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I Am My Father
You ever think about how your otaku lifestyle can be a direct result of how your parents behaved back then? What if your father’s history had a role to all this? What if you never knew until later in your life?
As most of you readers may know, I have a history of depression. I’ve been fighting depression for as long as I have been diagnosed with it. For a while, I thought there was no family history of depression. My mother often told doctors that there was no genetic inheritance. A few years ago, however, I learned more about my father and his battle with himself.
My father was tired of work and wanted to retire badly. He was complaining non-stop. I learned he had self-esteem issues in the past because of how his father treated him. His father always yelled at him for the littlest things. My mom told me that my dad was a lazy bum with little tact and self-confidence. She told me that if she never fell in love with him, who knows what would have happened. That’s when I understood why I have depression in the first place.
So why did my mom fall in love with him? I think maybe it’s because he really wanted to change. My dad tried to secretly escape China to Hong Kong via ship once. He was too late to get on-board, but he jumped into the water regardless and swam as hard as he could before authorities arrested him. My dad went to jail for a few months and was treated like crap. He even got his eye hit by the end of a rifle once.
Although I find it easier to talk to my mom than my dad, my dad reminds me a lot of myself. I often get told that I look like him too. He is a very big kid at heart. My dad is almost always about having fun and making jokes with people. He loves playing with and talking to kids. I may not be great at the kids’ department, but with friends, I am like him. My mom jokes that she has to take care of three kids sometimes.
He was funny, angry, sad and kind. The best thing about my dad is that he was always there to play with my sister and I when we were kids. It’s sad how so many fathers are not there for their kids because they’re either off doing dumb stuff or in jail.
This is him now.
Guess this explains why I’ve become more eccentric than ever. Sometimes I wonder what if my father was an otaku. He actually watched Initial D with me when I was younger. Oh no, is this the main reason why yaoi has been slowly corrupting my brain? OYAAAAAAAAJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!
When people say that children do take after their parents, you better believe there is some truth to this statement. My love of Japanese pop culture is a result of my father being young at heart.
As someone once told me, grow up, but don’t grow old.
Happy Father’s Day all!
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Fujoshi Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3P
For many anime/manga fans, Japanese video games, most especially role-playing games, are also a big part of their love of Japanese pop culture. In what was one of the biggest shockers of the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Square Enix unleashed trailers for two games fans all over the world have been craving for so many years. The re-branded Final Fantasy Versus XIII, now officially christened as Final Fantasy XV, and Kingdom Hearts III literally made the internet explode with glee. Or more importantly, the screams of the rising subgroup that is the fujoshi.
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“Paradise Kiss” Quotes to Take You to Paradise - Part III
Read Part I and Part II for more ParaKiss quote goodness!
And here we are, at last, the final road to paradise! Without further ado, here’s a final list of great quotes from Volume 3 of Paradise Kiss. What parting advice do our favorite fashion designers and friends have to say?
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“Paradise Kiss” Quotes to Take You to Paradise - Part II
And we’re back with more tickets to paradise! Picking off from where left off in Part I, here’s more quotes from Ai Yazawa’s amazing “Paradise Kiss” series, this time from Volume 2 of Vertical Inc’s re-release, that will get you thinking!
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“Paradise Kiss” Quotes to Take You to Paradise - Part I
If there’s one classic series that that defined youth and coming-of-age, it’s none other than Ai Yazawa’s Paradise Kiss. From the creator of NANA came a series that was not only romantic, stylish, comedic and witty, but it was one that really hit home for many teenagers wondering where their lives will be headed after their school lives end.
The adventures of Yukari “Caroline” Hayasaka and her friends had some inspirational quotes that will take one to their intended paradise. Here’s a collection of quotes that really stand out from Volume 1 of Vertical Inc.’s 2012 re-release of ParaKiss.
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A Night of Osamu Tezuka - A Celebration of Manga at Lacoste
The world of Japanese anime/manga culture spread its vibrant aura over NYC as famous clothing brand Lacoste held a party to celebrate its Osamu Tezuka line. What was even better was that Lacoste managed to get Anime Diet to do a panel on the history of anime and manga and how it has emerged to be a worldwide juggernaut.
The party also had a live DJ, catering and some artwork displayed and drawn by NYC-based manga artist, Hiroki Otsuka. Anime Diet’s panel went into a lot of detail about the history of Osamu Tezuka, anime, manga, conventions, cosplay and even pop fashion as well. They brought out a good point in saying if it weren’t for Tezuka, Japanese pop culture probably wouldn’t exist.
While there are criticisms against Tezuka, the fact of the matter is that our precious seiyuus/waifus/doujins/fanservice are his “great-great-great-grandchildren”. He did say comics was his wife and animation his mistress. Who knew tomfoolery could impact the world greatly? Then again, being surrounded by chaos can unlock creativity.
Enjoy the photos! And much thanks to Anime Diet for schooling folks with Anime/Manga 101!
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Masashi Kishimoto’s “Mario” - Amor di Madre, Amore Senza Limiti
Who would have figured that going from ninjas to mobsters would still provide an interesting look at people? A while ago, Shonen Jump recently released one of Masashi Kishimoto’s oneshots, Mario. It was a story originally drawn in 1998 and brought back in the June 2013 issue of JUMP SQUARE and the May 13, 2013 issue of VIZ’s Shonen Jump. Unlike Naruto, Mario is pretty violent and the setting is much more mature. The main character is noted to be a “mama’s boy” near the end of the story and it poses a question as to why men are still quite fond of the first women in their lives.
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Finding Humor in the Darkness (Attack on Titan)
To quote a Tumblr user on the rise of Attack on Titan to the mainstream anime/manga community, how did something so horrifying end up being so hilarious?
As many of you may know, Attack on Titan has become a beloved juggernaut to fans all over the world and some creative folks have responded with great enthusiasm. Social networking feeds became bombarded with wacky pictures and funny video parodies featuring the Titans and the Scouting Legion. One has to wonder if humor truly comes from seeing misery.
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Down in the Dumps of Happiness
If there’s one mantra that’s always told to everyone, it’s that money can’t buy happiness. There is some truth to all of this. An interesting article I read at World of Psychology focused on garbage pickers who are very optimistic about life despite their living standards. Folks who go around collecting trash don’t seem to worry too much about food or money. They have good relationships and believe that the future will be bright for them.
Reading this article made me think about poor characters like Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket), Hayate Ayasaki (Hayate the Combat Butler, before he was taken in by Nagi Sanzenin), Jin Kanzaki (ZETMAN), the Yorozuya (Gintama) and many others. All of them have gone through situations where they struggle to get by, yet still enjoy the nuances of life.
Yes, being poor isn’t the greatest thing in the life. But neither is being rich. When you have people being pressured to act like complete big shots just to stay ahead, you wonder if it really is worth it to make a lot of money.
For anyone who’s poor, you’re more motivated to take on your dreams. Do you really have anything to lose? Not much, given you have nothing to begin with. You also get the best thing money can’t buy: emotional support. Almost every poor anime/manga character out there has a wonderful supporting cast of characters that push them for the better. Of course, there are exceptions, but those characters develop and gain a better understanding of what truly matters when everything is all said and done. One great example is Gintama’s “cell phone” story and its critique on how the joy of technology that may not be affordable to many can affect relationships to a huge degree.
Isn’t it time to get some dirt on your hands and grow an inner garden for your soul?
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The Greatest Contract in the World
For those who wonder about fandom unlocking the power of creativity in others, this should be a shining example of that power. While attending the 2013 Sakura Matsuri in Brooklyn Botanic Garden, I happened to run into a Sayaka Miki (of Puella Magi Madoka Magica fame) cosplayer and took her photo. After taking her photo, she gave me this form - which I thought was some permission letter. But it turned out to be something I always wanted. A chance to be a Magical Girl and bring peace to the universe while being a emotionless husk!
Rights, responsibilities, terms of agreement, applicant information, yup. All right there. Incubators, Inc., huh? Sounds super-legit to me.
Even though fandom is often stereotyped by the media, let’s really look at the greater picture behind fans and see how much they let their creativity shine. Behind the wackiness is a foundation being set to develop problem-solving skills. Yes, many efforts do turn out bad. But failure leads to growth. No one gets it right the first time.
A big question going forward is how to transfer fans’ creativity into skill sets that they can apply to real life in school and work. We need more success stories, such as the case with Chris Needham, a key board member behind AnimeUSA and someone who has been able to use fandom to be successful outside of it. The person who made the contract could be an amazing content creator in a world where both content and context matter.
You know, a real-life Incubators, Inc. doesn’t sound so bad. Incubation does spark creativity.
Kyubey = trolling for the win?
(Pictures can be enlarged when you click on them so you can see the supa-kawaii-sugoi details and the ONE wish I really want granted.)
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