controversy – Anime QandA

5 Worst Complaints People Have About New Seasonal Anime Before The Shows Even Aired

Wow, that’s some heck of a long post title, huh? This post is something of a longstanding reaction to some of the most egregious continual and consistent complaints that come around at the start of every new anime season and with a new anime season on the horizon what better time than now to bring up these “terrible” complaints people have and offer my strong-worded rebuttals!

5. “It’s A Short Anime So It Won’t Be As Good As A Full Length One”

You know what, this is sadly a view I used to share, I used to flat-out refuse to watch short anime because I assumed it being short meant less money and time and care was put into the show’s production and would reflect in the finished product. That’s simply false though, while certainly some shows might have suffered as an adaption by being made into a short anime, the vast majority of short anime have just as much care put into them as their longer brothers and sisters. From 12 minute anime all the way down to the bite sized 2 minute anime, every length of anime has merit!

4. “Based On The Art/Trailer This Looks Nothing Like The Source Material So I’m Not Watching It!”

Absolute adherence to source material is not only short-changing the complex and multi-faceted elements that go into an animation project but also suggests that there’s only one way to tell a story and I’m sorry but that’s a pretty dim and narrow mind-set to have. So your favourite manga/game/whatever is getting an anime adaptation and the art is different or they seem to have cut some things out, that’s no reason to decry something’s existence–and on so little information too. You can be disappointed after you’ve watched it that they missed something or it’s not up to the same standards of the source material, but refusing to watch something off mere teases and trailers is almost the same as judging a book by its cover.

3. “It’s Got 3D CGI In It So It’s Going To Suck!”

Aside from the fact that every new anime uses some element of 3D CGI (usually in subtle ways that most people don’t notice) the idea that using a different animation medium for part or even all of an anime is somehow going to be a detriment to an anime’s overall quality is ridiculous. If there’s a CGI component it’s there for a reason, either because it involves complex movements that would have cost too much/taken too much animation time to have been done traditionally or it was simply the intent of the artists and/or director. Either way stop being so childish and judging CGI like it’s a plague when it’s actually incredibly necessary in the high turnover world in which seasonal anime is made.

2. “It’s Based On A Visual Novel/Smartphone Game/Whatever So It Can’t Be Good!”

Not all source material is created equal–just because there’s “bad” visual novels and likewise adaptations doesn’t mean that whatever new show is coming out will be the same. Also, as far as smartphone game adaptations go some of them are produced by legitimately excellent studios with highly competent writers and directors behind them and a far cry from being “lazy cash-in’s”, some multimedia projects even have the anime being produced alongside the smartphone game to synergise both products rather than just boosting one off the name recognition of another.

1. “It’s Produced By JC-Staff So It’s Going To Be Rushed/Bad!”

I originally had the ‘complaint’ written as “It’s Produced By [Insert Studio Everyone Hates] So It’s Going To Be Bad”, but let’s face it when it comes to the anime communities whipping boy it’s (sadly) JC-Staff. And I honestly don’t get it, I may have only been watching seasonal anime for a couple of years now but nearly every JC-Staff anime I watch is more than competent in almost every technical and artistic aspect. Maybe it’s just the ‘normies’ out there who only watch big-budget-studio shonen anime coming to shit on an easy target but I can name more than a dozen anime from the last couple of years from wildly different studios with shoddier production values that don’t get 1% of the shit that JC Staff gets. All I can say is JC Staff is one of my favourite studios and they deserve better treatment by the anime community that’s decided to make their name a punchline.

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Facing Your Fears – ‘The Rising Of The Shield Hero’ Episode 2 Review

Facing Your Fears – An Anime QandA Review of ‘The Rising Of The Shield Hero’ Episode 2

What’s the show? Rising of the Shield Hero, Episode 2.

No, no no no, no, NO! What…?

I’ve never seen you so ‘ranty’ as when I saw you reviewing the first episode of this show WHY on Earth, are you reviewing episode 2?! Because I got curious and because I got drunk, I tells ya’ that’s a scary combination!

Oof~ so uhhh, dare I ask what did you think of the second episode? It’s ‘Skyrim’ and Stockholm Syndrome two great tastes that taste great together!

Now I’ve noticed the feathers around his collar it’s the only thing I can look at!

Oh boy, here we go… You know, the biggest defense in favour of ‘The Rising Of The Shield Hero’ that I saw out there on the wild wild internets was? And it’s a doozy, so strap on in…

Ugh, what’s that then? That this light novel series was written by a ~woman~ and that somehow makes it exempt from criticism that its misogynistic and problematic!

And that means? Okay, let’s just put a pin at that criticism right off the bat! Women can be just as sexist and problematic as men… remember Ayn Rand, the female author that thought women existed only to be subservient to men and emboldened a whole wave of men’s rights activists to think their opinion mattered more than any other? And while we’re on the subject of bad decisions let’s not forget that 47% of white women voted for Trump in the 2016 US Presidential Elections and if that’s not voting out of a vested disinterest in your own gender and further perpetuating outdated ideals of the patriarchy then I don’t know what is!

No. Stop. Talk about the actual episode and not what nonsense you’ve associated to it by comparison? Fine. Sure, so Noafumi buys himself the cheapest and most “obedient” slave he can find at the slave market, a cute cat girl with mental issues because you know, ~fetishes~.

Oof~! Don’t you “oof~” me! So Noafumi basically uses her as his sword in lieu of his own “sword” because you know this is a matriarchy (apparently) and the best he can do is be a damage sponge while she cleans up the kills! And…

And…? Okay but Raphtalia (that’s her name) is really fucking cute. Like, “I’d sell my kidney just to see her smile”-cute. And, oh… oh no… am I a part of the problem?

Probably… No, stop! I won’t be a part of this system! So uh… a bunch of Skyrim/RPG shenanigans and now I’m more or less committed to this series because it’s bothered to appeal to my nerdy leanings while being simultaneously absolutely obnoxious about the whole thing. Yay for feeling like a douche bag for liking what you like! Is this what white privilege feels like?!

Dare I mention ‘Goblin Slayer’? Oh come on, why would you stoop so low!

I burst out loud laughing at this line, twice!

Hey! You were the one to tar it with the paintbrush of absolute misogyny before realizing it wasn’t nearly as bad as you were painting it out to be! Tch! I mean sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that this show is appealing to its core demographic in such a painfully pandering way that I can’t help but be in awe of its execution.

But wait? What about all that stuff you said about the author being an “unpopular, otaku-ish virgin”? I presumed the gender of the author, but the knowledge of the author being female (allegedly) only works better for my comparison. I mean why else would the main “villain” of this story be a sexy woman who’s popular with the boys and uses her sexuality as a weapon, unless the author was a woman (undoubtedly “otaku-ish” herself) who’d been downtrodden by society and perhaps even by the more ~conventionally ‘attractive’ women~ who maybe scorned her for not conforming to expected standards of femininity. That’s a narrative that–while no less sexist–at least comes from a place that feels different enough from the tired male power fantasies that the isekai genre sometimes employs.

You’re presuming a lot about the author from the text, whatever happened to “death of the author” as a concept? I know it’s something you believe in. True, but when so many people are trudging out the author’s gender as a defense and when there’s the palpable sense that the author themselves is a character in the story it’s hard not to get caught up in it.

That’s blackmail. It’s also character development, dammit show!

So you still think Noafumi is an avatar for the author? Okay, while I think there are parts of his personality that reflect the author (the impotent rage and ‘fuck the world’ attitude) I think it’s just as likely that the author sees themself in Raphtalia too. A caged animal, a victim of circumstance just because of her ‘appearance’ despite being not too dissimilar from the women who rule it. Imagining yourself as a “demi-human” or monster because you’re different from others has been a popular idea not just in Japanese fiction but in fiction the world over. So while Noafumi’s “struggles” aren’t really struggles as he’s just having to deal with the inconvenience of people hating him while still retaining all the freedom afforded of an able-bodies man in this society (it’s not a Matriarchy just because the author says it is, especially when it looks and acts no different to any other fantasy setting–i’ll believe it when I see it!) Raphtalia is downtrodden from birth just because of how she was born, there’s even signs outside of taverns and inns saying they don’t serve ‘demi-humans’. The racism allegory is obvious and surface level but the comparison to an author who’s persecuted by women despite being a woman (just not looking or acting the same as the norm) is too strong to ignore.

Okay fine, you’ve theorised on the intentions of the author to help you justify their narrative, character and world-building choices. But that’s not a review of the show, that’s a review of literally ~everything else~. What about the show and this episode in particular? I watched it twice, once by myself while drunk and once with the irlwaifu while sober and both times I enjoyed it. It felt less artificial and bloated than the first episode and because it was more or less focused on just two characters the episode devoted requisite attention to endearing the audience with Raphitalia and solidifying the ‘relationship’ between her and Naofumi. I don’t particularly ~like~ Naofumi, I think he’s a callous idiot who could saved Raphitalia a lot of anxiety by you know, telling her that he wasn’t going to be like her old owner who tortured her. You know showing some compassion for another person outcast by this society, rather than pulling her around and grumbling at her for the first half of the episode–but that’s a small gripe as its mostly rectified by the end. Also as much as it’s a trope of the isekai genre to have video game style levelling I did enjoy that here, as well as having to sell things they find and make to earn money–it reminded me a lot of Oblivion and Skyrim two games I’ve got thousands of hours of play in.

So you’re going to watch this show–even after all of the hoopla you made about it in the previous review? I thought ‘Darling In The FranXX’ was sexist trash when I first watched it and now it’s one of my favourite shows. ‘Goblin Slayer’ started off as appalling rape fan service and quickly tapered off into an above average adventure show. There’s no telling where this show will go but right now I’m going to stick with it–mostly though to make sure that Noafumi takes good care of Raphtalia!

Previous ‘Rising of the Shield Hero’ Reviews:

Blind To The True Enemy – Episode 1 Review

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Taking The Harm Out Of Harems – 10 Complaints And Rebuttals About Harem Anime

1. “All Harem Anime Are Sexist!”

It’s probably the most frequently levelled criticism against the genre and it’s easy to see why, a bevy of beautiful girls throwing themselves at a single guy! “What woman would act like that? That’s completely unrealistic! And insulting too! What self respecting woman would put themself in that kind of situation?!” But with the exception of some specific examples these girls are all willingly in this situation, they are individuals with the autonomy to choose their lifestyle and what they’ve chosen is to compete for the attention of a man they desire—regardless of whether others have too laid claim to said man. Are there harem anime that are sexist? Yes, for sure. But that’s the fault of specific creators who put sexist dialogue or situations in their series’. Harem Anime should be treated on a show-by-show basis as there’s multitude of show’s out there that run the gamut from offensively sexist to vaguely feminist. The genre as a whole however is not by default sexist.

2. “Harem Anime are unrealistic, superficial male fantasies!”

Well done for realizing that fictional anime and manga is meant to be escapist fantasy! The kind of wish-fulfilment fantasy is present in nearly every genre of anime so why are harem anime being singled out as especially offensive to certain sensibilities? I have a theory: Western pop culture idolizes heroes, superheroes specifically being deeply ingrained in our cultures as being the fictional ideal—modern day gods living amongst us. Polyamory however is not only frowned upon but downright illegal in many places in the West and so portrayals of these kind of relationships are are seen as a problematic kink at best or destabilizing to the natural order at worst. Do I think this should change? No, monogamy works for me as it does most people, but there’s no way we should treat Harem Anime any differently from any other fictional fantasy.

Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou (Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls)

3. “Harem Anime give impressionable viewers unrealistic expectations about relationships and the opposite sex!”

Ah, I see your letting anime doing the parenting now? Certainly the media we consume does a great deal at informing our world view, especially if it’s all you watch. But I’d argue the way most harem protagonists treat the women in their lives reinforces ideas of being kind, being patient and listening to the concerns of your significant others. Once again the onus is on the individual creator as to whether their harem protagonist treats women with respect but in my experience most male harem protagonists only have the best interest of all the girls around them in mind. As for whether the actions and shenanigans reinforce imitable behaviour that can lead to women in real life being the victim of sexual assaults—well, let’s not bring up the tired “violent video games cause real life violence” debate again shall we? We’re all smarter than that, right?

Shinmai Maou no Testament (The Testament Of Sister New Devil)

4. “People who like Harem Anime are perverts!”

Correct!

5. “Harems don’t make logical sense, someone’s going to end up hurt—it’s an unrealistic way to build relationships!”

Because nobody ever gets hurt in monogamous relationships, right? /sarcasm. In all but the cheapest and poorly written of harem anime, the concept of ‘who’s best’ and ‘who’s sidelined’ is a common source of drama and dilemma not just for the girls themselves but the protagonist too. Navigating the minefield of emotions of not just one but multiple women means a smart harem anime can mine a lot of worthwhile plot and character development. People learn who they are and what they really want when under these trying and unusual situations and that in of itself is very interesting to behold.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (Haganai: I don’t have many friends)

6. “Harem anime fetishises having multiple partners and encourages infidelity!”

You’re right… damn it, you’re absolutely right, I have three anime body pillows and it’s not enough, I just want more and more and Harem Anime is all to blame!

7. “You can’t be a feminist and like Harem Anime!”

I used to be a feminist, til I took a harem in the knee. Do I support equal rights for men and women–literally the definition of feminism? Yes I do–we’re all human beings deserving of the same treatment. Am I incensed by depictions of inequality in the sexes, mistreatment of women under patriarchal societal norms and negative gender bias? Also yes, there’s no need for reinforcing harmful behaviour in entertainment. But do I like watching scantily clad girls fawning over a guy, endless panty shots, boob gropes–accidental or otherwise–and all manner of other Harem related shenanigans? You bet I do! So where does this leave me? Am I still a feminist? Can I still have my cake and grope it too? Sadly, this is one question I don’t have an answer for. People are complicated…

Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi (A Bridge to the Starry Skies)

8. “I don’t like Harem Anime!”

And that’s okay, because there’s plenty of things I don’t like either. Having a genre bias is fine, it’s perfectly normal in-fact, not everything in this world can be viewed objectively. But what’s not fine is…

9. “All Harem Anime is the same, it’s all trash!”

You must have been busy then, ‘hate-watching’ every episode of every Harem Anime that’s ever been produced! The amount of times I’ve watched what I thought was going to be a standard Harem Anime only for it to find someway to subvert expectations is surprisingly high. Whether it be in the form of nuanced characterisation and devastating personal backstories (The Grisaia series), or the protagonist having a surprisingly delicate and personal way of letting down each of the characters in the harem to finally settle on one (A Bridge To The Starry Skies), or even an unexpected choice of final partner (The Hill Dyed Rose Madder). Be it strained and varied interpersonal relationships between the girls in the harem (Haganai series), complex plotting and narrative (Monogatari series) or a harem with an emphasis on taking care of everyone’s varied physical and emotional needs (Monster Musume). There are harems that explore the idea and viability of the concept itself while assessing what it means to even be in a harem (To Love-Ru Darkness series), harems about saving the world with the power of friendship (Konosuba, Yusibu!) or even saving the world with the power of orgasms (The Testament of Sister New Devil, Hybrid x Heart)! I can’t even claim to be an expert on Harem Anime, I’ve only seen a small percentage of what’s out there but what I have seen has been varied, complicated, exciting, enriching and most of all… unique.

Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san (Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs)

10. “It doesn’t matter how “unique”, or “interesting”, or “good” you say it is, I’m not going to change my opinion on Harem Anime. I just don’t see the appeal!”

You don’t have to see the appeal in something to appreciate the fact that its existence brings joy to others. If it’s legal and it doesn’t hurt anyone, then what’s the harm in me having my little “unrealistic, superficial male fantasies”? Just remember, if you’re someone who finds themselves so angered by something merely ~existing~ that you have to tarnish an entire genre to make yourself feel better, maybe you’d be better off talking about something you do love and fill the world with positivity instead, that’s at least what I’ve tried to do here.

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