Forum - View topicManga Answerman - Do's and Don'ts of Meeting Convention Guests from Japan
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omoikane
Posts: 494 |
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This one...about hugging...I guess if your guest is a mangaka (seems like only mangaka is listed in the examples for this article...despite the fact that they make up a small % of Japanese guests fronting anime cons in North America) that makes sense, but I still remember when Nishikawa Takanori one time hugged probably more than half the women/girls who visited him during his autograph session at Otakon. Probably not a great anecdote and I agree it's more a "do not" than "do" but I think the type of guest greatly affect what would be appropriate. Not all guests from Japan are "production" type people!
Same applies to the "don't ask about stuff that came out in Japan but not rest of the world" thing. I disagree with it when it comes to mangaka, but it's an opinion I can kind of respect. However I still vividly remember the same thing explained to some anime guests back in ~2004 (IIRC) during a panel with guests who worked on an anime that was still on air (how did they let them out of the animation studio is anyone's guess) but they had a somewhat receptive attitude. Anime is created by committee most of the time, so the animators and directors present were much less attached to the way it was distributed than a mangaka would. As a result their reactions are a lot more amusing. Nowadays people don't watch fansubs nearly as much as they used to so this is not really a problem anymore, but it's definitely those kind of potentially-cringe-worthy things that don't always result in a bad outcome. That said, I really don't like being told by corporate what is acceptable fan interaction and what isn't, not based on common curtesy as one human to another, but due to the industry's inability to do distribution correctly. It harms their ability to interact with fans as much as scanalation hurts their bottom lines. As an aside, did someone change this article to "convention guests" from "manga guests?" Because I probably wouldn't have written this comment if that was the case (good job)? |
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zrdb
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I've been to many a convention where somebody asked a japanese guest a rather dicey question and the translator had an oh shit look. I have asked questions but I always try to make it relevant to the topic being discussed and have gotten some really insightful answers. Last year I got to talk to Lina Inverse herself-Lisa Ortiz at a panel she held and it was really interesting to hear her talk about her take on The Slayers. Point is don't ask questions you wouldn't feel comfortable answering-have some empathy toward others.
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1767 |
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Let’s not assume that everyone who has read ahead has read scanlations. There are other countries in this world that release localized manga, and many of them are light years ahead where our current US publishers are, if they are licensed in the US to begin with. I have friends that import manga from France, and if Spain were ahead of the US or had a series I wanted, I would import from Spain as well. I’m sure the same can be said of Cantonese and Mandarin speakers, all of whom benefit from access to the Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwanese markets. There are also those that can read Japanese and import manga from Japan to get their fix.
I want to add another suggestion - Wash your hands Washing regularly at a con should be a no brainer, but so should carrying around some antibacterial insta hand soap. My hands always get sticky at cons. Some Japanese guests like shaking hands, and I’d feel bad to be the one to shake their hand with something that hasn’t been washed for hours. Also, don’t be the person who asks the “In episode 25, why did this character do this?”questions. It’s annoying and it clearly annoys the guest. And while more frequent with female seiyuu and musicians, don’t ask them if they’re single or to marry you. I remember one time at a line in AX, some guy behind me was mentioning that he gave the seiyuu a tennis bracelet and I was just like “Why?” I also recommend not bringing guests candy, especially chocolate, as a gift. While a small bar would be acceptable for American guests, Japanese guests sometimes put more meaning into it than there really should be. Good luck to the poster who is attending Anime Expo. Make sure you get to the autograph lines by 2 am for popular guests. Bring a comfy chair, some water and food because you’re going to be waiting for that ticket for a minimum of 6 hours. |
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Akanue
Posts: 4 |
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I second this. I've been known to buy Japanese releases in both collected volumes and the magazines (even though I'm hardly fluent, but that's why I do it - to practice). Just because you've read ahead doesn't mean you've read illegal scanlations (there AREN'T scanlations for some series I follow), and if you're discussing a particular series at a convention you have to be prepared for spoilers. That's why I never go to panels of something I haven't caught up on if I don't want to be spoiled. |
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Idgal
Posts: 169 |
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your first convention is AX? wow, just be prepare for crowds. Yes, if course you can speak in Japanese with the guests, just when it comes to Q&A, ask in Japanese then repeat the in English. |
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CatSword
 Posts: 1489 |
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I feel like "DO shower daily - perhaps twice daily - and brush your teeth" should also be on here. |
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leafy sea dragon
 Posts: 7163 Location: Another Kingdom |
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Well, there is always going to be a clash of cultures when people from two different countries and two different languages meet, and I think a do's and don'ts list like this is quite helpful. The biggest one that comes to mind is willingness to be photographed: Japan and the United States have opposite views of who can be photographed by default, which has led to more than a few clashes when a Japanese guest reacts adversely to someone taking their picture and the photographer genuinely doesn't understand what the big deal is. Anime Expo is trying all sorts of things to deal with long lines. I've seen them try different things every year for the past few years. From what I've heard, it's a balancing act between the attendees, who want to get to these panels, and the guests, who want the panels to start on time, which is not always possible given the size of some of these panels (especially if they're set in Hall B, which seats well over a thousand people). General advice from someone who's attended Anime Expo for the past six years: Set aside at least 1 hour in advance for each panel, autograph session, or event. More if you can afford to wait. People will camp out for these events like it was a Star Wars premiere.
I definitely recall Tite Kubo (author of Bleach) not being pleased at that. Not everyone is Trey Parker.
Oh heavens YES. Half the time I've gotten in line to ask a question to a guest (whether Japanese or not), I find myself unable to because we run of time. And every time, it's because I'm behind a bunch of people who just don't know how to stop talking! They won't stop until either the guest or the interpreter (or a convention staff member) sternly tells them to get to the point, and even then they won't stop. Either they have an essay ready to tell the guest, or their question is followed up with another, then another, then another, and it's incredibly annoying. Since I always have a lot of time in line before it's my turn, I think about how to truncate my sentence as short as possible. If it takes more than 10 seconds to ask, I deem it too long.
It happens so often, I have to wonder if some of these guys are doing it on purpose, to block other people from asking their questions. (Though I'll attribute most to nearly all of them to social awkwardness.
The big thing is that Mignogna's fans tend to skew rather young (or at least, it was for quite some time), or otherwise are new to anime. I think more likely, it keeps happening to Mignogna because they're genuinely unaware he's not going to appreciate what they're doing, and they forget he doesn't have the same tastes as a fangirl.
Unfortunately, I think some of these people asking these awkward questions would be completely comfortable answering them in great detail. The Golden Rule is a good rule of thumb for life in general, but it can't account for the truly eccentric.
And for AX in particular, chocolate is a bad idea for anybody because it's going to melt the microsecond you take it outside. I went to get an autograph from Akira Himekawa last year at AX, the first time I've done so for a manga author (well, two of them). It was on Day 1, so I went there as the convention opened to get tickets--and I was still put on the waiting list. I didn't realize it was so crazy, as it wasn't quite as much for Vic Mignogna a few years back. |
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meruru
Posts: 475 |
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A common faux pas I've seen with many convention guests is if they've performed a character that's known for a specific catch phrase, to ask them to say that phrase. While some guests might be okay with it, a lot of them are VERY not, and I don't think any of them actively like doing it. But do come prepared to thank them, a compliment for what you liked about their work, or an interesting question.
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Dessa
 Posts: 4438 |
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That was why Sakura-Con added the rule in. |
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Cutiebunny
Posts: 1767 |
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AX’s current ticket handling is why I don’t attend AX any more. Don’t get me wrong - I have no issue with waiting hours for an autograph. But I do take issue with not being able to sleep while at a con. It’s very hard to convince myself to spend $1200 on a room for 5 nights for what will simply be a place where I store my luggage and take a daily 10 minute shower. Granted, it’s my choice to get autographs, but that’s why I attend conventions in the first place. I miss AX’s old system of handing out tickets in the Exhibit Hall. At least then, as a premier attendee, you could get some sleep and still get autograph tickets. |
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xchampion
 Posts: 370 Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho |
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Every con and every guest is different. The attendees are usually the same tho. I've been to dozens of cons and I now just grit my teeth and bear all the awkwardness and people just not being able to take a hint. There is always that guy who asks a inappropriate question or brings an questionable item to be signed. I feel sorry for the guests, but almost all then know to expect it. That's why some guests do tons of cons, some do a few, or some have stopped completely. I do tell people to have a question ready to ask because some guests are more than willing to let you get your item signed and not say anything to you. Many guests will notice and tell you not to be nervous and will still try to talk to you, but it's not a guarantee that they will. I see many people complain or say that a guest was rude for this exact reason. It's not their fault you didn't say anything to you. Then there are some guests who will talk your ear off. I know Christopher Sabat literally spends 5 minutes with every person in line. This is not an exaggeration. It took me an hour to go through his line and there was maybe 20 people in front of me with dozens more behind me. It's not because the attendees are being inconsiderate, but it's just the type of guy he is. Also as a side note for many guests its their handler that decides how quick the line goes. I've met guests where you know they wanted to spend more time with each person, but the handler would not allow it. I really hate when that happens. If you don't know many guests don't set their prices. It's their manager who puts it in their contracts with the con. I see many people also complain about prices, because unfortunately come people are just cheap. I've seen many people ask a guest why they are epensive and I feel saorry for the guests. Many have to pay out of pocket to provide prints they make available to sign for you. I've also have seen many guests who give free autographs or photos and I visibly see the handler get annoyed. . On the other side there are guests who only care about the money and most of the time you can easily tell who those people are. I just try not to be that guy that no one likes at the con.
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crosswithyou
 Posts: 2899 Location: California |
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If that item is something you want signed, you would want to say, "onegaishimasu." If you say, "hai, douzo," you're implying that you're giving the item to the person as a present. I think some of the things listed can be avoided with good panel moderation. People who talk a lot? The MC can cut them off. Spoilers? Again, the MC can cut them off. Is someone asking something inappropriate? The interpreter can choose not to translate it. Oh, and Furuya Toru welcomes hugs and kisses, both from girls and guys. 
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katscradle
Posts: 469 |
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I’m disappointed the assumption how certain knowledge about a title must come from illegal means is perpetuated by the last point in this article. Other people responding in this thread have pointed out how it can be an untrue conclusion to draw. I guess I can largely blame the omnipresence of piracy but, I’ve had people treat me unfairly or treat others negatively just for expressing enjoyment of an artist’s series that isn’t published in English too. I can understand not enjoying spoilers. Fans making some level of effort in avoidance would be considerate. Still, with a large gathering of people of all sorts it’s unrealistic to expect everyone to be on similar ground. Keeping track of the progress of titles in different languages can be a large time drain. There is at least one series that’s been published for years where I buy editions other than the English one. The North American publisher is so far behind it’s not natural to remember all the details.
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Kadmos1
 Posts: 13615 Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP |
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When I was at Phoenix Comic Fest 3 weeks ago, I asked Justin Briner, Bryce Papenbrook, Trina Nishimura, Steve Blum, and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn this question or a variant of it: what is your favorite silent film? Asking a Japanese guest this question is a con-do for me.
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leafy sea dragon
Posts: 7163 Location: Another Kingdom |
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Well, when I got the Akira Himekawa autograph, they DID still have a ticket system, though the booths were outside this time (though I think at that point, they had problems with the line to get in mixed up with the lines to get attendee badges, and the ticket line was completely surrounded by the other two lines...and that meant there were some surly people in that line who would not let anyone cross). I wasn't a premier attendee though, and I'm largely not that interested in autographs--this was on request from someone I know.
Oh, they DO try to cut them off. The person asking the essay-long question just keeps going. Every single time. I don't know if they're ignoring the person telling them to wrap up what they have to say or they really ARE switching to a condensed version and the normal one was even longer, however. But more often than not, they have to be scolded in some way to make them get to the point. |
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