Hey, Seiko here. I know this isn't at all related to this blog, however, there are somethings in the real world that I can't ignore. Now, you're all familiar with the mass shooting in Newton, Connecticut, right? You know, the one where one man singlehandedly slayed 20 young students, 6 faculty members, and did in his own mother? Yeah, THAT one, which ran a huge run on the news. There were similar instances with the incident in the city of Columbine, same state, and the one in Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, VA. I'm sure there are others, but my time alive can only account for those 3. While the act in itself upsets me, my bone to pick isn't about the events of that day. No... it's the aftermath of that day that wreaks.
Namely one in particular. Before you read on, I advise you take a look here in reference to what I'm putting on blast here:
http://news.yahoo.com/claim-seeks-100-million-child-survivor-connecticut-school-003646074.html
Okay, are we all abreast of the situation? Good... to begin, this incident brought out contempt in many of us, and because the man silenced himself, justice was not properly extracted, rather, in some form, divine punishment is carried out. However, this dead assailant, Mr. Adam Lanza, is not my concern here. In the article, this "Jill Doe" has a claim filed against the Department of Education, the Board of Education, and the Education Commissioner stating that they, and I quote: "...failed to take appropriate steps to protect children from 'foreseeable harm'", and went on to say, and I also quote, "They failed to provide a 'safe school setting' or design 'an effective student safety response plan and protocol'". This Jill Doe is a 6-year old survivor of the tragedy, her claim filed with the assistance of Attorney Irv Pinsky of New Haven. The only thing holding water, if this checks out to be true, are voices with contents of gunfire, yelling and profanity which were supposedly heard.
Now then, on to the "thoughts" section of the post.
1> How will something like this pass?
This I cannot answer with a straight face. From face value, this is ridiculous, asking to be shot down. However, there has been times were the laws don't see things in the obvious matter. Remember Casey Anthony? Yes, I'm bringing her up, as the perfect example on how they can make the opposing call to an obvious situation. Such has a chance of happening with this Jill Doe's claim. We'll just have to wait and see how long this stack of papers can leave a trail.
2> The reason for the claim
Supposedly, according to her, the incident was foreseen, and because no action was taken, she supposedly suffers physical and mental damage, extent currently unknown. Sure, things like this are bound to take place in such scenarios, and obviously, when something like this does go down, people want answers. Granted she's young, I won't rule out the possibility of such damages, but I'd expect this from someone who witness that happen right in front of their own eyes. It can hold water, but worth the price? I think not...
3> 100 Million!?
With lawsuit claims comes money, and this claim has a whopping 1 Mil attached, but for what? Surely surviving is a blessing, but they want cash too? A bit greedy, wouldn't you say? Now, I know for a fact that the 6-year old survivor isn't seeking that, because even if she won this claim, I guarantee this will be used for things other than soothing the wounds for those whose loved ones actually died that day. And frankly, I heard no such thing mentioned as far as intent with this money, so I suspect something shady regarding the amount. Besides, most traumatic stress issues in cases do not ask for much, and no child's life is worth any amount of cash. Borrowing a little sample from MasterCard: "A human's life: Priceless."
4> "Foreseeable"?
My last, major thought here is the claim this event was "foreseeable". By whom? For what? What reason? How come? From who's words? I raise much question to this claim. Hearing things from a speaker, a foreseeable incident it makes not. Of course, I might be wrong, I've seen weirder things happen. Still, I question how this was foreseeable, if it was heard through an intercom. No school can be ready day-in, day-out for a mass slaughter. Nobody can rightfully perceive if and when things like this happens. Conflicts occur everyday, sure, but they're like lightning: no human can predict where it strikes, and how bad the damage will be. So, as a realist, I'm calling them out for saying this unexpected accident was "foreseeable".
5> Punishment
The shooter is dead, along with 26 people from the school, and a mother he slain carelessly. Amazing how it took the actions of one man to cause one to point the finger at the Education Commissioner, as well as the Department and the Board. They may not have established safety measures for this, but I state again: something like this is unpredictable, so who in the Hell and the River Styx could prepare for this!? I dunno, maybe I'm being slightly harsh, but if you're the type that feels that the school board should have a direct hotline to those like FBI and the military if one even thinks a shooting is imminent, jump off a bridge now. Just to place a couple of officers in costs an arm and a leg, and last I checked, that meant not a damn thing in Columbine. People still died. And while I saw fingers pointed, where was the Education Board, or any of the three directly involved? I think this is also a dumb call.
That's all from me, but what are your thoughts on this? Feel free to chime in, but be respectful and courteous not only to me, but to anyone else voicing their views. The last thing we need are the flame wars, common on Facebook and YouTube. But tell me what ya think. This is Seiko, logging out for now!
Showing posts with label Seiko's Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seiko's Thoughts. Show all posts
2012/12/30
2012/12/23
CCXV: "Kodomo no Jikan"
(This post will be at face value a mere review, but there is a Seiko's Thoughts moment in regards to the title. Just making it clear! - SW)
Wow... I'm at a loss of words for this one. I'vce covered titles like Kiss X Sis, M!, the hentai Sexual Pursuit, and many others I scratched mynhead at, most of which I ended up enjoying. I''m kinda thrown about this one, called Kodomo no Jikan, mainly because it deals with a scenario that seemingly only happens in H-manga: an elementary student falling in love with her teacher. Something like this is controversial in the real world, obviously, but this title isn't the real world, but it offically didn't reach the states because of this. That aside, let's peel the skin off of this odd fruit...
In Kodomo no Jikan, Daisuke Aoki is the male lead who landed his first teaching job at Futatsubashi Elementary School, and he manage this withoutn any prior teaching experience/training, so he's hopeful, but has to work his ass off to be a proper teacher. Of course, it's not long after that he has a rather peculiar matter. A precocious third grader by the name of Rin Kokonoe develops affections for Daisuke, and tries anything possible, even going as far as sexual innuendo, to claim him, even going as far as to outright declare Rin as his girlfriend. Then there are others like Kuro, who's quick to nail barbed remarks towards him, mainly on his virgin status. With all he has to deal with, keeping track of the class roster and assignments merely scratches the surface of his troubles, as Rin's actions could cost him his job!! How will this newbie teacher fare?
I've seen stuff like this happened here at home on the news, though I can't say that, as far as they've gone, they weren't even remotely mutual, but more so criminal. I guess it's because of this, as well as the "anti-lolicon" law of sorts that this title was shut down, even when it made it as far as Los Angeles. In fact, responses to this following the LA-based Seven Seas Entertainment's refusal to publish this has been unfriendly, but somewhat legit. I mean, flip the roles around and Mahou Sensei Negima! comes to mind, and that's a success here in the states. Toren Smith, who used to be a manga editor, cited this and criticized that the people who supported the reverse gender scenario in Negima! were hypocrites. Harsh, but I see his point, considering that this would be classified as shotacon. I acually have reviewed Negima! whose series has since then concluded, and made no mention of these terms until today, and I feel it's only fitting that I get into this a little. Before I forget, and I'm sure some of you heard of this term before, but Lolicon is what's classified as underage girl fetish, and is derived from the term "Lolita Complex." Kodomo no Jikan is an example of this. On the flip side of things, Shotacon is similar in nature, though with genders reversed, meaning it's the fetish for underage boys. Like it's female counterpart, it's a hybrid from the term Shotaro Complex, in which Negima! is an example of. I don't get how one could be approved yet another can't, but in my book, I call this a classic double-standard, but I digress.
Kodomo no Jikan isn't a long title, which has 12 anime episodes, and 3 OVAs, one of which is composed of 4 episodes. It's not a new one either, as this began in 2007, the 4-episode OVA releasing in 2009, and the last one releasing January of last year. While I can't verify this of the last OVA at the moment, all animeted works were made in Studio Barcelona, never licensed for the US, so there is no English version, and based on the controversy of its content, most likely never will be. The manga itself, also never officially released here, is still ongoing. In both works, there is a censored and uncensored version.
For what I've seen, normally this would be hard to stomach, but as a romantic comedy, it seems innocent enough at face value, though personally, I find this similar to B Gata H Kei: Yamada's First Time, and with that's said, I'll leave this ar a 7 of 10 before I can give a more accurate rating.
Wow... I'm at a loss of words for this one. I'vce covered titles like Kiss X Sis, M!, the hentai Sexual Pursuit, and many others I scratched mynhead at, most of which I ended up enjoying. I''m kinda thrown about this one, called Kodomo no Jikan, mainly because it deals with a scenario that seemingly only happens in H-manga: an elementary student falling in love with her teacher. Something like this is controversial in the real world, obviously, but this title isn't the real world, but it offically didn't reach the states because of this. That aside, let's peel the skin off of this odd fruit...
In Kodomo no Jikan, Daisuke Aoki is the male lead who landed his first teaching job at Futatsubashi Elementary School, and he manage this withoutn any prior teaching experience/training, so he's hopeful, but has to work his ass off to be a proper teacher. Of course, it's not long after that he has a rather peculiar matter. A precocious third grader by the name of Rin Kokonoe develops affections for Daisuke, and tries anything possible, even going as far as sexual innuendo, to claim him, even going as far as to outright declare Rin as his girlfriend. Then there are others like Kuro, who's quick to nail barbed remarks towards him, mainly on his virgin status. With all he has to deal with, keeping track of the class roster and assignments merely scratches the surface of his troubles, as Rin's actions could cost him his job!! How will this newbie teacher fare?
I've seen stuff like this happened here at home on the news, though I can't say that, as far as they've gone, they weren't even remotely mutual, but more so criminal. I guess it's because of this, as well as the "anti-lolicon" law of sorts that this title was shut down, even when it made it as far as Los Angeles. In fact, responses to this following the LA-based Seven Seas Entertainment's refusal to publish this has been unfriendly, but somewhat legit. I mean, flip the roles around and Mahou Sensei Negima! comes to mind, and that's a success here in the states. Toren Smith, who used to be a manga editor, cited this and criticized that the people who supported the reverse gender scenario in Negima! were hypocrites. Harsh, but I see his point, considering that this would be classified as shotacon. I acually have reviewed Negima! whose series has since then concluded, and made no mention of these terms until today, and I feel it's only fitting that I get into this a little. Before I forget, and I'm sure some of you heard of this term before, but Lolicon is what's classified as underage girl fetish, and is derived from the term "Lolita Complex." Kodomo no Jikan is an example of this. On the flip side of things, Shotacon is similar in nature, though with genders reversed, meaning it's the fetish for underage boys. Like it's female counterpart, it's a hybrid from the term Shotaro Complex, in which Negima! is an example of. I don't get how one could be approved yet another can't, but in my book, I call this a classic double-standard, but I digress.
Kodomo no Jikan isn't a long title, which has 12 anime episodes, and 3 OVAs, one of which is composed of 4 episodes. It's not a new one either, as this began in 2007, the 4-episode OVA releasing in 2009, and the last one releasing January of last year. While I can't verify this of the last OVA at the moment, all animeted works were made in Studio Barcelona, never licensed for the US, so there is no English version, and based on the controversy of its content, most likely never will be. The manga itself, also never officially released here, is still ongoing. In both works, there is a censored and uncensored version.
For what I've seen, normally this would be hard to stomach, but as a romantic comedy, it seems innocent enough at face value, though personally, I find this similar to B Gata H Kei: Yamada's First Time, and with that's said, I'll leave this ar a 7 of 10 before I can give a more accurate rating.
2012/04/04
ST3: Weeaboos, Dubs vs. Subs, and Cosplay Accuracy
This is going to be a longer post than normal, but on Facebook, 3 interesting topics came my way. And since it's rather relevant to what I talk about in Seiko's Otaku Pad, I figure I immerse myself into these 3 topics:
Topic I
Cosplaying: Is It Just For Fun?
I'm not much of a cosplayer persay, granted I only have one so far (which is in my picture gallery on this blog), as well as another I'm working on. However, I love the activity of dressing up, and so do many others. Cosplay is the hybrid word meaning Costume Play, which oddly enough was coined in a U.S. sci-fi convention, Worldcon. The term was created by Nobuyuki Takahashi of Studio Hard in 1984, when he attended the Los Angeles convention. Over time, it became a term applied to the anime and Japanese culture scene, where those who do not only adapt the look of a character, but also their mannerisms and characteristics. It became such a craze, there has been gatherings and contests made from these. Even to some degree, certain companies that distribute anime, like FUNImation, sometimes "hire" cosplayers for gigs dealing with a certain anime. Of course, there are some that do it just for fun, not really caring for detail, while you have some that not only focus on every little thing, but sometimes belittle those whose cosplay they don't like. Of course it takes the fun out of it whenever they do, which leads to why I address this.
Accuracy matters sometimes, yes, but when that applies is usually in the case of contests, photoshoots, as well as movies, should that happen. However, if they're doing it just for fun, should all the technical discrepancies REALLY matter? I'm not sure whether they do this to make themselves look/feel superior or what, but what of those who are hurt by this? They do such because they love it, to take that away from them damages the type of people we are: those that love anime, and have a healthy obsession with that and the culture of Japan overall. Of course, there is another field this applies too (well, ALL of what I'll be talking about.) That said, I'll end this topic with this:
"Traits and certain characteristics may matter in cosplay, but if it's just for fun, then it's irrelevant. They are just dressing up as who they love, don't take that away from them!"
Okay, on to the next one...
Topic II
Dubs vs. Subs Clashes
It's an old story, but one that exists even to this day. On this blog, I mention often about the names of those who voice characters in anime, sometimes covering both the English and Japanese sides of the matter (Voice Actors/Seiyuus, to be exact.) Very rare do I weigh in on which I favor more, as I don't have a bias in the matter. I may dislike one, but that isn't to say I'm "pro-sub and anti-dub" or vice versa. Sometimes, I just feel that at times, English just don't do enough, and sometimes for Japan, it can be overdone. However, this isn't about my view on things like this, but the general clashes that occur whenever this topic is brought up. The only time I felt that the subbed version was superior was in the case of Bible Black and a few other hentai, since their English voicing tends to be rather lackluster. I think the same was said in regards to Eiken. But I'm not saying I'd watch all in one specific language. I view both because it may contain different dialogue at times, as was the case with Sonic X.
Regardless, there are those who, rather for the sake of arguing, or whatever, feel the need to start clashes over which of them may be superior: The English Dubbing, or the Original Subtitled. There was even some cases, as with Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, over which English Dub was superior. Call it nitpicking, but seeing such arguments everywhere I go just to watch anime gets a little aggravating, and it's not just me that feel this way. There are different versions for a reason, yes, but that's not to say that reason is to pick pointless squabbles over which reigns over the other. To me, it's irrelevant because it's the same damn anime. On this blog, I'm sure I didn't mention this specifically, but such topics I will not have here. It's fine if you want to weigh your two cents on something, but that's not a green light to attack someone for not sharing your sentiments. And whether verbally or physically, that's what a lot are doing generally. That said, I'm going to lay down the law with this:
"Subtitled or spoken in full English, anime is anime. Language does not take away from what it is in the end. So... shut up and enjoy it!"
Almost done, and we're getting to the last, infuriating topic before I call this a complete post.
Topic III
The Term "Weeaboo": Why Need it? Why Is It Offensive?
A lot of people say this for shits and giggles sometimes, but it is to some degree hurtful. This word is coined a lot on sites like 4chan, and even found its way onto Urban Dictionary. There is no clear-cut definition, other than a slang term to describe someone who favors the Japanese culture over his/her own, even to the point of cursing not being born of Japanese ancestry. Funny thing is, prior to 4chan coining it, the word Weeaboo meant nothing, until it took the place of the similarly degrading term Wapanese, which was used to describe white people who favor the Japanese culture. In my opinion, the word itself wasn't hurtful, until it was used that way, I could be wrong, though. Stepping back for a bit, I'm going to get into the term Otaku. Granted, back in it's country of origin, it is a very hurtful term used to describe shut-ins obsessed with anime, and are portrayed in the worst of fashion as opposed to here in the US, where it's not really as frowned upon. Why this is so dates back to 1988, when in just a year, Tsutomu Miyazaki, aka the Otaku Murderer (no relation to Hayao or Goro Miyazaki) slain 4 little girls, molesting their corpses afterwards. Even after his arrest, the term Otaku had been brandished to the point it was loathed, assuming that all Otaku would end up being murderers/rapists. The 2004 incedent involving a former delivery man, Kaoru Kobayashi, didn't help matters. In this scenario, he kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered a 1st grade female student, suspected to be part of the Figure Moe Zoku, a group that loves and collect small figurines. In counts before this, he was listed as a sexual offender due to numerous other cases, sexually assaulting eight children in 1989, the same year The Otaku Murderer (T.O.M.) was cuffed. Granted, while he did do things akin to T.O.M., Kobayashi wasn't necessarily an otaku, but it did not stop the people for disliking those classified as such, and even had the law riled up about it. Because of this, any otaku was targeted as a possible sex offender, as well as the controlling of eroticism depictions, mainly found in what's known today as hentai movies, visual novels, and hentai manga/doujinshi, as they figure this would entice more crime by otaku. It was a pretty big deal, but to some degree, it was more than biased and blew out of proportion.
Otaku mainly classified those passionate about the Japanese culture, used in the same fashion as the words "Geek" or "Trekkie". But because of those men, as well as some others, even to this day, there is still negativity looming from those hearing the word. However, it's not that serious. Otakon, a convention for otaku, is one of the few GOOD things I hear in regards to the name. And even my anime club president and good friend, Christopher Wanamaker, proudly holds his title as America's Greatest Otaku, again, not to be classified in a demeaning way. Anyway, let me get back on topic here. Both terms had been deemed as unhealthy. While one is a shut-in, maybe, but I think they're just blowing smoke up someone's rear with that statement. And there is little, to no distinction between the two, save for those who actually speak the language in a mixture with their own. While I find it funny (no offense to those that do), it supposedly offends the others, and this I can see with actual Japanese-descent people, but for Americans to be offended, there is just no excuse. Attacking someone, verbally or physically, just because they think whatever comes from Japan is great is just being cruel. Some things actually are great to a person, what's wrong with that? Hell, I'd proudly say I'd rather listen to a Jpop song than any Pop music popular over here that's made here. The same could be said for one's taste in food, clothing, mannerisms, and to some degree, speech and tastes in women/men (yes, to some people they are attractive. Heck, I think so.)
While you can't change your race, people admire that of others, while they loathe their own (sometimes for the right reasons, IMO). The way I see it, they are a weeaboo (generally) if:
"OTAKU is not a negative thing, rather you make it that way by your assumptions. Unless it's in a Webster-Merriam dictionary, or properly defined in a book and not that half-ass for brains Urban Dictionary, WEEABOO or WAPANESE is nonexistent to me. If you must find the time to make miserable people who have a strong love for a different culture, then you must be a big flesh of nothing, wasting your life away picking on those with undying respect for Japan. Before calling anyone Weeaboos, take time to look in a mirror and discover who you are as a person, and give these individuals a break. They don't rain on your parade, so on what ground do you think you're in the right to ruin theirs? To answer that for you... NONE. So grow up, shut up, and deal with your own life."
Again, my apologies if this came off as a little heartless, but some things need to be said, though unlike this past one, not as a means of an insult and/or threat. I'll conclude this by saying:
"This has been another Seiko's Thoughts moment. Seiko Wolf, signing off."
- Cosplaying: Is it just for fun?
- Dubs vs. Subs clashes
- The term Weeaboo: Why need it, and why its offensive?
Topic I
Cosplaying: Is It Just For Fun?
I'm not much of a cosplayer persay, granted I only have one so far (which is in my picture gallery on this blog), as well as another I'm working on. However, I love the activity of dressing up, and so do many others. Cosplay is the hybrid word meaning Costume Play, which oddly enough was coined in a U.S. sci-fi convention, Worldcon. The term was created by Nobuyuki Takahashi of Studio Hard in 1984, when he attended the Los Angeles convention. Over time, it became a term applied to the anime and Japanese culture scene, where those who do not only adapt the look of a character, but also their mannerisms and characteristics. It became such a craze, there has been gatherings and contests made from these. Even to some degree, certain companies that distribute anime, like FUNImation, sometimes "hire" cosplayers for gigs dealing with a certain anime. Of course, there are some that do it just for fun, not really caring for detail, while you have some that not only focus on every little thing, but sometimes belittle those whose cosplay they don't like. Of course it takes the fun out of it whenever they do, which leads to why I address this.
Accuracy matters sometimes, yes, but when that applies is usually in the case of contests, photoshoots, as well as movies, should that happen. However, if they're doing it just for fun, should all the technical discrepancies REALLY matter? I'm not sure whether they do this to make themselves look/feel superior or what, but what of those who are hurt by this? They do such because they love it, to take that away from them damages the type of people we are: those that love anime, and have a healthy obsession with that and the culture of Japan overall. Of course, there is another field this applies too (well, ALL of what I'll be talking about.) That said, I'll end this topic with this:
"Traits and certain characteristics may matter in cosplay, but if it's just for fun, then it's irrelevant. They are just dressing up as who they love, don't take that away from them!"
Okay, on to the next one...
Topic II
Dubs vs. Subs Clashes
It's an old story, but one that exists even to this day. On this blog, I mention often about the names of those who voice characters in anime, sometimes covering both the English and Japanese sides of the matter (Voice Actors/Seiyuus, to be exact.) Very rare do I weigh in on which I favor more, as I don't have a bias in the matter. I may dislike one, but that isn't to say I'm "pro-sub and anti-dub" or vice versa. Sometimes, I just feel that at times, English just don't do enough, and sometimes for Japan, it can be overdone. However, this isn't about my view on things like this, but the general clashes that occur whenever this topic is brought up. The only time I felt that the subbed version was superior was in the case of Bible Black and a few other hentai, since their English voicing tends to be rather lackluster. I think the same was said in regards to Eiken. But I'm not saying I'd watch all in one specific language. I view both because it may contain different dialogue at times, as was the case with Sonic X.
Regardless, there are those who, rather for the sake of arguing, or whatever, feel the need to start clashes over which of them may be superior: The English Dubbing, or the Original Subtitled. There was even some cases, as with Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, over which English Dub was superior. Call it nitpicking, but seeing such arguments everywhere I go just to watch anime gets a little aggravating, and it's not just me that feel this way. There are different versions for a reason, yes, but that's not to say that reason is to pick pointless squabbles over which reigns over the other. To me, it's irrelevant because it's the same damn anime. On this blog, I'm sure I didn't mention this specifically, but such topics I will not have here. It's fine if you want to weigh your two cents on something, but that's not a green light to attack someone for not sharing your sentiments. And whether verbally or physically, that's what a lot are doing generally. That said, I'm going to lay down the law with this:
"Subtitled or spoken in full English, anime is anime. Language does not take away from what it is in the end. So... shut up and enjoy it!"
Almost done, and we're getting to the last, infuriating topic before I call this a complete post.
Topic III
The Term "Weeaboo": Why Need it? Why Is It Offensive?
A lot of people say this for shits and giggles sometimes, but it is to some degree hurtful. This word is coined a lot on sites like 4chan, and even found its way onto Urban Dictionary. There is no clear-cut definition, other than a slang term to describe someone who favors the Japanese culture over his/her own, even to the point of cursing not being born of Japanese ancestry. Funny thing is, prior to 4chan coining it, the word Weeaboo meant nothing, until it took the place of the similarly degrading term Wapanese, which was used to describe white people who favor the Japanese culture. In my opinion, the word itself wasn't hurtful, until it was used that way, I could be wrong, though. Stepping back for a bit, I'm going to get into the term Otaku. Granted, back in it's country of origin, it is a very hurtful term used to describe shut-ins obsessed with anime, and are portrayed in the worst of fashion as opposed to here in the US, where it's not really as frowned upon. Why this is so dates back to 1988, when in just a year, Tsutomu Miyazaki, aka the Otaku Murderer (no relation to Hayao or Goro Miyazaki) slain 4 little girls, molesting their corpses afterwards. Even after his arrest, the term Otaku had been brandished to the point it was loathed, assuming that all Otaku would end up being murderers/rapists. The 2004 incedent involving a former delivery man, Kaoru Kobayashi, didn't help matters. In this scenario, he kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered a 1st grade female student, suspected to be part of the Figure Moe Zoku, a group that loves and collect small figurines. In counts before this, he was listed as a sexual offender due to numerous other cases, sexually assaulting eight children in 1989, the same year The Otaku Murderer (T.O.M.) was cuffed. Granted, while he did do things akin to T.O.M., Kobayashi wasn't necessarily an otaku, but it did not stop the people for disliking those classified as such, and even had the law riled up about it. Because of this, any otaku was targeted as a possible sex offender, as well as the controlling of eroticism depictions, mainly found in what's known today as hentai movies, visual novels, and hentai manga/doujinshi, as they figure this would entice more crime by otaku. It was a pretty big deal, but to some degree, it was more than biased and blew out of proportion.
Otaku mainly classified those passionate about the Japanese culture, used in the same fashion as the words "Geek" or "Trekkie". But because of those men, as well as some others, even to this day, there is still negativity looming from those hearing the word. However, it's not that serious. Otakon, a convention for otaku, is one of the few GOOD things I hear in regards to the name. And even my anime club president and good friend, Christopher Wanamaker, proudly holds his title as America's Greatest Otaku, again, not to be classified in a demeaning way. Anyway, let me get back on topic here. Both terms had been deemed as unhealthy. While one is a shut-in, maybe, but I think they're just blowing smoke up someone's rear with that statement. And there is little, to no distinction between the two, save for those who actually speak the language in a mixture with their own. While I find it funny (no offense to those that do), it supposedly offends the others, and this I can see with actual Japanese-descent people, but for Americans to be offended, there is just no excuse. Attacking someone, verbally or physically, just because they think whatever comes from Japan is great is just being cruel. Some things actually are great to a person, what's wrong with that? Hell, I'd proudly say I'd rather listen to a Jpop song than any Pop music popular over here that's made here. The same could be said for one's taste in food, clothing, mannerisms, and to some degree, speech and tastes in women/men (yes, to some people they are attractive. Heck, I think so.)
While you can't change your race, people admire that of others, while they loathe their own (sometimes for the right reasons, IMO). The way I see it, they are a weeaboo (generally) if:
- They either speak fluent Japanese or mix English with Japanese words, despite not being of that origin.
- Eat certain foods while disliking the food of their culture, but this one can be rather vague, applying to almost any culture (ex.: liking Sweet and Sour Chicken and Green Tea and disliking Friend Chicken and Grape Soda) {Blogger's note: Yes, this is a scenario I found myself in a few times.}
- Only listens to Asian music, specifically Japanese or Anime music, as opposed to their culture's.
- Apparently flock many posters, figurines, even furniture of different anime/mecha/moe media. Even as far as having manga, computer software and DVD/VHS/Blu-Ray of anime.
- Who likes anime in the original language and subtitled, as opposed to the American Dubbing.
"OTAKU is not a negative thing, rather you make it that way by your assumptions. Unless it's in a Webster-Merriam dictionary, or properly defined in a book and not that half-ass for brains Urban Dictionary, WEEABOO or WAPANESE is nonexistent to me. If you must find the time to make miserable people who have a strong love for a different culture, then you must be a big flesh of nothing, wasting your life away picking on those with undying respect for Japan. Before calling anyone Weeaboos, take time to look in a mirror and discover who you are as a person, and give these individuals a break. They don't rain on your parade, so on what ground do you think you're in the right to ruin theirs? To answer that for you... NONE. So grow up, shut up, and deal with your own life."
Again, my apologies if this came off as a little heartless, but some things need to be said, though unlike this past one, not as a means of an insult and/or threat. I'll conclude this by saying:
"This has been another Seiko's Thoughts moment. Seiko Wolf, signing off."
2012/03/22
ST2: Boycotts, Entitlements... really fans!?
Seiko here again. I cannot believe I have do to another serious session, but alas, I can't ignore what's out there. Now an article recently came to my attention, dealing with Marvel Comics, with their live-action film The Avengers a few months away, and boy, am I excited for it. However, you can't please everyone, and some who grew up on comics may not think of such features in a positive way which I expect. But boycotting and entitlements... I just don't know where to begin.
First off, here's the link to the article in question if you feel like reading:
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2012/02/the_avengers_why_i_m_boycotting_marvel_s_movie.html
Long story short, the author goes into the origins of Marvel Comics, as well as to why he intends to boycott The Avengers when it releases in theaters in May. Majority of his argument deals with Jack Kirby, who worked alongside Marvel familiar Stan Lee. Now to my understanding, he did artwork for Marvel, not getting much back out of it, and not retaining the copyrights from it. To further his argument, he went in on Marvel, remarking the many things that happened to Kirby, the royalties denied when films were made (as well as others this has happened to by Marvel), the lawsuits that occurred, and the general hypocrisy between the superhereoes' "fighting for what's right" script, and the company behind it going the other route.
As usual, as a realist, I won't deny that it is pretty cold of them to do, but the question that boggles me is: "While it may not be right, why should we, as consumers, care?" We are whining about the unfairness of how Kirby was untreated and left in the dust, but at the same time, it's a good portion of us buying their comics, the merchandise, the movies... that said, aren't we kinda hypocritical ourselves? And the sad truth is, it's not just with Marvel that this is happening. A while back, before this even surfaced, Capcom was under fire. Not to crossover into the gaming realm again, but I feel it's a fine time I talked about this seriously. I'm sure some of you know where I'm going with this. The reason's leading up to this differed, but the outcome is more or less similar.
Branching off topic for a minute, Capcom had a rough ride of their own, after Keiji Inafune, the creator of Mega Man, stepped down after his 23 year road of reaching the top (he left to "start his life over", creating start up company Comcept.) Since then, Capcom has took a tumble, starting with the cancellations of both Mega Man Universe and the 3rd MegaMan Legends title, something that was highly anticipated. The cancellation of those two had fans pretty annoyed already, since the last game that was released at all pertaining to the character was the downloadable Mega Man 10. I'm guessing that for the die-hard fans, as well as those fed up with "incomplete fighters" (ala Street Fighter IV and its many expansions), these were the nails in the coffin. For the Mega-fanbase, it was the inclusion of Bad Box Art Mega Man (for those who don't know, check around the net for not only the Mega Man box art for the 1st game, but the character itself in Street Fighter X Tekken) as a Sony-exclusive character. I admit, I was a little upset by that, but more so of the fact that thanks to Microsoft, Xbox 360's version was denied DLC exclusives of their own. Another issue happened on the other side, as Street Fighter X Tekken was "incomplete", since there were on-disc DLC leaked with characters Capcom intends to charge for their official inclusion in game. Even before this, people panned to boycott the company for not appeasing to their fans. Sega suffered the same treatment for a while with the Sonic the Hedgehog games, and BioWare is narrowly avoiding such by redoing the ending to Mass Effect 3, which was made by them and EA (Electronic Arts.)
But those are stories for another day. Getting back to the topic at hand, I'll be a little general first of all, and say that in regards to the artists, they do their work well, but if they freelance for companies like Marvel, this is kind of expected to happen, not to sound condescending. For one thing, they didn't have a copyright to themselves per say. They did the artwork and willfully handed them to Marvel to publish them. It's not as if they had the idea prior to even working there, just to merely submit for Marvel to make a killing of money. All that was done under a salary, a paycheck, if you will. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby didn't own the business, nor did they make them what it is today, and this is something I'll get into a bit later, because too many people are guilty of saying such a profound statement. Kirby and Lee were nothing more than hands hired for work, not sole owners. As such, they did not have intellectual rights over their pieces in the long run. That's like saying that if one worked on the code of a game/program of sorts, by default it's the coder's product. Poor misconception on their part. Perhaps it could be true for an independent coder, but under someone's name, such as Microsoft, things just don't swing that way. If it had, it would be John Doe's Windows 7 instead of Microsoft Windows 7 (yeah, poor comparison, I know.) Besides, had the artist of Archie Comics done that in regards to Sonic the Hedgehog, he would be shot down anyway, since it wasn't even his to start with! Sure, they are greats, but to make a fruitless conflict about it helps no one, especially if you're still intent on buying/looking/etc. with their products.
One last thing. It REALLY annoys me when they say "Without [Insert Name Here], [Insert Company] would be nothing." To that, and pardon my speech, I give a nice cold glass of "Shut up and F**k you!!" One man contributes to a company's success, sure, but that doesn't equal to the fate of the company being on that said man's shoulders, especially if he isn't the big cheese! To idolize someone and recognize him for his greatness is one thing, but it's kind of overzealous as to say that Marvel would have failed if Jack Kirby hadn't stepped in. Who died and said that Kirby was their knight in shining armor? Had it been any other artist, they could have helped Marvel rise or fall. It's like saying Kirby steered this company into great heights, which is simply not true. He drew, edited, and helped them out, it just happened to make a killer income, nothing more! He won no gold medal for saving a company, mainly because he didn't! Such talk is arrogance, even more so if it's a consumer saying such.
This rant is going on forever, so it's time to bring some closure to this before I really get so riled up about it. While it is a shame he didn't get the proper respect, it's not enough to warrant a boycott. But this could be applied to all of the situations I brought up, generally. Second, he did try to capitalize off of his own works, and fell short. Not to mention that he was working under their penny, so while he may have done the artwork, he can't claim intellectual property of them since he was working for Marvel at the time. Still, for so many to get all bent out of shape for what he has been put through, I have nothing against supporting who you love, but this won't halt the release of the Avengers, or any other Marvel works. Rather, it just makes you look like a self-righteous asshole, so quit it. The many issues out there that need fixing right now, and you're getting your tampons in a knot over something that occurred 50+ years ago? Back then, it would mean something to me, but now, it's just an annoyance.
And another side note: what is up with these "We are entitled to this, so the company should just kiss out ass and give us what we want!" complaints? You're only giving them money, you are nothing but a mere consumer, who the hell are you to demand anything!? The way I see it, nobody buying these products dropped a line to tell them what they want, you constantly give money away to support whatever they work on, yet when you find something amiss, you feel to bitch about it. Such ARROGANCE!! They are the one wasting their lives doing whatever they love to do in order to please you, so that said, be grateful. Honestly, you're lucky they even bother to make anything for you at all to play, read, eat, whatever. And you have the nerve to complain... come back when your whiles actually mean anything, then we'll talk!
Again, I apologize if I came off too strong, but that's just how I feel about these kind of things. Hopefully, there won't be another article for a LONG while, so I can try to make more upbeat posts. I'm sure I'll see some backlash from it, but try to be constructive when voicing them so this doesn't turn into a comment spamfest. After all, every opinion will be valued instead of... you know. Anyway, I'm going to find a nice anime to watch to get my mind off of this. Seiko, signing off.
First off, here's the link to the article in question if you feel like reading:
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2012/02/the_avengers_why_i_m_boycotting_marvel_s_movie.html
Long story short, the author goes into the origins of Marvel Comics, as well as to why he intends to boycott The Avengers when it releases in theaters in May. Majority of his argument deals with Jack Kirby, who worked alongside Marvel familiar Stan Lee. Now to my understanding, he did artwork for Marvel, not getting much back out of it, and not retaining the copyrights from it. To further his argument, he went in on Marvel, remarking the many things that happened to Kirby, the royalties denied when films were made (as well as others this has happened to by Marvel), the lawsuits that occurred, and the general hypocrisy between the superhereoes' "fighting for what's right" script, and the company behind it going the other route.
As usual, as a realist, I won't deny that it is pretty cold of them to do, but the question that boggles me is: "While it may not be right, why should we, as consumers, care?" We are whining about the unfairness of how Kirby was untreated and left in the dust, but at the same time, it's a good portion of us buying their comics, the merchandise, the movies... that said, aren't we kinda hypocritical ourselves? And the sad truth is, it's not just with Marvel that this is happening. A while back, before this even surfaced, Capcom was under fire. Not to crossover into the gaming realm again, but I feel it's a fine time I talked about this seriously. I'm sure some of you know where I'm going with this. The reason's leading up to this differed, but the outcome is more or less similar.
Branching off topic for a minute, Capcom had a rough ride of their own, after Keiji Inafune, the creator of Mega Man, stepped down after his 23 year road of reaching the top (he left to "start his life over", creating start up company Comcept.) Since then, Capcom has took a tumble, starting with the cancellations of both Mega Man Universe and the 3rd MegaMan Legends title, something that was highly anticipated. The cancellation of those two had fans pretty annoyed already, since the last game that was released at all pertaining to the character was the downloadable Mega Man 10. I'm guessing that for the die-hard fans, as well as those fed up with "incomplete fighters" (ala Street Fighter IV and its many expansions), these were the nails in the coffin. For the Mega-fanbase, it was the inclusion of Bad Box Art Mega Man (for those who don't know, check around the net for not only the Mega Man box art for the 1st game, but the character itself in Street Fighter X Tekken) as a Sony-exclusive character. I admit, I was a little upset by that, but more so of the fact that thanks to Microsoft, Xbox 360's version was denied DLC exclusives of their own. Another issue happened on the other side, as Street Fighter X Tekken was "incomplete", since there were on-disc DLC leaked with characters Capcom intends to charge for their official inclusion in game. Even before this, people panned to boycott the company for not appeasing to their fans. Sega suffered the same treatment for a while with the Sonic the Hedgehog games, and BioWare is narrowly avoiding such by redoing the ending to Mass Effect 3, which was made by them and EA (Electronic Arts.)
But those are stories for another day. Getting back to the topic at hand, I'll be a little general first of all, and say that in regards to the artists, they do their work well, but if they freelance for companies like Marvel, this is kind of expected to happen, not to sound condescending. For one thing, they didn't have a copyright to themselves per say. They did the artwork and willfully handed them to Marvel to publish them. It's not as if they had the idea prior to even working there, just to merely submit for Marvel to make a killing of money. All that was done under a salary, a paycheck, if you will. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby didn't own the business, nor did they make them what it is today, and this is something I'll get into a bit later, because too many people are guilty of saying such a profound statement. Kirby and Lee were nothing more than hands hired for work, not sole owners. As such, they did not have intellectual rights over their pieces in the long run. That's like saying that if one worked on the code of a game/program of sorts, by default it's the coder's product. Poor misconception on their part. Perhaps it could be true for an independent coder, but under someone's name, such as Microsoft, things just don't swing that way. If it had, it would be John Doe's Windows 7 instead of Microsoft Windows 7 (yeah, poor comparison, I know.) Besides, had the artist of Archie Comics done that in regards to Sonic the Hedgehog, he would be shot down anyway, since it wasn't even his to start with! Sure, they are greats, but to make a fruitless conflict about it helps no one, especially if you're still intent on buying/looking/etc. with their products.
One last thing. It REALLY annoys me when they say "Without [Insert Name Here], [Insert Company] would be nothing." To that, and pardon my speech, I give a nice cold glass of "Shut up and F**k you!!" One man contributes to a company's success, sure, but that doesn't equal to the fate of the company being on that said man's shoulders, especially if he isn't the big cheese! To idolize someone and recognize him for his greatness is one thing, but it's kind of overzealous as to say that Marvel would have failed if Jack Kirby hadn't stepped in. Who died and said that Kirby was their knight in shining armor? Had it been any other artist, they could have helped Marvel rise or fall. It's like saying Kirby steered this company into great heights, which is simply not true. He drew, edited, and helped them out, it just happened to make a killer income, nothing more! He won no gold medal for saving a company, mainly because he didn't! Such talk is arrogance, even more so if it's a consumer saying such.
This rant is going on forever, so it's time to bring some closure to this before I really get so riled up about it. While it is a shame he didn't get the proper respect, it's not enough to warrant a boycott. But this could be applied to all of the situations I brought up, generally. Second, he did try to capitalize off of his own works, and fell short. Not to mention that he was working under their penny, so while he may have done the artwork, he can't claim intellectual property of them since he was working for Marvel at the time. Still, for so many to get all bent out of shape for what he has been put through, I have nothing against supporting who you love, but this won't halt the release of the Avengers, or any other Marvel works. Rather, it just makes you look like a self-righteous asshole, so quit it. The many issues out there that need fixing right now, and you're getting your tampons in a knot over something that occurred 50+ years ago? Back then, it would mean something to me, but now, it's just an annoyance.
And another side note: what is up with these "We are entitled to this, so the company should just kiss out ass and give us what we want!" complaints? You're only giving them money, you are nothing but a mere consumer, who the hell are you to demand anything!? The way I see it, nobody buying these products dropped a line to tell them what they want, you constantly give money away to support whatever they work on, yet when you find something amiss, you feel to bitch about it. Such ARROGANCE!! They are the one wasting their lives doing whatever they love to do in order to please you, so that said, be grateful. Honestly, you're lucky they even bother to make anything for you at all to play, read, eat, whatever. And you have the nerve to complain... come back when your whiles actually mean anything, then we'll talk!
Again, I apologize if I came off too strong, but that's just how I feel about these kind of things. Hopefully, there won't be another article for a LONG while, so I can try to make more upbeat posts. I'm sure I'll see some backlash from it, but try to be constructive when voicing them so this doesn't turn into a comment spamfest. After all, every opinion will be valued instead of... you know. Anyway, I'm going to find a nice anime to watch to get my mind off of this. Seiko, signing off.
2012/03/02
ST1: Seiko's Message in Response to the Controversy
[This marks the beginning of what I would like to call "Seiko's Thoughts." It's basically where I take a break from the usual stuff and get serious, sharing my views about certain topics I come across. Originally it was supposed to start and end here, but with so much going on... I can't seem to keep my silence. Read and feed in if you desire, just keep in mind of the usual blog conduct. - Seiko]
Seiko Takeda-Wolf here again, with another post. Okay, I know for a fact this has nothing to do with anime or whatever, but I feel as though that, as the problem has raged on for this long, I must voice my two cents on the FGC, that is Fighting Game Community, and the bully-like, sometimes sexist remarks normally said by others, but not at all condoned by important figures of it. Okay, here we go.
The Problem:
Though it has gone on for a while, it recently came to my attention that the FGC is in disarray over some remarks said at 2 events streamed for the said community. The spark of this came from the streaming series Cross Assault, a a live event series broadcast on the net that promotes the upcoming game title Street Fighter X Tekken, which releases this month and made by Capcom. Now then, apparently on that show, there was a little talk going on involving Team Tekken's Coach, Aris, and one of the players of the said team Miranda, or Super_Yan, as she's called. Aris made some rather... distasteful remarks, such as guessing her bust size during a broadcast (which already warrants a red flag for most people), which ultimately made her forfeit a match in which her supposed upcoming opponent gave her prizes out of concern (how thoughful of him.) Natrually, Aris' words sparked an ongoing controversy that erupted within the FGC itself, following an article on Kotaku which covered the whole incedent. While she felt that the community was responsible, she later realized the main one at fault, directing her aim of guilt towards her team coach, who is, as described by people within the community, naturally like that with anyone. Debatable statement maybe, but since then Capcom has apologized, despite the people of Cross Assault not representing the company themselves. It's also surmised that Aris, too, has apologized for his actions, but this is just as well debatable based on his exact wording in that apology.
You would think with that done, the issue would be put to bed, but no, not so fast. Wednesday Night Fights, or WNF, a streaming podcast produced by Level|Up, and sponsored by FGC website Shoruyken (SRK) was another venue in which distasteful commentary was made. After pointing out what was said, through various areas, especially one involving the women of NOS (a type of energy drink, if I remember right.) Regardless, when the statements were said, the community once again fumed on both sides of the issue: between those trying to brush it off, and those that felt that it was wrong (to which most of the time, it normally IS wrong.) The two commentators that were in the episode from 2 nights ago (yes, this was pretty recent) were pulled from commentating anymore WNFs, or any event in which are produced under Level|Up, as well as support provided by SRK were pulled, and along with it WNF's Season One seeding points to Evo 2012, a popular tournament for skilled players in the world. To add, the commentators, Marn Phan and Christan Cain, have apologized as well for their statements from Wednesday night's episode.
The Uproar:
With both of these cases, there were people on both sides voicing their opinions on the matter. Now, quoting something I hear often, though not sparking any controversy much like the one I'm referring to: "An opinion is like an asshole, in which everyone has one." That said, I'm afraid that some opinions just go a little out there, demeaning those of the FGC like myself. First, I'll get into the comments made in response to the respective articles. One such article, involving the Cross Assault scandal, someone mentioned her possibly staging the whole thing, or allowing it to continue, then getting mad off camera. To that I say a few things. To start, what I heard from one guy held a grain of truth. With Aris saying all those things, Miranda could have told him to ease up. But instead of causing a scene on camera, she tries to play it all, which is commendable. And frankly, that's a hell of a lot better than the shots I see take place on actual local news segments. To conclude, she voiced her disapproval over her Twitter (the post themselves now deleted), but as she was offended, to which one should be, I find her actions expected and I do not criticize her for it. But she didn't ultimately reject the FGC, which she initially felt they did to her. That said, reading all of this gave me a lot to think about, especially since I hear sexism shots taken often, but on that note, it doesn't make it any less or any more ignorant as it is already, therefore uncool. There were even talk about alienating females from the FGC, which would normally throw me into a rage (don't ask why it would...), but for the sake of this post, I'll try to say this as calm as I can, without blowing up: Granted in the FGC, there are so few women FGC players over a mainly male-dominant community. This is kind of sad, given the fighting characters in games are diverse in gender, orientation, race, and fighting styles the world over. But with remarks like this popping up, it comes as no surprise that when heard in the wrong ears, something said as a "means of passion" could be taken too far. Inkblot of SRK, who is also one of the founders of EVO, did a few posts pertaining to such behavior, saying things such as:
AS AN FGC FAN, MY FINAL THOUGHTS:
The actions are deplorable, the fact that such beings represents what we are as gamers is insulting, yet some of us thinks it's okay to say such things, making light of how hurtful they can be. Well, wake up: regardless of what is said, how it's said, where it's said, and who it's said to, some things, Freedom of Speech or not, AREN'T okay to say, and if you think otherwise, and feel that saying things like "Rape that Bitch!" or whatever they say (that CAN and WILL be hurtful) is alright, then it's time for you to put down the controller, because it's making other FGC voices/faces look bad. It's enough that the community is mixed with newcomers and pros, spectators and enthusiasts the world over, waiting to see the next big phenom in the gaming world, or to hone their skills to fight and surpass the best. Even with those, newcomers are sneered, but not to the point where it's outright bullying. Some play for fun, some play for keeps, and some play to get better at what they do. What it comes down to is that whether you're a winner, loser, or some bystander looking onward, we should treat one another with respect. That applies to face-to-face match-ups, as well as online battles. That's not to say act like the days of old and kiss someone's hand like in The Godfather, but don't be arrogant, disrespectful, and (above all else) sexist to fellow gamers. It demeans character, regardless of whether it's by word or action. As gamers of FGC, we need to change, so that it's an even playing field for everyone. If you're a newcomer, don't come in just to start beef, and if you're a pro, don't be such a snobbish jerk and play with fairness. And if you're a commentator, watch what you say. But then again, the latter could apply to everyone.
Before I rag on forever (this post is becoming WAY too long) I leave one final message. Accept it or not, it's up to you: Grow up, Step up, and Change up, or put your controller up and go elsewhere. This is Seiko Takeda-Wolf, signing off and saying:
"To FGC fans, prepare for the next battle!"
To the anime fans, sorry you had to witness such an unrelated post, number 200 is on the way, but "Stay True, fans and otaku the world over!"
Seiko Takeda-Wolf here again, with another post. Okay, I know for a fact this has nothing to do with anime or whatever, but I feel as though that, as the problem has raged on for this long, I must voice my two cents on the FGC, that is Fighting Game Community, and the bully-like, sometimes sexist remarks normally said by others, but not at all condoned by important figures of it. Okay, here we go.
The Problem:
Though it has gone on for a while, it recently came to my attention that the FGC is in disarray over some remarks said at 2 events streamed for the said community. The spark of this came from the streaming series Cross Assault, a a live event series broadcast on the net that promotes the upcoming game title Street Fighter X Tekken, which releases this month and made by Capcom. Now then, apparently on that show, there was a little talk going on involving Team Tekken's Coach, Aris, and one of the players of the said team Miranda, or Super_Yan, as she's called. Aris made some rather... distasteful remarks, such as guessing her bust size during a broadcast (which already warrants a red flag for most people), which ultimately made her forfeit a match in which her supposed upcoming opponent gave her prizes out of concern (how thoughful of him.) Natrually, Aris' words sparked an ongoing controversy that erupted within the FGC itself, following an article on Kotaku which covered the whole incedent. While she felt that the community was responsible, she later realized the main one at fault, directing her aim of guilt towards her team coach, who is, as described by people within the community, naturally like that with anyone. Debatable statement maybe, but since then Capcom has apologized, despite the people of Cross Assault not representing the company themselves. It's also surmised that Aris, too, has apologized for his actions, but this is just as well debatable based on his exact wording in that apology.
You would think with that done, the issue would be put to bed, but no, not so fast. Wednesday Night Fights, or WNF, a streaming podcast produced by Level|Up, and sponsored by FGC website Shoruyken (SRK) was another venue in which distasteful commentary was made. After pointing out what was said, through various areas, especially one involving the women of NOS (a type of energy drink, if I remember right.) Regardless, when the statements were said, the community once again fumed on both sides of the issue: between those trying to brush it off, and those that felt that it was wrong (to which most of the time, it normally IS wrong.) The two commentators that were in the episode from 2 nights ago (yes, this was pretty recent) were pulled from commentating anymore WNFs, or any event in which are produced under Level|Up, as well as support provided by SRK were pulled, and along with it WNF's Season One seeding points to Evo 2012, a popular tournament for skilled players in the world. To add, the commentators, Marn Phan and Christan Cain, have apologized as well for their statements from Wednesday night's episode.
The Uproar:
With both of these cases, there were people on both sides voicing their opinions on the matter. Now, quoting something I hear often, though not sparking any controversy much like the one I'm referring to: "An opinion is like an asshole, in which everyone has one." That said, I'm afraid that some opinions just go a little out there, demeaning those of the FGC like myself. First, I'll get into the comments made in response to the respective articles. One such article, involving the Cross Assault scandal, someone mentioned her possibly staging the whole thing, or allowing it to continue, then getting mad off camera. To that I say a few things. To start, what I heard from one guy held a grain of truth. With Aris saying all those things, Miranda could have told him to ease up. But instead of causing a scene on camera, she tries to play it all, which is commendable. And frankly, that's a hell of a lot better than the shots I see take place on actual local news segments. To conclude, she voiced her disapproval over her Twitter (the post themselves now deleted), but as she was offended, to which one should be, I find her actions expected and I do not criticize her for it. But she didn't ultimately reject the FGC, which she initially felt they did to her. That said, reading all of this gave me a lot to think about, especially since I hear sexism shots taken often, but on that note, it doesn't make it any less or any more ignorant as it is already, therefore uncool. There were even talk about alienating females from the FGC, which would normally throw me into a rage (don't ask why it would...), but for the sake of this post, I'll try to say this as calm as I can, without blowing up: Granted in the FGC, there are so few women FGC players over a mainly male-dominant community. This is kind of sad, given the fighting characters in games are diverse in gender, orientation, race, and fighting styles the world over. But with remarks like this popping up, it comes as no surprise that when heard in the wrong ears, something said as a "means of passion" could be taken too far. Inkblot of SRK, who is also one of the founders of EVO, did a few posts pertaining to such behavior, saying things such as:
"If we continue to let the worst elements in the scene speak for us or excuse their bad behavior, we deserve whatever criticism we get. It’s everyone’s responsibility: the players, the content producers, the tournament organizers, and the fans. We need to be just as serious about the way we treat each other and how we reach out to others online as we are about the game."Now while I don't necessarily agree with him all the way, he is right. We do need to seriously consider how we not only engage our fellow fans, but also how we attract others into our world. And making remarks such as the ones said by those 3 individuals (which I will not post here, the articles on Kotaku and SRK were nice enough to provide them) are not doing the job. They're just causing trouble, some belittling the type of people we of the FGC really are. It shouldn't do so, but that one saying "One rotten apple ruins the bunch" seems to apply here as well.
Inkblot, Hurtful Speech: Time To Take a Good Look in the Mirror, Shoruyken
http://shoryuken.com/2012/03/01/hurtful-speech-time-to-take-a-good-look-in-the-mirror/
AS AN FGC FAN, MY FINAL THOUGHTS:
The actions are deplorable, the fact that such beings represents what we are as gamers is insulting, yet some of us thinks it's okay to say such things, making light of how hurtful they can be. Well, wake up: regardless of what is said, how it's said, where it's said, and who it's said to, some things, Freedom of Speech or not, AREN'T okay to say, and if you think otherwise, and feel that saying things like "Rape that Bitch!" or whatever they say (that CAN and WILL be hurtful) is alright, then it's time for you to put down the controller, because it's making other FGC voices/faces look bad. It's enough that the community is mixed with newcomers and pros, spectators and enthusiasts the world over, waiting to see the next big phenom in the gaming world, or to hone their skills to fight and surpass the best. Even with those, newcomers are sneered, but not to the point where it's outright bullying. Some play for fun, some play for keeps, and some play to get better at what they do. What it comes down to is that whether you're a winner, loser, or some bystander looking onward, we should treat one another with respect. That applies to face-to-face match-ups, as well as online battles. That's not to say act like the days of old and kiss someone's hand like in The Godfather, but don't be arrogant, disrespectful, and (above all else) sexist to fellow gamers. It demeans character, regardless of whether it's by word or action. As gamers of FGC, we need to change, so that it's an even playing field for everyone. If you're a newcomer, don't come in just to start beef, and if you're a pro, don't be such a snobbish jerk and play with fairness. And if you're a commentator, watch what you say. But then again, the latter could apply to everyone.
Before I rag on forever (this post is becoming WAY too long) I leave one final message. Accept it or not, it's up to you: Grow up, Step up, and Change up, or put your controller up and go elsewhere. This is Seiko Takeda-Wolf, signing off and saying:
"To FGC fans, prepare for the next battle!"
To the anime fans, sorry you had to witness such an unrelated post, number 200 is on the way, but "Stay True, fans and otaku the world over!"
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