Have a question about life, love, or anime?
Ask Jonny Otaku, he knows all (or at least acts like he does).
askjonnyotaku@otakuunite.com

Questions for the week of September 21, 2003

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
Scott Free from Philadelphia, PA writes:
Cosplay girls intimidate me. What's the best way to appraoch one that I would like to have a conversation with?

Hey Scott,
To quote former President Clinton, "I feel your pain." During my 8+ years of being part of the convention circuit, I've had my fair share of dealing with young ladies with skimpy costumes and really bad attitudes. But I know for a fact that not ALL cosplay vixens behave like this. And there's the fact that we're actually one of the ONLY sci-fi type genres in America where the female attendees equal the male ones nearly 50-50. In some cases, even outnumber male attendees by 10%. So you really have your "pick of the litter" so to speak.
As far as approaching one, that's a little more complex given the fact that Eric, my producer, forgot to give me your age. (relationships between 15 to 17 year olds are WAYYY different than let's say between 25-28 year olds). But then again, we are talking anime con go-ers here. So I'll try to give advice that I feel is just as good for a high schooler as it is for someone who's fresh out of college. The first thing you need to see is "is she worth it?" Follow her around but at a distance. Just observe. If she's the kind with a lot of energy who likes to "glomp" on her little circle of friends, I can guarantee you she isn't going to have time for you. Look for people who like doing more quieter things. Like sitting on a lobby couch and reading a manga she bought at the dealer's room. Or looking at pics, cels, etc. If she's dressed in a costume from the same series as you are cosplaying from, that's a good icebreaker to start out with. Stick a little with the basics (i.e. where she's from, is she middle, high school, or college, is this her first con, etc.). Probably the most important lesson (and this is the one my friend Susan Hogan has busted my chops on for years) is don't push anything! I know if you think "this girl likes me" that you should be "over-chivalrous" right? Nope. Just be yourself. Exchange e-mail addresses or IM handles before the end of the con and keep in touch that way. Just remember that just because she's wearing a skimpy cosplay costume does not mean she's all that and a bag of chips.

AnimeGal15 from San Diego, CA writes:
My friends make fun of me because I like to watch anime dubbed instead of subtitled. They say that anime can only be enjoyed properly in Japanese since that's the way the creators wanted it. I think that the story remains the same either way and that the visuals matter more than the dialogue anyway. Who's right and which way do you prefer?

AnimeGal15,
You're asking a question that's about as old as the Pyramids in regards to the anime subculture. I wish I could tell you there were no right or wrong answers. However, I feel that alone would be considered deceptive or "avoiding the topic."
Back when anime was first being broadcasted over here, a lot of the voicework was done by either struggling actors or people that were found off the street. So the level of work was considered to be inferior by today's standards. Another factor was the fact television had a much stricter advisory board than today. Not only did you have to edit scenes involving excessive gunplay, blood, ultraviolence, etc. but you also had to remove any and all cultural references involving Japan itself. In other words, give it the "Anytown USA" feel. The mindset in general was "this is cool eye-candy, who cares about the artist's interpretation." Mainstream society was okay with this at the time. The only people who complained were those who felt their "livelihood" was being trampled upon. But that's another debate altogether.
Since those days, there were fans who figured "Hey, we can do better than this!" Those were the ones who helped found ADV Films, Viz, Media Blasters and so on. They knew and respected what fans wanted in regards to quality over quantity and hired V/As who could do the job.
However, there are still some companies who like to cling to the "old ways" of thinking. That's just something fans are going to have to deal with.
Now in response to your question, the best way to handle this is to ask them simply "Why do you not like voice X?" Also ask them questions like "Well, what do you look for in a voice actor or actress?"
BTW, "They have to sound exactly like the Japanese V/A" is NOT a valid answer.
You can also follow up by asking "Well, if you were a voice director, who would you pick and why?" You'd be surprised with the number of "uh-uhs" I get for that one.
I'm willing to bet for the most part, your "circle of friends" had their opinions molded by some self-proclaimed "hardcore" fan who believes "If you like dubs, you're not a REAL anime fan" or some close-minded bulls*** like that. There's nothing wrong with respecting your friend's opinions. But they SHOULD have the courtesy to respect yours.
Lastly, people can bash English V/As all they want to but the truth is they do have a very loyal fan following. And unlike most TV and movie actors and actresses, they happen to be A LOT more fan-friendly and down-to-earth than anyone you will ever meet in the entertainment industry. Because for the most part, they are fans just like you.
In the overall scheme of things I happen to like the dubs of a lot of my favorite series because the quality has gotten a lot better than 20 years ago when Voltron ruled afterschool programming. Also, a lot of today's broadcasts keep to the show's Japanese roots, a practice that was practically unheard of five years ago.
If they still persist, by all means go look for another group of friends. Because nobody deserves that kind of treatment.

Parents Just Don't Understand from Austin, TX writes:
I'm 15 and my parents won't let me spend the night at anime conventions with my friends. They think that I'll spend my nights drinking and getting into trouble. What can I do to convince them otherwise? And what do people usually do at anime conventions at night?

That's a pretty complex question to answer because while you do yearn for certain freedoms, one doesn't want to intervine with how someone should raise their children. But at the same time, I've seen my more than my fair share of quote "overprotective-hypocritical" parents and the psychological damage it can do to someone in the long run. Even as young adults, parents tend to be a little overprotective at times because of some "overhyped" story or TV show they may have seen. Case in point, during the last fall semester at UTC (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga), a lot of young women fresh out of high school were participating in a week-long ritual known as "Fall Rush." This is where people interested in joining a fraternity or sorority can learn all about what each local chapter does, who were past members and so on. That semester, MTV was showing a so-called "reality" series called Sorority Life. The series depicted women who were going through their fall rush at some school in California (go figure!). But instead of going to class, they spent time either backstabbing their fellow pledgees, powerdrinking at bars, performing hardcore sex acts with the guys on campus and so on. This, in turn, caused representatives from Chi Omaga and other sororities at UTC to field questions from concerned mothers who'd seen this program and naturally feared the worst. Especially if it was their first child going away to college. With some of the recent incidents at various cons this past year, the parents of some anime fans are kind of in the same boat. And it's probably one of the biggest parodoxes facing the convention circuit today. Seven years ago, you could do whatever you wanted to at a convention as long as no one got hurt. Today, with these kids big into Pokemon, Digimon and other kiddie-fare, con directors are having to take more of an initiative than in the past. Do I feel some of these parents need to "light'n up?" Absolutely! But that's just an internal opinion. Unless your parents sexually, physically or psychologically abuse you, they do have the right to raise you with whatever guidelines they see fit.
Now that that's been explained, let's go into your issue at hand. I'd first ask them why they are concerned about you staying overnight at a con. Chances are, they probably read something or saw something that caused a raise in awareness. Second, pull-up the website of the con you want to attend. Chances are, they have a FAQ posted in regards to "parental safety" and what can be expected. Third, go over your own "track record". Can you recall past events where you behaved correctly? This should give you some idea in regards to building your case.
I can't really go into details about what happens at a con at night. There's an age-old tradition of what's done at the con at night stays at the con (as long as no one gets hurt). I do wish you luck in your endeavor.