Comments on: Otaku Paranoia: Ressentiment and the NHK Conspiracy http://m3.dasaku.net/otaku-paranoia-ressentiment-and-the-nhk-conspiracy/518/ Hell and Heaven Moéltdown Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:58:09 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: otou-san http://m3.dasaku.net/otaku-paranoia-ressentiment-and-the-nhk-conspiracy/518/comment-page-1/#comment-3633 otou-san Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:37:16 +0000 http://m3.dasaku.net/?p=518#comment-3633 I thought at first <em>NHK</em> was just like Gainax's <em>Otaku No Video</em>: a story that humorously and pointedly — but still lovingly — skewers the lifestyle of the very people who both produce and watch the very medium in which it's told. But it's quite a bit more serious, I'd go as far as to call it an indictment of the lifestyle. The comedy is the blackest kind, and by the time the series ends, there isn't nearly as much comedy. Like FFVIIKnight says, it's a reminder of the real world, and a cold shower. I liken it to a morality play, where the sin we're being warned against is the escapism/own-little-world you mention. Because that, like drinking or pot or any other escape from reality that people more "normal" than us indulge in, <em>can</em> in fact be dangerous when not taken in moderation. You say it needs to be viewed by fans, maybe it even needs to be viewed as a reminder on a semi-regular basis :D I thought at first NHK was just like Gainax’s Otaku No Video: a story that humorously and pointedly — but still lovingly — skewers the lifestyle of the very people who both produce and watch the very medium in which it’s told. But it’s quite a bit more serious, I’d go as far as to call it an indictment of the lifestyle. The comedy is the blackest kind, and by the time the series ends, there isn’t nearly as much comedy. Like FFVIIKnight says, it’s a reminder of the real world, and a cold shower.

I liken it to a morality play, where the sin we’re being warned against is the escapism/own-little-world you mention. Because that, like drinking or pot or any other escape from reality that people more “normal” than us indulge in, can in fact be dangerous when not taken in moderation.

You say it needs to be viewed by fans, maybe it even needs to be viewed as a reminder on a semi-regular basis :D

]]> By: FFVIIKnight http://m3.dasaku.net/otaku-paranoia-ressentiment-and-the-nhk-conspiracy/518/comment-page-1/#comment-3498 FFVIIKnight Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:02:23 +0000 http://m3.dasaku.net/?p=518#comment-3498 I too enjoy such works such as Welcome to the NHK and (discovered the past weekend but you beat me to blogging about it) Ressentiment. As we watch a great deal of anime, it's inevitable that we get drawn into the alternate world, escapism at its finest. Yet, that sentiment is what makes works like these so great. It's like dousing ourselves in a ice-cold water, grounding our wandering thoughts back to bone-chilling reality. Yes, wouldn't we all want to create our own ideal world? Takuro's friend, Echigo, made his own harem like some familiar shows (Da Capo comes to mind >_<). As for Takuro himself, he's trying to escape from his loser reality and find a girlfriend for once. Things we dream about and wish for are always so simple at first... but when we attain it in reality, it proves much more than what we expect. As for the mindset of otakus, I find that some of us have some extremely lofty ideals, probably based on what we watch. That might be the cause of our rigid state of mind, knowing that there's always something better out there, not really differentiating from reality and fantasy. Anime disillusions us if we take it seriously. Wrongs could be corrected within episodes, maybe in a week or two. NHK and Ressentiment serve as reminders, telling us that even if those goals are within reach, it's not that simple. Otakus are a minority. Works about otaku life are a minority in the otaku kingdom. After all, not too many people are pleased with their reflection in the mirror. Yet, sometimes we need that grim "what-if" scenario to play out. Note: Somehow, I feel as though I'm going in circles while typing this so excuse me if the comment seems repetitive or nonsensical I too enjoy such works such as Welcome to the NHK and (discovered the past weekend but you beat me to blogging about it) Ressentiment. As we watch a great deal of anime, it’s inevitable that we get drawn into the alternate world, escapism at its finest. Yet, that sentiment is what makes works like these so great. It’s like dousing ourselves in a ice-cold water, grounding our wandering thoughts back to bone-chilling reality.

Yes, wouldn’t we all want to create our own ideal world? Takuro’s friend, Echigo, made his own harem like some familiar shows (Da Capo comes to mind >_<). As for Takuro himself, he’s trying to escape from his loser reality and find a girlfriend for once. Things we dream about and wish for are always so simple at first… but when we attain it in reality, it proves much more than what we expect.

As for the mindset of otakus, I find that some of us have some extremely lofty ideals, probably based on what we watch. That might be the cause of our rigid state of mind, knowing that there’s always something better out there, not really differentiating from reality and fantasy. Anime disillusions us if we take it seriously. Wrongs could be corrected within episodes, maybe in a week or two. NHK and Ressentiment serve as reminders, telling us that even if those goals are within reach, it’s not that simple.

Otakus are a minority. Works about otaku life are a minority in the otaku kingdom. After all, not too many people are pleased with their reflection in the mirror. Yet, sometimes we need that grim “what-if” scenario to play out.

Note:
Somehow, I feel as though I’m going in circles while typing this so excuse me if the comment seems repetitive or nonsensical

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