Monday, September 17, 2007
Sunday, September 2, 2007
"Silent faces... girls that say so much"
*This a Fan article I did some years back when I first learn to love Anime. I did this as a contribution for my former otaku group, OAV. I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did when I wrote it*
Jads carries along with him in his wallet a picture of a girl named Rei. He knows almost everything about her, from the type of books she reads to her close friendship with Shinji and the people she feels friendly with. But unlike other girls of her age who shop, like to eat cake, and discuss which boy in class they have a crush on. Rei Ayanami, instead pilots and fights in huge bio-engineered mecha known as Evangelion units.
Rei Ayanami is actually an anime character in Neon Genesis Evangelion, produced by GAINAX (the one that also created Fushigi no Umi no Nadia, translated “Nadia in the Seas of Wonder”) and directed by Anno Hideaki. The 26-episode anime series which was broadcast in Japan, 1995, presented a story of human survival in the aftermath of a major catastrophe. To give a rundown of the story; in 2015 A.D., the survivors of the world’s population are still recovering from the cataclysmic disaster known as “Second Impact” which melted the Antarctic Polar Ice caps and flooded the world. The UN in order to prevent a similar event from occurring again creates a special defense agency, NERV. Under the command of Ikari Gendou, NERV is tasked to defend humanity against the threat of ‘Angels’. And a fourteen-year-old boy, Shinji, is suddenly thrown in the fray to pilot the Multi-Purpose Humanoid Fighting Machine‘Evangelion’. The show marked a phenomenal success in Japan, which also followed in the U.S., and also here in the Philippines.
Anime otakus watched the series on tapes borrowed from friends, collected novelty items from model kits, vinyl statues, and CDs to small items as buttons, stationary, and picture cards of their favorite characters.Going back, Rei is a fourteen-year-old girl with pale blue boyish-cut hair and golden yellow eyes. In the series she rare speaks, muttering a few words, and shows so little interest in other people. Silent, mysterious, and almost questioning her existence in the world and her emotions. This ghostly like character has won many anime fans with her almost mute performance.
Another anime heroine, Ruri Hoshino from Mobile Battleship Nades mysterious character.
‘Ruri-ruri’ to her shipmates and anime fans of the show. Ruri-ruri is an eleven-year-old, sky blue haired, golden-eyed girl who acts as the ship’s computer operator. Unlike her predecessor, Ruri-ruri has a little more spunk and likes to say ‘baka’ (meaning ‘idiot’) whenever she can’t comprehend her elders’ actions. Many other animes had its own share of ‘silent heroines’. Key: The Metal Idol from Viz Video tells the story of Tokiko Mima or ‘Key’, aico is yet another fourteen-year-old girl who acts and
speaks as if she is a robot. But actually Key is the prototype for the PPOR series; a line of humanoid robots originally meant for military
assaults in extreme combat situations. But Key rather wants to become human and must befriend 30,000 people and win their love to do so. Another one, D or Di (both of which many otakus aren’t sure is the right one) is a character from Dual: Misadventures in a Parallel World is a green-colored hair, teenage fighter pilot. Lain from Serial Experiments: Lain, is an elementary school girl who finds out another ‘Lain’ is spreading vicious rumors in the ‘wired’.
In recent animes before Evangelion and Nadesico, we seen ‘Duh’ anime girls like Usagi Tsukino (‘Sailormoon’ series), Momiji Fujimiya (Blue Seed), and Yohko Mano (Devil Hunter Yohko). Heroines who act clumsy, boy-hungry, and a bit stupid (no offense to the Sailormoon Fans). Who are trying to save the world from devastation (okay, somebody whack me on the head before I start mimicking Team Rocket) while looking for a boyfriend and dreaming to get married.
Also there appeared ‘The Diabetically Sweet Girl’ Category, mostly found originally in Japanese date simulation games; these too came into the anime spectrum. Appearing as junior high school students with innocent looking faces and doeful eyes as if they were as fragile as glass. Many young men (in Japan and throughout the world) have been lured into their spell. Most well known is Shiori (Tokimeki Memorial); another is, Akari Kamigishi who like Shiori sport red hair; These are the type of girls that ‘boys’ in their H.S. days dream/dreamt to be their girlfriends.
Other types includes, “The Bitchy Ones”, Sohryuu Aska Langley (Evangelion), Princess Ayaka (Tenchi Muyo), and Akane Tendo (Ranma ½, although personally I think she’s misunderstood by everyone). Who are a bit violent, oh no! They aren’t that violent; they just hit you with a mallet that seems to come out of no where. A little tomboyish and shouts a few really ouchy lines that makes you feel like a snail. But don’t worry they don’t bite… I think. And let’s not forget the types that make you wonder whether we’re man enough for them. The ‘Loud-mouth Babes’ like Ryoko (Tenchi Muyo), Lina Inverse (The Slayers), and B-ko (Project A-ko). Women, who can eat like men, drink saké… jars that is, and are the ones hounding them down.
But with the animes we seen (which are mostly Sci-fi), are presenting a different array of heroines who won both devotion and sympathy from their fans. Their cute, blank faces, deep soulful eyes, and childish appearance are just the sugar coating for why many anime fans adore them so much. Eleven to fourteen-year-olds who are task with so much responsibility on hands, while trying to understand the actions of their elders’ who seem to move illogically, and dealing with their own emotions.Knowing the amount of pressure Japanese children go through to meet exceptional grades; these characters may be parodies of that reality. Set extreme sci-fi worlds with Jovian lizards or PPOR droids or ‘Angels’ out to get them.
But also anime fans here in the Philippines and abroad, love them because like I said, they somewhat represent us. The inability at an age to thoroughly express what we feel. Never wanting to grow up because adults seem to be too complicated and why do we want to be like them. The blank faces that seem to hold so much and say so little. Those deep,’dead eyes’ that seem to reflect nothing back but questions. And sometimes the introspective insights the thought and feelings of these characters. Seems to hold our fascination and understanding for them. A vacant face with just a frown or a smile that lures us into a sense of bewilderment.
[I like to thank John Allen Delos Santos for the info he shared and the devoted websites I went to… although I forgot the names, the comments they had help me in this, as well as the pics I used in this article, and watching a lot of Anime.Domo!]
Jads carries along with him in his wallet a picture of a girl named Rei. He knows almost everything about her, from the type of books she reads to her close friendship with Shinji and the people she feels friendly with. But unlike other girls of her age who shop, like to eat cake, and discuss which boy in class they have a crush on. Rei Ayanami, instead pilots and fights in huge bio-engineered mecha known as Evangelion units.Rei Ayanami is actually an anime character in Neon Genesis Evangelion, produced by GAINAX (the one that also created Fushigi no Umi no Nadia, translated “Nadia in the Seas of Wonder”) and directed by Anno Hideaki. The 26-episode anime series which was broadcast in Japan, 1995, presented a story of human survival in the aftermath of a major catastrophe. To give a rundown of the story; in 2015 A.D., the survivors of the world’s population are still recovering from the cataclysmic disaster known as “Second Impact” which melted the Antarctic Polar Ice caps and flooded the world. The UN in order to prevent a similar event from occurring again creates a special defense agency, NERV. Under the command of Ikari Gendou, NERV is tasked to defend humanity against the threat of ‘Angels’. And a fourteen-year-old boy, Shinji, is suddenly thrown in the fray to pilot the Multi-Purpose Humanoid Fighting Machine‘Evangelion’. The show marked a phenomenal success in Japan, which also followed in the U.S., and also here in the Philippines.
Anime otakus watched the series on tapes borrowed from friends, collected novelty items from model kits, vinyl statues, and CDs to small items as buttons, stationary, and picture cards of their favorite characters.Going back, Rei is a fourteen-year-old girl with pale blue boyish-cut hair and golden yellow eyes. In the series she rare speaks, muttering a few words, and shows so little interest in other people. Silent, mysterious, and almost questioning her existence in the world and her emotions. This ghostly like character has won many anime fans with her almost mute performance.
Another anime heroine, Ruri Hoshino from Mobile Battleship Nades mysterious character.
‘Ruri-ruri’ to her shipmates and anime fans of the show. Ruri-ruri is an eleven-year-old, sky blue haired, golden-eyed girl who acts as the ship’s computer operator. Unlike her predecessor, Ruri-ruri has a little more spunk and likes to say ‘baka’ (meaning ‘idiot’) whenever she can’t comprehend her elders’ actions. Many other animes had its own share of ‘silent heroines’. Key: The Metal Idol from Viz Video tells the story of Tokiko Mima or ‘Key’, aico is yet another fourteen-year-old girl who acts and
speaks as if she is a robot. But actually Key is the prototype for the PPOR series; a line of humanoid robots originally meant for military
assaults in extreme combat situations. But Key rather wants to become human and must befriend 30,000 people and win their love to do so. Another one, D or Di (both of which many otakus aren’t sure is the right one) is a character from Dual: Misadventures in a Parallel World is a green-colored hair, teenage fighter pilot. Lain from Serial Experiments: Lain, is an elementary school girl who finds out another ‘Lain’ is spreading vicious rumors in the ‘wired’.In recent animes before Evangelion and Nadesico, we seen ‘Duh’ anime girls like Usagi Tsukino (‘Sailormoon’ series), Momiji Fujimiya (Blue Seed), and Yohko Mano (Devil Hunter Yohko). Heroines who act clumsy, boy-hungry, and a bit stupid (no offense to the Sailormoon Fans). Who are trying to save the world from devastation (okay, somebody whack me on the head before I start mimicking Team Rocket) while looking for a boyfriend and dreaming to get married.
Also there appeared ‘The Diabetically Sweet Girl’ Category, mostly found originally in Japanese date simulation games; these too came into the anime spectrum. Appearing as junior high school students with innocent looking faces and doeful eyes as if they were as fragile as glass. Many young men (in Japan and throughout the world) have been lured into their spell. Most well known is Shiori (Tokimeki Memorial); another is, Akari Kamigishi who like Shiori sport red hair; These are the type of girls that ‘boys’ in their H.S. days dream/dreamt to be their girlfriends.
Other types includes, “The Bitchy Ones”, Sohryuu Aska Langley (Evangelion), Princess Ayaka (Tenchi Muyo), and Akane Tendo (Ranma ½, although personally I think she’s misunderstood by everyone). Who are a bit violent, oh no! They aren’t that violent; they just hit you with a mallet that seems to come out of no where. A little tomboyish and shouts a few really ouchy lines that makes you feel like a snail. But don’t worry they don’t bite… I think. And let’s not forget the types that make you wonder whether we’re man enough for them. The ‘Loud-mouth Babes’ like Ryoko (Tenchi Muyo), Lina Inverse (The Slayers), and B-ko (Project A-ko). Women, who can eat like men, drink saké… jars that is, and are the ones hounding them down.
But with the animes we seen (which are mostly Sci-fi), are presenting a different array of heroines who won both devotion and sympathy from their fans. Their cute, blank faces, deep soulful eyes, and childish appearance are just the sugar coating for why many anime fans adore them so much. Eleven to fourteen-year-olds who are task with so much responsibility on hands, while trying to understand the actions of their elders’ who seem to move illogically, and dealing with their own emotions.Knowing the amount of pressure Japanese children go through to meet exceptional grades; these characters may be parodies of that reality. Set extreme sci-fi worlds with Jovian lizards or PPOR droids or ‘Angels’ out to get them.
But also anime fans here in the Philippines and abroad, love them because like I said, they somewhat represent us. The inability at an age to thoroughly express what we feel. Never wanting to grow up because adults seem to be too complicated and why do we want to be like them. The blank faces that seem to hold so much and say so little. Those deep,’dead eyes’ that seem to reflect nothing back but questions. And sometimes the introspective insights the thought and feelings of these characters. Seems to hold our fascination and understanding for them. A vacant face with just a frown or a smile that lures us into a sense of bewilderment.
[I like to thank John Allen Delos Santos for the info he shared and the devoted websites I went to… although I forgot the names, the comments they had help me in this, as well as the pics I used in this article, and watching a lot of Anime.Domo!]
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