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12 Moments of Anime #2: Fate/disability shoujo

[yukitarou]

There’s a lot that one can say about Fate/stay night; I spent about 5000 words on it in total, and I estimate Owen, Pontifus, and Martin have spent about the same.

Of course, when it comes to a game this iconic, there’s no accurate way of counting the impressions and retrospectives of fans. F/SN has always been one of the most popular visual novels in the history of everything, earning not only an anime adaptation and a plethora of merchandise, but also a solid concrete reader score (approximately 9/10 on VNDB and ErogameScape [NSFW]). Long story short, it’s a good game. Period.

Looking back at it – all 80 hours – that’s really all it comes down to. It’s a good game. Fate/stay night instantly brings to mind either countless in-jokes and internet memes or elaborate Nasuverse charts and statistics, but that’s only a fraction of what it has to offer. In addition to providing a memorable story and a complex set of rules worthy of any RPG, F/SN succeeds at toying with the reader’s heart with its eroge-style character development, akin to any good Key game, and it somehow weaves a dramatic and highly unique overarching theme into a seemingly incoherent mess of jargon. The game looks messy at first – GAR jokes here, annoying protagonists there – but by the end of it, it’s impossible to not leave with satisfaction.

I was never a self-proclaimed Type-Moon fan, and just as I didn’t care for Kinoko Nasu’s fictional universe, many of you may not care for visual novels as a whole. However, Fate/stay night is a spectacular story whether you like it or not, and if you let it get a hold of you, it will force you to concur. I have consumed many fictional works that played with my mind and tingled my heart, but I have never before seen something that does everything with such dramatic finesse. You are the only one who will regret it if you don’t play the game before you die.

– – –

2009 was the year that allowed me to experience my current all-time favourite visual novel, but behind the scenes of the usual denizens of /jp/ and the gemot, a potentially revolutionary visual novel has made strides in its progress.

Katawa Shoujo – Disability Girl.

The concept is bizarre, but that doesn’t mean much to us. The production values are nonexistent – it’s a free project intended for the market of fandom. It’s a novel idea, too, but novel ideas aren’t as uncommon as you’d think. What most Original English Language VNs lack isn’t ideas or money or passion, but simply skilled execution.

With the release of the first chapter of their iconic OEL VN, Four Leaf Studios has easily proved that they have what it takes to make it to the top. In a community filled with bright young minds and poor organizational skills, forums littered with projects that feel more like a programmer’s summer sandbox than a full-fledged piece of fiction, Katawa Shoujo is the revolution that we need.

That’s right: the importance of this offbeat EVN is not only about itself. For the dev team and the fans that will play it, nothing is more important than the game, but for the OEL community – for each and everyone one of us who dared to write a visual novel – it’s a tremendously significant step. The hype surrounding Katawa Shoujo has skyrocketed this past year, and if all goes well, it will prove to the world that the visual novel is not a medium that can only work in Japan, and that any group of skilled and dedicated fans can create a story worthy tears.

~ ETERNAL
つづく

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12 Moments of Anime #3: Life Goes On in the Big Dango Family

I’ve said a lot about Clannad, to the point that I hardly feel like linking to a post. It was a spectacular show while it lasted – maybe not revolutionary, per se, but certainly a change of pace from the standard Key fare that we’ve grown accustomed to. Truth be told, my favourite moments in the series aired in 2008, while the relationship between Tomoya and Nagisa was developing until things unfolded the way that they did. The whole warm-and-fuzzy shoujo-esque bliss of the middle portion of After Story is something I’ll never forget, but it’s also a memory that falls awkwardly on the line between this year and the last.

Having said that, the show’s infamous finale is probably more worthy of discussion than anything else. Of course, the final episode was discussed to death when it first aired, but even though everyone chipped in, I don’t think any of our opinions were swayed. My own feelings of the show are that it was too perfect to be ruined by one slip, but in all honesty, it’s unfair to call the conclusion a “slip”. At the very least, it was a mistake made with confidence and not out of carelessness.

Unlike Key’s previous works, I believe Clannad‘s main draw lies in its themes, not in its characters. It feels almost like a perfected version of their original formula, combining the character-driven drama of Kanon and the overarching story of Air. All of Clannad‘s arcs and motifs, particularly the Dango Daikazoku song that matches the melody of the iconic theme “Nagisa”, point toward the message that it’s trying to put across.

The show challenges the darker side of life, complete with Key’s signature tragedies, but it cleverly contrasts them with the equally signatory blissful slife-of-life galge development, drawing an unexpectedly meaningful story out of a tired medium. Without trying to come off as revolutionary or otherwise preachy, it challenges the viewer’s perception of happiness and sadness, of the tear-jerking tragedies and the impossibly idealistic rewards. Clannad views life with selectively rose-tinted glasses, and Tomoya’s final decision to accept  pain in the name of love is symbolic of not only the show’s themes, but also of the ubiquitous visual novel dichotomy of perfect love and painful reality. In the end, it doesn’t matter if happiness wins over sadness: all that matters is the certainty that running from sadness will never earn you your Good End.

– – –

The stars accidentally aligned today to combine Clannad with something vague that I also wanted to talk about; something that can simply be summed up as life goes on.

In the same bittersweet vein as Clannad‘s story, nothing can stop the real world from turning, and that law of nature also affects the internet. Since this is my first full year in the community, I can look back and honestly say that it’s been an interesting year for us – new bloggers joined, old bloggers left, and I think we’re all one step closer to our goals, whatever they may be. I was originally going to go through the names one-by-one, but frankly, you know who you are. I feel comfortable enough to say that, knowing that you know if we’ve influenced each other in any way.

If there’s one good thing that happened this year to offset the retirement and semi-retirement of some friends and acquaintances, it’s that I managed to overcome the sphere’s “learning curve”, so to speak. It’s sad to know that Real Life is always lurking behind us, awaiting its chance to sweep us away into the world of professional work and study, but it’s relieving to know that we’re a tightly knit circle no matter what – both in the blogosphere and in anime fandom as a whole. Kudos to a year well done.

~ ETERNAL
つづく

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12 Moments of Anime #4: KyoAni’s Curveball and MangaGamer’s Home Run

I don’t really want to talk about Endless Eight. I was away from the blogosphere while the long-awaited sequel to Suzumiya Haruhi was airing, but the drama that surrounded it quickly turned it into a trainwreck. There were some who liked it and many who didn’t; there were theories flying around about trolling and carefully written meta; there was the infamous “betrayal” of Aya Hirano and Yamakan himself. The end result was messy, not unlike a trainwreck, and it’s a little bitter to look back on.

That said, Endless Eight was probably the most memorable anime of the year, despite not being the best. It’s one-of-a-kind, as far as I know, both for its content and for its implications. Unlike other time travel stories, KyoAni was clearly aware of what they were doing here, engaging in a battle of wits with legions of fans. I’m not sure why they did it, and I doubt we’ll ever know, but their cryptic advertising and unorthodox directing of the past prove that nothing in Haruhi is unintentional. Unlike the relatively ordinary novels, the first season was literally tossed on its head, and the Hare Hare Yukai dance became a symbol of moe as an industry-wide trend. Haruhi was loud and obnoxious from the very beginning: much like the titular character, it does what it wants when it wants and doesn’t isn’t afraid of anything.

In that sense, the second season was an ironic success. I can’t say that I enjoyed it nearly as much as I could have, but KyoAni succeeded in throwing an impeccable curve ball that made even more of a splash than the seemingly insurmountable first season. When I look at it that way, I can’t help but feel that they accomplished their goal.

– – –

It might be a bit of a stretch to call MangaGamer’s forray into the commercial visual novel translation scene a home run, but they’ve certainly been the talk of the town over the past year. Leaping into the fray with Da Capo, they proceeded to buy the licenses for Shuffle, Higurashi, and some other respectable titles and beat the fan translators at their own game. Of course, there have been some hiccups in their own translation quality (and let’s not forget their choice of font), but I think we can all agree that their emergence has done more help than harm.

The future looks strong for MangaGamer right now, which is good news for those of us who want to get our hands on DCII and the rest of Higurashi, but they especially deserve praise for listening to their customers. If you’ve been anywhere other than the underside of a rock for the past month, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Censorship has been one of the biggest issues of 2009, pulling our beloved 2D goodness into a mess of politics and ethics, but so far the practical influence on us has been minor. It would be a bit too congratulatory to outright thank MangaGamer for deciding against the removed CGs in Soul Link – it might well have been a wise business move and nothing more – but the fact remains that many companies are unwilling to listen to the pleas of the consumers. For better or worse, though, the English-speaking visual novel community is a small place, and no business can survive by angering their target audience.

If JAST‘s partnership with TLWiki is a sign of things to come, we might be heading into a time in which professionals and amateurs don’t have to be at odds, a time in which we can cooperate under the same fandom with the same ideals. It’s unrealistic, I know, but I’d like to think that 2009 has taken us one step closer to a world in which we can all play the same eroge and live happier ever after. If that isn’t paradise, then I don’t know what is.

~ ETERNAL
つづく

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12 Moments of Anime #5: Conspicuity in Cataloging, Sweet Blue Flowers

[ame]

Aoi Hana was a spectacular show, easily my top pick from the summer season. It inspired a lot of thoughts in me, too, which I recorded in the post that the awkward pun in the title is referring to.

Interestingly, 2009 was pretty much my first experience with the yuri genre, and I think I’ve learned my way around the tropes in the past year. Marimite was good, no doubt about that – the symbolic memes of ribbon-adjusting and “walking slowly is preferred here” define what shoujo-ai is all about. In fact, I don’t think it’s wrong to simply call Marimite a definitive piece, despite the origins of the genre reaching back to the 70s and 80s.

However, there’s no question in my mind that Aoi Hana excels at what other yuri shows only try to do. Much like the demure, subtle atmosphere of Marimite‘s all-girls Catholic school, Aoi Hana tells a straightforward story of first love, touching on devices like love at first sight and the infamous childhood friend. It shies away from the complications of relationships, which would, for lack of a better word, “taint” the purity that people associate with the genre. The aesthetics are perfect, capturing the mood and feel of the show, and the dialogue is only as revealing as it needs to be; but above all, Aoi Hana is sincere. The show is true to itself and true to its viewers. Ryan wrote a good piece on it recently: it’s a story with no excess, and it conveys the bittersweet longing that defines the shoujo-ai genre with the utmost sincerity. For that, it’s earned its place as my favourite yuri anime and one of my favourite shows of the year.

– – –

MyAnimeList is not a new invention. I believe the site was launched some time in 2004, and it’s since attracted as many types of users as there are anime fans. When you factor in the clubs, you can find pretty much anything on MAL. Thoughtful discourse? Check. Embarrassingly narcissistic fanclubs? Check. A society for masturbation? Believe it or not, check.

That said, the core of MAL’s fame is the sheer power that it offers to the user. Did you know that ghostlightning has dropped 18 days worth of anime, or that JP Meyer‘s mean score is about 2 points below mine? I didn’t either, but thanks to MAL, now I do. Unfortunately, no matter how much I preach, nothing can change the fact that MAL is not a new invention.

The updater, however, is.

MAL Updater, the program that automatically updates your list as you watch anime, was apparently created near the end of 2007, but it’s seen constant changes throughout the year. The developers have done a spectacular job of not only making the program work, but making it look good while working. It can be a little buggy, and I’m not sure if it’s Mac-friendly, but the MAL Updater is definitely an attractive program, and it’s an invaluable tool for keeping your list up to date. In addition to doing all of the work for you, it can also serve as a convenient way to record which episode you stopped at, and it has the power to make scoring/tagging and even downloading slightly easier.

Looking at it that way, there aren’t many reasons not to join the community of 10000 and download the program. It’s especially recommended for those of you who are allergic to keeping your lists up to date… and you know who you are.

~ ETERNAL
つづく

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12 Moments of Anime #6: Saya’s Song, Google’s Hegemony

Saya no Uta 2009

[viola]

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard of Nitro+. You probably also played Saya no Uta when it was translated at the beginning of the year.

If you have done those things, then chances are high that your mind will never be the same.

I wrote about the game when I first finished it, but it’s hard to capture the story’s psychological intensity without experiencing it first-hand. Much like Ryukishi07’s When They Cry, Saya’s twisted story is a great example of how to do psychological visual novels right. That said, Saya no Uta does drift more toward horror and fantasy than Umineko‘s mystery, but the end result is the same. For the <10 hours it will last, I would be surprised if the sound of Saya’s song does not leave your spine chilled.

– – –

It’s funny that the word “Google” always brings to mind the blogosphere these days. I have no idea how or when it started, but as some point in the anime blogosphere’s history, someone must have had the bright idea of migrating the community to Google’s services (if I had to guess, my money’s on lelangir). It would be a long, perilous journey, filled with unnamed dangers – but as they say, the grass is always greener on the other side.

(Incidentally, the migration metaphor was pitched to me by someone on Google Wave. Go figure.)

I’m sure the blogosphere has had many places to hang out in the past, be it #animeblogger or a long-forgotten forum. Twitter has also caused quite a stir recently; having a Twitter account is almost as essential as having a blogroll. However, I think the most significant and all-around beneficial change was the migration to Google Reader Shared Items.

GRSI is probably the most asked-about acronym in the community, which isn’t surprising since I don’t think it’s an official acronym to begin with. However, I’m sure the number of GRSI users in the sphere has doubled in the past year, perhaps more, and it feels as if a new “regular” joins every couple months. Without a doubt, GRSI has become the default spot for all sorts of idle chatter, akin to what an IRC channel is supposed to be – a little nonsensical to beginners, but fun for the regulars.

For what it’s worth, I once went to #TLWiki, and Moogy and his friends were talking about fruit roll-ups.

While I have not personally seen a thread on fruit roll-ups (yet), GRSI is definitely the ideal place for anibloggers to hang out and chat. The interface makes it natural to talk about blog posts and internet-related happenings, but it can allow for pretty much whatever you want. Meme-shouting, fangirling, theory-debating – it’s all up to you. The Great Google Migration is easily one of the most important events of the year from the blogosphere’s perspective, and it’s nice to have a place in the vastness of the net to call home.

~ ETERNAL
つづく

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12 Moments of Anime #7: The Golden Witch and the Sun Goddess

The Golden Witch[鴉子]

Ah, When They Cry. What would we do without you? We’d all be slightly more sane, probably, but we’d also have missed out on an innovative and suspenseful story that goes beyond the proverbial locked room and doesn’t pull its punches until it’s too late.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni was a great show, and I’m sure it was seen as unique when it first aired. It’s hard to not feel disconcerted after being treated to a full serving of killer lolis, complete with a bloody hatchet on the side. Along the same lines, Umineko no Naku Koro ni really took off in 2009 with the development of the story in the games released in Japan, the speedy translations of Witch Hunt, and the controversial anime adaptation.

In addition to providing the same mind-bending mysteries and psychological intensity as its predecessor, Umineko also benefits from its setting as an apparently unoriginal murder mystery. The legend of the Golden Witch has the same foreboding atmosphere as Higurashi‘s Oyashiro-sama, but the excitement rises when Battler starts tearing apart the whodunnit tropes one after the other and the audience is left, often literally, at the edge of their seats. There’s no way Ryukishi07’s latest sublimely sinister web of mysteries won’t go down in anime and visual novel history as one of the most innovative and engrossing in its genre.

– – –

As for the Sun Goddess portion of the post title, a certain efficient Amaterasu has been turning heads this year in the VN community. Their first notable achievement is that they work quickly – some of their patches were released before I even knew what they were working on, and NNL openly praised them for their efficiency at some point or the other. Suffice to say, they’ve probably also been producing quality translations otherwise someone would have picked up on it.

However, Amaterasu also had an interesting idea going for a few months where they ran polls to determine which games they should take on next. Of course, we all know how that turned out, but the fact that their reputation as translators grew to the point that their poll would be the talk of the community and the subject of cheating and trolling says something about their rapid ascent to the top. While I do appreciate their initial philosophy of letting the fans decide what gets translated, I also have faith in Ixrec’s judgment and I expect their future projects to live up to their name. The visual novel translation scene is still painfully barren, to the point that games like Love Plus and Muv-Luv often act as an incentive to start learning the language, but it’s groups like this that remind me that the scene is constantly growing, and I’m sure they can keep it up in the coming year.

~ ETERNAL
つづく

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