Hexasheep said:Damn I guess I fell behind on your posts again, oh well.
This is a response to your post made last sunday. Ill try to get to the latest one later. I have been quite busy as of late.
-regarding idol otaku and manga otaku.
I guess that makes sense that there be some overlap, now I wonder if there are any western idol otaku. I feel the whole Idol thing is very insular to Japan, with very few exceptions like babymetal.
"The issue with idols is that they often start as junior idols so you have young girls--at thr behest of their mothers--wearing bloomers in Akihabara trying to promote themselves to idol otaku"
Ok so Im gonna need that you give me a few more details about that. Is that like a fan meet? Are they stablished idols? Are they just in the street wearing their outfit with their mothers? Whats going there?
Also I was under the impression that the Japanese authorities had become a lot more strict with the whole junior idol thing, is that not the case?
-video about manga and idol otaku.
So. It may just be my location or something, but the only subtitles I get for this video are in Japanese which does not really help. So sorry for being a bother but would you mind giving me a tldw of that video?
I gather this is whole section was your response about my question on whether you dislike the idol industry. And yeah I also do not like it, in particular those aspects. But, it may be thst I just more forgiving of a culture I have positive bias towards, but I feel it is possible to take out the damaging elements of that industry without throwing the baby with the bath water. Just my take on it anyways this is not a thread about idols anyways so I digress.
-adult skin mags and dannyphantom post
So I googled adult skin mags and the results I got were all about those gas station porn. I am gonna assume that it is a little more sinister than that cause I cant imagine you being scared to look at a bunch of old cheap porn mags.
Funnily enough typing that name on google also linked me to this very thread lol.
Regarding dannyphantom post and that particular chapter in loli and manga history well as I said is up to you, if you think is necessary to form a complete picture of the history then I guess do it. I don't really have the stomach for it.
Sadly it seems danny has completely left this forum, that one post was the only thing he posted so who knows if he even still here.
-other replies
I guess I interpret play as maybe fanworks? After rereading the paragraph it seemed to me like he was referring to that like in the style of fanarts and cosplays idk.
This whole credit cards issue and the amazon one is just fucking rotten, now I am sure me and others here are willing to find methods to support the artist but yhe sad thing that may not be true or even possible for others, hopefully this whole thing has a happy end.
1980s artist retrospective
So all the people having the sensei suffix means they are a master of sorts?
Interesting how the "relatively" younger interviewees are more brief and to the point, while Nakajima is a lot more conversationalist, in a weird way it gives him some sort of grandfatherly vibe.
Cream lemon artstyle is not my favourite but it has that something that other older works have that I really like.
Interesting that all these interviewees look back fondly at the lolicon boom,while Hideo himself, unless I am mistsken,had some mixed feelings of that time
-byakuya shobo
Ogata katsuhiro is the origin of the term otaku?
I assume that skin mag you were talking about earlier is similar to heybuddy!
Again up to you if you want to go in there.
Huh might look into startrap and superdimentional legend. For purely academic purposes of course
Interesting read.
I looked into the pixiv accounts of the artists inteviewed
I really like gotou kasumi style
Kazuna key has really good taste and also a good style.
Alright finally some free time.
Here is my reply for your last post
I admit is been a little while since I read the interview between kera and Ogata
-soapy smell
Wait so is Lolicon based off of Nabokov lolita? I thought you said that was not the case or am I misremembering?
They have many characteristics. A smell of soap rather than perfume. A body type more akin to Kirin Lemon (キリンレモン) than a Coke bottle, a crisp chocolate twig rather than a fluffy marshmallow. Linear and modern in everything."
I feel like I am missing a few cultural references here cause I don't quite understand what this paragrwph means.
-mature actressess being replaced with younger ones.
honestly that has always been the case. In truth it seems that these last few generations we seem to put a lot of emphasis on neoteny or being young looking. Thought I guess not to the level of the 80s anymore, I heard those were pretty wild times.
-timid boy
damn so the lolicon boom really encompassed a lot of japanese pop culture at least we are to consider the considerable increase ogata mentions.
what does he mean by his magazine being "consciensious"
Also aimed at girls? So if I understand we would have school boys and university students buying magazines for girls? Or am I misunderstanding?
Speaking of shounen maniac I recall being around 13 maybe 15 when I discovered loli funny how that works out.
-too maniac
I dont know if lolicons now have an ideology. I noticed that specially on social media sites like twitter a lot of western lolicons like to refer to themselves as members of the "lolicon community" in truth there many of those comunities some of which are not particularly fond of each other. And this is just the western lolicons. I imagine the situation with japanese otakus is even more complex.
I guess you would fall within that category of fans that love documenting and analyzing the medium.
So I looked up Hiroko and Im not sure I get how not liking her would mean you are a lolicon, I feel that liking her would make it more likely that you are a one.
-lolicon in the west
I think,as far as the english speaking world is concerned lolicon is a relatively new term and as you said it was not used much.
Honestly the fact that latin america knows much more about it is not a suprise to me at all as someone from that part of the world can tell you that we were deep into it way before it became"trendy" to be a weeb in the us.
For example while my friends from school would talk about the typical shonen show like naruto or dbz we would also talk about stuff like school days or evangelion. Really all you need to do is look up the latin american intros of anime, instead of making it up whole cloth a new theme like the us we would just translate the original song in spanish.
-mangazone.
Interesting well since I am a native speaker I may take a look at this fanzine.
-jamm
I wonder if all that stuff going on in the 80s is what give rise to the whole "think of rhe children" excuse many use. Its not unusual for a society to over correct when trying to fix an issue. Case in point prohibition started from the very real issue of rampant alcoholism in the late 19th century US.
The thing is whether they want to admit it or not the US has always been very religious and so very conservative regarding sex. They may dress it up with wathever is the narrative currently but in truth is just that americans are just prudes.
Also I still cant believe they made a freaking broadway musical about lolita. And here I thought the fact that kubrick made a movie was already pretty outrageous.
Interesting read. Keep up the good work.
Yet again, I didn't receive an e-mail you posted a reply... I wonder what's going on.
Back in 2004, 4chan had a board called 'real beautiful women' /real/, which was their idol board, and I've always been under the impression these sorts of guys pay more attention to things in Japan than western anime fans. I suspect dannyphantom was one of those types, since the things he brought up seem to be the sort an idol otaku or a subculture type would be interested in; he found an article in English about Aoyama Masaaki and a video uploaded to Youtube featuring him, which is remarkable to me...
The article by Kitahara Minori talks about the thing with junior idols in Akihabara, but you can search for information on this stuff on Youtube with 'ジュニアアイドル', there's some videos sharing 2ch threads, like one where a former junior idol did an 'Ask Me Anything' thread (link). And another video where a user tries to understand the mindset of the mothers involved (link) (i.e. they're the female equivalent of a sports father trying to turn his son into a sports superstar because he's too old to be sports superstar himself).
I think you have to view the video on Youtube's website. The cog icon allows you to switch languages for the OCR to auto-translate. Also, if you click the 'show more' button on the video description, there should be an option towards the bottom that opens up the transcription (i.e. Show Transcript). If these options aren't available on PC, then I can send you the transcripts through a private message.
OHYO gave Kasumi and Kazuna stock questions, hence their answers (Kazuna likes telling stories, and I want to translate/share some of them). While it's probably not obvious when reading these interview transcripts, a lot goes on behind the scenes for the good ones. Kera had all of Ogata Katsuhiro's books (with a plethora of bookmarks) in their private room to help jog his memory, and Kimi Rito was there to assist on his computer.
Err, Manga Burikko is the origin of Otaku. Though, I guess Ogata Katsuhiro is the one who set all of the pieces together to make that happen, since it's his connection with Endou that led to Nakamori Akio writing the Otaku Research columns in the first place. Before Kera's interview, it would've been easy to assume Manga Burikko was solely Ootsuka Eiji when the reality is that there were 3 people involved.
For whatever reason, I never bookmarked Kazuna Kei's Pixiv account despite following his website for about 20 years, and when I did follow him after translating that article, he followed me back on Pixiv. He's had that account for over a decade and only followed about a hundred artists, so I'm unsure why he specifically followed me; the stuff I upload to my Pixiv account is different to the kinds of stuff he normally bookmarks.
... I think most of these articles always open up with Lolicon originating from Nabokov's book. Very few of them seem to mention Russel Trainer (he's the one who coined Lolita Complex).
Takatori Ei made it a point in his article to say the Lolicon youth aren't like Humbert from Lolita, but more like his idea of Lewis Carroll.
Do a google image search of Kirin Lemon (in Japanese). That paragraph reads like some flat-chested girl in an anime describing how she's more attractive than the titty-monster girl ("linear beauty").
It's supposed to be a healthy Christian magazine for healthy young men and women, no lewd or taboo stuff. I guess this would make more sense if you saw an entire issue of Fusion Project; it's largely a cut and dry information magazine, but things changed after this Lolita/Bishoujo special.
She's mentioned a couple times in previous articles. I'm not certain right now if this is Ogata giving his own opinion, or if he's regurgitating something someone like Hirukogami Ken said to him.
When I gained internet access in 2003~, Masterbloodfer was a Spanish site that dealt in hentai, and Farhad was a French website that catalogued a certain genre of manga (I think I learned to do scanlations because I wanted access to Farhad's list of manga, but he kinda disappeared right when I was learning how to typeset and edit with photoshop). My old scanlation host, Gamerkun, was from Peru, and the artist I'm currently collaborating with, Yeni, is from Mexico.
Well, since you can read Spanish, maybe you can give me your analysis of Christian Hernandez's research; he strikes me as the Spanish equivalent of Patrick Galbraith, though I feel like he's a little more bold in sharing stuff I think shouldn't be shared (even if he censors it). Maybe there's value in translating his research from Spanish to English.
Source:『月刊OUT』1982/3
Azuma Hideo VS Yonezawa Yoshihiro
Azuma Hideo (吾妻ひでお): People call him the Lolicon Emperor, but the man himself is a genius mangaka who says, "I cannot say I'm not a Lolicon, but Lolicon? That's presumptuous." Ever since OUT's 'Azuma Hideo Special Feature', he's been in the minor magazine world not for money, but to raise havoc.
Yonezawa Yoshihiro (米沢嘉博): People call him the 'man who spread Lolicon and Sick into society', but the man himself is a manga critic who says, "I'm going to be healthy and get married, maybe." He's also the representative of Comiket, and due to the division kerfuffle the other day, he's been pressured to 'line his own pockets in OUT'!?
The Doujinshi World and Pro-zine
OUT: How did the two of you get to know each other?
Yonezawa: From the 'OUT' special feature. After writing a critique there, I was introduced to him by Q-san, the editor of 'Peke' (ペケ), at a third-rate gekiga-related year-end party-ish place. So, I said 'hello'.
※Note: Q-san is likely Kawamoto Kouji (川本耕次)
Azuma: After that, Yonezawa-san released 'Flowers for Azuma Hideo' (吾妻ひでおに花束を), and we've been running into each other quite often. He was doing the editing for 'Gekiga Alice' (劇画アリス). From there to my becoming a minor star (laughs) was triggered by the 'OUT' special feature.
Yonezawa: Is that a good thing, or a bad thing......?
Azuma: Well, let me ask you some things. Because Yonezawa-san's always asking me. So, he's pursuing me around Comiket......
OUT: That's nice.
Yonezawa: Uuuugh......
Azuma: If it's not a bother, in terms of trends overall, is it true the doujin world is reflected in pro-zines?
Yonezawa: Looks like it. Around the first or second Comiket, there was homo-parody-ish stuff. Well, you could say that gave birth to shoujo mangaka doujinshi that expanded the homo parts.
Azuma: Ah, weren't women mainly influenced by Takemiya-san (竹宮惠子) in that aspect?
Yonezawa: What I mean is a little different. It escalated from being crude and minor, you see. For a time, Comiket was full of homo-type doujinshi. 'JUNE' was born from that. Afterwards, the Yamato Boom struck and was turned into parodies......
Azuma: Anime-parodies, huh?
Yonezawa: If you were to sort them, Comiket was all about experimental/youth manga, reserve army-style shoujo manga, SF manga——and, by making the most of the place called the doujinshi world, parodies that manga fans use for play. Then the Yamato Boom gave rise to parodies, and well, that's the history of postwar doujinshi.
Azuma: So that part was overlapping with OUT?
Yonezawa: Yeah, well (speaking ambiguously). It's been about half a year since then, and the wave's reached a professional or minor level. Lolicon has been coming to the surface since last winter, and started to influence pro-zines this summer.
Azuma: So they're very closely connected.
OUT: Well, Minori Shobo existing now is thanks to Comiket.
Yonezawa: In the past, the OUT editors were Comiket participants. But these days, they're major......... (laughs).
Even if the Lolicon Boom has Passed
Azuma: What's your future prospect? ... I suppose it's about time for Lolicon to hang up its hat.
Yonezawa: This winter will probably be its peak. After that, Angie and Koeda-chan seem to be getting a lot of attention in some parts.
Azuma: That's a transitional thing, don't you suppose that's proof it's close to being over?
Yonezawa: But I believe the erotic parts will remain. After all, everyone likes sexy stuff, so I believe some will remain to play around with that. Ero.
Azuma: Are you going to have to censor them?
Yonezawa: I definitely don't want to do that.
Azuma: Then you don't mind radical expressions?
Yonezawa: Yeah, I believe I don't mind fighting over that. However, I would like participants to be careful about copyright issues——if they were to use something like Sazae-san (サザエさん) without permission, that would cost them 400,000 yen.
Azuma: Are you going to keep continuing Comiket?
Yonezawa: I hope there'll be a generational change in some form. But I like things like that because they can invigorate and inspire.
Azuma: So, what kind of work do you do that forms the foundation of your livelihood, Yonezawa-san?
Yonezawa: Err, sadly things like 'OUT' and 'Manga Kisou Tengai' (マンガ奇想天外)......... (laughs).
Azuma: So, critique is your main job.
Yonezawa: Yeah, well...... (sinks into darkness). Manga critique itself isn't really in high demand.
Azuma: So you haven't been doing it lately.
Yonezawa: Cause there aren't any critiques in manga magazines. So, it's just manga fan magazines and information magazines......
Azuma: Do you feel that sort of thing is getting worse?
Yonezawa: It looks like manga introductions are in demand in information magazines, but the future doesn't look very bright.
Azuma: Oh—, it's getting dark (laughs).
Yonezawa: The talk with Toriyama Akira-san and the others before ours was a bourgeois talk (laughs).
Azuma: Speaking of which, Toriyama-san is opening the Nagoya Olympics. Someone said they'll manage with his tax money (bursts into laughter).
Yonezawa: I-I wonder if that's true.
If It Were Made Into an Anime, 'Absurd Diary'
Yonezawa: Nowadays, the anime for things like 'Dr. Slump' (Dr.スランプ) and 'Urusei Yatsura' (うる星やつら) are hits, but what about you, Azuma-san?
Azuma: I watch 'Urusei Yatsura' on video.
Yonezawa: That's unexpectedly not suitable for children, and the punchlines are sharp.
Azuma: Yeah, sometimes there are twists to the original work, and it's more extreme than the original. So, every episode turns into a wreck (laughs), and in the next one, everything's back to normal. I like it, though.
Yonezawa: Though, it sounded like the PTA was making a fuss. You see, they're jumping around semi-nude for 30 minutes.
Azuma: Don't come out of the blue and say 'let's sleep' (laughs). But it's interesting. Lum-chan is sexy and has a unique charm to her that differs from the manga.
Yonezawa: The music is pretty good as well.
Azuma: Ahh, I also like that in the opening.
Yonezawa: I listen to it on tape.
Azuma: I'll have to also buy it! (Laughs)
Yonezawa: By the way, do they come to Azuma-san's place with stuff like anime projects?
Azuma: They come, but most of the time, they collapse (laughs).
Yonezawa: It's not that you particularly dislike doing it.
Azuma: Yeah, not particularly. If I did it, I could sleep and live (laughs).
Yonezawa: Though Tezuka-san also whispered to Azuma-san that now is the time to earn money. ——Do you have any ideas what causes the projects to collapse?
Azuma: After all, you see, the characters are good, but not the contents. It's hard to understand. I believe that's it.
Yonezawa: Do you feel you won't mind even if they change the contents?
Azuma: Yeah, if they were to do it, they would probably have to change them quite a bit.
Yonezawa: So, anything specific?
Azuma: Let's see, I——still can't say it (flatly).
Yonezawa: I bet it's sleeping as a 'secret' proposal somewhere. So, it's going to sleep forever and... (laughs).
Yonezawa: If you were to turn your own work into an anime, is there one you would like to do?
Azuma: If I did 'Absurd Diary' (不条理日記), I bet it wouldn't be well-received (bursts into laughter).
Yonezawa: Hm—m, I feel that's suitable for kamishibai, but...... (laughs)
※Kamishibai (Wiki)
Azuma: One that ends in those 2 or 3 panels. Everyone is surprised with an 'ahh'. I believe it would be very interesting to include that sort of thing. I don't know, I wonder if someone will do it.
About 'Gundam', About Anime
Yonezawa: Come to think of it, there was an old story about Azuma-san writing something about 'Gundam' in 'OUT', but......?
Azuma: In the end, I didn't write it.
Yonezawa: What were you planning to write?
Azuma: Well, nothing really. I said I would write, but it's more like "I'll watch it". So, it was dark. After watching a few episodes, I felt like it doesn't really suit my personality.
Yonezawa: It was tense, but in the end, it was enjoyable.
Azuma: It was interesting story-wise. I don't want to say whether or not it's SF. Well, either way is fine. Eh, people quickly die. Then they burst into tears (laughs). I don't like that.
Yonezawa: That reminds me, Azuma-san's manga is dry.
Azuma: I believe it's more effective if you want to express sadness by being dry. Whether it's because I'm too conscious of children or it's just my personality as a creator......
Yonezawa: On the other hand, in Japan, people won't understand unless it's said clearly, and it's considered a virtue to not show your sadness. I feel like straightness is being demanded in entertainment. Put simply, people won't be happy if you don't depict obvious tragedy or tears in drama fiction.
Azuma: I've never liked that sort of stuff.
Yonezawa: It's embarrassing, right?
Azuma: Rather than embarrassing, I feel angry (laughs). If I had a pistol, I would immediately shoot the television! (Bursts into Laughter)
Yonezawa: You hate it that much (laughs).
Azuma: Even in grand dramas, I'm no good when those sort of scenes show up. If it's absolutely necessary, then hm—m...... After all, if possible, I would prefer not to cry. If Tomino-san (富野) read 'Starship Troopers' (宇宙の戦士), he wouldn't cry. By portraying them until their death, he should depict them as a wonderful person the reader can emphasise with. So, they die in some battle in the first line, and that's it. If it's kept to that level, I would be moved. ——Cry, Amuro (laughs). Yell so-and-so's name, like a fool.
Yonezawa: Anime is all about the screaming.
Azuma: Wah, it's no good if they don't scream, you know? (Laughs)
Yonezawa: Umm, people won't remember if they say a line that's too long. You can't simply depict someone's psychological state in a drama, so if they're angry, then they have to say "I'm Angry—!", and if they're sad, then they have to say "Okaa-sa—n!" (bursts into laughter). That might be the reason why anime is simpler than manga in that respect. Cause you aren't able to reread it.
Azuma: I suppose so. The way you create a drama is the same way you create a movie. I guess there needs to be compromises in that respect. I feel it's not good to make things easier to understand. Well, if you read Tomino-san's autobiography, you'll understand this guy has this sort of character. That guy is a man who's moved by his entire body (laughs). So, all I can say is that he doesn't have the right character. I can already feel the emotion flowing! (Laughs)
Yonezawa: Yeah, when you're in a river and it becomes noisy. Up ahead is a waterfall, and then you fall (laughs).
Azuma: The slug crawls (laughs).
Yonezawa: Well, I guess that's no good.
Azuma: B, but in that respect, 'Conan' is the same. ——But 'Angie' is better because she's dry.
Yonezawa: You have no room for that sort of tearful drama, huh?
Azuma: I like things that don't make me cry. ——However, such dry works that don't make you cry aren't becoming mainstream. I wonder what happened on the anime side.
Yonezawa: Something like 'Goku's Great Adventure' (悟空の大冒険). Though it doesn't look like it was very popular. ——Azuma-san's manga doesn't make me cry. Even if tears well up, it becomes a parody. I feel like the foundation in accepting that sort of thing has come a long way in the last decade or so. From 'Geba Geba 90 Minutes' (ゲバゲバ90分) to 'Monty Python' and Tamori (タモリ). Something like a dry laugh has started to become accepted.
※Tamori (Wiki)
Azuma: However, I feel with 'Gundam' being popular, I don't have much hope for young people (laughs). They're all gloomy people screaming someone's name at the edge of a cliff (bursts into laughter).
Yonezawa: It'll be truly terrifying when they start screaming (laughs).
Azuma: All we have to do is push them off the cliff (laughs).
Yonezawa: That's quite the disturbing statement you just made. ——Gundam fans are terrifying. I get the sense they're the easily-influenced type. Maybe that's how they're going to turn out if they immerse themselves in things like that.
Azuma: No, it's their character.
Yonezawa: But I believe they weren't born that way, but rather they grew up watching emotional and passionate dramas in anime. You see, it would be the same as growing up reading Azuma-san's manga from the age of 3 and winding up strange (laughs).
Azuma: No, they'll grow up to be an upright human (laughs). They'll definitely wind up bright and healthy humans (bursts into laughter).
Yonezawa: That's precisely what they mean by Newtype (ニュータイプ).
Strategies to Survive as a Mangaka
Azuma: Yonezawa-san, you're a critic, but you're also a maniac, right?
Yonezawa: There was a time when maniac was used in a discriminatory sense; you're called an extreme maniac and discriminated against. The mood still remains where you cannot boast about being a maniac.
Azuma: I guess it's because some radical fans were going wild for a while (laughs).
Yonezawa: That's right, the kind that'll come directly to your home.
Azuma: Yeah, there are some crazy people. It's been happening a lot recently, including mine.
Yonezawa: Let me tell you, the guy who collects money for the Asahi Shimbun (朝日新聞) told me something like 'I read OUT' (laughs), and someone who worked part-time at a post office once came to me with mail in hand saying, 'Ohh, you live here?'. Unexpected visitors are kinda terrifying (laughs).
Azuma: My wife is always terrified when she opens the door and a dark person suddenly speaks to her. She tells me a man with strange eyes came.
Yonezawa: Err, the people who become fans are those on the same wavelength as the creator. A theory I've been mulling over is that a certain type of pheromone is secreted from a mangaka's art, and similar people are attracted to them (laughs).
Azuma: No, ahh, that makes sense, but I don't want to see guys who look like me.
Yonezawa: Ten mirrors walking around Oizumi Academy in the middle of the night (laughs).
Azuma: You won't progress if you meet people the same as you...... I like cheerful people.
Yonezawa: After all, conversation is dialectically......... (laughs). By the way, how is your recent work going?
Azuma: The number of major works is steadily increasing. Because I have many serials.
Yonezawa: But you ended the one in 'Big Spirits' (ビッグスピリッツ), and the one for Kodansha also ended a while ago.
Azuma: I feel like I'm going to be drawing in 'OUT' soon. Hahaha.
Yonezawa: Another ice age...... (everyone bursts into laughter).
Azuma: But, you see, you won't survive if you become major, so if you're about to become major, you quit and step back...... (laughs).
Yonezawa: The weathering is quick, huh?
Azuma: It really will end you in three years. And once you get used to it, it becomes boring.
Yonezawa: So keep at it and try not to become major.
Azuma: Yeah...... But I guess it's true.
Yonezawa: Do you have a strategy for that?
Azuma: I do! (Resolutely)
Yonezawa: In any case, the amount of manga has increased recently, I haven't been able to read them all.
Azuma: I wonder why it has increased.
Yonezawa: Because it doesn't sell...... They say manga magazines have hit a plateau. The idea is if you cannot create a magazine that sells a million copies, then you should just publish three magazines that sell 300,000 copies. There's hundreds of them. How often do you read, Azuma-san?
Azuma: Only the ones I already decided upon.
Yonezawa: People say once you become a mangaka, you don't read manga anymore. Azuma-san, you read quite a lot, right?
Azuma: I lose to Ishikawa-san (いしかわ). That guy wants free books, so he draws for various companies.
The Gap Between Major and Minor......
Azuma: Are there any young people you're paying attention to now?
Yonezawa: Let's see, Hosono Fujihiko (細野不二彦) and Tori Miki (とり・みき) are good.
Azuma: I also like Tori Miki.
Yonezawa: It's amazing how many gags he can cram in!
Azuma: There are very few people seriously trying to do nonsense like that.
Yonezawa: They say gags use energy, but Azuma-san, you've been doing gags for 13 years. I think that's amazing.
Azuma: It's easy to get struck in a rut, though.
Yonezawa: There's a theory gag manga can only last for 3 years. Even Yamagami-san (山上) hasn't been very active lately. I feel like there's something troubling him.
※Yamagami Tatsuhiko (山上たつひこ) (Wiki)
Azuma: Well, I believe it's correct he kept doing 'Gaki Deka' (がきデカ). In short, it cannot be helped doing things like that would make you depressed for a while. I believe he'll spring back to life again, like Shouji Sadao (東海林さだお)......
Yonezawa: What about the generation of readers changing as you progress?
Azuma: That's right.
Yonezawa: Readers from the beginning will get used to the patterns and humour as they read, but what do you think? Azuma-san, you've been doing this for over ten years.
Azuma: When I reread them, I draw something similar. But I'm not a major. That alone is my strength! (Laughs)
Yonezawa: I feel like you're going back and forth between major and minor.........
Azuma: Yep, I'm barely surviving.
Yonezawa: Well, it was pretty bad when you were doing 'Futari to Gonin' (ふたりと5人).
Azuma: Yeah, it was bad. I'm glad to change my pattern over there.
Yonezawa: Speaking of which, the mood and structure of your early works are similar to ones you're doing now.
Azuma: Yeah, you could say I've returned to normal a little. I generally cannot draw things that are too different. It's like I don't have much in the way of material. Like, 'Hmm, I feel like I wrote this Name somewhere before'. Maybe it's the same Name. If you mess up, it'll be someone else's Name. That's not good (laughs with a hahaha).
Yonezawa: I believe manga maniac creators sometimes do that subconsciously.
Azuma: Use it. Hoi-hoi (laughs). When I'm writing, I believe it's a Name I've seen somewhere before, but at that time, I don't know.
Yonezawa: However, that's the strength of gag manga; it can be interpreted as parody.
Azuma: It's fine to use the Name of a movie. I often use Miyaya Kazuhiko-san's (宮谷一彦) Names.
Yonezawa: You must be glad to be doing gag manga.
Lolicon with a Shining Gold Badge...
OUT: Umm, I would like you two to move on to today's main topic, Lolicon. After all, the tentative title of today's talk is 'I'm not the Lolicon Emperor. Let's Properly Get Married, Everyone'...... (laughs).
Azuma: P, please stop—. By the way, what sort of relationship did it have at Comiket before 'Cybele'?
Yonezawa: If I had to say it existed, then it existed. Among shoujo manga fans, the word Lolicon was used quite often. The girls drawn by Tadatsu Youko (忠津陽子) and Chigira Hatsumi (千明初美), and Marybelle, were cute.
※Marybelle Portsnell (メリーベル・ポーツネル), a character from 'The Poe Clan' by Hagio Moto (萩尾望都).
Azuma: Yeah, I know.
Yonezawa: Originally, it was something like eroticism in manga, but I feel it's always been an attraction. There are theories regarding Astro Boy's sexiness, and that things like Captain Ken's eyelashes are sexy (laughs). That sort of eroticism, I feel like there was a trend of stimulating the deepest parts of a boy's heart.
Azuma: I agree. We also remember Tezuka-san's sexy poses. But it's true you weren't supposed to say things like that, right?
Yonezawa: Y, yeah, that's right. I felt that aspect was taboo.
Azuma: Then it burst out all at once. However, I get the impression young people these days aren't like that.
Yonezawa: Yeah, everyone proudly answers 'I'm a Lolicon!' (laughs). Like they have a Lolicon badge, or something, shining on their chests. So, well, shounen manga has always had a tendency to feature at least one cute girl.
Azuma: That's right.
Yonezawa: It's also written in 'Mangaka Introductory Guide' (マンガ家入門) (with confidence).
Azuma: That thing hid the sexy parts deep inside. But it was sleeping in the depths of my consciousness.
Yonezawa: That said, Akiko Nee-san from 'Star of the Giants' (巨人の星) wasn't sexy at all. She was sinewy and muscular. After all, I feel like there are no cute girls in shounen manga anymore thanks to gekiga. ——So, some shounen manga fans turned to shoujo manga because they don't like short-legged, bulky girls like that.
Azuma: Well, there was a long foreshadowing.
Yonezawa: As part of the resurgence of shounen manga, Lolicon has appeared. Azuma-san's art is surprisingly in line with traditional shounen manga. In the past 4 or 5 years, cute girls have started to appear again, triggered by the love-comedies in shounen manga.
Azuma: So, it's not who did it, it just happened naturally.
Yonezawa: Yeah, in postwar shounen manga......
Azuma: It's history, history.
Yonezawa: Lolicon didn't come out of nowhere. Don't most guys like cute girls, and like drawing them?
Azuma: However, each person's sense of cuteness is different. What I mean is you couldn't say the shoujo manga girls were cute or you like manga-style girls. Perhaps they were cowards......? If you ask a gekiga person, they would call you a 'moron!' with a diagonal line in their mouth (laughs).
Yonezawa: Then we received a shock with a 'ga—n!' (laughs).
Azuma: So, now they can say that. I feel like it's because people nowadays haven't experienced gekiga, so they can say it with a sparkle.
Yonezawa: Perhaps it's a time where Tatamae is unnecessary, and they can simply do their own hobby. Then they were given a cool, golden badge called 'Lolicon' (laughs).
Azuma: That's right, they're walking around. Me and my assistant are still modest, but when it comes to these high schoolers, they're unbelievable.
Yonezawa: Everyone is dignified.
Azuma: They shout in a big voice 'I'm a Lolicon—!', and I'm like 'Wait a minute!' (bursts into laughter).
Yonezawa: But it seems like not everyone is doing it out in public. It seems to be something only among manga fans.
Azuma: Lately, it feels like more and more men are approaching small girls......
Yonezawa: Aren't you responsible for that, Azuma-san?
Azuma: That's the trend. I've been drawing cute girls with no regard. Though there are some parts that are a little blatant. So, my assistant told me "let's do it", and I got hooked. It's my assistant's fault (laughs).
Yonezawa: I see. Hm—m.
Azuma: Even then, don't you think the truly sick will remain? I believe the public boom will end.
Yonezawa: I believe cute girls will remain.
Azuma: No, I feel like the dark gekiga age is coming again.
Yonezawa: Hm—m, how do you feel about some calling you the Lolicon Emperor, Azuma-san?
Azuma: It's almost time for me to vacate the throne! (Laughs)
Yonezawa: Are you talking about Uchiyama Aki-san (内山亜紀)?
Azuma: That guy keeps drawing just that and doesn't get bored, he really likes it—.
Even Once the Boom Passes, the True Sick Remain
Yonezawa: By the way, Azuma-san, are there any girls in manga you think are cute?
Azuma: After all, Tezuka-san's girls. And the wealthy young lady that appears in Ishimori-san's 'TV Boy' (テレビ小僧).
Yonezawa: Those upturned eyes......
OUT: The expansion of the skirts......
Azuma: Yes, yes, and the girl that appeared in Tezuka-san's western 'Lemon Kid' (レモンキッド) was cute.
Yonezawa: So it turns out Tezuka-san is the key. Since postwar shounen manga started with Tezuka Osamu, does that mean Lolicon blood has been flowing since the beginning? So, who was the girl for Azuma-san? That is the question.
Azuma: That's why I have a wide range of interests. I can't say I'm an orthodox Lolicon. I'm different in that respect. I like both small girls and grown-up girls. The types are divided. I generally prefer cute, childish girls.
Yonezawa: They say Lolicon is a sickness incidental to civilisation, so for Azuma-san who grew up in Hokkaido.........
Azuma: Are you implying there's no culture in Hokkaido!? (Laughs) But there really isn't. There were no rental bookstores.
Yonezawa: Recently, it seems you've been doing a lot of Lolicon-related work.
Azuma: You could say I already gotten bored of Lolicon.
Yonezawa: But it feels like you're being labelled as a Lolicon mangaka.
Azuma: I dislike labels. Because they're boring. Anyway, calling me a Lolicon is presumptuous, that's an understatement.
Yonezawa: Some say if you get Azuma-san's seal of approval, you can become a top-notch Lolicon.
Azuma: Is that true—?
Kajiwara Ikki = Heinlein Theory!!
Yonezawa: Have you read any SF recently?
Azuma: Hm—m, I've been busy recently. But Poul Anderson's...
Yonezawa: 'JEM'.
Azuma: No, 'Gateway'. I've been rereading Heinlein recently. There's a theory that Kajiwara Ikki (梶原一騎) equals Heinlein (laughs).
Yonezawa: I feel like I understand.
Azuma: However, I feel that Heinlein is more luxurious than Kajiwara Ikki.
Yonezawa: There might be something similar.
Azuma: However, it's interesting rereading him again. I'm wondering if there's anything interesting like this.
Yonezawa: Do you ever get angry at something a character says or does while reading?
Azuma: I'm always angry while reading, but sometimes I find myself unable to read halfway through.
Yonezawa: Do you like long stories?
Azuma: I've always preferred drawing short ones, but when it comes to novels, I prefer long ones.
Yonezawa: What about Japanese SF?
Azuma: I don't read anyone but Tsutsui-san (筒井).
Yonezawa: Speaking of which, 'SF Ancient History' (SF古代史) was featured in 'Shousetsu Shinchou' (小説新潮)
Azuma: I read it. Azuma Hideo is coming.
Yonezawa: Japanese SF creators and everyone involved will be there. But it seems there were two people who didn't show up, but...
Azuma: The meaning is deep...... (laughs).
Yonezawa: That's right, we talked about this earlier, but do you dislike it when people push themselves too hard, even in SF?
Azuma: I like it when there's nothing moving or inspiring, and things dispassionately collapse into ruin.
Yonezawa: Yeah. In everyday life, things are dispassionately collapsing into ruin. ——Well then, let's dispassionately end this talk here.
Yonezawa Yoshihiro said:
This issue of OUT had 3 talks, and the first one was between Toriyama Akira and Sakuma Akira. Some part of me feels tempted to translate this merely to lure western fans of Dragon Ball to poop on the floor and embarrass themselves over it being hosted in a thread about Lolicon......
Toriyama Akira Nuclear Power Propaganda:
The above propaganda was mentioned in a previous article in the thread. While westerners nowadays are getting super angry about modern entertainment media brainwashing kids in ways they don't approve of, the Japanese government, and groups pushing for nuclear power, went all in with trying to brainwash Japanese children into accepting it unlike the older generation who were vehemently against such things. Tezuka Osamu, Mastumoto Leiji, and Toriyama Akira were treated as political tools to further this agenda, while there's some who want to believe a couple of these artists had their art used without permission, many were complicit (though Matsumoto Leiji expressed regret over it). The amount of hatred for nuclear power far exceeds whatever is happening right now in western entertainment media (many people died, and many are sitting in jail with life-long prison sentences; they truly had a war, and they lost). If you want to read a short book on the subject (link).
Miyazaki Hayao hated nuclear power with a fiery passion:
Personally, I enjoyed Miyazaki's manga serial in Animage, Nausicaä. While Miyazaki portrayed her actions as good, her decisions reflect that of a Japanese RPG villain when she doomed humanity to suffer and go extinct if they're unable to adapt to the changing environment; they couldn't be trusted not to abuse the knowledge that led to their world being devastated in the first place. Most children's entertainment media since then would have the villain want to force humanity to return to monkey like Nausicaä wanted while the bright-eyed protagonists scream, 'You're wrong; we won't make the same mistake!'.
Digression aside, here's what Azuma Hideo drew for the gas company he was working for when he Disappeared:
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