Was I studying for my finals this weekend? Hell no, I attended Anime Central on Friday and Saturday.
Brief Observations:
--Genshiken is a beautiful and interesting anime--I don't see it as simply a look at the "otaku lifestyle" of Japan, it's a study of masculinity for young men that aren't traditionally masculine. Definitely brings up difficult issues (like hentai) and good questions, with a backdrop of superb animation and humor.
--There seemed to be even more cross-playing this year. Lots of young teenage boys dressed up in Sailor Moon and Kagome costumes, very cute.
--I attended a shonen-ai panel: I really can't get into shonen-ai, but I learned a lot, specifically the differences between the perspective of western audiences versus eastern audiences. The best part was when a young gay man stood up and spoke out against top/bottom relationships--saying that they're insulting to homosexual relationships because such pairings are reduced to sex, and that they evoke traditional unhealthy heterosexual relationships where all power is placed on the masculine. (He received lots of applause from everyone at the panel.)
--I saw lots of Lunar cosplayers!
2 comments:
What I don't like about shounen-ai/yaoi isn't the subject matter (though in general, male-male subject matter does not interest me) -- it's the fandom. All of those squealing otaku girls who actually _do_ reduce the genre to sex. They're just as bad as the lecherous otaku boys who reduce shoujo-ai/yuri to sex.
P.S. -- Any plans to attend Otakon?
I completely agree with you. That aspect of fandom is really unsettling to me--and convention it's so hieghtened.
No Otakon, sadly. Someday, hopefully, I'll save up the money to go.
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