Dorkave's Blog

Anime Relations: Shoujo Kakumei Utena

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Anime Relations: Hai to Gensou no Grimgar, Flip Flappers

To be fair, I don't exactly hate anime or Japanese stuff for that matter. I mean, it's shaped who I am today--a sack of shit loser who spends their time arguing with other sacks of shit over Chinese cartoons. But, as I grow older, and I've aged into this community, I've become more...intolerant, to some of the most classic tropes.
Some of these may make me seem like a SJW. I may look like a dumbass. I do not care. I already do that on a daily basis. Now, you will be subject to my incessant bitching over things no one cares about. But, some of these issues, in my opinion, have some merit. After watching over fifty anime, you begin to notice patterns. Some patterns are lovely--make you love anime even more. Others make you want to slit your own throat and bleed out.

1. Ecchi

Wow, MAL user Dorkave is a faggot prude?
Maybe, but I have good reason to be. I should preface by saying ecchi and fanservice as a whole definitely has a place in anime. In some places, when it doesn't take itself seriously, it can be hilarious and even turn out to be nice eye candy. In case you don't believe me, To Love Ru Darkness is one of my favorite anime, and that show is loaded with panty shots and big bouncing tits. However, take a moment to imagine this;

You are watching this amazing anime. You're not sure what's your favorite thing; whether it's the smooth fight choreography, engaging characters who feel like real people, a deep overarching plot, or badass music. Overall, you're having a great time, right?
Except, right after that epic scene where the female character finally slays that giant beast, she trips on herself and collapses to the ground. Within seconds, the camera cuts to a zoomed-in shot of her titties dancing to the vibration of the quaking floor as she moans in ecstasy at the sensation of rocks puncturing her funbags. This is complemented with low-quality stock background music to season the situation, and suddenly all the male characters begin to blush and shake like a virgin at an orgy.
The tension that used to be so thick you could cut it with a knife succumbs to that fate as we went from cheering on this brave heroine to admiring her melons. Suddenly, you feel somewhat embarrassed and slightly grossed out as your investment into the plot deteriorates under the show's failed attempts at erotic humor. And then, the scene shifts back to the main course of business so fucking fast you feel yourself develop whiplash.

There's a lot to unpack here, I guess. For one, this doesn't do much for the female character herself, as now that moment from before where she established herself as a strong warrior, able to save the day in the pinch of time, becomes decimated immediately once she shifts into a clumsy ditz who can't keep her gongagas in her bra. It becomes dehumanizing to some extent, and it's hard to think of female characters in anime as real people when the plot uses them as a device to perpetuate low-brow fanservice fodder.

I am not trying to say sex appeal and anything of the sort only belongs to more comedic shows, and not in a show about death and violence and all the associated themes that come with a darker storyline, but it should definitely match the story's tone. This already gets a lot of criticism on its own, but I think a good way to balance it out is to have the female characters in more revealing clothing while keeping the plot relatively unchanged. Yes, that has its own flaws, but at least the story wouldn't break the pace to have to remind the audience that Koko over there got some HUGE gonzalas. I mean, absolutely GINORMOUS bowling balls.

The huge sea of fat and sweaty otaku men trying their best to suck in their pre-cum from flowing out at the sight of slight skin showing are hugely responsible for this, I feel. It's become somewhat of a common idea that a lot of erotic material is included in visual novels in order to sell them better, which can sometimes hurt the plot. H-scenes and the like definitely have their place and can even enhance the plot to a wonderful degree, but it becomes uncomfortable to witness when you realize it's included under the pretenses it'd boost sales. Not out of any creative decision.
This isn't always the case, as I realize, but it becomes insanely obvious in anime like Grimgar, which had this exact issue on Ep. 1, in which Ranta arbitrarily comments on the purple-haired bitch's bust size for no reason other than to plug in another cynically written, "You pervert!" scene to pad out the length and to throw a bone at involuntarily celibate men.

Imagine a world where the female characters of anime became something of merit; characters who were sexy in the most natural sense of the word. No contrived scenes to further point out how sexy they are, but more scenes showing off their personalities and personal philosophies. You know, the things that makeup characters.
I wouldn't really know why this take would ruffle the feathers of many, and have me branded as one of Satan's children, the infamous SJWs, but oh well. I mean, shit, I would love to see some manservice. As a typical homosexual, I would love to fawn over the muscles and potent masculine energy eclipsing most of these anime hunks, but instead, I have to sit through more unbearable banshee shrieking slaughtering my speakers as the heroine screams, "DAME!" over and over after her skirt flies up.

I tend to rely on an all-female cast to give me anything of merit, as they aren't plagued by the obligatory lifeless male puppet who sits there and spits out meaningless one-liners and contorts his fat, ugly face to fit that of the same fat and ugly man watching the show. Y'know, Flip Flappers and Madoka Magica--shows with casts that are unapologetically lesbian and full of positive energy and impressive story-telling.

I guess before I head off, I would like to say; fuck whatever evil satanic force that is responsible for the fact these shows are never given the chance to bloom into anything meaningful. Whatever spirit or higher being that is responsible for the gentrification of Boogiepop's adaptation.
Wait, that's a different topic.

Regardless, argue with the wall. It felt great being able to bitch for once. Toodles.