Scary yaoi fangirls

I’ve recently come across this new species. They’re called: Scary yaoi girls.

Maybe it’s because I’m not an American anime fan, but I’ve never in my life encountered this otaku fan species. From reading bloggers and lurking around fanforums, the general consensus is that these yaoi fangirls are worse than irritating. Some come close to calling them abominable.

As this post on Tainted Blog says in her rant, I Hate Fangirls, or How I Spent My Summer Vacation Part I of II:

So stop writing your fanfics slashing every male character known to man together, stop acting like Gravitation is the pinnacle of genius (and if you honestly think this, then you are either lobotomized, under the influence of heroin, or a fucking retard), and sit down and shut the fuck up because you’re making all of the more subdued and discreet fans look like jackasses.

And from travels around the animeblogosphere, this species have the tendency to:

• Look longingly at actual gay guys and follow them around
• Slash every known canonical character (do not, for the love of God, tell me how much you love Roy heart Ed! Don’t touch my Roy!)
• Think you’re a homophobe if you don’t like yaoi
• Think you’re a loser if you don’t like yaoi
• Talk really loudly about yaoi and make sure you know that they are yaoi fans.

Wow, this makes me very reluctant to admit that I read yaoi. The fact that I’m not of ideal size would probably lump me in the “fat yaoi fangirl” category which would really suck.

So I read yaoi? Big deal. I read Monster and Black Cat too. In fact, I wouldn’t even really categorise myself as solely a yaoi fan because I read a wide variety of manga; the bookstore person where I buy my manga from even know what I’d like: deep, dark, and gloomy stuff.

Yeah, yeah, I do find yaoi fascinating. But most of the time I find it quite stupid. I mean, hello? What’s with this constant “I like you,” remarks in the genre? And you love the guy after a night in the sack? Sure. I find it funny. But I enjoy it for what it is: Fantasy.

Slash fanfics? I hate it. I vehemently cannot read them. I suppose scary yaoi fangirls would start sending me hatemail when I say that.

And no, I honestly don’t think Gravitation is the pinnacle of genius. I think the art sucks big time, but I find the relationship between Yuki and Souichi funny – touching even at some points. (Btw, there’s nothing pron-ish about Gravitation, honestly, but that’s just me.)

Fake is another widely-praised shonen-ai series, which I don’t understand why to be honest. Art was awful in my opinion and the little kids that tag around Ryo? I want to murder them. Bloody annoying creatures. And Ryo is way too much of a tease. Of course it does wonders to the Unresolved Sexual Tension. But it’s not all bad. You do want to see them hit it off. (cough cough)

The fangirls I’ve met in my country are rather … normal ones. Sure they love anime and stuff, but you wouldn’t guess it if they sat next to you. The ones I’ve met are successful career women while some are quiet, studious students (in Malaysia, smart people are generally more popular in school, not “losers”).

Or maybe us Asians are just generally more subdued.

You know, I generally hold this principle: You can act however you want to celebrate your love for whatever fandom you’re in. However, when you tell me how I should love my fandom and the way I show my love of it is inadequate and on a loser scale? Stay away.

So I think this is the main reason why people dislike rabid fans of any genre be it yaoi, anime whatever: you just get this general impression that they think you suck because you don’t like the same things they do or do the same things they do to express their love for the genre.

This really makes me think twice about attending an anime convention in America. (Maybe British anime fans are less crazy.) I even cheekily suggested to my friend that we attend yaoi-con, but after reading about scary yaoi girls, maybe I should run.

They’d probably drive me ballistic.

Don’t bring your manga to Canada!

Gee, and I thought that my country was strict. This blogger had her manga looked through by Canadian customs officers and ..

As soon as I declared that I had some of the japanese inspired comic books called manga, a Custom’s officer said, “That’s the stuff from Japan; there is some really obscene and filthy stuff.”

No, I pointed out, these was printed in America and very mainstream. As more and more officers were called in, the six manga books I had were examined in detail. They were looking, they told me, for pornographic, obscene and adult material. “The age rating is on the back of each book.” (each manga book has ratings like 13+ or 15+ – mine were 13+).

I was informed that I could have put different covers on or done anything else I could to get the pornography in and that if I spoke anymore, the books would be seized. So I stood there and watched my previously new books get examined page by page, thumbed through and pressed open because it was assumed if I read manga, that I was a sex offender.

That sounds like a joke doesn’t it. Except the exact same phrase “That stuff from Japan…” was used two weeks earlier on my last trip through Customs and my manga examined for the same reason; because Japanese manga is “really filthy stuff.” The reason I was so heavily raided this time, I found out afterward, was one of the manga titles had the word “boy” in the title, which “alerted” them to pedophile materials. Huh? Can someone please go get my next issue of the romance manga Tokyo Boys and Girls from the US? I’m too scared.

Gee. This is as good as the time when a Malaysian daily claimed that all anime was h3ntai. (Read this blog entry: Anime is pron)

t was a big hoo-haa in my country and thank goodness a few other newspapers quickly corrected that newspaper. Not that they'd admit that they did wrong. To them, it was justified. Hmm.

So, much misconception about the terms "anime" and "manga" still exists. Ask any book supplier in Malaysia and they'll tell you the problems they have with bringing some manga over. Many are confiscated – and I'm not talking yaoi stuff. Some are regular shojo and shonen titles. Someone told me that Saikano was on the "banned" list for one of the bookstores because it had love-making scenes.

I remember the time when my good friend brought some yoai manga from Singapore across the border to Malaysia. She was worried that she'd be arrested. (Incidently, in Singapore, you have to produce your passport/ID if you want to buy yaoi! Look ma, I'm buying pron!) I laughed it off then, thinking that it's such a joke, but with the post above, now I am starting to worry. -_-" And the manga that she got was more shonen-ai-ish than anything else. It's definitely not in the "hotness" realm like Embracing Love.

And that's why I live on scanlations. In my country, where sodomy is a crime, yaoi is just banned.

Ah, thank your lucky stars if you live in America, people! You guys not only have anime conventions and the like, you get to buy manga without fear!

Spring anime that passed the test

"My" test that is. Earlier, I made a little prediction on what anime I'd dig and those that I am so-so about. Curiously, one of those that I'm so-so about became one my favourites. Here is my list of favourite anime from Spring 2006. And the no.1 winner is:

1. Ouran High School Host Club

For being the anime that consistently makes me laugh each time I watch it. This show has been such a delight – the quality of the animation is superb, and I so love the work by Tamaki's seiyuu, Mamoru Miyano. Without him, I don't think I'd like the show much! And a big thumbs up for each time Haruhi mutters, "Those rich bastards." Another big plus point – it's fansubbed really quickly.

It's not difficult to see why Ouran has won the hearts of many. Haruhi is such a cool, unflappable heroine while Tamaki is such … a ditz. And we love Tamaki as the ditz .. Though, since I read the manga as well, he will reveal a suprisingly angsty side to his personality. Can't wait to see Haruhi's reaction to all that!

Yes I am a Haruhi x Tamaki shipper.

2. Saiunkoku Monogatari

Now, why isn't this no.1? Minus points because it's subbed really slowly. Sniff. But the bishies and the intriguing and rather romantic dynamics between Ryuuki and Shuurei and the complicated plot (believe me, things will really get complicated with SPOILER!! this old guy who is actually a young guy but not really a guy but …. you'll see).

3. Tokko

A lot of people said it sucked, but I kinda like it. I have read the manga … and I don't really mind the fillers, really. I'm kinda sad that it's going to end at 13 episodes, however. Maybe I just like shows where there are dudes and dudettes in leather jackets slicing open zombies.

4. Black Lagoon

I love the whole "salaryman becomes pirate" deal. The animation is superb, and viewing it each week has become a sort of guilty pleasure. It's like watching A-Team, anime style. Or something like that. And Revi kicks ass.

I wish there's a no.5, but I haven't had time to watch much anime. Utawaremono and Jyu Oh Sei I'm downloading, but I've not really watched yet. I don't like the whole harem thing going on with Utawaremono (I think that's how it's spelt) – call me uptight, but I dislike harem shows with a vengence. Jyu Oh Sei I want to watch when the entire series is done. It's a kind of show that you have to watch in one sitting on account for the major angst. I hate to be left hanging after a harrowing ending for one episode. And man, why do I smell a tragic ending for this one? No, don't tell me if you know the ending.
Shows that I'd rather not touch. At all: Nana. But why???! Okay, I don't know, but shojo has always irked me. I don't have much patience with the whole "Does he love me? But I'm not sure I love him but maybe he loves her" deal. I'm the type of person who'd shove the undecided guy and girl together, push them in a room, lock the door and throw away the key and yell: "Okay, have sex now!"

I like the art and animation, but if I were to watch it I'd rather watch it with the entire show already in a box set so I won't be driven mad by the weekly pussyfooting by the characters and then the long wait before we see the resolution of it.

Introducing, Anime Nano!

In my country, there's an ad for a sweet called Nano-Nano, and the song for the song is infectious. It goes like this: "Nano-nano-nano-nano nano…" Ok, I really can't illustrate it very well without music.

That's the song that played in my head when I heard about Anime Nano, brought to you by Basugasubakuhatsu Anime Blog! Hung, as we Malaysians say it, "Your blog name very hard to rememberlah!"

But yes, I was excited when I saw that a new aggregator popped up and was one of the first to sign up. I wanted to join blogsuki but was daunted by the "must be six months old" rule.

I felt like I didn't really have a chance with Anime Nano, but I tried anyway. I got in! Yipee!

Unfortunately, I can't seem to upload my picture. (Scratches head) How weird.

I chose this nifty Roy Mustang pix as my user pic:

Can you tell that I'm a little infatuated with the Colonel?

Ever since I joined Anime Nano, my hits have gone up. Very happy – and I got, like, six comments for my last post! Yay!

The long story short – thanks for creating Anime Nano, Hung.

First impressions: Saiunkoku Monogatari

A lot of anime bloggers have written such intelligent reviews about the under-subbed beauty that is Saiunkoku Monogatari. Allow me to contribute a less than verbose review.

I downloaded Saiunkoku without knowing what it's about – except that it had one heck of a difficult name to pronounce.

My best friend D and I watched it together, expecting nothing much. Here's how we responded when we saw the opening theme:

Oh, nice.

Oooooh, very nice. Giggles.

Ooooh, sigh! So romantic.

(Stares at the men) Giggle giggle giggle

Lawd, they're all so pretty! Tee hee

SQUEALS!

So that's how we decided that it's one of the best anime we've ever seen.

Just kidding.

There's of course, the story. Besides the pretty people, the story is important, yes?

I have, fortunately or unfortunately, read the summary of the first volume of the novel and I can tell you that nobody is who they seem. There are lots of twists and turns, and I'm excited to see how it's going to be shown in the anime.

Shuurei, for one, is a very likeable heroine. She doesn't have that high pitched squeaky voice, and she's a capable, tough gal with a soft side. And the Emperor, Ryuuki, being voiced by Seki Tomokazu (Sagara Sousuke in Full Metal Panic!) doesn't hurt one bit either. Ah, that smouldering voice. Sigh.

I'm in love with the OP and ED, especially the ED. Can't stop listening to it. I like how real Chinese music is being used as the background music. My only complaint is that almost all the guys look the same except for their hair colour. And of course, their costumes.
Saiunkoku is honestly more than a bishie fest. It has political intrigue, secret identities and love-love It's just too bad that so few fansubbing groups are subbing it and at such slow speeds too. (Ep 3 is out, but there's Ep 8 raws out there.)

I know, I know, stop complaining – at least it's being subbed, ne? But I wonder whether a prayer to the fansubbing gods will help? Have more fansubbing groups pick this project up. Please! (Sobs)

PS: I personally prefer We Suck fansubs as they do a nicer job at the translation. Ryuuki, for one, refers to himself with the royal "we" and Shuurei is the High Consort, not the Empress. I like little detailed touches like that.