Otaku Links: sign up for Anime March Madness!

Otaku Links

chun-li

  • Destructoid published an unsettling article about why, in 2013, female leads in video games are few and far between:

“We wanted to be able to tease on Nilin’s private life, and that means for instance, at one point, we wanted a scene where she was kissing a guy. We had people tell us, ‘You can’t make a dude like the player kiss another dude in the game, that’s going to feel awkward.’

  • It’s March, and you know what that means! Time for March Madness The Fantasy Anime League! Everyone selects shows from the upcoming season and watches as they meet (or miss) certain criteria.
  • Here’s a blog post that’s been going viral in the journalism blogosphere: Why I left news. Allyson’s story poignantly covers the most rewarding and frustrating aspects of the field.
  • Local readers, if you’re not yet reading DC Geeks, you should get on that. Every Monday they publish The Week In Geek, a list of fun and nerdy things to do around the district.
  • Finally, here’s a heads up for next week: On Monday, I’m releasing the fourth guide in my journalism how-to series—Effective interview techniques. Just like the others, it’ll be free! Come back and check it out!

(Illustration via FanPop.)

Geek culture is a monolith, and that’s boring.

Fandom

narwhal

Things have changed a lot here at Otaku Journalist. I haven’t been writing as often about my own fandom activities (From the New World, Chihayafuru, and Spice and Wolf right now if you’re wondering). I’ve been focusing less on geeking out and more on what it means to be an observer and scribe of geek culture.

I was invited to participate in Charles Dunbar’s fandom identity project, and I wrote about why I think this is. I wrote about my my self induced alienation in middle school as a direct result of not toning down my love of anime. I wrote about bullying that I could have made all go away if I had just acted like less of a nerd.

Two girls used to follow me home from school, sneering at me and trying to rip the Gundam Wing pins off my backpack. Another girl, who I thought was my friend, stopped hanging out with me because her mom said I wasn’t a good influence. I knew what that really meant. I felt closest to people I met over AIM and chatted about anime with.

Can you imagine anything like that happening today? Anime is everywhere and is hardly something unusual. Studio Ghibli films play in theaters all over the Western world. Don’t try to tell me those bug eyed “Monster High” girls aren’t an American anime. Every news outlet covers wacky inventions and happenings from “Weird Japan.”

The Internet and increasingly attended fandom conventions unite us and ensure that geekiness is uniform just about everywhere. Geeks are practically a voting block, getting a WoW playing politician elected and singlehandedly smashing SOPA.

And then there’s the commodification of “narwhal bacon” geek culture. Some geeks criticize the “New Enthusiasm,” but not because it’s an indication of wearing your geekiness on your sleeve. It’s because it’s EASY to go for the robot-ninja-zombie laughs instead of delving into creative entertainment. It’s not that our geekiness is so edgy it’s controversial, it’s that our geekiness is no longer unique. Everyone is a geek about something.

I guess that’s why I write about anime fans less than I ever have before. It’s not a big deal if people like it. My new thing is using the same reporting narrative I used to expose the humanity of fans and applying it to all kinds of obsessions. I think the best journalism to write and to read is when you take somebody usually classified in the media as an other, and get to know them almost like a friend.

When I first discovered anime it felt marginalized to me. It was a refuge from the every day, an escape from everything familiar. Blame the Internet’s globalizing touch, but now it’s hopelessly intertwined with the rest of pop culture. Sometimes that’s awesome, but a lot of times it makes me nostalgic. Back when I was getting picked on, would anyone say I was just a “fake geek girl” pretending to like anime in order to seduce geek guys?

Now that everyone’s a geek, you can’t even entertain the fact that you’re somehow different from other people. You don’t ever have to be a loner if you don’t want to be. Sure bullying’s gone online now, but so have more ways to make friends.

How has the geek cultural shift from variable to monolith affected you?

(Illustration via dilettantiquity.)

Geeky new writers, here’s where to get started

Journalism

reporternotebook

Last week, I wrote about the difficult decision choosing whether to write for free. Ultimately, it’s a personal choice you come to by weighing the balance of one very important question: do you need them more than they need you?

If you’re a new or aspiring writer, the answer might be “yes” pretty often. If your portfolio is sparse and you’re looking for publication credits to round it out, being willing to writing for free can help level the playing field between you and more experienced writers.

Still, I’d really stress that you don’t write for just anywhere. If you want your unpaid work to lead to paid work later on, it’s best to pick gigs in the field you eventually want to go into. If you’re on my website, I’d guess that means the geeky stuff.

Here are six geeky news outlets that are frequently accepting pitches for unpaid work:

Anime Diet | Editor: Michael Huang

If you’re interested in stretching your in-person reporting and interviewing skills, writing for Anime Diet can get you the opportunity to do just that. If you volunteer as a  convention reporter, the site will do its best to get you approve for a press badge and even reimburse your convention ticket after you turn in your article.

Michael says, “I’m proud to say that several of our current permanent staff cut their teeth as con volunteers first. It’s a great way to show one’s dedication and talent.”

Comics Bulletin | Editor: Jason Sacks

Everyone who writes for this comics, TV, movie, and games review blog is unpaid. But Jason says that he’s been able to maintain several dozen staff members for years because of the perks he can offer them, including exposure, free review copies, convention passes, and an editor who wants to help them improve.

Jason says, “there are quite a few perks of working on a ‘group’ site like mine that you don’t get from writing for other sites. [For example], camaraderie with fellow writers and encouragement from the editorial staff to work on material that’s near and dear to their hearts. I’ve been told this is the special sauce of my site.”

Hypable | Editor: Andrew Sims

This site covers a far wider selection of fandoms than any of the other sites on this list. Basically, if you can write fanfiction about it, you can read about it on Hypable, whether it’s a book, a movie, a TV show, or even a band.

In order to write for Hypable, go to News by You and click, “Click here to get started!” Similar to Japanator’s community blogs, it’ll walk you through a process to become a fandom reporter for the site. You don’t need to pitch the editors directly.

Japanator | Editor: Josh Tolentino

There are two main types of content on the Destructoid network’s anime blog: show reviews and Japanese cultural news. Long time readers might remember that I used to write here. There are two ways to get a byline here. If you’re a big Japanator fan and interested in a long term commitment, you can write to Josh and pitch yourself as a well-rounded staff writer. Or, you can quickly and easily set up a community blog, and staff writers might choose to highlight your posts on the front page.

Josh says he looks for writers with an affinity for the topic: “Considering what Japanator’s all about a high level of interest in Japan and Japanese culture, though not limited to anime, manga and videogames, is a must.”

Real Otaku Gamer | Editor: Andre Tipton

This geek culture blog is relatively young at three years old. As a result, they’re always looking to expand their content. ROG covers news about video games, anime, and comics or manga. They publish reviews, opinion pieces, interviews with creators, and straight news. To write for this site, pitch your story ideas directly to Andre.

The Mary Sue | Editor: Susana Polo

I was unable to get in touch with Susana before I published this blog post, but I know by word of mouth that the Mary Sue looks for high quality pitches about features related to female geekdom. That could mean editorials based on your first-person experiences, in-depth reporting about a phenomenon in fandom, or interviews.

Try the Contact page to suggest an article idea for the Mary Sue.

Update: Susana says you can find guidelines for writers on the Contributors page.

Do you write for any of these sites? If so, how is/was your experience? Got another one you think I should add to the list?

(Photo by Berto.)

Otaku Links: a farewell to JManga, and are anime fans misunderstood?

Otaku Links

victoria-holden-cosplay-07

  • Two fan filmmakers are attempting to crowd-fund a documentary on the subject of “anime and its misunderstood fandom.” It’s nowhere close to meeting its goal, but I’m curious about how they might tackle the “misunderstood” part. Are anime fans still at the stage where we have to explain ourselves to outsiders? Watch their pitch video and see for yourself. 
  • Over at Sexy Videogame Land, Leigh Alexander writes about the short-lived security gamers find through playing life simulations:

They call some large-scale simulations “god games” because you play god – but maybe they take a role in our lives like religion, a repetitive ritual that makes us feel less afraid, like success is always attainable because the system is fair.

  • Finally, here’s a catchy soundtrack to your weekend—Chrono Jigga, a mashup CD of Chrono Trigger and Jay-Z. I’m amazed by how well these two sounds work together!

(Photo via Victoria Holden, social media marketing manager at Crunchyroll.)

Welcome to Otaku Journalist 3.0

Uncategorized

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So long to Otaku Journalist 2.0.

After nearly two years, I thought it was time for an update, both in my blog’s look and direction.

Over the last two weeks I’ve been building this theme off of the base of Purple Pro, a free WordPress theme from ThemeMotive. Going for a modern look, I tweaked the PHP skeleton and did a complete CSS overhaul. I wanted the site to be newsier, easier to read, and scream “2013” instead of “LiveJournal!”

But the visual changes are just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll notice I’ve swapped my menu with four brand new pages—What’s “Otaku?”, About the Site, About the Author, and The Bookstore. By succinctly explaining “otaku,” I’m trying to make the blog more accessible to newcomers. As fandom topics become more newsworthy every day, I think a lot more people than just hardcore fans are curious about fandom reporting.

But the biggest change of all was my biggest decision: I’ve decided to give away my Otaku Journalist Guides for free. After writing the first three and about half of the fourth, I lost my motivation. I realized it was because I was reaching so few people by putting up a paywall. I deeply appreciate everyone who DID buy a guide, but it’s time to open the floodgates and see if there is any more interest. I’m hoping your readership is what I need to motivate me to finish the series!

Thank you for continuing to read Otaku Journalist through its many evolutions. I think you’ll really like what’s coming up.