tsurara

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

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

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.

__________________



| .:~My AO Gallery~:. | | .:~The AO Rules~:. |

LordCastigator

__________________

tsurara

Someone wrote a rant about American media being garbage, the West "copying" the Japanese and (I **** you not) Asians being superior artists and writers inherently on a forum I'm part of. This happened the same day I recced some comics to some younger members of my scanlation group to have them tell me "it's ugly", "I can't stand the art", and "It's really not my style". When asked what their style was: "uh... manga." (Though the same thing seems to happen when I rec anyone under the age of 20 anything that doesn't have boys kissing, gigantic eyes, teams of ninjas or talking animal sidekicks)

There was even a bit of insinuation that we were somehow lesser fans by having interests outside of Japan... and I am really, truly tired of arguing with people that "anime" and "manga" aren't genres: they're mediums.

This was originally my reply at that forum.... just pasted it here too.

Oh, and Hassun: you know that to most teenagers, anyone over the age of 18 is "old" and that differentiation beyond "old" is pointless :P

__________________

Hassun

That person on the forum you're part of is obviously a moron.
That being said, pubescent teens want to against what their elders say. It's to be expected.

__________________

FallenSpiral

Tsurara may I have a link to that rant? I'd like to check out what all was said.

__________________

--//Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained\\--

Joe Mage

If I understand my history correctly, Japanese anime and manga found their origins in American animation and comic books. What ever happened ta "Don' hack it 'til u try it?" Over half of those ppl who act that way probably never picked up a comic book in their lives nor sat down and actually watch any animation from America. I still have many of my old Spider-man, X-Men, Superman, and other comics; I feel that they r timeless. Maybe they're jus' too young ta truly appreciate these types of genre and their history. I think that it's sad really.

__________________

"Believe in yourself, if in nothing else."
My myspace page: www.myspace.com/joemage

tsurara

I'm afraid it's part of a private forum (one where you need to be approved as a staff member in a certain shady genre of comic translation group :P)

You're not missing much though!

__________________

Aleister Sithis

Uh...it's called Alice in Wonderland, Secret of Nim (Spelling please, been so long), Phantasia.

Uhhh, The Last Unicorn, I think not. Also Freakazoid,

THOR and SPIDERMAN, AND BATMAN, nuff said.

Legend of Drizzts series

The hell do you think Video Games came from?! ESPECIALLY RPGS, DnD, thank you.

I'd go more into this, but that's all I have to say, that is really important. >Contributed to the rant! =D< And as for Magic, may it NEVER DIE!

__________________

Hassun

So we should turn this into a Western entertainment appreciation thread?
Exhibiting the good things the West has come up with.

__________________