that him merging with GSC and Max Factory has made it more non-personal or “cold”. Of course, when you have many people congregating to his site, you’re bound to connect with other people and enjoy their blogs, so his site was able to do that. I turned off my brain to his site a long time ago and just remembered my login and went back to see what has happened. I didn’t know about the bashing on DC site, but it’s to be expected and he, more or less, had it coming to him. I mean, taking pictures of random schoolgirls looking bewildered coupled with some type of comment that one could be inferred would lead to someone getting upset or something or asking for a link for someone’s photos, haha.
The demographic for this site is really funny, too. I don’t know too many 3-11 where this blog’s content wouldn’t fall on deaf ears.
I really like the comments and thoughts that the posts on here elicit because there are a lot of great minds all around here and it makes me really happy to see that the brain isn’t being wasted.^^
Jem´s last blog post > Lei Fang at the beach
@Dan-man: Hahaha, I’m guessing that’s a *good* thing? Hey, since A20 brought up Alodia, doesn’t the fact that DC now has a second (yup, second, lol) guest blogger just reinforce our nagging disillusionment with DC in general? Or maybe DC is simply a reflection of the anime community, and *that* is what’s causing our nagging disillusionment? (Hehe, nice reference to your “Fandom” post, huh?)
@Kris-chan: Ahh, I see. Was it one of your “Member News” posts? Or maybe one of mine? Nahhh, it has to be someone else’s post, lol.
@Jem-chan: Hmm, fascinating… So hey, if enough Toyboxers clamored to see your version of a “blogging” presentation, would u send it? LOL, and I’ll post it here?… Ah, true about making industry connections. The good, bad and ugly. But listening to what you’re saying, I’m surprised u went back to DC at all. Yeah, I remember that “stormtrooper with school girls” photo. But I think his “news” hijack of 17-yr-old Mimi-chan’s “skirt and thighs” photo possibly crossed the line even further. Possibly. Here’s the “Mimi’s Rage” post which screencaps and links to that DC post. But when u click the link to DC, you’ll notice he eventually replaced that “skirt and thighs” photo, hehe. Then again, when any site gets big enough, a Socratic or Galilean mark of its success is its parade of bashers, ranters and trolls, right?… Hehehe, yeah, I know! Like I told Coco-chan, the 3-11 demographic has gotta be caused by my old “Sailor Moon” and “Naruto” posts or wallpapers. Just gotta be. Which I shamelessly display in the right-most column! LOL!… I agree, I “reeled in” some pretty shady cerebrums from the depths of the otaku soup! But what? Wasted brains? At least, I don’t have the superheroic ability to “turn mine off” like some people, lol. Teasing!
well let me toss in my 2 cent on the whole DC community. I visited DC back in 06 and i joined in 07, I have seen the community grow and it was pretty cool but somehow 85% of the users now have this “if I kiss your ass, you’ll kiss mine” attitude which can be seen in the comments, especially in member’s news. what I don’t like is if you disagree with someone, they treat you like a troll. I think that the reason why so many people join DC nowadays is to promote their own blog.
Otaku Dan´s last blog post > Hating the Fandom
@Dan-man: Yup, no arguments here… While there’s nothing wrong with promoting one’s own blog, if the sole or primary purpose of a community is to do only that, then that community somehow feels “cheapened” to me. Maybe there’s a better word, but that’s the sense that comes to mind… Oops, that was 5 cents. Do u have change? ^_^
@Everyone
Love reading the comments here. :D
As far as DC bashing goes, it’s really inevitable when someone’s that popular. I didn’t know he removed the Mimi’s legs pic though. O.o
If I remember that Toycon post correctly it was someone who had a grudge against Alodia and signed up just to write negative comments. But it seems like every popular cosplayer/artist/blogger/etc has a little group that dislikes them for whatever reason, even if he/she is the nicest person on the internet.
Do 3-11 year olds still watch Sailor Moon? I thought Japanese magical girl shows weren’t popular with kids anymore, considering when 4kids brought over “Mew mew power” and “Magical Doremi” they flopped while that Italian magical fairy show did well-OH GOD I pay too much attention to cartoons for my own good. x[ Well, Sailor moon is better than those shows plot-wise so I guess they might still like it.
Sorry if some of that didn’t make sense. It’s 4AM but I took an 8 hour “nap” (Went to bed at 3PM and woke up at 11 xD) so I’m feeling okay-ish, but my circadian rhythm wants me to go to bed. I think I’ll tuck in now.
@Coco-chan: Awww, thanx, Coco-chan. Your comments too! Me neither, I didn’t know for a while. I’m guessing Danny removed it fairly recently (in the last month, maybe March) since the replacement image features Mio from the 4-week-old show “K-On!”, lol. But that’s a guess… Ah, true, a grudge would make sense. Was the user named “cscentrl”? Because his/her grudge seemed to attack Alodia’s “image” or “honesty”. Especially concerning cosplay contests… Hmm, well, I still get random “Sailor Moon” visits from other countries. So it must still be broadcasted around the world. Then again, nowadays, 3-11-year-olds can be pretty sophisticated or resourceful web users, haha. But u could be right about “4kids” in the US. I don’t even pay attention to American network TV anymore, lol… Haha, hey, it’s fine if u don’t make sense! I mean, I get screwed up too when my 1-hour naps stretch into 3-hour sleeps. Gahhh, that’s annoying, lol. After all, if we enjoyed your “14-yr-old boy” prank, we’ll enjoy pretty much anything, hahaha! But stay tuned, you’re gonna be mentioned in my next mega-post… P.S. Btw, do u have a 468 x 60 “Coco Cafe” banner I can add to my “About” page and random rotation? I think u earned it by now. Right, everyone? ^_^
@Jay: Haha, maybe ‘pimping’ might be a better word^^;;
The way I see it, the only times when linking back to your blog should be forgiven is when there’s more content that you’re linking to that couldn’t be posted in the community. When posting stuff that is more or less the same as the original post, etiquette demands that one mentions that it’s ‘just a reference for personal use, so don’t bother clicking’.
@Dan: That could be another reason why DC feels so ‘clean’, hehe. But you’re right, it does stifle discussion. Main reason why I don’t bother commenting on things I’m not interested in^^;
aprilius20´s last blog post > Economic Salvation for Japan: Look towards the Light.
DC member’s news is full with loads of crap. I could really say that DC has changed. I kinda missed the way it was in few years ago.
Anyway, I like Jackie Chan his movies are great but he’s not the greatest. Bruce Lee is still my number 1 fave martial artist though. If Lee is still alive, he would easily kick Chan’s ass.
RyoBase´s last blog post > Training with Hinako
I don’t even remember when was the last time I visited…it was most likely in the last week or so and I haven’t gone since. I commented on some things and then I started to notice it was just shameless self-promotion on practically most, if not all of the pages. Promotion is fine, but too much definitely gives off a cheapened feel.
haha, nah. I wouldn’t clamor about mine or anyone’s blogging presentation, haha. We can all just gather around, hold hands and blast each other on some deathmatch for a good ‘ol time.
Man, I didn’t even see that leg post. Seriously, what is up with the “Mmmmmm”. Dude, are you married or are you fulfilling the poly amorous ideology or something? I briefly grazed some of the comments and some people are really, well, lame. I was gonna say “pathetic”, but maybe that would’ve been harsh. There are some really nice thighs out there and they typically belong on supermodels who are 5’11. I think that’s just proof to show you that you can expose some skin, regardless of whether or not it looks good, and people will still eat it up as if it’s the first decent bite they’ve ever had their entire lives. Guess, I shouldn’t be surprised since it’s the same behavior with gamers, too.
Methinks Danny might like the moe (see young/pubescent girl) look. I don’t think the arse kissery (<~~~fake word) extends to just the DC community. You see ’em anywhere, really.
Jem´s last blog post > Lei Fang at the beach
@Jem: Blog deathmatch? I just stumbled upon a site called the WBA- World Blog Thunderdome. Quite amusing but a little far-fetched ^^;
http://www.maximumawesome.com/blogthunderdome/bt-about.htm
As they say, “To the winner go the magnificent spoils of victory: fame, adulation, beer. The loser is forbidden from blogging for a period of one month, by order of the World Blogging Organization (WBO). It is hoped the losing blogger will spend the imposed hiatus in deep contemplation on how to make their site not suck.”… wonder what would happen if someone anonymously submitted DC and Sankaku to them^^;
aprilius20´s last blog post > Economic Salvation for Japan: Look towards the Light.
@A20: Ha! I wouldn’t use the word “pimping”, but if it gets the point across, why not? Ah, I see. But the net hasn’t been prone to, or known to, “forgive or forget”, lol. And if you’re gonna write “don’t bother clicking”, why post at all? LOL… But didn’t u know? “Cleanliness is next to godliness”, right? Just don’t ask me who the “god” is, lol.
@RyoBase-man: Yeah, I hear ya. I think a ton of otaku would agree with u there… As for Bruce versus Jackie, I would’ve loved to see more equal-footed fighting, one on one. Instead of Jackie as an evil extra in “Enter the Dragon”, lol.
@Jem-chan: Heyyy, Jem-chan! Haven’t seen u much, hope u aren’t working too feverishly… But yeah, like A20 mentioned above, lots of self-promotional “pimping” going on, lol… Awww, that actually sounds cool! To spend an all-night marathon engaging in death matches! Sounds like “Rock Band” parties which trickle till 1am in the morning (Blog 176), haha. But be warned, I may not be familiar with a specific game, but I can be a wickedly quick learner… Yup, that leg post. “Did someone cross the line?” But you’re right, if it’s the skin of someone who isn’t “untouchable” in terms of fame or finances, then yeah, eyes pop out and “arse kissery” ensues… You could also be right about Danny and the moe “pubescent” look. I mean, that’s the direction in which “pop anime” seems to heading anyway, right?
@A20: LOL, what? I’ve never heard of a blogging death match before! Haha, “blog thunderdome”? Ehh, don’t need no fame. Just the adulation of a few. And I can buy my own hard cider, lol. If I ever need a dose of competition, I can engage in some death-defying 1-on-2 “ninja foosball” (see Blog 199). Yeah.
@Jay: Looked up cscentrl and he/she’s not banned, and I’m pretty sure the original basher was nuked from the site. Funny you should mention the April Fool’s joke, I was looking at my blog stats earlier and it’s the most viewed entry. xD People are going to remember that forever huh.
Oh yeah, banner. Would you like a temporary one for a bit? There’s a pic of Linsay I wanted to use but it’s only partway finished. And I probably won’t be CG-ing until AP tests are over and done with. (Sweet, sweet FREEDOM)
Eh? I’m mentioned in the next megapost? I’m a bit tired now so I’m going to be reading it tomorrow. Wonder what’s on it. O_o
Mmm, I get your point. So perhaps I’ll have to add another rule (I’m making these up on the fly^^;)- reposting is forgivable if, despite similar content, the objective of the post is different? For example, one of my oldest blog posts was a rant on an improperly shaped choco cornet, but I reshaped it into a question for DC- how hard is it to get choco cornets where you live? Sadly I didn’t get any answers from my end of town- would have hit the shops if I did=.=;
@Coco-chan: Ah, I see! So maybe “cscentrl” represented the “pro-Alodia” camp of the flame wars and Danny simply trimmed the “bashing” branches from the tree, lol. As for April Fool’s, I’m not surprised it’s the most-viewed entry. It’s classic! Unfortunately, yup, it’ll be burned into our brains forever, hehe… Sure, no prob! A temporary banner would be cool! Especially if the suffocating fog of AP exams are congesting your lungs, lol. But I loved the AP Physics BC and AP Calculus BC exams! Five for fives! But the AP European History, American History, and English, not so much, ughhh… Yup, my next mega-post. Nothing to worry about. Nothing controversial. Not really, hehe.
@A20: Hmm, in the case of reshaping the objective, wouldn’t that be misleading too? Yours was evil, haha. I mean, if my DC re-post asked, “Do u love Anime X?”, but my original blog post asked, “I really hate Anime X!”, wouldn’t that the suck too? ^_^
Lol, I have my *twisted* objectives^-^
Like in the case of the repost of my Mt. Fuji renovation proposal, I was interested in what the otaku community thought of- unfortunately nearly everyone jumped onto the big statue bandwagon. Although at least one person mentioned something remotely interesting (frightening, actually)- Gundams with pantsu^^;
Hmm, I remember that I did bash Akikan on DC… but I didn’t even bother giving it a mention on my side of the world, hehe:p
aprilius20´s last blog post > Economic Salvation for Japan: Look towards the Light.
@A20: Hehe, wait, what do u mean by the “big statue bandwagon”? Everyone choosing their own giant character? Hahaha.
Yup, I’d hoped for other unique ideas, but basically almost everyone just mentioned what character they’d like to have turned into a statue… *sigh*
aprilius20´s last blog post > Economic Salvation for Japan: Look towards the Light.
@A20: Oh well, ask a silly question, get a silly blah-blah, lol. Maybe more evidence for sheep mentality? What’s the best idea so far?
Just read through the comments and ive gotta agree with the general consens.Its bound to happen when a site becomes big and professional though.
Concerning Sankaku Complex I mainly go there for the Society News aswell but i dont mind the fapping material up there from time to time either ^^
@A20
Sorry that Im so uncreative lol.
there you have the reason for my embarrassment in the diagram hehe
Blowfish´s last blog post > 1/5 Movic Yoko – Boobielicious!
@Jay, lol! I was laughed when I found out that Jackie was played a minor character in Enter The Dragon. But even in one on one fight, Bruce Lee would still whop Chan’s ass, like he did to Chuck Noris. Bruce Lee is just too awesome and got better Asian’s power than Chan. Wanna bet?
RyoBase´s last blog post > Training with Hinako