*sigh* Hey Fandom(s),
Let’s have that talk again. This runs a lot like the “True Fans”/”Real Fans” chat we’ve had before. Except you’ve wised up enough to not use the actual phrase.
Can we stop telling people they don’t count as or shouldn’t call themselves a fan if, insert-asshat-reasoning-here? Because it’s a really damn douchebag thing to do.
You know what is awesome? Discussion. Discussion, even over points you disagree on, is informative and interesting. Fandom involves arguing interpretations sometimes, and personally, I love it. Not necessarily the best at doing it, but I enjoy trying and I really enjoy reading others’ points. Not everyone does, and they certainly don’t have to.
What is NOT awesome is sitting on your goddamn pedestal and saying, “If you think/say/like/hate X, you shouldn’t call yourself a fan.” I don’t care if the other person hates the main character of a show, loves a villain best, or they want appreciate the entire show in the context of a snarky animal sidekick. If they found something that resonates with them within the media property, if they enjoy it in any fashion, they ARE a fan. You don’t have to agree with them. However, YOU DO NOT GET TO DECIDE IF THEY’RE ALLOWED TO BE A FAN.
Is that really so hard?
Elfy
Reblogging myself here, because I’ve seen our lovely discussions in the SM community the last couple of days start degrading into policing who is and is not permitted to be a fan.
I will be reblogging various posts discussing the good and bad influences/tropes/etc in Sailor Moon this weekend! Please answer with, reblog, or just send me your links?
I didn’t realize that people still thought that most anime characters were white.
- Even when their names are Japanese
- Even when the setting is in Japan
- Even when they’re story was written for Japan and thus has to appeal and relate to them to get any sales.
It is safe to assume the character are not Japanese if their names are not Japanese, like Spike Spiegel. But really, you’d think it’d be obvious when the character are supposed to come off as Japanese and when they’re not.
To be fair - and this is not making an excuse, simply speculating on a possible explanation - a lot of people still think of the Sailor Senshi by the Americanized names. Serena and Darien instead of Usagi and Mamoru, respectively. And so on.
Also worth noting, that for years and years there was the popular theory (that still has footholds today) that the entire “general anime style” of big eyes small mouths was a desire *coughHAHcough* on the part of Japanese to be more American/European in appearance or that the style was an attempt to depict white people as the Japanese see them. Add to that anime color schemes using blonde and red hair, blue eyes and other physical traits that are not dominant in Japanese genetics, people felt that backed up this assumption. Of course, that requires ignoring the fact that they use colors that don’t exist in anybody’s genetic code just as often, and that people can and do dye their hair in Japan too. It’s a bit of ethnocentrism and holdover that rumor from the 90s adding to the pile of reasons why people think that way.
Today is March 15th- that means it’s Naoko Takeuchi’s birthday!
I’ll post this picture now to remind us of the wonderful love story that she created, this amazing, fantastical world full of princesses who can easily hold their own in a fight, and the people that support them, and of a prince charming who ends up being the one in distress instead— challenging the normative gender roles in a way that doesn’t strip the girls of their femininity, but rather celebrates the powers that only women can have.
<3 Thank you Naoko Takeuchi! I don’t know where I would be without you.
Things said in the the Kodansha translation of vol 4 phrased in a way no human would ever utter (especially kids)
“in an airline accident” I think you meant airplane Mako unless your dead parents actually worked at an airport.
“Since she started going to school, she’s been able to produce a friendly face”
“some non-material bodiless presence” (immaterial Umino you’re supposed to be smart)
“I always keep in mind that when I want to take action, I think to myself “I can’t run away”
Chibiusa is Shinji Ikari“It looks like a calcified bunch of black rocks!
Everything Endymion says. I think they’re going for formal but it sounds like he ate a dictionary. My favorite is “Sailor Pluto has lived longer than any other and seen a myriad of epochs.” myriad of epochs.
This is why I’m just buying the Japanese ones….
this shouldn’t be taken as a reason not to buy the translated manga? I mean, there’s a few awkward lines yeah, but it’s actually a lot better than…any scanlation I’ve read of this arc other than that. There were a few things scanlations really screwed up that were clarified here! Like the bit with Chibiusa walking in on Pluto and her dad talking? THE SCANLATIONS NEVER GOT THAT THAT WAS SUPPOSED to be in the present, not a flashback, hence why it doesn’t have blurry lines. But this release completely clarified it.
Also all the chemistry stuff with the Boule brothers! Never saw that picked up on.
ALSO just general stuff was clarified and made more sense in this translation. Usagi saying “I think Chibiusa is in love with you” and responding to Mamoru’s sputtering about her age “it doesn’t matter with crushes, a woman is a woman” makes a WHOLE LOT more sense than how the scanlations I’ve seen translated it, with Usagi ASKING IF MAMORU WAS IN LOVE WITH A GRADESCHOOLER and telling him she must “still be a woman” to him. Which always struck me as like, a thing someone would never ask, so, this made a lot more sense esp considering Mamoru’s reaction was more “hahaha what no way” than “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU TAKE ME FOR”.
so awkwardness aside, it’s a pretty good clearer translation in a lot of respects
A couple of things wrong in a translation is not the end-all be-all. A professional translation where they have access to get help from the actual creator in clarifying things is ALWAYS going to be overall better than a fan translation, AND it supports the mangaka.
