What the Summer of Shoujo says about anime

Anime, Fandom

32348-sailrmooncrytal

Scamp did a pretty great runthrough of the summer anime season on the Cart Driver—check it out!—and I can tell this is going to be a pretty full season for the ladies.

Here’s what I mean:

  • We’re getting Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal (not to be confused with Viz Media’s Sailor Moon re-release) a remake of only one of the most beloved shoujo series in Western anime fandom;
  • Blue Spring Ride, a Kimi Ni Todoke-type shoujo romance;
  • Free! 2, which puts all the talent and hype of Kyoto Animation behind a series engineered exclusively for the purpose of ogling hot guys;
  • Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, a rare 4-koma romance adaptation targeted at girls;
  • Dramatical Murder, Love Stage, and Black Butler: Book of Circus (thanks for the correction, Tony!)—three shows that are probably not going to be notable except that they’re all BL shows that pander to women. I cannot recall a time we’ve had more than one BL show airing per season.

I’m not saying that all of these shows are going to be awesome. We probably won’t know if there’s even a single one worth watching until July. However, this seems to be an indication to female fans that senpai has finally noticed us. Studios realize our money is just as good.

Still, will this season be any better for it? I don’t think it will be.

A lot of these shows may be pandering to women now, but it’s still pandering. Whether it’s the “my little sister is hot for me” of last season or the “men in drag for no reason” of the now, studios will deliver us these fantasies whether we want them or not.

Did you notice that just about all of these shows are romances? Whether het or BL, they seem to be primarily about two people getting together. But I suppose that comes with the territory of the shoujo term—even if we had a show about an engaging, independent female character kicking ass, that would probably be considered shounen.

And let’s look more closely at this glut of BL. So far, nobody has very high hopes for the plots of these shows; they’re simply targeting fujoshi viewers. We’ve been trained not to expect much from the single BL show of the season and we get what we expect; recent titles like Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi get uncomfortably non-consensual. Yes, I am definitely part of the problem, but if we tell studios we just want pretty boys, we’re not going to get any of the cool female characters we crave.

It’s almost cliche for an anime fan to bemoan today’s shows and how much they suck, compared to the “good old days,” defined as “five to ten years before that fan discovered anime.” You often hear a lot about the ‘90s or early ‘00s being a golden time for anime, when really, there was just as much junk then as there is now. In reality, time and distance wipe away the bad shows from our memories, so we only remember the good stuff that aired.

My guess? Probably I’ll end up watching one or two shows from the summer season—same as always. There’s more shows aimed at women, but the percentage of what looks like quality and what looks like junk remains the same. It’s remarkable that women are getting such a big piece of the pie now, but fanservice is still insufferable, no matter who it’s aimed at.

More of my writing on fanservice:

Photo via Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal.

Otaku Links: All the latest findings

Otaku Links

superscience

  • At the Cart Driver, Scamp previews all the summer anime. I especially enjoyed his thoughtful, nuanced analysis of Free! 2.
  • Eren’s mom: the goriest Attack on Titan cosplay yet. Still waiting for that second season…
  • If you ever heard a song, ANY song, and thought, “This would sound great mashed up with Platinum Disco,” beeeeees has got you covered.
  • Fandom is big business, the Organization of Transformative Works reports.
  • This makes me really happy. After Kevin read Otaku Journalism, he was inspired to create his own niche tech blog, Know Techie. Check it out!

Screenshot via… honestly no idea. Help me out?

How to get published as a manga artist: My book review

Writing

manga-artist-christopher-hart

Even if you’ve never heard of Christopher Hart, you’ve seen his books. His “How to Draw Manga” series is available in 20 languages. Spanning shoujo, shounen, and other niche manga art styles, the series has sold more than 3.5 million copies in the U.S alone.

When I Googled Hart’s name, I wasn’t surprised to see mixed reviews. While Hart has his fair share of devoted fans, the truth remains that Hart is an American, and his manga style is sometimes critiqued for being “not Japanese enough.” Given that this is a challenge any manga artist outside of Japan will face, Hart has found success nonetheless, and this makes him uniquely qualified to talk realistically about this topic.

Last week, Hart reached out to me about reviewing his latest book, How to Get Published as a Manga Artist: Everything You Need to Turn Your Passion into a Career. I finished the book in about an hour on the plane home from Las Vegas. It was a quick, easy read. Here’s what I thought of this guide:

What Works

Hart has worked as an illustrator, author, and teacher with print, broadcast, and Web platforms. Years of actual industry experience has made him a realist.

Hart doesn’t vaguely tell you to “go for your dreams,” but instead shares some tough truths. Art school is a hard sell, especially if there isn’t a high success rate for graduates. And as much as you love it, fan art doesn’t belong in a portfolio—it shows nothing about your own ability to design a character, and publishers will cringe at the perceived copyright violations.

Since this book assumes you already know how to draw, most of the best advice is about the other things successful artists do. They treat their careers like businesses. They get good with numbers, with legal terms, and protecting their rights either by themselves or with an agent. They keep a “traffic log,” a list of which pitches they’ve sent to whom, when. Most of the book goes into detail about the specialized nitty-gritty of running a manga business.

By far, Hart is most helpful when he’s giving actual examples of cover letters, graphic novel proposals, and talking points for networking at manga conventions. These are scripts built on having seen beginners do the same thing incorrectly too many times. It’s clear that when Hart advises, he’s drawing from his years of experience in the field.

Of course, my favorite part of the book is Hart’s advice on specialization, which is exactly what I advise to potential Otaku Journalists:

“Is there a risk of getting pigeonholed? One would think so. One would also hope so. Specialization is a strength to be exploited, not a problem to be solved… Do you believe that Tsugomi Ohba, author of the famously popular graphic novel Death Note, would have a better career if he also published chibi-style works?”

What Doesn’t

From the very first sentence, it’s apparent that Hart knows what he’s talking about. However, in some sections he has trouble bringing the reader up to his level.

Some of Hart’s advice is a little vague for people with zero experience. He suggests you build an online portfolio by “setting up an FTP site.” As a technology instructor, I could give a whole class on what that is and how to do it, but here it’s just a sentence. Other advice like, “dress like you’re successful” or “live in a major publishing hub” is almost cryptic to me.

It’s almost as if Hart has lived this for so many years, he has a difficult time putting himself back in a beginner’s shoes. Fortunately his email response time is quick and I’m sure readers can just ask him when something isn’t clear. He’s certainly made himself available to me. Perhaps if enough people ask the same questions, he’ll add an addendum to the book.

In Summary

Hart didn’t write this book to make manga seem like an easy career. It’s impossible to follow his advice without putting a lot of hard work behind it.

Still, Hart doesn’t want you to settle. He shows you how to protect your rights, to be choosy with publishers, and to never, ever work for free, even as a beginner.

In any creative industry, I think it’s important to have a mentor you can look up to. But short of that, I’d recommend checking out this book. It’s a guide written by somebody who’s been there, seen the common mistakes, and risen above them. Hart’s artistic style may be disputed on the Internet, but his success as a manga artist is not. Aspiring manga artists, writers, and even people interested in selling products at conventions can all learn something from him.

Otaku Links: Vegas bound

Otaku Links

lupin_casino_robberyIt’s not my typical link day, but it’s my last post of the week. I’m on my way to Las Vegas to celebrate my wedding anniversary. It seems like it was so recently that I was writing my blog post about taking time off to get married, but that was a whole year ago!

Between my book deal, launching Gunpla 101, and a slew of other projects, May has been REALLY busy for me. So in order to ensure that I take some time off, I’m not even bringing my laptop! I’ll be updating my Instagram, but that’s pretty much it.

And now, on to the links:

  • This isn’t necessarily geeky, but Dr. Nerdlove, has been saying some very important stuff about the UC Santa Barbara shooting. It’s hard for me to draw a conclusion without making generalizations or making less of the lives that were lost, so I’ve been reading the thoughts of people more articulate than myself.
  • You’ve probably heard about Boys’ Love, a Japanese genre for girls who like boys who like boys. But have you heard about bara, a similar entertainment targeted at gay men? Tumblr user gaymanga has a very thorough history on the term and its uses (link is NSFW).

Screenshot via Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. 

Speaking up: How and why to present panels at conventions

Guest Post

panelists

Today I’m publishing a second guest post from my friend Katriel. Book writing has consumed my life lately, so when Kit pitched me an idea for a panel presenting tutorial post, I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve presented a panel twice in my life, and I loved Kit’s idea of helping more people get the confidence to present panels of their own.

Katriel Paige is a translator, editor, lecturer, and occasional journalist. They love Japanese yokai stories, convention cultures, good conversations, and fox plushes. They also contribute to Study of Anime.

What do people fear more than darkness, heights, spiders, or even death? As it turns out, public speaking remains the number one phobia people face.

It may be easy to avoid public speaking for the most part. But when it comes to fandom conventions, where one of our biggest fears clashes with one of our greatest passions, it can be trickier. Many people who have something important to say about fandom simply avoid doing so.

I present on Japanese folklore and sacred culture topics at Japanese animation conventions. These topics can get a bit technical, for example detailing the range of what kami might mean in English.

Since 2004, I have presented at conventions to huge, packed rooms, and spoken to audiences ranging from 20 strangers to 500. I’ve even given panels where special guests—people I admire most—are watching and listening.

But I’d like to tell you a secret: I still get nervous about public speaking—every single time.

I know you have powerful things to say about the fandom topics you’re interested in. And I don’t want you to let your concerns over public speaking deter you any longer. When I’m preparing or presenting, here are the ways I keep my nerves in check.

Have conversations

You like talking about the Marvel Cinematic Universe? You love talking about the different versions of Sailor Moon? Now find people who are interested in discussing those topics with you.

Surround yourself with people that will challenge you to think more, or consider different angles. Perhaps you have not considered localization choices, or publication trends, or world events. All of these things can have an impact on media. Learn and talk, talk and learn.

Before, you plan out your speech, a back-and-forth with other fans can help you finesse your points and find confidence in what you want to present.

Focus

When you’re up in front of a crowd, even five minutes can seem like a long time. When I tell people about how long my own presentations are, they say, “But fifty minutes is such a long time!”

However, when I’m focusing on a particular topic, I hardly notice the minutes passing by. I have a clear and defined point that keeps me centered and keeps the speech flowing.

While you may feel the impulse to add “filler” to your presentation to extend the length, you should really be doing the opposite and narrowing your focus. When your mind has fewer places to wander, your speech will be sharper.

Listen

Listen to yourself. Speak to yourself in the mirror. Find some friends—within and without the fandom you are talking about—and go through your presentation with them. Make a video. Record your voice. Whatever works.

Listen to others. Some audiences are quiet. Some have high energy and love participation. The audience reflects a mood, and a quiet audience doesn’t necessarily belie a poor presentation. Get used to speaking to many different kinds of groups.

Try it out

Take advantage of the resources your local convention may have to improve your panels.

Some conventions, such as NekoCon have panel auditions to aid them in finding new panel programming for future years. An audition is a great way to test and get feedback for a panel.

If you want to give presentations again, be open to feedback. Maybe a term you used was insensitive. Or maybe talking over a video clip was distracting. Give your audience a way to contact you in case they have any questions. If people have criticism, resist the impulse to revamp the whole panel. But if you get a lot of the same critique, that might be a sign that something could be improved.

Even though public speaking can be scary, it led to me discovering new people—and new ideas. Most of the people I know from fandom now, like Charles and Lauren, I met because I spoke up with passion. So perhaps you’ll find new ideas, mentors, or friends—or a new way to look at your fandom!

Best of luck, and best in speaking.

Extremely old photo of me and Patrick Taylor presenting Sexism in Anime Fandom at Anime USA 2012. Otaku Journalist occasionally publishes guest posts about fandom and subculture. You can pitch me your idea here.