I pimp this because my blog is dying. True story.

It’s repost time!

Undoubtedly, the world of anime plays host to a huge variety of fetishes suited to every type of otaku’s taste. Be it a show completely based around harems and beautiful girls, like Rosario to Vampire, or (as is mostly the case) a show where fanservice is used to raise the appeal of the anime generally, such as Code Geass, you could say that anime fanservice pops up in at least 90% of anime series in some way, shape or form. But what traits about some of the anime characters stand out as deliciously attractive, to the extent that they manage to create as many fanboys as they already pander to? What makes otakus scream in delight whenever their idolised character shows up on screen?

And so we kick things off with:

#10 “Bishounens”

Bet you didn’t see that coming.

No-one said anything about this list being solely focused on the female gender (though this, unfortunately, will be the only ranking with males in it. Weep with me. Weep bitter tears). There are increasing numbers of bishies showing up in anime these days (especially shoujo, though that’s to be expected) and they seem to be a hit with the ladies (and me for some reason, though in a more FABULOUS way). It seems like a logical enough conclusion from this equation: Girls like Pretty Things. Girls like Boys. Therefore Pretty Things + Boys = KYAAAAAAAAAH!!! Most of the time, they’re cute (bordering on, if not already, moe) and emotionally sensitive so perhaps it’s their personality and character traits which make them so loveable. Or it’s just the fact that they’re hawt bishies, regardless of how they act. Hell, “a middle-school girl would fall in love with a trash can if it looked at her the right way” so would they, or even the more mature girls, have any resistance to the beauty of the bishonen? I think not.

#9 “Dojikko”

/0

Cooking and cleaning. Two things that are the bane of a dojikko’s existence. The appeal of a “clumsy girl” stems from the fact that they are normally cute, ditzy characters who can’t really do anything beyond the basic necessities neded for human survival, and when they try to, simply fail. That helplessness and ability to do nothing but be attractive is both pitiable and laughable; most men want to take care of their laydeez and the characteristic of a dojikko makes them feel both wanted and needed. Watching the dojikko in her natural environment is a fascinating experience. Beginning with a typical “I’ll do my best!” before beginning the activity, starting out with admirable confidence. But then things go worng and seem to spiral out of control as food burns/washing machine liquid overflows. However, it is truly the end of this process which stirs a fanboy’s heart; the sight of her blushing, with the hint of tears in her eyes amid all the chaos and destruction…

…*sigh*

What?

Could any of you claim to not to swoon (yes, I said swoon) with affection with such a scene in front you? If you could, I hold the utmost pity for you, my dear friend.

#8 “Meganekko”

What an amazing pair of glasses.

Let’s be honest. Whenever you see a girl wearing glasses in anime, they’re most likely not going to be as stereotypically intelligent as you might think. But perhaps it is the illusion of intelligence that the fanboy craves; glasses suggest intelligence, and intelligence suggests independence and a strong will. The opposite of a dojikko, really. Maybe there’s some part of a fanboy’s mind that likes the idea of an easily attained (and just as easily discarded) facade of intelligence; kind of like having your cake and eating it too, you can have your smart gal and her “moe mode” as well. Unless they’re granny glasses. If you find that appealing, seek help. Seek help now.

#7 “Kyonyuu”

What an amazing pair of eyes.

Not much to say. Unless you want me to get into the “symbol of fertility” explanation. Which I’m pretty sure most you know by now, and if not, you most likely shouldn’t be reading this post in the first place. Large breasts are large and there’s no difference between a fanboy liking them in anime and a fanboy perfectly normal male liking them in real life. BOOBS FTW.

#6 “Nekomimi”

Not yet dangerously furry.

Though animal ears in general are popular for some anime fans, the most prevalant of the genre seems to be cat ears. Their animalistic nature is emphasised by small character quirks, be it the pleasant utterance of “nya” at the end of every sentence, or the casual twitch of the ear and/or tail depending on their emotions. I don’t think I’ve seen a show where there was an outright evil nekomimi (though, most likely due to cats’ mischievous nature, there were cunning and deceptive ones. Fufufu~.) so there is a feeling that what you see with a nekomimi is what you get. They are simple creatures with simple needs and a simple lifestyle, so perhaps it’s this simplicity that draws in fanboys. Then you could also say that the pet-master dynamic is an attraction; why have a normal girl when you could have one which dotes on you continuously?

#5 “Zettai Ryouiki”

I’ll take the two for one special, thank you.

Thigh high knee socks seem to leave more to the imagination than is capable of lower leggings or a shorter skirt, and anime watchers definitely have an active imagination. Hell, the amount of times Kyou’s thighs have been mentioned in posts concerning Clannad is more than enough to justify this being on the list. There are many examples of Zettai Ryouiki (and apparently there’s even maths involved in regards to the perfect ratio of sock to leg), but even now I can’t think of why it sets fanboys hearts racing to see around 25cm of exposed thigh. The “absolute territory” may seem like a forbidden zone to the fanboy, an object of suggestion and temptation. Or perhaps it’s just a step below what they truly want to see, #4 on this list…

#4 “Pantsu”

Chii?

I personally think that this is less of an anime fanboy’s fetish and more of an animator’s fetish. I don’t know many (if any) otakus who are fans of panties in particular, but with the number of panty shots and/or panties in some fanservice shows (like Rosario+Vampire CAPU2 of 1 EVERY 18 SECONDS fame) then there must be a moderately large fanbase for this type of thing. Maybe the fact that panties act as the gate-keeper to a mysterious world, unknown to both the male lead and the viewer. Or, barring that, consider the link between sex and panties (or rather, their removal). Either way, the day that anime shows stop having panty shots in them is the day that all hell breaks loose and Zeus descends from his mighty throne on Mount Olympus to hurl thunderbolts down upon the foolish mortals. Even the King of Gods needs to see some pantsu every now and then.

#3 “Tsunderes”

Yes, this post is full of Kyou love.

Is that a problem?

Tsunderes are literally everywhere in anime these days and are (unsurprisingly) particularly rife within romantic comedies. What makes them so entertaining and endearing is the fact that all fanboys are sadists, to quote 53RG10, “they are the ones who show the most emotions”. The most common version of the tsundere is the angry, violent girl who keeps her feelings hidden except for occasional blushing/examples of kindness and caring that demonstrate her feelings to the boy in question that she likes. That shyness and reluctance could be what compels fanboys to fawn over the tsundere. The various number of emotions that a tsundere showswhile being flustered with her emotions is cute to watch as well.

#2 “Meido”

“We live to serve”.

And again we enter into the zone of the pet servant-master dynamic. Rabid fans of meido are never hard to find and never will be, that is simply fact. Men like power and men like women. As such, meido are a symbol of wealth and status and if you can hire hawt meido then you are most likely a man to be praised and admired by your compatriots. Especially if you make them call you “Master”. Imagine that…

Anyway, unsurprisingly, meido in anime aren’t truly needed for their primary type of “service” (though being an amazing one wouldn’t hurt. Kukuku~). They must simply keep up appearances while displaying varying personality traits, be it a shy and reserved maid, the regretful maid, the incompetent maid, or the ultimate combination of the shy, clumsy, nekomimi, megane meido (I could go on, but the grouping of too much moe into one sentence would rip apart the fabric of the univers as we know it). In fact, many of the attributes on this list can be used in conjunction with the “meido” category (as they frequently are). The variety of the meido fetish in both character and clothing is amazing: they can be confident, strong and supportive or useless, spineless and incompetent; they can wear bunny suits, cat suits or heck, even kimonos. What’s important is that they exist to serve and fanboys are all too willing to have such amazing tools at their disposal. (I apologise to any girl still reading this post at this point for the preceeding statement).

#1 “Loli”

The main reason I many watch the series.

Could you really envision the top spot going to any other category? Anime has, for as long as I’ve been watching, been jam-packed with lolis. No matter the personality or characterisation or genre, fanboys have, nost recently in the last decade, been inexorably attracted to young DFC’s. Especially Shin ^^. The seperation of the 2D and 3D world has definitely made being a so-called “lolicon” more acceptable, even comedic. Perhaps it was the explosion of impossible-to-dislike-and-therefore-not-fall-in-love with loli characters such as Shana, Louise, Taiga (all voiced by the same seiyuu ftw) and more than half the cast of Lucky Star that brought this about. Their popularity in Japan and other eastern countries can possibly be attributed more to the physical nature of that country’s women, but in the west the phenomenon isn’t as easy to explain. You could probably write an editorial, or even a thesis (as I’m sure many have done – the editorials, not the theses) on the many reasons behind some fanboys attraction to lolis but let’s just suffice to say that they are, and most likely will continue to be, the most popular anime fetish I can think of.

Omake

Presenting, the Fetish Explosion.

Life is good.

Disclaimer: Omisyth would like to apologise for anyone he has offended with this over-enthusiastic and perverted list. And also the number of times the word “fanboy” was used. Hard to think of a suitable synonym for that…

Posted in My Top Ten Tagged: anime fetishes, bishounens, dojikko, kyonyuu, Loli, meganekko, Meido, nekomimi, Pantsu, Top Ten, Tsunderes, Zettai Ryouiki ]]> http://omisyth.wordpress.com/2009/09/13/top-ten-anime-fetishes/feed/ 9 omisyth Top F lead in. bishies dojikko meganekko kyonyuu nekomimi1 zettai-ryouiki pantsu tsundere maids toradora fetish-explosion http://omisyth.wordpress.com/2009/09/07/yotsuba-enjoys-everything-so-why-cant-i/ http://omisyth.wordpress.com/2009/09/07/yotsuba-enjoys-everything-so-why-cant-i/#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:45:15 +0000 omisyth http://omisyth.wordpress.com/?p=4644 ]]>

The first thought that popped into my head when I started writing this post was “am I a cynic or a positive person?”, and to be honest Im not really sure. In regards to myself and the people aroud me, I’m more inclined to look for the good rather than the bad and focus on that, but in regards to the world at large, I’m almost completely apathetic. I see no reason to look for anything good because there’s so much crap in the world that it seems pointless. Even those occasional moments of heroism or miracles just end up getting drowned beneath the constant stream of death, scandal and destruction. On second thought, I’m definitely a cynic.

I think it’s ineivitable that you’ll become somewhat more cynical the older you get, especially in your teen years. Just how much depends on your surroundings and experiences, but (from a cynic’s point of view) being critical of things is essential so that you can live your life without being taken advantage of by others. The key idea here is that this is only necessary as you get older and need to learn independence. When you’re young and (presumably) safe and in the company of loved ones, this type of thought process isn’t necessary. You really can enjoy life to the fullest.

And that’s where Yotsuba comes in. TheBigN wondered why people can’t take her philosophy to heart, and though I was exaggerating, I really think this is the case. You can levy all sorts of arguments agains the manga and how it’s unrealistic or how Yotsuba’s childhood is idealised, but there are a couple of things wrong with that. First, saying in itself coming from a cynical point of view, believing in the worse aspects of childhood, and second, realism isn’t the point of the manga. As an outsider looking in, we may be able to see what’s strange about Yotsuba’s point of view and recognise things that she can’t, but regardless we’re meant to empathise with her and experience the world though her eyes. It’s strange, really – my mindset always changes drastically whenever I’m reading  a chapter of Yotsubato. It’s impossible for me not to feel good while reading it.  I think Azuma’s got something special in how he’s able to create this feeling of wonderment and joy in the most mundane of daily events and have it felt so strongly by anyone who reads the manga. Yotsuba’s positive and energy is just so infectious, not just to us as readers, but to the people she interacts with. Everyone’s able to act as childish as they please and experience those moments and feelings they once had themselves.

But nevertheless,  I don’t think I’ll be able to take on the philosophy of “ENJOY EVERYTHING”. It would be more foolish and ignorant than anything, because as much as I’d like to think otherwise, everything isn’t always enjoyable. “Enjoy what you can” would work better, or “treasure the good times”. Thinking this way is better (and probabaly healthier mentally and physically) without delving to far into naivete.

Let’s make things more confusing: I want to “ENJOY EVERYTHING”, but I can’t, but I could but I won’t. Label it as being self-conscious or insecure if you will, but that’s how I feel.

Despite this, I’ll still love reading Yotsubato for what it represents. Even at 18 with the world as my oyster, I’ve lived long enough to miss the world through a child’s eyes. The nostalgia, the innocence of youth, a time you’d like to return to and the ability to look for the best in the world all around. It’s the manga which encapsulates remembering love, and I’ll only be able to appreciate more as I grow older.

One thing that keeps me coming back to anime is the chibis. I love chibis. They’re just so damn cute. The type of thing that you could pet for days on end and not get bored of. Any comedy show taht relies heavily on chibification always gets a laugh out of me. Sure, shows can work without it (though most shows use this technique anyway) but I think chibification does a lot of things at once that makes the joke more accessible, and funnier, to the viewer.

The simplicity of the characters and character designs during the scene shows that it’s meant to be seen as simple, childish fun. You’re not meant to be looking at character/plot development or dialogue or subtlety – it’s meant to be enjoyed for the lack of complexity. There’s a contrast between the normal style of most anime (or the show in question) and the chibified style also makes the viewer look at the scene from a different, more light-hearted perspective.

Similarly, the simplicity of the scene means the viewer isn’t meant to take it seriously. If this happens, then the viewer’s more relaxed and open to whatever jokes are coming. In fact, they’re expecting comedy so they’ll probably find it even funnier, and when something fulfills your expectations, you’re much more satisfied.

It’s also a great technique economically. Thought the art and animation aren’t as good, there’s nothing sacrificed when it comes to the main purpose of the technique: the comedy.

Then there’s the fact that it’s so damn cute. That helps too.

I love action shows. Everytime I see a well choreographed action scene, it takes me back to the time when I was reenacting Kamehameha’s in my garden or shooting friends with water pistols. There’s just something about the flow of a well-animated (or in the case of manga, well-drawn)action scene that seems amazing to me.  Though I do appreciate slice-of-life, romance and drama, the genre that holds the most appeal for me at the moment is shounen, since most anime and manga in that genre have great action sequences.

For instance, I’m reading Bleach, One Piece, Naruto, Katekyo Hitman Reborn,  Fairy Tail, Full Metal Alchemist, Mixim, Deadman Wonderland, Claymore etc – all of which have beings with superpowers able to pull off devastating special moves. And for all their flaws (outside of One Piece which HAS NO FLAWS. AT ALL) I still enjoy them due to badassery and climactic double-page attacks. Another example is Shin Angyo Onshi, my favourite manga, which contains some of the best action scenes I’ve ever seen, complete with climactic finishes and all.

Whenever I come across a series with a lack of action, it has to prove itself in other ways to be interesting enough for me. Actually, it’s more that that series is at a slight disadvantage in my mind. For example, when I look at a preview for the upcoming season, shows like Kurokami and World Destruction get me the most excited since I always need my crazy fight fix each season. It’s a shame when shows such as those fail to live up to expectations, especially in the case of Kurokami. It’s like being given the most delicious form of your favourite food and then getting something half the quality given to you each week afterwards. However, most of the time, series rise up and above this since I’m interested in most aspects of anime and manga. Kaiba has its eccentric art and surrealness and Natsume Yuujinchou has its excellent music and heartwarming characters – and they’re another two of my favourite series. But nevertheless, HIGH SPEED ACTION is King. I think this lies mostly in my appreciation for anime as a visual medium. The better it looks, moves and flows, the more it appeals to me. With shows such as Kaiba or Natsume, there are beautiful moments, but they pale in comparison to something as stunning as the fight in Kurokami’s first episode.

Xam’d contained a smattering of great scenes from start to finish, but that was one of my problems with it – there was only a smattering. I’m kind of ADD about this: when things don’t move I start to lose interest unless the show is engaging enough. Xam’d was a great show, no doubt, but occasionally the pacing was so slow  I was bored by what was going on. From the outset, I was expecting there to be scenes like the fights in the first and last episode every 3 episodes or so, so when that didn’t happen I was kind of disappointed. But when it was done well, it was done well and quality > quantity when it comes to this type of thing.

Bad/boring/confusing fights are just a pain to watch. Without proper direction, action scenes just won’t work and that can really detract form my enjoyment of the series. I managed to get through 4 episodes of Soul Taker before giving up on it completely since  it was extremely boring and I could barely understand what was going on when the time for a battle rolled around. When I looked up the director, it turned out to be Wackiyuki Shinbo . On this occasion, Shinbo’s style just didn’t meld well with the sequences (though to be honest, I’m not sure how large a part he had in the grand scheme of things – who plays a larger role in directing the action scenes, the director or the animation director?). In fact, I think the only reason I stuck with it for 4 episodes is because I was waiting to see a really cool fight, but in the end it was just a waste of time. Converselym hust as bad action can detract from a good show (though I wouldn’t really call Soul Taker “good”) great action can make a bad series even more enjoyable. The show may be completely ridiculous, but if things are moving fast and there are objects blowing up and lasers firing everywhere, it’ll still be fun to watch (*cough*Code geass R2 *cough*).

I hereby dub thee: Full Metal GARchemist

Though action for the sake of action isn’t unwelcome, what’s an improvement is when the scenes are backed up by other positive aspects of the show. When you’ve got a protagonist you want to root for nothing gets the blood pumping like seeing a climactic battle to determine the fates of two opposing sides. The more there is at risk and the more invested you are in the character/plot, the more tension and excitement there is in the fight. For instance, the  climax  of episode 19 of Full Metal Alchemist was even more kick ass to me since everything leading up to it was so well-paced and emotional. Seeing Roy come back at just the right time heightened my enjoyment of the finish/ With that having been said, here’s One Piece!

My love of action scenes, as well as my expectations, has grown with the more anime I watch. Whereas in my early days I thought Dragonball Z was THE BES THING OF ALL TIME, now I see it as simply a gateway series for other great action series, such as Bleach (in it’s prime) and Bleach in turn led me to FMA and so on. I’m not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. The higher my expectations, the more I alienate shows because they’re just not up to a certain standard. But hey, the eyes want what they wants.

And so we meander to the end of this aimless post with a question: which provides the better action scene, manga or anime? I personally prefer manga, since the art of some mangaka are just amazing to look at: visceral and violent but always detailed and exciting. A lot of the time, the detail which makes the art so amazing is lost in the transition to anime, but this is replaced with sound and, you know, moving pictures. I return again to episode 19 of Full Metal Alchemist, which managed to make the battle look even more amazing than it did in the manga.

I don’t have much of a conclusion to this except I think I’ll always love action scenes just like I’ll always hold a place in my heart for Sonic the Hedgehog. No matter how far he’s fallen. And continues to fall. And will fall.

Just add BONES.