Whats with misleading otakus anyway?

[soykan]

After having to search through all the tough politics over there and trying to see the bigger picture from as many possible angle I can see, it seems that we can all come to conclusion that:

Even if you have mastered your "Japanese-ness", the chances of having to sucessfully integrate and be accepted almost like family is probably far less than 50%. Integration must go two ways, meaning that Japanese society must accept in turn the integrated gaijin as an integrated member.

It seems that unlike in the west, even social integration can get you rejected too. I even heard that the Ainu populace is placed at the same level as the "gaijin class". Not to mention that you are already and permanantly negatively judged the moment you get off that airport.....

I guess its due to the part that the content in most anime and manga so misleading though. The plots have everybody from different races getting along like family, seems so far-fetched with reality and I sometimes wonder how anime and manga sold so well in Japan and that the nationalists are hovering over the authors asking them why they make their characters so liberal and tolerable etc, etc.

Where fear of difference is the norm in society, the authors who wrote up the most tolerable characters that is the furthest thing away from the norm. For example with the anime Zipang, for I am suprized the author didn't bend the way nationalists would have expected, or wanted.

[becki_kanou]

Repeat after me:Anime does not reflect real life. Anime does not reflect real life.

It is populist escapist fantasy entertainment. Do not base your ideas of what Japan is really like off what you have seen in anime.

[Mike Cash]

We've seen the "You'll never be accepted by the Japanese so give it up" and the "Manga/anime are indicative of real life" themes before ad nauseum....but I can't recall ever having seen them stitched together into a single crazy quilt before.

[GodEmperorLeto]

Re: Never being accepted into Japanese society--

Japanese culture is by far less homogeneous than everyone makes it out to be. It is all a matter of comparisons. I currently live in Korea, which is actually more homogeneous than Japan. It is actually more difficult for weigukin to be accepted into society here than for gaijin in Japan. And believe it or not, you have more legal rights in Japan, whereas you have almost none over here in Korea.

It's all a matter of perspective. Compared to the US or Canada, yeah, Japan is a highly exclusivist society. But compared to where I am now, they are progressive and mildly accepting.

And guess what? Despite all these negatives, Korea isn't really that bad. In fact, I've been having a pretty good time of it here. The key is to judge people as individuals. For each person who looks at you funny and sees a dirty foreigner, there's another who wants to get to know you and five others who don't care either way. If I am having a decent time of it here, consider your experiences in Japan by way of comparison.

Secondly, regarding the whole anime line--

These shows are pretty much made by guys who started out on the fringes of Japanese society. Most artists and mangaka were otaku before they made it big. Hence, they filter society through a lens of how they want it to be. It can be considered somewhat subversive if you look at it a certain way. No, absolutely not, Japan is not what it is on TV, anymore than the US is, or Britain is. Goodness, if Korea was how it is on Korean TV, people would be committing suicide here on a regular basis, because life would be that depressing (it seems every TV show here is a tragic drama). TV reflects aspects of people's lives, social values, and cultural trends, but you cannot assume that TV is a direct portal to what life is like. It's highly distorted based on taste.

To tie both points together, I'd say that Japanese cartoons reflect what Japanese animators and writers dream about. It is fantasy. Indeed, this showcases their values, desires, and hopes. But one needs to realize that these things are only reflections of what is in someone else's head, not necessarily what is factual.

Besides, I'm proud of my homeland and I don't mind being seen as a foreigner. I AM. Being accepted by a small group of friends anywhere is enough for me. Why should I expect an entire society to drop and welcome me as one of their own when that doesn't even happen in my homeland? No welcome mats will be rolled out. Heck, if I travel to a different city or a different part of my own country, I feel like an outsider much of the time, and I still speak the language. It's all perspective, man. How you view yourself in your surroundings, and how you interact with them, is just as important as your surroundings interact with you.

[Aurura]

GodEmperorLeto san, thank you for writing this. These are wise thoughts that are worth sharing. It's also given me back some encouragement about visiting Japan should I ever have the opportinuty to in life...

[Chidoriashi]

Nationalists in uproars about cartoons.. .hmmm.. I remember something a little crazy like this happening.. cant quite remember though...

Anyhow I'm pretty sure it was not Japan, and I also pretty sure that nationalists are not concerned about the destruction of a fantasy world.

In any case soykan, why do you care about this? Are you hoping to become Japanese someday? Or do you feel sorry for all the gaijin otakus out there hoping in vein to escape reality and settle down in the land of wonder known as Japan?

Anyway please explain your point. Are you saying Japan needs to change or something?

[soykan]

I am more sympathetic with the Chinese, ex-north-korean, american-natives and south-asian otakus. These poor folks have next to impossible chance of gaining any positive ground in western societies because their respective governments make them rejected.

And as for the hentai fetish, well its the fault of natural selection where western (sometimes japanese) women will reject descendants from less desired nations and the fact that the western guys will not befriend or hire them cubical jobs for any more than 1 penny a decade.

Otakus of discriminated races are trying there best to integrate and change away from their hated governments to become part of a new and progressive society like Japan and America. They shouldn't be treated like conquerers or secrete government agents or some conspiracy like that....... I have seen North Korean and Chinese decendants in the west who love Japan and the US, and speaks only english and some japanese and behaving professionally like westerners...... yet they are still hated and are treated just like how the nazis treat the undesirables.

I think something needs to change here.

[becki_kanou]

otaku...
"You keep using that word... I do not think it means what you think it means"

[Chidoriashi]

Soykan, I think nobody here has any idea anymore about what you are talking about. I don't think you do either. You really are not making any sense. Like becki said, do you even know what the word otaku means? or for that matter hentai.. like what it the world does anime porn have to do with natural selection?

I'm inclined to start believing you are a troll, unless you start posting things that actually make sense, and start giving people some real responses. Anybody else agree?

[pipokun]

I am more sympathetic with the Chinese, ex-north-korean, american-natives and south-asian otakus.
...
I have seen North Korean decendants in the west who love Japan and the US,


It is interesting for me why you use "ex" only for North Korean (maybe for immigrants to North America?)

Allegedly it was Kim Jong-il who ordered to make a Godzilla-like movie, Pulgasari. And I heard he is a big fan of Tora-san movies and his young son currently studying in Switzerland or somewhere in Europe is a fan of Eric Clapton.
Some present North Koreans love Japanese/American culture.

*tora-san, or otoko ha tsuraiyo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otoko_wa_Tsurai_yo

[Annubis]

Watashi wa otaku desu and proud of it!!! I watched 52 episodes of Full Metal Alchemist in three days!!! HAHA!! Amazing story. Just finished watching part 12/12 of the movie on youtube today. I'm a sci-fi fan and I'd say Japanime has got it down!

If anything, I felt I had some great things in common with many Japanee people and this made me feel at home. Not because I am otaku (fantasy/tech fanatic), but because I just love the people! Love is visible and attractive.

Don't let anyone make decisions for you. Make them for yourself and love everyone, no matter who, unless you feel it is infringing on you in some way, and then you have to step back to critically consider your feelings.

[Mike Cash]

I take it we will not enjoy the pleasure of your company in Nagano this year?

[Annubis]

http://www.slide.com/r/6w9m7Gou5D8YWmWtdOoZTujZ-efLBd1Q?previous_view=lt_embedded_url
Pics of Nagano last year... dunno if ya gottem or not... hehe... sorry, still not finished compiling people pics into a slide show... haven't had a chance to use Flicker... off topic