Anime Con Culture Parallels Human Social Behavior, News at Eleven
I was doing some reading on Yamakan and came across this article, which contains a translation and some paraphrasing of the stuff he said in a print article. In it, he expresses the oft-heard-before circle jerk/differentiation that exists in today’s TV anime, and how it peels away from the mainstream appeal of most anime today.
I just read this article from some guy who has something to do with AWA. It bounces off Daryl Surat’s observation on con popularity.
To me, it seems like the contrast of two different frameworks. On one hand, Merrill’s LJ post talks about the social aberration you can see (funnily lampooned) here, which has more to do with the “celebratory” nature of conventions. However I think what Yamakan mentioned (and maybe Surat, too) is about the “evangelical” nature of the art.
To take a grounded example, we can read about Daicon, which is a fledgling Malaysian convention that began this year. To at least one person, it seemed like an elaborate ploy to bring a big-name Japanese guest and do a karaoke concert for all her fans in Malaysia and Singapore (which is a small amount of people or something). To me, that’s actually what a lot of anime cons are in disguise, at least ones in America.
The humble variety of “conventions” in Japan are more to the point, although unbeknown to some, there are some commercial incentives as well. Japan Expo and the Reed Entertainment cons (NYAF, NYCC) are some examples. We can even point to events such as the TAF, although that is not the same. I won’t elaborate further because I don’t think I can do a good job, but let’s just say that there is money to be made here, even if these fully-sold-out commercial events are still missions of passion.
But none of these are the world-famous Comiket. Don’t let the shii article fool you; while an offkai is what some convention-wary souls need, at least in America and Europe fans do have specific types of offkai to get things done (AFAIK mostly in regards to cosplay though). The thing is, unless you’re a seriously hardcore person, you need an excuse to travel yea far, to run into strangers from the internet. An “anime convention” in of itself is just that; and honestly, people of varying degree of non-hardcore-ness attend these events. It has nothing to do with what that event is. It’s just an excuse.
It should just be said in brief that the “pure” fan culture types can be ignored. I think it goes without saying on Merrill’s point that those fans of the scene will come to the cons, or not; it becomes a problem like what Yamakan describes, or like what Surat describes as a self-incestuous, festering pool or some other negative simile for dying con scenes typified by science fiction conventions in the US. I think the leading edge of discourse on this subject has long been beyond that level.
Just to share a bit, ever since I’ve been going to anime conventions, somewhere in the back of my head I knew that these events are not for everyone. By everyone I mean everyone I know who may be interested in the content, may it be AMV or cosplay or actual anime/manga/game things. Because, quite simply, from the perspective of a simple/pure consumer of media, there is nothing really special about conventions outside of being a social event. The people they hang out with are commonly what brings veteran con-goers back to the same con year after year. But for people who don’t need that kind of networking opportunities, there is little else for them…at least if we only generalize.
There are a multitude of ways to enjoy an anime con beyond the social aspects. Daryl Surat’s panels, for example, can be entertaining and educational…but you could just stay at home and catch up on AWO podcasts instead, or read one of the many articles on the internet that may be suitable substitutes. There’s also the “you never know what you’ll see factor,” which I encountered at AnimeNext this year when I saw an interesting clip of animation from some European movie. I mean who expected to see that when they’re stuck in an “anime grrl powah” panel? But was that worth the time and effort? Probably not. Especially considering what else I could be watching on youtube or whatever.
So yeah, the Internet has killed the convention star, too.
Which, when we return to that Daicon observation, it becomes the most sensible reason d’etre for “anime conventions” - to pool a bunch of people, charge them a cover fee, let them party, and use that money for profit. In the case where your goal is not so much profit but more “anime fandom” then you can channel that money to bring over Japanese creator-types. It is done on everybody’s expense; even if a small portion of the total con goers will be interested in that guest, it actually furthers the mission of your convention and gives it credibility beyond some cheap, cash trap. If your convention is meant to do all that “Japanamerica” cultural nonsense, anyways, and not just take our money and run.
I mean, it’s the same rationale why you should or should not pay a $15 cover charge so you can goof around behind the doors to a wannabe-trendy Manhattan lounge, drinking the same alcoholic beverages that you could have for $5 if you just went to the liquor store and got it yourself. The only difference here is that you don’t get to hug your porcelain-skinned goddess. No matter if you are a Japanese fan or not, who wouldn’t want to go meet and have actual human contact with your favorite creator/celebrity? That is what a multi-faceted event that pulls a lot of people can do, even if it’s at the expense of all that comes to the thing.
And that is why I go to anime conventions. Sort of.
There’s a lot more to it, but let’s just say that to explain it is to kill it, almost. And I didn’t even go into the parallel between otaku anime and American-style anime cons!
Dave Merrill started AWA.
I have to wonder if I’m helping by staffing the video game department. Even if Gears of War is the American equivalent of a BL game.
Man, I can’t believe I missed that Yamakan article the first time. He articulates everything that’s been gnawing away at me regarding anime over the last few years.
At least if you go to a club to drink you’re soaking in a comfortable, non-painful atmosphere. :I
That’s half of what I really was hating on (the other half is that my friends generally arrange to meet up at conventions where I really just want to meet them in person and hang out).
I don’t know, a lot of clubs are obnoxious places to hang out with bad music and mediocre strangers saying hello trying to score on your escorts. It’s funny at least I suppose.
I think there’s an art to enjoying a con in a physically comfortable way. But at the same time it is sort of impossible for some people. Like those people who just cannot stand, heh, lines.
it kind of pains me to see a 20,000 character interview summarized in like 5 quotes, but i guess it’s better than nothing
also, i share astrange’s sentiments, but without folks like us then anime games like the Lain PSX game would never get any play at all, so i think of it as damage control i suppose
Does it pain you enough to translate it??? But yeah.
Oh I kinda forgot some details in my post, but basically Daicon was free entry, like most of Asia’s conventions. The beef people who aren’t fans of Chihara have is that the publicity claimed that it was an exhibition, but it was really more of a concert, so people who didnt buy the tickets (yeah I forgot to mention tickets, which range from 250 to 50 dollars, their dollars) were barricaded out via metal and board barricades. On top of the blackout on the 2nd day, essentially the whole of the 2nd day would have been useless for non-fanboys literally, as the booths couldn’t function without light.
But what you say makes sense. There are plenty of anime fantypes. The hotblooded hard core type loves going to cons. The cynical logical and crtical type like DM and myself probably find a lot less joy than those.
For DM, there’s also a matter of, hey, you don’t want to regret missing out on [insert guest/famous guy he likes here]. Live life.
Well, I kinda enjoy meeting new people, catching up with old ones, etc.
One of the big reasons why I’ m considering covering American and overseas cons is for the people. Interviews, panels, and so on. Most of the cons here are lacking in such panels (probably the only exception was AFA, which actually felt more like the con scene in America I keep reading about). Also, it’s an excuse to travel :P
Once you forget that a con is about people, you’ll never enjoy it. Then again, if all you do is bitch, pass cynical and bitter remarks and keep harping on how the world owes you everything in a sickly sweet, hypocritical tone, the only thing you enjoy is to see the thousands of fanboys swarming around you like IDIOTS. No tjhan, I’m not targeting YOU.
Dave Merrill’s turned into one of the con-culture incestuous old farts he’s mocking now. Hell, he was one of them when I first encountered him, and he didn’t have *that* much lead-time on me in fandom-years - maybe eight-ten years? Back then, the skiffy cons were bound and determined to keep the kids out with their goddamn cartoons and their anthro crap. He’s a crotchety bullshit artist, and there’s always space for those types.
There’s also the “you never know what you’ll see factor,” which I encountered at AnimeNext this year when I saw an interesting clip of animation from some European movie.
What, Fenelon’s Princess panel? I was there. My friend stormed out, pissed about the basic concept, and I sort of agreed with him, but was willing to sit out the presentation anyways. The clip was awful, I thought - there’s a reason I’m not a fan of European CGI animation. But at least they got me to give Heroic Age a chance.
The thing is, the anime panels that Dave’s yelling about, and the panels like the ones that Rob was putting on at AnimeNEXT, have always been low-interest features at anime cons. Video rooms used to be bigger draws, but they were largely fading by the mid-2000s. On average, anime cons are meet-ups for kids to get together & squee at each other. I stopped staffing Otakons when I decided that I was tired of playing hall monitor at the East Coast’s largest and freakiest high school. We only work AnimeNEXT because we don’t give a damn about it, and it’s an excuse for the gang to get together and old-fart at each other while making the con gears grind softly.
Harsh words, Mitch!! Didn’t know I was yellin’. My boring old fart panels at anime cons draw up to 500-1000 people, so I guess somebody likes ‘em. I hardly think I should be held up as a member of ‘con culture’, though - two a year makes me involved, but just barely. Damned if I know what most of the kids are dressed as, let alone why they insist upon constantly informing me that the cake is a lie.
Otakon’s masquerade holds like, 10000+. I suppose that is the because for the same reasons why America’s Funniest Home Video is a big bucks sunday night TV show?
I don’t know, it may be fun to see a bunch of cosplayers goof around (or act real pro), but I’m not sure if there’s any substance to it. And surely even Mr. Merrill’s panels have more merits than that.