you really think so?
Penultimate stop on the Praise Yuki tour, covering screencaps that in my previous post on this episode. Her prognostications were hilarous though if you were the customer it would be terrifying - Kyon’s reaction says it all. And her virtuosity with the electric guitar was stunning.
I’ve always been fascinated as to how the etymology of the Arabic root of “harem” has meanings of the forbidden and the sacred; in contrast, when “harem” is used in English, it often connotes sexual licentiousness and epicurean excess.
It would also be interesting to track when the word was first applied to anime series with a male lead being surrounded by girls who are all hawt for him. This genre is quite a venerable one (e.g. Ranma 1/2) but I can’t seem to recall the term being widely applied to series prior to Love Hina. The use of the term also creates its own sub-vocabulary such as “male harem lead” who is usually a loser who can’t decide on choosing one girl among the many - thus raising accusations of how harem anime series are essentially vehicles for otaku wish fulfillment.
Harem anime series certainly enjoy a certain degree of popularity because the sheer variety of heroine types will appeal to fans across a wide demographic. Besides being able to "pick your favourite", interest is maintained through rival camps forming and then slugging it out against each other in forums, blogs and other electronic community media. Such extended interaction is even more plausible when the series has an ambiguous ending where there is no clear “winner” - though why would the girl be a winner if the male harem lead is a loser? It’s like being told that you’ve just won the lottery and the prize is life imprisonment and hard labour. Besides, who’s to say that how these harems will turn out in the medium to long term?
It’s a dark and rainy night in Roanapor and gangsters are getting butchered by the Aizen twins. Yes, I know it’s the first episode of Black Lagoon Second Barrage but the title gives the episode number as 13 and it’s even got the same OP/ED so 13 it is. My listening comprehension was only about 30% so looking forward to the fansub. Fragmented summary blah blah and Balalaika-centric screenshots ahoy!
Dear Stripey,
I am writing to inform you that, after much deliberation, the Ai Ai Asa (AAA) will not be renewing your membership.
In the past, you had shown leanings towards Kaedeism, particularly with your praise of her Morning Calls and Psycho Jealousy but were admitted into the AAA on account of your expressed desire to do so.
However you have since repeatedly raised Primula above Asa in your SHUFFLE! hierarchy as evidenced by your discussions of top 10 anime imouto-sans, chosen Primula BGM as a favourite anime OST tune, demanded for a Primula OVA, raved about her in the context of your favourite genre of siscon and the last straw, your heretical speculation that Primula will triumph over Kaede and even Asa eventually. The latter point was also verbally made to Interrogator Zyl over bah chor mee at Tai Hwa. He speculates that probable causes are your disillusion with Asa’s initial refusal to use magic but, more importantly, your inability to resist the combined siren song of loli-meido-siscon.
As we believe that there shall be no compulsion in anime fandom (Al Anime, 2:256), we wish you all the best in your future endeavours outside the AAA and enclose a motivational poster for your retention.
Best regards,
AAA Membership Services
for General Committee, AAA
Having nothing to add to my previous post on The Day of Sagittarius (Ep XIII), I present ye gentle reader with a motivational poster. In the light novel, Kyon properly attributes their famous victory to the “mighty goddess” Nagato though I preferred KyoAni’s take on the story which took out the teleportation cheat from the original. It made their victory all the more satisfying.
On the topic of management BS type posters, this year Despair.com is offering an option to customise your own demotivational calender for 2007. Great stuff.
