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EP. REVIEW: Recovery of an MMO Junkie


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Blood-
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Joined: 07 Mar 2009
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:26 am Reply with quote
Ah yes, I forgot that part of Megiddo's weird baggage is his misogyny.

Megiddo wrote:
Blood- wrote:
Witness the fact that you are the only person who took her at face value her assertion that she was an "elite NEET" and was somehow looking down on other NEETs. It's a shame you have to bring your own baggage to discussion of this show.

You are correct there. I was the only person who didn't do mental gymnastics to try and cover up the character's actual words. I'm the only one that took what Morimori said at face value. Now, I get it. She's a girl and you want to believe the best about her which is why the mental gymnastics happen.


I think we've finally gotten to the rub. Megiddo's nose is out of joint because Moriko isn't living up to his definition of what a good little girl should be doing. How pathetic. And the bizarreness just keeps on coming. So you think if a character says something, he or she must actually believe it just because those are their "actual words." Laughing Oh my God. Hey, Megiddo, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you cheap and you must believe me because those are my actual words.

The only one doing mental gymnastics here is you and believe me, you ain't sticking your landing. Plese point out what in Moriko's behaviour suggests she really does feel she is better than other NEETs. What in her character supports the idea that she looks down on other people?

And I don't admire Moriko. I feel sorry for her. Just as I would feel sorry for a male in her situation. She is clearly running from reality, she clearly has difficulty having real social relationships. You seem to think the show is celebrating her decision and telling us what she is doing is healthy or right. But then again, I'm not a participant in the Megiddo Weird Mental Gymnastic Competition either, thank God.
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Megiddo



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:34 am Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:
So you think if a character says something, he or she must actually believe it just because those are their "actual words." Laughing Oh my God. Hey, Megiddo, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you cheap and you must believe me because those are my actual words.

Those are your words to me, clearly sarcastic and/or absurd given the situation. The "words" from Morimori are her actual thoughts. There is no-one else around her so those are her words to herself. That's what she thinks. Do you use sarcasm on yourself? If so I would find that rather interesting.
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Blood-
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:45 am Reply with quote
Megiddo, you have all the psychological acuity of a rock. Of course characters can lie to themselves or hang onto a piece of fiction to try and feel better about themselves. Or do you actually believe it when a tsundere says, "It's.. it's not like I wanted to make you lunch or anything, I just made too much." Rolling Eyes

But you are evading my question. Please point out other instances of Moriko's words or behaviour that lends credence to your contention that she genuinely feels superior to other people and looks down on them. I know you'll continue to evade that question because you can't answer it, but I pose it again just on the off chance it brings about some of your amusing mental gymnastics again.


Last edited by Blood- on Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:48 am; edited 1 time in total
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Megiddo



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:48 am Reply with quote
Those are the words of the tsundere to someone. They're not thinking to themselves. Can you come up with a better example?

I don't need to come up with any other instances. Morimori refers to herself as an elite NEET because she chose to live a NEET life. I don't think Morimori puts herself above anyone else except NEETs who do not choose to live a NEET life due to intense social anxiety/phobia and/or mental issues. Morimori clearly has social issues and a terrible opinion of herself in comparison to most people. Just by judging how she reacts in public at a convenient store makes it plain to see how she has issues with dealing with others. But she's not putting herself higher than anyone else other than NEETs do not choose to live that way. Is that more clear?


Last edited by Megiddo on Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:54 am; edited 2 times in total
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Blood-
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:49 am Reply with quote
Yes, I can. As soon as you answer my question about what other examples of Moriko's words or behaviour suggest that she truly feels superior to other people in her situation?
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 8:57 am Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:
Gina Szanboti wrote:

I asked you before, but you never answered - what responsibilities does she have that she's irresponsibly shirked?

She has no income and does not have a plan to obtain income in the future. Do you believe that it's not a responsibility to provide for oneself if able to do so, or at the very least make an effort to do so? So far Morimori hasn't even so much had one single thought that we know of pertaining to how much money she has saved up or how long she can live her life of NEETdom. However much money you think she has saved up is entirely made in your head and not at all supported by the show itself.

There's more support in the show for the presumption that she is providing for herself (however she's doing it), than there is for the presumption that she's one small step away from being a burden to the system or her family. I really don't need to see her at her desk working out budgets or balancing her checkbook to assume she's got that end of things under control. Since we also don't see her sweating next month's rent or trying to scrape up enough money to buy a beer, that supports the idea that money is not one of her problems. What is your in-story support for your fantasy that she's in dire financial straits, other than her being unemployed and not looking for a job?

Megiddo wrote:
Gina Szanboti wrote:
Conversely, "recovery" and "junkie" aren't normally words used to promote a lifestyle.

Indeed, if those were the words used by the original creator and how the show is marketed in Japan then that would be a good point. It seems to be an English-only thing though which doesn't really give it much weight.

OP animation wrote:
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JacobC
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:02 am Reply with quote
Since this seems to be a common misconception: English companies never just "come up with a title." The Japanese rights holders approve the English title (and propose the exact title they want 99% of the time). And yes, sometimes that official English title even shows up in the series, despite not being an exact translation of the Japanese title. The official rights-holders chose it regardless, and in the very rare cases where English companies come up with the English title, they still have to sign off on the choice and affirm it as the official one. I mean, if English companies were the ones who got to pick whatever they wanted, do you really think we'd have stuff like "Testament of Sister New Devil" on the box?

And while I'm here, this is your first and last warning to cut the personal insults in your discussion. Any further personal attacks will result in moderation. This means you, Blood-.
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Blood-
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:08 am Reply with quote
@ Gina Szanboti - Laughing

Wait, do you consider that (probably Photoshopp'd) image actual proof? All I see is Recovery of an nkie. This proves nothing and besides you are a girl - or at least use a female username - so your point is by definition irrelevant.

And yeah, JacobC brought up a point I was going to make earlier but got distracted.

On a completely different note, I just noticed that the title Recovery of an MMO Junkie is grammatically incorrect.
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Gina Szanboti



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:20 am Reply with quote
It's only incorrect if you read MMO as "Massively Multiplayer Online."

@ Megiddo: I don't accept evidence from the manga, as I consider the anime to be its own thing. She's never said anything like that in the anime. But even if she had, it doesn't mean she's oblivious to the need for money (if only to finance her gaming).


Last edited by Gina Szanboti on Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:27 am; edited 2 times in total
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Megiddo



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:21 am Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
What is your in-story support for your fantasy that she's in dire financial straits, other than her being unemployed and not looking for a job?

Now that's a good question! From the words of the main character herself, I'd say it's more like she has completely closed herself off from the world. She puts no attention to her current state because she's completely absorbed in the virtual world. She's an addict or a junkie or what have you. Do you typically think of addicts as financially responsible people or at least aware of their current financial status?

Also if you think having English text appearing in the OP means much anything, then check out ef's opening video.


Last edited by Megiddo on Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:33 am; edited 1 time in total
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Gina Szanboti



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:32 am Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:
This proves nothing

Lol, you called it. Smile

@ Megiddo: I don't know what your point is, having not seen ef. Does none of that English text have anything at all to do with the story? At any rate, see Jake's post.
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Blood-
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:45 am Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
It's only incorrect if you read MMO as "Massively Multiplayer Online."


Which I do, of course, but that doesn't matter. A 2-second online research session instructed me that whether to use an an or an a depends on whether or not the first letter of the first word after it SOUNDS like a vowel or consonant. I kinda knew that (for example I knew you were supposed to use an hour instead of a hour) but it never occurred to me to use that rule with the letter M. I mean, damn, M's look so friggin' consonant-y...

Where the rule gets really weird is with words like unicorn. Because unicorn starts with a long vowel u sound, apparently that is considered to sound like a consonant, so you use a in front of it. Umbrella has a short vowel u sound therefore sounds like a vowel and gets an an. Ah, English.
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HeeroTX



Joined: 15 Jul 2002
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:03 am Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:
I don't need to come up with any other instances. Morimori refers to herself as an elite NEET because she chose to live a NEET life.

If you're taking that at face value then you're aiming for a "worst" interpretation. It is OBVIOUS in only 3 episodes that this is a "lie" she's telling herself to keep from curling up into a ball and crying herself to sleep every day. a) As has been noted, if she HONESTLY believed this, why does she lie to EVERYONE else about that status. b) When she has her conversation with Lilac and in other conversations you can see in her non-game persona she's ashamed of her current status, she does NOT truthfully take ANY "pride" in being a NEET but she tells herself that she does as a defense mechanism. How many anime are there with the unattractive male nerd that says he's not dating because he doesn't need women (like Motoyama in Tsuredure Children), or something like Madarame in Genshiken who says he finds real girls repulsive and only loves 2D women. These are "comedic" comments to explain their situation, not accurate statements of fact.
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Megiddo



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:20 am Reply with quote
So if I'm understanding you correctly HeeroTX, you view this comment as comedic or at least "comedic"?
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HeeroTX



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 10:34 am Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:
So if I'm understanding you correctly HeeroTX, you view this comment as comedic or at least "comedic"?

Here's the EXACT same kind of thing but targeting non-NEETs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf9JuduGP5E
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