Mari Ijima and Macross...

[Saruta]

Just looked at Mari Iijima's recent Facebook photos and found another Macross-y connection.

She is a genius, Macross style.

Max Jenius looked pretty young in Macross 7, despite being around 50.

Which she is now, and just look at her. Proves Macross critics wrong - and that about a series she was not in.

(She is probably not an ace pilot. But she is a genius anyway).

[This Confuses Gamlin]

That's just how East Asians age, glorious for years until boom, Master Yoda.

[Negotiator]

That's just how East Asians age, glorious for years until boom, Master Yoda.

lmao

[Convectuoso]

Mari posted this today

[Seto Kaiba]

10 minutes ago, Convectuoso said:

Ah, yeah... that's the problem with playing an iconic character in a popular movie or TV series.  You never ever get to escape association with that character.  Doesn't matter how much other stuff you do, that first association is what sticks.

Tim Russ did a bit a while back complaining, partly in jest, about how despite over a hundred IMDB credits, an ensemble cast role on Star Trek: Voyager, and everything else he's done he's still known as "We ain't found sh*t!" guy from Spaceballs.

 

Mark Hamill will always and forever be Luke Skywalker to most of his fans.  Leonard Nimoy grappled with being fundamentally associated with Spock for the entire rest of his career and based both of his autobiographies around the idea.  Emma Watson will never escape Hermione Granger.  Mari Iijima's unlikely to ever outpace the shadow of the Lynn Minmay she created.

It must be awful to be a professional in a career that thrives in name recognition and be known almost exclusively for the very first thing you did as if the rest of your career simply didn't register with the rest of the world.

There needs to be a support group for actors suffering from this or something.

[kajnrig]

I mean, you saw and see the exact same thing play out with Megumi Nakajima. While obviously there are differences between her situation and Ijima's, what is it they say about history? It doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme. Macross is uniquely blursed in that way. It's a unique franchise in many ways, not all of them unequivocally good.

[Einherjar]

I blame Facebook.  Good to know that after all these years it and a majority of people who use it are still trash and probably much worse these days.  She does not have to take that BS.

[Sanity is Optional]

It doesn't help that some people conflate the (voice) actor with their character so much.

[Einherjar]

7 minutes ago, Sanity is Optional said:

It doesn't help that some people conflate the (voice) actor with their character so much.

Even William Shatner had the guts to (jokingly) tell fans “Get a life.”

[Seto Kaiba]

1 hour ago, kajnrig said:

I mean, you saw and see the exact same thing play out with Megumi Nakajima. While obviously there are differences between her situation and Ijima's, what is it they say about history? It doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme. Macross is uniquely blursed in that way. It's a unique franchise in many ways, not all of them unequivocally good.

It definitely doesn't help that the Japanese and Korean idol industries see that a feature, not a bug, and actively cultivate that obsessive fan behavior to maximize profits until the idol burns out or transitions to another industry.

[Gerli]

She was trolled by a well-know troll from the Latin-American Macross Fandom, we managed to ban him from a couple groups for defamation and by spreading false information (He claims to have read an Interview where Kawamori says Mari Ijima was a problematic cooworker or something like that)

Of course he never posted a link, time-frame or source for that.

[Einherjar]

56 minutes ago, Gerli said:

She was trolled by a well-know troll from the Latin-American Macross Fandom, we managed to ban him from a couple groups for defamation and by spreading false information (He claims to have read an Interview where Kawamori says Mari Ijima was a problematic cooworker or something like that)

Of course he never posted a link, time-frame or source for that.

I wouldn’t pat yourselves in the back here.  You dealt with just one guy on a site plagued with so many imitators.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Einherjar

[Gerli]

 

[Seto Kaiba]

30 minutes ago, Einherjar said:

I wouldn’t pat yourselves in the back here.  You dealt with just one guy on a site plagued with so many imitators.

From a corner of the fandom that breeds false information like an unmaintained high school locker room breeds mildew.

[Mommar]

9 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Ah, yeah... that's the problem with playing an iconic character in a popular movie or TV series.  You never ever get to escape association with that character.  Doesn't matter how much other stuff you do, that first association is what sticks.

Tim Russ did a bit a while back complaining, partly in jest, about how despite over a hundred IMDB credits, an ensemble cast role on Star Trek: Voyager, and everything else he's done he's still known as "We ain't found sh*t!" guy from Spaceballs.

 

Mark Hamill will always and forever be Luke Skywalker to most of his fans.  Leonard Nimoy grappled with being fundamentally associated with Spock for the entire rest of his career and based both of his autobiographies around the idea.  Emma Watson will never escape Hermione Granger.  Mari Iijima's unlikely to ever outpace the shadow of the Lynn Minmay she created.

It must be awful to be a professional in a career that thrives in name recognition and be known almost exclusively for the very first thing you did as if the rest of your career simply didn't register with the rest of the world.

There needs to be a support group for actors suffering from this or something.

I didn’t know that was Tim Russ.

[pengbuzz]

10 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Ah, yeah... that's the problem with playing an iconic character in a popular movie or TV series.  You never ever get to escape association with that character.  Doesn't matter how much other stuff you do, that first association is what sticks.

Tim Russ did a bit a while back complaining, partly in jest, about how despite over a hundred IMDB credits, an ensemble cast role on Star Trek: Voyager, and everything else he's done he's still known as "We ain't found sh*t!" guy from Spaceballs.

 

Mark Hamill will always and forever be Luke Skywalker to most of his fans.  Leonard Nimoy grappled with being fundamentally associated with Spock for the entire rest of his career and based both of his autobiographies around the idea.  Emma Watson will never escape Hermione Granger.  Mari Iijima's unlikely to ever outpace the shadow of the Lynn Minmay she created.

It must be awful to be a professional in a career that thrives in name recognition and be known almost exclusively for the very first thing you did as if the rest of your career simply didn't register with the rest of the world.

There needs to be a support group for actors suffering from this or something.

That's why whenever I go to a convention to see the people who've played those roles, I'll try to research not only the other stuff they've done, but what projects they might be doing now (many will post that on their blogs or other venues). I have to say: it's never failed to amaze them when I bring those up, and they almost always seem to light right up!

Actors are people too, and I cannot blame Mari Iijima for how she feels.

[uzernaem]

Some so called "fans" are just toxic and horrible. The ability to contact the artists directly via the social media these days is both a blessing and a curse.

[isamu]

20 hours ago, Convectuoso said:

Mari posted this today

 

[quote=Mari ijima]

My co-star took his own life years back.....[/quote]

 

Wait...is she talking about the actor who played Hikaru(sorry forgot his name)? I thought he died in some sort of car accident? Did he really commit suicide?

[Bolt]

32 minutes ago, isamu said:

 

[quote=Mari ijima]

My co-star took his own life years back.....[/quote]

 

Wait...is she talking about the actor who played Hikaru(sorry forgot his name)? I thought he died in some sort of car accident? Did he really commit suicide?

Yes he did. Many years ago .

It's really too bad she has to ask for respect from so called fans. Social media is a toxic environment. 
Mari Iijima is WAY more than Minmei and will always be so. I wish her the best. Always.

[JB0]

5 hours ago, isamu said:

 

[quote=Mari ijima]

My co-star took his own life years back.....[/quote]

 

Wait...is she talking about the actor who played Hikaru(sorry forgot his name)? I thought he died in some sort of car accident? Did he really commit suicide?

There was a persistent rumor it was a motorcycle accident, and I believe the actual news coverage at the time said "illness", but... yeah. 

[Gerli]

21 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

From a corner of the fandom that breeds false information like an unmaintained high school locker room breeds mildew.

Please don't put us all together in the same bag; Latin American communities despise this behavior as much as other fandoms across the world and we have ZERO tolerance for trolls or toxic people.

Groups from Perú and Argentina already take actions about that user.

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Gerli

[pengbuzz]

On 5/29/2021 at 5:58 PM, Gerli said:

Please don't put us all together in the same bag; Latin American communities despise this behavior as much as other fandoms across the world and we have ZERO tolerance for trolls or toxic people.

Groups from Perú and Argentina already take actions about that user.

 

Er...no comprende espanol here.... O.o

[Gerli]

25 minutes ago, pengbuzz said:

Er...no comprende espanol here.... O.o

Just a couple of Admin Notifications from two different Facebook Groups banning that particular user.  

First is from Macross Peru and Second from Comunidad Macross Robotech, from Argentina.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Gerli

[Biomaster]

I feel really sorry for Mrs. Iijima. You simply know people will remember you for a single character and you keep trying to evade the shadow of that character, but that sadly is mission impossible thanks to deranged people like that troll. If I were her, I'd have accepted the character as part of normal life and that's it. Trolls should not be fed and it's good that one got banned. 

[Bolt]

19 minutes ago, Biomaster said:

If I were her, I'd have accepted the character as part of normal life and that's it.

She has accepted that. A long time ago. She just doesn't want to be reminded for every breath she takes. And she wants recognition for what she's done since Macross. She loves Minmei, but she ISN'T Minmei. Any true fan of hers would recognize that, as well as her other works. 

[Biomaster]

1 hour ago, Bolt said:

She has accepted that. A long time ago. She just doesn't want to be reminded for every breath she takes. And she wants recognition for what she's done since Macross. She loves Minmei, but she ISN'T Minmei. Any true fan of hers would recognize that, as well as her other works. 

Even better. Then I just hope she understands some "fans" are no-lives and terrible people. Otherwise she really seems like a nice lady and this kind of dumb harassment and pointless rumors only makes us, the normal fans, look worse. 

[Dynaman]

On 5/31/2021 at 6:55 PM, Biomaster said:

Even better. Then I just hope she understands some "fans" are no-lives and terrible people. 

I'm sure she does.  The problem is the few terrible ones post the most and the more proof you give that they are incorrect about something the more they think it is some kind of conspiracy.  That is REALLY frightening. 

[Biomaster]

23 hours ago, Dynaman said:

I'm sure she does.  The problem is the few terrible ones post the most and the more proof you give that they are incorrect about something the more they think it is some kind of conspiracy.  That is REALLY frightening. 

Damn right, too bad that what she said could just add more fuel to the troll fire. 

[Saruta]

Maybe... talking to Mari about Minmay IRL is like talking to Minmay inworld about Space War I? That one incident that made her famous and overshadows anything she might do later? The kind of glory from which Minmay ultimately escaped into the unknown void of space?

The Genghis Cohen being a Chinese restaurant makes things even weirder. It's *hard* not to see Minmay in Mari, though really Mari is the original, Minmay is, maybe and to a degree, the portrait. 

But: ignoring Mari's later work is just silly even if one does "see her as Minmay". People always ask what happened to Minmay... but the answer was right under our noses all along? The songs she wrote, the only answer that matters? 

If I had a chance to see her live and ask her to perform one song from her entire repertoire, it would not be any canonical Macross song, it would be "Survivor". I can't find an embeddable link. but it is playable in Spority etc, and one can google it and see it on YouTube Music with an ad.

And what should not be so hard is not to bug *her* with Macross, as she very correctly points out. What one has as a "headcanon" is one thing, how one treats a living person is another. Especially if the equivalent treatment of the actual inworld Minmay (asking yet another question about That One Concert For The Enemy) would be just as insensitive.