From the very beginnings of Japanese manga and anime, you have artists such as Tezuka Osamu, who drew extremely cute girl characters.
PG: Were mainstream anime creators intentionally producing characters that fans would fall in love with in the 1970s?
ST: In the 1970s, mainstream anime was still being produced without an awareness of the adult audience. When people say that Miyazaki Hayao, Japan’s most celebrated director of animated fi lms, or Tomino Yoshiyuki, who created the Gundam universe, are otaku, I think that they are a little off. These men have never really understood what their work meant to fans.
For example, according to Otsuka Eiji, Tomino tried to evoke the issue of Palestine with the original TV anime Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), but anime fans did not consider these larger political issues and instead loved the characters. Tomino was seeking to capture the reality of human existence. For him, it made sense for a character to take a shower, which was a realistic part of daily life. The character in the shower, however, was Sayla from Mobile Suit Gundam, and she was extremely popular among fans. Tomino did not realize the impact that it would have to show this character nude on screen. Legend has it that people were snapping photographs of Sayla on their viewing screens.
Tomino didn’t expect this reaction—he simply wanted to make his characters more realistic and human, but he inadvertently OTAKU SEXUALITY
MOE_20_178-192.indd 181
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182
stimulated desire for a fi ctional character. Tomino doesn’t like otaku and criticizes them, which is an example of an anime director struggling
with the legacy of his work.
PG: And do you think Miyazaki Hayao is in a
similar situation?
ST: Actually, it’s my personal belief that Miyazaki is even more tormented than Tomino.
As I see it, one of the central issues in Mi-
yazaki’s works is sexuality. This is blasphe-
my against so beloved a creator of family
entertainment I know, but allow me to ex-
plain. When Miyazaki was a high-school
student, he saw Hakujaden ( Panda and the Magic Serpent), made in 1958, Japan’s fi rst feature-length animated fi lm to be made
in color. Miyazaki writes that he fell in
love with the young heroine, a girl named
Bai-Niang, and it was this that inspired him to
chose a career in animation rather than manga.
I’ll be blunt: Miyazaki’s love of this fi ctional character is refl ected in his repeated use of a young
heroine in all of his works. The characters that Miyazaki created—Lana from the TV anime Future Boy Conan (1978), Clarisse from the animated fi lm The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), Nausicaä from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)—were instrumental RISE
to the increase in numbers of fans of the cute girl
, SUN
SUTO
characters known as bishojo. To put it another way, S©
Miyazaki was at the center of otaku culture in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But Miyazaki does not like the otaku that love his characters or write fanzines about them even though he himself fell in love with Bai-
Mobile Suit Gundam: Sayla
SAITO TAMAKI
MOE_20_178-192.indd 182
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183
183
X
NAAI
, GGODG
IN
LY
AL, FUIS
AI VD
The anime
T
AN
Gunbuster
he anime
is considered a classic by
r
otaku
© B
.
Niang and made the young female protagonist a central characteristic of his work.
PG: In contrast to the 1970s, the 1980s was a time when fans began to produce anime for other fans.
ST: Right. One of the characteristics of early anime was that the creators were completely unaware of the infl uence their works had on viewers, and there was a gap between what these creators intended and what the fans got out of it. In the works of the anime studio Gainax, however, and in anime series such as Super Dimensional Fortress Macross (1982), it is clear that otaku were at the reins right from the start. In Macross, they simply combined transforming fi ghter planes with idol singers. Okada Toshio, one of the founding members of Gainax, said he just combined giant robots with cute girls to produce the anime Gunbuster (1988), which is considered a classic by otaku. This is OTAKU SEXUALITY
MOE_20_178-192.indd 183
13/2/14 10:45 AM
184
a good example of how by the 1980s anime
creators had a much greater awareness of
what they were producing and who they were
producing it for.
PG: That leads us onto the topic of fi ght-
ing girls and the book you wrote, Beauti-
ful Fighting Girl. Can you talk a little about this?
ST: Fighting girls are popular
because they combine two of the
things that otaku love more than
anything—robots and girls. You
have scenarios where the girl
herself can be a robot, or she can
be wearing mechanical armor
that looks like underwear and
holding a bazooka, or she can
an
be riding inside a giant robot.
t.
I think it is safe to say that the
the
ND
icon of the fi ghting girl—the y
e oung
young
A LLY
and innocent heroine who takes
akes
up arms—symbolizes otaku cul-
cul-
/FRIENDOC
ture. Up until the 1980s this was not
was not
ZE
©
something seen in cartoons, comics,
, comi
or
cs, or
ESGA
science fi ction outside of Japan.
p
an. The fi
The ght-
fi ght-
IM
ing girl is not at all realistic, but she
but she
is all-powerful in the world of
of
fi ction. Otaku value things
that are impossible in reality
y
or exist only as fi ction, and
the fi ghting girl is the ulti-
mate example.
Military vehicles as
as
moé characters
SAITO TAMAKI
MOE_20_178-192.indd 184
13/2/14 10:45 AM
185
185
TCE
OJR
IE 1ST PVO
E MH
HA TO
Nanoha: The Movie 1st
© NAN
OTAKU SEXUALITY
MOE_20_178-192.indd 185
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186
Glossary
Akihabara
Tokyo district full of stores selling electronics, computers, anime, manga, and games.
bishojo
Cute girl, typically referring to characters in manga, anime, and games. Think Sailor Moon and its titular heroine.
bishojo game
A type of game where players simulate interactions
with cute girl characters. While themes vary, there is often a focus on romantic relationships. The target audience is over eighteen years of age, computer
savvy, and male.
“boys’ love”
A genre of manga and young-adult novel that centers on romantic relationships between beautiful boys
and men. With roots in the 1970s, it blo
ssomed com-
mercially in the 1990s. The target audience is young, straight, and female.
Comic Market
Japan’s largest gathering for buy
ng for
ers and sellers of
buyers and sellers of
fanzines which began in 1975 and now
n 1975 and now
takes place in Tokyo twice a
wice a
year, each time for three
ee
days, drawing up to half
lf
a million people. Also
known as Comiket or
Comike.
cosplay
Short for “costume play.”
y.
”
Dressing up as a character
cter
from manga, anime, or g
games.
ames.
YE
dating simulator See bishojo game.
T’S K
game
AL ARUIS
lolicon Derived
from
“Lolita
complex,” the word
is used in Japanese in
© 2004 V
connection with manga
a
and anime that feature
e
youthful or young-look--
ing girl characters.
Bishojo: cute girl characters
THE MOE
´ MANIFESTO
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13/2/14 10:45 AM
187
187
maid Pronounced
“meido”
in
Japanese, this term is as-
sociated not with actual
housekeepers but rather
with a popular character
NW
type in manga, anime,
OLG
and games.
C
MNO
maid café
A café aimed at a clien-
M
RA
tele of manga, anime,
PH
and game fans, where
RAG
the waitresses dress up
TOO
in maid costumes.
PH©
mecha
Abbreviation of me-
chanical. Can refer to
any mechanical device
in a sci-fi setting, or a
Cosplay
sci-fi genre centering on
robots or machines controlled by people from inside.
moé Pronounced
moé (i.e., with the fi nal “e” sound stressed separately as “eh”). As the interviews in this book reveal, the meaning of this work is contested, but a working defi nition is an attraction to or affection for a fi ctional character.
otaku
According to the Japanese dictionary Kojien, this word is used to refer to people that have a great deal of knowledge about a specifi c hobby interest but that are lacking in “social common sense.” The word is
typically applied to fans of manga, anime, and electronic games.
salaryman
The stereotypical Japanese offi ce worker, who wears a suit and devotes his life to the company.
shojo manga
Manga targeting girls. The focus tends to be on emotions and romantic relationships. Think Rose of Ver-sailles, Boys Over Flowers, Fruits Basket, and Nana.
shonen manga
Manga targeting boys, but read widely across gender and age boundaries. The focus tends to be on action and adventure. Think Dragon Ball and Naruto.
GLOSSARY
MOE_20_178-192.indd 187
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188
Index
2Channel 107
bishojo
Comic Market
20th Century Boys 45
in glossary 186
in glossary 186
30 Rock 4, 23
1980s
14
fanzines 40, 159,
1990s 17, 137
175
by Azuma Hideo 44–45
Harada
Teruo
28
Afghanis-tan 141–42
emergence of 11–13
pedagogical func-
Air 98–107
female artists 23
tion 176–77
Akihabara
in Manga Burikko 11,
Soda Mitsuru survey
in glossary 186
14–17, 38, 41
145
“block economy” 127
merchandise
159–60
Condry, Ian 8
infl uence of 73–75
voiced by Momoi Halko cosplay 74, 76, 88, 131
moeru neighborhood
72
in glossary 186
17,
152–61
bishojo games
Creamy Mami 14, 54–63
otaku demonstration
in glossary 186
crying games 98–107, 125
20–21,
22
character design 150–
Cybele 13, 45
street performances
51
21,
73
creative process 100–
Akihime, Sumomo 111,
105
dating simulator games.
114
crying games 98–107,
See bishojo games.
Alice Parade 108
125
Dazai, Osamu 142
Ametan candy 84
interaction with char-
Denpa otoko 116
Amuro 77
acters 124–25, 148–50
Densha otoko 19, 75, 157,
Animage 14
male characters 77–78
158
Animec 14
nakige. See crying
Di Gi Charat 174, 175, 177
An’no, Hideaki 119
games
Disney, Walt 49, 67
Astro Boy 8, 9, 18, 19
school setting 102–103
Dobutsuka suru posuto
Asuka 115, 118–19
youthful characters 78
modan 170
Ayame 10–11
Bleach 63
Ayanami, Rei 75, 115, 133
boys’ love
Azuma, Hideo
in glossary 186
Eden of the East 175
bishojo characters
Hagio, Moto 27, 28, 32
Elf 105, 125
10–11
illustrations
26
circular lines 166
reader response 78,
Cybele 13
180
Fancy Lala 54
in Manga Burikko 44–45 Buso Shinki 90–97
fi ghting girls 184
Azuma, Hiroki 170–77
Fist of the North Star 117
Flyable Heart 108, 109
Cagalli 146
Franco, James 4–5, 7, 23
Bai-Niang 182–83
Captain Tsubasa 175
Freedman, Alisa 19
Bakemonogatari 76
Cardcaptor Sakura 137
Fujisaki, Shiori 75
Bandai 47, 50, 55–58
Castle of Cagliostro 13, 182
Fukashina mono no sekai
Beautiful Fighting Girl 178,
Clannad 98–107
170, 171
179, 184
Clarisse 13, 182
Fukuyama, Keiko 166, 167
Benzaiten 88. See also Toro Classmate 105, 124–25
Fushigi Maho Fan Fan Phar-
Benten
Classmate 2 124–25
macy 65
Be-reave 111
Clockwork Ley-Line, A 108,
Future Boy Conan 13, 182
110
THE MOE
/> ´ MANIFESTO
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189
Gainax 44, 183
K-On! 78, 123
Martian Successor Nadesico
Gekkan Out 14
Konami 90
146
Girl Who Chants Love at the Kotani, Mari 30–37, 170
Marvelous Melmo 118, 120
End of the World, The 105
Kousaka, Kirino 180
McCarthy, Helen 9–11
Gunbuster 183
kyara 162, 168–69
mecha 14, 19, 90–97
Gundam Seed 146
Kyoryu wakusei 156, 157
in glossary 187
Gunslinger Girl 146
Kyoto Animation 176
mecha musume 90
Meikyu 28
Melmo 118, 120
Hagio, Moto 26–28, 32
Lana 13
Messe Sanoh 159
Hakujaden 182
Leaf 105, 125
Minky Momo 46–53
Harada, Teruo 28
Lemon People 15, 45
Minmay, Lynn 138
Hatsune, Miku 164
Little Meg the Witch Girl 55
Mirai Suenaga 129
Hayasaka, Miki 17, 23
lolicon
Miyazaki, Hayao
Hayashibara, Megumi 51
in glossary 186
female characters
Hello Kitty
boom
45
13, 63, 181–83
cute culture 26, 123
manga
15
overseas fans 176
as
moé character 18–19
Lolicon: Nihon no shojo
Miyazaki, Tsutomu 41–43,
by POP 67–68
shikoshatachi to sono
178
Hetalia: Axis Powers 174
sekai 13
Mobile Suit Gundam
Higashimura, Hikaru
Lolita Anime 15
adult appeal 60
The Moé Manifesto Page 17
