I was going to post a review tonight, but this morning I got clever and wrote a post on Quora about stating opinions clearly and without apology, or conditionals.
In my many years of posting here, I have received any number of personal insults, accusations of not "doing the research" (which I consider ridiculous on the face of it, an opinion on a comic, no matter how ill-informed, does not need "research,") and the most typical of all, I have been called a "bitch," more times than I can count. Yesterday I began a review with an apology and for that, I was scolded by my wife. I thought about it last night and in the morning, I wrote this post on Quora:
Why I am no longer "Thinking," "Feeling" or "Believing" on Quora
I hope you will all read it and please feel free to let me know what you think!
Showing posts with label Now This Is Only My Opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Now This Is Only My Opinion. Show all posts
How To Network at Cons
Big con season is about to launch with San Diego Comic-Con, Anime Expo, Otakon and New York Comic Con all in the next few months and there are more mid- and small-size cons than ever before.
I was thinking about a few cons/events I've attended in the last few years and how it seems that every day new bloggers/online journals/small presses/industry wannabees are popping up. Networking has always been a key point in con attendance, and with the expansion of social media it's ramping up to be a major factor in attendance for just about everyone.
As a result, there's more business card exchanging than ever before. It's exhilarating to meet so many exciting and excited people trying to make a change in the anime/manga/comics/illustrative art communities. There's also a desperate need for a primer on professional networking.
Here are some basic networking tips for folks who have a lot of energy around their projects and want to to make a good impression on peers, vendors, potential sponsors and anyone in the industry.
- The #1 thing you really need to know when you begin to speak with someone at a con is "What can I do for them?"
This is the single most common mistake at events. People hand me their card with a comment that boils down to " Here's what you can do for me." In 9 out of 10 cases, your card won't even make it into my pocket. I have no need to do anything for you. You have to impress me, end of story.
- Don't mistake every card exchange for a lead on a job in "the industry." In fact, don't mistake any card exchange for a lead on a job. Consider each card exchange a possibility for a new relationship with the other person.
- Gia Manry adds the addendum that a phone number on a card is not actually an invitation to call! IF you have a strong value proposition and there really is a good reason to call, sure, but think twice before you call with a need or an idea.
- Do establish context. A *brief* intro of who you are, what you do and why you think being a contact would be beneficial, is especially helpful if it is several days into the event. I'll be tired, overstimulated and will have talked to a gazillion people. You want to stand out - give me context.
- Don't guess. OMG, please don't play "Guess Who I am" in front of me!!!!!!! No, I'm not the gal at the whatever booth and no I didn't see you at Micro-small Con. I don't work for Company X and I didn't do Panel Y....or I did, but you're standing there in the middle of a busy aisle playing 20 freaking Questions with me! I realize that we all meet and greet 14 bazillion people at events - I really, positively don't expect you to remember me. But rather than playing guessing games, say something dignified like, "I know we've met, but at the moment (gesture to encompass large, noisy, crowded area) I'm sorry, I can't remember when. I'm...(launch into brief intro.)" I promise this will absolutely suffice. Don't be awkward about it - I get it, I really do. I probably don't remember you, either. ^_^
- Have a value proposition that sounds as good when you say it out loud as it does in your head. This one is a tough one, but here's a few value propositions that I've recently heard and what I really wanted to do was pat the person on the shoulder and shake my head sadly.
"This con is too big - it doesn't really serve fandom anymore, they've completely sold out. We're a new con starting three towns over, for *real* fans." I have personally heard this at Otakon more than half a dozen times. The same town, sometimes the same state, probably doesn't, really, need two cons. You're doomed. Just...stop.
"We're starting a new anime blogging website, to really address issues important to anime fans - come write for us, we'll give you exposure to a large audience." Do you know how hard it is to start a new anime blog these days? Not hard at all. And free. And there are a zillion aggregating services to sign up for. It would take, like, 30 seconds to develop a small audience for a new blog. The last site that "offered" me this great deal, I went to an analytics site, just as a thought exercise, and compared my readership and theirs. I'm averaging just under 100K unique visitors a month. Not really over the top exciting numbers, but this is a Yuri-focused blog, we can't all be Perez Hilton. ^_^ However...if you're going to offer me an unpaid writing job, you're going to have to do better than 3000 visitors a month.
If your value proposition is to "like XYZ, only better," you've already failed to create value. Get a real idea before you pitch anything to anyone.
Ed Sizemore suggests this one - People selling in the Dealer's Room are there to sell. Yes, definitely introduce yourself, tell them you liked the panel, but don't monopolize their time or attention and most of all, don't monopolize their space. Addendum from me - if you're *really* going to be mindful and considerate of them, buy something! Seriously, you have just stood in front of my table for 45 minutes and I've chatted with your about your favorite series and something you really wish would happen but won't and your hopes and dreams, you've pawed every book on my table, then thanked me and walked away. Then you email me in three weeks asking me for...... Yeah, I'm SO going to want to give you more of my time.
- Have a lot more business cards than you think you need. Have several different cards, so you're not handing out your Life Insurance sales card to someone who is interested in your blog and not handing out blog cards, when someone wants to talk about web design. But, seriously, having a cool card is the very last thing that you need to worry about.
Deb Aoki also recommends spending the few bucks to get your card printed on good paper stock. Also consider having your business card translated into Japanese. Japanese industry folks really appreciate this. (I keep separate Japanese language and English language cards, myself, but yes, I second this!)
Deb also gives these critical pieces of advice:
"When networking in person, please don't assume that I'll recognize you by name or by face if I only communicate with you via Twitter, especially if you use an anime character that doesn't resemble you at all as your avatar and you use a pseudonym or nickname as your Twitter handle. Consider using your real name online -- it makes you look more credible and professional.
Also, when networking in person, please look me in the eye when you talk to me. I understand that this isn't easy for some people who do most of their interactions online, but this little thing can make the person you're talking to feel a lot more comfortable."
These are both so critical for professional communications. I'm not as obsessed about people using their real name online, but I came up from the old days of UseNET and expect online handles. However - I do expect you to say, "Hi, I'm Matt...mattiboy on Twitter." This goes back to provide context. And yes, work on those basic in-person social skills! Practice with co-workers and friends until you can fake the "nice to meet you" conversation well. This is a must-have life skill, so really, get comfortable with it.
***
The floor is open to my fellow bloggers and industry folks - what tips do you have for networking at events? I'll share really good ones in the body of the post!
I was thinking about a few cons/events I've attended in the last few years and how it seems that every day new bloggers/online journals/small presses/industry wannabees are popping up. Networking has always been a key point in con attendance, and with the expansion of social media it's ramping up to be a major factor in attendance for just about everyone.
As a result, there's more business card exchanging than ever before. It's exhilarating to meet so many exciting and excited people trying to make a change in the anime/manga/comics/illustrative art communities. There's also a desperate need for a primer on professional networking.
Here are some basic networking tips for folks who have a lot of energy around their projects and want to to make a good impression on peers, vendors, potential sponsors and anyone in the industry.
- The #1 thing you really need to know when you begin to speak with someone at a con is "What can I do for them?"
This is the single most common mistake at events. People hand me their card with a comment that boils down to " Here's what you can do for me." In 9 out of 10 cases, your card won't even make it into my pocket. I have no need to do anything for you. You have to impress me, end of story.
- Don't mistake every card exchange for a lead on a job in "the industry." In fact, don't mistake any card exchange for a lead on a job. Consider each card exchange a possibility for a new relationship with the other person.
- Gia Manry adds the addendum that a phone number on a card is not actually an invitation to call! IF you have a strong value proposition and there really is a good reason to call, sure, but think twice before you call with a need or an idea.
- Do establish context. A *brief* intro of who you are, what you do and why you think being a contact would be beneficial, is especially helpful if it is several days into the event. I'll be tired, overstimulated and will have talked to a gazillion people. You want to stand out - give me context.
- Don't guess. OMG, please don't play "Guess Who I am" in front of me!!!!!!! No, I'm not the gal at the whatever booth and no I didn't see you at Micro-small Con. I don't work for Company X and I didn't do Panel Y....or I did, but you're standing there in the middle of a busy aisle playing 20 freaking Questions with me! I realize that we all meet and greet 14 bazillion people at events - I really, positively don't expect you to remember me. But rather than playing guessing games, say something dignified like, "I know we've met, but at the moment (gesture to encompass large, noisy, crowded area) I'm sorry, I can't remember when. I'm...(launch into brief intro.)" I promise this will absolutely suffice. Don't be awkward about it - I get it, I really do. I probably don't remember you, either. ^_^
- Have a value proposition that sounds as good when you say it out loud as it does in your head. This one is a tough one, but here's a few value propositions that I've recently heard and what I really wanted to do was pat the person on the shoulder and shake my head sadly.
"This con is too big - it doesn't really serve fandom anymore, they've completely sold out. We're a new con starting three towns over, for *real* fans." I have personally heard this at Otakon more than half a dozen times. The same town, sometimes the same state, probably doesn't, really, need two cons. You're doomed. Just...stop.
"We're starting a new anime blogging website, to really address issues important to anime fans - come write for us, we'll give you exposure to a large audience." Do you know how hard it is to start a new anime blog these days? Not hard at all. And free. And there are a zillion aggregating services to sign up for. It would take, like, 30 seconds to develop a small audience for a new blog. The last site that "offered" me this great deal, I went to an analytics site, just as a thought exercise, and compared my readership and theirs. I'm averaging just under 100K unique visitors a month. Not really over the top exciting numbers, but this is a Yuri-focused blog, we can't all be Perez Hilton. ^_^ However...if you're going to offer me an unpaid writing job, you're going to have to do better than 3000 visitors a month.
If your value proposition is to "like XYZ, only better," you've already failed to create value. Get a real idea before you pitch anything to anyone.
Ed Sizemore suggests this one - People selling in the Dealer's Room are there to sell. Yes, definitely introduce yourself, tell them you liked the panel, but don't monopolize their time or attention and most of all, don't monopolize their space. Addendum from me - if you're *really* going to be mindful and considerate of them, buy something! Seriously, you have just stood in front of my table for 45 minutes and I've chatted with your about your favorite series and something you really wish would happen but won't and your hopes and dreams, you've pawed every book on my table, then thanked me and walked away. Then you email me in three weeks asking me for...... Yeah, I'm SO going to want to give you more of my time.
- Have a lot more business cards than you think you need. Have several different cards, so you're not handing out your Life Insurance sales card to someone who is interested in your blog and not handing out blog cards, when someone wants to talk about web design. But, seriously, having a cool card is the very last thing that you need to worry about.
Deb Aoki also recommends spending the few bucks to get your card printed on good paper stock. Also consider having your business card translated into Japanese. Japanese industry folks really appreciate this. (I keep separate Japanese language and English language cards, myself, but yes, I second this!)
Deb also gives these critical pieces of advice:
"When networking in person, please don't assume that I'll recognize you by name or by face if I only communicate with you via Twitter, especially if you use an anime character that doesn't resemble you at all as your avatar and you use a pseudonym or nickname as your Twitter handle. Consider using your real name online -- it makes you look more credible and professional.
Also, when networking in person, please look me in the eye when you talk to me. I understand that this isn't easy for some people who do most of their interactions online, but this little thing can make the person you're talking to feel a lot more comfortable."
These are both so critical for professional communications. I'm not as obsessed about people using their real name online, but I came up from the old days of UseNET and expect online handles. However - I do expect you to say, "Hi, I'm Matt...mattiboy on Twitter." This goes back to provide context. And yes, work on those basic in-person social skills! Practice with co-workers and friends until you can fake the "nice to meet you" conversation well. This is a must-have life skill, so really, get comfortable with it.
***
The floor is open to my fellow bloggers and industry folks - what tips do you have for networking at events? I'll share really good ones in the body of the post!
Manga Self-Defense 101
Last week, something very important happened. An American, upon leaving Canada to re-enter America, had his laptop, iPhone and iPad searched and was detained when the Canadian border official found manga that they considered to be child pornography.
There have been several excellent write-ups of this case and I strongly suggest you read them. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund immediately took up the case. Here is the CBLDF discussion of the situation. Also, Brigid Alverson wrote a cogent synopsis on Comic Book Resources. Obviously, I urge you to support the CBLDF in their defense of this person - it could be any of us.
Which bring me to today's topic - self-defense.
In a perfect world, adults would be free to read anything they like without fear of repercussion. This is not a perfect world. And it behooves every one of us to be smart in order to be safe.
Let me digress for a moment into an analogy. If we hear of a woman who has been attacked, we are outraged. However, if evidence came to light that she was wearing provocative clothing, walking alone in an abandoned, poorly lit area, late at night, there are people who would become less sympathetic. In the same way, we are outraged to hear that a person's laptop or mail was searched and they were charged with a crime by virtue of artistic expression. When facts come to light that some of the material does in fact include virtual/drawn/imaginary child porn some people will feel less sympathetic to the person charged. In both cases, there is a tendency to think "Well, then they weren't very bright. They didn't take precautions. They didn't do the things a person should do to stay safe" or "Eww, that person's a creep - they deserve it."
The point of today's article is not to argue with that human tendency to scapegoat. I do not in any way agree with it, but it is human. A woman should never be blamed for being attacked. No one should be prosecuted for reading a comic book.
But we can and should discuss the ramifications to our own behavior this case will bring. In the same way that, because it is not a perfect world, women need to take precautions against people who do not respect their persons, it behooves all of us in the manga and comics industry to take precautions for ourselves.
Be Aware
You might argue that no one has the right to search your laptop or mail, but this is not true. The Postmaster has every right to search your mail - Border officials have the right to search your laptop. Whatever you feel about the rightness or wrongness of this is irrelevant. These people have the right - and the responsibility - to do this very thing.
Watch What You're Carrying
When you travel by any means that involves a security check, take some time to remove manga images from your electronic devices. You don't really *need* that screensaver, do you? If you do need it, save it somewhere on the cloud and download it when you get there. Or perhaps you can put that presentation on a zip drive, which can be put in a bag inside your carry-on.
Be smart about manga you carry with you to read for fun. Perhaps Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Vivio would not be the smartest choice.
Don't Assume a Reasonable Person Will Understand
Of course the manga you carry or the images on your laptop are not child porn. But - and this is quite possibly the biggest but you're going to run into - do not assume that a reasonable person will understand that, or defend your right to have it.
Here's why. In most legal contexts, obscenity is defined as something that a reasonable person would object to.
Now, seriously, go look at your manga collection. LOOK at it. Think about what your aunt or uncle might say about, say, Gokujou Drops. Or Qwaser of Stigmata. Or Lychee Light Club.
Now, think about trying to defend those against 12 average, reasonable people. Don't forget that right now Tokyo itself is seeking to regulate books like these. This means that any lawyer who is going to defend you with the argument that social mores are different in Japan, might be met with a prosecution that knows that, and counters that Japan is itself beginning to reject such material.
Assume the Worst Might Happen
If you gentlemen reading this shied away from the above statement with a perfectly natural "But...why?" you now know exactly what every women everywhere has to contend with every day, all the time. We are required to dress in certain ways, walk in certain places, have companions, be aware of our surroundings, maybe carry a whistle, a weapon, a phone, our keys in our hands, our hands free, in well-lit places....
And now this applies to all of us...all the time. You no longer can assume that your have the right to purchase certain manga by mail and have them shipped to your house. You cannot assume you have the right to carry a few doujinshi on your laptop to read while on the plane. You cannot assume it won't happen to you. You *must* presume that you will be searched and that someone who is not reasonable will have the right to decide whether what you are carrying looks questionable.
If this sounds wrong to you - and it should - please support the CBLDF in their fight. Let's shape the future into the one we want to live in, where we have the right to read whatever the hell we want.
There have been several excellent write-ups of this case and I strongly suggest you read them. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund immediately took up the case. Here is the CBLDF discussion of the situation. Also, Brigid Alverson wrote a cogent synopsis on Comic Book Resources. Obviously, I urge you to support the CBLDF in their defense of this person - it could be any of us.
Which bring me to today's topic - self-defense.
In a perfect world, adults would be free to read anything they like without fear of repercussion. This is not a perfect world. And it behooves every one of us to be smart in order to be safe.
Let me digress for a moment into an analogy. If we hear of a woman who has been attacked, we are outraged. However, if evidence came to light that she was wearing provocative clothing, walking alone in an abandoned, poorly lit area, late at night, there are people who would become less sympathetic. In the same way, we are outraged to hear that a person's laptop or mail was searched and they were charged with a crime by virtue of artistic expression. When facts come to light that some of the material does in fact include virtual/drawn/imaginary child porn some people will feel less sympathetic to the person charged. In both cases, there is a tendency to think "Well, then they weren't very bright. They didn't take precautions. They didn't do the things a person should do to stay safe" or "Eww, that person's a creep - they deserve it."
The point of today's article is not to argue with that human tendency to scapegoat. I do not in any way agree with it, but it is human. A woman should never be blamed for being attacked. No one should be prosecuted for reading a comic book.
But we can and should discuss the ramifications to our own behavior this case will bring. In the same way that, because it is not a perfect world, women need to take precautions against people who do not respect their persons, it behooves all of us in the manga and comics industry to take precautions for ourselves.
Be Aware
You might argue that no one has the right to search your laptop or mail, but this is not true. The Postmaster has every right to search your mail - Border officials have the right to search your laptop. Whatever you feel about the rightness or wrongness of this is irrelevant. These people have the right - and the responsibility - to do this very thing.
Watch What You're Carrying
When you travel by any means that involves a security check, take some time to remove manga images from your electronic devices. You don't really *need* that screensaver, do you? If you do need it, save it somewhere on the cloud and download it when you get there. Or perhaps you can put that presentation on a zip drive, which can be put in a bag inside your carry-on.
Be smart about manga you carry with you to read for fun. Perhaps Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Vivio would not be the smartest choice.
Don't Assume a Reasonable Person Will Understand
Of course the manga you carry or the images on your laptop are not child porn. But - and this is quite possibly the biggest but you're going to run into - do not assume that a reasonable person will understand that, or defend your right to have it.
Here's why. In most legal contexts, obscenity is defined as something that a reasonable person would object to.
Now, seriously, go look at your manga collection. LOOK at it. Think about what your aunt or uncle might say about, say, Gokujou Drops. Or Qwaser of Stigmata. Or Lychee Light Club.
Now, think about trying to defend those against 12 average, reasonable people. Don't forget that right now Tokyo itself is seeking to regulate books like these. This means that any lawyer who is going to defend you with the argument that social mores are different in Japan, might be met with a prosecution that knows that, and counters that Japan is itself beginning to reject such material.
Assume the Worst Might Happen
If you gentlemen reading this shied away from the above statement with a perfectly natural "But...why?" you now know exactly what every women everywhere has to contend with every day, all the time. We are required to dress in certain ways, walk in certain places, have companions, be aware of our surroundings, maybe carry a whistle, a weapon, a phone, our keys in our hands, our hands free, in well-lit places....
And now this applies to all of us...all the time. You no longer can assume that your have the right to purchase certain manga by mail and have them shipped to your house. You cannot assume you have the right to carry a few doujinshi on your laptop to read while on the plane. You cannot assume it won't happen to you. You *must* presume that you will be searched and that someone who is not reasonable will have the right to decide whether what you are carrying looks questionable.
If this sounds wrong to you - and it should - please support the CBLDF in their fight. Let's shape the future into the one we want to live in, where we have the right to read whatever the hell we want.
Manga Censorship and Content Freedom on Otaku in Review Podcast
I'm just like any other fan. I like what I like and want other people to like it, too. I want anime and manga simulcast, subbed well and available on whatever platform I feel like using. I want to make my own choices about language, price, distribution and content.
Unfortunately, right now both the Tokyo government and the makers of hardware have begin to involve themselves in the above issues - and not in a way that facilitates freedom of choice or expression. No, the powers that be in government and in e-reader platforms have decided that the absolute most important thing they have to deal with is "protecting" people from things that they themselves don't feel are appropriate. How's that for 'freedom' folks? Apple says no to LGBT works on their shiny clean iPads, and Tokyo says no to marginal manga...are you really going to say "well, you know I think it's okay to censor somethings I don't like" and expect to be safe yourself?
I will stand up for the the rights of people I cannot stand to read manga I find repulsive because I stand up for the rights of everyone, everywhere to read whatever they damn well please.
This week on Otaku in Review, I get up on this soapbox and have my say. I don't agree with the episode title - I don't believe I am going against the world. I stand with the world. And I'll fight to the last to protect it.
I hope you'll fight with me - don't let Apple, Kindle, or anyone limit your freedom to chose content, don't let Governor Ishihara limit your freedom to buy. Let's stand up for the world, let's stand up for freedom of the word.
Thanks to Scott and Michael for being such gracious hosts and giving me the chance to get my rant on. ^_^
Enjoy!
Unfortunately, right now both the Tokyo government and the makers of hardware have begin to involve themselves in the above issues - and not in a way that facilitates freedom of choice or expression. No, the powers that be in government and in e-reader platforms have decided that the absolute most important thing they have to deal with is "protecting" people from things that they themselves don't feel are appropriate. How's that for 'freedom' folks? Apple says no to LGBT works on their shiny clean iPads, and Tokyo says no to marginal manga...are you really going to say "well, you know I think it's okay to censor somethings I don't like" and expect to be safe yourself?
I will stand up for the the rights of people I cannot stand to read manga I find repulsive because I stand up for the rights of everyone, everywhere to read whatever they damn well please.
This week on Otaku in Review, I get up on this soapbox and have my say. I don't agree with the episode title - I don't believe I am going against the world. I stand with the world. And I'll fight to the last to protect it.
I hope you'll fight with me - don't let Apple, Kindle, or anyone limit your freedom to chose content, don't let Governor Ishihara limit your freedom to buy. Let's stand up for the world, let's stand up for freedom of the word.
Thanks to Scott and Michael for being such gracious hosts and giving me the chance to get my rant on. ^_^
Enjoy!
Translating Anime - Balancing Sense, Feel and Perception
I find myself in conversations about translation of anime and manga rather often. Fans who have ever read a scanlation and/or have taken a few years of Japanese in school seem to have very fixed opinions of the the meaning(s), transliterations and adaptations of the anime and manga they read.
Recently on Twitter, Kazami Akira-san, a Japanese commenter on the overseas anime and manga market, was asking how well done the translations we see in anime actually are. Because so many western anime streams and broadcasts are region-locked, Japanese enthusiasts and journalists are not able to see these translations for themselves. I volunteered to try to do this. I've got enough Japanese that I'm the jerk in the room saying, "That's not what they said" when reading the subtitles and I'm a writer, so I can tell when the translation/adaptation are or are not written with a skilled level of understanding of narrative or voice.
But, I want to start off with a basic fact about translation:
There is no one right translation.
I know you think you know what "they really said," but you (and I) don't. We know what we think they really said, which is not the same thing at all. Just as art is in the eye of the beholder, language is in the ear of the listener. The more sophisticated a thinker you are, the more you know about the artistic, literary and cultural references, the more you have experience with language, the more you will get out of a sentence. Different audiences need different things out of a translation.
This same goes for professional translators. Some work hard to capture each nuance of the original work, others make ballpark decisions based on best guesses. Obviously, this kind of thing will affect the overall translation.
Translators rarely work in a vacuum, either. A translator, ideally, will be paired with a skilled adapter, who can write in their native language well, with an understanding of narrative, dialogue and voice. And, even more ideally, this will them get passed on to a skilled editor, who also knows the difference between a dialect and a spelling error. Unfortunately, this ideal situation is not always what happens. Sometimes translators really need a firm hand, but never get that good adaptation. Other times, the translator is awesome, but the adapter is not and ruins perfectly good language.
And no doubt it will come as no surprise that I have very strong views on being an editor. (^_^) Knowing how to speak English is not the same thing as knowing how to edit. Not only does an editor have to know how to fix mistakes, an editor has to know how to leave things alone. A good editor is truly a precious thing.
So, when it comes to anime and manga editing, anything that goes on between the translator, adapter (if there is one) and editor, can affect "the translation." I know some cases where people were bitching about a thing, the translator had done it correctly and the adapter or editor re-wrote it and ruined it badly. It's not the translator's fault, although their name is on the translation, so they get the feedback.
As a translator, I still prefer to have an adapter, because I strive to get the best, richest, most sophisticated reading out of a line, so I may need an adapter to make it make sense in English. As an adapter, I smooth out pedantic, overly wordy or over-literal translations. As an a editor, I want to story to read as naturally as possible in English.
Then there is the issue with fan translation. Not every fan group has poor skills, not every group is good. Like everything else, there is a standard curve of deviation. There are a few groups that consistently produce error-filled, nearly incomprehensible scans or subs and some that produce professional quality work. The main body of groups is between these two extremes, providing varying degrees of good and bad, as their staff and inclination vary.
The problem with fan translations are not that they are "good" or "bad" but that they are often the first translation fans see. Otaku being what they are, the first is considered the benchmark and any changes after that are immediately perceived as negative. So, if a fan translation picks a name for a character - even if that name is not what the creator chose - that is the "right" name in fans' minds. When a company "changes" that name to a creator-approved version, or a version that doesn't violate western copyright, fans think it's a bad translation. In this case perception is the problem, not the actual translation.
Okay, so that having been said, I'm going to do a short review of the top anime distribution companies in America. These reviews are filtered through my biases, not yours. They are, in fact, my opinion, based on my experience as translator, adapter and editor.
Viz Media - I watch very little Viz animation, so to prepare for this review, I watched some random episodes of a few series. In general, I feel that Viz anime is well-translated. As I am not familiar with the source material in most cases, it is easier for me to simply enjoy the anime and not focus on any changes being made. Their dubs are decent, their subtitles are not error-ridden and I find the stories to be easy to follow, so the narrative flow is preserved. Translations seem to fit the "voice" of the character well, which is really just the icing on the cake.
Overall - 9
Funimation - Funimation regularly makes choices in their translation that I would not personally choose, but I do not think that means they do "bad" translation. Overall, I think they capture narrative well. Subtitles are well-done technically. They do not always match the voice perfectly - I feel pretty strongly about honorifics in the subtitles matching what is actually being said - but again, that is a personal issue, not an issue with the translation itself. Dubs are excellent, except they still maul the pronunciation of names. I want to hold a workshop with all the western VAs to teach them how to pronounce Japanese names. It is that, more than anything that keeps me from watching dubs.
Overall - 8
Media Blasters - Media Blasters has some issues. The translations are good, but they rarely capture voice or narrative flow. Even punctuation in the titles is frequently limited to periods and question marks, which gives the dialogue a flat, monotonal feel. Their subtitles used to have many typographical errors, but that has improved significantly over the past few years. Their dubs, even the hentai...maybe especially the hentai...are pretty good, maybe better than most, because they don't maul the names.
Overall - 6
AnimEigo - Their translations earned early respect from folks in the bygone days, so I'd put them among the top in translation. They get tone, voice, narrative. Idioms are hard and in general, AnimEigo picks pretty difficult series to translate, so I can't really find fault with the way they handle it, even if I dislike the way their subtitles look. ^_^
Overall - 8
Bandai - Bandai translations are as good as the team working on that series. If the team is good, the translations are good. If the team is bad, the translation is bad. More than anything else, Bandai has a serious lack in the editorial process. Good translators need help and bad translators need to be rewritten...but that isn't happening. Technically the subtitles haven't been edited and are so full of syntactical and grammatical errors, it makes me cringe. Get an editor, guys. You're killing me.
Overall - 4
Crunchyroll - The same, times two. There is just no consistency from episode to episode; names change, sentences read like they were written by 8th graders, there is no narrative flow, no understanding of voice and the only consistent thing about their subtitles is that they are consistently terrible. I weep when watching CR, because they take sublime stories and crap all over them with a complete lack of adaptation or editing.
Crunchyroll has the worst translations in the industry, without question.
Overall - 3
Section 23/Sentai Filmworks - Again, sometimes I don't agree with the choices, but on the whole, very good translation. They are great on everyday language and fall down most obviously on more poetic passages. This shows a lack of someone on staff with skill at writing (and perhaps no one who reads.) The subtitles are good, error-free and timed well. I like, but do not love their translations.
Overall - 7
Nozomi/RightStuf - Just to prove that I'm more objective than you think...while I love TRSI for their exceedingly high-quality work on translations, I still don't agree with all their choices. ^_^ Nonetheless, I think they are among the best in translation right now. Subtitles preserve honorifics, or manage to translate the honorifics with some sense and consistency, they "get" literary and artistic references and, in general, do a really excellent job of things.
Overall - 9
So, we begin and end with the best of translation today. If you know of any other companies and want to add your two cents, by all means!
Recently on Twitter, Kazami Akira-san, a Japanese commenter on the overseas anime and manga market, was asking how well done the translations we see in anime actually are. Because so many western anime streams and broadcasts are region-locked, Japanese enthusiasts and journalists are not able to see these translations for themselves. I volunteered to try to do this. I've got enough Japanese that I'm the jerk in the room saying, "That's not what they said" when reading the subtitles and I'm a writer, so I can tell when the translation/adaptation are or are not written with a skilled level of understanding of narrative or voice.
But, I want to start off with a basic fact about translation:
There is no one right translation.
I know you think you know what "they really said," but you (and I) don't. We know what we think they really said, which is not the same thing at all. Just as art is in the eye of the beholder, language is in the ear of the listener. The more sophisticated a thinker you are, the more you know about the artistic, literary and cultural references, the more you have experience with language, the more you will get out of a sentence. Different audiences need different things out of a translation.
This same goes for professional translators. Some work hard to capture each nuance of the original work, others make ballpark decisions based on best guesses. Obviously, this kind of thing will affect the overall translation.
Translators rarely work in a vacuum, either. A translator, ideally, will be paired with a skilled adapter, who can write in their native language well, with an understanding of narrative, dialogue and voice. And, even more ideally, this will them get passed on to a skilled editor, who also knows the difference between a dialect and a spelling error. Unfortunately, this ideal situation is not always what happens. Sometimes translators really need a firm hand, but never get that good adaptation. Other times, the translator is awesome, but the adapter is not and ruins perfectly good language.
And no doubt it will come as no surprise that I have very strong views on being an editor. (^_^) Knowing how to speak English is not the same thing as knowing how to edit. Not only does an editor have to know how to fix mistakes, an editor has to know how to leave things alone. A good editor is truly a precious thing.
So, when it comes to anime and manga editing, anything that goes on between the translator, adapter (if there is one) and editor, can affect "the translation." I know some cases where people were bitching about a thing, the translator had done it correctly and the adapter or editor re-wrote it and ruined it badly. It's not the translator's fault, although their name is on the translation, so they get the feedback.
As a translator, I still prefer to have an adapter, because I strive to get the best, richest, most sophisticated reading out of a line, so I may need an adapter to make it make sense in English. As an adapter, I smooth out pedantic, overly wordy or over-literal translations. As an a editor, I want to story to read as naturally as possible in English.
Then there is the issue with fan translation. Not every fan group has poor skills, not every group is good. Like everything else, there is a standard curve of deviation. There are a few groups that consistently produce error-filled, nearly incomprehensible scans or subs and some that produce professional quality work. The main body of groups is between these two extremes, providing varying degrees of good and bad, as their staff and inclination vary.
The problem with fan translations are not that they are "good" or "bad" but that they are often the first translation fans see. Otaku being what they are, the first is considered the benchmark and any changes after that are immediately perceived as negative. So, if a fan translation picks a name for a character - even if that name is not what the creator chose - that is the "right" name in fans' minds. When a company "changes" that name to a creator-approved version, or a version that doesn't violate western copyright, fans think it's a bad translation. In this case perception is the problem, not the actual translation.
Okay, so that having been said, I'm going to do a short review of the top anime distribution companies in America. These reviews are filtered through my biases, not yours. They are, in fact, my opinion, based on my experience as translator, adapter and editor.
Viz Media - I watch very little Viz animation, so to prepare for this review, I watched some random episodes of a few series. In general, I feel that Viz anime is well-translated. As I am not familiar with the source material in most cases, it is easier for me to simply enjoy the anime and not focus on any changes being made. Their dubs are decent, their subtitles are not error-ridden and I find the stories to be easy to follow, so the narrative flow is preserved. Translations seem to fit the "voice" of the character well, which is really just the icing on the cake.
Overall - 9
Funimation - Funimation regularly makes choices in their translation that I would not personally choose, but I do not think that means they do "bad" translation. Overall, I think they capture narrative well. Subtitles are well-done technically. They do not always match the voice perfectly - I feel pretty strongly about honorifics in the subtitles matching what is actually being said - but again, that is a personal issue, not an issue with the translation itself. Dubs are excellent, except they still maul the pronunciation of names. I want to hold a workshop with all the western VAs to teach them how to pronounce Japanese names. It is that, more than anything that keeps me from watching dubs.
Overall - 8
Media Blasters - Media Blasters has some issues. The translations are good, but they rarely capture voice or narrative flow. Even punctuation in the titles is frequently limited to periods and question marks, which gives the dialogue a flat, monotonal feel. Their subtitles used to have many typographical errors, but that has improved significantly over the past few years. Their dubs, even the hentai...maybe especially the hentai...are pretty good, maybe better than most, because they don't maul the names.
Overall - 6
AnimEigo - Their translations earned early respect from folks in the bygone days, so I'd put them among the top in translation. They get tone, voice, narrative. Idioms are hard and in general, AnimEigo picks pretty difficult series to translate, so I can't really find fault with the way they handle it, even if I dislike the way their subtitles look. ^_^
Overall - 8
Bandai - Bandai translations are as good as the team working on that series. If the team is good, the translations are good. If the team is bad, the translation is bad. More than anything else, Bandai has a serious lack in the editorial process. Good translators need help and bad translators need to be rewritten...but that isn't happening. Technically the subtitles haven't been edited and are so full of syntactical and grammatical errors, it makes me cringe. Get an editor, guys. You're killing me.
Overall - 4
Crunchyroll - The same, times two. There is just no consistency from episode to episode; names change, sentences read like they were written by 8th graders, there is no narrative flow, no understanding of voice and the only consistent thing about their subtitles is that they are consistently terrible. I weep when watching CR, because they take sublime stories and crap all over them with a complete lack of adaptation or editing.
Crunchyroll has the worst translations in the industry, without question.
Overall - 3
Section 23/Sentai Filmworks - Again, sometimes I don't agree with the choices, but on the whole, very good translation. They are great on everyday language and fall down most obviously on more poetic passages. This shows a lack of someone on staff with skill at writing (and perhaps no one who reads.) The subtitles are good, error-free and timed well. I like, but do not love their translations.
Overall - 7
Nozomi/RightStuf - Just to prove that I'm more objective than you think...while I love TRSI for their exceedingly high-quality work on translations, I still don't agree with all their choices. ^_^ Nonetheless, I think they are among the best in translation right now. Subtitles preserve honorifics, or manage to translate the honorifics with some sense and consistency, they "get" literary and artistic references and, in general, do a really excellent job of things.
Overall - 9
So, we begin and end with the best of translation today. If you know of any other companies and want to add your two cents, by all means!
It's time for Utter Nonense! Again!
When spring rolls around (or, when in theory it should be rolling around again, but instead the weather steadfastly lingers at near-freezing and it pisses us all off...) I get the urge to answer questions. Why? I don't know! But I do.So, once again, I am taking questions from you, my dear readers about life, love, Yuri, whatever. As always, there are a few ground rules:
1) I will not answer questions about "what is your favorite...." I find them difficult to answer, as I really don't have favorites.
2) No "ham or cheese" or "Coke or Pepsi" questions, please. They aren't all that interesting for any of us and I can tell you honestly, the answer is almost always "neither of the two."
3) If you want to ask me what I see as the future of Yuri or why I like Yuri, I beg you to read all the previous iterations of my answers to these questions. If you have a real question about Yuri that I have not previously addressed, bring it on!
4) Please, please, no questions that can be answered by 30 seconds of actually READING one of my reviews here. Also, asking me "what do you think of so-and-so anime/fandom" is not going to give you the external validation you crave nor will I rise to the bait of using it as a springboard to rant about a fandom, either.
5) Lastly no "define the term" questions. The answers have been posted here: http://okazu.blogspot.com/2008/03/okazu-glossary-of-terms.html.
Now, I realize that this makes it harder to ask me questions. But the harder you work at the questions, the harder I have to work at the answering, so it's a fair deal. The funnier the question, the better chance of an amusing answer. ^_^
I will also be cheating this time and perhaps using more of the questions I got for the UBC lecture, but didn't have time to answer. ^_^
I don't promise definitive answers, just the best I can come up with without moving an inch from my sofa.
Feel free to post your questions here in the comments! I very much look forward to them.
What You Need to Know To Become a Magical Girl
I'm in the middle of watching Mahou Shoujo Madoka☆Magica (魔法少女まどか☆マギカ). A number of people mentioned I ought to watch it and a regular reader and commenter here suggested in conversation on Twitter that it would change the way I thought about Magical Girls Series. I replied that I felt that that was highly unlikely. Today's post is why.
This is not a review of Madoka. I'll do that when it's complete. In short - I think there's a lot of interesting elements in the story, both in terms of plot construction and visual design. I marathoned the first 8 episodes yesterday and am still watching, so that says something. ^_^ Today I want to explain, in a roundabout, allegorical way, why the plot complications in Madoka did not surprise me all that much.
Tools you need before becoming a Magical Girl:
1) Extensive reading of major literary works
This is why "average" middle-school girls are so often pegged by magical sidekicks to become Magical Girls. If you are an adult, former Comparative Literature major, you'd recognize irony and other literary plot complications when you saw it and not fall for things so quickly. So, make sure your kids read O. Henry and W.W. Jacobs as early as they are emotionally capable of reading them. Adam also suggests adding the story of Faust to the list and I agree. Perhaps some of the more annoying Arabian Tales, in which promises by genies are twisted, as well. dmunder7 also correctly suggests that Greek Myths - especially those involving Delphic prophecies be on your child's early reading list.
2) A healthy dose of cynicism
Again, most middle-schoolers are not yet steeped in the ways of the world and actually think that they are important. If you make your kids aware of the larger world and the horrors humans perpetrate upon one another at a young age, they are much less likely to fall for a line, whether it be the guy who asks them to help him find his lost dog in the woods, or the cute magical creature offering to fulfill dreams.
3) A list of questions
If anyone offers you a chance to be a magical girl, start asking these questions. Unless you get a complete answer to all of them, say no and walk away:
- What are all my powers and what do I have to do to use them? This includes weapons, spells, mantras, poses, songs, familiars, etc....
- What is the downside/trade-off to using my powers (health, lifespan, suck energy from people, etc...)
- Who are my enemies, how do I recognize them?
- Do we have past connection, do we have a current connection? (If we have a past connection, how did I defeat them last time? If we have a current connection, how will defeating them affect their daily life now?)
- Why are they my enemies?
- What are the risks I am taking (death for me, death for my loved ones, destruction of everything in the known universe, etc....)
- What's the long-term effect of doing this? (Do you wipe our memories, do we all die, but save the world, do we get to return to a normal life...how do I get out of it, once I'm done?)
- Do I have allies? How can I recognize them? What are their powers?
- Did we have a connection in the past and how does it affect our connections (if any) now?
- What else do I need to know that I haven't explicitly asked, but will affect me if I don't know it?
- What's in it for you?
If you have any questions you'd add, feel free to do so in the comments. I'll add the best in to the list.
I hope this gives you a better perspective of my perspective of Madoka, as well. I'm going to watch a few more episodes now. ^_^
***
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not a list for Making a Magical Girl Anime. It's a list to help you decide whether to become a Magical Girl...just like it says in the title.
This is not a review of Madoka. I'll do that when it's complete. In short - I think there's a lot of interesting elements in the story, both in terms of plot construction and visual design. I marathoned the first 8 episodes yesterday and am still watching, so that says something. ^_^ Today I want to explain, in a roundabout, allegorical way, why the plot complications in Madoka did not surprise me all that much.
Tools you need before becoming a Magical Girl:
1) Extensive reading of major literary works
This is why "average" middle-school girls are so often pegged by magical sidekicks to become Magical Girls. If you are an adult, former Comparative Literature major, you'd recognize irony and other literary plot complications when you saw it and not fall for things so quickly. So, make sure your kids read O. Henry and W.W. Jacobs as early as they are emotionally capable of reading them. Adam also suggests adding the story of Faust to the list and I agree. Perhaps some of the more annoying Arabian Tales, in which promises by genies are twisted, as well. dmunder7 also correctly suggests that Greek Myths - especially those involving Delphic prophecies be on your child's early reading list.
2) A healthy dose of cynicism
Again, most middle-schoolers are not yet steeped in the ways of the world and actually think that they are important. If you make your kids aware of the larger world and the horrors humans perpetrate upon one another at a young age, they are much less likely to fall for a line, whether it be the guy who asks them to help him find his lost dog in the woods, or the cute magical creature offering to fulfill dreams.
3) A list of questions
If anyone offers you a chance to be a magical girl, start asking these questions. Unless you get a complete answer to all of them, say no and walk away:
- What are all my powers and what do I have to do to use them? This includes weapons, spells, mantras, poses, songs, familiars, etc....
- What is the downside/trade-off to using my powers (health, lifespan, suck energy from people, etc...)
- Who are my enemies, how do I recognize them?
- Do we have past connection, do we have a current connection? (If we have a past connection, how did I defeat them last time? If we have a current connection, how will defeating them affect their daily life now?)
- Why are they my enemies?
- What are the risks I am taking (death for me, death for my loved ones, destruction of everything in the known universe, etc....)
- What's the long-term effect of doing this? (Do you wipe our memories, do we all die, but save the world, do we get to return to a normal life...how do I get out of it, once I'm done?)
- Do I have allies? How can I recognize them? What are their powers?
- Did we have a connection in the past and how does it affect our connections (if any) now?
- What else do I need to know that I haven't explicitly asked, but will affect me if I don't know it?
- What's in it for you?
If you have any questions you'd add, feel free to do so in the comments. I'll add the best in to the list.
I hope this gives you a better perspective of my perspective of Madoka, as well. I'm going to watch a few more episodes now. ^_^
***
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not a list for Making a Magical Girl Anime. It's a list to help you decide whether to become a Magical Girl...just like it says in the title.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Publishing Your Manga
I get an amazing number of emails asking how to become a published writer or mangaka. I've talked about some of the most important things a young writer or artist needs to know and about getting involved in the manga industry, here on Okazu.
Today I'm going to address the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing your work. This primarily relates to print models, but has a lot of application to online models (e-publishing, print-on-demand, apps, webcomics) as well.
The Advantages of Self-Publishing Are:
1) Creative Control - No one will retitle your book, or pick a cover image you hate. From start to finish, this will be your vision.
2) Cutting Out Middlemen - Because you do not have to impress an agent who then has to impress a publishing company, you can bypass other people putting their fingers into your pie. Any profit you make is yours.
3) Takes Less Time - Again, because you are not spending hours of your time looking for or communicating with an agent, your book can go from manuscript to printed matter much more quickly.
The Disadvantages of Self-Publishing Are:
1) Creative Control - it is *up to you* to make every last decision down to the color of the border around the ISBN...heck, it's up to you to get an ISBN at all.
2) Cutting Out Middlemen - Because you do not have an agent, you may not have guidance from an experienced person in the publishing company who can help you shape the book into something that has more sellability.
3) Takes Less Time - Again, because you don't have agent or publisher, you may also be lacking steps like editing and proofreading which are *absolutely critical* for any publication, from poetry to non-fiction.
Also to consider: Publishers rarely provide serious promotional backing to a new author. They may give you leads to radio hosts or bookstores that might potentially welcome you for an interview or signing, but it will still be up to you to make it happen and to get to those locations. As a self-published author, you have no promotional assistance at all, so there's no difference really. I believe strongly that you, as the author, ought to be out there pounding the boards whether you self-publish or go through a company.
What publishers offer are: editorial guidance, copy editing/proofreading and possibly, a modest advance. Publishers also provide distribution through bookstores and websites. You will still be responsible for selling that first book mostly on your own.
What self publishing offers is: A chance to learn the process from beginning to end, so you know exactly what it takes to get a book done. You will be responsible for lining up distribution and sales and promotion, but you'll reap all the rewards, not just a portion of them.
The choice to look for an agent/publisher or strike out on your own is yours. Either way, there will be a lot of work ahead of you - some tears, possibly heartache. But whichever way you go, you're sure to learn a lot about yourself and what you want from your creative life in the process.
Today I'm going to address the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing your work. This primarily relates to print models, but has a lot of application to online models (e-publishing, print-on-demand, apps, webcomics) as well.
The Advantages of Self-Publishing Are:
1) Creative Control - No one will retitle your book, or pick a cover image you hate. From start to finish, this will be your vision.
2) Cutting Out Middlemen - Because you do not have to impress an agent who then has to impress a publishing company, you can bypass other people putting their fingers into your pie. Any profit you make is yours.
3) Takes Less Time - Again, because you are not spending hours of your time looking for or communicating with an agent, your book can go from manuscript to printed matter much more quickly.
The Disadvantages of Self-Publishing Are:
1) Creative Control - it is *up to you* to make every last decision down to the color of the border around the ISBN...heck, it's up to you to get an ISBN at all.
2) Cutting Out Middlemen - Because you do not have an agent, you may not have guidance from an experienced person in the publishing company who can help you shape the book into something that has more sellability.
3) Takes Less Time - Again, because you don't have agent or publisher, you may also be lacking steps like editing and proofreading which are *absolutely critical* for any publication, from poetry to non-fiction.
Also to consider: Publishers rarely provide serious promotional backing to a new author. They may give you leads to radio hosts or bookstores that might potentially welcome you for an interview or signing, but it will still be up to you to make it happen and to get to those locations. As a self-published author, you have no promotional assistance at all, so there's no difference really. I believe strongly that you, as the author, ought to be out there pounding the boards whether you self-publish or go through a company.
What publishers offer are: editorial guidance, copy editing/proofreading and possibly, a modest advance. Publishers also provide distribution through bookstores and websites. You will still be responsible for selling that first book mostly on your own.
What self publishing offers is: A chance to learn the process from beginning to end, so you know exactly what it takes to get a book done. You will be responsible for lining up distribution and sales and promotion, but you'll reap all the rewards, not just a portion of them.
The choice to look for an agent/publisher or strike out on your own is yours. Either way, there will be a lot of work ahead of you - some tears, possibly heartache. But whichever way you go, you're sure to learn a lot about yourself and what you want from your creative life in the process.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Light Novels?
There have been a lot of conversations on forums about the issue of why Light Novels do not sell well here in the West. Tokyopop discussed Light Novels recently on their editor's blog and Seven Seas talked a little bit about the Strawberry Panic! Line when they put the third LN on hold.
Fans, of course, are sure that it's all the publishers' fault. They don't sell them right, advertise them right, censor them, change the covers, don't have enough babies who grow up to be people who buy Light Novels.
It's well established that manga has a swiftly growing audience, but that the market has not grown with the same verve. Online aggregators of manga distributed without permission gain hundreds of thousands of readers, while those very same titles struggle to break even in sales.
Light Novels are a special problem. In Japan they primarily exist as franchise extenders. Of course there are some exceptions - and those exceptions are always the ones that are successful enough to turn the formula on its head. However, for a large number of LNs, the audience for the series/author/imprint already exists. There rarely is any need to promote beyond an ad or two in the magazines in which the the stories are serialized.
Here in the West LNs don't have:
1) The magazines that serialize chapters monthly
2) Any other media tie-ins (unless they do and then the title is much more expensive to license)
3) The audience - LNs are, for the most part YA/older teen...maybe young adult... material. There are rare series which transcend this, but mostly it's teens and early twenties.
In Japan, readers already know the material from Number 1) and 2) or follow the author. Here - this is rarely true. LN readers are, realistically, a niche of a niche, mostly because of other media tie-ins, like anime, games or manga. Most regular novel readers don't know LNs exist and if they do, they don't care. On top of that, you have the same problem as all other media in the anime/manga world - the audience is orders larger than the market.
Yes, there's a teeny little problem with marketing and shelving. Let's look at that rationally:
First, there's the issue of marketing.
Let's say you have an unlimited budget...where do you place a print ad to sell this great new book? You probably don't know...because there really *aren't* too many good places where you can put that ad. Name a good magazine for Teens. How about Older Teens? How about Young Adults? If you named a magazine, think about how many people you know who actually subscribe to it and read it. If you named something niche, like a Gaming magazine, imagine how many people who read that magazine might really want to curl up on the sofa with, say, Gosick. Okay, so I picked a magazine at random. GamePro, and checked their advertising rates. One ad - an ad that will run in one issue - for a 1/3 page ad is...$12,750. Name a LN that's likely to sell to the readership of Seventeen magazine.
How many ads do you see when you read a magazine? How many make you call the number or buy the product?
Advertising only works if you can saturate the audience. That's a lot of $12K ads.
And if you put in an ad on magazine/website, you only reach the people who see it, and notice it, which is a small fraction of people.
You might say - well, advertise it online - but of course that compounds the problem, because where people go for information is fragmented into thousands of sites, ad systems are fragmented into hundreds of affiliate systems and you still have the problem of people tuning out ads. For more on this see my discussion of promoting manga.
The conclusion - there is no way publishers of Light Novels can effectively advertise their products to reach a larger portion of a potential reading audience. They *could* advertise to librarians...and I believe some do. And then the problem becomes the Libraries', to try and attract readers of those novels.
So that's the problem with fans' exhortations to "advertise more."
Now, let's look at the common wisdom that LNs would sell better if they were shelved in the fiction section, or with the YA novels.
The first thing that *has* to be said - bookstores are dying. Distribution without permission has become so widespread that children today have never been in a library or a bookstore before. They just assume they can get things for free online - and they don't really know that it's illegal or immoral. (When you do something wrong, you get punished. If no one punishes you...it must not be wrong to do.)
So, the idea that a book will sell better if it shelved properly in a bookstore is a fallacy from the start. YA audiences aren't using bookstores that much in the first place. Nonetheless, YA fiction is a hot commodity, what with Twilight and Harry Potter and all. So you get your LN shelved in the YA or fiction section.
Now it's competing with millions of other fiction titles. How are you going to get it noticed? There are *way* more fiction novels published every year than there are manga - even when Tokyopop was cranking out 10 titles a week. How many publishers are putting out manga regularly now? Viz, Tokyopop, DPM, Vertical, Yen, Seven Seas, maybe a few others. If every single one of these was popping out a lot of books - let's say 50 books a week. There are (very roughly) 6000 books a week being published in America. Of course not every book ends up on a bookstore shelf, but fiction is a very, very competitive field - and YA lit, which is incredibly hot right now, is no less competitive.
Perhaps you decide to go for a row end cap display. This will separate your books from the pack a little, but then you're back to the fact that bookstores are a dying breed. Only people who walk into that bookstore will see that display - which means you need to position those displays in high traffic stores, probably in major cities. These will have to be coordinated through your distributor - they are not cheap.
If you shelve the books with the Teen Lit or the Fiction, they will simply get lost in the rows and rows of authors whose name have some meaning to the audience. How well will Hasekura do compared with Meyer?
So you shelve it in with the manga. Now it gets lost in titles that are shelved alphabetically. How are people going to find it? Either way you go, you're "wrong" according to fans.
Speaking of Meyer and Hasekura, let's take a look at Yen Press for a second. Kurt Hassler has probably the most intimate knowledge of the book-selling industry in the manga world right now.
Yen licensed Spice and Wolf Light Novels. The "audience" for these novels have been hostile - very vocally - in every possible way. I have seen accusations that the novels were censored (they were not) that the new cover destroyed the artistic integrity of the books (this despite the fact that a slipcover with the original art was available...and that the original art was pretty basic.) The reality was that those fanboys - the established audience of the series - had no intention of buying the novels no matter what Yen did. All their complaints these were justifications of the behavior they were going to do anyway.
Yen then licensed and created a manga for Twilight - this instantly blew away any records of manga sales in America to date. It had weird looking typography, word balloons that obscured faces and above all, it was Twilight, an already much-maligned series. The fangirls who were the audience for this manga were also the market. It sold like the proverbial hotcakes.
There are two defining factors here: one, I believe that girls buy what they want more than boys do. In conversation last night about this topic, Sean Gaffney noted that all but one title on this week's New York Times Best-Seller list of manga is "for girls." Black Butler (also from Yen) has an astounding four volumes on the list and Hetalia has both of their released volumes. Naruto is the only series not explicitly "for girls" but it also has wide cross-over appeal...as most Shounen Jump stories do.
The second fact is the one that is most relevant to today's discussion - to put it simply, Twilight had an a priori market. These fans know Twilight, they are devoted to Twilight and will buy Twilight materials.
The difference between marketing and selling a novel by Hasekura and one by Meyer is the difference between selling a novel you wrote vs one written by Stephen King.
The problem with Light Novels is this:
How do you promote and sell a book that 1) no one has heard of 2) has no *mainstream* media tie-in 3) no *where* to effectively advertise it 4) an audience that doesn't want to pay for it 5) immense competition from domestic authors backed by larger companies with high-recognition names and major media tie-ins.
Figure that out and you have the winning formula for selling LNs.
Fans, of course, are sure that it's all the publishers' fault. They don't sell them right, advertise them right, censor them, change the covers, don't have enough babies who grow up to be people who buy Light Novels.
It's well established that manga has a swiftly growing audience, but that the market has not grown with the same verve. Online aggregators of manga distributed without permission gain hundreds of thousands of readers, while those very same titles struggle to break even in sales.
Light Novels are a special problem. In Japan they primarily exist as franchise extenders. Of course there are some exceptions - and those exceptions are always the ones that are successful enough to turn the formula on its head. However, for a large number of LNs, the audience for the series/author/imprint already exists. There rarely is any need to promote beyond an ad or two in the magazines in which the the stories are serialized.
Here in the West LNs don't have:
1) The magazines that serialize chapters monthly
2) Any other media tie-ins (unless they do and then the title is much more expensive to license)
3) The audience - LNs are, for the most part YA/older teen...maybe young adult... material. There are rare series which transcend this, but mostly it's teens and early twenties.
In Japan, readers already know the material from Number 1) and 2) or follow the author. Here - this is rarely true. LN readers are, realistically, a niche of a niche, mostly because of other media tie-ins, like anime, games or manga. Most regular novel readers don't know LNs exist and if they do, they don't care. On top of that, you have the same problem as all other media in the anime/manga world - the audience is orders larger than the market.
Yes, there's a teeny little problem with marketing and shelving. Let's look at that rationally:
First, there's the issue of marketing.
Let's say you have an unlimited budget...where do you place a print ad to sell this great new book? You probably don't know...because there really *aren't* too many good places where you can put that ad. Name a good magazine for Teens. How about Older Teens? How about Young Adults? If you named a magazine, think about how many people you know who actually subscribe to it and read it. If you named something niche, like a Gaming magazine, imagine how many people who read that magazine might really want to curl up on the sofa with, say, Gosick. Okay, so I picked a magazine at random. GamePro, and checked their advertising rates. One ad - an ad that will run in one issue - for a 1/3 page ad is...$12,750. Name a LN that's likely to sell to the readership of Seventeen magazine.
How many ads do you see when you read a magazine? How many make you call the number or buy the product?
Advertising only works if you can saturate the audience. That's a lot of $12K ads.
And if you put in an ad on magazine/website, you only reach the people who see it, and notice it, which is a small fraction of people.
You might say - well, advertise it online - but of course that compounds the problem, because where people go for information is fragmented into thousands of sites, ad systems are fragmented into hundreds of affiliate systems and you still have the problem of people tuning out ads. For more on this see my discussion of promoting manga.
The conclusion - there is no way publishers of Light Novels can effectively advertise their products to reach a larger portion of a potential reading audience. They *could* advertise to librarians...and I believe some do. And then the problem becomes the Libraries', to try and attract readers of those novels.
So that's the problem with fans' exhortations to "advertise more."
Now, let's look at the common wisdom that LNs would sell better if they were shelved in the fiction section, or with the YA novels.
The first thing that *has* to be said - bookstores are dying. Distribution without permission has become so widespread that children today have never been in a library or a bookstore before. They just assume they can get things for free online - and they don't really know that it's illegal or immoral. (When you do something wrong, you get punished. If no one punishes you...it must not be wrong to do.)
So, the idea that a book will sell better if it shelved properly in a bookstore is a fallacy from the start. YA audiences aren't using bookstores that much in the first place. Nonetheless, YA fiction is a hot commodity, what with Twilight and Harry Potter and all. So you get your LN shelved in the YA or fiction section.
Now it's competing with millions of other fiction titles. How are you going to get it noticed? There are *way* more fiction novels published every year than there are manga - even when Tokyopop was cranking out 10 titles a week. How many publishers are putting out manga regularly now? Viz, Tokyopop, DPM, Vertical, Yen, Seven Seas, maybe a few others. If every single one of these was popping out a lot of books - let's say 50 books a week. There are (very roughly) 6000 books a week being published in America. Of course not every book ends up on a bookstore shelf, but fiction is a very, very competitive field - and YA lit, which is incredibly hot right now, is no less competitive.
Perhaps you decide to go for a row end cap display. This will separate your books from the pack a little, but then you're back to the fact that bookstores are a dying breed. Only people who walk into that bookstore will see that display - which means you need to position those displays in high traffic stores, probably in major cities. These will have to be coordinated through your distributor - they are not cheap.
If you shelve the books with the Teen Lit or the Fiction, they will simply get lost in the rows and rows of authors whose name have some meaning to the audience. How well will Hasekura do compared with Meyer?
So you shelve it in with the manga. Now it gets lost in titles that are shelved alphabetically. How are people going to find it? Either way you go, you're "wrong" according to fans.
Speaking of Meyer and Hasekura, let's take a look at Yen Press for a second. Kurt Hassler has probably the most intimate knowledge of the book-selling industry in the manga world right now.
Yen licensed Spice and Wolf Light Novels. The "audience" for these novels have been hostile - very vocally - in every possible way. I have seen accusations that the novels were censored (they were not) that the new cover destroyed the artistic integrity of the books (this despite the fact that a slipcover with the original art was available...and that the original art was pretty basic.) The reality was that those fanboys - the established audience of the series - had no intention of buying the novels no matter what Yen did. All their complaints these were justifications of the behavior they were going to do anyway.
Yen then licensed and created a manga for Twilight - this instantly blew away any records of manga sales in America to date. It had weird looking typography, word balloons that obscured faces and above all, it was Twilight, an already much-maligned series. The fangirls who were the audience for this manga were also the market. It sold like the proverbial hotcakes.
There are two defining factors here: one, I believe that girls buy what they want more than boys do. In conversation last night about this topic, Sean Gaffney noted that all but one title on this week's New York Times Best-Seller list of manga is "for girls." Black Butler (also from Yen) has an astounding four volumes on the list and Hetalia has both of their released volumes. Naruto is the only series not explicitly "for girls" but it also has wide cross-over appeal...as most Shounen Jump stories do.
The second fact is the one that is most relevant to today's discussion - to put it simply, Twilight had an a priori market. These fans know Twilight, they are devoted to Twilight and will buy Twilight materials.
The difference between marketing and selling a novel by Hasekura and one by Meyer is the difference between selling a novel you wrote vs one written by Stephen King.
The problem with Light Novels is this:
How do you promote and sell a book that 1) no one has heard of 2) has no *mainstream* media tie-in 3) no *where* to effectively advertise it 4) an audience that doesn't want to pay for it 5) immense competition from domestic authors backed by larger companies with high-recognition names and major media tie-ins.
Figure that out and you have the winning formula for selling LNs.
Okazu around the Web
Because I am quite literally too tired to write a coherent review today, here's some other places you can read my thoughts, if you haven't already.
Take a moment to read my essay in praise of Drama CDs over on Hooded Utilitarian.
I take a look at Japanese manga magazine Comic Beam over at Mangacast.
If you're really a hardcore fan of me and that just isn't enough, there's also my recent post at SocialOptimized on Guest blogging.
Speaking of which - if you have an idea for something I haven't covered here or a different perspective on something I have and you'd like to share it with the Okazu readership, feel free to send me an email with a suggestion for a Guest Post! I'll be glad to consider it. ^_^
I'll be back tomorrow with the YNN report!
Take a moment to read my essay in praise of Drama CDs over on Hooded Utilitarian.
I take a look at Japanese manga magazine Comic Beam over at Mangacast.
If you're really a hardcore fan of me and that just isn't enough, there's also my recent post at SocialOptimized on Guest blogging.
Speaking of which - if you have an idea for something I haven't covered here or a different perspective on something I have and you'd like to share it with the Okazu readership, feel free to send me an email with a suggestion for a Guest Post! I'll be glad to consider it. ^_^
I'll be back tomorrow with the YNN report!
Licensing Manga - the Miracle, the Message, the Moral of the Story
日本語で
From time to time, I receive emails asking me how I got started in licensing and publishing manga. Recently, a regular reader here sent me a lovely email asking me, in a nutshell:
"How difficult and involved was it? Would you recommend it to others?"
Which I wanted to answer as a "Sunday Post" here on Okazu, because we are in an unprecedented age of freedom of communication and publishing is undergoing significant change at a rapid pace.
With that in mind, let me tell you a story:
A little more than ten years ago, I was becoming very interested in what is now referred to by mostly everyone as "Yuri." There were some groups on UseNET that discussed the Yuri of various series, and a few places where conversation on Yuri in general were being held, but they mostly fell into two kinds: Lesbian Porn and Unlikely Pairings (you know what I mean, right? Totally straight girls draped over one another in one piece of splash art and suddenly they were a couple!) And some of the groups were overtly hostile to actual lesbians being interested. So, I decided to create a group that would welcome anyone who liked Yuri.
Okay, so a few years later, I had this idea. I would run an event in a lesbian bar in NYC, to celebrate Valentine's Day. We would show the Revolutionary Girl Utena movie, and generally geek out. This was the first actual Yuricon event ever held and I still have NO idea what possessed me. Until the moment I walked into to Meow Mix, I had never been in a lesbian bar in my life, and maybe only been in a bar two or three times before. I had never run an event before, but saying that is a bit of a wank, because my family are compulsive volunteers and I certainly had been involved with the running of many events before. I chose Meow Mix, because they did Xena nights and I thought they might be cool with another kind of geekery.
And then a Miracle occurred.
Two Japanese women walked into the lesbian bar. One had somehow seen the listing in Time Out New York and decided to come with her friend. That person was Rica Takashima. Rica and I were staring at each other in amazement just two nights ago about what a miracle it was, too. We became friends, and one day I offered to publish her manga in English. That was my first license.
Rica and I went to Comiket, where I was able to meet and thank an artist I really liked. And invite her to an event I was doing....and ultimately to publish Tadeno Eriko's WORKS anthology. That was my second license.
So, you see - everything I've ever done in Yuri manga was based on a miracle. Asking you to reproduce that would be a little weird. But that's not the end of the story.
I began Yuricon in Social Media, before there was a name for it. UseNET, mailing lists, Yahoo Groups. And slowly, as I attended Comiket, I started to discover other circles I liked - and approached them through email, asking if I could publish old stories, stories that they had done years ago. I did that on purpose, because most creators stop caring about old work, work that isn't licensed or remembered by anyone. A new story is precious - a story from 8 years ago...fine, do whatever you like.
So here I was, licensing and publishing without having the vaguest clue what I was doing. I had massive learning curves on both the publishing side (because at first I was reinventing the concept of publishing doujinshi here, and then suddenly it morphed into actual book publishing) and the licensing side about which I knew *nothing.*
I'm the worst role model for this kind of thing, because I'm always like this. I start a thing before I know what I'm doing, then reinventing the wheel - not because I don't want to ask, but because I'm not doing what everyone else is, then by the time I get it all down, I change the rules, because I hate doing the same thing over and over. (^_^);;
But now the rules themselves are changing faster than I can change them, so here's the Message - you have nothing to lose by asking. So many mangaka are on Twitter, have blogs, have email...you have *nothing* to lose by contacting someone whose work you love and asking them if you can publish it. The absolutely worst thing that can happen is they don't respond or they respond with "no." Then you'll be depressed, regroup and move on.
A Miracle helps, but you can make your own miracles. DO a thing. Attend an event - heck, run an event. Draw, write, learn how books get published, study licensing, intern at a company, go to Comiket and introduce yourself to an artist. Communicate with them. Develop a relationship. Talk with people. You'll need a lot of people to help you. I do not do anything I do by myself. I have the most amazing people helping me. Rica, of course, and people like Erin S. and Mari Morimoto, Komatsu-san and Ana, the artists themselves, my staff, my editors, my friends who have to listen to me go on and on about things, of course my wife, contributors from all around the world....not a single thing I do is something *I've* done - everything is something *we've* done. Together.
Bear in mind that ALC is a niche publisher. We are not a large company and we're frequently working on a shoestring budget. This story is not the Viz story or the Tokyopop story. It's a story that could star you.
Is it difficult and involved to license a manga? Yes.
Would I recommend it to someone? Yes.
The Moral of the Story is: If you don't change the world, someone else will - why shouldn't it be you? You have nothing to lose by asking.
(Update: Japanese translation by Komatsu-san. Thank you so much!!)
***
(マンガをライセンスするには － 奇跡、メッセージ、教訓)
時折私は、どのようにマンガをライセンスして、出版し始めるようになったかについて質問してくるメールをいただくことがあります。つい最近も、ある常連の読者さんから微笑ましいメールをいただいて、簡単にいうと、「どれくらい難しくて複雑なんですか？他の人にも薦めます？」という内容でした。「日曜版」としてその質問に、このOkazuブログでお答えしてみたいと思う理由は、私達はコミュニケーションの自由における前例のない時代にあって、出版もまた、急速な勢いで大きな変化を経ようとしているからです。
それをふまえて、話を始めてみますね。
10年と少し前頃に私は、現在ほとんどの人に「百合」と呼ばれているものに、興味を抱き始めるようになりました。UseNETには、様々な作品における百合について語り合っているグループがいくつか存在していて、百合について広く会話がされているような場所もありました。けれどそれらのほとんどは、二つの種類に分けられました。レズビアン・ポルノか、あり得ないカップリング(つまり、まったくの異性愛者である
女の子が、他の女の子にもたれかかっている、目を惹くようなイラストが1枚あるだけで、2人はカップルだといきなり決め付けられてしまうような!)です。さらにいくつかのグループは、現実のレズビアン達が関心を寄せてくることに、はっきりとした敵意を向けていました。だから私は、百合を好きな人なら、誰でも歓迎するようなグループを作ろうと決意したのです。
そしてその数年後、ある考えを思いつきました。ニューヨーク市のレズビアン・バーで、バレンタイン・デイを祝うイベントを開催しよう、というものです。映画「少女革命ウテナ アドゥレセンス黙示録」を上映して、オタクっぽい趣味をみんなでまったり楽しもうという趣旨ですね。結局それが、初めて実際に開催されたYuriconのイベントになりました。今でも、その時の私をなにが衝き動かしていたのか、全くわかりません。そのお店Meow Mixに足を踏み入れる時まで、私はそれまでの人生でレズビアン・バーに入ったことはありませんでしたし、バーそのものにも、数度しか行ったことがありませんでした。私自身はイベントを主催した経験はなかったのですけれど、自己満足に終わっても構いませんでしたし、私の家族が積極的にボランティア活動に参加していたこともあって、過去たくさんのイベント運営にしっかり関わってはいました。Meow Mixを選んだのは、以前に「ジーナ」(95～01年に放送されたファンタジーTVドラマ:訳注)のイベントも開催していて、また違う種類のオタクっぽいイベントもクールかも、と考えたからですね。
そして、奇跡が起きたのです。
2人の日本人女性がそのレズビアン・バーに入ってきました。その内の1人が、情報サイトTime Out New Yorkでの告知をたまたま見つけて、友達と来ることに決めたのです。その人物が、高嶋リカさんだったのでした。リカさんと私はこれを書いている2日前の晩にも、なんて奇跡だったんだろうとお互いを不思議な気持ちで見つめ合ったところです。私達は友達になり、ある時、彼女のマンガ(「リカってかんじ?!」)の英語出版について申し出てみました。それが私にとって最初のライセンスになったのです。
リカさんと私は日本のコミケに行って、そこでとてもお気に入りのマンガ家さんと会い、お礼を述べることが出来ました。それから彼女を私が開催しているイベントにも招待し、結果として蓼野絵理子さんの作品集「WORKS」を出版することになりました。それが私にとって2番目のライセンスです。
おわかりになるように-私が百合マンガ出版においてやってきたこと全てが、奇跡から始まっているのです。それがあなたにも起こるように願うのはちょっと変な話ではありますが、話はまだ続きます。
私はYuriconを、ソーシャルメディアがそう名付けられる以前に、その中において立ち上げました。UseNET、メーリングリスト、Yahooグループ。やがて徐々にですが、コミケに参加しながら、私はお気に入りとなる、また別のサークルを見つけるようになり、メールで連絡を取って、数年前に描いたような古い作品を出版出来ないかどうか訊ねてみました。それには理由があって、ほとんどのマンガ家は古い作品のことは気に留めなくなるし、そういった作品は誰からもライセンスされたり、思い出されたりすることもないからです。新しい作品は大事だけれども、８年前の作品なら……ああ、好きにしていいよ、という風に。
私は何をすべきか全くわからぬまま、ライセンスや出版をしていくようになったのです。まるで知識がなかった出版とライセンス双方の面で、私は厳しい学習局面を経てきました(特に出版については、当初「同人誌」を出版するコンセプトをアメリカで再構築しようとしていた計画が、突然実際の「本」を出版することに変わっていきましたから)。
この種のことにおいて、私は最悪のお手本でしょうけれど、私はいつもこうなんです。やり方など知らないうちに事を始めて、それからやり方自体を新しく考え出していく。他人に訊きたくないのではなく、そもそも他の人達と同じことをやっているわけではないのですから。そして全て理解する頃には、ルール自体を変えてしまうのです。なぜなら同じことを何度も何度も繰り返すのは嫌いだからです。
けれど今は、私が変えてしまえるようになるのよりも早く、ルール自体が変化していっています。だからここでメッセージがあります －「訊いて失うものは何もない」のです。たくさんのマンガ家さんがTwitterで発言していますし、ブログも持っていれば、メールでも連絡が取れます。大好きなマンガ家に連絡をして、作品を出版出来るかどうか訊ねることで失うものは、「何もない」のです。起こり得る一番最悪のことは、返事がもらえなかったり、もらえても断られてしまうことです。そうすれば落ち込んでもしまうでしょうけれど、気を取り直して、また進んでいけばいいのです。
奇跡は助けになりますけれど、自分自身で奇跡を作り出していくことも出来ます。イベントに参加し……いえ、開催しましょう。描いて書いて、どうやって本が出版されるのかを学び、ライセンシングについて勉強し、インターンとして企業に赴き、コミケに行って、マンガ家さんに自分を紹介しなさい。彼らとコミュニケートするのです。関係を築くのです。人々と会話をしなさい。あなたに力を貸してくれる人が、きっとたくさん必要になります。私も今やっていることを、自分だけでやっているわけではないのです。私には、助力してくれる最高に素晴らしい人達がいてくれるのです。リカさんはもちろんですが、Erin S.、Mari Morimotoさん, Komatsuさん、そしてAnaのような人々、マンガ家ご自身達、私のスタッフや編集者さん達、果てのない様々な私の話に耳を傾けなくてはならない友人達、それから当然、私のパートナー、世界中の貢献してくれるみなさん。私がやってきたどんなことも、ただひとつさえ、私1人で成し遂げたものではありません。全て「私達みんな」で成し遂げてきたことなのです。共に力を合わせて。
ALC Publishingは小さな小さな出版社だということを考えてみてください。私達はけっして大企業ではありませんし、ほんのわずかの予算で働かなくてはならないこともしばしばです。このストーリーはVIZ MediaやTOKYOPOPのお話ではありません。あなた自身が主人公になれるストーリーなのです。
マンガをライセンスするのは難しくて複雑ですか？ その通りです。
誰かに薦めますか？ もちろんです。
今回の教訓- 「もしあなたが世界を変えなければ、他の誰かが変えてしまうでしょう。どうしてそれがあなたではいけないのでしょう？ 訊ねてみて失うものなど、何もないのですから」
(小松さんによる翻訳)
From time to time, I receive emails asking me how I got started in licensing and publishing manga. Recently, a regular reader here sent me a lovely email asking me, in a nutshell:
"How difficult and involved was it? Would you recommend it to others?"
Which I wanted to answer as a "Sunday Post" here on Okazu, because we are in an unprecedented age of freedom of communication and publishing is undergoing significant change at a rapid pace.
With that in mind, let me tell you a story:
A little more than ten years ago, I was becoming very interested in what is now referred to by mostly everyone as "Yuri." There were some groups on UseNET that discussed the Yuri of various series, and a few places where conversation on Yuri in general were being held, but they mostly fell into two kinds: Lesbian Porn and Unlikely Pairings (you know what I mean, right? Totally straight girls draped over one another in one piece of splash art and suddenly they were a couple!) And some of the groups were overtly hostile to actual lesbians being interested. So, I decided to create a group that would welcome anyone who liked Yuri.
Okay, so a few years later, I had this idea. I would run an event in a lesbian bar in NYC, to celebrate Valentine's Day. We would show the Revolutionary Girl Utena movie, and generally geek out. This was the first actual Yuricon event ever held and I still have NO idea what possessed me. Until the moment I walked into to Meow Mix, I had never been in a lesbian bar in my life, and maybe only been in a bar two or three times before. I had never run an event before, but saying that is a bit of a wank, because my family are compulsive volunteers and I certainly had been involved with the running of many events before. I chose Meow Mix, because they did Xena nights and I thought they might be cool with another kind of geekery.
And then a Miracle occurred.
Two Japanese women walked into the lesbian bar. One had somehow seen the listing in Time Out New York and decided to come with her friend. That person was Rica Takashima. Rica and I were staring at each other in amazement just two nights ago about what a miracle it was, too. We became friends, and one day I offered to publish her manga in English. That was my first license.
Rica and I went to Comiket, where I was able to meet and thank an artist I really liked. And invite her to an event I was doing....and ultimately to publish Tadeno Eriko's WORKS anthology. That was my second license.
So, you see - everything I've ever done in Yuri manga was based on a miracle. Asking you to reproduce that would be a little weird. But that's not the end of the story.
I began Yuricon in Social Media, before there was a name for it. UseNET, mailing lists, Yahoo Groups. And slowly, as I attended Comiket, I started to discover other circles I liked - and approached them through email, asking if I could publish old stories, stories that they had done years ago. I did that on purpose, because most creators stop caring about old work, work that isn't licensed or remembered by anyone. A new story is precious - a story from 8 years ago...fine, do whatever you like.
So here I was, licensing and publishing without having the vaguest clue what I was doing. I had massive learning curves on both the publishing side (because at first I was reinventing the concept of publishing doujinshi here, and then suddenly it morphed into actual book publishing) and the licensing side about which I knew *nothing.*
I'm the worst role model for this kind of thing, because I'm always like this. I start a thing before I know what I'm doing, then reinventing the wheel - not because I don't want to ask, but because I'm not doing what everyone else is, then by the time I get it all down, I change the rules, because I hate doing the same thing over and over. (^_^);;
But now the rules themselves are changing faster than I can change them, so here's the Message - you have nothing to lose by asking. So many mangaka are on Twitter, have blogs, have email...you have *nothing* to lose by contacting someone whose work you love and asking them if you can publish it. The absolutely worst thing that can happen is they don't respond or they respond with "no." Then you'll be depressed, regroup and move on.
A Miracle helps, but you can make your own miracles. DO a thing. Attend an event - heck, run an event. Draw, write, learn how books get published, study licensing, intern at a company, go to Comiket and introduce yourself to an artist. Communicate with them. Develop a relationship. Talk with people. You'll need a lot of people to help you. I do not do anything I do by myself. I have the most amazing people helping me. Rica, of course, and people like Erin S. and Mari Morimoto, Komatsu-san and Ana, the artists themselves, my staff, my editors, my friends who have to listen to me go on and on about things, of course my wife, contributors from all around the world....not a single thing I do is something *I've* done - everything is something *we've* done. Together.
Bear in mind that ALC is a niche publisher. We are not a large company and we're frequently working on a shoestring budget. This story is not the Viz story or the Tokyopop story. It's a story that could star you.
Is it difficult and involved to license a manga? Yes.
Would I recommend it to someone? Yes.
The Moral of the Story is: If you don't change the world, someone else will - why shouldn't it be you? You have nothing to lose by asking.
(Update: Japanese translation by Komatsu-san. Thank you so much!!)
***
(マンガをライセンスするには － 奇跡、メッセージ、教訓)
時折私は、どのようにマンガをライセンスして、出版し始めるようになったかについて質問してくるメールをいただくことがあります。つい最近も、ある常連の読者さんから微笑ましいメールをいただいて、簡単にいうと、「どれくらい難しくて複雑なんですか？他の人にも薦めます？」という内容でした。「日曜版」としてその質問に、このOkazuブログでお答えしてみたいと思う理由は、私達はコミュニケーションの自由における前例のない時代にあって、出版もまた、急速な勢いで大きな変化を経ようとしているからです。
それをふまえて、話を始めてみますね。
10年と少し前頃に私は、現在ほとんどの人に「百合」と呼ばれているものに、興味を抱き始めるようになりました。UseNETには、様々な作品における百合について語り合っているグループがいくつか存在していて、百合について広く会話がされているような場所もありました。けれどそれらのほとんどは、二つの種類に分けられました。レズビアン・ポルノか、あり得ないカップリング(つまり、まったくの異性愛者である
女の子が、他の女の子にもたれかかっている、目を惹くようなイラストが1枚あるだけで、2人はカップルだといきなり決め付けられてしまうような!)です。さらにいくつかのグループは、現実のレズビアン達が関心を寄せてくることに、はっきりとした敵意を向けていました。だから私は、百合を好きな人なら、誰でも歓迎するようなグループを作ろうと決意したのです。
そしてその数年後、ある考えを思いつきました。ニューヨーク市のレズビアン・バーで、バレンタイン・デイを祝うイベントを開催しよう、というものです。映画「少女革命ウテナ アドゥレセンス黙示録」を上映して、オタクっぽい趣味をみんなでまったり楽しもうという趣旨ですね。結局それが、初めて実際に開催されたYuriconのイベントになりました。今でも、その時の私をなにが衝き動かしていたのか、全くわかりません。そのお店Meow Mixに足を踏み入れる時まで、私はそれまでの人生でレズビアン・バーに入ったことはありませんでしたし、バーそのものにも、数度しか行ったことがありませんでした。私自身はイベントを主催した経験はなかったのですけれど、自己満足に終わっても構いませんでしたし、私の家族が積極的にボランティア活動に参加していたこともあって、過去たくさんのイベント運営にしっかり関わってはいました。Meow Mixを選んだのは、以前に「ジーナ」(95～01年に放送されたファンタジーTVドラマ:訳注)のイベントも開催していて、また違う種類のオタクっぽいイベントもクールかも、と考えたからですね。
そして、奇跡が起きたのです。
2人の日本人女性がそのレズビアン・バーに入ってきました。その内の1人が、情報サイトTime Out New Yorkでの告知をたまたま見つけて、友達と来ることに決めたのです。その人物が、高嶋リカさんだったのでした。リカさんと私はこれを書いている2日前の晩にも、なんて奇跡だったんだろうとお互いを不思議な気持ちで見つめ合ったところです。私達は友達になり、ある時、彼女のマンガ(「リカってかんじ?!」)の英語出版について申し出てみました。それが私にとって最初のライセンスになったのです。
リカさんと私は日本のコミケに行って、そこでとてもお気に入りのマンガ家さんと会い、お礼を述べることが出来ました。それから彼女を私が開催しているイベントにも招待し、結果として蓼野絵理子さんの作品集「WORKS」を出版することになりました。それが私にとって2番目のライセンスです。
おわかりになるように-私が百合マンガ出版においてやってきたこと全てが、奇跡から始まっているのです。それがあなたにも起こるように願うのはちょっと変な話ではありますが、話はまだ続きます。
私はYuriconを、ソーシャルメディアがそう名付けられる以前に、その中において立ち上げました。UseNET、メーリングリスト、Yahooグループ。やがて徐々にですが、コミケに参加しながら、私はお気に入りとなる、また別のサークルを見つけるようになり、メールで連絡を取って、数年前に描いたような古い作品を出版出来ないかどうか訊ねてみました。それには理由があって、ほとんどのマンガ家は古い作品のことは気に留めなくなるし、そういった作品は誰からもライセンスされたり、思い出されたりすることもないからです。新しい作品は大事だけれども、８年前の作品なら……ああ、好きにしていいよ、という風に。
私は何をすべきか全くわからぬまま、ライセンスや出版をしていくようになったのです。まるで知識がなかった出版とライセンス双方の面で、私は厳しい学習局面を経てきました(特に出版については、当初「同人誌」を出版するコンセプトをアメリカで再構築しようとしていた計画が、突然実際の「本」を出版することに変わっていきましたから)。
この種のことにおいて、私は最悪のお手本でしょうけれど、私はいつもこうなんです。やり方など知らないうちに事を始めて、それからやり方自体を新しく考え出していく。他人に訊きたくないのではなく、そもそも他の人達と同じことをやっているわけではないのですから。そして全て理解する頃には、ルール自体を変えてしまうのです。なぜなら同じことを何度も何度も繰り返すのは嫌いだからです。
けれど今は、私が変えてしまえるようになるのよりも早く、ルール自体が変化していっています。だからここでメッセージがあります －「訊いて失うものは何もない」のです。たくさんのマンガ家さんがTwitterで発言していますし、ブログも持っていれば、メールでも連絡が取れます。大好きなマンガ家に連絡をして、作品を出版出来るかどうか訊ねることで失うものは、「何もない」のです。起こり得る一番最悪のことは、返事がもらえなかったり、もらえても断られてしまうことです。そうすれば落ち込んでもしまうでしょうけれど、気を取り直して、また進んでいけばいいのです。
奇跡は助けになりますけれど、自分自身で奇跡を作り出していくことも出来ます。イベントに参加し……いえ、開催しましょう。描いて書いて、どうやって本が出版されるのかを学び、ライセンシングについて勉強し、インターンとして企業に赴き、コミケに行って、マンガ家さんに自分を紹介しなさい。彼らとコミュニケートするのです。関係を築くのです。人々と会話をしなさい。あなたに力を貸してくれる人が、きっとたくさん必要になります。私も今やっていることを、自分だけでやっているわけではないのです。私には、助力してくれる最高に素晴らしい人達がいてくれるのです。リカさんはもちろんですが、Erin S.、Mari Morimotoさん, Komatsuさん、そしてAnaのような人々、マンガ家ご自身達、私のスタッフや編集者さん達、果てのない様々な私の話に耳を傾けなくてはならない友人達、それから当然、私のパートナー、世界中の貢献してくれるみなさん。私がやってきたどんなことも、ただひとつさえ、私1人で成し遂げたものではありません。全て「私達みんな」で成し遂げてきたことなのです。共に力を合わせて。
ALC Publishingは小さな小さな出版社だということを考えてみてください。私達はけっして大企業ではありませんし、ほんのわずかの予算で働かなくてはならないこともしばしばです。このストーリーはVIZ MediaやTOKYOPOPのお話ではありません。あなた自身が主人公になれるストーリーなのです。
マンガをライセンスするのは難しくて複雑ですか？ その通りです。
誰かに薦めますか？ もちろんです。
今回の教訓- 「もしあなたが世界を変えなければ、他の誰かが変えてしまうでしょう。どうしてそれがあなたではいけないのでしょう？ 訊ねてみて失うものなど、何もないのですから」
(小松さんによる翻訳)
What Women Want From Comics
You may have noticed that Marvel, DC and their various imprints have been expressing confusion for some years as to "what women want" from comics. Call it ingenuous or clueless, I know I am not alone in being confused as to why it is just so freaking *hard* for the men in charge of these companies to figure out what women want. So, I thought I would help them.
I set up a (completely non-scientific) poll and asked woman who read comics to answer the questions. I had no particular agenda, but there will be inevitable bias, as I am human, with thoughts and experiences of my own. I received 424 completed responses.
Here are the questions I asked and the responses I received:
1. When you were young, did you read comic books you bought for yourself? (As opposed to reading your brothers' comics or getting them from a parent or relative.)
1. Yes 286 67.77%
2. No 136 32.23%
2. What kind of comic books did you buy most (Choose One)?
1. Superhero 249 59.86%
2. Romance 7 1.68%
3. Horror 9 2.16%
4. War 0 0.00%
5. Manga 94 22.60%
6. Other 57 13.70%
3. Thinking about your favorite character from the comic books you read (or *a* favorite character) were they:
1. Female 242 57.89%
2. Male 176 42.11%
4. Still thinking about your favorite character, were they special because of:
1. Something they had (a magical object or talisman) 12 2.86%
2. Something they were (A Princess, a God, an Alien, etc.) 55 13.10%
3. Something they did (fought bad guys, solved mysteries) 147 35.00%
4. Some innate quality (a beloved icon, a charismatic leader, a furious fighter, a persistent snoop, etc.) 206 49.05%
5. Thinking about that favorite character, or any characters you liked the most what description below would best describe them? (Choose all that apply)
1. Voluptuous 51 1.79%
2. Hard-bodied 97 3.40%
3. Outgoing/Friendly 189 6.63%
4. Tactiturn 72 2.53%
5. Idealized 91 3.19%
6. Realistic 154 5.41%
7. Popular 76 2.67%
8. Loner 161 5.65%
9. Ambitious 162 5.69%
10. Laid-back 83 2.91%
11. Princely 14 0.49%
12. Princessly 35 1.23%
13. Heroic 267 9.37%
14. Damsel in Distress 16 0.56%
15. Chaste 24 0.84%
16. Sensual 98 3.44%
17. Weak 16 0.56%
18. Strong 320 11.23%
19. Driven by Emotion 208 7.30%
20. Driven by Reason 162 5.69%
21. Fighting for Justice 295 10.35%
22. Fighting for Revenge 86 3.02%
23. Fighting to Save Humanity 172 6.04%
6. Thinking about comics you read now, are you likely to seek out the same kinds of characters as you described above?
1. Very likely 200 47.51%
2. Somewhat Likely 137 32.54%
3. Neither Here nor There 55 13.06%
4. Somewhat Unlikely 21 4.99%
5. Very Unlikely 8 1.90%
I also asked two text questions:
Please describe the ideal character you would have liked to have seen in a comic as a child (to the best of your ability to do so.)
and
Please describe the ideal character that you would like to see in a comic now.
For the all responses to the text questions - including the excitingly predictably attempts at trolling (you can tell because they contain synonyms for "penis") - please visit this link. For the full results of the questions above, go here.
I will take the liberty of summarizing the results of this poll, as *I* interpret them.
Dear Marvel and DC -
Women read comics. Women who read comics have been reading comics since they were children, just like men who read comics.
Women who already read your comics like superheros - male or female - who are strong, independent and who fight for justice.
Women who already read your comics would like to see female superheros with a dark side, and who don't need to be rescued, but can find their way out of danger *on their own.*
Women who already read your comics, would like to see more diversity, including more superheros of color, more LGBT characters and more body-type diversity.
Above all, women who already read your comics, would like to see you figure out that what women want isn't that complicated.
Sincerely,
Women Who Read And Buy Comics
I set up a (completely non-scientific) poll and asked woman who read comics to answer the questions. I had no particular agenda, but there will be inevitable bias, as I am human, with thoughts and experiences of my own. I received 424 completed responses.
Here are the questions I asked and the responses I received:
1. When you were young, did you read comic books you bought for yourself? (As opposed to reading your brothers' comics or getting them from a parent or relative.)
1. Yes 286 67.77%
2. No 136 32.23%
2. What kind of comic books did you buy most (Choose One)?
1. Superhero 249 59.86%
2. Romance 7 1.68%
3. Horror 9 2.16%
4. War 0 0.00%
5. Manga 94 22.60%
6. Other 57 13.70%
3. Thinking about your favorite character from the comic books you read (or *a* favorite character) were they:
1. Female 242 57.89%
2. Male 176 42.11%
4. Still thinking about your favorite character, were they special because of:
1. Something they had (a magical object or talisman) 12 2.86%
2. Something they were (A Princess, a God, an Alien, etc.) 55 13.10%
3. Something they did (fought bad guys, solved mysteries) 147 35.00%
4. Some innate quality (a beloved icon, a charismatic leader, a furious fighter, a persistent snoop, etc.) 206 49.05%
5. Thinking about that favorite character, or any characters you liked the most what description below would best describe them? (Choose all that apply)
1. Voluptuous 51 1.79%
2. Hard-bodied 97 3.40%
3. Outgoing/Friendly 189 6.63%
4. Tactiturn 72 2.53%
5. Idealized 91 3.19%
6. Realistic 154 5.41%
7. Popular 76 2.67%
8. Loner 161 5.65%
9. Ambitious 162 5.69%
10. Laid-back 83 2.91%
11. Princely 14 0.49%
12. Princessly 35 1.23%
13. Heroic 267 9.37%
14. Damsel in Distress 16 0.56%
15. Chaste 24 0.84%
16. Sensual 98 3.44%
17. Weak 16 0.56%
18. Strong 320 11.23%
19. Driven by Emotion 208 7.30%
20. Driven by Reason 162 5.69%
21. Fighting for Justice 295 10.35%
22. Fighting for Revenge 86 3.02%
23. Fighting to Save Humanity 172 6.04%
6. Thinking about comics you read now, are you likely to seek out the same kinds of characters as you described above?
1. Very likely 200 47.51%
2. Somewhat Likely 137 32.54%
3. Neither Here nor There 55 13.06%
4. Somewhat Unlikely 21 4.99%
5. Very Unlikely 8 1.90%
I also asked two text questions:
Please describe the ideal character you would have liked to have seen in a comic as a child (to the best of your ability to do so.)
and
Please describe the ideal character that you would like to see in a comic now.
For the all responses to the text questions - including the excitingly predictably attempts at trolling (you can tell because they contain synonyms for "penis") - please visit this link. For the full results of the questions above, go here.
I will take the liberty of summarizing the results of this poll, as *I* interpret them.
Dear Marvel and DC -
Women read comics. Women who read comics have been reading comics since they were children, just like men who read comics.
Women who already read your comics like superheros - male or female - who are strong, independent and who fight for justice.
Women who already read your comics would like to see female superheros with a dark side, and who don't need to be rescued, but can find their way out of danger *on their own.*
Women who already read your comics, would like to see more diversity, including more superheros of color, more LGBT characters and more body-type diversity.
Above all, women who already read your comics, would like to see you figure out that what women want isn't that complicated.
Sincerely,
Women Who Read And Buy Comics
Top Ten Yuri Manga of 2010
As always, writing this list is a struggle. Am I telling you the 10 I liked the most? Including lesser titles because I know you can get a copy? Am I merging English and Japanese titles to fill spaces, or separating them so I can include more?
There was a nice pile of manga on my possibles list when all was said and done, so I am going to separate out the English titles, otherwise they'd never appear on the list at all. Which means you're getting a Top 5 in each language.
Let me remind you, as I always do, that these lists are *in my opinion* and therefore may not be your opinion. You are most welcome to add items you feel were noteworthy in the comments. Without further ado, here are my Top Yuri Manga Lists for 2010
Top Five Yuri Manga in English
10) Jormungand - Right, the Yuri is barely there, but what there is is openly portrayed for the one-sided (but not rejected or mocked) crush it is. Otherwise, it's a ridiculous story full of guns and chases and people dying - i.e, a good action story.
9) K-ON! - One of the abiding qualities of anime and manga fandom is the insistence on seeing relationships where there are none. Mugi does that for you, so you don't have to. Oh and by the way, the series is a delightful slice-of-life comic strip with charming characters.
8) Azumanga Daioh Omnibus - Azumanga Daioh was the first 4-koma style story to make it big over here, very likely because the anime hit first. It set the bar for those following it and when Yen put out a new edition, they brought us back to that magical moment when we discovered the Japanese comic strip. For letting us relive that, and reminding us what we're looking for, the new edition gets #3 on this list.
7) Hayate x Blade - I'm not done talking about this series, even though this may or may not be it for us in English. (I don't know Seven Seas' plans any more than you do, so don't ask.) For getting as far as Hitsugi and Shizuku being awesome in battle (background music and all) and giving us the slightest taste of Sid and Nancy, as well as all the wonderful shinyuu pairs and their Yuri-ish sensibility, Hayate x Blade is forever in my Top Two.
6) Gunsmith Cats Burst - The final moment of this series came with exactly the right note of melancholy, hope, sex and danger. Surrounded by car chases, gun fights, explosions and drugs, Rally Vincent conceded the one thing she could never truly keep to Goldie. And the story bowed out with a recognition of all that we had ever thought was true. In English, in the year 2010, this is my Top Yuri Manga.
***
Top Five Yuri Manga in Japanese
5) Ohana Holo Holo - This story was an unexpected find. It's not a "Yuri story," but this tale of an alternative family far surpasses the confines of any category. A past love shapes a current relationship and there's some sense that that love may not yet be dead. However, that's not the point of the story. The point is that the family we make is as strong as any family we are born into. This is an excellent manga and I look forward to more.
4) Octave/GIRL FRIENDS/Aoi Hana/Renai Joshika/Sasamekikoto - These series are all, in their own way, creating a revolution. Dramatic, funny, sexy, cute, every one of these books did something special - they looked at love between women not as a fetish, but as a relationship. These books took us step by step through the process of feeling scared, ecstatic, alone, fulfilled, all the many and various ways that we can feel when we find ourselves attracted to another woman. These stories capture everything from first love to old loves rekindled in an refreshingly honest, no-punches-pulled way. This is the revolution we've been waiting for. Here it is. Girls loving girls, women loving women, portrayed with honesty and depth by artists who care to tell a story, not just frame a sex scene.
(Yes, yes, this is a cheat, by making this a 5-way tie, but it's because the stories themselves take back seat to the intent here. I can sleep at night with this, so don't complain. ^_^)
3) Rakuen Le Paradis - By far and away, my favorite of the quarterly anthologies I'm reading right now. Artists I like, telling stories I like, with a decidedly "talking to the adults in the room" flavor. This is not for the kiddies, and moe fans will be turned right off by most of what's here. This is the magazine I've been waiting for for years. If I could give Yuri Hime one piece of advice, I suggest it use Rakuen as a role-model, so it grows up into a beautiful, poised woman.
I almost fudged this again and went for a tie. But no, I'm going to force myself to make a decision. It could have easily gone the other way. But here we go. My top two series of the year are:
2) Gunjo - There's just about nothing left I can say about this series that I haven't already said. Nakamura Ching-sensei is one of my heroes. She tells this remarkable story with her whole heart and soul and every single chapter I am flattened by it. Volume 1 is one of my prize possessions. Brutal, dark, touching, sublime...this series is still the most amazing thing I have ever read and I still have no idea where she's going with it. Like I said, this easily could have been Number 1 this year. Gunjo is a masterwork.
1) Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi - The sole reason this series made number 1 is because it led the pack in bringing Yuri back to shoujo manga. Yuri in seinen has never been a surprise, and in shounen has been used as a plot complication for many years, and it's resurgence in josei has been on the rise for the past few years...the one place it was missing was shoujo. Shoujo Yuri is what got me into the genre and this series, this child of Maria-sama ga Miteru and Strawberry Panic!, has led the genre back full-circle. The series is utterly melodramatic, romantic, creepy, sexy - a perfect Yuri soap opera. Because I'm apparently a sap for Yuri in shoujo manga, Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi makes my #1 spot for the year.
What was your top ten for 2010? I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments!
There was a nice pile of manga on my possibles list when all was said and done, so I am going to separate out the English titles, otherwise they'd never appear on the list at all. Which means you're getting a Top 5 in each language.
Let me remind you, as I always do, that these lists are *in my opinion* and therefore may not be your opinion. You are most welcome to add items you feel were noteworthy in the comments. Without further ado, here are my Top Yuri Manga Lists for 2010
Top Five Yuri Manga in English
10) Jormungand - Right, the Yuri is barely there, but what there is is openly portrayed for the one-sided (but not rejected or mocked) crush it is. Otherwise, it's a ridiculous story full of guns and chases and people dying - i.e, a good action story.
9) K-ON! - One of the abiding qualities of anime and manga fandom is the insistence on seeing relationships where there are none. Mugi does that for you, so you don't have to. Oh and by the way, the series is a delightful slice-of-life comic strip with charming characters.
8) Azumanga Daioh Omnibus - Azumanga Daioh was the first 4-koma style story to make it big over here, very likely because the anime hit first. It set the bar for those following it and when Yen put out a new edition, they brought us back to that magical moment when we discovered the Japanese comic strip. For letting us relive that, and reminding us what we're looking for, the new edition gets #3 on this list.
7) Hayate x Blade - I'm not done talking about this series, even though this may or may not be it for us in English. (I don't know Seven Seas' plans any more than you do, so don't ask.) For getting as far as Hitsugi and Shizuku being awesome in battle (background music and all) and giving us the slightest taste of Sid and Nancy, as well as all the wonderful shinyuu pairs and their Yuri-ish sensibility, Hayate x Blade is forever in my Top Two.
6) Gunsmith Cats Burst - The final moment of this series came with exactly the right note of melancholy, hope, sex and danger. Surrounded by car chases, gun fights, explosions and drugs, Rally Vincent conceded the one thing she could never truly keep to Goldie. And the story bowed out with a recognition of all that we had ever thought was true. In English, in the year 2010, this is my Top Yuri Manga.
***
Top Five Yuri Manga in Japanese
5) Ohana Holo Holo - This story was an unexpected find. It's not a "Yuri story," but this tale of an alternative family far surpasses the confines of any category. A past love shapes a current relationship and there's some sense that that love may not yet be dead. However, that's not the point of the story. The point is that the family we make is as strong as any family we are born into. This is an excellent manga and I look forward to more.
4) Octave/GIRL FRIENDS/Aoi Hana/Renai Joshika/Sasamekikoto - These series are all, in their own way, creating a revolution. Dramatic, funny, sexy, cute, every one of these books did something special - they looked at love between women not as a fetish, but as a relationship. These books took us step by step through the process of feeling scared, ecstatic, alone, fulfilled, all the many and various ways that we can feel when we find ourselves attracted to another woman. These stories capture everything from first love to old loves rekindled in an refreshingly honest, no-punches-pulled way. This is the revolution we've been waiting for. Here it is. Girls loving girls, women loving women, portrayed with honesty and depth by artists who care to tell a story, not just frame a sex scene.
(Yes, yes, this is a cheat, by making this a 5-way tie, but it's because the stories themselves take back seat to the intent here. I can sleep at night with this, so don't complain. ^_^)
3) Rakuen Le Paradis - By far and away, my favorite of the quarterly anthologies I'm reading right now. Artists I like, telling stories I like, with a decidedly "talking to the adults in the room" flavor. This is not for the kiddies, and moe fans will be turned right off by most of what's here. This is the magazine I've been waiting for for years. If I could give Yuri Hime one piece of advice, I suggest it use Rakuen as a role-model, so it grows up into a beautiful, poised woman.
I almost fudged this again and went for a tie. But no, I'm going to force myself to make a decision. It could have easily gone the other way. But here we go. My top two series of the year are:
2) Gunjo - There's just about nothing left I can say about this series that I haven't already said. Nakamura Ching-sensei is one of my heroes. She tells this remarkable story with her whole heart and soul and every single chapter I am flattened by it. Volume 1 is one of my prize possessions. Brutal, dark, touching, sublime...this series is still the most amazing thing I have ever read and I still have no idea where she's going with it. Like I said, this easily could have been Number 1 this year. Gunjo is a masterwork.
1) Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi - The sole reason this series made number 1 is because it led the pack in bringing Yuri back to shoujo manga. Yuri in seinen has never been a surprise, and in shounen has been used as a plot complication for many years, and it's resurgence in josei has been on the rise for the past few years...the one place it was missing was shoujo. Shoujo Yuri is what got me into the genre and this series, this child of Maria-sama ga Miteru and Strawberry Panic!, has led the genre back full-circle. The series is utterly melodramatic, romantic, creepy, sexy - a perfect Yuri soap opera. Because I'm apparently a sap for Yuri in shoujo manga, Nobara no Mori no Otome-tachi makes my #1 spot for the year.
What was your top ten for 2010? I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments!
Who Will Think of the Children? 誰が子供達のことを考えてくれるのか？
日本語で
This morning, the Tokyo Assembly passed the Healthy Youth Development Ordinance, a set of laws that requires the regulation of drawn materials that show explicit or "unhealthful" (quotes are mine) behaviors. This ordinance includes sex scenes with minors, incest and, while it is not specifically stated, I believe that materials with homosexual content will be targeted as well. Unsurprisingly, the Japanese mangaka are up in arms about it and a few of us in the industry also are not too pleased.
With the caveat that I am not a lawyer or politician, I know nothing about Japanese law and I'm basically making this up as a I go along, here are some thoughts I, speaking as as President of Yuricon and ALC Publishing - and as a writer - have on the topic. These thoughts are unordered and unfocused, as I struggle to understand the motivations behind this law, the repercussions of it passing and what, if anything, we can do about it.
I don't think this ordinance is the end of the world, but I do think it will hasten the end of the printed manga industry. Readers all over the world have been waiting for the push that will provide them with online versions of their favorite comics. I believe that this law will be that push. It will force publishing companies to move more explicit work underground - the online world is eminently suited for that. Less questionable materials will follow, because printing on paper costs more than not printing on paper and distribution costs less for digital material.
There is a provision for the industry to self-regulate and, like most obscenity laws, this one may be hard to enforce, except for when someone is running for office and picks some scapegoat to make an example of. (As happened with Christopher Handley, who was sacrificed to a campaign strategy.)
I worry a bit about group shows like Comiket. Like Tokyo Anime Fair, it is held in Tokyo, where the ordinance has been passed. If you were a creator of materials that are regulatable, would you bring them to a public show right now? Consider that the law goes into effect on July 1, but in the half million people at Winter Comiket, there may be people who will be tasked with rounding up the creators next summer. Sure, it could go underground, become "a hydra," but what does that do for an already tenuous industry? It pushes extreme fetishists under the table to continue doing what they are doing, and leaves all the other creators sort of out there to be harassed. Probable? No. Possible? Yes.
What bothers me most about this is that it is exactly the kind of stunt that people who have stashes of child porn pull instead of actually trying to do anything to make actual children safer. Real child porn is not covered under this act - only drawn stuff. And, based on bill sponsor and Governor of Tokyo Ishihara Shintarou's recent statements about LGBT people being genetically deficient and pathetic, I can see that an easy target can be made of LGBT-themed content. Ishihara has recently made some very controversial comments about women, the LGBT community, foreign influence and "protecting" children. Stepping back from the issue of manga at all, it seems apparent to me that he has begun to wage a war against gays, women and children. This cannot be a good trend.
Ultimately, I believe children need to be protected from *actual* neglect, abuse and violence....not ideas.What this law does do is require me to speak up in support for materials that I personally find offensive, because I believe in freedom of expression. (I wonder how many of the lolicon out there would do the same for me, because I bet not a whole lot would, if LGBT content, especially Boy's Love - for which the audience is mostly women - were to be targeted. I'd like to be wrong about that.)
Now, if you're reading about this law, frothing at the mouth, I'd like you to think - when was the last time you wrote your own governing representatives and asked them to support freedoms for everyone? (For instance US folks, the US Senate was discussing repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell - did you call your Senator and let them know that you support repeal?) Because right now there are a lot of people running your own governments that are pulling stuff like this every day, and if you're not policing your own back yard, you don't have the right to comment on your neighbor's. Freedom of expression and civil rights are issues we all must fight for, not just in regards to manga from Japan.
I am not a proponent of outrage. It accomplishes nothing. What we need to do is figure out how to protect our (and our children's) rights to thinking and expressing our/themselves freely. Then do it.
I don't know what we can do to support the Japanese manga industry other than to buy books. Money goes a long way to helping fix things and it shows your support in a concrete way. If the Japanese manga industry publishes a statement detailing any way we can support them other than that, I will be sure to pass it along.
Here in the US, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was created to support, protect and fight for the rights of comics creators and vendors. If you haven't yet joined them, now is a good time. And the ACLU - who does indeed fight for the rights of people you may not agree with or care about, to say things that may upset you, was created exactly for that very reason - to defend freedom of expression.
I'm not a really good political leader, I rarely have good rallying cries. But I remember my own childhood - the kinds of things I read, drew and wrote and I can only think that I'm terribly glad my parents did not "protect" me from anything. Censorship does not solve any real problems, it just masks them.
Comments are open, but please avoid teeth-gnashing, froth-spewing tirades against "Them." I'd love to see creative thoughts on expressions of support for the Japanese manga and anime industry.
***
アメリカ時間の今朝、性的あるいは「不健全な」(括弧は筆者による)行為を含むマンガなどの規制を課する一連の法案の、東京都青少年健全育成条例改正案が、都議会総務委員会で可決されました。この条例による規制には未成年者との性行為、近親相姦が含まれていて、また明確には規定されていないものの、同性愛を描く作品についても同じように対象にされていると、私は考えています。驚くべきことではありませんが、日本のマンガ家さん達はこれについて憤慨しており、業界にいる私達の幾人かも、決して喜ばしいものではないと思っています。
私は弁護士でも政治家でもありませんし、日本の法律についての知識も持ち合わせてはおらず、単に思いついたことを述べていくだけであることを、まず申し上げておきますけれど、YuriconとALC Publishingの代表(そして一人の作家)として、この話題に関していくつか発言しておきたいことがあります。うまく整理も、まとめられてもいませんが、この条例の背後にある意図や、可決されてしまったことへの反響を理解しようと努力し、もし可能なら、私達に何が出来るかを考えてみました。
この条例によって全てが終わってしまうわけではないでしょうけれど、印刷マンガ業界の終わりを早めていくだろうとは思っています。世界中の読者達が、お気に入りの作品がオンライン版で供給されるための後押しをずっと待ち望んでいます。おそらくはこの条例がそのきっかけになるでしょう。出版社達はより性的な作品をアンダーグラウンドへ移行させることを強いられていくでしょうし、ネット世界はそのためにふさわしい場所です。それほど問題視されないだろう作品もそれに続くでしょう。というのも、印刷しない方が当然コストはかかりませんし、デジタル配信の方がその費用も安く済むからです。 業界の自主規制についての条項もありますが、ほとんどの猥褻物に対する法律と同様に、うまく施行されるのは難しいかもしれません。政権の座にある誰かが、見せしめのためのスケープゴートを選び出そうとする時以外は、ですけど(選挙対策の犠牲となった、クリストファー・ハンドレーの身に起きたように)。
コミケのようなグループ展についても不安が少しあります。東京アニメフェアと同じく、条例が可決される東京で開催されるからです。もしあなたが規制されてしまうような内容の作品の作者だったら、いまその作品を、一般に公開されているイベントに持ち込みますか？ 新しい条例が施行されるのは来年の7月1日からですけれど、コミケに集まる50万人もの人々の中には、次の夏のコミケに向けてクリエイター達を集めている人達もいるでしょう。確かにそういった作品はアンダーグラウンドに潜り、「決して解決出来ない問題」になっていくかもしれません。けれど、既に傾きつつある業界に対する影響はどうでしょうか。過激なフェティシスト達は影に潜み、同じような作品を作り続ける一方で、他の全てのクリエイター達が苦しまされ続けていくようなことになるのでしょうか。現実にはありえなさそうでも、理屈ではそう考えられます。
私が最も気に入らないは、これが、チャイルドポルノを隠し持っている人達が、現実に存在する子供達をより安全にするための、実際の様々な努力の代わりに行おうとしている、まさに注目を引くためだけの行為に過ぎないことです。現実の子供達によるチャイルドポルノは、この条例では対象にはされておらず、描かれたものだけです。さらに、条例の支持者や、LGBT(レズビアン・ゲイ・バイセクシュアル・トランスジェンダー)の人達は遺伝的に足りなくて可哀相であるという、石原慎太郎東京都知事による最近の発言からすれば、LGBTをテーマにした作品がたやすい標的になってしまうことを想像してしまいます。石原都知事は近年、女性やLGBTコミュニティ、外国からの影響、そして子供達の「保護」についての、かなり議論を呼ぶ発言をしています。マンガについての問題を全く別にしても、彼はゲイや女性、子供達に対する戦いを始めようとしているのが明白なように、私には思えます。これは決して、よい傾向ではありません。
ともあれ私自身、子供達は、「現実の」無関心や虐待・暴力から守られるべきだと信じていますが、頭の中の「考え」からではないと思います。この条例が行おうとしていることによって、私は、私自身が過激だと思うような作品を守るために発言することを求められています。なぜなら、私は表現の自由を信じているからです(世にいるロリコンの方々のどれだけが私のために発言してくれるでしょうか。LGBT作品、特に読者のほとんどが女性であるボーイズラブ作品が標的にされるのなら、そんなに多くではないのだろうと思います。これについては間違っていて欲しいですけど)
口から泡をふいて、この条例についての文章を読んでいるなら、ちょっと考えてみて欲しいのです。あなたが最後に、政府の代表に手紙を書いて、全ての人への自由の支持を訴えたのはいつのことですか？(例えばアメリカの方々、アメリカ上院は”Don't Ask Don't Tell”政策の撤回について議論していましたけれど、あなたの州の議員に手紙を出して、撤回を支持していることを伝えたりしましたか？) いまはあなたの政府にいる多くの人達がこのような施策を行おうと常にしています、まずあなたが自分自身の裏庭についてきちんと主張を示していない限り、他人の家の庭について意見する権利はないのです。表現の自由と人権は、日本からやってくるマンガについてだけではなく、私達全てが戦っていかなくてはならない問題なのです。
私は激しく怒ることを支持している者ではありません。それではなにも成し遂げられないからです。私達がすべきことは、自分達自身について自由に思い、表現する私達(そして私達の子供達)の権利を、どうやって守るのか、考えていくことです。そしてそれを実行しましょう。実際にマンガを購入すること以外に、日本のマンガ業界をどう助けられるのか、私にはわかりません。利益があれば色々な物事の助けになりますし、あなた自身の支持を、はっきりとした形で示すことが出来ます。もし日本のマンガ業界が、それ以外にサポート出来る方法について表明してくれるなら、必ずそれを広めていきます。
ここアメリカでは、Comic Book Legal Defense Fundという団体が、コミックの作者や業者達の権利をサポートし、守り、そして戦っていくために設立されました。もしまだ参加していないのなら、良い機会です。それからACLU(アメリカ自由人権協会)－賛成出来ないかもしれないし関心もないかもしれない人々の権利や、あなたを怒らせるかもしれない意見を表明する権利のために戦っています－も、まさに同じ理由、表現の自由を守るために設立されています。
私は優れた政治的リーダーというわけではありませんし、うまいスローガンを思いつけたこともほとんどありません。でも、私は子供の頃を思い出すのです－読んだものや、描き、書いたものなどを。そして私の両親がどんなことからも私を「保護」しなかったことを本当に嬉しいと、ただ思うのです。検閲は現実に存在する問題を解決することは決して出来ません。ただ、隠すだけなのです。
(小松さんによる翻訳)
***
Update: For much more coherent thoughts on the topic, please read Dan Kanemitsu's blog post.
2nd Update: Brian Ruh on Twitter has pointed out that this Ordinance focuses on companies and their access to distribution, not creators, so at least for the moment, Comiket and other markets are not targeted. Creators of doujinshi already are required to label anything explicit with 18+ warnings, so there is unlikely to be an immediate backlash there. He does note - and I agree - that this law may disproportionately affect shoujo and josei (and I would also add BL) manga.
3rd Update: Thanks very much to Komatsu-san for the translation into Japanese!
4th Update: The Bill has passed the full assembly. Please read the following commentary for a better understanding of why I believe this Bill will be used to wage war on shoujo, BL and GL materials:
http://dankanemitsu.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/tokyo-assembly-passes-bill-156-anti-anime-and-manga-bill-is-now-law/ - Dan Kanemitsu
http://www.tcj.com/history/26720/ - Roland Kelts
These two gentlemen are far, far more versed in the Japanese industry than I am.
This morning, the Tokyo Assembly passed the Healthy Youth Development Ordinance, a set of laws that requires the regulation of drawn materials that show explicit or "unhealthful" (quotes are mine) behaviors. This ordinance includes sex scenes with minors, incest and, while it is not specifically stated, I believe that materials with homosexual content will be targeted as well. Unsurprisingly, the Japanese mangaka are up in arms about it and a few of us in the industry also are not too pleased.
With the caveat that I am not a lawyer or politician, I know nothing about Japanese law and I'm basically making this up as a I go along, here are some thoughts I, speaking as as President of Yuricon and ALC Publishing - and as a writer - have on the topic. These thoughts are unordered and unfocused, as I struggle to understand the motivations behind this law, the repercussions of it passing and what, if anything, we can do about it.
I don't think this ordinance is the end of the world, but I do think it will hasten the end of the printed manga industry. Readers all over the world have been waiting for the push that will provide them with online versions of their favorite comics. I believe that this law will be that push. It will force publishing companies to move more explicit work underground - the online world is eminently suited for that. Less questionable materials will follow, because printing on paper costs more than not printing on paper and distribution costs less for digital material.
There is a provision for the industry to self-regulate and, like most obscenity laws, this one may be hard to enforce, except for when someone is running for office and picks some scapegoat to make an example of. (As happened with Christopher Handley, who was sacrificed to a campaign strategy.)
I worry a bit about group shows like Comiket. Like Tokyo Anime Fair, it is held in Tokyo, where the ordinance has been passed. If you were a creator of materials that are regulatable, would you bring them to a public show right now? Consider that the law goes into effect on July 1, but in the half million people at Winter Comiket, there may be people who will be tasked with rounding up the creators next summer. Sure, it could go underground, become "a hydra," but what does that do for an already tenuous industry? It pushes extreme fetishists under the table to continue doing what they are doing, and leaves all the other creators sort of out there to be harassed. Probable? No. Possible? Yes.
What bothers me most about this is that it is exactly the kind of stunt that people who have stashes of child porn pull instead of actually trying to do anything to make actual children safer. Real child porn is not covered under this act - only drawn stuff. And, based on bill sponsor and Governor of Tokyo Ishihara Shintarou's recent statements about LGBT people being genetically deficient and pathetic, I can see that an easy target can be made of LGBT-themed content. Ishihara has recently made some very controversial comments about women, the LGBT community, foreign influence and "protecting" children. Stepping back from the issue of manga at all, it seems apparent to me that he has begun to wage a war against gays, women and children. This cannot be a good trend.
Ultimately, I believe children need to be protected from *actual* neglect, abuse and violence....not ideas.What this law does do is require me to speak up in support for materials that I personally find offensive, because I believe in freedom of expression. (I wonder how many of the lolicon out there would do the same for me, because I bet not a whole lot would, if LGBT content, especially Boy's Love - for which the audience is mostly women - were to be targeted. I'd like to be wrong about that.)
Now, if you're reading about this law, frothing at the mouth, I'd like you to think - when was the last time you wrote your own governing representatives and asked them to support freedoms for everyone? (For instance US folks, the US Senate was discussing repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell - did you call your Senator and let them know that you support repeal?) Because right now there are a lot of people running your own governments that are pulling stuff like this every day, and if you're not policing your own back yard, you don't have the right to comment on your neighbor's. Freedom of expression and civil rights are issues we all must fight for, not just in regards to manga from Japan.
I am not a proponent of outrage. It accomplishes nothing. What we need to do is figure out how to protect our (and our children's) rights to thinking and expressing our/themselves freely. Then do it.
I don't know what we can do to support the Japanese manga industry other than to buy books. Money goes a long way to helping fix things and it shows your support in a concrete way. If the Japanese manga industry publishes a statement detailing any way we can support them other than that, I will be sure to pass it along.
Here in the US, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was created to support, protect and fight for the rights of comics creators and vendors. If you haven't yet joined them, now is a good time. And the ACLU - who does indeed fight for the rights of people you may not agree with or care about, to say things that may upset you, was created exactly for that very reason - to defend freedom of expression.
I'm not a really good political leader, I rarely have good rallying cries. But I remember my own childhood - the kinds of things I read, drew and wrote and I can only think that I'm terribly glad my parents did not "protect" me from anything. Censorship does not solve any real problems, it just masks them.
Comments are open, but please avoid teeth-gnashing, froth-spewing tirades against "Them." I'd love to see creative thoughts on expressions of support for the Japanese manga and anime industry.
***
アメリカ時間の今朝、性的あるいは「不健全な」(括弧は筆者による)行為を含むマンガなどの規制を課する一連の法案の、東京都青少年健全育成条例改正案が、都議会総務委員会で可決されました。この条例による規制には未成年者との性行為、近親相姦が含まれていて、また明確には規定されていないものの、同性愛を描く作品についても同じように対象にされていると、私は考えています。驚くべきことではありませんが、日本のマンガ家さん達はこれについて憤慨しており、業界にいる私達の幾人かも、決して喜ばしいものではないと思っています。
私は弁護士でも政治家でもありませんし、日本の法律についての知識も持ち合わせてはおらず、単に思いついたことを述べていくだけであることを、まず申し上げておきますけれど、YuriconとALC Publishingの代表(そして一人の作家)として、この話題に関していくつか発言しておきたいことがあります。うまく整理も、まとめられてもいませんが、この条例の背後にある意図や、可決されてしまったことへの反響を理解しようと努力し、もし可能なら、私達に何が出来るかを考えてみました。
この条例によって全てが終わってしまうわけではないでしょうけれど、印刷マンガ業界の終わりを早めていくだろうとは思っています。世界中の読者達が、お気に入りの作品がオンライン版で供給されるための後押しをずっと待ち望んでいます。おそらくはこの条例がそのきっかけになるでしょう。出版社達はより性的な作品をアンダーグラウンドへ移行させることを強いられていくでしょうし、ネット世界はそのためにふさわしい場所です。それほど問題視されないだろう作品もそれに続くでしょう。というのも、印刷しない方が当然コストはかかりませんし、デジタル配信の方がその費用も安く済むからです。 業界の自主規制についての条項もありますが、ほとんどの猥褻物に対する法律と同様に、うまく施行されるのは難しいかもしれません。政権の座にある誰かが、見せしめのためのスケープゴートを選び出そうとする時以外は、ですけど(選挙対策の犠牲となった、クリストファー・ハンドレーの身に起きたように)。
コミケのようなグループ展についても不安が少しあります。東京アニメフェアと同じく、条例が可決される東京で開催されるからです。もしあなたが規制されてしまうような内容の作品の作者だったら、いまその作品を、一般に公開されているイベントに持ち込みますか？ 新しい条例が施行されるのは来年の7月1日からですけれど、コミケに集まる50万人もの人々の中には、次の夏のコミケに向けてクリエイター達を集めている人達もいるでしょう。確かにそういった作品はアンダーグラウンドに潜り、「決して解決出来ない問題」になっていくかもしれません。けれど、既に傾きつつある業界に対する影響はどうでしょうか。過激なフェティシスト達は影に潜み、同じような作品を作り続ける一方で、他の全てのクリエイター達が苦しまされ続けていくようなことになるのでしょうか。現実にはありえなさそうでも、理屈ではそう考えられます。
私が最も気に入らないは、これが、チャイルドポルノを隠し持っている人達が、現実に存在する子供達をより安全にするための、実際の様々な努力の代わりに行おうとしている、まさに注目を引くためだけの行為に過ぎないことです。現実の子供達によるチャイルドポルノは、この条例では対象にはされておらず、描かれたものだけです。さらに、条例の支持者や、LGBT(レズビアン・ゲイ・バイセクシュアル・トランスジェンダー)の人達は遺伝的に足りなくて可哀相であるという、石原慎太郎東京都知事による最近の発言からすれば、LGBTをテーマにした作品がたやすい標的になってしまうことを想像してしまいます。石原都知事は近年、女性やLGBTコミュニティ、外国からの影響、そして子供達の「保護」についての、かなり議論を呼ぶ発言をしています。マンガについての問題を全く別にしても、彼はゲイや女性、子供達に対する戦いを始めようとしているのが明白なように、私には思えます。これは決して、よい傾向ではありません。
ともあれ私自身、子供達は、「現実の」無関心や虐待・暴力から守られるべきだと信じていますが、頭の中の「考え」からではないと思います。この条例が行おうとしていることによって、私は、私自身が過激だと思うような作品を守るために発言することを求められています。なぜなら、私は表現の自由を信じているからです(世にいるロリコンの方々のどれだけが私のために発言してくれるでしょうか。LGBT作品、特に読者のほとんどが女性であるボーイズラブ作品が標的にされるのなら、そんなに多くではないのだろうと思います。これについては間違っていて欲しいですけど)
口から泡をふいて、この条例についての文章を読んでいるなら、ちょっと考えてみて欲しいのです。あなたが最後に、政府の代表に手紙を書いて、全ての人への自由の支持を訴えたのはいつのことですか？(例えばアメリカの方々、アメリカ上院は”Don't Ask Don't Tell”政策の撤回について議論していましたけれど、あなたの州の議員に手紙を出して、撤回を支持していることを伝えたりしましたか？) いまはあなたの政府にいる多くの人達がこのような施策を行おうと常にしています、まずあなたが自分自身の裏庭についてきちんと主張を示していない限り、他人の家の庭について意見する権利はないのです。表現の自由と人権は、日本からやってくるマンガについてだけではなく、私達全てが戦っていかなくてはならない問題なのです。
私は激しく怒ることを支持している者ではありません。それではなにも成し遂げられないからです。私達がすべきことは、自分達自身について自由に思い、表現する私達(そして私達の子供達)の権利を、どうやって守るのか、考えていくことです。そしてそれを実行しましょう。実際にマンガを購入すること以外に、日本のマンガ業界をどう助けられるのか、私にはわかりません。利益があれば色々な物事の助けになりますし、あなた自身の支持を、はっきりとした形で示すことが出来ます。もし日本のマンガ業界が、それ以外にサポート出来る方法について表明してくれるなら、必ずそれを広めていきます。
ここアメリカでは、Comic Book Legal Defense Fundという団体が、コミックの作者や業者達の権利をサポートし、守り、そして戦っていくために設立されました。もしまだ参加していないのなら、良い機会です。それからACLU(アメリカ自由人権協会)－賛成出来ないかもしれないし関心もないかもしれない人々の権利や、あなたを怒らせるかもしれない意見を表明する権利のために戦っています－も、まさに同じ理由、表現の自由を守るために設立されています。
私は優れた政治的リーダーというわけではありませんし、うまいスローガンを思いつけたこともほとんどありません。でも、私は子供の頃を思い出すのです－読んだものや、描き、書いたものなどを。そして私の両親がどんなことからも私を「保護」しなかったことを本当に嬉しいと、ただ思うのです。検閲は現実に存在する問題を解決することは決して出来ません。ただ、隠すだけなのです。
(小松さんによる翻訳)
***
Update: For much more coherent thoughts on the topic, please read Dan Kanemitsu's blog post.
2nd Update: Brian Ruh on Twitter has pointed out that this Ordinance focuses on companies and their access to distribution, not creators, so at least for the moment, Comiket and other markets are not targeted. Creators of doujinshi already are required to label anything explicit with 18+ warnings, so there is unlikely to be an immediate backlash there. He does note - and I agree - that this law may disproportionately affect shoujo and josei (and I would also add BL) manga.
3rd Update: Thanks very much to Komatsu-san for the translation into Japanese!
4th Update: The Bill has passed the full assembly. Please read the following commentary for a better understanding of why I believe this Bill will be used to wage war on shoujo, BL and GL materials:
http://dankanemitsu.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/tokyo-assembly-passes-bill-156-anti-anime-and-manga-bill-is-now-law/ - Dan Kanemitsu
http://www.tcj.com/history/26720/ - Roland Kelts
These two gentlemen are far, far more versed in the Japanese industry than I am.
Great Yuri Manga Gift Guide
Last week, I offered up a number of Yuri(ish) anime gift ideas for you, your best friend, your honey or someone in the family that just gives off those kind of vibes and you're pretty sure that they are...an otaku.
This week, we take a look at some Yuri(ish) manga that will make great presents for the Yuri fan in your life and convenient links to assist you in purchasing them. ^_^
K-On! - Tops on this year's list is a 4-koma that is light-hearted fun.If you really love that person, cough up the yen for the Houkago Tea Time II music collection, so they can bop along while reading.
Who this is for: Anyone who likes comic strips, gag comics, moe fans, young women in a band, people who need some motivation to do something with their lives and people who are feeling depressed.
Hayate x Blade Omnibus
- I have been writing about this series obsessively since 2004. If you have not yet taken the plunge, holiday wishlists are made for exactly this kind of thing. If you already are a true believer, now's a great time to convert a friend! There are two Omnibus volumes (V1 is on the left, here's a link to the second omnibus
, which is due out in 2011). Each omnibus contains three volumes of manga, so it's like $4/volume value.
Who this is for: Action-comedy fans (y'know, like Jackie Chan or Stephen Chow fans,) fans of physical comedy, fans of women who kick ass and fans of smart writing.
Strawberry Panic Omnibus
- All that stuff above (since 2004, obsessively, get it already...) I wrote about Hayate holds true for this omnibus too. This is silly in a totally different way and has some sort of romantic bits. It's got all the bells and whistles one comes to expect from "schoolgirl" Yuri. This omnibus edition is the entire story as it was published in Japan, two volumes of manga and extra chapters that never got collected when the series was stopped.
Who this is for: Romantics, Guys who secretly want to know what it's like in girls' schools, but they only want to know the sexy, romantic bits. Perfect for the Loser FanBoy in your life.
Jormungand
- Hard-edged action and screwball dark humor. A perfect combination. If they made this manga into a live-action movie, Jean Reno would be in it. The stories don't make sense, but anyone reading this series for the story has badly missed the point. It's about people killing people with guns. And having a good time doing it.
Who this is for: Anyone you know who doesn't ever turn off Spike TV and/or can sit and watch any of Steven Segal's last three movies.
Silent Mobius
- Old school sci-fi, for the win. Tough ladies with extraordinary powers, living in extraordinary times, doing extraordinary things...and blowing the bad guys away with a collective competence that's sexy in its own right. This is old school manga in every way - art, story, setting - which means you get adult women, hardcore scifi and fantasy, adult relationships and an actual story.
Who this is for: Fans of old-school manga or scifi, people who are aggressively uninterested in moe. This series is a little longer than most - 12 volumes - so it's good for someone who wants something meaty that won't end after a volume or two.
Azumanga Daioh
- This is pretty much the one that set the standard for 4-koma here in the west. It's a school life comedy with a teeny little bit of drama allowed to seep into the cracks for stability. The idiot group has been the benchmark for many a slice-of-life story on these shores, but Osaka trumps them all with her non-sequitors of genius, Saki with her really cool coolness, Tomo with her out of control annoyingness, Chiyo with her adorable adorableness, etc. Look, it's just the best one. Get it. There. The entire story complete in one volume.
Who this is for: People who read the Sunday comics but don't "get" why you like manga, and anyone who likes to snort liquid out their nose.
Gunsmith Cats Burst
- Guns, cars and women are the trifecta that make up all of the Gunsmith Cats properties. The stories are full of action and firearms, pretty women doing ugly things, good guys, bad guys and screaming car chases in and around Chicago. Drugs, bad woman, bad men, money laundering wrapped in the story of the life of a bad-ass bounty hunter, the youthful Rally Vincent. This 5-volume set won't set you back a lot, but it packs a solid punch.
Who this is for: Anyone who likes action, action, action. Gun fanatics, car fanatics, Evil Psycho Lesbian fanatics and people who like movies like The French Connection.
Yotsuba
- This series is ongoing, but any volume can be read pretty much as a stand alone. These are the daily life/adventures of a four-year old, her laid back Dad, her neighbors, her Dad's coworkers, random strangers, animals and bugs. Every day brings something new, because Yotsuba's just that kind of girl. Yuri is realllllllllly thin - just a lot of us think Asagi and Torako are a couple. So no worries giving this to a kid.
Who this is for: Just about anyone. As long as they like slice-of-life with a "wacky" flavoring, there's just about no one who couldn't read and enjoy this. Give it to your non-manga friends to test if they are broken or not. ^_^
Sunshine Sketch
- Another slice-of-life, this time about girls who live at a dorm and attend a school for art. The Yuri's a little thin here too - mostly by implication and a very little bit of one-sided crushiness.
The story tends to stick with school-year calendar moments, (you know, sports festival, school festival, end of semester, New Year, etc, etc...) and is formulaic, but fun. Don't read this right on top of Azumanga Daioh or K-ON!, it'll all start to feel the same. This is ongoing, but since there's no real content, you can gift just about any volume and it'll read just like any other. If they like it, there's more gifts in their future!
Who this is for: Same audience as K-On! or Azumanga Daioh or people who want something light to read that won't stress them out.
Bonus Japanese Titles:
Gunjo - What can I say about this series that I haven't already? It's dark, in a totally nothing-to-do-with-dystopia way. The love here is brutal, unhealthy, full of violence and rage. It's Tough Love and it isn't getting any easier. Moments of tenderness punctuate some of the most abusive manga I've ever enjoyed. This is emotion at its rawest.
Who this is for: I'm not sure - I guess anyone like me. Or folks who like or can handle a dark story, a violent story, knowing that it's written and drawn by someone who is actively driving the story to an end. This could make an interesting gift for a True Crime fan in your life (as long as they read Japanese.)
Comic Yuri Hime - You read the scanlations, you buy the collected volumes - why not consider getting a subscription to the magazine itself?
There's a number of options to get a subscription - if you place orders with Amazon.co.jp, BK1 or another vendor regularly, you might want to just go ahead and add this to your orders.
If you live near a biggish city, check to see if there is a Sanseido, Asahiya, Kinokuniya or other Japanese book chain near you. Most of these will either provide subscription services or place serials on special order for you. (I've also found that when they are ordering one for me, they also order another copy for the shelves, so you're making it possible for someone else to get it!) And there's always J-List's subscription service (which still lists Yuri Hime as quarterly, but I've told Peter it's gone bi-monthly. You might want to mention that if you plan on going through them.)
I have been considering opening up a subscription service on my own, but I fear it would be quite expensive for you. One way or another, you'd have to pay the cost of the magazine, the shipping from Japan, the shipping from me to you. I am not a wholesaler or bookstore, so it would be unlikely to be cheaper than existing options - and could very well run more. Maybe if I can figure out a way to get them shipped much cheaper. I'll think about it. (Creative and constructive ideas are welcome.)
Who this is for: People who love Yuri and want to see it prosper!
Last, but not least, please remember that these are my opinions and therefore worth exactly what you paid for them. Daniella Orihuela-Gruber is collecting all of the Great Manga Gift Guide articles together on her blog, or you can follow the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #gmgg. (Feel free to send her your own Great Manga Gift Guides, too and be part of the fun!)
Thanks again to everyone who contributed to this list and to all of you for being Great Yuri Manga Fans!
This week, we take a look at some Yuri(ish) manga that will make great presents for the Yuri fan in your life and convenient links to assist you in purchasing them. ^_^
K-On! - Tops on this year's list is a 4-koma that is light-hearted fun.If you really love that person, cough up the yen for the Houkago Tea Time II music collection, so they can bop along while reading.Who this is for: Anyone who likes comic strips, gag comics, moe fans, young women in a band, people who need some motivation to do something with their lives and people who are feeling depressed.
Hayate x Blade Omnibus - I have been writing about this series obsessively since 2004. If you have not yet taken the plunge, holiday wishlists are made for exactly this kind of thing. If you already are a true believer, now's a great time to convert a friend! There are two Omnibus volumes (V1 is on the left, here's a link to the second omnibus, which is due out in 2011). Each omnibus contains three volumes of manga, so it's like $4/volume value.Who this is for: Action-comedy fans (y'know, like Jackie Chan or Stephen Chow fans,) fans of physical comedy, fans of women who kick ass and fans of smart writing.
Strawberry Panic Omnibus - All that stuff above (since 2004, obsessively, get it already...) I wrote about Hayate holds true for this omnibus too. This is silly in a totally different way and has some sort of romantic bits. It's got all the bells and whistles one comes to expect from "schoolgirl" Yuri. This omnibus edition is the entire story as it was published in Japan, two volumes of manga and extra chapters that never got collected when the series was stopped.Who this is for: Romantics, Guys who secretly want to know what it's like in girls' schools, but they only want to know the sexy, romantic bits. Perfect for the Loser FanBoy in your life.
Jormungand - Hard-edged action and screwball dark humor. A perfect combination. If they made this manga into a live-action movie, Jean Reno would be in it. The stories don't make sense, but anyone reading this series for the story has badly missed the point. It's about people killing people with guns. And having a good time doing it.Who this is for: Anyone you know who doesn't ever turn off Spike TV and/or can sit and watch any of Steven Segal's last three movies.
Silent Mobius - Old school sci-fi, for the win. Tough ladies with extraordinary powers, living in extraordinary times, doing extraordinary things...and blowing the bad guys away with a collective competence that's sexy in its own right. This is old school manga in every way - art, story, setting - which means you get adult women, hardcore scifi and fantasy, adult relationships and an actual story. Who this is for: Fans of old-school manga or scifi, people who are aggressively uninterested in moe. This series is a little longer than most - 12 volumes - so it's good for someone who wants something meaty that won't end after a volume or two.
Azumanga Daioh - This is pretty much the one that set the standard for 4-koma here in the west. It's a school life comedy with a teeny little bit of drama allowed to seep into the cracks for stability. The idiot group has been the benchmark for many a slice-of-life story on these shores, but Osaka trumps them all with her non-sequitors of genius, Saki with her really cool coolness, Tomo with her out of control annoyingness, Chiyo with her adorable adorableness, etc. Look, it's just the best one. Get it. There. The entire story complete in one volume.Who this is for: People who read the Sunday comics but don't "get" why you like manga, and anyone who likes to snort liquid out their nose.
Gunsmith Cats Burst - Guns, cars and women are the trifecta that make up all of the Gunsmith Cats properties. The stories are full of action and firearms, pretty women doing ugly things, good guys, bad guys and screaming car chases in and around Chicago. Drugs, bad woman, bad men, money laundering wrapped in the story of the life of a bad-ass bounty hunter, the youthful Rally Vincent. This 5-volume set won't set you back a lot, but it packs a solid punch.Who this is for: Anyone who likes action, action, action. Gun fanatics, car fanatics, Evil Psycho Lesbian fanatics and people who like movies like The French Connection.
Yotsuba - This series is ongoing, but any volume can be read pretty much as a stand alone. These are the daily life/adventures of a four-year old, her laid back Dad, her neighbors, her Dad's coworkers, random strangers, animals and bugs. Every day brings something new, because Yotsuba's just that kind of girl. Yuri is realllllllllly thin - just a lot of us think Asagi and Torako are a couple. So no worries giving this to a kid.Who this is for: Just about anyone. As long as they like slice-of-life with a "wacky" flavoring, there's just about no one who couldn't read and enjoy this. Give it to your non-manga friends to test if they are broken or not. ^_^
Sunshine Sketch - Another slice-of-life, this time about girls who live at a dorm and attend a school for art. The Yuri's a little thin here too - mostly by implication and a very little bit of one-sided crushiness.The story tends to stick with school-year calendar moments, (you know, sports festival, school festival, end of semester, New Year, etc, etc...) and is formulaic, but fun. Don't read this right on top of Azumanga Daioh or K-ON!, it'll all start to feel the same. This is ongoing, but since there's no real content, you can gift just about any volume and it'll read just like any other. If they like it, there's more gifts in their future!
Who this is for: Same audience as K-On! or Azumanga Daioh or people who want something light to read that won't stress them out.
Bonus Japanese Titles:
Who this is for: I'm not sure - I guess anyone like me. Or folks who like or can handle a dark story, a violent story, knowing that it's written and drawn by someone who is actively driving the story to an end. This could make an interesting gift for a True Crime fan in your life (as long as they read Japanese.)
There's a number of options to get a subscription - if you place orders with Amazon.co.jp, BK1 or another vendor regularly, you might want to just go ahead and add this to your orders.
If you live near a biggish city, check to see if there is a Sanseido, Asahiya, Kinokuniya or other Japanese book chain near you. Most of these will either provide subscription services or place serials on special order for you. (I've also found that when they are ordering one for me, they also order another copy for the shelves, so you're making it possible for someone else to get it!) And there's always J-List's subscription service (which still lists Yuri Hime as quarterly, but I've told Peter it's gone bi-monthly. You might want to mention that if you plan on going through them.)
I have been considering opening up a subscription service on my own, but I fear it would be quite expensive for you. One way or another, you'd have to pay the cost of the magazine, the shipping from Japan, the shipping from me to you. I am not a wholesaler or bookstore, so it would be unlikely to be cheaper than existing options - and could very well run more. Maybe if I can figure out a way to get them shipped much cheaper. I'll think about it. (Creative and constructive ideas are welcome.)
Who this is for: People who love Yuri and want to see it prosper!
Last, but not least, please remember that these are my opinions and therefore worth exactly what you paid for them. Daniella Orihuela-Gruber is collecting all of the Great Manga Gift Guide articles together on her blog, or you can follow the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #gmgg. (Feel free to send her your own Great Manga Gift Guides, too and be part of the fun!)
Thanks again to everyone who contributed to this list and to all of you for being Great Yuri Manga Fans!
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