Forum - View topicNEWS: Yumi Nakata's Chu-Bra!! Manga Gets Anime Green-Lit
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hissatsu01
Posts: 963 Location: NYC |
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That's a laugh. What do you think the reaction of the average Japanese (non-otaku) citizen is to this stuff? Do all the people lauding stuff like this think that otaku have some sort of enviable status in Japanese society? Cultural relativism? You're right, things are different in Japan. Show the average US resident this stuff and they would think it was made for perverts. But in Japan it's very different; show this to the average Japanese resident and they would think it was made for hentai or chikan. It's a whole different world I tell you. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Have you read it or not? It's just a bit more mature than Naisho no Tsubomi. No big deal, folks. And as far as I know Yumi Nakata is a senpai of Towa Oshima; the latter has send "gift pictures" to several tankōbun of the former, including in Chu-Bra!!. Not to mention that both started their careers as adults-only mangaka. |
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configspace
Posts: 3717 |
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Of course, they don't have an enviable position. But as far as what you assume would be people's reactions, I'm telling you that you're plain wrong. Most of reaction to the manga would simply be indifference. |
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hissatsu01
Posts: 963 Location: NYC |
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I haven't read Chu-Bra. I'm assuming you have, but just about nobody else in the thread, on either side appears to have read it either. From the description in the related article, and from what other information is available online, it doesn't sound like anything I'd want to read either. Everything paints it as fan-service heavy fluff. Is that somehow off?
I'm going to have to disagree. Considering one of the negative stereotypes of otaku in Japan is that they're all into anime/manga porn (blame it on the coverage of that serial killer otaku named Miyazaki - no relation to Hayao), telling them you're into a manga about middle school girl's panties is probably not the best way to win a popularity contest. Last edited by hissatsu01 on Sun Jun 21, 2009 6:21 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Animehermit
Posts: 964 Location: The Argama |
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I actually heard my eyes roll when i read this.
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configspace
Posts: 3717 |
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First I'll remind you again that middle school in Japan is not the same age range as middle school in US. It's equivalent to junior-high to US high school freshman. That said, sure, if you describe it as a purely panty fetish title of course, you're not going to get a favorable reaction. But if you describe it as a show about the lives of school girls involving ero situational comedy, a coming-of-age discovery about funny and explicit matters of sex, no one would care. The whole point is that the culture at large does not have this knee-jerk, violent reaction matters of this kind in general. As I noted in the metro-con thread, there's this mainstream puritanical attitude in the US, that's not as prevalent most elsewhere in the world. There are mounds of current, historical, and real anecdotal evidence about how the whole topic of general is much less than a taboo than people here make it out to be, from the aforementioned onsen example, to mainstream game shows featuring jiggling teen idol boobs, to blogs (see older entries of http://gaijinsmash.net for his experiences as a middle school teacher), to legal marriage at 15, to oppai shaped cookies, to annual fertility festivals like here and here (maybe nsfw depending on your perspective), etc. |
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hissatsu01
Posts: 963 Location: NYC |
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I know Japanese age ranges in middle school, but I can't help but notice that the drawing style once again seems to depict them as younger, which seems to almost be de rigueur these days for series based in middle/high school. If you feel my description of this title would lean too far towards making it sound prurient, yours sounds like it's trying to downplay anything that might lead to a negative reception. I am aware of traditional Japanese attitudes towards sex being far more relaxed than those in the US (Shinto vs. Christian Puritanism), but Japan is no longer just that. The US imported/imposed some of its puritanism post WW2. The rather silly censored genitals in all forms of media is the most prominent relic of that I can think of. One could also argue that there is no shortage of sexualization of underage teens in US society; yet regardless of the hypocrisy inherent, it's still heavily frowned upon for adults to engage in/have an interest in relationships with underage teens, even though the age of consent in most states is 16. |
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Lee_Marsh
Posts: 1 |
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If you dont like it, then dont watch it, plain and simple. No need to come here and complain. There's ALWAYS going to be anime like this, regardless of whether you like it or not. Shows like this are usually pretty funny anyway, like Girls High. Granted, they probably shouldn't use middle school girls, but then again, the anime isnt being made for America now is it? The anime you think we "need" are clearly already out there, since you just listed them..... I doubt a japanese artist would create an anime based off of American culture, due to the fact that he's NOT AMERICAN. You should keep in mind, anime is based off of Japanese culture, you shouldn't expect it to comply to your "American standards". |
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SongstressCela
Posts: 615 Location: Pennsylvania |
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Hahaha, so true. I love how everyone gets all up in arms like they're seriously indignant or offended over a harmless cartoon show. |
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GracieLizzy
Posts: 551 Location: Sunderland, England, UK |
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Oddly my first reaction was to find it odd that anybody in the in-universe cast should find it odd to meet a girl wearing black underwear. It just doesn't show up as much under darker clothes as much as white underwear sometimes. :¯\_(ツ)_/¯:
I agree this seems to be one of those piece-of-fluff etchi shows I won't be bothering with but, meh. I'm not going to get bothered over this. |
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Annf
Posts: 578 |
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Weirdly enough, it is off. I’ve been pondering whether to bother posting anything about that. I mean, the author and/or publisher obviously wants to promote it as a “sexy jr. high kids, teehee” comic with that title and catchphrase, so contradicting that seems a little silly, but despite that and despite running in a men’s magazine, the actual comic has way less "naughtiness" than, say, To-LOVE-ru. (Comic High! has always been a bit of an odd magazine. Their original catchphrase was, “girls’ comics for men.”) It’s mostly kids sitting around talking matter-of-factly about underwear designs and clothes, with some light "Is this love??" coming-of-age romance stuff. I guess if it were in Shounen Jump it might be titilating to boys, but in Comic High! alongside stuff like Bro-con!, Hiiragi Elementary School Romance Club, and Kodomo no Jikan, it comes off as pretty mild. I find it rather boring, but we’ve seen examples of not-particularly-interesting comics turned into enjoyable cartoons (K-ON!), so who knows? *shrug* Last edited by Annf on Sun Jun 21, 2009 1:20 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Good. Shut up then. Don't criticize something that you have absolutely no idea of.
Guess who had added it to the Encyclopedia 14-months ago.
Like if I care.
It looks like you've never read Naisho no Tsubomi either. And yes, it is quite off.
How long have you been in the cave, Mr. Master O. T. Obvious? The stereotype of otaku is now Densha Otoko, not Tsutomu M. You do know his given name don't you?
In fact, Japanese middle schoolers are more into manga like this one, which has spoiler[a sex scene in a Ferris wheel car]; another title from the same author has a spoiler[sexual assault scene]. A Japanese mom found a copy of ShoComi in her 14-year-old daughter's closet and panicked, calling authorities and demanding it to be labeled as a "harmful book." Coincidentally, neither series has been licensed in North America, but they are readily available in Asian and European countries, not to mention the author will visit Taiwan in August.
Such as intentionally importing movies with kissing scenes? Either my source of information (a Discovery Channel episode interviewing the last surviving member of designers of Japan's post-WWII constitution) or yours is wrong.
In fact a large portion of Shonen Jump sales is now supported by fujoshi, fantasizing Naruto and his fellow ninja boys and so on. For the record, the popularity of To-LOVE-ru is at the lowest 1/3 in recent issues, particularly in the first quarter of 2009, when it had lied at the bottom for over a month. Right now To-LOVE-ru has Hoopmen to save it from hitting the bottom. On the other hand, Shonen Magazine is more open to male-oriented fan service e.g. Negima!. |
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Annf
Posts: 578 |
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Haha, true enough. Not to mention the One Piece readership even amongst non-fujoshi women. Meanwhile, the male otaku support Nakayoshi. |
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hissatsu01
Posts: 963 Location: NYC |
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Wow. It's as if you made a concerted effort to take personal offense to everything I had to say, to the point of taking things entirely out of context. When I asked if it was fan-service heavy fluff, I was asking about Chu-Bra, not Naisho no Tsubomi. Every piece of information I've seen online, including the ANN news article and the publisher itself, paints Chu-Bra as such. Since you appeared to be the only person in the thread who has read Chu-Bra, I asked. And while you could have taken the time to clarify that, you instead took the time to be as big a jerk as possible. As for Naisho no Tsubomi, no, I haven't read it. Nor have I commented on it. I've heard of it and read a positive review or two. I didn't get the impression that it was a fan service title. But I guess I'm not allowed that opinion, since after I haven't read it and should just shut up. As for Tsutomu Miyazaki, just what is your problem? The demonization of otaku in the press and popular Japanese culture began with him. What does his first name have to do with anything? Does it change that fact? Yes I knew his first name but didn't write it. I'm sorry, does having a discussion here now require full citations for every statement made? You say the image of otaku in Japan is now that of Densha Otoko. I think it's a bit naive to think that one relatively positive counterexample does away with nearly two decades of negative stereotypes. If otaku now have such a rosy image in Japan, why does the Japanese media delight in reporting about any possible anime/manga connection any depraved murderer might have? The guy that committed that stabbing spree in Akihabara last year was described as an otaku. I recall two other cases where murderers were described as otaku. Ryou Katsuki & Takanori Hoshijima - I did have to look up their names. While I remembered the cases, I did not remember the names. Does that suffice for you? The point is the moment the Japanese media finds out a murderer has an interest in anime or manga he's immediately painted as another otaku murderer. Whether it's relevant or particularly true is secondary, because they couldn't care less. It's sensationalistic, it feeds into the pre-existing negative otaku stereotype, and it's really easy to just write it off as another crazy otaku than do any actual investigative work. But hey, you say Densha Otoko erased all that bad press, even though the three cases I mentioned aside from Miyazaki occurred after Densha Otoko. But hey, there is Taro Aso, who proves otaku aren't just capable of being murderers, they're also capable of being immensely unpopular politicians. I suppose that's a step up. I was at least partially wrong concerning the US imposing its relatively puritanical mores on Japan post WW2. The restrictions on pornography date back to the Meiji Restoration during earlier attempts to emulate the West's comparatively conservative ideas about sex. Separate sex public baths were introduced either during the Meiji Era or Post WW2 (different sources give conflicting answers) Other things like making declaring prostitution illegal occurred post ww2. But this is a bit ridiculous. Japan had a much more relaxed attitude towards sex prior to extensive contact with the West after Perry. They copied much of the West's conservative attitudes towards sex in law, if not so much in spirit during the Mejii era. They were occupied by the US after WW2, during a time which the US was about as fucked up as possible with regards to its attitude towards sex. Just about any influence the West had on Japan's attitudes on sex would more conservative than Japan's own. Enough of this, you want to go ahead and say you win, you can have it. Congrats.
Thank you for the clarification. It kind of doesn't make any sense to me to sell it as something other than what it is, but if I'm wrong, then I'm wrong. I wish a certain someone else could have been as charitable with their "correction." |
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samuelp
Industry Insider
Posts: 2243 Location: San Antonio, USA |
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Personally, I think I'll hold off on this series until a second season is green lit: Chu-bra Kou-bra! about their transition to high school (and maturity!) which also happens to involve transferring to mexico and getting eaten by goats.
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