Tachibana is in Japan !!

[Igadevil]

It's like announcing publically that you watch some really kiddy show like Teletubbies or Barney or something. It can severely ruin their social image if they don't have an excuse for it like if they had a child who "watches" it.

Oh, I understand that, and it is unfortunate. But my experience was that I found that compared to Japan, people in America are a lot more critical of others liking "kid shows". Now I suppose that, as a gaijin, it's different for me anyways- most all of the people I was introduced to were more amused and intrigued that I even knew who Kamen Rider was. But the only ones who found it really strange were other Americans. :laugh:

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

Japanese culture is rather hypocrite about these kind of things (hell, if adult sized KR belts are sold out so fast, who buys that then?)

And the Anime Japan Fest concerts (which includes the Super Hero Spirits/Super Anisong Spirits/etc. shows) wouldn't be so successful (they're strictly for adults attended completely by adults).

I think people make too big a deal about it, overblowing how tokusatsu or anime is really looked at in Japan. They make it sound as if you'll be executed on sight if you're found to be a tokusatsu or anime fan, when it's more like being a comic book nerd or toy collector here in the US -- you'll be seen as a dork, loser and/or freak, but don't people do worse stuff? I think hentai is a worse and that's even a tad more acceptable in Japan than adult toku/anime fans are. That's not to say you're not going to keep it as damn secretive as possible, but, as kyo said, there are some amazing hypocrisies that go along with this.

I mean, are you really supposed to be entertained by any of the regular mainstream poop that plagues Japanese TV or cinema?

 

[Kyusaku]

Oh, I understand that, and it is unfortunate. But my experience was that I found that compared to Japan, people in America are a lot more critical of others liking "kid shows". Now I suppose that, as a gaijin, it's different for me anyways- most all of the people I was introduced to were more amused and intrigued that I even knew who Kamen Rider was. But the only ones who found it really strange were other Americans. :laugh:

Well think of it this way. In Japan, people are more likely to "find" out by pure gossip. While in America, for the most part, other people's business is other people's business. In America people are more oblivious to others. They don't give a damn. People in Japan are nosy gossipers, they want to know your life story. Being a gaijin already gives you negative stat points. Unless the person you are speaking to wants a free lesson in english. Which I am told can happen once in a while. I've heard of gaijins actually being turned away from like information booths because the person in the booth was expecting a free english lesson but turns out the gaijin can speak Japanese. Amusing. Your situation was a bit different as a tourist, kyo lives in Japan, and has to deal with the whole society so he should know what KR is and etc.

 

[kyo28]

Yes, I believe some valid points have been made here. True, both in Western countries and in Japan, to some degree people can be branded as 'nerds' ('Otaku' in Japan). However, this only has a relatively minor impact on your life in western countries, whereas in Japan it can have a disproportionately huge impact: not just your social life can suffer from it, but also your job and so on. Well, that's just my experience in the matter and perhaps others have experienced it differently. Maybe there is a difference between big cities like Tokyo compared to small towns. But in general, adults in Japan will hide some of their 'fetish' out of fear from the public opinion.

I just think it's one of those hard to explain cultural differences. I also think a western tourist experiences it differently than a western person living and working in Japan ... and he in turn might experience it differently than a native Japanese. But in general, being a foreigner is already enough of a bias so I don't want to add any more to it by coming out in the open with my 'fetish' so to speak.

Another thing that amazes me is that in western countries, almost nobody wants to be called a 'nerd', yet some are proud to be called an 'otaku' ... while actually both mean about the same. Is it perhaps because the word 'otaku' is misunderstood in western cultures?

Here's a fun anecdote on the matter: while attending senior highschool, my girlfriend and her female friends overheard two young Japanese men talking about watching some anime and one of them said: "Wow, I really think that girl (anime character) is so cute and sexy". BAM! Instant loss of social life at high school. The poor guy never had any girl speaking to him again for the rest of remaining school years.

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

Another thing that amazes me is that in western countries, almost nobody wants to be called a 'nerd', yet some are proud to be called an 'otaku' ... while actually both mean about the same. Is it perhaps because the word 'otaku' is misunderstood in western cultures?

Possibly, just because it's "foreign" and sounds "cool" people like it. I already knew the meaning and connotation of the word and know it's not something you'd want to be called. :laugh:

BAM! Instant loss of social life at high school. The poor guy never had any girl speaking to him again for the rest of remaining school years.

Again, the same can happen in America. Some poor guy I went to school with was a massive Star Wars fan -- once he wore a shirt, he was labeled the lone nerd and avoided by girls, and as we in America put it, "shot his chances of getting laid."

It's a bit silly when you think of all of this. Stigmatizing one area of entertainment people like and whatnot. It's something you'll find in other areas, too -- like music. If someone likes goth music, they're labeled a freak and avoided. Meanwhile, those are people who enjoy the tasteless tunes of Mariah Carey or Britney Spears, so I guess it again comes back to all of the hypocrisies you were talking about.

I think it's gotten to the point where people need to step back and realize that they themselves like trashy stuff, so why not let other people like stuff they deem trashy when they're in no place to criticize? It's all ridiculous, really, but I suppose not many people will change their minds, especially in a place absolutely opposed to change like Japan. There's nothing wrong with people liking anime or tokusatsu or goth music or so on -- they're not doing any harm, so what business is it of anyone's?

It's as I said -- hentai and porn seem to be more accepted in Japan than something harmless like tokusatsu. AV and underage idols you can talk about freely -- Heaven forbid you mention those words "Kamen Rider." :laugh:

Holy crap, did this thread go off-track. Sorry, Tachibana! :laugh:

 

[Igadevil]

^ Don't worry about it Shougo, I'm sure he's too busy having an awesome time to worry about it. :anime:

Well, that's just my experience in the matter and perhaps others have experienced it differently.

Yeah, I have to agree with that. My experience was almost completely the opposite of how Kyusaku described it...in both Japan and America. But again, I was also just a tourist, so perhaps things will be different when I move to Japan (for at least a year) in September.

 

[Bouken Black]

Korean TV drama that aired in Japan. Full title is "Winter Sonata"(Fuyu no Sonata) because of it all the girls swoon and say "Yon-sama~"

yeah i never heard of that and i didnt know they gossip like that about peoples business. reminds me of the south and upper east coast. You must've been/lived in Japan or asia hunh?

 

[Bouken Black]

Kyusaku, you couldn't be more right! I have to bear with "Yon-sama~~~" every day for over a year now. She even got me to order the DVD set for her ... ah well, each has his or her favorite TV series so I don't mind she enjoys hers (especially compared to the tons of DVD's I buy for myself).

Actually, as long as it's kept closely indoors, she doesn't mind at all that I watch toku or sentai or anime. I've learned that all I need to do to survive is follow these few rules:
- never force her to watch it with me
- never talk about it with people outside the house, including her sister
- Never, EVER make fun of Yon-sama ... ever! (trust me, I've tried :redface2: )
- never show interest in that in public (so no movie theater)

Especially for that last one, since we live in a rather small town filled with baba that just LOVE to gossip, I would be a crucified and stoned to death within a week :laugh:

your girlfriend hunh? i told minds and she freaked.

 

[Bouken Black]

Despite looking nothing like each other, it's Kitahara.

sorry I just forgot but my instinct said Kitahara.