And to the faithful, death the gate of life. - John Milton

WARNING: This spiel contains potential spoilers for Superdimension Fortress Macross, as well as IDEON.

Okay. Fess up time. I love brevity in storytelling. Some creations go on far too long for my taste, despite the public’s often endless rabble-rousing for more. There’s just something to me that speaks greater volumes by leaving the viewer/reader with the faintest hint of more outside the page/frame. More often than not, the delivery of more tends to leave me disapointed, and more convinced that things would have been better off left behind, while new mythologies formed. That said, I am a big fan of when characters exit in the most dramatic way possible. That’s right. I love it when characters die. And die well. Call it sadistic, call it what you will. There’s just no way to describe the value of a good, wrenching character exit to throw the protagonists’ future into greater uncertainty.

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The recent theft of costumes and props from an AKB48 set highlights an interesting behavioral pattern. Viewed in a harsh light, it might be seen as a kind of voodoo, a ritual shamanism: obtaining relics of important people so as to be nearer to them and draw upon their power.

Mainichi Japan concludes its article on the incident with a tell-tale quote: “We intended to sell the items after getting tired of looking at them.” At once the frivolity of the exercise is laid bare: having no practical use for girls’ clothing or specially made signboards, all the boys really could do is look at the objects.

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It’s no big secret that I am a Haruhi Suzumiya fan. I think I have watched the first season no less then five times all the way through, sometimes in chronological order, sometimes in broadcast order.  I have the soundtrack, I sing along to the words of the songs while driving despite not being able to speak Japanese, and I even helped direct and edit a short parody of the Hare Hare Yukai dance for my local anime club…

So why is it I have yet to finish watching the second season?

It’s not because I’m some purest who thinks it is inferior and unwatchable.  Not at all.  It’s not that I am pissed off because of the whole “Endless Eight” fiasco.  Nope.  When I do actually sit down to view it, I enjoy it quite a bit.  It’s just there have been a series of unfortunate events that have so far prevented me for being able to finish it.  Which we will now examine.

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The whole principle is wrong; it’s like demanding that grown men live on skim milk because the baby can’t eat steak.

- Robert Heinlein (commonly attributed to Mark Twain)

Fans raged on twitter and IRC channels today as FUNimation announced that Dance in the Vampire Bund DVDs would be released censored. Ordinarily, broadcast versions of risque anime are censored, and DVD versions contain the full content as an extra enticement for fans to purchase the DVDs. In an age of increasing backlash against the sexualization of minors, however, FUNimation may be feeling the pressure to conform to Western social norms.

The announcement was made at the official FUNimation blog:

After viewing the unedited as well as the Japanese broadcast edit of the series Dance in the Vampire Bund, we have determined the series contains controversial elements which, when taken out of context, could be objectionable to some audiences.

With this in mind and with approval of the licensor, we will edit select scenes from the series in streaming and home entertainment release. These are scenes which are inappropriate for U.S. viewing and are not essential to the storyline.

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Good artists copy; great artists steal.

- Attributed to Pablo Picasso

What is the difference between copying something and stealing it?  To copy is to mimic, to ape, at all steps being cognizant of the fact that the thing you are copying is not your own.  To steal is to take something and make it your own.  Therein lies the fundamental difference in attitude between the technically competent and the great: an artist who merely copies without making a work his own has not imparted his own style and has not truly produced something worthy of being called art.  He is a failure as an artist.  A great artist, no matter how much he may superficially use the styles of others, leaves his own mark on things.

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The Anime Diet State of the Union Address

– By Ray Hu, representing all for this moment in time.

February 26, 2010

My fellow Otakus:

As Anime Diet enters its third year, I’m reminded of the tracks that we have carved in the history of anime fandom. As fellow anime lovers, or otakus, if you so dare, we have been fighting. Yes, fighting. Just as you have struggled through the last decade engaged in mortal combat with changes, finance issues, work, school, relationships, and any other seemingly trivial but strong foes. You have waged war with the enemies with all your heart, your might and your strength, and at the end of the grueling match, you have come out on top, and that’s why you’re reading and hearing this. I congratulate you for your bravery and resourcefulness in managing social upheavals as well as other concerns that have been of the utmost importance in your lives. As for us,

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My roommate, having exhausted some of the current shows this season, was looking for some other anime to watch. Some time ago, when we were trawling through the anime section of Best Buy, I saw Maburaho and suggested that he might like it. Well, last night, we decided to finally check out the first three episodes. Here are some observations.

• This feels more like Love Hina as a harem show than, say, a more “modern” example like Baka Test.
• Why are “main girls” so often pink-haired? It’s true here, and in Zero no Tsukaima, Baka Test, Rosario + Vampire…the list goes on.
• I was still relatively new to anime in 2003, which is when this show was released. I remember that it was considered extremely racy for its time. Now, in the Kanokon-Queens Blade-Seikon no Quasar age it looks rather tame.
• The only little sister-like character we encountered so far (episode 3) was not really fetishized. The imouto loli lovin’ hadn’t quite begun yet at all.
• There was a startling amount of plot accomplished in the first episode, more than I expected. Not that it’s a good plot, mind you–it’s as full of holes as any show of its ilk–but until the mindless haremette chasing begins in the second half it felt kinda, well, meaty. In both senses of the word.
• The pacing seemed a bit slower, almost limp by today’s standards. Or was it unusually slow for its time too?
• It’s a testament to how things change so fast these days that a show that is merely seven years old already feels like it comes from another time: before Haruhi, before the wholesale moe takeover, etc. Though of course the formula is pretty well in place.

We watched some Rosario + Vampire after that, and in the space of five years, the animation quality, the action styles, and even the introduction of snarky self-referential humor: all were in place for a “current” anime.

Now I’m told that this show becomes a lot more than just a harem comedy later on. I’m not sure I’m interested enough to check it out further, but the experience was instructive. Or, I could be generalizing irresponsibly based on a tiny sample size. What do you think?

As spring approaches, Valentine’s Day is upon us, and even the most hardened anime otaku’s thoughts must turn to love.

Though some resist this destiny, I will not run, scream, or fight. I have always been of the opinion that the most important decisions are those you make in an instant and stick with for a lifetime.

Therefore, in accordance with time-honored tradition,

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February 14th….

The date sends chills down the spines of many a single person, and mental images of high numbers through the brains of chocolate & confectionary companies. It’s hardly any surprise that so many of us fall sucker to the week-plus wait for our opportunities to proclaim admiration for our hopefully mutual adored. It’s practically wetwired into our consciousnesses soon after grade school. It sometimes even haunts our dreams during those crucial high school years, where often awkwardness ensues. All those expectations, it’s easy to be swept away by the bland uniformity of it all.

And what of the “lowly” otaku/fanboy/girl/outcast? What of them? As human as anyone else, those on alternate social scales experience most to all of the same desires, so why shouldn’t they be allowed the same experiences? This is why sometimes, it seems only natural to lean more toward others with similar interests and tastes. We all know that one friend, acquaintance, or classmate that captures your imagination, makes your day, and perhaps even seems to understand you. The time may eventually come to speak up.

In this; what will hopefully function as a continuing series, I’ll attempt to seek out some sweet, simple ways otaple courtship can actually work.

BUT FIRST. A WARNING

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Madhouse Home Page

A few weeks ago, I sent an email to Madhouse, asking them to check out the petition and thanking them for their efforts. I will disclose the email here (forgive my terrible Japanese, please). The email is to Director Mr. Tanaka and Character Designer Mr. Umehara:

拝啓：田中洋之殿と梅原隆弘殿 Dear Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Umehara – クラモア

わたしの日本語わ全然駄目ですが、これわ大切のことかもうしれません。もし時間があだら、すごしめでください。