RANT: Read Some Comics, You Japanophiles!

**tsurara** · Mar 09, 2008 03:46 AM

I have amassed a rather large and dedicated social network of fellow-dorks who, like myself, were raised more or less by our local comic shops. We traded MAGIC cards, fought over what comic characters were strong and we blew all of our allowance on whatever old VIZ manga volumes were lying around rounding out the price with some Gaiman or Vasquez.

We can geek out in ANIMATE perfectly happily and have been fans longer than some of you have been alive... but we can still spend 6 hours talking about nothing but X-men.

We're all in our mid-late 20s, we've all now got jobs in Japan or the anime industry, and I think we're pretty much "grown up".

Our generation, as a whole, seems to have fond memories of ALL animation... not just anime. And most of us seem to have at least a few American or European comics we like just as well as any manga.

... so why are we getting so much **** from the whipper-snappers?!

You know who you are. You think all comics are "ugly" and "stupid" (though you've never actually read any). You complain that shows "aren't really anime" and so they're inherently not as good. You will complain for HOURS if someone shows up at an anime convention in a super hero, Star Wars or AVATAR costume. You think all comics are about super heroes wearing spandex and reciting speeches about justice and the American way before trouncing villains named "The Penguin" or "The Otter" or "The Hyphen". You think people copying anime/manga style is lame but you admit to never intending to try anything if it isn't in that style (and don't think we haven't seen your fanart, sweetheart).

Worst of all, you give people like us crap whenever we rec you something that isn't Japanese, in spite of never, ever going out on a limb to try it!

Disney movies are auto-crap.
American animation is auto-lame.
Comics are auto-garbage.
Books have too many words.
Table-top games are for people without video game consoles.

Anime is auto-awesome.
Manga is auto-fabulous.
Japanese rpgs are amazing simply by virtue of being Japanese.

You fellate Japan constantly while choosing to completely ignore that Japan got it's start copying the Western comic and animation legacy.

I've had it!

Show some respect for your elders!! Both the elder mediums (comics, animation, novels, tabletop games) and your elder fanboys and girls who love those mediums

By rolling your eyes at us and throwing a fit whenever we extole the virtues of something that wasn't created by someone Japanese, you're missing out on a lot of very different, but very good media. Limiting yourself to your own personal comfort zone is great for a while... but it's only a matter of time until you've dug yourself into a hole where everything's the same and none of it excites you. That's your loss. It limits you and what conversations you can join... what you know about the history of the medium... your perspective.

So don't take it out on us.

The next time your friend recs you a comic, a cartoon or a book. Shut up about how anime and manga is the only thing worth a &^%# long enough to hear them out. And when they're done, maybe give it a try.

Lord knows there's plenty of crap out there making money just because it's Japanese, not because it's good.

ENDRANT

Have a nice day

**Hassun** · Mar 09, 2008 05:55 AM

Err, Tsurara... Did something... happen?

Prejudice is everywhere and is a much broader subject than entertainment alone. So called 'elitists' and 'purists' are everywhere and their ability to spread nonsense has vastly increased with the popularity of the internet.
The thing is, you clearly seem to identify yourself with a certain subgroup and those happen to be a breeding ground for those kinds of people.
And where did that "so don't take it out on us" come from? Did something happen?

Lastly, what's with all this 'elders' crap? Are you already becoming weary that the new generation is pushing you guys away? I mean shit, you're still in the peak of your life or not even there yet. Talking like this will make LenMiyata depressed for sure.

**!Rave_Grip** · Mar 09, 2008 06:42 AM

Is it about me? All I did was to create a thread about some of the boring perspectives in anime themes (>~O~)> I hope it wasn't me ... !

So anyway, did something happen? To be honest, I see no faults with anime and manga styles, let the dogs bark. You know, Like Hassun said - the so called 'elitists' and 'purists' are everywhere. But don't you think that the huge number of anime and manga fans, such as myself, can easily outnumber them?
Seriously, I don't think that anyone would want to hear critisism on 'comics' by a try-hard teeneager or a 40-year old virgin.

**LordCastigator** · Mar 09, 2008 06:52 AM

Damn man, if you were Adam from Mythbusters, I'd recommend you go eat a cookie...

Mind you, I do know what your talking about. I'm mid/late 20s myself, & I have fond memories of watching weekend morning cartoons. I've still got a few of my old comic books around (somewhere...), as well as some Manga. Many cool things have come out of the other countries of this little planet of ours.