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Do Girls Really Like Vegeta?
Yes, this is a man who oozes sexiness every time he walks into the room.
Like a fine wine that continues to age well, Dragon Ball is still continuing to be relevant in every anime/manga fan’s lives. Just recently, the ever-rageful Prince of the Saiyans, Vegeta, became a target both positively and negatively. Our anti-hero was voted #2 on a list of top 9 anime/manga boys that women wish were real. Gintama also made fun of his entire character in Episode 242 (Volume 42, Chapter 364 in the manga), where the girls of Gintama discuss Vegeta and question his appeal to women in front of a female Vegeta fan. As Gintama’s episode title proclaims, “Girls Like Vegeta”. Is the bad boy appeal of Vegeta extremely powerful for women to resist?
Here’s one girl’s thought about Vegeta:
“He’s always strong, but his loving tsundere-ness towards his family really gets me.” (A quote about Vegeta from the list conducted by Girl Sugoren)
After hearing that quote, it makes me wonder about Vegeta’s popularity after the Freeza arc. Most of us know that he cried during the arc and begged Goku to beat Freeza. Was that the moment made girls go “Awwww”? Vegeta’s character slowly changed afterwards, as he started to settle down a little with a family while still being the prideful Prince of Saiyans that he is. The guy was literally a complete a-hole who didn’t care about anything, except defeating Goku in battle. Vegeta did show some signs of love to his family, as he went berserk when his son, Trunks (whose future version was also VERY POPULAR among girls) was killed by Cell and risked his life to save everyone from Majin Buu. Of course, there’s that confident smirk, evil laugh, and arm fold he does that seems to draw a lot of attention.
With those characteristics that Vegeta has, why are girls drawn to them? Do we blame Hollywood? Do we blame the media? Or do we blame human nature? It could be girls’ inherent preference of “good genes”. “Good genes” in men tend to be a high level of masculinity and symmetry. Women at a younger age seem to enjoy seeing acts of bravery and risk-taking (which bad boys tend to do). There’s also the belief that girls secretly harbor the fantasy of turning the bad boy into a loving man who is committed to them.
Do Vegeta fangirls see hope that it’s possible for a bad boy to become a nice guy and still remain tough? Or do they appreciate the fact that Vegeta is a “bad boy” character that lives up to whatever perceived fantasies they have of him? It was interesting to see Bulma being attracted to Vegeta, but it somehow makes sense for her. Vegeta’s confidence in wanting to be stronger than Goku probably attracted her in the first place, since he was very determined to reach his goal at all costs. Also, as Trunks once stated, both his parents were lonely and that’s why they got together. A combination of strength and love can create interesting opportunities, don’t you think?
I do like to point out that the group of women who voted Vegeta on the Sugoren list were women in their 20s’. What happens when they get older? Will their opinions about “bad boys” change? Will they like Vegeta less? As women get older, their appreciation of certain types of men evolve.
Vegeta seems like the perfect guy to many girls. He is still a “bad boy” at heart, but he also fights with some sense of altruism. I think this is the secret to his popularity among women. The fact he’s an somewhat altruistic, tough guy. Both younger and older women can find him to be a character that satisfies their criteria for a great male character. Vegeta has been able to activate so many emotions in people’s (especially women’s) hearts, that you can’t help but react (and women tend to focus on emotions). Look at all the things he has said and done over his history in Dragon Ball.
Even though I’m not a girl, I love Vegeta. He’s played a big part in how my personality is shaped. I don’t know about this perceived notion that guys don’t like him, but like Piccolo (as Gintama hints). All I can say is that guys might feel a bit inspired to develop some sense of pride to keep themselves strong. To the female Vegeta fans out there, is his pride a strong factor in why you love the beloved Saiyan Prince and do you perhaps enjoy that quality in a man?
Power, brash confidence, and a good heart - when it comes to the ideal man, isn’t fiction just grand?
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Blue Exorcist (Ao No Exorcist): The “One Piece” of JUMP Square?
(Rin: Not only do we got an anime that’s kicking butt, but now our manga is crushing it in Japan!)
Last Thursday while I was browsing around Kinokuniya Bookstore, I managed to see the latest Japanese volume of Kazue Kato’s Blue Exorcist (Ao No Exorcist), Volume 7, on the manga shelves. I did notice that there were more copies than usual. Later that day, I found out that Volume 7 had a print run of a million copies. Now this is pretty interesting because I’m trying to figure out what makes the series EXTREMELY popular right now in Japan. Even Japanese bookstore staff have recommended the title to consumers. Someone on the Anime News Network forums made an interesting comment: “One Piece is to Shonen Jump as Blue Exorcist is to JUMP Square”. Is it really safe to make that comparison?
The funny thing is that the series hasn’t been out for a long period of time. It’s currently at 28 chapters, which is about 2 years worth of material. This rise is somewhat similar to the rise of Hajime Isayama’s Shingeki no Kyojin (published in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Shonen Magazine). The main difference is that Blue Exorcist is published in a mainstream manga magazine under the JUMP label.
Before I began following Blue Exorcist, when I think of JUMP Square, I think of Claymore, D. Gray-man, Shin Prince of Tennis, & To-Love-Ru Darkness. When I read the first volume of Blue Exorcist, I immediately thought, “Why does it feel like I’m reading D. Gray-man?” I’m sorry to fans of both, but that’s how I felt. Both stories involved demons, feature a protagonist who has some demonic power, & also take place in a exorcist organization setting. However, I did notice that Blue Exorcist is a lot more lighthearted and relatable to teen readers & young adults because the exorcist organization in this series is more like a school.
(I can imagine the HUGE amount of RinxYukio fanfiction/fanart out there in the vast landscape of the Internet.)
As much we can credit the popularity of the anime for a heavy interest in the original source material, I think it might come down to the presence of the two main characters in the series: Rin Okumura & Yukio Okumura. Both are good-looking and appeal to many fans. A friend of mine even told me that the fujoshi in Japan really love Ao no Exorcist. When I first saw Yukio on the cover of Volume 2, I immediately thought, “Wow, he looks sooooo cool! I can definitely cosplay this with no wig!”
The “twin brothers in the same school” dynamic intrigues me. You have one brother who’s calm, smart, & talented (Yukio) and you have the other who is the opposite but seems to get more attention (Rin). I think many of us have been through sibling comparisons & rivalries. In essence, siblings interacting with each other can be quite a hectic, yet educational experience for those involved.
Kato has stated that Blue Exorcist was inspired by a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. For those familiar with the Brothers Grimm stories, they are often popular fairy tales for children with heavy mature themes. One German scholar has described them as tales of the struggle to be human.
I spoke to Alex Hoffman on Twitter about the appeal of Blue Exorcist. This is what he thought about the mass appeal of the series right now:
If you think about it, everything seems balanced in Blue Exorcist. There’s something for everyone in the series. Sure, it may feel like a typical shonen manga. However, the pacing is good. Nothing really drags on for too long. The characters are all well-done (Regarding the characters, I’m especially interested in Mephisto Pheles & where his allegiances really lie). Most importantly: the story is about a child of Satan wanting to take out his father, the big baddie, himself. That’s a pretty unique concept for a shonen manga if you ask me. Kato has managed to incorporate the theme of exorcism (which can get VERY frightening) and made it fun to read about for a young audience.
So, does JUMP Square have a legitimate flagship title in Blue Exorcist? With D.Gray-man (arguably the most popular JUMP Square title before Blue Exorcist) going in a darker & more serious direction, Blue Exorcist looks to capture even more fans of all ages with its fun blend of action, comedy, & drama. It’s also an interesting look at what happens when a class of students who all have unique personalities interact in an educational environment. Doesn’t that sound just like school in real life?
(The main cast of Blue Exorcist.)
If Blue Exorcist is going to be the “One Piece” of JUMP Square, having a huge print run is a good start. The series just needs to be even more aggressively marketed in Japan & slowly take over all aspects of real life. Who knows? There might be a day when Shiemi Moriyama garden vegetable dishes are made & served to the public.
Until then, let the blade of Kurikara continue to shine bright & set hearts ablaze in blue!
Want to jump aboard Blue Exorcist? You can watch the anime at Crunchyroll. The English-translated manga is available courtesy of VIZ Media. If you want to be up-to-date with the Japanese volumes, you can buy them at Shueisha’s website here.
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10 Years of Shinigami, Hollows, & Lots of Fighting: My Love/Hate Relationship with BLEACH
(Glad to see Ginjo & Tsukishima make it to the party.)
Has it been 10 years already? It felt like it was yesterday when I began following Tite Kubo’s BLEACH. Back when the world was not in disarray, BLEACH was one of my personal favorite anime/manga series to watch/read. I just loved following the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, & friends. As much as the series’ storyline has deteriorated over the last 3-4 years, I will still see this series to the end. Why can’t I quit BLEACH despite being disappointed multiple times in the story? Maybe because the series still resonates in my heart, like an ex-girlfriend who I can’t seem to get out of my mind.
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“Hayate The Combat Butler” Taiwanese Live-Action 8-Minute Trailer
This is currently showing in Taiwan right now. You would think the Taiwanese network, GTV, would pick really young actors to portray the characters, but this doesn’t look to be the case. (The girl playing Maria looks cute though.) Then again, what 13-year old actress can act like Nagi Sanzenin? Anyone has any good suggestions?
In other (& possibly better) news, the new Hayate animated movie, Heaven Is A Place On Earth, will be premiering in Japanese theaters on August 27!
I find Nagi’s character to be quite interesting as she is a rich hikkikomori tsundere character who wants to know what it feels like to work hard, despite her being lazy most of the time. She’s definitely on my list of characters to look at!
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When Psychological Disorders Collide (Sayonara! Zetsubou-Sensei)
“I’m in despair!!” - Nozumu Itoshiki
What happens when you find yourself surrounded by psychologically-flawed individuals? Do you try to avoid them as much as possible? However, what if you had to be around them for your job? This is the scenario played out for one high-school teacher in Koji Kumeta’s Sayonara! Zetsubou Sensei. It is a manga that pokes fun at daily aspects of Japanese life. In some ways, the title reflects how certain countries & cultures (especially Japan) view mental disorders & illnesses.
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A License Request: Shingeki no Kyojin by Hajime Isayama
I usually don’t write requests for certain Japanese manga titles, but I feel like this manga deserves a chance to make it big in the West. For those who have been keeping up with manga news, you may have heard about the new-found & ever-growing popularity of the shonen manga series in Japan, Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan), by Hajime Isayama. It is a series that has been critically praised by both fans & critics alike. The manga recently won the 2011 Kodansha Award for Best Shonen Manga. This is one title that should be taken seriously.
To sum up real quick on the plot of Shingeki no Kyojin, the story revolves a conflict between humans and the Titans. The Titans are a mysterious race of giant humanoids that eats humans. Humanity hides itself in cities surrounded by huge walls and people have created defense forces to fight against the Titans. A young man named Eren Jaeger is thrown into this conflict as his mother was viciously eaten by a Titan when he was a child. Together with his adoptive sister, Mikasa Ackerman, Eren seeks to kill the Titans and eventually get out of the walls that confine him. Think of this as a manga version of the Sony PS2 game, Shadow of the Colossus.
What’s interesting is that this title was pitched to Shueisha for one of its JUMP titles, but was rejected. The story does start off somewhat slow and the artwork can be a bit messy at times (then again, most first volumes tend to be like that). However, Kodansha seemed to love the idea and went with it.
What I like about Shingeki no Kyojin is the emphasis on walls. In the story, the walls surrounding the cities are EXTREMELY large and not many people can get past them. As much as those walls protect, they also prohibit as well. In some ways, it relates to how people have a lot of mental walls they want to get past in life. Some are small, some are large. Eren Jaeger represents someone who isn’t going to sit there and just wait while opportunities pass him by. He wants to break the “walls” down to live the life he wants to live. An overwhelming majority of people can relate to this, no matter what differences may define them (culture, race, etc.)
The title has appeared to hit it off well in Japan possibly because of its focus on complacency. In a time where things are uncertain in Japan, Shingeki no Kyojin has probably given off some vibes that people have to take initiative. Instead of waiting for hope, create hope.
Fans of dark fantasy manga titles like Berserk & Claymore are sure to like Shingeki no Kyojin. Kodansha Comics USA or Vertical Inc. should definitely consider it when they look over new properties to license. Then again, they might already be looking at it right now…
With its recent collaboration with Monster Hunter, Shingeki no Kyojin looks to be gaining more momentum. Let’s hope that momentum travels across the West.
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Why Girls Are Liking Shonen Manga
Hey, girls like battles as much as boys do.
According to the “wonderful” site that is Sankaku Complex, more and more girls in Japan are interested in reading shonen manga than shoujo manga. This relates to what I discussed in an interview by Fanboy.com.
I spoke about how there are series like Katekyo Hitman Reborn! & Kuroshitsuji filled with very attractive-looking male characters. There’s also the fact that shonen manga seems to have a fair share of teenage characters that appeal to a wide audience. Another supposed reason for girls reading shonen manga are that they are less concerned about being feminine when compared to boys trying to be manly.
Though it could just come down to this: shonen plots are just plain better than shoujo plots. Most shojou manga these days typically seems to be all the same: high school girls trying to date a guy they like & the emotional drama that ensues. Shonen plots can be pretty diverse compared to shoujo plots. At times, there may be TOO MUCH fighting in shonen manga, but they’re usually more exciting to most fans. Look at a series like BLEACH, which has a huge number of both male & female fans. Shoujo JUMP, here we come!
To female shonen readers, why do you read shonen manga?
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Mental Health Month: Cross Game & Coping With Loss
(The following is a guest post by Charles of Beneath the Tangles. Thank you, Charles, for providing a great article!)
May is Mental Health Month, a time to emphasize the importance of mental wellness and to spread awareness of mental health conditions. As such, Manga Therapy is addressing anime or manga characters who have overcome the challenges of mental trauma. Tony has been so nice as to allow me to write a guest post on this topic.
While many encounter depression or another mental health condition personally, one area that will affect all of us sometime in our lives is death. Although the topic is often used for shock value in anime and manga (I’m singling you out, Code Geass), every once in a while, a mangaka or animator will create a work that instead treats bereavement in a most sensitive way. Perhaps no mangaka consistently tackles the issue of death and bereavement with more heart than Mitsuru Adachi, which he masterfully demonstrates through the series, Cross Game.
