Humans are social creatures. Those who are watching Shigofumi get a good examples of this in the school bully episode. But what’s just as important to the courage to confess or the strength to overcome rejection…is the ability to say what you want to say.
It’s saying what you want to say. One of the fundamental problem with Rahxephon is how it doesn’t do a great job saying what it wants to say. I think that particular problem is a result of lacking the talent necessary to do the job; but that’s not what I really want to talk about. It’s a good example how you can have a fairly polished thing but have it botch the more substantive aspect of a good TV series.
The flip side is also true. Sometimes it’s a pain to get your viewer to understand something because they’re stuck somewhere else. Simoun is a good example. Even some of the most prudent and wisest viewers will have trouble seeing through the lesbian fanservice and strangely Korean style of animation.
Still, when there’s something interesting to say, people run the gauntlet of misunderstanding and potential disappointment because it’s worth saying whatever it is. Some do it with a little bit of help, like Shigofumi riding on Jigoku Shoujo’s coattails. Tatsuo Sato is a trickster like that sometimes, and he does this with some regularity.
Speaking in the same language is one way to reduce misunderstanding; but at the same time speaking in the right language, too, can do the same. It’s like how ef a tale of memories played off like a teroge harem but it’s actually a Shinkai-ish, artisan orgy. Soul Taker gave life to Komugi but did anyone else cared about that piece of artwork?
But even so there’s something to say about the sort of misunderstanding of watching Ookiku Furikabutte and being mistaken for a BL fan. Not that has happened (or should, IMO). I mean, I guess I can do the same and insult people who likes Touch. But not Prince of Tennis. Or Ippo.
Anyways, in good, earnest fun, I thought Shigofumi so far is doing a decent job telling both sides of the story. It’s what anime has always been keen to do. Go go ambiguous villainy! Maybe that is why people are quick to mark the “anime” thing as gore and porn in the west, because the rest of it is speaking in a foreign language. Its fans are naturally good at handling being misunderstood, am I right?