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4Chan Makes Its Impact On Japanese Manga
When I hear things like this, it comes to show you that 4Chan can be SERIOUS BUSINESS. Just recently, Volume 1 of a manga series known as “It’s Not My Fault, I’m Not Popular”, by Nico Tanigawa, had a promotional line on the cover that said ““海外の2ちゃん的な掲示板で大人気!!”. This line can be translated as “An international sensation on the overseas version of 2Chan!”
This title is currently translated by a fan on the /a/ board of 4Chan and has also been approved by the publisher. Apparently, the title is a smash-hit because it relates to the users of 4chan as the main character, Kuroki Tomoko, is very introverted and depressed.
This is an interesting case study for Japanese manga publishers on how the Internet isn’t that scary and completely filled with piracy. If you ask me, they don’t focus enough on the idea of a strong community. Also, 4Chan is not ALL that bad. The thing is that anonymity does provide relief for everyone. If others know literally everything about you, your life will not be sane. That’s why I worry about regular people (that aren’t famous) who decide to join literally every social media site in existence. Is it just me or do those people feel insecure about themselves at times?
Back to the manga, you can read the fan translation here and buy Volume 1 here. I have to say that the Tomoko does make me think about people like her. It’s funny because I was once really shy and nerdy when I started high school. I wanted to be popular with the girls, so I began to watch more shows and read stories that were about dating. Whenever I made friends with a girl, I’ll be like “YES!” in my own head and have crazy thoughts. I have said some crazy things to girls back then (I still do though, but usually to troll). I guess you can say that I was a bit like Tomoko. Does anyone want to share any interesting moments of social anxiety you had back in the day?
I guess we can say, score another one for the Internet!
Image Source: Akiba Blog
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The Superhero Donor, Tiger Mask
(A better role model than Tiger Woods.)
For those who remembered late last year, many donations were made to various Japanese children-focused charities by someone under the guise of the professional wrestler anime/manga hero, Naoto Date, aka Tiger Mask. The donations would later spawn a huge movement of donations (some anonymous) from other people to Japanese charities as well. Just this past November, Tiger Mask struck again as an anonymous donor, using the Tiger Mask name, donated school bags and stationery sets to a city at the Gunma Prefecture in Japan. He also helped quake victims as well. The return of Tiger Mask poses some interesting thoughts about the nature of tigers, people, and anonymity.
Tigers are known to be solitary, yet social creatures. All they want to do is hunt and eat. They will not fight unless threatened. In Japan and other parts of Asia, tigers are represented as beings of great power, passion, beauty, and wrath. There is also a belief that when a tiger appears in your dreams, a great power and/or passion is about to awaken inside you.
An article in the Hiragana Times suggests that the Tiger Mask movement was moved by modesty. Once people saw that someone was donating anonymously, they had a lot of incentive to do the same. Japanese people are taught not to show off good deeds in front of the public. In some ways, tigers represent hidden strength waiting to be unlocked. Perhaps the movement motivated others to unleash their inner tigers.
Which goes back to the one who started it all. What motivated him to go under the name Tiger Mask specifically? Why last year? Was it because of the story of Tiger Mask? Did he want to bring some change for once? It is possible that this person believes the world is still just, despite what others might think. Maybe a tiger appeared in his dreams and convinced him to be philanthropic.
A final issue is to look at anonymity and its pros. While most people look at anonymity with a certain level of disdain, there are some benefits to being anonymous. One is that you won’t be bothered by companies that constantly try to promote products/services to you. You will also be protected from any unjust backlash from others. Most importantly, you get privacy which is something that everyone needs from time-to-time. I do believe that our Tiger Mask donor wants to highlight the power and potential that anonymous people can have on society.
Tigers are truly great creatures that many of us love. I think it’s perhaps that we are like them: fierce on the outside, loving on the inside. In this rough world we’re living in, some of us just got to put on that tiger face and keep on going (which I believe that Tiger Mask is trying to convince children to do).
Let the eye of the tiger show you the way!
