A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Card is adamantly against same-sex marriage and is a member of the National Organization for Marriage’s board of directors. Even though Shadow Complex‘s writer is not Card but Peter David, a comic book writer and Star Trek novelist who is said to be “straight but extremely gay-friendly,” some gamers have proposed a boycott of the game because of Card’s views on same-sex marriage. Empire can be described as right-wing propaganda, but its video game tie-in really has little if any political message. Story is not a major emphasis of the game, and Card will probably receive a minuscule amount of revenue if any at all from the sales of Shadow Complex.

Those boycotting the game believe that purchasing Shadow Complex would be supporting Card and his anti-SSM stance, and thus preventing same-sex marriage from becoming reality in the United States. True, it’s possible that Card may use the royalties from Shadow Complex on organizations bent on hindering the efforts of SSM proponents, but he may also use it to donate to other causes or to buy food or to buy his kid a present. We don’t exactly know where this money will go, but those choosing to boycott are forgetting the other people in the process: the team at Chair that slaved over this game, the people at Epic Games that assisted with the development and localization, and those at Microsoft Game Studios that helped publish the title.

GayGamer, Gamasutra, and Kotaku have done a much more thorough job at discussing the issue. GayGamer’s Dawdle proposes donating money to gay charities to offset the cost of purchasing Shadow Complex, Gamasutra’s Christian Nutt brings this issue into perspective and compares it to companies in other industries such as Whole Foods and its opinion of Obamacare, and Kotaku interviews a gamer and reports on what Chair has had to say on the controversy. Even though this topic has probably been argued over to death in those articles’ comments and forums everywhere, there are still things to say.

If we were to keep track of every purchase and what cause or organization our money would or could support, we would effectively spend money on absolutely nothing. An Apple computer? May contribute to poor labor practices in China. A marriage in a Catholic church? May be supporting pedophilia. An orange from your local farmers market? What if he’s a Republican? It’s impossible to ensure that your money only goes to those that believe in the exact same beliefs as you do. Even if a company may publicly advocate a position in a particular issue, that doesn’t mean every employee does. Your spent money would end up in their salary, thus possibly giving them the chance to thwart the efforts of your preferred causes. So what exactly can you do? Lower sales won’t work, because Card will still maintain his views, regardless of his wealth. It’s possible to argue that by not supporting his work and by not purchasing his novels, his income shrinks, thus in a way minimizing the methods he can support the anti-gay rights organizations or movements and voice his opinion with a bit of weight, but given his established reputation as an author, that’s not exactly going to happen.

Nutt does make the important distinction in how a work of art or literature can promote an ideology and in how a company may promote an ideology. A company is “limited to marketing materials and product selection,” but a book, a game, a movie, a television show, a poem, has the ability to say so much more. Therefore in a way, it is still possible or even necessary to talk about these kinds of issues involving a video game. The same goes for anime and manga. When our beloved mediums have the potential to exude a political opinion, have the opportunities to influence its readers and fans with a much greater impact that a mere company could, then it becomes a noteworthy topic of discussion.

So when exactly does a creator’s voice become relevant in the discussion of a story? Of a game? Of a movie? In Shadow Complex‘s case, it’s almost stupid to boycott the game because its in-game content and story lacks even weak political overtones or social outlooks. It’s a game about saving your girlfriend Claire and saving the country from a terrorist organization. But what about something else? If Shadow Complex did have a very right-wing, anti-SSM message? What if Shinbo denied the occurrence of the Rape of Nanking in a similar manner as Dragon Quest‘s composer, Sugiyama Koichi, denies it? Should we refuse to purchase anything related to Maria+Holic and ef because he directed them? Or what if he somehow squeezed in his views into those shows? Is that the point at which you refuse to watch the shows and boycott any related merchandise? And to what degree do you take it to? The visual novel of ef has nothing to do with Shinbo, but do you boycott it because he merely directed the anime counterpart?

Thanks to ghostlightning and Molotov Cupcake for their input on the issue in preparation for this post.
Also read my review of Shadow Complex for the Xbox 360 on Spawn Kill.

In this particular scene, Touya calls Misaki to see what’s up. On his mind are the cake and Akira, but he’s unable to bring it up at all. Instead what goes through his mind is the note that Rina left in the Browning book. But the point of this example is the on-screen text. Here it says “The cake, right?” but we can infer that Touya’s thinking about the cake from what’s shown only a second or two after: a plate with the remnants of the cake and Rina at the cafe. This scene’s on-screen text didn’t add much to the viewer’s understanding unless you’re really stupid.

Touya and Yuki finally meet after being unable to find each other the whole day. It’s a bit late to do anything, so Touya offers his apartment as a place to hang out. Yuki is unaware that Touya lives around here; she assumes that Touya still lives with his father. The on-screen text in this case is “Yuki didn’t know…” but even in this situation, there isn’t a need for Touya’s thought to be shown to us through text. The scene immediately after is a flashback in which Touya is angry that his father is kicking him out of the house. Given that Yuki asks, “You live around here?”, we can tell that Yuki doesn’t know Touya’s living on his own.

This segment is from Touya’s perspective, so it’s arguable that the on-screen text is required to show Touya’s thoughts. Touya is about to leave after walking Yuki home, but she asks if he would come in her apartment. She says that she wants him and that it cannot wait. For the majority of this part, Yuki is the only one shown. On-screen text could have been avoided by displaying Touya. A simple expression may have communicated his confusion and questions without needing this text on both sides of Yuki’s adorable head.

Yuki’s manager offers herself to Touya as a replacement to Yuki. At the end of their date, Yayoi plants a kiss, one that Touya’s thoughts describe as “heatless, doll lips” (D-R subs of White Album 05). Judging by how Yayoi is portrayed before and after this scene, as well as Touya’s expression as she pulls back, I think it’s safe to say the viewer can conclude she is a rather cold, heartless character that wouldn’t radiate warmth in anything that she does. Her appearance emanates “serious business” and an uncomortable aura. It’s not a surprise that her lips are rather dull and devoid of real feeling.

The on-screen text isn’t bad; it does a decent job of letting viewers know what’s going on in Touya’s head. However, it’s not something necessary beacuse it’s easy to tell what he’s thinking from visual clues and dialogue. Perhaps it’s helpful for the rest of you, I don’t know.

But the reason I didn’t (and still don’t) consider piracy all that bad is because it isn’t directly hurting sales. I would simply resort to other sources for music (Pandora, Last.fm, free music), movies (Hulu and TV), and PC games/ROMs (online Flash games, the 75% of my GameCube library I have not finished) if illegal downloads weren’t available. By downloading anything on the Internet, I am not removing a copy from the server I obtain the file from. I am simply making another copy on my computer. Stealing a physical object, however, is a much different story. That is actually preventing the source from earning a profit on that item.

Oddly enough, even though I pirate anime, I feel a weird need to buy manga. That’s mostly because I can’t read manga on the computer. It just doesn’t feel “right.” Or at least, I’ll borrow some from the library because those manga volumes are actually meant to be shared.

When I’m browsing my two local bookstores, Barnes & Noble and Borders, for some manga, I always see those people reading manga in the aisles. You know perfectly well who they are. Those damn leechers that read manga without paying for it.

Image from NinjaDeathMonk’s Flickr account.

Why these freeloaders suck
1) They block the aisles of the bookstore
2) They ruin the spines of the books
3) They ruin the actual pages

You know how it is, you’re trying to navigate through the manga section of the bookstore to find a title – but, damn it, someone’s reading right in front of the section with the title you want. It makes it a damn hassle for everyone when people are on the floor, lying about without consideration for anyone else.

When I read books, I take great care to preserve the spine’s smoothness; I hate when the spines are wrinkled because they have been bent. Why is it that all of the people I see in bookstores disregard the fact that someone may actually buy the book? I cringed every time I found the title I wanted but the spine had those ridges and wrinkles, indicating that someone has read this already.

But most of all, they get their grubby little hands all over the books. I’ve seen people eating chips and pizza and – although the employees should have prevented them from bringing food into the store – then touching the books. It horrifies and angers me. I might actually buy that, so why the hell are you rubbing grease all over the pages?!

Because of this, I visit this Japanese store that sells anime goods instead. They keep their manga in shrinkwrap (all of it, not just some titles). I think shrinkwrapping is necessary to prevent freeloaders, not necessarily to “protect the children.” Maybe have sample copies of each series (not every volume, just one for each series) for people to look at and shrink wrap the rest?

What are your experiences and thoughts on these bookstore leechers and freeloaders? Anything you’ve done because of them? Are you one yourself?

I’m the type of person that wants to keep everything; I spent several days deliberating what songs and albums would be deleted in favor of new anime downloads. With physical objects, I’m the same way. Over the years this annoying attribute of my personality has diminished and it’s become easier, but not so much for music, pictures, and videos.

My hard drives have a combined capacity of 264GB with much of it occupied by anime and music. Nowadays, one 720p (H.264/AAC) episode takes about 300 MB, and I always want to keep the episodes just in case I need them. You never know when you’ll need a screen capture from a specific episode for a review or whatever. Unfortunately, my limited hard drive space doesn’t allow for that.

Lately, I’ve been forced to delete my spring 2008 anime after I’ve finished watching them. Of course if I had enough space, I’d definitely save everything I could, even if the show was complete crap (ahem, Love Hina). Some people, however, can easily do away with episodes after watching. Perhaps I’ll buy a new hard drive soon.

What about you? Do you keep or delete your anime after watching?

Here are the points he brings up:

1. Fansubbers from the 1980s and 1990s aimed to be professional, but fansubbers are now unprofessional.
2. “Over 90% of fansubs now leave in as many honorifics and Japanese words as they can.”
3. Translation and explanation notes are distracting and irritating.
4. Since some old fansubs included explanation notes as text, all fansubs should do it now.
5. Fansubbers are inconsistent with their translations.
6. There is far too much focus on fonts, color, and effects.
7. Fansubbers disrespect studios by including their own logos and credits in the opening and ending sequences.
8. Translations of text in the actual animation are distracting and annoying.
9. Since translators of Indian, Korean, and Chinese movies and TV shows do not leave in words of the original language, anime translators are wrong for being the “only ones” that do this.
10. Fansubbers often leave literal translations instead of changing it to grammatically make sense.
11. No one will get into anime by watching these fansubs.

While this guy has plenty of examples to support his thesis, he seems to forget that fansubbers are doing this for free. They do not profit, and providing subtitles is a hobby for them. They are not professional because they need not be; who the fuck is paying them to be professional? What will they gain out of being professional? The cheers and praise of people they will likely never meet in real life? No, sir, they will not actually gain anything out of it, so why would they worry about their professionalism? These aren’t professional translators. They’re regular people that have to deal with real life and have other pressing matters. They don’t head into the office during set times to translate for a paycheck.

OtaKing constantly brings up older fansubs as examples, as if they are the greatest anime shows and the greatest translations ever. Unfortunately, times have changed, and we are not stuck in the 1980s anymore. We have the ability to get prettier fansubs, so we get prettier fansubs. I detest the font of DVD subtitles, so there’s no reason for me to settle for them. I would gladly take a.f.k.’s Lucky Star font over some generic font my DVD player would display.

What’s with this general resentment toward ALL anime fansubs? He never talks about exceptions, he never discusses solutions to the problem, and he never considers the counter-argument. He runs out of points by part 4, and he beings to repeat himself.

My responses to his main 11 points:

1. They never said they wanted to be professional; they’re giving to fans for free. These people also have fucking lives; most of them don’t have the damn time to make sure everything reads like normal, conversational English.
2. Where is this bullshit statistic from? Anyway, I’m sure if most people cared, there would be a general outcry for translators to cease the usage of “onee-chan,” “onii-chan,” and other honorifics. Fansubbers also aren’t aiming to recruit new people into anime. They just want to have fun and leave in what they think is valuable or necessary. If you disagree, go create your own subgroup that will uphold your beliefs.
3. True… to a point. I’d like to know what stuff says. It’s equally distracting for me to look at a separate document while watching, and it’s just damn annoying to look at it after. Sometimes fansub groups indeed overdo the translator’s notes, but I find most helpful. I’m sorry, but I don’t live in fucking Japan and probably never will. I don’t speak Japanese, I can’t read Japanese besides hiragana, so give me a damn break. I like knowing that the door in Lucky Star leads to the nurse’s office.
4. Look at #3.
5. True. I will completely give you this. Why translate “chief” and not “minister?”
6. Depends on the fansub group. I’ve never watched a fansub with those ridiculous subs with pop-in effects.
7. They’re doing us a favor; they’re saving me the trouble of learning Japanese (for now). I don’t care about their name plastered in the opening and ending sequences. If that bothered me, I would watch raws with subtitle files. I don’t think the studios care too much about it either; they’re more worried about the loss of revenue.
8. Look at #3.
9. I don’t think anyone cares about these pointless comparisons. Just because most translators do something doesn’t mean the minority needs to follow their example.
10. Somewhat true. I (and persumably most people) generally don’t care unless the group fucks up on editing.
11. Uh, I got into anime by watching these fansubs and I’m sure many more have. Make a better point, Paul.

Anime is associated with a unique and overwhelming culture. Because anime is so entrenched with the Internet (anime blogs; message boards; heck, even fansubs), most fansub watchers don’t mind the Japanese words in fansubs, because nearly everyone already knows what they mean. Most fans immerse themselves in anime or otaku culture. They listen to J-pop even though many of them can’t understand, they cosplay and try to look as Asian as possible, and they buy a crapload of figures and posters. Hell, even some of them probably say such words like “imouto” and “sugoi” (damn weeaboos). The problems with fansubs aren’t related to attracting new viewers to anime, and they definitely aren’t the lack of professionalism that you’re so hellbent on fixing.

EDIT: Didn’t realize that this theme doesn’t show the numbers in lists. Might fix later, but I’m feeling especially lazy right now.

EDIT2: Great, I had no idea I was missing the “about” in the post title.

Here we have Lelouch giving Rolo a present.

Here’s an acceptable sibling interaction. The giving of a present to one on his or her birthday. Perfectly fine.

But the gift inside is a bit odd. Shouldn’t a man want something that openly declares his manliness?

Really, a locket? Lelouch, you got your brother a locket?

Erm, OK. Lelouch realizes his mistake and attempts to take it back so he can get Rolo something better…

Good job, Lelouch. Now get him something a man deserves. Like, a gravure idol calendar or something.

Rolo seems protective of the locket. He actually likes it. What the fuck?

Rolo pulls the locket away from Lelouch’s hand, saying that it’s his because he received it. Erm, OK?

Lelouch: (What… the fuck? He likes this shit?)

Lelouch questions Rolo as well. At least… in his head.

Ah, brothers cooking together in the kitchen. That happens a lot, right?

Rolo sure seems to be happy in a place where a woman belongs.

The brothers sure like to cook… together…

Why do they need to cook so often? Don’t they have a cook?

Uh, OK. Now horseback riding? They look so passionate together, too.

Look at Lelouch’s eyes… filled with such lust. Perhaps he has succumbed to Rolo’s charm… or lack thereof.

Umm… yeah.

Why? Why can’t they be playing sports or something?

This one’s somewhat normal. I guess. Why are they smiling?

Why does Lelouch look so happy?

… so, yeah. There you have it. Maybe I’m overreacting, but Kurogane somewhat agreed >_>

<IcyStorm> why are all of Lelouch’s memories of Rolo and him together so…
<kur0gan3> yes
<kur0gan3> oh-so-gay
<bj0rN> lolol
<IcyStorm> first a fucking locket
<bj0rN> Rolo might have used his ability to molest Lelouch from time to time

Hm.