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/ 7 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.com/2009/03/29/id-sojourner-on-guhroogamesh-and-weeaboos/ http://bluefoxalley.com/2009/03/29/id-sojourner-on-guhroogamesh-and-weeaboos/#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2009 05:20:59 +0000 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.com/?p=2482 Continue reading →]]>

Sakuracon has succeeded in something that CLANNAD ~After Story~ has failed to do: entertain me.

The unfavourable response from group of commentators on ANN baffles me. Yeah. I think the Sakuracon advertisement, which featured a bunch of Japanese pop-culture fans shouting out a bunch of catchphrases, is satiric in nature. Also, it was pretty fun and effective.

A satire is suppose to exaggerate  reality in order to raise awareness. By doing so, the satire is suppose to succeed in affecting people to REFORM. Would you have felt a pang of guilt after witnessing the overzealous profusion by those actors? The advertisement is imploring greater sensibility and moderation in one’s hobbies. By seeing how ridiculous the lovers of “GAY ROCK” and “GUHROOGAMESH” are, hopefully one would reform by showing more maturity when attending an anime con (for example, do not break trees or spank people with paddles).

Is the advertisement insulting? Does it present an inaccurate depiction of anime fandom in America? I am not sure. But I have heard of funny anecdotes of people in my college acting really weeaboos-ish in first semester Japanese classes. How weeaboo can they get? Well, I was told by a friend of mine that he has a female classmate in his first semester Japanese class who friggin imitates the mannerism of L from Death Note. Now that has to suggest something. Man I really do not know what Sakuracon was thinking when they made that ad. It is so blatant in its mocking. While people like me are able to laugh at it and do some self-reflection, there will be others who are not so graceful.

Putting that aside. Let us talk about the fact that there was a parody of the original advertisement that was requested by Sakuracon to be removed off Youtube.

MAN. WHY WAS I ACTING SO POLITE? THE SAKURACON ADVERTISEMENT HAS DONE NOTHING BUT TO INCREASE MY DESIRE TO VISIT A CON FOR THE LULZ.

SO WHY DID SAKURACON DEMAND THAT THE YU-GI-OH PARODY OF THEIR AD BE REMOVED? IT IS A DESERVING (BUT EVIL) SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR OF THE ORIGINAL! UNLESS THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ORIGINAL HAD SUCCEEDED IN DOING, THERE WAS NO NEED TO ASK FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE PARODY!

OH WAIT. I KNOW IT. SAKURACON IS JEALOUS OF THE PARODY BECAUSE THE PARODY EXCEEDS THE ORIGINAL IN ITS AFFEECTIVE ABILITY!!!!

Man… I wanna go to my first con.

Sojourner’s Summary of ID SOJOURNER’s stupidity

1. The Sakuracon advertisement is a sad case of exaggerated and insulting truth.
2. ID SOJOURNER does not hate the ad like the Chicks on Anime because he likes mockery, justified or not.
3. Even if the Sakuracon ad is not 100% accurate, it ought to be grimly taken as a reminder of childish fan behaviour.
4. There is no point in being offended by the “inaccurate depiction.” If you are not like that, good for you. The ad deserves none of your anger and attention.
5. Sakuracon’s request for the removal of the Yu-Gi-Oh ad parody is an oxymoron because the parody has the same message as the ad. Thus, Sakuracon’s actions contradicts the purpose of broadcasting their ad.
6. GUHROOGAMESH!
   

]]> http://bluefoxalley.com/2009/03/29/id-sojourner-on-guhroogamesh-and-weeaboos/feed/ 2 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.com/2009/03/20/why-clannad-the-anime-is-bullshit/ http://bluefoxalley.com/2009/03/20/why-clannad-the-anime-is-bullshit/#comments Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:52:45 +0000 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.com/?p=2444 Continue reading →]]>

You can either read this post or just be contented with this picture.

I do not profess to know much about criticism and it is an easy task to entertain me (I enjoy quite a lot of anime shows that are out there), but there is this incomprehensible tingle in me whenever I watch an episode of this anime. I had my reserves in sharing my thoughts as I thought it be best to wait until the broadcasting has completed before making some form of a conclusion.

So this is my interpretation of what CLANNAD’s gist is ( and if I am wrong, then this post is pointless): When empowered by strong emotions like love and friendship, a person’s thoughts are able to shape the future.

With that in mind, CLANNAD strives to present itself as a subtle and simple philosophical discourse on how we ought to live our lives, and it mainly preaches that happiness is obtainable through positive thinking. Think of the anime as a simplified version of William James’ Is Life Worth Living? complemented with visuals which gives the show an ephemeral aesthetic quality. Fine enough, but it is regretful that the entirety of the anime has been drowned in a stifling compilation of side-stories (suspiciously guilty of pandering to moetakus and the visual novel loyalist under the feeble disguise of promoting the  heartwarming theme of FAMILY-NESS). As a result, the plot, which is the sequence of predicated events leading to Tomoya’s understanding of how he ought to live his life, does not successfully deliver its message with a strong impression.

Those who are guilty of stifling the main message of the anime are, sadly, the popular characters. Kotomi had the honour of drawing first blood by causing the anime to derail from the development of its plot into the narration of her side-story. Of course, moetakus some might argue that it was just a clever device to encourage Tomoya’s understanding of social bonds but that is only convincing if Kotomi’s arc had been centered around Tomoya and the narration of his interiority (his inner thoughts and stuff like that). In fact, if it had been centered around Tomoya, those Kotomi episodes would not have been considered as a Kotomi-arc! Kyou, Ryou and Tomoyo were the lesser of this evil that I speak of; but the tales of the Sunohara siblings, the dorm mistress and Miyazawa dealt the final blow and confirmed my disappointment in CLANNAD. The aforementioned are examples are what hindered CLANNAD from its true potential so is there an example of a minor character who has actually contributed to the development of the main plot? The answer, in my opinion, is yes. Surprisingly, Fuuko, in ID SOJOURNER’s words, despite being retarded person, is a brilliant contributor to Tomoya’s growth as a character and her “daughter-father” relationship with Tomoya foreshadows what is to come in the future. The first few episodes of the first season was about her, but it was not all about her too. It is praiseworthy that during the those “Fuuko episodes,” there was a balance between telling Fuuko’s tale and at the same time have Tomoya’s physical and psychological involvement going as well.

A jolly good fellow known as  E.M. Forster (he is dead) wrote about the difference between plot and story in a novel. Of course, they did not have anime back in then but it does not mean the concept of plot and story is not applicable to anime (I refuse to explain why for the sake of keeping this post short ). The plot is a string of events that are bonded by causality. Something happens and it causes something else to happen next. A story simply refers to an event that captures our interest. In CLANNAD, the plot would be represented by the following sequence:

1. Cynical Tomoya meets Nagisa.
2. Nagisa asks Tomoya to be her friend.
3. Nagisa seeks to revive the drama club.
4. Tomoya, as her friend, offers to help her.
5. While engaged in Nagisa’s affairs, Tomoya is affected by Nagisa’s optimism.
6. Nagisa’s optimism compels Tomoya to rethink his disposition about life.
7. Tomoya eventually falls in love with Nagisa.
8. ???
9. Fuuko end.

As for an example of story or stories, we can see it as follows:

• Kotomi acts moe.
• Kyou gets trapped in the storeroom with Tomoya and awkwardness ensues.
• The dorm mistress realizes that her lover is actually a cat and she becomes interested in furries.
• Sunohara Mei entraps moetakus the audience with her fetish-appealing antics while pretending to contribute to the main theme of FAMILY-ness (but she is voiced by the voice actress of Nanoha. DIVINEEEE BUSSTAAAA).
• Miyazawa introduces us into the realistic world of gangsters. West side is da best. FAMILY-ness is “accentuated” at the same. Respeck.
• Kotomi acts moe.

Suffice to say, the plot is the collective of events that have been intricately contrived through cause and effect. On the other hand, the story, in E.M. Forster’s context, is the vestige of neolithic or paleolithic days when Neanderthal man huddle together while one of them tells how he had managed to pwn a wild beast. What Forster is trying to say is that the story is not as intellectually engaging as the plot because it only requires  curiosity to captivate readers of a novel, or the audience in the context of anime. Thousands of years have passed since humans were simply savages who hang out in caves and gawp over a crude tale of skull smashing, and currently, we have evolved into moetakus people who ogle over animated girls. Basically, nothing has changed. The story still captivates as it appeals to the primitive aspect of our nature, curiosity. We are still doing the same thing. Instead of being critical over what matters, we. the blinded audience, cast the importance of the plot aside and just succumb to the pandering done through relatively irrelevant stories of cute girls.

My message is simply to state how the various side-stories have, through their shameless interruption of the plot, impeded the emotional built up and the overall development of the anime’s plot.  As a result, the side-stories make the main message of the anime unconvincing. Imagine yourself telling a really funny joke to a group of friends and you suddenly derail into talking about something else. Would the punchline be funny after the pause? Sorry CLANNAD, I am not buying it.

P.S.

The most prominent merit that I can see in CLANNAD is also its greatest lie. Its excellent visual art beguiles the audience into forgetting its errors.

MoeKotomiLuv2345: OMG. THE BACKGROUND IS SO CAPTIVATING!

Tomoyo_After: Deshou Deshou? I cry all the time when something emotionally gripping happens!

ID_SOJOURNER: Clannad is sh*t.

MoeKotomiLuv2345: You are just a bitter little kid who does not know how to appreciate the pristine elegance of Clannad!

ID_SOJOURNER: OSH*T. YOU ARE RIGHT! CLANNAD IS SO TOUCHING!

EDIT

• Relentlessflame has notified me of a certain flaw in my post, and I have to agree. I should have indicated the connection between the recurring theme of the significance of family and the moral of the story. CLANNAD, the presence of a family, or social bonds to be specific, constitutes one’s ability to think positively. Tomoya’s experience, through the many tales in the anime, is suppose to make him understand that.

• Lelangir-Lelangir has dazzled me with a frighteningly confusing commentary on his neat little commentary blog anitations (I am not a very smart person) but I am honoured that he has bothered to share his thoughts. I do not think my logic in saying “CLANNAD is bullshit disappointing” includes the original VN, because all faults lie in just the execution of the anime. Being faithful to the VN can be possible by preserving the “spritiual essence” of the VN and infusing it in the anime; faithfulness does not always equate to conformness to the original content. Of course, Kyoani has contrived to mould the content so as to make the anime as linear as possible but that is another story.

• One of the main reasons why I am wrote this post, despite it being pretty obvious to Lelangir, is probably because this anime’s overwhelming popularity can obstruct members of the audience in seeing its flaws. I am just trying to stir the spirit of argumentation (and this post is not only opinion that I have about the anime adaptation).

• I hate tautology. It gave me a headache last semester. I had to do logical translations to prove the tautological nature of statements that were given to me. lol

]]> http://bluefoxalley.com/2009/03/20/why-clannad-the-anime-is-bullshit/feed/ 31 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.com/2008/07/17/nanoha-strikers/ http://bluefoxalley.com/2008/07/17/nanoha-strikers/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:52:55 +0000 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.wordpress.com/?p=418 Continue reading →]]>

Back then, I was only a crybaby.

Crying for help was the only thing I was capable of doing.

And then she came… a beautiful devil angel.

To the stars I was taken… safe from the harm.

From that moment, I told myself that I had to become strong. That is why…

I BECAME THIS.

WTF

I closed my player after gazing upon Ms. LOL-erskates.

]]> http://bluefoxalley.com/2008/07/17/nanoha-strikers/feed/ 10 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.com/2008/05/27/id-sojourner-good-riddance-not-itazura-na-kiss/ http://bluefoxalley.com/2008/05/27/id-sojourner-good-riddance-not-itazura-na-kiss/#comments Mon, 26 May 2008 17:11:43 +0000 The Sojourner http://bluefoxalley.wordpress.com/?p=297 Continue reading →]]>

I HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS

PLEASE! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

WTF

As contrary to popular belief, the cockcroach is not the pinnacle of evolution. There exists a being which is able to adapt and survive in any environment, hence it is at the zenith and not the cockroach.

The Story Begins

One day an otaku was watching an anime featuring a pretty girl. Suddenly, the P-Meister’s aura come across him and a voice fell from the sky: “See that anime girl? Are you enchanted? Want to find one?”

Well, such cases happen to almost every man during a process called puberty. Puberty starts with P, and thus is one of the P-Meister’s speciality!! The Professional-Meister is here to help anyone who has come across such a phenomenon!(Note that phenomenon also start with P!)

Identifying and Defining Key Features

100% of the time, we will not find a girl who has the qualities and looks and physical features of those we admire in animes. Often, lasses in real life have different qualities… We thus have to pick out the right girl for the right otaku right?

 Anyway,

Rule 1: If you don’t find her attractive in any sense, just give up, don’t try to force it

Rule 2: If she is unable to accept the fact that you need anime, then ditch her

 These rules are very basic. Sometimes it takes time for them to accept rule 2. However, if it last more than a month, I think you know what to do. Don’t be a wimp and submit to her, or else she will bully you for the rest of your life.

Picture Learning

Let me put up a picture, i’m sure it will help us focus…

Focus you idiot!!… unless you want to spend eternity being single! The arrows are pointing in odd places… hmm… FOCUS!!

Firstly, a girl needs to have a kind heart. A girl’s character is way more important than her looks. In my opinion, as long as you think she’s HOT, that will do, you don’t have to take your friends’ opinions into account. If in doubt, post a link to her picture under comments(so we can get a good laugh)… However, you should set your own standards based on demand. This quality is essential however. They either have it or they don’t. The fact that she is able to date an otaku shows that she isn’t prejudice and would probably be able to show you true love.

Secondly, a girl should be of benefit to you, not in that erotic way, but in terms of thinking… That means she has to have intelligence thats comparable to yours, or else she won’t be able to understand you. She has to be beneficial to your growth and maturity. Its ok if she’s a little less intelligent, but drop the idea if she’s a TARD.

Thirdly, a girl needs to be honest. I wonder why the third arrow pointed to the hips. Perhaps its due to the common question: ‘are you a virgin?’ Does it matter? No it doesn’t, but honesty is the best answer. The reason why a girl would date otakus is because there are tonnes of other jerk guys out there. How would you know if she’s lying to you… thats the hard part… LOVE HER WITH ALL YOUR HEART. If she lied, then she will feel guilty. At this point she may either ditch you or tell you the truth. If she ditches you, treat it as if you didn’t need her at all. If she lies to you more than once… then its definitely over.

Anyway, here is the labelled diagram.

How to score

Now now, don’t be impatient… Scoring a girl needs patience. It also needs skill. The P-Meister will list them in simple words.

In the previous part, I have been writing that a girl needs to do this… a girl should do that… Have you thought of this in another way? The girl also have her wants and her NEEDS. The girl’s NEEDS i will cover in another heading as it is very huge. Its time to turn this around.

The Physical Aspect

To be any attractive to a girl, there are two rules:

1) Be good looking enough for her…

2) Accept her personal life, interests etc. It would be good if she is an otaku like you, but if she isn’t, don’t force her…

Anyway… Looking good is quite a problem for otakus. Sigh… I know… its important to watch anime all day and not comb your hair, but you want to date a girl like all the guys in anime do right? So make a sacrifice! Looking good affects your first impression. Also, pretty girls tend to like someone who would at least meet the minimum requirements compared to their package. You wouldn’t play Crysis on a pentium 1 would you?

There are 4 aspects in boys/men that determine physical appeal, 1) hair 2) face 3) body 4) attire.

Firstly and obviously, your hair should not be like a bird nest or the comb of a rooster. Messy hair has its own styles. Go to a hairdresser, not one on the roadside but one that is reputable and get your hair fixed. If she likes terrible hair, then its ok, but currently the number of girls i have seen who like bird nest looking hair is 0. Yes yes… spending all that money will cause you not to buy a figurine, but imagine, you are trading a figurine for a potential real life human plushie. (Anime girls turn me on more… but thats another story.)

In terms of face, less can be done. We all all born with unique faces, so try to use your hair to bring out the beauty of your face. HOWEVER… if your face looks like it’s VOLCANO land, meaning having pimples covering one another and having lava(pus) flowing out, do something about it. Some scars follow you for life!

Thirdly, don’t blame weak body on genetics. Every girl likes a hunky boy. Not all… but you stand better chances than being a couch potato. There’s many things u can do. My favourite is to buy a thread mill and a heavy sword… watch a fighting anime and start running… You can replace the heavy sword with a broom if you are out of cash.

Finally, on to attire, I’ll cut it short. Dressing up is important in maintaining your pride and status. It also makes you look more reliable. Girls like reliable men. Spectacles are good too… If you’re bespectacled, get a set of good looking glasses. Don’t do contacts, its for wusses. Once you’re done with this, its time to sharpen ur mind… It is not up to me what you want to wear, but wearing wierd attire in the wrong weather conditions makes you look wierd. Its ok to wear anime like clothing, but in the right weather at the right time.

The Mental Aspect

I won’t say much… its the same as what you expect from her. Here’s a picture. I’m sure men who watch anime are all like that.

WE ALL KNOW WHY TRUTHFULNESS IS PUT THERE!!

Don’t find a girl…

HOHOHO… now that you have met the requirements, its time to find a girl right? No… Relationships don’t work this way. It doesn’t work like hide and seek. One day in your life, you will find a girl who will make your heart beat(OMG! No! not your sister…!)! They will come. The population of women is greater than that of men, thus its easier for a boy to wait for a girl than a girl to wait for a boy. Basically, they will come. Try not to be desperate. Remember my comment on jerk guys, girls who have learnt a hard lesson are more worth dating.

When you finally see one… take the time to get to know her first. She may not fit into the requirements above. Don’t jump into a relationship until you are really sure. Also, do not give up easily. It takes time for girls to realise that otakus are the best. Well if you are already in a relationship, then you’ll learn about her NEEDS. Their NEEDS are HUGE…

NEEDS of a Girl

Gucci bags that cost several figurines are a shortcut to heaven, its like typing a password in certain dating sims to reach the rewards… kekeke… There is more than passwords, the passwords are, HOUSE, CAR AND CREDIT CARD.

However, as proud otakus, we should not use such lame cheats and sacrifice our daily needs of anime and games merchandises. Buying flowers for her once a month will get her to not bother you during your happy hour.(Happy Hour means watching anime! What were you thinking!?) Also, small actions like carrying her bag and giving her a ride on your back are cool romantic actions every manly otaku should do!!

Next, you will have to understand the meaning of PMS. The P part is the P-Meister’s speciality. Basically, P is a wonderful word most of the time… but in this case… P can mean PRE, POST, PRESENT. P-Menstrual Stress, MEH, get used to it!

 Lastly, remember that dating sim you played where you had to remember all the dates? Well… if you don’t play dating sims, its time to start… Dates are important. Remember your first kiss, and even when you first hold hands. Remember to buy flowers on these dates. To make things simple, do everything on the same day in the year. Thats what I did for mine.

GOOD LUCK

Please make sure your pet digimon(the one that resides in your pants) stays unevolved at all times. If it decides to become larger, you may be in trouble. Try stapling it down. If it doesn’t work, nails may do the trick. FINAL WARNING: MAKE SURE THEY HAVE NO BOYFRIENDS AROUND, OR YOU MAY BE PERSECUTED LIKE THE PICTURE BELOW…

 HOHOHO!!! Have fun! If you get slapped, please feedback in the comments section so we can have a good laugh… I’m sorry ladies that I did not post something for you but I am sure you had a little fun reading about guy otakus. However, if you are not satisfied, I do give private tuition for the girls. Send me your contact details or email so we can engage in exciting activities. ANYWAY… *cough*… Thank you very much, I hope you enjoyed this session.

Unimportant Side notes: HOHOHO is banned in Aussie just before last year’s Christmas. This was because HO was a slang that meant whore. This ban led to more people knowing its meaning, thus having a reverse effect. This ban was lifted just before christmas started. Still, its better than HAW HAW HAW… which sounds more like whore whore whore.