Shrinking Optimism – Just some random thoughts

As I sit here I think to myself, “What to do?” The television bleeds out an endless stream of useless sounds and images meant for entertainment, but it fails at that. AVAST!!!! Apparently, my virus database has been updated. Oh, I’m so bored.

For the most part, I’ve found myself settled into a repetitive cycle of work for pay, pay for work (school), pay for play, and anime. I’ve been watching some of the popular series Claymore, Zero no Tsukaima, Idolmasters, and Hayate no Gotoku!. They are all very good, but the only one of the group that has a plot with any complexity is Idolmasters. As far as that is concerned, the point of interests is trying to figure out how they are going to get a teenage girl and a 50 meter tall mecha into the sack by the end of the series.

Those shows are fun to watch. They’ve got love, blood, violence, mecha, fights, swords, magic, lolis, humor, and meido just to name a small sample of the attactions. It would appear to be a well rounded diet. I still feel hungry though.

There are some shows that I’ve simply stopped watching. These series at first peaked my interests, but then there was a huge drop in enthusiasm on my part. I can’t help but feel that I’m missing out by not continuing.

A perfect example is Romeo x Juliet. I was very excited about this one. I really was hoping for a dramatic love story with spurts of comedy, but I just lost all interest in the series. I haven’t thought about this show for months. Perhaps, the story has made a turn for the better since I stopped watching it. Or, perhaps, the show has finally moved away from the meandering plot that didn’t seem to go anywhere. I love character development. The problem is that RxJ seemed to push the same character traits with each episode. In the end it was probably just my overenthusiastic cheering of the series before it got off the ground that hurt this for me.

Then there was Denno Coil. The odd thing about Denno Coil is that it is a good show. I’ve only watched five episodes, but I’ve liked every single one. It just doesn’t have a lasting flavor. I forget about Denno Coil as soon as I’ve stopped watching it. That means that when I have time to watch something it isn’t the first thing to come to mind.

Then there is School Days. I admit, I don’t know much about the plot or the characters. I’ve only watched the first three episodes; so, I’m commenting on that and the random comments from online people. Still, I just can’t get into it. Of course, I like the setup. It has all the usual stuff that make a good school drama such as the inept male lead, the best friend that is in love with the male lead, the shy girl who is in love with the male lead, the jealous third part group of girls that do no like the shy girl, a school that is full of girls that potentially love the male lead, and apparently--if online comments read correctly--a male lead that the viewers seems to like hating. Actually, I’m not sure why I’m not watching this.

Much of what I currently watch is coming to an end, which means that I may pick up where I left off with these shows. At the very least I want to know how Romeo x Juliet ends.

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Sometimes, I think my humor is too subtle.

oh, side-note, avast is free av software.

On the pretence of normalcy - All about life-size Rei Ayanami cardboard stand-ups

I found out through Anime Diet that there was a promotion that Pizza Hut was having for the new Eva movie. Firstly, it is taking a moderate amount of control to suppress my excitement about the prospect of Rei in all her reanimated glory. Secondly, this event was a reminder that I fall within what others may not consider “normal.” When I read, “. . .life-size Rei Ayanami cardboard stand-ups,” my first reaction was, “Awesome, I want one.”

There are probably only a few types of people reading this post right now. There are those who ask why it isn’t a life-size Asuka cardboard stand-up. The answer to that is because Rei is several times “>” Asuka on an exponential scale. Live with it Asuka lovers. Skipping along the gradient, there are the people like me who have to constantly explain to people why my DVD collection consist 95% Anime and 5% B-movies and the Matrix trilogy.

It isn’t unusual for anyone to be categorized as not normal because the idea of normalcy is totally subjective and arbitrary. What is normal? That can be answered with, “What is normal to you?” The fact still remains that there is always pressure to conform. Not only conform to the expectations put upon us by society, but also to those that we put upon ourselves. No matter where one lives or who one is, a model of expected behavior is thrust upon us. Many of us have personal goals as well. It is within our nature to strive to meet those goals and expectations. There are very few people who are strictly original or totally unique. This is largely due to the fact that it tends to scare others.

My wording may have offended some. Simply, it is the truth. The issue there is that many equate “normal” as lacking “uniqueness.” I would argue that is not the case. This dilemma brings us back to the issue with the definition of “normal.” For sure, I don’t feel normal for wanting a life-sized Rei cardboard standup. The fact remains that for me the thought is completely normal. In fact, for me, abnormal would be to not want a life-sized Rei cardboard standup.

It is the relativity of the social construct that is normalcy that makes using it as a measure of worth a double-edged sword. These ideas have lead to disputes among social groups, friends, family, neighbors, religions, nations, and pretty much every division humanity has placed unto itself. Our disputes, many times, are grounded in divergent ideals. Your normal is not someone else’s normal.

Everyone has to stop and wonder about their place in the world, if only for a scant few seconds. For many it is a simple thought game, but for others it defines their beings. Some of us may question our goals and the path that we have taken. Where am I going? What will I do when I get there? These are questions raised without answers given most of the time.

At the heart of this all is whether or not the drive to posses a life-sized Rei cardboard standup is more so than the desire to be socially normal. Luckily I have been spared that decision by virtue of where I live. I don’t believe there will be Pizza Hut promotions for Eva here.

So, the pretence of normalcy will continue for another day.

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I also would like a giant robot...

I copied the image from ANN too, who appeared to have taken it from the promo site.

Edit 09/08/07 15:29: Just found this, "Human-Sized Evangelion Spear Exhibited, Auctioned"

Lucky * Star - Sojiro has always been a perv and some other stuff

I was watching episode 22 of Lucky*Star and came across something unexpected. For a brief moment Lucky*Star made a small turn into the emotional alley when Konata’s mother shows up for a visit. Of course, we already know that Konata’s mom passed away. So, naturally, she is in spirit form. We get to watch her while she listens in on the conversation that Konata and her father are having, which is about her.

I find it interesting how easily a comedy can change moods so quickly. In general, it isn’t impossible to mix elements from different types of story telling and atmospheres. Also, it isn’t unusual to find bits of comedic divergence in other types of stories. For that matter, I like a mix of comedy, action, and drama. Of course, there are other story elements that weigh on the entirety of the plot.

Lucky*Star doesn’t actually have a plot in the literal sense. A show like this is supposed to be primarily funny and entertaining. It is also supposed to be a bit insightful. The introspective comments by the characters are supposed to develop their "types" and poke fun at the audience.

We could have been given flashbacks and character interaction in the form of conversations that would have given us just as much information about these three characters. However, it just wouldn’t have been Lucky*Star-ish if Kanata hadn’t shown up as a ghost.

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Finding a ghost in one of my pictures wouldn't bother me at all. Finding a ninja in one of my pictures would totally freak me out.

Edit 09/07 06:45: I keep typing "Luck*Star," I think it's the "y" button on my keyboard...

Poll Results: “How do you ‘feel’ anime?”

When I created the poll I was thinking about “feel” in terms of the answer choices. I felt that in context it made sense. I think most respondents understood what I was asking. These things are supposed to be fun and interesting. Let's examine the results.

Stats: “How do you ‘feel’ anime?”
Voter turnout 2.6 %
(37%) With my heart
(18%) With my head
(27%) With my soul
(13%) In my pants
(2%)  What’s anime?

I had actually thought that I would have a few more “in my pants” votes. We all understand what the implication was here. If one were to investigate this further then the interesting aspect here would be where those leanings fall in the rage from moe to hardcore hentai. Because anime has such as wide range of genre there is literally a perversion to fit anyone’s fancy.

Honestly, I think these were a few jokers who voted for the option because it was funny. That’s alright, because it was supposed to be funny. We know anime fans are not as single minded as this particular answer would imply they should be. People are simply not driven entirely by a single force in all their actions. That is to say, people do things that contradict the “base instinct” arguments. One of those things would be sitting at home and watching anime; or, they could, perhaps, spending time writing a blog about anime.

Of the choices “heart” and “soul” are probably the hardest to differentiate. Some may say they are one in the same. I wanted to separate them. When using the “heart” it implies a fondness that is natural or even passive. When using the “soul” it implies that there is a type of integration. The individual identifies their self with the subject. Of the answers provided I think these two were probably answered the most honestly.

It could be said that these two may have an addictive quality mixed into them. Many of us would describe our viewing habits as a “hobby.” In that regard it is plainly a distraction from whatever it is that consumes the other parts of our days whether it is family, friends, work, school, or any other matters. However, all things that bring pleasure also run the risk of addiction. Many feel that addiction is an expression of chemical dependence. It is possible to become psychologically addicted to something as well. In that vein, I would have to say that escapism is the actual addiction. Sometimes we need to get away from everything, and some of us don’t necessarily see a reason to come back.

Finally, there is a strong subset of anime viewers who tend to analyze and pour over the subject matter. They think and re-think aspects that many others don’t seem to care about. We probably get much of our fan-based terminology from these people. Those who indulge with their “head” are a unique bunch indeed. One wonders if these people subject the rest of their dealings to the same analytical rigor.

There isn’t anything strictly wrong with those who think, not any more so than the other options provided in the poll. For that matter, can we really divide the fan base into these groups? Does it make sense? I find it hard to believe that one can be individually categorized into any one grouping given here. What of those that simply do not fit into one of the options provided? Do we simply pigeon-hole them into a space. The problem with the options are that the voters were forced to pick between the options, there were no other choices. In my opinion the anime viewer is made up of a finer grain.

At any rate, I was fairly sure “heart” was going to win out in the end, heart always wins in the end.

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New poll, right side at the top.