(NOTE: Meant to get this published while I was out of town last week, but site issues kept me from accessing the draft to publish it. But it’s still technically the holidays, and it’s in before the year is over, at least going by US EST) In accordance with Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei vol. 4, this holiday season I have decided to celebrate Kurushimimasu in place of Christmas. While many out there in the blogging community have posted their best moments and the things from the past year in anime that have made them thankful, in the spirit of Kurushimimasu here’s my listing of anime-related things that made me suffer and/or despair. So, it’s time to hang my disappointments and frustrations from the Kurushimimasu Tree and indulge in some bitterness and you are all welcome to join me in the comments section with your own contributions to celebrate the holiday. It’s the things that I’ve been irked by from the past year and had to endure hearing about or watching, and while it may seem harsh try to remember that it’s all in fun. Merry Kurushimimasu!
Vocaloids
Why is this popular exactly?
Hate me if you want, but this vocaloid shit is ridiculous. The concept itself is kind of cool, being able to make vocals with just a computer program. But people have gone freaking nuts with it. I just do not understand the god damn obsession with Hatsune Miku and the others that has gripped much of the fandom. They’re not even actual characters that have a backstory or development or anything, other than a few traits thrown in for some of them in descriptions. No vocaloid sounds half as good as a real human singing, hate to break that to you fans. Really, I think the obsession people have originates from deep in the hearts of the most twisted nerd/otaku souls: the ‘singer’ isn’t a real person so the crazed fan never has to think of them in any way other than they mental image they have in their head. A vocaloid will never contradict a fan’s obsessed thoughts about them like a real singer would. A vocaloid will never have a relationship with someone, so the obsessed fan can always hold out hope/lift them up as a pure idol. If you think that last comment is too cynical or disparaging, just look at that shitstorm that happened when the author of Kannagi revealed that Nagi had a boyfriend in her past.
The Lack of Mecha This Year
I feel like something’s missing here…
Despite the PURE WIN that was MS Igloo 2, there were only those three episodes plus season 2 of Gundam 00 (which was a poor substitute for a true mecha series) for us mecha fans this past year. You could include Shin Mazinger Z, but I wouldn’t since that’s a Super Robot show and mecha has pretty much come to mean Real Robot shows. And the upcoming winter season is continuing this starvation for mecha fans. I feel like we need to make one of those Save the Children commercials except for mecha fans. Set it to some sad music and have a montage of mecha fans going through withdrawal. Please anime studios, for less than it costs to make yet another harem anime you can feed the thousands of mecha fans in their time of need. To show how your contribution is helping, you’ll receive quarterly earnings reports detailing how your series is selling thousands of model kits and other merchandise. Please, think of the fanboys and fangirls.
Turning Graham Acre into Bushido Bob
Observe how Gundam 00’s writers turned one of their few good characters into crap.
Speaking of. There was a lot to hate about Gundam 00. A lot. The weak, oversimplified, pretentious, uniformed attempts at using real geopolitics and suggesting how to change the world. The insufferable main characters who I wished long and painful deaths upon every moment that I watched the show. The endless deus ex machina that allowed the forces of terror and instability (Celestial Being) to escape the justice that they deserved. There are many examples. But the reason I kept watching the show was because there were a few things that were done well: the ‘bad guys’ who fought against Celestial Being. The people who actually had the best interests of humanity in mind, who bravely faced down the evil that was Celestial Being. And my favorite among them from the first season (alongside Prince Ali al Sarshes) was Graham Acre. He fought the enemy with both professionalism and suave. He was a leader of men, and repeatedly led his squadron of Flag mobile suits (my favorite MS from the series) out in defense of Union. The Flag Fighters worked as a team, and he also had the guts to stand by his men and to get them the very best equipment.
Well, that was in season 1. After his death that no one ever believed for a second was his death at the end of the first season, he reappeared in the form of Bushido Bob, a weaboo solo fighter who imitated Japanese swordsmanship and martial code while not following orders and generally disgracing his former reputation. I should have known that Gundam 00 would ruin one of the few good things about it. Same deal with how Louise actually became a decent, self-confident, and impressive individual, only to be turned back into a docile doll who couldn’t think for herself and had to hang on Saji’s arm all the time. Fuck, at least they didn’t ruin Patrick and Kati by the end.
People Obsessing Over A Few Animation Glitches in Minami Ke: Okaeri
Your disproportionate complaints make Chiaki cry. Is that what you wanted?! Huh?!
While I understand pointing out issues with quality control and whatnot, I was really, really surprised by how much people made a big fuss out of some problems with the animation in Minmi Ke: Okaeri. It went beyond just pointing them out, people just attacked the show for them. And to be honest I barely noticed most of them. Did they affect the quality of the jokes? No. Did they ruin the comedic atmosphere? No. The shut the fuck up and enjoy the comedy. Without Okaeri, we wouldn’t have has such great moments as the Curry no Yousei scene.
The Continuing Degradation of the Once Great Adult Swim
If you’re lucky.
Plenty can be said of the they’re-not-even-trying-anymore, stoner-oriented content that is half of what is aired on Adult Swim these days, but this is an anime blog so I’m going to concentrate on my beef with Adult Swim’s anime series, or should I say the lack thereof anymore. Perhaps I am old and bitter when it comes to AS. I’ve watched it ever since it started back when I was in late elementary or early middle school, and I watched the Toonami Midnight Run eventually turn into AS. Eventually it became an every night thing, showing all different anime series and later on added some original comedy series on Sunday nights. Today it’s 6 days a week comedy, at least half of it anymore being absolute crap (Superjail, Squidbillies, Xavier, etc) though there are some great series as well (Robot Chicken, Titan Maximum, The Boondocks.) But there is only one night of anime anymore, and it’s only ever the big name series like Bleach and Code Geass. Adding insult to injury, in the past year (on one of the few occasions I watched it) the ‘bumps’ during the breaks sometimes even actively made fun of their anime show and the fans of them. What a way to treat the fanbase that got you started.
Back in my day, we walked fifteen miles in the snow…I mean, AS introduced me and so many others to great anime every night, with the premiers on Saturday and Sunday nights. The AS that I knew and loved introduced me to Gundam 0083, Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, and Outlaw Star. And it even showed less well known/popular series like Milk-chan and Paranoia Agent. Even if they didn’t go almost completely over to the low budget comedy side of things, I couldn’t imagine AS today taking a chance on the more obscure shows like they did. Granted, this slide towards suck didn’t just occur this year, it just continued along a path it’s been on for a few years now. And it’s not like it’s exactly necessary anymore with the proliferation of high speed connections and fansubbing groups. But it still pisses me off every time I flip past Cartoon Network at night, so I’m writing about it here.
Inuyasha Kanketsuhen Killing Off Two of My Favorite Characters
Kikiyooooo!!! Kaguraaaa!!!
I’m really pleased with the final season of Inuyasha, with the exception of a few leveling up episodes early on, and I’m excited to see the story finally get its conclusion. While I know that deaths are inevitable near the end of the saga, and while I don’t disagree with the need for this, no Kurushimimasu list would be complete without the suffering inflicted on this fanboy by the deaths of both Kagura and Kikiyo, two of my three favorite characters from the show. Both deaths were handled well and the characters got to go out on something of a high note, getting to be with their loves at the end and Kikiyo even getting a final kiss. But god damn if they weren’t upsetting, both in and of themselves and because I liked the characters so much. And their deaths make my two OTPs impossible! I might have to go and make myself taller if anything happens to Sesshomaru, the last remaining member of my fanboy triumvirate. Inuyasha Kanketsuhen has left me in despair!
15 Comments
A new year’s rant with no mention of K-ON!. I am impress.
As for Vocaloid…funny that I never actually bothered wondering why it’s so popular as it is. I suppose Miku looks sorta hot but that can’t be it. Personally I have zero aptitude in music so I haven’t even bothered with the whole thing. Oh well, it’s not like at least half of the Western Touhou fandom didn’t consist of people who have never played the games.
I’ve long been wandering, why exactly do people claim that the concept of the 00 Gundam is based on ” weak, oversimplified, pretentious, uniformed attempts at using real geopolitics and suggesting how to change the world”. My pick is with “oversimplified” and “uninformed”. Care to elaborate?
From my pre-New Year state, the idea of defeating the militaries and rendering the superpowers powerless to unite them does make sense. (That’s realism or game theoretical modelling of one) The idea of uniting defeated superpowers under one armed forces that later eschew the will of individual members also makes sense. (That is string of though called functionalism). The idea that an organisation with intelligence network superior to all national ones combined and with weaponry several generations ahead -notably without need for supply lines – can implement also does make sense. Of course, along the way some simplifications were made, but overall the ideas of 00 Gundam are fresh and – perhaps accidentally – intelligent.
Were it so easy to beat three super powers at once and roundly defeat them, superior technology does not equate to an easy win nor even a win at all. Moreover if only FARC could be defeated by burning one cocaine field and if only the IRA would lay down its arms at the mere sight of a superior weapon… Also the resolution of the Tamil conflict in a mere two days when the Indian intervention ended with failure is a bit far fetched. You’re talking theory and as much as writing out logistics is sound “in theory” it will never translate into reality soldiers need to eat, machines need parts and grease. It’s all fine and dandy if they don’t need fuel, but what about water and grease?
Fundamentally the F-22 and a Predator Drone is a fair bit more advanced than a dude with an AK-47 and an IED with a pressure plate switch made of saw blades and yet CENTCOM isn’t a picnic. Even the best intel agency can fail the Mossad didn’t even the the Yom Kippur war coming. Fresh perhaps, intelligent…well I think not, but believe what you want. It just sounds like wishful thinking to believe that a weapon system that is generations ahead of it’s time will solve everything, hell it’s not like the Me-262 swept the Allies out of the skies nor did it mean that a P-51 couldn’t get the jump on one that was landing.
I can’t deny the cuteness of Hatsune Miku, but I could never get into the vocaloid music. I also don’t understand this hubbub about Black Rock Shooter. I guess it looks cool, but from some of the buzzing I’ve heard, it sounds like it’s supposed to be the freaking second coming.
I think the problem with the 2nd Season of 00 wasn’t the geopolitics, so much as the retardation of ridiculously rapid shingata expansionism and some of the really dumb effects that the 00 system brought, which I felt were just a big cop out (though I tolerated the floating naked people in space, because apparently that’s just Sunrise’s thing :d ).
As for Vocaloid, I’m not sure how the development of its fandom is all that much different at all.
Additionally, even if they don’t sound as good as real vocals (assuming the vocalist has had the requisite training to be any good in the first place), they’re *infinitely* cheaper, and *infinitely* more accessible, especially for people without many without the sort of connections to find a decent vocalist they can keep in regular company.
If anything, you could call Vocaloids a handy tool for a lot of potentially skilled composers who can’t afford or find vocalist. The most obvious one being supercell (who’s work with Miku’s basically launched his career and allowed him to get a real vocalist). And that’s what the main driving power behind Vocaloid is, honestly. It’s not like the vocaloids themselves are masterpieces of music or simulation, but it’s unlocked a big pool of fairly decent (though equally many not-so-decent) composing talent, whose music might have not caught so many eyes were it left off-vocal. Yet at the same time, people are still prone to attaching recognition to the most recognizably human part of the music (vocals), rather than something more invisible (composer), though obviously people into music know the difference well enough.
Either way, the Vocaloid’s success is the combination of revealing a lot of unknown composing talent, in combination with the very obviously successful fan-defined characterization model.
I don’t know EO, your forgetting there is still a Gundam 00 movie… There is moar than enough time to ruin patrick and kati
btw, what was wrong with the site: i thought impz had finally died or something…
No K-ON rant is one thing. I’m more surprised at no OEG.
As for Vocaloids, I’m simply indifferent about them. The don’t appear in anime and don’t effect my anime viewing experience or the discussions afterwards, and so long as they stay out of that then I’ll continue to remain indifferent to them. At least that was the case until they announced the Black Rock Shooter anime. My opinion of vocaloids now rests solely on how that anime turns out.
The missing of mecha anime is obvious this year and will remain throughout at least next season. Well, I think this is a normal trend. When something is so popular, everyone will produce the same thing over and over until it’s bloated and saturated. Then after a while, people will start missing it and surely a knight in shining armor will appear. I’m sure things will change soon
I’m rather fond of vocaloid performances, and they’re no worse than what’s popular in today’s pop. With the rise of the wretched autotuning rapper, any semblance of standards in music has been obliterated, so why not go all the way?
I agree. Vocaloid doesn’t sound much like a real voice, but it certainly is unique. I think of it more as an instrument than a voice synth. Plus, they give aspiring composers a new tool to their music. And if you actually listen to them instead of dismissing it as crap. Not that the fandom has grown a bit unseemly. But hey! That means more music, and more Doujins. So it all works out.
@ NovaJinx
Haha, I actually liked K-ON myself. I didn’t think it was amazing or anything, but it was a decent dose of comedy during the season it played. However the amount of rabid fans it has is kind of disturbing.
@ Deckard
Not to lay into you too much or cover the same things that Crusader did, but there was so much wrong with what they tried doing in Gundam 00. Sure, it was a neat idea in theory to combine roughly real world geopolitics into Gundam, but the complicated reality of international relations does not work kindly with the gross oversimplifications of a story like the show had.
States banding together against a common enemy is certainly something that makes sense, but I have two problems with it in Gundam 00. One, plenty of states have united against common foes and never united politically, some even becoming enemies afterwards. My examples would be the WWII allies and the cooperation/turning a blind eye between the US and China in matters of terrorism. Not saying that it isn’t possible, but it would take a situation more extraordinary than what CB did. Two, as powerful a terrorist organization as Celestial Being was, there were a terrorist group, not an existential threat to the existence of any of the superpowers. Sure they caused problems, but with only four mobile suits all they could do was make strikes. They didn’t have the soldiers necessary to occupy territory or stage coups. And all their deus ex machina upgrades and abilities prevented what would have happened in real life: one of their advanced units would get hit by a chance shot, shot down by a skilled pilot, or been picked off while docking. The Me-262 example is a good one, and there are plenty of cases of obsolete weapons systems defeated much more advanced ones.
More oversimplification and a lack of understanding of history and human nature is inherent in how CB tried to end wars. Crusader mentioned Sri Lanka in his reply, and that’s a great example. Insurgencies like that do not utilize big mobile suits or other large military hardware (where on Sri Lanka would you hide those things anyway?), and there’s no such thing as bombing an insurgency into submission. There’s no way someone in their F-22 or Exia can control an army of people running around with small arms, as nice as that would be. Again their lack of numbers comes into play.
I could write a whole post on what’s wrong with Gundam 00 in my opinion, but the time has long since passed. But as an international relations grad student that aspect of the show almost felt like a personal affront with all the fail in it.
@ RP
Exactly! If vocaloids were just ‘out there’ I probably wouldn’t have even taken notice of them, but people are frothing at the mouth talking about how great they are, especially with Black Rock Shooter (sounds like a name for someone who does heroin to me) coming out.
@ ToastCrust
You have a point that they can be a good tool for composers, though the rabid enthusiasm from so many people (all of whom can’t be composers) is pretty annoying.
@ kwantum0
Ugh, I will watch the 00 movie, but I probably won’t like it.
The site was in maintenance mode before as we tried to move old content to the new site. We’ve had a lot of issues with that, but I asked a friend of mine to work it out for us and she seems to have found the main problem and is fixing it. Menoth willing, we’ll have the new site up pretty soon.
@ Scamp
As I mentioned to Jinx, I actually liked K-ON, I just don’t see how it got so much of a following. Ok, well I do see why it has that following (moe moe moe…and lack of male characters to threated otaku fanboys with the prospect of one of their waifu dating someone), but I don’t think that’s a good enough reason to love a show. OEG seems to be withering on the vine, so good riddance to that. I didn’t want to raise their profile, even in a small way, but bringing them up. As for Black Rock Shooter, so far I am not impress, but who knows maybe they’ll invent some personality and story for the vocaloids in it.
@ Canne
Hopefully a mecha savior will come to us in the next year. Except for the occasional UC OVA I’ve lost a lot of faith in the Gundam franchise, and I haven’t heard anything about new Macross lately. What I really am hoping for is a new franchise that takes a UC-style approach to things, but isn’t encumbered by the ‘must have x’ mentality that older franchises seem to have.
@ Niles
True about the autotuning stuff and standards. My main problem with the vocaloid thing is more about the huge, rabid fandom it’s spawned.
As a fellow IR graduate, I sympathise with your view of 00 Gundam’s oversimplification and leaps of faith. However, that does not stop me from appreciating Gundam’s take on IR.
First let me clarify one point raised by both you and Crusader. You don’t ask how magic works or why certain harem characters can survive the injures they get. Similarly, the superiority of Gundams is an essential part of the plot and must be taken as the truth of the Gundam world however disagreeable we find that truth. Thus, four Gundams can easily destroy the AEU reinforced military of Moralia. For that reason, the example of Me-262 does not work as that plane could not simultaneously take on the whole of RAF and come out victorious within a couple of hours. Several tanks at the Battle of Borodino would be more appropriate
You correctly said that the common enemy usually leads to temporary unity, and this is indeed the weak spot of Gundam. The unification happened much to quickly and much of the process was skipped in the narative. The authors solution to this is probably Ribbons. Indeed, throughout the second season the plot informs us that much of the A-Laws hardware and technology was privately funded. From the outfits of Kataron, one can surmise a split within the national militaries. Furthermore, we are told that A-Laws have knowledge of Innovators.
All these are my weak attempt to chance charge of “oversimplification” into “underexposition”, but my – for the moment – final argument in favour of the authors is that you and Crusader have unintentionally exaggerated the power of A-Laws and world government. In particular, note that A-Laws seem to have no government they report to i.e. the World Government is almost entirely absent. I would claim that the authors’ likely intention was not to cast the unified world at that stage as a nation state, but rather as a loose confederation.
As for whether CB was an existential threat to the three superpower, you are correct to say “no”. However, no superpower has ever been put in a position where it’s military capacity was severely damaged by a terrorist organisation that defies any retaliation. Modern IR theory is not fit for the situation because CB is not a nation state, and as a terror group they have a rather odd goal of eliminating war and capabilities far beyond any plausable group. Remember, the superiority of CB and ability to attack anywhere with impunity is the basic premise of the 00 Gundam.
You and Crusader further simplify the plot by equation some terror group’s declaration of disarmament with actual end of that group’s activities. How many times did IRA and ETA declare a cease-fire? How many splinter groups claim the names of these organisation?
As for Crusader’s comment that CENTCOM is no picnic, I have to point out that the IED are a threat only if you are actually there. The fact that, as you say, CB does not attempt to control any territory combined with it’s superiority in intelligence makes it immune to retaliatiory attacks. No matter how much you want to blow up a Gundam, you can’t if there is no Gundam around. The idea of the writers was, as you recall, that by concentrating the hatred of the world on themselves they would be able to unify it and move it closer to peace.
Another important point relating to the last two paragraphs is the source of finance. An AK-47 does not make itself, nor do the bullets and other relating things. War, even guerillia and terrorism, requires money. These funds can come from many sources including national governement and the CB actions, it’s impunity and disregard for political consequences, allow it to attack the flow of funds. In real world, Zlobenia cannot openly kill Moravia’s King because the latter funds partisans in neighbouring Acenia. In the world of Gundam, the CB can do just that.
And this is where I arrive to the much viled part of 00 Gundam – Hallelujah bombing a couple of fields in South America. Sure, that would not be enough to force FARC into submission; however, has anyone tried? All we know is that should the Columbian or any other government try a large scale military campaign that country’s civilian may become terrorist targets in retaliation. However, one cannot retaliate against CB. Hence, once again, the impunity of CB makes it unlike any state or even non-state actor. The CB can completely disregard “live and let live” doctrine. Thus, while the Hallelujah’s “brave” bombing run is indeed oversimplification, quite possibly the authors were on the right track.
So is 00 Gundam flawed? Yes. Does it’s plot errs when it comes to IR? Yes. Does it have interesting and – perhaps accidentally – intelligent ideas? Yes, it does. Do I think Aeolia’s plan would work in reality? Not a chance.
On Vocaloids: Some of the compositions on Nico Nico and Youtube are rather hit or miss, ryo and supercell (which includes ryo) are probably the best known Vocaloid composers. Listen to Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari and imagine Miku singing that. Of course real singers such as Nagi/Gazelle and Chouchou are much better.
Mecha: Graham was supposed to be A CHAR!!! Not FAIL!!! But then there can only be room for one badass and that seat’s been taken by Prince Ali, mighty is he. Next question… WHY K-ON SEASON 2 BUT NO FULL METAL PANIC 3!!! WHY KYOANI WHY???
Minami-ke Okaeri: Used to be that there was only ONE season of Minami-ke, until we saw the introduction of Devil Chiaki and Curry no Yousei (Ono D, how much more kimochiwarui can you get). Remember that girl Riko who is obsessed with Fujioka (human)? Her greatest rival is not Kana, it’s Chiaki…
YES! Finally someone out there that realizes the garbage vocaloid has turn into. I was once a fan of this software until the weaboo’s grabbed ahold of it and began to kill it with their crazy fantasies! The company on the other hand is so greedy they are willing to feed into the fantasies for an extra buck or two coughprojectdivagamescharacteritemsetc. These so called “fans” have also a need of hearing aids! Practiually ANY vocaloid song, no matter how obnoxious or ear-busting it is, sounds “good”! That’s right, “good” Good enough for the average citizen to play it in their car. That is epic bullshit. Vocaloid would FAIL in the music industry if the amount of garbage songs floating around youtube and nicodico were release for commercial purposes if not for a handful of talented artist that make the software workable and not crap!
Also, the agenda-bandwagon that is being used through vocaloid is another delight too to add to the fan obsession. Vocaloid will and NEVER have “personalities”, it is simply singing software meant for the purpose of entertainment and talent. Also, these 1,000 different fan-made vocaloids are a pain in the ass. No, i don’t bloody care for “akaito”, the rip-off kaito vocaloid that sounds and looks COMPLETELY like the original vocaloid except a pitch job! I’m sick of people trying to spin off their own meme’s of fame using vocaloid, like that pathetic “vocasmash” that’s been popping up by uniquely throwing two vocaloid songs together so they play over one another. How very original and talented. Or that stupid ass gender-bender shit that has NOTHING to do with SINGING, AT ALL. Not only that, but the hypocrisy of the english vocaloids practically left in utter suckyness and sound like garbage. I can’t wait until youtube begans it’s “copyright violation” for vocaloid!
well, that is the very reason rumiko takahashi sensei’s killed of kikyo and kagura. simply because they are awesome, killing others would not have such impact. I’m sad over their death too but their final moments is what make inuyasha great
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