Blogs Are My Neo Venezia
This is part threefour of a semi-embarrassing series of posts inspired by the Aria anime.
It’s not exactly the first or last time anyone would map the “otakusphere” to a geographic representation, a geometrical representation of online fandom. I’m just taking that a baby step further.
One of the reoccurring themes in Aria the Natural is just that–there is a web of relationship that ties us together and forms the thing that is Neo Venezia. And to that end, blogs and bloggers (and, it’s not just limited to blogs) are the features of this “blogosphere” or “otakusphere” or whichever non-word you prefer to use. I prefer the word “community” myself.
But who am I?
Woody? Akatsuki? Al? I didn’t know at first.
If bloggers are like undines, what would Aria Company be parallel to? Is Animeblogger.net Orange Planet? Jeff Lawson Alicia-san? Sounds like flattery at first but it isn’t if you really think about it. Those things are not what makes Neo Venezia the place I found so charming. And it’s not the countless pan shots of its aquatic scenery that makes it charming (unlike most travel videos).
We are all pieces of a big puzzle.
What is charming about Aria is how shamelessly Akari explore and highlight the stuff that happens. Stuff of people’s hearts and desires. Of the reasons why good people do good things. And how great good things can be. It’s totally embarrassing. It’s just as embarrassing to cover up your own motivation with lofty $5 words about theme, character, various worldviews, and descriptions of how authors, their works and the audience relate to each other. Aren’t you embarrassed when you defend shows like Naruto? I would be if I did.
There is a degree of shamelessness that is necessary to really enjoy Aria. It’s not unlike how some people enjoy fanservice, boobs, and declaration about admiring teenage pilots’ butts. But sometimes it takes a dose of courage to stand up against negative and unpleasant feelings, too, and Aria didn’t shy away from that entirely.
Maybe it is flattery to call someone a slutty-eyed blond who is shy about sharing what’s on her mind? I guess. But finding your own orientation and how you are connected to the rest of the society is rather important. And sometimes to acknowledge that you need to stop being shy or excessively prideful.
It’s a longing question.
The mind longs for what is missing?
But all the more, I think Aria is a story about why. One way to look at Aria is that it does a great job laying out a framework that can be applied to any organic, human society. Being over 50 episodes of “why things happen” gave Aria a lot of time to cover a wide range of material and train the audience to approach these issues with the right tack.
I don’t know if it is conscious on the part of the writers for the show, but one head trick Aria uses frequently is by not explaining why something happens, it actually focuses and highlights the “why” issue clearly for the audience. After so many episodes of stuff happening not knowing why, we learn to look for the reason. It’s a bit like some other, slice-of-life (what a taboo metaphor) exploration-sci-fi like:
Canal Trek: The Next Generation
And Aria is generational. Aria explored the theme about generational torch-passing. If you are the parent of a teenager, maybe it has a tip for you? But for bloggers who has blogged, has stopped, and has picked it up again, but differently, you may be no different than Grandma–a silly girl who took after a fat, alien cat. And that is fine too. It’s somewhat interesting to see how all these ex-undines stopped doing it, but are still a part of the big picture. And likewise I think a significant number of influential bloggers today are probably no longer blogging.
It would also explain well why bloggers come and go, why some band together while others do not. Some strive for the next level and some are content where they are. Many are just happy that they’re here; others enjoy their relationships but question their rightful place in the community and the greater society at large. Everyone leaves a footprint, and it affects not just those who are walking behind you today but also those who have a ways yet to come.
Beyond Neo Venezia
I believe it’s a human tendency to long for and find a place they belong. Perhaps you are like Akari who has found something to live for. Perhaps you are like Aika who has something trusted to your care. Perhaps you are like Alice and it only made sense to apply your talents where they belong. The image Aria paints for us is one of interdependence in that a square peg longs for a square hole.
Sometimes the square peg needs to realize it is already in a square hole? I think Akari taught us this lesson well.
And it’s seen in blogging. Some of the most popular blogs are episodic review blogs with some comments, and there are no shortage of such thing; but at the same time, each blogger is given an unique perspective, tools and talents. And some of us are just really good at something, so we apply just that. An organic, online social network can exist independently, in an interdependent web without the harbor of some third party (like Facebook or Livejournal).
A healthy, 21st century-minded, online social network may indeed span across all of those platforms, a contextually-loose but well-related individual makes the best guide to the internet. It is just that some of us chose to be undines–some do it because they love to discover and navigate, some do it because they are called to guide, and some are just really good at it.
Most likely, all of us are a bit of all three.
The internet is a world without national boundaries besides the limits we choose to impose on ourselves. That goes for bloggers, people who read a single internet forum/Usenet group/IRC channel, and anyone with the freedom to do the things they want online. Perhaps you found where you belong, and that is good; but when that isn’t the case, remember there’s more stuff out there that you don’t know, smarter smartasses spewing nonsense, and people who are even more embarrassingly ludicrous than you can imagine.
And that is the healing message of Aria as applied to people on the internet.
I’m the Gachapen.
I think I am Alice. More like I wish to be ALICE-SAMA.
Impz: kinshii.
That interconnectedness is one thing I really like about ARIA, maybe because it reflects what I want to see happen more often in real life, or even just in this animeblogosphere (mouthful, I know). I guess it’s something like “I love it when a plan comes together”, only the plan is all of us, and it still hasn’t happen yet.
I need to listen to some Choro Club now. :P
Getting in touch with your feminine side Mr. N?
Kinshii!
KOTOWARU! D:
Bzzt! “HOEEEE” is the accepted response.
I wanted to throw a curveball in there~
hoeeee… D:
Great insights you have there.
Canal Trek on the other hand, doesn’t have a ring to it the way Aria does though.
PS: I would love to go “ara ara,” but I believe only people like Jeff Lawson or Momotato have the right to do that.