I am still alive. This blog is not dead. Hopefully I will write when I have some ideas.

Perhaps this post’s greatest flaw lies in the fact that I will not be utilising any real observations (in the anime industry) to support my claim; rather, I will simply indulge in gross generalisation. But hear me out if you love me.

What Is The Topic?

Generally, there exist two kinds of anime fans: the “old school” fan and the “freshly baked” fan. The freshly baked fans, tend to mind their own business, eagerly consuming contemporary works; but the old school fans see a need to assert their belief that the golden age of anime has long passed, it, fading into the shades of a distant past. The freshly baked ones’ focusing on new anime shows is seen as an iniquity by their old school counterparts; that is to say, “newer fans are noobs because they watch contemporary sh*t and fail to appreciate great stuff like ******, ****** *****, and G**G**G**,” say the old school fans.

The main pillar of the old school faction’s claim is through the mentioning of the excessive use of popular archetypes, familiar plots, and motifs, leading to the asphyxiation of creativity in the anime industry. No, they shall not stand for this, the old school enforcers. They shall make sure that their ignorant colleagues shall see the light, and repent! So, it is believed by the ancients that the anime industry no longer has the vitality to produce shows of praiseworthy merit, and all nice things came from the past.

Why Magical Ferret Begs To Differ

But Magical Ferret begs to differ. The past can never outshine the future! Simply, all pioneering works are an issue of trial and error, or experimentation. Without the guidance of any precedence, that is how older works were created. They either succeed, or disappoint. But it is a different matter when it comes to the consideration of anime works in the future. When anime studios make animes in the future, they have a weapon that their predecessors do not have: the privilege of referring to the past.

Brilliance, in all forms in life, can rarely be imagined as the result of sudden and isolated occurrences. Greatness is the result of reflecting upon accumulated failures in the past, and the reflection and improvisation of pioneering concepts. A simple example can be found in the deeds of a good fellow called Willy Shakingspear, a writing man of the Renaissance period. No doubt, he is well known for writing great works like “Harry Potter”, and “Gonzo’s Romeo X Juliet” (they all came from the UK, so he must have wrote it). But few are aware of the fact that Willy was one who improvised. And when we talk about improvisation, it means something had to precede before improvisation can take place! Before Willy, there was another man who toiled in the uncharted waters of uncertainty. He violated playwright decorum, gave logic the boot, and became a pioneer whose works would eventually inspire Willy in the future. That man, who dared to pierce the heavens with his pen (for the penis mightier than the sword), is Chris Marlol. End of the story. So what is the message that Magical Ferret is trying to deliver? Simply, greatness can be achieved through reflecting on the past! Without Chris Marlol, there would not have been a Willy Shakingspear. Without Chris Marlol, Willy would not have been great. Without Chris and Willy, John Milley could not have produced the awesome sauce “Parrot’s Dice Lost“. Without Strike Witches, there would not be Strike Witches 2. And so on.

But Ah Ha! Here Comes A New Challenger (Who Wants To Kick My Furry Bottocks)!

But now, we are faced with another inquiry: if the future is full of promise, why are newer works so sh*tty as compared to the past?

Well, my friend. That is because your mind is playing tricks on you! It is easy to look at a collective of great works that define a certain period and praise of that period’s splendour, but it is never easy to confidently say that the future will always surpass the past while one is stuck in the slow moving present. For the dust of an age can hardly be visible to many until it has finally settled down.

Let us go back to the example pertaining to Willy Shakingspear. People agree that his time, which happens to be the Renaissance, was a time of great probing and enlightenment! Great works were forged! But how many are aware of the cesspool of mediocre or absolutely worthless works from which those defining masterpieces rose? If greatness can be based on the alphabets, then perhaps most people can only reach up to the letter D, and the outstanding ones, probably Q. Finally those supernova of excellence are the marks of those who went on to claim R or S. But then, how many are able to  reach that extent? (Protip: Go study statistics)

Those who reside in the ongoing present can hardly sense any form of potential or promise as his/her sense is stifled by the presence of the many disappointments, still lingering strongly in their senses. This renders the appreciation of the new successes weaker (only to be enhanced through nostalgia in the future lol). But on the other hand, old school fans can reminisce over a past, strongly imbued by their lingering fond impressions of good old works, while the disappointments of the past are cast aside through forgetfulness. My old uncle Scruffy Ferret whines about how the past is great, but he forgets that we had to constantly flee from Peter The Great Ferret back then.

So…

Magical Ferret can firmly believe that the future will never disappoint! Never!

Also, flat chested prepubescent girls look nicer with modern visual renderings. Old graphics? Ewwww.

P.S. Mayor Jaypee wrote something about the good old days too. But I do not know what he is trying to say.

lolololol

Q: What kind of enemy shoots rainbow at you?

A: The gay kind, obviously!

When it comes to the discussion of bravado, or GAR, in Gurren Lagann, Kamina claims the spotlight (and Simon occasionally). The man himself is a pot brimming with courage, and is very much capable of maintaining an undaunted stand when faced with adversity. Boasting of manly fortitude, he claims a spot in the pantheon of manly man like Dr. Faustus Guy Shishioh and Co.

But I like Gurren Lagann not because it features Kamina the generally acknowledged epitome of manliness, because I beg to differ when it comes to considering him as the sole individual who upholds all that is courageous and spirited. Well, he is brave all all, but I think he has only demonstrated a third of the aspect of having courage. Putting it simply, there are other ways to be GAR; and Kamina’s GAR is complemented by the GARness of his esteemed colleagues in the show. And finally, by their powers combined, we can imagine the quintessential concept of GAR.

At this point, do pardon me if I am meandering in my attempt to profess that Gurren Lagann is awesome, or excellent. However, the treatment of the various GAR facets in TTGL excites me greatly because it is a far more efficient way to preach on GARness than when there is just one person who is quintessentially GAR. In other words, why is it better not to have one character who has all the aspects of GARness in him? Why must we bother having characters who are all individually fragments of what it is to be truly GAR?

Well, in a story, how should one go about revealing a characteristic of a character? The common approach (I use the word “common”  because I cannot help but imagine someone offering a different opinion, for certain reasons) is by putting a character in a scenario and let that character respond accordingly to his/her given nature. Put a cowardly person in a dangerous predicament, and his/her fleeing will revealing that cowardice. Kamina stands firm in the face of danger, revealing courage. Suffice to say, characters have to be given a chance to show what they are made of. Conflicts, interaction, and recounts do that.

This is where the danger lies. Imagine if Kamina were made of Simon GARness, Roussiu GARness, Kittan GARness and all. In addition, let us imagine the situation if the anime strives to reveal every single aspect of Kamina’s all rounded GARness. Given my proposal, you can consider how all that can be presented to the viewers: the show would have to dedicate a significant lump of events that revolves around the unveiling of Kamina’s perfect GARness. I cannot help but consider that a great hindrance to the flow of the story. Of course, I speak of an awfully extreme and unlikely consequence. Splitting up the perfect personification of GARness into various aspects smooths out the development of the story, reducing the need to pay too much focus on a certain character at the expense of other story aspects. So Kamina is not all GAR, but he is diet pepsi GAR. So are the others. Looking at Simon, you can understand an aspect of Kamina without having the story explicitly reveal it to you through the insertion of some scenario, which might be considered trivial for the advancement of the story (I sound vague, I know). I call it Division of Labour.

So I now end my highly boring and silly rant by attempting to describe the different ways of being GAR, as shown by Kamina and other GAR characters. But my main interest lies in Simon and Roussiu, who both, I believe, are comrades in GAR in TTGL.

The concept of being GAR does not belong to anyone, GAR owns you!

KAMINA

• He is generically courageous?

I find it hard to classify Kamina’s GARness. That is perhaps he does what we would expect a courageous one would do. He is not afraid of a lot of things (most of the time). He faces his challenges despite great odds. He is uh… courageous, ergo GAR.

SIMON

• Possesses the courage to change

Crossing over one’s comfort zone is never an easy affair. Simon, despite his inclination towards timidness and all that is not like Kamina, is driven by his love for his friends to mature and assume a role of great responsibility.

It is never easy to change. Can you ask Shin to stop fapping to pictures of little cartoon girls (remember, fanarts have to be credited)?

ROUSSIU

• Possesses the courage to do the right thing, even when general opinion believes otherwise.

In this case, the general opinion lies in the viewers of TTGL, who have totally been inoculated into the awesomeness of being GAR. Roussiu’s stern adhering of policies causes us to frown upon his disposition. He made painful decisions, and upholds logic more than his emotionally capricious comrades from the Dai Gurren Dan. But that does not make him any less GAR than the boisterous rest.

Roussiu embodies the courage to uphold what he believes is necessary, even if he is a lone wolf in his quest, subjected to the scrutiny of disapproving opinions. GAR? Aye.

So what happens if they all combined into one entity? Simple. GaoGaiGAR.

STAKE UP!!!!!

If you managed to pass beyond the somewhat hilariously awesome picture spam, congratulations to you!

I learned a lesson through a really painful process, all thanks to Akane Iro Ni Somaru Saka. Akasaka is a show that will compel one to keep watching it even if it considered as “bad.” That was pertaining to my circumstances. There were certain elements in the show that were sincere in their cruelty, ripping the many layers of my tolerance and sanity. The generally acceptable opinion (I would perceive it to be) of why Akasaka is “bad” is because of its weak development. But putting that aside, I was made to reflect on a certain matter after noticing another VERY UNIQUE aspect of Akasaka.

Perhaps the most obvious issue in Akasaka is that ALMOST EVERYONE IS NOT PERTURBED BY THE FACT THAT JUNICHI IS INTO HIS SISTER. Surely “socially healthy” people would find it a glaring matter but that is really not what I would want to talk about.

If the implied society of Akasaka is generally fine with the idea that SISTERS ARE FOR HUMPING, then perhaps we ought to accept it as a distinctive, and plausible element of the show. After all, I believe the transcendence of realism and the embracing of plausibility in literary work is an useful approach to convey messages, drive (otherwise unacceptable) the plot, and provide character development. And we can take certain plausible, but not realistic, observations as allegories of some sort, right?

So I confess, I did not enjoy Akasaka; but that did not stop me from finishing the show lol. However, the question I want to put forth is as follows: is it right to dislike something for a lack of realism and an inclination towards plausibility?

Oh dear. Although I would want to say that we ought to be more receptive of a compromise between being realistic and being plausible, I guess I should not have used Akasaka as an example, right. Or maybe it is an example of DOING IT WRONG?

Hey. Now we have to accept the fact that boobs like Tsukasa’s do behave like that conventionally in the world of Akane Iro Ni Somaru Saka eh?

Summary of Akasaka’s Merits and Weaknesses

Merits

1. It is so bad, it  compels one to watch.
2. Yuuhi.
3. Tsuaka’s lulzful boobs.

Weakenesses

1. Forceful conclusion.
2. A travesty in the utilization of plausibility over realism.

]]> http://bluefoxalley.com/2009/07/02/akane-iro-ni-somaru-saka-shall-you-dye-your-slope-with-plausibility-or-realism/feed/ 6 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.com/2009/06/23/on-hating-certain-gundam-shows-no-lol-this-will-be-a-short-one/ http://bluefoxalley.com/2009/06/23/on-hating-certain-gundam-shows-no-lol-this-will-be-a-short-one/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:32:45 +0000 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.com/?p=2674 ]]>

Pardon me if my interpretation of hate does not blend with the cohesiveness of yours. Regardless, endure with me as I shall make this a quick dash past a small topic.

A discussion took place at the Great Congregation of Love, which involved people mentioning about preferring over some Gundam shows over other, and hating some because their merits seem pale in comparison to others.

Hopefully, my esteemed colleagues are not talking about there being people who actually dislike certain constituents of the Gundam franchise because they fail to live up to expectations imbued into them by their favourite ones.

As always, I shall be reiterating the obvious type of opinion (for I am ignorantly guilty of not knowing about what other people have already discussed): a Gundam show should not be criticized on the basis of being an imitation of a predecessor, or if its discourse is not coherent with the ones of highly appraised counterparts.

Surely even within franchise certain works can deviate in the themes expressed, right? For instance, SDF Macross speaks of a very different theme to Macross Frontier. The former celebrates the dawn of human spirit and sentiments, triumphing great odds, while the later is a lament of human dissonance and the rediscovery of love. SDF Macross and Macross Frontier talk about really different ideas.

Oh dear. To summarize it, I do believe all Gundam shows ought to be evaluated with an isolated approach; references to other shows (unless they are sequels) are not required. Wait, am I promoting close criticism of some sort?

Ah yes. I am sorry for stating the obvious.

Relevant post

P.S. Kyoani loyalist, Kaioshin Sama, writes about the problem of being trapped in the quagmire of comparing shows with bad ones in a bid to reduce the merit of the former.

Before K-on comes to an end, I hereby propose Yui to a marriage.

Give us your blessings.

Until the next moe character appears.

Yes. Apparently the end of the world is upon us, because K-ON is ending real soon! Laments include denying moetakus their reason to live, and stuff along that line.

Actually, I doubt it is the end. With the passing of time, there will be new moe brimming shows to captivate the attention of the ever fickle worshippers of all that is adorable (aka moe). Worry not, my friend! There will be new Azu-nyans for your fapping pleasures!

BUT DURING THE MEANTIME, ALLOW ME TO MAKE A DEDICATION:

Where is the tsundere? Where is the dojikko?

Where is the yelper of uguu?

Where are the bearers of cute eyes?

Where are the girls of chests so flat?

Despair! My waifu sojourns through my life and vanishes!

Despair! My waifu is second-hand!

Despair! My waifu has breast!

K-ON does come and go (but not as hard as I do).

Azu-nyan’s nekomimi fades into the mist,

As if she had never purred in the first place.

Salutations to all kindred spirits! My name is Magical Ferret, and I like anime for certain reasons. Since I am a new addition, it is only be courteous if I share a bit of my history. As a child, I grew up with the ambition of wanting to prove Albert Einstein wrong, and help the world to achieve world peace! But it was after watching Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha that I found my true calling. Yes. I want to be a magical ferret, worthy of many hugs from children (preferably girls). Also, my preference in anime lies in those that feature delicious children because they invoke the parental instinct that dwells in my innocent heart.

Well then, I would like to end this brief post with yet another little snippet of what I want to do in life. I like children. Hence, it is my dream to  open an orphanage so that the less fortunate young ones will be able to experience a certain degree of happiness through my loving care. Of course, it is not an easy task. That is why I have contrived a brilliant plan that involves me making an underaged heiress to a vast fortune fall in love with me, and render me as her butler. With the backing of this future mistress (I hope she is 13, and an otaku too!), building an orphanage, a sacred sanctuary, will be possible!

Join me as I persist in my journey to appreciate anime!