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[Cruxador]

In Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku, that magical girl♂ and her eyeshadow really seems to be taking off. That show seems likely to be a good one in general, if you like that kind of thing.

Actually, there's kind of a glut of magical girls this season in general. Are there any others that stand out?

[KingofstarrySkies]

Speaking of season talk, any predictions on what'll be the best show of Fall 2016?

[Cruxador]

Speaking of season talk, any predictions on what'll be the best show of Fall 2016?

Honestly, of the ones I've seen so far, MSIK has a good shot.

Or maybe www.working, if you're into that.

[Max™]

I keep expecting more announced shows to pop up, hopefully winter will pick up more, but I'll be checking out MSIK.

[Neonivek]

So... Anime has this weird thing where for some reason... Japanese-ness runs true or something...

Because if someone is Japanese... then they ARE Japanese so to speak.

Doesn't matter if they lived in another country their whole life, they have Japaneseness running through their veins! American food EWW! Give me Japanese food! (unless they are a villain... in which case their love of foreign food makes them EVIL! look at their EVIL steak!)

This isn't just Japaneseness either. Anime has this WEIRD, REALLY WEIRD, sense of cultural accountability so to speak... If you are Italian then you are BEHOLDEN to uphold Italian values and culture.

Do you not know what a tomato is and your Italian? How dare you!

(also yes... this can... even kind of step into "racism" areas)

Though better yet it throws in a "Go Home!" sort of policy in here as well... Because "If you are within a country, you are obligated to try to fit in" (a very much "Everyone else is doing it! Do it!").

---

Now before I get accosted... YES Japan isn't the only country that does this... Heck this whole theme is as old as freeken dirt.

Yet it is a throwback in western media usually only brought up with Gangster or Western movies nowadays...

Yet in anime? Nope!

---

But you know... it isn't like Japan has any problems with Xenophobia or anti-immigrant sentiments that penetrates both the social side and business side... That is impossible...

Ohh wait >_>

(Actually that is partially what makes it interesting to look at. You can see where a lot of these beliefs come from... from a non-directly offensive POV. Not that we can REALLY hold all of Japan to the viewpoints of what is probably like... 20-50 mangas and anime over the last 10 years)

---

Also for an anime that makes fun of this theme? Watch Sushi Police.

Basically they just go around beating people up and arresting them for simply altering sushi (such as using Gator meat instead of fish)... when really it wasn't bothering anyone (and their criteria is really strict too!)

[Solifuge]

Maybe it's cynical, but what I've seen of MSIK makes it look pretty derivative of Madoka, and the grim gorey start makes it seem kinda artless and clumsy about it? I'll hold off on making a more fair judgement later.

And yeah, Neonivek. I've picked up on Japan's brand of racism/cultural purity before, but I like how you put it. It's a theme I've seen in interviews with Japanese folks off the street too; there's a modern mainstream idea that people should stay true to their national culture, whatever that is. There's a bit of a split standard on incorporating other cultures, where it's interesting to be multicultural or incorporate different traditions, but also kind of wrong or embarrassing? Hard to sum up, since it's more an impression I get relative to my own biases and worldview.

[Reelya]

Yet it is a throwback in western media usually only brought up with Gangster or Western movies nowadays...

I don't know if it's that much of a throwback. You have the freakouts about Mexicans and Muslims not assimilating, very current stuff verbally adhered to by about 40% of Americans if you go by Trump's support base. And the mainstream US opposition to that isn't really "multicultural flourishing difference", it's mainstream liberalism's "assimilation works" argument. i.e. the idea of the melting pot where everyone becomes the same. That's generally held up as the Gold Standard in America.

I think the main difference is that things are polarized in the USA: you have 40% of the country loudly anti-immigrant, with another 40% loudly condemning the other 40%. Whereas in Japan, the attitudes are milder and more widespread, it's not really challenged, but you also don't have many populists freaking out with the more extreme stuff, which is the sort of thing that makes people take sides. Attitudes are more polarized in the USA, and this spills over into a polarized media. One side of that polarity (the liberal side) has emerged as the clear winner in the USA however, relegating the really racist media to the underground media market. Basically, since Japan never had a big influx of immigrants to deal with, they've never really had the debate yet. There isn't really a big production of material that's either explicitly racist or anti-racist, as you get in America.

[Cruxador]

It might be wise to consider moving to the politics thread if this discussion is going to go much further.

Maybe it's cynical, but what I've seen of MSIK makes it look pretty derivative of Madoka, and the grim gorey start makes it seem kinda artless and clumsy about it? I'll hold off on making a more fair judgement later.

I didn't say it was necessarily super great, but so far I like the characterizations and the visual direction, and it's entertaining enough. I mention it as in the running for AotS not because it's so excellent that nothing else can compete, but simply because of the things I've seen (and I've watched everything I've seen well-recommended that had come out when I made that post) it's looking to be the best. I was also turned off by the intro (though it seems to have become popular to do such intros even when they have nothing to do with the rest of the show) and the story has yet to capture my interest. Unfortunately a lot of other stuff looks plain boring, the least so is Izetta and if MSIK is derivative of Madoka, Izetta is a Sunrise show with the numbers filed off. Or at least, it looks that way so far. It also looks like it's already reached its highest point, and will proceed into mediocrity. Of course, there will probably be some under-the-radar surprise, but so far that's still under the radar.

[Neonivek]

It isn't about assimilation versus non-assimilation that I am talking about Reelya.

It is the idea that being a Texan means you are a true blooded Texan. That as a Texan you need to be a steak eating, gun toting, hollerest cowboy there ever was or else you are letting Texas down! You are beholden to know and express your culture AND are genetically predisposed.

I was only explaining the dichotomy of both having the theme of you being beholden to your culture while ALSO having the theme of adopting the culture you are in... at the same time... without a compromising middle ground usually popping up.

A sort of "If you are Muslim you HAVE to act Muslim... But if you aren't in a Muslim country then you cannot act Muslim you have to act as they do" themes interacting.

[Tack]

Saw a trailer for Koe No Katachi.
Most oscar-bait anime I've ever seen.

[StupidElves]

Have you guys ever watched the anime Detroit Metal City? It's pretty great.

[Max™]

MSIK stands out because there is nothing else standing out.

It is the idea that being a Texan means you are a true blooded Texan. That as a Texan you need to be a steak eating, gun toting, hollerest cowboy there ever was or else you are letting Texas down! You are beholden to know and express your culture AND are genetically predisposed.

I eat steak and am a good shot, I can ride a horse, but I'm no shitkicker, wrong part of Texas.

[Reelya]

Detroit Metal City: Yeah, great series. I plan to read the manga some day soon.

I was just looking at the latest manga sales charts (Japan):

https://myanimelist.net/news/48042860
*1.　396,376　396,376　3-gatsu no Lion Vol.12
*2.　187,911　368,271　Kimi ni Todoke Vol.27
*3.　128,799　128,799　3-gatsu no Lion Vol.12 Special Edition
*4.　119,778　227,888　Ore Monogatari! Vol.13
*5.　115,705　255,184　Uchuu Kyoudai Vol.29
*6.　*78,387　685,930　Tokyo Ghoul:re Vol.8
*7.　*65,651　138,344　Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet Vol.5
*8.　*52,444　100,443　Kou no Dori Vol.15
*9.　*51,408　208,780　Skip Beat! Vol.39
10.　*50,341　104,595　Nijiiro Days Vol.13

I mean this is seriously different to what sells in America, other than Tokyo Ghoul. 5 shojo romance series and 3 non-violent/chillax seinen dramas in the top 10. And if you go down the top 50 anything that could be called "harem" or "ecchi" is virtually non-existent (Fairy Tail at #17 is the one exception). So, basically sex and violence are not the norm in the Japanese manga top sellers whatsoever.

I haven't actually looked as I type this, but I'm guessing that the most recent nytimes list is "9 violent things and one with boobs". Ok to test the prediciton:
https://myanimelist.net/news/47981747
*1. One Punch-Man Vol.1
*2. Tokyo Ghoul Vol.1
*3. Oyasumi Punpun Vol.3
*4. One Punch-Man Vol.8
*5. Haikyuu!! Vol.3
*6. Nazo no Kanojo X Vol.3
*7. Shingeki no Kyojin Vol.1
*8. Tokyo Ghoul Vol.8
*9. Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou Vol.9
10. Tokyo Ghoul Vol.2

Well the prediction wasn't too far off, Oyasumi Punpun is a bit of a wildcard, though there are 8 things with action/violent and the one with boobs. That predictable "one with boobs" that's always there (though a different series each time). Well Mysterious Girlfriend X is sort of slice of life with only some violence and boobs I guess ... so again, so much for how people say Japan is so obsessed with sex and violence, when that stuff is way fringe in Japan, yet completely mainstreamed in the 'states.

[RAM]

manga
completely mainstreamed in the 'states.

[Frumple]

Hey, you can actually find them in normal bookstores now. That's more mainstream than it used to be :V