16bit Sensation: Another Layer

 16bit Sensation: Another Layer (16bitセンセーション ANOTHER LAYER) is a 13 episode sci-fi comedy inspired by the manga 16 Bit Sensation: The Bishojo Game Made by All of You and I by Mitsumi Misato and Wakaki Tamiki.  The anime originally aired during the Fall of 2023.

    Akisato Konoha is a 19 year old illustrator who spends her days slaving away at a game company making the same repetitive artwork for uninspiring games.  She dreams of being part of the golden age of bishojo games, from when she was barely a twinkle in her parents eyes.  After work one day, wandering trough the back alleys of Akihabara, she stumbles upon a quaint used game store.  She marvels at the treasure trove of iconic titles in the 100 yen discount bin, such as Kanon and Dokyusei.  When she decides to open the packaging for one of the games she finds her self transported to Akihabara in 1992.  While wandering its now unfamiliar streets in confusion she returns to the building that she works at only to find a different software development company called Alcohol Soft.  A boy she encountered earlier finds her lost in front of the building and asks him for help.  She learns that they are a company making bishojo games so she instantly applies to work for them as in illustrator.  But things aren't as easy as she would hope as the technology differs vastly compared to what shes used to and they have to teach her how to do the most basic things.  Her enthusiasm and ideals keep her optimistic and she puts her worries behind her.

    When they finish the game shes has helped with she finds herself back to 2023 and wishes that she could return to the early 90's to continue working on the games she loves the most, being a part of the formation of the industry.  She retraces her steps and ends up transporting back to 1996 this time, after opening another game.  Shes beginning to realize that the games dictate what year she travels to, marked by their release dates.  For her, she has only been gone for a brief time, but when she shows back up at Alcohol Soft to work for them more they are bewildered and confused as to where she has been over the past four years.  She once again helps them and when she returns to 2023 she has a plan to be valuable for them and packs a bag of modern technology to bring with her for the third time.  But she begins to notice that the history shes familiar with isn't exactly the same as it now appears and fears that she may be irreversibly altering her present.

    This was a bit of an interesting series, given that the character of Konoha does not exist in the original manga...so I really need to track that down and read it to see what that story was like.  Anyway.  I am a fan of time travel stories and this was a fun one particularly how much of a love letter to the golden era of bishojo games the story is.  It was fun seeing Konoha have to face the vastly different technological landscape of the 90's as she struggled to prove to the others that she was good at what she does.  Some aspects of the story shared qualities with Otaku no Video I feel.  Ultimately though, Konoha's character is incredibly annoying.  The final arc of the story was...drastically different from the tone of the everything that came before it and a little disappointing to be honest.  I really do need to read the original manga as it is more a telling of the creators history in the video game industry at that time.  That feels like a more interesting story than this quirky time travel story.

    Aside form the anime apparently diverging a bit from the source material and its main character being rather grating, this was a fun series to watch and I sped through it pretty quickly, each ending keeping my interest piqued as to what would happen next.  Over all it is a fun story, even if it ends in a less than satisfying manner...for me anyway.  I believe that a faithful adaption of the source material may have been a better approach as there will always be interest in an anime about the industry especially if its based on real people and events.  Just look at how well received Shirobako was.  Oh well, we can only deal with what we got and until I started doing research I didn't even know the anime diverged from the manga.  Still not a bad story, especially if you are a fan of those classic dating sim games.

The series was released on Crunchyroll.

Denki-gai no Honya-san

Denki-gai no Honya-san (デンキ街の本屋さん) is a 12 episode slice of life comedy based on the manga of the same name by Mizu Asato.  The series originally aired in Japan in the Fall of 2014.

    The story focuses on the oddball characters who work at a manga shop in Akihabara called Umanohone.  The stores staff has odd, descriptive, nick names.  Sensei-san, the aspiring manga-ka.  Fu-girl, the zombie obsessed pervert.  Kantoku, the store’s manager.  Sommelier-kun, the stoic manga recommendation genius.  There isn’t much of a direction for the plot and each episode is made up of small vignettes that are sometimes unrelated.  The show progresses by giving more detailed information to the motives and personalities of the characters.  The only consistent thing in the series is the underlying sexual tension between all the employees.  Everyone has someone they like, but no one is able to actually express their feelings.  This tension is usually used for comedic purposes, with very little in the way of drama. 

    This was an entertaining series that had fun picking on stereotypical otaku types in a semi-perverted manner.  The artwork is sub standard but it wouldn’t fit to have super high quality character designs and backgrounds for this story.  It’s like the lower quality comedic version of what everyone from Genshiken would do if they continued living 100% as otaku after college.  It is nowhere near as deep or interesting as that excellent series though, so there is really no comparison.  This was fun, is standard fare.  The series ends as it begins, with no real direction or resolution.  If they make more fine, if not, no loss to the world.

The anime was simulcast on Crunchyroll.  No word on a disc release in North America.  The manga is currently unavailable in North America.

A Conversation on Otaku

    Long story short, I ended up reading an interesting and thought provoking conversation between Okada Toshio (Gunbuster, Otaku no Video) and Morikawa Kaichiro (professor of modern Japanese studies at Meiji University) on what otaku means in Japan and it's transformation at the beginning of the 21st century.  The conversation is from a book by Murakami Takashi titled 'Little Boy: The Arts of Japans Exploding Subculture'

    I am always wrestling with the identity of otaku in Japan, outside of Japan and with myself.  For the most part I do not identify myself as an otaku.  Outside of my passion for anime I have many other hobbies and interests, some I am even more passionate about.  My life, much to some peoples confusion and disbelieve, is not consumed by my anime fandom.  I try to distance myself from many aspects of otaku culture; aspects I consider attempts to live outside of reality.  I'm not generally an escapist.  I don't pursue things to escape from the real world.  Many of my passions involve learning about and trying to build a greater understanding of the real world and how it operates and behaves.  I play video games, watch anime and movies and read books to be entertained; not to escape. 

    One of the things I have tried to attain since beginning my blogging on anime and related things in 2006 was to attempt to connect with otaku in Japan.  Unfortunately this has been difficult to do.  The one thing that I strive to discuss at length with the Japanese otaku is their impressions and understandings of how and in what forms their subculture has been co-opted by others around the world.

    Below is a segment from the conversation that discuses the current state of otaku as they see it, relating specifically with the moe revolution at the turn of the century.  While not much related to the Japanese view of foreign otaku it is an interesting look into some opinion on Japanese otaku and the direction of current trends.

Otaku vs. Mania

Takashi Murakami: This may be a frequent question, but what is the difference between otaku and mania?

Kaichiro Morikawa: In otaku studies, we often argued about this distinction. Generally speaking, three differences have been articulated.  First of all, mania are “obsessives” who are socially well adjusted. They hold down jobs and love their hobbies. In contrast, otaku are socially inept. Their obsessions are self-indulgent. This point is raised mainly by the self-proclaimed mania, critical of otaku.  The second point concerns what they love. Mania tend to be obsessed with, for example, cameras and railroads, which have some sort of materiality (jittai), while otaku tend to focus on virtual things such as manga and anime. In other words, the objects of their obsessions are different.  The third point relates to the second one. A mania tends to concentrate on a single subject - say, railroads - whereas an otaku has a broader range of interests, which may encompass “figures,”manga, and anime.  Taken together, I would say - although Okada-san may disagree with me - that someone who is obsessive about anime likes anime despite the fact that it’s no good, dame. That’s mania. But otaku love anime because it’s no good.

Toshio Okada: Mania is an analogue of otaku. Obsessives are adults who enjoy their hobbies, while otaku don’t want to grow up, although financially, they are adults. These days, you’re not welcome in Akihabara if you aren’t into moe.  I was already a science-fiction mania when otaku culture kicked in. I can understand it, but I can neither become an otaku myself nor understand moe
T. Murakami: And I’m nowhere near Okada-san’s level. I failed to become an otaku. Period.
T. Okada: I believe otaku culture has already lost its power. What you find in Akihabara today is only sexual desire. They all go to Akihabara, which is overflowing with things that offer convenient gratification of sexual desire, made possible by the power of technology and the media.

K. Morikawa: But I think the sexual desire in Akihabara is different from that in Kabuki-cho.

T. Okada: Kabuki-cho is about physical sex.  Because the heart of otaku culture shuns the physical, it has renamed seiyoku [sexual desire] as moe.  Sexual fantasies are becoming more and more virtual and “virtual sexuality” proliferates in Akihabara.
 
    In another segment of the book Japan's otaku culture is broken down into 3 generations, much like American otaku culture can be.  The original generation came about in the post reconstruction Japan, with an eye towards a bright and shinning future, heralded by Tezuka Osamu.  The second generation came about in the 70's and 80's with a more somber reality setting in about the future with such titles as Gundam and Yamato.  The third generation came about at the end of the 90's until the present in which the otaku are disillusioned with any aspect of the future and instead have chosen to retreat into a world of fantasy and hyper fetishism.

    This is a rather dismal ideal that the current generation of otaku who flood the streets of Akihabara are people who have no hope for themselves or the future of their society and turn instead to filling the sense of uselessness they feel with controllable alternate realities. The idea being that Japan's youth have all but giveup on any sort of successful future for themselves and the nation and instead are admitting defeat and choosing fantasy over ambition. In another portion of the book Murakami discusses an analogy to this used in the Crayon Shinchan movie, 'Storm-Brewing Mōretsu! Adult Empire Strikes Back'.

    It's hard to tell though, what any one person is thinking.  So much of the otaku boom is a bandwagon type of mentality.  Since the beginning of the 21st century otaku has become a cool and popular thing, where once it was shunned and hidden.  It's hard to determine how many patrons of the maid cafe's are truly otaku in the traditional and classical sense and not flighty fadists.  Pop culture has a tendency to turn into an uncontrollable beast and the moe revolution in Japan appears to be out of control with very few hardcore members to its following.  Yet, the industry still makes money and will continue to support the fickle fanbase the best they can

    I'm not sure about the author and participants dismal view of the future of Japanese otaku being correct or a hallmark for the fate of their country.  It is an interesting view into the ideas driving the current trends and beckons more consideration and contemplation.  This coincides with a book I am currently reading, which also originally pointed me towards these articles, about the growing problem with hikikomori in Japan.  The book is by an American journalist, who has been working in Japan since the mid 90's, Michael Zielenziger and is titled 'Shutting out the Sun'.  When I finish the book I will do a bit of a reflection on it here, so stay tuned and at some point I will pick up Murakami's book as well.

My Tenuous Relationship with Fansub's

    As a member of the generation of American otaku ushered in by Akira in the early 90’s I have had a long and complicated relationship with fansub anime. 

    With the rapid growth in the early 90’s of anime being commercially available in the United States so grew the hunger for more than what the distribution companies could keep up with.  Once we ran out of things to rent from Blockbuster and Hollywood Video or buy from Suncoast Video and local comic book stores we had to look elsewhere.   The underground VHS tape trading market that had helped fuel the earlier generation of American otaku was where we turned.  The fansub distribution circles grew to accommodate the growth in demand in the mid 90’s.  You could pay 'per tape' fees or annual memberships to some of the groups to help support the costs associated with materials and mailing fees.  In this already illegal realm of pirating the idea of charging for the fansub was more than a gray area when it came to ‘morality’.  But, in some cases, $15 for a VHS full of TV episodes mailed to you seemed like a fair trade for time and expenses incurred.

    I started tapping into the world of fansub’s in 1997 with Rurouni Kenshin.  A friend of mine at the time owned a store that specialized in anime and manga, including video rental.  Certain video rental members of the store had access to fansub tapes and we all pitched in to cover the costs of acquiring these tapes.  We were mostly watching stuff that was not remotely close to being licensed in North America at that time; Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin and Macross 7.  We looked at the consumption of illicit fansub anime with two mindsets; being able to watch anime that is currently not available and wouldn’t be commercially available for months if not years later.  Since he sold commercial anime it was in his best interest to not support fansub’s of licensed shows.  We liked being on top of everything that was new and to have access to shows and movies that never saw the light of day outside of Japan.  The other mindset; due to the majority of fansub being TV shows directly recorded from the broadcast, in many cases with commercial breaks intact, was that we were consuming it the same way people in Japan were.  Free over the airwaves.  The biggest hitch in this mindset is that we weren’t exactly the target audience for the advertisers that helped fund the shows existence.  

     When file sharing came about everything changed.  In 2004 my friend decided to close down his store after 10 years of being moderately successful.  His biggest competitors were Best Buy and internet based video and merchandise sales; not file sharing.  What file sharing did to the fansub community though was make the idea of paying anything for a fansub completely obsolete.  It also allowed for significantly rapid release periods.  We were able to receive new episodes within a matter of days of their airing in Japan…this was revolutionary and cemented the mentality of joy in being on the ground floor along with the Japanese.  This made viewing a fansub almost like a drug addiction.  Case and point; Naruto which began airing in Japan in 2002.  It began airing in North America 3 years later, roughly 150 episodes behind Japanese and active fansub viewers of the series.  It’s hard to put that pipe down and wait respectfully for the licensed material to catch up to where you were before it was licensed.

     The end of the 00’s saw this landscape change again with legitimate and accessible streaming services showing up, intent on trying to supply anime at the same pace as the fansub community.  This was a welcomed development in my mind, but I was skeptical at first.  At around this time, in 2009, I had stepped away from the anime community for a number of reasons, uncertain what was really in store for it in North America.  When I returned in the middle of 2013 I was pleasantly surprised to see what legitimate streaming services provided by Crunchyroll and FUNimation had been able to accomplish.  What I was also surprised by was the collapse of pretty much all of the distribution companies I had ‘grown up’ with.  Having not looked into the reasons behind the closure of ADV and Pioneer I can’t really speculate on how much the fansub community affected them in the end.  Either way the streaming services have almost rendered fansubs obsolete as the vast majority of TV shows released in Japan are being picked up for streaming distribution.  With these services sometimes releasing the episodes within hours of their broadcast in Japan the once revered speed-fansub’s have also become pointless.

    So where does that leave an otaku like me?  One who has spent as much time consuming licensed anime as fansub anime?  It leaves me in a rather comfortable place, with a few minor irritations.  I gladly pay my monthly fees to Crunchyroll and Hulu and eagerly countdown the release of each new episode for all the shows I watch.  I also enjoy their back catalog of shows I missed in my 4 year absence from the scene.  I gladly pay my Netflix fee and consume the anime it has, with disappointment that they are not following the simulcast policy of Crunchyroll and FUNimation.

    I also miss the flare that many ‘reputable’ fansub circles put into their work.  Would it kill some of these streaming services to provide subs for the OP and ED songs?  I have never seen the licensed version of Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei and wonder if Media Blasters did as much painstaking work explaining many of the obscure references the show is littered with.  I do know that FUNimation did a poor job in explaining the peripheral information scattered throughout Pani Poni Dash.  In the fansub world you can find people, who have strong passion for anime, unfortunately it’s an illegal output for their passion.

    While I don’t defend fansub as a legitimate thing and don’t argue against it being an illegal activity, I do think there is still a need for it and a place in fandom.  It is the only way North American otaku can have access to anime that will never be available to us in a commercial fashion.  Off the top of my head, here are 5 series’ I have used as case examples before.  Macross Zero; Harmony Gold’s long standing control of the Macross/Robotech world in the United States has kept almost everything Macross out of the country indefinitely.  Minami-ke; I have no idea why this has not been licensed.  Itazura na Kiss; classic 80s/90’s romance stories seem to be out of fashion (ItaKiss was released by Discotek Media on DVD at the end of 2014!).  Bokurano; Viz publishes the manga…I have no clue why they have not released or perhaps even licensed the anime (Bokurano has a pending Discotek DVD release as well).  The one I am most frustrated with, Denno Coil; it would seem the Japanese got fed up and decided to globally release it themselves with English subs on iTunes though.  Since I am not in the industry of licensing anime I really have no idea the reasons (aside from Macross) why these titles have not seen the light of day in North America.  Perhaps the Japanese license holders are asking for too much money?  I really don’t know, but it’s still frustrating.

    In conclusion, I want to support the companies that make it possible for these stories I have loved over my decades of fandom.  I greatly welcome the legitimate streaming services that are hopefully providing adequate compensation to the people that deserve it.  Yet since some stuff will never be available the fansub community is still a necessary evil for otaku outside of Japan, we just have to decide for ourselves how we want to approach and regard that aspect.  If you decide to go down or continue the path of illicit fansub viewing, be respectful.  Buy the DVD’s when they become available, pick up merch and don’t try to profit off of other people’s hard work.

    On a side note; I miss the hell out of the commercial breaks that were left in fansub’s during the 90’s.  The cutesy end to all Glico commercials runs through my head like sugar plums and I learned to fear the kabuki clown Ronald McDonald.

Watamote

Watamote (Watashi ga mote nai no wa dou kangaete mo omaera ga warui) is a comedic slice of life series.  It aired in japan in the fall of 2013 for 12 episodes and is based on the manga of the same name by Niko Tanigawa.

    Tomoko Kuroki is a 1^st year high school student who has no friends, no prospects for a future and no ambition.  However she quickly wants to change her position in life and strives to become popular and loved by her peers.  The problem is that she has no clue how to really interact with other people and her understanding of reality comes from video games, manga and anime.  Her otaku tendencies keep her from interacting and other people from being able to approach her.  In an attempt to change her image she runs through various scenarios in her mind as ways to become popular…will she be able to be one of the loved students in her school, or will she always be a socially awkward NEET.

    This odd series reminded me of a mash up between Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge and  Ouran High School Host Club.  There were some funny parts, but honestly I wasn’t impressed or entertained.  I actually started to zone out for the last few episodes, which didn’t seem to matter much in the overall course of the series.  The funny parts were in dealing with Tomoko trying to remake herself in popular girl stereotypes, which she seemed to turn into freaky caricatures.  Tomoko is an idiot and she doesn’t realize it, so it’s pretty hard to care for her success of failure.  The art isn’t anything special and the writing tries to be witty, with some references to other satirical comedy series, but doesn’t come anywhere close to capturing the creativeness of the series it name drops.  You can really just skip this series.  It doesn’t offer anything worthwhile aside from wasting time.

    If you really want to watch it, you can stream it via Crunchyroll.  Honestly it’s still better than half the crap available on CR anyways.

Mokuyobi Post - Otaku no Video

This OAV from the beginning of the 90's was produced by Gainax and comically shed light on the varying otaku subcultures as well as offering a warning on their compulsive tendencies.

    Split between an anime story and a mockumentary this 2 part OAV follows Ken Kubo who is first introduced to the world of the otaku by an old school friend and eventually is determined to be the ota-king, ruling over all otaku.  He and his cohorts are met with a mixture of success, failure, betrayal and fantasy on their journey to create the most powerful otaku company in the universe.  Intermixed in the anime portion are mock segments interviewing members of specific otaku sub-cultures.  These segments are live action and each feature one person who is deeply obsessed with a specific hobby; anime, cosplay, war gaming, etc.  These segments also go to show either the shame people have in their otaku tendencies or pride in their obsessions, sometimes bordering on illegal/dangerous activities.

    This anime is from 1991, so it is dated but not too poorly.  Gainax has built a career on producing high quality products for their time periods.  They are also known for controversy and mischievousness.  This is a fun romp into the realm of otaku-hood, if at times somewhat uncomfortable.  The OAV also includes segments of the videos the crew who would eventually become Gainax created for the 1981 and 1983 Sci-fi conventions, Daikon.  This is a mandatory title to see in my opinion.

    This video has been available commercially in North America for a long time in both VHS and DVD format.  Pick it up when you come across it and enjoy.

Genshiken Second Season

Genshiken Second Season is the semi-confusing title for the third TV installment of this otaku slice of life comedy series.  Genshiken Second Season is based on the manga of the same name which is a follow up to the original manga/anime Genshiken.  Second Season aired in Japan in the spring of 2013 with 13 episodes.

    We find the members of the "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture" starting a new school year and eager to add to their flock.  Only 4 members currently participate in the circle with the older members having graduated.  Ogiue is still the clubs president with Ono being the most senior member.  Rounding out the current crew is the delirious and perverted Kuchiki and the enigmatic and loli like foreign student Sue.  Oguie, still hateful towards otaku, tries her best to stop any cosplaying during the membership drive.  In order to get attention from prospective members she draws a large scale BL piece for everyone to see.  Much to her dismay the three new members this stunt attracts are all BL addicted fujoshi.  Now every member of the club besides Kuchiki is a girl...that is until they discover that one of the newest recruits, Kenjiro Hato, is a cross dresser.  While rookie member Rika Hoshitake, energetic history buff and massive yaoi fan, loves the idea of a cross dressing member of the club.  The other new member, Mirei Yajima, an over weight and gruff otaku, has severe problems with Hato's tendencies.  As Genshiken turns to a club packed with BL loving women can Ogiue maintain the original spirit of the otaku group?

    A return to this enjoyable slice of life series was welcome after the last installment in 2007 with Genshiken 2.  With many of the original characters playing bit parts the focus of this series turned towards Ogiue managing the club and Hato coming to terms with his love of BL dojinshi and what his cross dressing habits really represent.  At first, I was sad to not really see most of the old characters but quickly warmed up to the new cast of misfits.  I think the new take on otaku culture with the series highlighting the growing and vocal female otaku crowd is a good move.  If you have a problem with yaoi and BL then don't watch/read any titles, but it doesn't mean you have to be disgusted by any mention of that sector of otaku culture in a series such as this one.  Don't be a fucking bigot.  The series maintains its humor and maturity that it has presented in the past and is greatly welcome among the current anime titles out there.

   For fans of Genshiken, this is a must.  For fans of well done slice of life stories this is also right up your alley.  Otaku should really watch Genshiken on principle along with the other few otaku centered anime titles.  This series is currently available on Crunchyroll and I highly recommend it.  Best series to come out of 2013 in my mind...I don't think the others I have yet to watch will be able to top it.

Maho Tsukai Tai (Magic User Club) OAV

In the world of high school stories, Maho Tsukai Tai is both a fan servicing and fan debasing. This 6 part OAV series by Gonzo came out in the mid 90’s and tells the story of a hapless group of high school wanna-be-witches who try and save the world from an invading alien species.

   The series follows main character Sae; a quiet, reserved and nervous high school student. She enrolls in the failing Magic User Club due to her obsession/interest in not only magic but the clubs president, Takeo. Sae and her childhood friends, Nanaka, timely arrival into the club not only helps to keep their doors open in the face of the powerful manga club, but also to bolster the ranks in the fight against the mysterious alien invader. Previous to the girls joining the club a mysterious bell shaped space craft descended on the world. The military sent out fighters to destroy it but were both unsuccessful and obliterated themselves (without killing any of the soldiers). Afterward the object sent swarms of mechanical probes to inspect the surrounding areas. After a while humanity came to accept the mysterious presence of the alien craft and its probes and continued on, not concern for their safety, since it had never been hostile. Takeo has decided that it is his and the magic clubs duty to get rid of the alien invaders once and for all. With the fresh recruits of Sae, Nanaka and Akane, the popular and brainless rich girl, the club is bolstered to 5 members strong, including Takeo and the vice president Aburatsubo. Now that the club is not in danger of being disbanded Takeo works quickly to whip the new recruits into shape to battle the alien bell.

    To the amazement and delight of Takeo, who also has a deep rooted crush on her, Sae is highly proficient at magic and takes to the lessons right away…even if the results aren’t always what was expected. With only a few lessons under their belt and the surprising attack on Akane by the aliens Takeo takes the magic users club against them to rescue Akane and remove the invaders from the planet.

    This is a funny and sweet series and one of my personal favorites. This is a series that was created before the advent of the Moe revolution and the obsession with fan service for fan service sake. Sure, there is plenty of fan service, plenty of classic otaku techniques and characterizations. You have the shy and quiet girl with her secret crush, the awkward boy with his secret crush; you have the tsundere type, the bimbo, the unnaturally large breasted evil woman, the pale gay guy, a semi-talking stuffed animal, nosebleedsalienstechnology…

    The show is still for otaku, but before the time when shows catered exclusively to them. When you had to search for the anime/manga/model stores in Akibahara and when the only anime most Americans had ever heard of was Sailor Moon. The story is cute, simple and filled with tried and true plot devices. You can classify it as a romantic comedy, magic girl/boy, sci-fi, slice of school life series. The humor and story is aimed at adolescent boys, with panty shots, gag comedy and slapstick. If you are a fan of such series as Photon, Tenchi Muyo, Ping Pong Club or All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku you would probably have watched this series already and enjoyed it. This is an old series and has been released commercially in America as well as it’s follow up TV series.