Category Archives: Modern Visual Culture

September 9, 2007

Team Simoun Needs Your Help!

By omo

Until 10~11pm Japan time, you can still vote for Rimone in the 2007 Saimoe contest. Tomorrow The-Very -Good-Girl Mamiina will be up in the running, so please support her as well! If you like Simoun and is curious about Saimoe, you can read about what Saimoe is here, as well how to vote in the world-wide contest about Japanese anime 2-D chara popularity.

Or if you’re really lazy, just:

1. click here at least 1 hour (ideally 2) before 8:58AM US Eastern time, keep the new window open.
2. Wait two hours (or right after 8:58am if you are getting this in really last-minute), then refresh that window you kept open. Keep it opened.
3. click here and then click on the top most thread that has a number less than 1001.
4. Scroll down to the bottom with the text box, input the code [[balhblabhab]] from step #2 (including the [[]]) into the text box.
5. If you are voting today (up to Monday, Sept. 10 US Eastern time), next line in the text box put in <<リモネ＠シムーン>> — the text string starting with << and ends with >>. If you are voting tomorrow for Mamiina, put in << マミーナ＠シムーン>> instead.
6. Click the button next to the text box. Should be the only one on the page.
7. Click again on the button on the next page (scroll down a bit maybe).
8. ???
9. Profit!

That is, if nothing went wrong. A lot of European ISPs seem to work fine. No proxies will likely to work with this. It sucks for me, but hey, it’s worth a shot for VERY GOODNESS.

2 comments | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture, Simoun

September 6, 2007

Tasha Yar == Karukinus

By omo

No, not really. Seriously. I’m just kidding…

Hello, Yin's sempai?

More I watch Heroic Age, the more I think of Star Trek. Why? It has that geek-utopia smell to it.

There is a lot of literature written about the Star Trek … franchise. Thing. Culture. Geekdom. What have you. Ever imagine if The Next Generation was not about Captain Picard going out there and discover new stuff, but Deanna Troi’s younger, innocent sister leading the Federation to reconciliation with a strange version of the Borg… Oh, and replace all that technobabbling with “hoshiboshi no michibiki” and “staarrrrway” and “the power of the Golden Tribe” and you’ve got it.

What if Q raised Age?

I think that air of utopia seasoned with reason being the common pillar for all those sentient being existing in the universe…is the heart of the Star Trek universe, the common thread behind its themes. And in this Heroic Age, such is the order of the world.

Onto the present and ever present whine:

Within the series we need to realize, that like many other space sci-fi stories, traveling between each star is a big hassle and a major plot point. Such is as true in The Heroic Age as with others in the same genre of anime. The nature of space travel in each sci-fi setting is something of some concern and attention for the story teller. That’s a big “Kero-chan Check” point for settings (as with character designs). But so far within the series we have not had a very clear explanation of how FTL travel works. I think it’s a major disservice to the audience to not be able to understand how this major plot point works. Especially how it ties into DNAra’s singular, unique power that we realize later on.

Along the same line, real space maneuvering in The Heroic Age seems to be akin to that of Starship Operator–it takes real time to move stuff around (each battle takes days and weeks and months to resolve), although it seems rather Star Wars-ish when it comes to combat otherwise. The Nodos here is both a help and a harm–it strips the show of any kind of realism, yet it makes things a lot less boring. But somehow, the combat parts of this show is still pretty boring and I don’t know what can be done to help it.

4 comments | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture, Popular Culture, The Heoric Age

September 4, 2007

Help Manabi In Saimoe 2007

By omo

Vote Manabi!

まっすぐGO!!

Let Japan know people in the world care about bringing a piece of angelic goodness down! Vote Manabi today! (You have about 17 hours left!).

A guide on how to vote and all about Saimoe is available here.

3 comments | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Manabi Straight, Modern Visual Culture, Off Topic

September 3, 2007

Beauty

By omo

Moe is a meaningless term in light of the eternal pursuit of men and women after beauty.

In fact, a fairer look at this whole thing is a response. Praise is merely the reaction of people before the delights of their hearts. Moe is the chain that connects a quiet affixation to a thing, an idea.

But sometimes it’s good to just step outside and gaze at the end of summer. Take yourself out of your present context and dive into what you are watching. It’s like actually being in Venice and floating down a narrow canal, looking up at the sweaty rays of sunshine and the shadow it plays with the aging cityscape. They say it’s romantic, right?

Adoration arises not merely with the tangible. It’s not so much like admiring Akari’s sun-basked presence, but admire what Akari admires (which is …you get it?). Or, more notable, to adore a feeling. To cherish a presence (as we see in Marimite season 3 OAV episode 5). To feel another emotion. It’s moving.

It’s a beautiful thing. Don’t you love it when a plan comes together?

And sometimes an anime is worthy merely because it achieves this great sense of beauty. That is why Aria is such a lovely show about nothing. That is why cries of “you don’t get it” rings like blapping sheep when fans clash with each deadly round of Saimoe. Resignation to the gaps between individual understanding leaves little to talk about but all the more beautiful when a person manages to cross such straits in appreciation of another’s adoration.

Or at least, that’s the spirit of Saimoe.

1 comment | posted in Aria, Maria-sama ga Miteru, Modern Visual Culture

August 30, 2007

Darker than Buck Naked

By omo

I highly approve the use of nudity in this episode. Why? It just goes to show how boring Misaki’s office outfit is. In fact, as long as she wears anything different–could be even a boring jeans & t-shirt combo–she looks just dazzing.

How does episode 21’s nudity shows that? I’m not sure, but it goes along the lines of “hey, I look good naked, maybe you should try something different too? You can’t go wrong!” And it seems about 4 other guys tried it, probably to good effect. Well. Maybe that’s exactly what episode 21’s nudity doesn’t show.

I don’t approve the reappearing blood elf though :/

On the other hand, the previews for episode 22 shows the world in an alternate state of affair in fashion. November wears a different color suit? Shocking!

Leave a comment | posted in Darker than Black, Modern Visual Culture