Macross's contribution to modern culture?

[Akilae]

Now I will admit that it would be strange for a person to know everything about every anime ever made blah blah blah, but at least anime is diverse, intellectual, imaginative, and creative. I'd like to see a reality TV show in which they stick otakus and jock-kus together in the same house for a while.

This actually happened for a year in college. Two otakus and two jock-kus stuck into the same dorm by random draw. The jock-kus got hooked into Marvel vs Capcom 2 and Star Craft after getting whupped, and the otakus were dragged along for daily exercise after the jock-kus started getting good at MvC2 and SC. Tempers flared and soothed, bonds were formed, and two people found lov... wait, wrong program, lol.

Seriously though, it was sorta satisfying seeing jock-kus being lectured on the finer points of Hajime no Ippo or Slam Dunk.

Edited September 18, 2006 by Akilae

[GutsAndCasca]

This actually happened for a year in college. Two otakus and two jock-kus stuck into the same dorm by random draw. The jock-kus got hooked into Marvel vs Capcom 2 and Star Craft after getting whupped, and the otakus were dragged along for daily exercise after the jock-kus started getting good at MvC2 and SC. Tempers flared and soothed, bonds were formed, and two people found lov... wait, wrong program, lol.

Seriously though, it was sorta satisfying seeing jock-kus being lectured on the finer points of Hajime no Ippo or Slam Dunk.

I really really wish I could have witnessed that.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Another one was Saigado, which really threw me off because I didn't realize the guy at his booth was him (I thought it was an assistant or a buddy of his). He was tall, dressed very well, no aura of creepiness, no killer BO, and was very thin. It was really strange, because a great deal of the doujinshika there at the convention fulfilled a great deal of the stereotypes (especially fat and creepy).

Saigado... I'm not an expert in japanese comics, but I think I have heard the name before. Is he the artist for those king of fighters comics where the characters are always doing each other? Those are my fave ones! Best lesbian fighting game character hand drawn art I've seen.

[Sumdumgai]

You are correct Lowviz! I even got him to autograph the (at the time) brand new Blue Mary doujinshi he was releasing. He was really nice.

[Maxtype]

Kensei, isn't that really called 'the Itano Circus'?

Anyhow, Sumdumgai, don't forget the sports otaku that are prevalent in North America. I swear, anywhere you turn, you come across them, their bad fashion sense, and geekiness to talk only about sports. Of course, sports otaku are not really recognized as otaku... the last time I checked, that is.

I always thought that was funny paint your bare torso in sports team colors in -10 degree weather=cool-make costume of a sci-fi,anime,etc. character you like=totally lame-wear it at a convention that local TV news visits=absolute failure as a person.

[GutsAndCasca]

I always thought that was funny paint your bare torso in sports team colors in -10 degree weather=cool-make costume of a sci-fi,anime,etc. character you like=totally lame-wear it at a convention that local TV news visits=absolute failure as a person.

Also note, that a balding, bug-eyed, shirtless, team-color painted beer-stinking fat guy screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs while spit flecks and chunks of hotdog fly out of his mouth is somehow manly and cool. Were he to walk by someone at an anime convention dressed up as say, Hikaru, he'd actually make fun of him.

[bandit29]

Also note, that a balding, bug-eyed, shirtless, team-color painted beer-stinking fat guy screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs while spit flecks and chunks of hotdog fly out of his mouth is somehow manly and cool. Were he to walk by someone at an anime convention dressed up as say, Hikaru, he'd actually make fun of him.

Trust me. Most sports fans thinks those guys are idiots. Same with the dolts that hold up D-tttt(Defense) signs. It's a D with a fence.. duh ya stupid I know.

I can't stand cosplayers personally. Never seen a good one in all the years of going to anime or sci-fi conventions. You wanna do it, fine. I reserve the right to make fun of you. The worst non-anime cosplayers I've seen were two guys dressed as Xena and Gabrielle

[GutsAndCasca]

Trust me. Most sports fans thinks those guys are idiots. Same with the dolts that hold up D-tttt(Defense) signs. It's a D with a fence.. duh ya stupid I know.

I can't stand cosplayers personally. Never seen a good one in all the years of going to anime or sci-fi conventions. You wanna do it, fine. I reserve the right to make fun of you. The worst non-anime cosplayers I've seen were two guys dressed as Xena and Gabrielle

I'm not condoning cosplaying. I'm not saying I'd do it on any other day than Halloween (and only then if I had the money to make a badass costume.) I've never been to any sort of convention before, so I've never seen cosplayers in real life - I've only viewed them on pictures on the web. I'm making the assertion that cosplayers are probably a whole lot less disruptive, loud, ridiculous, obsessed, and passionate about what they do than your average sports-junky. I'm guessing there are equal proportions of fat people on each side of the spectrum. But food and hot dog chunks probably fly out of the mouth of more screaming sports fatties then cosplay fatties.

Edit: I'd also like to say, that because I've never actually beheld a cosplayer in real life, that automatically makes the sports junkies 150% more annoying and irritating.

Edited October 10, 2006 by GutsAndCasca

[lord_breetai]

In the book "Wrong About Japan" they give another source for it from a Japanese Scifi writer who used Otaku in her prose to refer to her readers as such... I'll have to dig up the exact quote...

"Paul translated Yuka's reply, which on the tape at home, was still delicate and careful but much more male then I had noticed at the time. 'In the middle eighties, there was a Japanese Science-fiction author called Moto Arai. One of her stylistics tics was to address the reader very formoally with the second person pronoun, otaku, a much more distant form than the French vous, for instance. Her fans liked this book so much that they adpoted this peculiar usage, reffering to each other as 'otaku'."

In this part of the book which is the author's real adventures in Japan as he interviews anime directors and manga artists among oher people, this being Yuka Minakawa who should need no introduction to Macross fans... Since this is Minakawa's explanation I'm more inclined to take it over Wiki speculation.

Edited October 12, 2006 by lord_breetai

[Maxtype]

I'm not condoning cosplaying. I'm not saying I'd do it on any other day than Halloween (and only then if I had the money to make a badass costume.) I've never been to any sort of convention before, so I've never seen cosplayers in real life - I've only viewed them on pictures on the web. I'm making the assertion that cosplayers are probably a whole lot less disruptive, loud, ridiculous, obsessed, and passionate about what they do than your average sports-junky. I'm guessing there are equal proportions of fat people on each side of the spectrum. But food and hot dog chunks probably fly out of the mouth of more screaming sports fatties then cosplay fatties.

Edit: I'd also like to say, that because I've never actually beheld a cosplayer in real life, that automatically makes the sports junkies 150% more annoying and irritating.

I just got back from Nan Desu Kan 10 in Denver ( last weekend ).I was on staff for the model show.There were tons of costumed guests,and they were just like every body else.80% are nice people-20% are pains in the ass.

[GutsAndCasca]

As long as they're not going off a mile a minute about who plays for what team for what sport for how long and for what reasons, then they're fine with me. Man, I have a cousin-in-law who's having a baby boy in a couple months, and no joke, he's going to name him Espn, pronounced "Espin." The two of us really don't have a whole lot to say to each other. But I think he's a nice guy despite the fact.

[Sumdumgai]

I in general dislike cosplayers because if they're passionate enough to cosplay, you would think they would be passionate enough to spend time on making their costumes look good. But most of the time the costumes are thrown together with tape, cloth, and some crap.

I really like seeing well thought out, designed, and implemented cosplays. The best cosplayer I ever saw was this young asian person (couldn't tell if it was a man or woman) dressed as Shizumaru Hisame from Samurai Spirits, at the Anime Expo that was held at the Disneyland Hotel. I swear it looked like that person stepped right out of the arcade screen. And I didn't have my camera...

"Espn" as a name is "beat me up" in playground speak unfortunately. God kids are so naturally cruel. Parents more so when they name their kids something they think is really cool...

[GutsAndCasca]

Five years from now I'll make sure to post about how rough little Espn has it on the school-front.

[Sumdumgai]

Either that or teach him how to kick heads in. Hell, if he turns out to be a big kid, I'll take back saying ""ESPN" is playground speak for 'beat me up'", since even kids have a sense of self preservation (even if they make make you doubt that ).

[GutsAndCasca]

hahaha! Well. The kid's dad is a pretty big guy, but his wife is a veritable pygmy. We shall see.

[MilSpex]

I live in Japan and speak alright Japanese and I find that Japanese are far more likely to use the term 「マニアク〠or maniac rather than `otaku` to describe anime and manga nerds or anyone else that does anything considered nerdy as a hobby. Including airsoft, building plastic models, collecting schoolgirl uniforms, collecting old issues of Japanese idol magazines or singing visual rock at Karaoke etc etc 　

[sketchley]

Agreed. Otaku has become rather strong in meaning, and polite Japanese generally prefer to say something negative in a strong way.

From worst to best:

Otaku

mania/maniac

tsu (fan)