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Editorial Reply: WallStreet Journal's editorial:
Now, I know what you guys are thinking "OH MY GOD NO! NOOO!" When you see this article, but I hardly doubt anyone who is even into manga or anime, even reads the wallstreet journal or cares what they say of their opinion on anime. Well this was a first, I'm not sure exactly how much publicity this article is getting, but.. I just seen it on ANN so I thought it's worth some kind of reply before people start to cry in dread that the sky is falling, for those who you who wish to read it please check it out here.
Now that you've read it, you probably can laugh in relief knowing that the WSJ has No idea what the hell they're talking about, or rather the writer a Miss Bosker doesn't. According to Miss Bosker; "......while Japan's use of manga and anime relies on their proven market appeal, the content and fan base of these trendy products make them ill-suited for Japan's public relations campaign." Why? Well, according to her, there are various problems with using it as a stepping stool for an ambassador for other countries, such as:
international relations more generally, and especially with its neighbors. As Ming Wan, director of the global affairs program at George Mason University, cautions, there is a limit to how much Tokyo can push its cultural products before manga and anime are viewed as government propaganda. This is especially true in China, where some already see Japanese manga as a tool of indoctrination. An article published by the Chinese paper Global Times in June 2006 accused manga of trying to "retell history" to cover up Japan's war crimes and infect Chinese children with Japanese values."
Leave it to china to STILL argue about something that happened about 70 years ago. Now that's not to say Japan doesn't want to spruce up it's image, I heard rumors about various things with World War 2 and what not. The fact that China talks about "infecting" their children with government propaganda is a joke. Maybe people should look at some chinese cartoons such as "Sparking Red Star" Need be it this is just an example, but China is the country of propaganda, and to think it plays itself off as being pure and defenseless makes me wanna vomit.
"And there's a certain weirdness factor. The nearest American counterpart to anime-inspired costume play may be Star Trek and Star Wars conventions, whose participants also dress up as their favorite characters. Those gatherings have entered the broader cultural consciousness more as a source of late-night television humor than as a viable goodwill export." This sounds like something written by Ann Coulter now, Why don't we start to make fun of everyone who has weird hobbies, like wall street?
"If capturing the youth "vote" is the goal, Tokyo may be on to something. At the Hong Kong convention, a group of five 18 year-olds dressed as ninjas from the Japanese video game Tenchu posed for photographers. "Arigato!" they called to their fans, brandishing their fists and samurai swords. "We love Japan!" But will their parents?"
My guess if they don't give a crap about what they're parents think if they're 18, or 13 for that matter. Most of the people who watch anime range from the age 13 and up, literally.. And I'm above 18 that's for sure, and I could care less, and a Big chunk of that market Is adults like it or not.
One more thing before I end this, if you noticed the poster with the caption "The new custodians of Japan's global image?" There is no mention that Full Metal Panic, is basically about a global anti-terrorist military agency which goes to help out those in trouble pretty much out of the goodness of their hearts.. Maybe that's what wallstreet is really afraid of? That the view of having an international image of programs will some how get people to actually like others from around the world have have things in common with, rather than something that people would think as a "certain weirdness factor".
Brought to you by the A.A.I.
Now that you've read it, you probably can laugh in relief knowing that the WSJ has No idea what the hell they're talking about, or rather the writer a Miss Bosker doesn't. According to Miss Bosker; "......while Japan's use of manga and anime relies on their proven market appeal, the content and fan base of these trendy products make them ill-suited for Japan's public relations campaign." Why? Well, according to her, there are various problems with using it as a stepping stool for an ambassador for other countries, such as:
- the highly sexualized nature of the form, (Which lists some anime which is consider to be obscene, I'm not sure if they even exist honestly or not, probably because they might have been put out or print due to being illegal? Japan doesn't like it when you show gentils of people over the age of 18, image how they freak for those who are 13),.
- "negative images of daily life in Japan", "'Japan comes across as a bit scary culturally—terribly formal and deeply strict," she (Madeleine Rosca)explains. 'Most of the stories we get tend to be stereotypes showing heavy workloads and strictness, and a super-adherence to tradition.'" I don't know how scary or strict japan is, but I don't get the feeling someone is gonna come out and beat me to death just for not calling them "sempai"(i sure hope that's the right way to spell it :P). Not to mention two things, One, The vibes from being strict or not may or may not be true, I mean, having one day off a week isn't for me.. and 2, The fact that "cartoons did nothing to sell her on the country" stated by the editorialist, may differ from manga to manga, we have no idea which anime or manga this person READ. All of the ones I get vibes from Aren't that strict.. Where as if someone else reads only yaoi, they may think all pretty boys are bi-sexual, or if someone from japan watches 24, he might think that all americans are insanely paranoid..? My point is, you have to read a great deal to understand this, this article Didn't cover all the bases
- OH! Oh this is my favorite one!
international relations more generally, and especially with its neighbors. As Ming Wan, director of the global affairs program at George Mason University, cautions, there is a limit to how much Tokyo can push its cultural products before manga and anime are viewed as government propaganda. This is especially true in China, where some already see Japanese manga as a tool of indoctrination. An article published by the Chinese paper Global Times in June 2006 accused manga of trying to "retell history" to cover up Japan's war crimes and infect Chinese children with Japanese values."
Leave it to china to STILL argue about something that happened about 70 years ago. Now that's not to say Japan doesn't want to spruce up it's image, I heard rumors about various things with World War 2 and what not. The fact that China talks about "infecting" their children with government propaganda is a joke. Maybe people should look at some chinese cartoons such as "Sparking Red Star" Need be it this is just an example, but China is the country of propaganda, and to think it plays itself off as being pure and defenseless makes me wanna vomit.
"And there's a certain weirdness factor. The nearest American counterpart to anime-inspired costume play may be Star Trek and Star Wars conventions, whose participants also dress up as their favorite characters. Those gatherings have entered the broader cultural consciousness more as a source of late-night television humor than as a viable goodwill export." This sounds like something written by Ann Coulter now, Why don't we start to make fun of everyone who has weird hobbies, like wall street?
"If capturing the youth "vote" is the goal, Tokyo may be on to something. At the Hong Kong convention, a group of five 18 year-olds dressed as ninjas from the Japanese video game Tenchu posed for photographers. "Arigato!" they called to their fans, brandishing their fists and samurai swords. "We love Japan!" But will their parents?"
My guess if they don't give a crap about what they're parents think if they're 18, or 13 for that matter. Most of the people who watch anime range from the age 13 and up, literally.. And I'm above 18 that's for sure, and I could care less, and a Big chunk of that market Is adults like it or not.
One more thing before I end this, if you noticed the poster with the caption "The new custodians of Japan's global image?" There is no mention that Full Metal Panic, is basically about a global anti-terrorist military agency which goes to help out those in trouble pretty much out of the goodness of their hearts.. Maybe that's what wallstreet is really afraid of? That the view of having an international image of programs will some how get people to actually like others from around the world have have things in common with, rather than something that people would think as a "certain weirdness factor".
Brought to you by the A.A.I.
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lol..that was weird...but I loved your article,espacialy the way you ended it *two thumps up.*and*pop*
this is insane, but your little opinion article here was wonderful!!
I dislike the fact that certain parts are left out of history books but it's true that every country tells it's history differently. In Canada for example, the United States fight to become independent was thought to be because of Quebec for some unknown reason, which is Weird I know. As for China exploding it does seem real stupid they'd do it over a lion.. China is nothing but one big propaganda machine, and I dislike all kinds of propaganda, maybe it's because also that they thought the Japanese government made it because China controls so much of it's own TV? I'm just wondering how long such things may even go on..
uhm....it's lion not loin....:(
True, not all Chinese hate Japanese but the grudge it is something that is often used by the Chinese to (verbally) attack Japan. Example: A Japanese car maker made a commercial where they showed their product with a loin. China exploded into a rage, why? In the war Japan entered Bejing over a bridge which was decorated with....lions. The Japanese then canceled the commercial and apologized. Things like this have happened many times, are still happening and will continue to happen in the future. As for propaganda against WWII....it's not exactly propaganda. What they are doing is leaving things out of their history. Certain things about the war that the Japanese did are purposefully left out of the history books in school. I do not like this but as it is something that every nation does or has done i can hardly blame them for doing it.
Well, I'm not saying that every person who's chinese is holding a grudge against someone who is Japanese, I don't think that's the case. But what I am saying is that the government wants everyone to preceive it that way, and the fact that Japan puts out "propaganda" against WW2 isn't all that true. I think the only movie (I know of atleast) that has anything close to it would be "Grave of Fireflies", and I'm not sure you can really call it a propaganda movie but I never seen it, I never seen "Sparking Red Star" either, I wanna make that clear, but I wanted to also make it clear by the fact that it's very likely it could be. It's just the idea of it is so laughable it isn't funny, and it's even less funny people would believe it because it comes from the Wallstreet Journal, and Editorial I might add, that probably would only get a C if it was a High school essay.. :P
This is interesting. I mean that I am really serious about this article. I also heard about this article somewhere on AOL news.
"the highly sexualized nature of the form" Well this really depends on the anime/manga you have. Some are certainly this while others are nothing of the sort. This article is really one sided on this part, it only highlites the bad but not the good. Then the bit that tells that anime/manga makes Japan come over as scary. Of course we immediatly asume that what a anime shows is based on the reality of the country who made it. According to this article this means "terribly formal and deeply strict". Well what does this say about American shows? That everybody is armed to the teeth and just waiting for any excuus to blow something away? O yes....this works both ways, you can't look at somebody and asume things and neglect to look at yourself as well. And then there are the Chinese....yeah, there are a unbiased group to ask for a viewpoint. The Chinese culture revolves about grudges, you can be blamed for stuff that your great, great, great, great, etc. grandparent to the Chinese people centuries before. They cherish them, grow them, nurse them and pass them on to their children untill the end of time. This is China (look it up!). Almost every (kung fu) movie that comes out of China has a strong vengeance theme. They hate Japan with a passion and will be pissed if a Japanese person looks at them wrong. Japan is trying to leave things out of their history though but this is what many cultures have done also. I'm Dutch and we have done it to, our kids aren't told what role we played in the slave trade in school. The Americans used slaves but it were the Dutch who privided them. I think that every nation has a few skeletons in the closet that would rather forget about.
It's a little late to be saying this, but....
Anime News Network: Ruining and causing drama for over two years
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*claps* well said ^_^
TASHAY99
02.10.2007 03:04 AM