Reading back over part 1 of this ‘article’, I realised that I’ve wandered a little off track with the original topic, which I will try to rectify…
The subculture that has sprung up around the manga and anime industries is massive and not just limited to the East where it began. If anything, it’s probably one of the things that has brought the East to the Western youth culture in a big way.
Consider the title of this post; the word otaku, a word loosely meaning ‘fan’ in Japanese (though there seems to be some nuances in the use of the word that mean you can’t just call someone an otaku and get away with it) has been accepted as a loanword in the English language. Even then it has it’s negative connotations as stated by Wikipedia:
The term is a loanword from the Japanese language. In English, it is used to refer specifically to any kind of “geek”, though it can sometimes refer to a fan of anime and/or manga. It also is used to refer to people who appear to be obsessed with Japan and its culture. The term serves as a label not unlike Trekkie or fanboy. However, use of the label can be a source of contention among some anime fans, particularly those who are aware of the negative connotations the term has in Japan. Unpleasant stereotypes about otaku prevail in worldwide fan communities, and some anime fans express concern about the effect these more extreme fans can have on the reputation of their hobby (not unlike sentiments in the comic book and science fiction fandoms).
It should be noted that the English term geek is not a precise translation of the Japanese otaku. Otaku has a significantly greater negative connotation than geek does in the West, especially as the term geek has become less derogatory. The term otaku in Japanese occasionally suggests a creepy, obsessive loner who rarely leaves the house. However this is not always the case, and in general use it shares more of a similarity with the English term “enthusiast”. In English, geek can possibly suggest a person who may be socially awkward but who is also intelligent and may be fairly “normal” aside from their interest in certain typically ‘geekish’ pursuits (video games, comic books, computers, etc.). Otaku is closer in connotation to the English nerd, but the closest English-language analogue to otaku is probably the British English term anorak. Both of these English-language terms have more emphatically negative connotations of poor social skills and obsessive interest in a topic that seems strange or boring to others.
So, in other words, the title of this post and the one prior to it, could be “Becoming a nerd”? Hmm… If the shoe fits, I guess…
So… bearing all that in mind, am I still becoming otaku in the pure sense of the word? Perhaps not (at least I hope that is not how people view me), but the tendency is there… Hell, if I consider the sheer amount of time taken recently watching fansubs from friends (rarely leaves the house?) and the ‘obsession’ I have for all things Ghost in the Shell related (I blame that on my fascination for cybernetics and cyberspace), you could write me off as an otaku.
That said, I think I’m nowhere near as bad as some folks I know. And as for obsessions… well, I have to laugh at some of the cosplay threads on some forums I’ve frequented recently. There are some truly awesome cosplay artists… and there are some very very sad ones too.
I will say this though… as a marketing mechanism, the anime and manga culture is frighteningly efficient. Without even looking at the media sales of the DVD’s and books, you have games, figurines, clothing, pin badges, clothing patches, lunch boxes, keyrings, huggable pillows, plush dolls, wall scrolls and more… Sites like JBox (JList is the more adult oriented store), and more locally, AnimeWorx and Akiba help satisfy the many needs of fans. One needs only look through the selection of items there to see how extensive the range of merchandise is. And I can guarantee you this… that most, if not all the people buying from those stores are teenagers and older.
Anime and Manga is not ‘something only kids should be interested in’. It is not just ‘cartoons, comics and toys’. It is something far greater. More mature. Bloodier and darker. Uplifting and joyous. Funny. Sad. It is everything you’d expect from the greatest fantasy books through to the darkest horrors and thrillers. The happiest love stories or the most heart-wrenching of tragedies…
It is a visual culture. And I think it’s here to stay.
“I’m turning Japanese, I think I’m turning Japanese, I really think so…” – apologies to The Vapors…
Recently, myself and John, a friend and colleague at work, were talking about anime and when we’d each first started actively watching anime. By this, he meant watching anime with the knowledge of what it was. For me, that discounts a good chunk of my childhood as although I’d grown up watching Robotech, it wasn’t until much later that I was able to link my favourite shows to the fact that it was not just another cartoon series.
I think the first active foray into anime and manga for me came while I was at college, working for the campus computer services department, one of the few departments to have access to the Internet in 1997. A classmate of mine that was also working there pointed me in the direction of the SUNET FTP server where I found an anime repository, with pictures, sound bytes and low-res video clips from shows such as 3×3 Eyes, Ah! My Goddess, Bubblegum Crisis, etc.
I downloaded many of those pictures in the time I was there and sometime that year I remember buying my first manga magazine from a store that used to sell old overseas publications by weight. That magazine had an article about mecha and referred to Robotech and Macross. It also mentioned shows like Akira and Plastic Little, and little by little I was drawn into the anime world. For some time, my main focus was on Robotech, recalling with fondness the childhood memories of running home from school to watch it on TV before settling down to chores and homework. Sometime that year, my friend Bruno brought over his VHS tapes of Macross Plus which we watched during breaks in our LAN games one weekend. I think, then, that I fell in love with anime (again).
Later, with access to the Internet, I put more and more pieces of the puzzle together to discover that other childhood favourites had also been anime. Shows like Galaxy Rangers, Saber Rider and Star Sheriffs and way way back in the distant past, I recall watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind while visiting somewhere.
However, my first real discovery of anime since the Robotech and Macross craze came with the discovery of the Ghost in the Shell movie in 1998. After that, a colleague of mine, Michelle, let me watch Ninja Scroll and unfortunately, Urotsukid?ji – Legend of the Overfiend, my first experience with the world of ecchi and hentai. I recall being rather shocked at what I’d seen and telling her as much when I returned the VHS cassettes to her the next day. She just smiled and shrugged, telling me that that sort of thing was normal in some anime. Thankfully I learnt that this was not the case and that there were indeed separate categories… though some series tended to border on crossing the lines between them.
I recall finding evidence of a planned TV series and spin-off game called Mission to Avalon, done by Human Code Japan, presenting a space colony cel-shaded anime adventure. I was obsessed with the project, downloading trailers, listening to the music, browsing through screen-shots… I even mailed one of the project artists, Sergio Rosas, sometime ago, when I suddenly saw the site go offline. Sadly, he informed me about the project’s demise and the fact that no further work would be done on it. Truly a pity as it looked as though it could have been quite good.
After that, I recall watching Akira, AD Police, and ultimately, I began collecting the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series and now after a few years I have every DVD except the OVA, the original mangas, the console games and the collectible merchandise, except for one figurine of Motoko Kusanagi, based on her look from the original manga.
In the meantime, friends have introduced me to series such as Trigun, Macross Zero and many more (thanks John, you’re officially my dealer of anime fixes!). I’ve also moved to Johannesburg and gained access to shops like Outer Limits and Animeworx.
Recently, through exposure to the Animax TV channel, I’ve come to see a lot more anime, though admittedly, I’m disappointed with the service the channel provides, considering how disjointed the sequence of the series shown are, let alone the constant repetition.
That said, it’s helped a little with my anime education and has pointed me in the direction of new shows for me to explore, such as Basilisk, Black Lagoon, Eureka Seven, Speedgrapher, Wolf’s Rain, etc.
These in turn have led people like John to take it upon themselves to properly educate me by letting me watch some of their fansubs and boxset collections… such as Burst Angel, Code Geass, Elfen Lied, Gun X Sword, Gundam 00, Hellsing, Kekkaishi, Mai Hime and Mai Otome, Mushishi, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, etc… in the hope that they can get me out of the habit of watching, in their words, badly dubbed versions of good shows, preferring the more purist route of watching the shows in the original Japanese with subtitles.
I hope to do proper reviews of each of them in time, something I’d promised a fellow otaku some time back.
So what is it about anime that makes it so appealing?
Honestly, I think it’s because, as a visual medium, it is truly entertaining and it appeals to a wide and varied audience. And, according respect where respect is due, the Japanese truly are masters of animation, blending stunning matte scenes, action sequences that defy the laws of physics, awesome 3d animation and modelling, and fantastic storylines with some of the most memorable characters I’ve ever seen.
The only thing that doesn’t always grab me is the soundtracks, though composers like Yoko Kanno have gone a long way to change my opinion with their solo work (Macross Plus and Macross Frontier, etc) and their collaborative work (Ghost in the Shell SAC, 2nd Gig and Solid State Society) with the likes of Origa, Ilaria Graziano, Gabriela Robin (though some may argue that Kanno and Robin are one and the same) and Tim Jensen.
Another brilliant composer that has come to my attention is Yuki Kajiura thanks to her work on the Mai Hime and Mai Otome soundtracks. And I’m sure there are many more out there like them.
Let me end on that note for now… More to come later when I have some more time and inspiration.
Update (20/7/2008) : I’ve added some Wikipedia linkage for those interested in looking for more information about the shows and artists mentioned here.
