Wondering about the story behind that month long gap between my last two posts? No? Well, maybe you are now...
This is essay is but a glimpse into my mirthless preoccupancy over finals week. It covers the relationship between otaku and the infamous "Otaku Murderer", Tsutomu Miyazaki. To those who are already crying "tl;dr" and "no pics": this is a big boy website, do try to understand.
With every modern street, occupied and colorful with the daily routine, there is an underground quietly hustling in its shadows. So too does every culture contain this dualistic identity. On its face, the mainstream sparingly looks at its underground as anything more than a novelty, focused on schedules and deadlines too numerous to allow any diversion. The underground quickly returns the glance with an equal nonchalance tinged with a mild dose of quiet indignation. And so, in this perpetual cycle of balanced irreverence, life continues. However, every so often, the mainstream is made painfully aware of its counterpart’s pervasive existence through events tailored for no other purpose. This is the case of Tsutomu Miyazaki. In the 1980’s, the island nation of Japan became confronted with a powerful subcultural movement referring to itself peculiarly as “otaku”. These otaku blatantly protruded their interests in Japanese animation, comics, video games, sci-fi novels, and any other target worthy of their attention throughout the Japanese mainstream. Causing little more than a handful of curious news stories in contingency with intermittent scorn from the Japanese working class (their parents), otaku continued the practice of their hobbies with little detraction. That is, until the name 'Tsutomu Miyazaki' became a national and household effigy. A serial murderer whose egregious crimes rocked both the Japanese mainstream and the subculture he purportedly found solace in, Miyazaki’s actions singularly attracted Japan’s attention toward this band of science-fiction laden misfits. And, like a gang of moths to the flame, worried parents and a frenzied media launched a judicious assault against anything and everything associated with the word “otaku”, working to enact cumbersome levels of censorship and portraying the movement as a group of mentally disturbed and potentially dangerous youths. Though such vehement attitudes have recently settled down, how is it, twenty years later, a negative image of otaku still persists? Is it valid to crucify the present body because of the past actions of a single hand? The answers to these and related questions are of no simple constitution. Regardless, what is apparent is how Tsutomu Miyazaki, in his heinous pursuits and own accord, instilled an unjustified and divisive national attitude towards both the image and core of the otaku subculture.
In effort to understand how this negative sentiment was first wrongfully enacted, it is important to reveal the general identity and etymology of the word “otaku”, as well as its primary subcultural connotations. While the essential media components of the otaku subculture, arguably Japanese comics (hereinafter manga) and Japanese animation (hereinafter anime) respectively, predate its conception, they nonetheless play a large role in its rise to prevalence. In the 1960’s, Japan saw the artistic medium of manga become increasingly popular as rebellious college students injected new meaning into its amalgamation of picture and word. They did so largely in effort to make known shared feelings of discomfort with the status quo, especially the rigors of university life and pressure from superior society (Kinsella 290). In indirect cooperation with more mainstream manga artists the likes of Osamu Tezuka (Galbraith ##), these first few opened the door for the beginning of widespread anime and manga fandom but, at the same time, elicited critical discourse on the status and future of Japanese youth culture, an element which would be again exploited after the murders of Tsutomu Miyazaki. The following decade saw further development of otaku media, as manga flourished under personal pursuits by means of Comic Market in 1975 , a venue described as “a new institution to encourage the development of unpublished amateur manga” (Kinsella 295), and the critical success of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s robot anime Kidou Senshi Gundamu in 1979 (Galbraith 120). It is from within these two decades that singular pools of fans coalesced to form a substantiated body of anime and manga enthusiasts, continuing their hobbies directly into the 1980’s.
And it is exactly from this decade where the term “otaku” was first launched into the Japanese consciousness. The word itself originates from an archaic yet extremely courteous means of referring to another person’s home or, altogether, “someone you are not overly familiar with and wish to be very polite [towards]” (Schodt 43). It was adopted by anime, manga, and sci-fi fans in the early 1980’s who, when visiting conventions or other social events, would use it to refer to like-minded individuals from different clubs or groups. Contrary to its rather ubiquitous usage, and as a simple matter of fact, no one individual or body can officially source where exactly the term “otaku” derives from, why it came into use, or any other major factors in regards to its etymology. A multitude of histories accompanied by rushed explanations exist to fill the gap. Sources topping the list include Shoji Kawamori’s 1982 sci-fi anime Super Dimension Fortress Macross, wherein the word “otaku” was used frequently by various characters and later adopted by fans, and the local Tottori dialect of the founders of the popular animation studio Gainax (Galbraith 172). Aside from these rather opaque beginnings, a few noteworthy aspects become clear. The word “otaku” came into being largely through communal affairs, manga and sci-fi conventions or even daily meetings with other aficionados of similar media. By its original meaning of essentially a formal “you”, the emphasis on communication and reliance on interaction between early otaku is quite evident, atleast through its primary usage. In total, this is the behavior which readily accommodated the origin and eventual propagation of otaku. As author and PhD candidate at Tokyo University Patrick Galbraith discusses in his summarization of former “Ota-King” (otaku king) Okada Toshio’s stance on current trends of otaku subculture: “…Individuals [otaku] chose to… isolate themselves from society; and they sought to better understand the world through the communal pursuit of hobbies” (Galbraith 179). Though effectively abandoning more conservative structures of society, it is important to note otaku did not jump ship and isolate themselves from human contact. Taking note of this group of deviants causing ruckus over anime and manga, essayist and writer Akio Nakamori is often cited as the first individual to sound the alarm on the revamped usage of the word “otaku” in 1983 with a column titled “Otaku Studies”, first published in the erotic manga magazine Manga Burikko (Schodt 44). The critical importance of Nakamori’s column in affecting the public image of otaku subculture cannot be underscored with greater effort, for it is the first published account that describes otaku in a pejorative tone (“Otaku“). As an excerpt from the article reads:
‘[The fans] all seemed so odd… the sort in every school class: the ones hopeless at sports, who hole up in the classroom during break…either so scrawny they look like they’re malnourished or like giggling fat white pigs with silver framed glasses with the sides jammed into their heads… the friendless type….since there doesn’t seem to be a proper term to address this phenomenon, we’ve decided to christen them otaku, and henceforth refer to them as such.’ (Schodt 44).
Nakamori also used his expectable short-term presence in Manga Burriko to deem the groups he saw active in Comic Market or other conventions as “otaku zoku”, literally “the otaku tribe” (“Otaku”). In describing otaku in such a way as to present them as unkempt, socially illiterate miscreants, Nakamori was at the forefront of otaku bashing, before his time; or more accurately, before the backdraft created by Tsutomu Miyazaki.
While individuals in concordance with Nakamori’s extreme view of otaku were creating juicy fodder for media personnel looking to exploit the incessant and abstract problems with the contemporary generation of Japanese youth, Tsutomu Miyazaki was beginning to prepare for his grotesque entrance onto the national stage. Born on August 21st 1962, as a child, Miyazaki was characteristic of Nakamori’s perceptual definition of otaku: shy, inclusive, aberrant, and without major social interaction, due largely to a birth defect (“Tsutomu Miyazaki“). It was suspected much of his early isolationist behavior was resultant of the improper and careless parenting supposedly symptomatic of the 1960’s (Kinsella 309), yet Miyazaki continued through the Japanese educational system with little impediment. After barely passing high school, Miyazaki attended community college where he studied to become a photo technician, eventually earning employment as a printer in his local Saitama prefecture during the 1980’s (Treat 354).
Being as removed and quiet as he was, Miyazaki’s licentious escapades during this time went largely under the radar until he was arrested for attempting to sexual assault a grade-school girl with the zoom lens of a camera on July 23rd, 1989 (“Tsutomu Miyazaki”). A month after his arrest for this relatively innocuous assault when compared to the catalogue of his past atrocities, police pinned Miyazaki as a prime suspect for the recent abduction, murder, and mutilation of four young Saitama girls. Soon thereafter, police received a confession from Miyazaki himself revealing “he had committed these crimes over a period of several years…and perpetrated them out of ‘necrophilic desires’ ” (Treat 354). At this point, it is interesting to categorize how, when confronted with news of a series of perverted and pedophilic murders from the mouth of the perpetrator himself, the police and media did not immediately associate Miyazaki with the preexistent otaku movement, for there was simply no antecedent reason for doing so. Though a simple conception, such only strengthens how further investigation gave birth to a powerful nexus unaffectionately linking the precedence of Miyazaki’s murders to a separate and autonomous subculture without any substantive logic. This unfounded connection was primarily established through the police’s search of Miyazaki’s apartment where they, along with reporters and cameramen, discovered “a massive collection of videocassette tapes…videos taken of his victims…anime…porn and extremely disturbing slasher films” (Galbraith 153). In conjunction with subsequent revelations uncovering “he [Miyazaki] had written animation reviews in some doujinshi [self-published fanzines] and had been to Comic Market” (Kinsella 309), this stockpile of around 6,000 anime tapes, porn flicks, and snuff films was blasted throughout Japan by media closely following the case and touted as the justification par excellence for the forthcoming “moral panic” (Kinsella 308) that would taint the otaku subculture for decades to come.
After Miyazaki’s apprehension and trial, news of his horrible deeds spread throughout the country. It was revealed how he sexually mutilated, dismembered, and even cannibalized his victims, at the same time stalking their families with silent telephone calls and enigmatic letters revealing how he had tortured their children to death (“Tsutomu Miyazaki”). In the very midst of these unspeakable crimes and the resultant pain experienced by the victims’ families, the Japanese media seemed focused on exploiting Miyazaki’s ascribed identity not as a deranged serial murder, but as nothing more than an otaku; deeming him “The Otaku Murderer” in the process. Drawing from the literal font of negative otaku perceptions from areas such as Nakamori’s “Otaku Studies” column, the media enlisted a full blown assault against what was presented as Miyazaki’s “otaku tribe”. Almost ignoring the singularity of his obvious mental instability, reporters and news teams found roundabout ways to define and redefine what they perceived to be an otaku; what they perceived to be Miyazaki. As Hiroki Azuma, a well-known Japanese critic and essayist, mentions in his expose of otaku culture, Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals: “Right after Miyazaki’s arrest, one weekly magazine described otaku as those ‘without basic communication skills who often withdraw into their own world‘ ” (Azuma 4). Another abhorrent headline read “ ‘the little girls he killed were no more than characters from his comic book life’ ” (Kinsella 309). In a Japan preoccupied with its youth, these papier-mâché headlines and others like them lead to the connotation of otaku as anti-social escapists. However, this idea is in direct contrast to the aforementioned communal nature of otaku, attending Comic Market and socializing with their colleagues. It was only Miyazaki who kept to himself, only Miyazaki who experienced his unfortunate childhood, only Miyazaki who murdered four little girls; and yet, because of the media, the subculture unfairly received the brunt of his identity. In reference to this, Azuma offers a supplementary explanation for the behavior of otaku which the media perceived as that of Miyazaki: “Otaku shut themselves into the hobby community not because they deny sociality but rather because, as social values and standards are already dysfunctional, they feel a pressing need to construct alternative values and standards” (Azuma 27). This works with Okada Toshio’s previously established definition of otaku not as social antagonists, but rather social engineers looking to function outside of the constructs of society’s superstructure of predetermined operation.
Regardless of the early and utter failure to enact critical discourse over the justification for using the word “otaku” in such an irresponsible light, a Japan only cutaneously aware of this anomalistic tribe of sci-fi nerds was force-fed the media’s definition of otaku as solemn sociopathic murderers obsessed with pornography and manga. For throngs of otaku throughout Japan, those who maintained a homeostatic regularity, the ability to speak out against this unfair label slowly faded during the early 1990’s and against the apparent consequence of social stigmatization. Makoto Fukuda, staff writer for the newspaper The Daily Yomiuri and self-proclaimed otaku, was a high school student during the period of Miyazaki’s arrest. He recounts “I well remember being annoyed by widespread and sensationalistic headlines that looked as if they were trying to identify the abnormality of his crimes [Miyazaki’s] and the causes of his acts only with the fact that he was an otaku.” So powerful was the media’s stereotyping of otaku subculture, that the word “otaku” itself was even banned from a terrestrial television station (Galbraith 172). Because of this perpetual association between Miyazaki and otaku subculture omnipresent within the media coverage surrounding the murders, the word “otaku” still retains a negative connotation to this very day, despite the overblown and disillusioned sensationalism it derives from.
During the course of the mid-to-late 1990’s, and at the behest of his defense team, Miyazaki underwent a series of rigorous psychiatric examinations to determine culpability in regards to the planning and execution of his murders (Galbraith 153). The results were released in 1997 and showed Miyazaki as having schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder (“Tsutomu Miyazaki”). However, in that same year, it was decided by the Japanese court system Miyazaki was still fully aware of the consequences of his actions, thereby disregarding his defense team’s plea of insanity and sentencing Miyazaki to death by hanging (Galbraith 153). He was finally executed on June 17th, 2008. In an unrelated and ironic series of events, nine days prior an otaku man claiming to be “The New Miyazaki” crashed a pick-up truck into the otaku-centric Akihabara shopping district of Tokyo, subsequently killing three men. He then exited the vehicle, stabbing and killing four others with a combat knife in what has come to be known as the “Akihabara Incident“ (Fukuda). While media coverage of the event was still critical of otaku, news was more focused on a street-side memorial paying tribute to those murdered. The reason for the media’s increased sensitivity for otaku is explained by some, including Yomiuri Shinbun’s Makoto Fukuda, as resulting from a paradigm shift currently operating in the Japanese mainstream. A 2004 novel, and subsequent television and movie adaptations, titled Densha Otoko pervaded into the realm of negativity surrounding otaku by offering the purportedly true story of a chivalrous otaku finding true love through the internet bulletin board system 2channel. The final episode of the Densha Otoko television series was viewed by around 25.5% of television network Fuji TV’s total national viewing audience (Galbraith 61). Current events such as these are working to patch the tattered reputation of otaku instilled by a single man and carried throughout an entire decade.
So how is it, exactly, a negative connotation of “otaku” has survived? To an extent, the inaccuracy and ignorance of spouting such blanket statements is more understood now than the few years following Miyazaki’s arrest. And still, the unfounded notion has carried through critical thought, as some still harbor an aversion towards the word, in any of its connotations. Perhaps the atrocities of Miyazaki were so blunt, discourse over any of their components was considered too taboo to interact with until the appropriate passage of time. Though this explanation eschews the passionate yet muffled reaction of otaku to differentiate themselves from media bias. It may suffice to say there is no attainable explanation; only the need for the mainstream to recognize its underground, for a parent to know and love its child, and for communication to never dissipate or cease. For if the Japanese media, the mainstream, was able to understand and coexist with the emerging otaku subculture, its mirrored underground, there would have been a unspoken yet profound understanding that the monstrosities of Tsutomu Miyazaki were nothing more than just that.
Works Cited
"Otaku." Contemporary Youth Culture: An International Encyclopedia. Westport: Greenwood, 2005. Credo Reference. Web. 04 December 2009.
Azuma, Hiroki. Otaku: Japan's Database Animals. Trans. Jonathon E. Abel and Shion
Kono. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2009. Print.
Galbraith, Patrick W. The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of
Cool Japan. English ed. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2009. Print.
Schodt, Frederik L. Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga. Berkeley: Stone
Bridge, 1996. Google Books. Web. Nov. 2009.
Sangani, Kris. "Otaku World." Engineering & Technology. 3.19 (2008): 94-95. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2009
Treat, John Whittier. "Yoshimoto Banana Writes Home: Shojo Culture and the Nostalgic
Subject." Journal of Japanese Studies 19.2 (1993): 353-55. Humanities International Index. EBSCO. Web. 27 Nov. 2009.
Kinsella, Sharon. “Japanese Subculture in the 1990s: Otaku and the Amateur Manga
Movement.” Journal of Japanese Studies 24.2 (1998): 289-316. JSTOR. Web. Nov. 2009
Fukuda, Makoto. “Through Otaku Eyes; Otaku No Longer Equated With Criminals.” The Daily Yomiuri [Tokyo] 18 July 2008: 13. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 4 Oct. 2009.
"Tsutomu Miyazaki." WorldLingo.com. World Lingo. Web. Nov. 2009.
16 December, 2009
It's more likely than you think. In what amounts to an all-out assault against PVC, there has been a recent slew of announcements regarding figure releases of a quality usually reserved for small-scale con production...
Apparently, word of the current global recession has yet to reach certain inconspicuous figure manufacturers, despite other more conservative-minded companies making fiscal decisions considerate of their overhead. In the past few weeks, the figure community has been bombarded with declarations of completed polystone and cold cast bishoujo figure releases from domestic vendors the likes of AlphaMax and Amie Grand, who usually deal in the mass-market production of resin kits. The spending habits of otaku have often been known to be operate separately from and in opposition to the economic climate, yet with price tags upwards of $160 USD,one wonders whether both they and the figure companies bearing that weight will be able to brave this recessionary winter. Nevertheless, for those with supple pockets (or enough credit cards) this trend promises high quality figures attainable without that troublesome garage-kit know-how.
For those wondering what exactly makes polystone and cold cast figures a step above standard PVC releases, the answer centers around the materials used in the production process:
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is as cheap as it is abundant and, for that reason, is the go-to material in casting figures intended for large quantity production (thousands of units). The characteristics of PVC make it rather light and malleable, or bendable, which is both a blessing and a curse for bishoujo figures as it allows them to adjust to temperature settings but at the same time endorses the potential to warp them (as in leaning). The quality of PVC figures is highly reliant on manufacturing conditions and quality checks.
On the other hand, Cold Cast and Polystone figures utilize a Polyurethane (PU) resin base which, by simple economics, can be 3 or 4 times more expensive than PVC, depending on market conditions. The term "cold cast" derives from the decreased temperature of the materials elicited from the curing process and rolls off the tongue easier than 'polyurethane. "Polystone" figures are actually 'reinforced' cold casts in that before the mold has cured, stone powder is added to the resin base for aesthetic purposes. Besides being more expensive, the properties of polyurethane-based figures are almost the exact opposite of PVC: they're rather heavy, strong but potentially brittle, and don't adapt to temperature fluctuations as easily.
So with that out of the way, here's a preview of what's being offered:
Amie-Grand:
Amanda Werner, 1/6 scale Polystone, 15,540 円, Feb. 2010
Coinciding with Yamato's release of another Amanda PVC, Amie-Grand's polystone figure depicts Amanda as fans of Gonzo's Blassreiter remember her: incredibly sexy. 
Chouhi Ekitoku, 1/6 scale Polystone, 15,540 円, Feb. 2010
Yet another Ikki Tousen figure depicting the series' less touted Chouhi paying tribute to the long heralded Japanese custom of dipping bananas in chocolate, only to have their deliciousness misconstrued by suggestive (but equally delicious) anime cliches.
AlphaMax:
Spica, 1/6 scale Cold Cast, 16,800 円, March 2010
A diorama piece featuring Spica, the tsundere heroine of Nitro+'s mahou shoujo eroge Sumaga, which received an update earlier this year with "Sumaga Special", opening the door for more figure adaptations.
Birdy, 1/6 scale Cold Cast, 15,800円, March 2010
If you're looking to define 'dynamic' in reference to figures, this would be a good example. An EXTREMELY detailed base compliments an energetic sculpt of Yuuki Masami's classic intergalactic policewoman.
Guin (of Guin Saga), Non-Scale Cold Cast, 34,800円, Jan. 2010
AlphaMax's Guin is a departure from a lot of things: the ordinary, standard retail price, and my comfort zone. From Guin Saga, the longest running novel series and its recent anime adaptation, Tiger Mask-I mean- King, er, Guin, undoubtedly appeals to those who like their figures with testosterone.
Kaitendoh
Joe, 1/6 scale Polystone, 14,700 円, Late Dec. 2009
In celebration of Ashita no Joe's 40th anniversary, Kaitendoh is releasing this completed Joe polystone diorama first exhibited at the last Wonder Festival. One of the most beloved series in manga history, Ashita no Joe set the precedent for anime and manga like Hajime no Ippo, in addition to introducing classic anime elements such as the "cross-counter" and tragic death scene. 
Seras Victoria, 1/7 scale Polystone, 17,640 円, Feb 2010
From Kouta Hirano's manga, this sculpt of Seras is a little rough around the edges, but that's exactly its appeal. Seras will be available in two color variants, her standard yellow police suit and the red seen here. Definitely a bold release and a must buy for Hellsing fans. 
M.M and Kemeko, 1/6 scale Polystone, No Price, No Release
Apparently, Kaitendoh has been trying to release this polystone of Kemeko DX's M.M. for quite some time now (at least a few months). She's still listed on their homepage, but pricing and release date info have yet to be established.
Daiki Kougyo:
Mizuho Kazami, 1/4 scale Polystone, 18,000 円, April 2010
The heroine of the Onegai Teacher! series, Mizuho has an energy that cannot be stopped. This seductive polystone figure will be her 5th, yes, 5th figure released in 2009, almost 8 years since the anime first aired. Another swimsuit edition is mixed with a more licentious Mizuho than fans might be accustomed to, resembling Mizuho's deviant mother, Hatsuho.
Tomoe (Re-paint Ver.), 1/15 scale Polystone, 3500 円, Mar. 2010
An original figure created exclusively for Hobby Search in celebration of their 10th anniversary, Tomoe is large in just about every department but scale: coming in at only 1/15 makes her the most affordable polystone release within... well, the foreseeable future. As an original limited edition figure sculpted by veteran Hiroshi Sato, she's sure to move. 
15 November, 2009
Upon the commencement of my most recent dakimakura purchase, Cospa's Nodoka Haramura from Gonzo's bishoujo-mahjong anime Saki, I decided to try and shed some light on the history of this otaku staple. Please, be gentle...
Among the many forms of anime merchandise, dakimakura reserve a unique reputation, both illustrious and notorious. Coming from the combination of the words "抱く" (daku) meaning "to embrace" and "枕" (makura) meaning "pillow", dakimakura is often literally translated as "hug pillow" in English. While orthopedic hug pillows designed to correct injuries and alleviate back pain in pregnant women have existed for years, dakimakura as we know them today began to appear in the mid-90's along with the bishoujo boom supported by the genesis of genre-defining galge and related media. Popular first among the doujinshi or fanzine movement, according to Kunio Muto, a technology reporter for the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper0, bishoujo dakimakura soon moved into general otaku territory when Cospa opened its doors in 19951. The prime mover in the chara-goods game, Cospa is responsible for the vast majority of both anime and game based dakimakura on the market today, finding modest competition in rivals such as Chara-High. In addition to being a relative monopoly since their inception, Cospa also popularized many dakimakura features taken for considered standard among current releases, including the presence of metallic zippers, original artwork, and a "naughty and nice" dual image. As they now stand, dakimakura are more prevalent than ever before. They're growing in tandem with the chara and moe goods industry, a market refusing to loosen its stranglehold over the Japanese economy, riding a wave that shows no sign of flat-lining.
Like many things in contemporary Japanese culture, dakimakura have their roots in the passage of history, however convoluted and (at times) inaccurate its records may be. The origins of modern dakimakura lie in "chikufujin" or literally "bamboo wives2", oblong tubes of interwoven bamboo cane used by many cultures throughout East and South East Asia, especially Korea. Applications for bamboo wives were said to range from masturbatory to orthopedic, the strange funnel seeming more utilitarian than a modern Swiss Army knife. Practical among a bamboo wife's use was its nature as a rudimentary air conditioner. A user would would fall asleep on one of his sides while embracing the stack of bamboo, thereby exposing a larger surface area of his body to the cool night air. Leaving practicality for a dip in the mythological, bamboo wives were said to be made exclusively by a man's wife to keep him "company" during his travels3. In reference to their nature as a substitute companion, modern dakimakura are often paralleled with the chikifujin of antiquity. Whether or not this comparison is warranted, or even accurate, can be debated. Regardless, at some point, Bamboo Wives were exported to Japan where their usage remained largely the same.
During the 250 year timespan known as the Edo Period, the Japanese experienced a cultural explosion, as many were no longer preoccupied with the civil war plaguing the island nation years earlier. One product of this new-found leisure time was ukiyo-e woodblock printing. Separate from the widely endorsed prints depicting Japan's natural splendor and cultural narratives was a more deviant style of art known as "makura-e" (pillow art), or "shunga" as it is more commonly referred to in modernity. Depicting levels of debauchery on par with even the most explicit modern ero-doujinshi, shunga was available in both ukiyo-e and scroll form. These pieces of art were thought to retain many different uses, such as good luck charms, in addition to providing ancient Japanese males an onanistic outlet. Popular artists of the Edo period, including Katsushika Hokusai (creator of the term "manga"), periodically dabbled in shunga, much like the mangaka of today starting their career in ero-doujinshi. According to the popular dakimakura blog "Everyday Is Dakimakura" (毎日が抱き枕), body pillows featuring erotic shunga had a noticeable presence in Edo period Japan and were used in much the same way their modern counterparts are today. The above picture taken from a Edo period collection of shunga depicts one such coital engagement. Everyday Is Dakimakura mentions Edo dakimakura, though extremely rare and expensive, were roughly 4 feet in length and handmade from silk. Though I could find no supplementary resources to confirm the presence of 18th century body pillows in Japan, the idea that the average pervasive Edo male humped piles of silk in order to reach orgasm isn't so far-fetched considering the lengths at which ancient Japan expressed its sexuality.
It may be difficult to imagine how exactly giant Chinese finger traps and 18th century pornography led to the creation of dakimakura but these obfuscated roots, more novelty than direct ancestor, only serve as tiny, singular pieces to a large puzzle depicting the history and identity of modern otaku culture.
13 November, 2009
After an indefinite wait, figure manufacturer Yamato has finally green-lit a PVC release of the Amanda Werner Niθ Illustration garage kit they announced back in August of this year...
It was uncertain whether Yamato would step up to the plate and give fans the home-run they were craving by releasing Toi Fuijiura's sculpt of Amanda Werner, the main heroine of Gonzo's Blassreiter anime, as a PVC; up until today, that is. Yamato revealed plans for an Amanda resin kit a few months ago but little else of concern for those low in tactile dexterity. With this PVC announcement, however, Fujiura's erogenous piece can now find its way into the digits (however unskilled) of fans the world over. Amanda will be added to Yamato's Creator's Labo series, a figure line celebrating famous illustrators the likes of Jun Tsukasa, Shunya Yamashita, and Mine Yoshizaki. Based on an original illustration by famed artist and Nitro+ eroge character designer, Niθ (pronounced Nishii), Amanda is the second Blassreiter PVC to be released since the series aired in the Spring 2008 season. The first being Megahouse's 1/8 scale Elea PVC which is also worth a look, especially if you prefer less "corpulent" figures.
Amanda lies at the center of a strange series of connections conglomerating to form powerful earning potential for Yamato: Nitro+ ( co-producer of Blassreiter) is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, Niθ (Amanda's character designer) is taking part in the festivities, and Funimation recently licensed the Blassreiter anime with an expected release date for Volume 1 on the 20th. If Amanda was being released at the end of this month with other November figures, there would certainly be an influx of cash flowing through the collective veins of Nitro+, Gonzo, and Yamato. But, unfortunately, she has a pending public unveiling during April of 2010. Another potential deal breaker: her price point of 12,390円 (around $140). Now before your jaw crushes your keyboard, Amanda ranks in at 280mm in height (around the price and size of most 1/5 scale figures) and is listed as non-scale. Her assets aren't the only things of consideration given those numbers.
There's been a palpable concern over this figure's design, and a resurgence of those feelings now that the PVC is becoming conspicuous. The root of the matter is a distinct difference between Niθ's original illustration and the Amanda present in Blassreiter's narrative. While both are actually designed by Niθ, certain... liberties were taken with Amanda's XAT uniform in the original illustration, and figure translation, we see here. In reality, Niθ has been portraying such an expository Amanda since the series' airdate, from centerfolds in Newtype, to an Amanda dakimakura cover and telephone card released almost a year ago. She may not be quite the same dutiful character fans have become accustomed to, but Niθ's seductive spin on Amanda allows her to let her hair down, literally and otherwise.
31 October, 2009
29 October, 2009
Just in time for Halloween, Orchid Seed's 1/6 scale Succubus Silvia PVC found her way to my door, bearing more treats than tricks...
(Adult Content, 18+ Only)
Figure Title: Orchid Seed's 1/6 scale Comic Unreal Vol.2 Succubus Silvia
Character Name: Succubus Silvia (サキュバス・シルヴィア)
Original Character Designer: Nakayohi Mogudan
Sculptor:Yamachichi
Source Material: Comic Unreal Vol.2 (2006)
Scale: 1/6
Height: ≈22cm
Series: Comic Unreal CoverGAL
Base:
-Color:Clear
-Shape:Circular
-Features:Golden "Succubus Silvia" Text
Other: Tentacle Stool Attachment
Necessary Removable Parts n/a
Removable Parts/Accessories: n/a
Castoffability: n/a
Materials: PVC
Packaging: Windowed Box (Illustrated), 2 Plastic Interlocking Molds
Extras/Pack-ins: Backdrop Insert
Release Date: Early October, 2009
Manufacturing/Production: Orchid Seed
Distribution: Orchid Seed
Approximate Retail Price:≈87,00円
Current Availability: Relatively Available
Related PVCs:Orchid Seed's 1/6 scale Feane PVC
Foreword:
Formerly the subject of a figure preview, Silvia has graduated from potential to purchase and I'm quite happy with the transition. Some background on the who's and what's can be seen in the preview but I'll quickly reiterate for anyone who has their hands (or hand) occupied. Succubus Silvia derives from the cover of Comic Unreal, a monthly ero-manga anthology released by publisher Kill Time Communications. Since the anthology's maiden-issue in 2006, famous character designer and intermittent doujinshi author Nakayohi Mogudan has been gracing its facade with originally illustrated bakunyuu females of his trademark voluptuous variety. Actually from the second volume of Comic Unreal (seen above), Silvia's image has been rather well accepted in the past three years: gracing the cover of Unreal a second time (a rarity in the business), being portrayed in original illustrations, and giving way to other diabolical cover-girls under Mogudan's pen. While she hasn't gained the notoriety of some other succubi, Silvia has crossed the dimensional divide with help from sculptor Yamachichi (formerly of circle Heavy Gauge) and the king of mass market ero-figures Orchid Seed.
As mentioned in the preview, Succubus Silvia is the figure successor of Orchid Seed's 1/6 scale Female Swords-Woman Feane PVC released in March of 2008. Interestingly enough, Silvia conceptually predates Feane, who didn't achieve Unreal cover-girl status until April of 2007. But that didn't stop the sword-wielder from becoming the first Comic Unreal and Mogudan-designed PVC release in history. All differences aside, Feane and Silvia have more in common than you'd expect. Well, an original character designer and manufacturer are really the main items that top the list. Orchid Seed has decided to shift gears by recruiting a new, and venerable, sculptor for the second-coming of their Comic Unreal series. And with that, we transition into the review:
Sculpt:
When you ask yourself "Who would be the best sculptor to translate Mogudan's unique and recognizable designs into a figure?", there are only a handful of choices. Top on the list: Yamachichi (translating appropriately as "Mountain Breast"). One of the best craftsman of healthy bishoujo figures, Yamachichi has handled figures from Megahouse's Excellent Model Core Queen's Blade series to Orchid Seed's sultry Chichinoe with unparalleled skill. So when one of the best sculptors of buxom bishoujo figures takes to task molding a character from one of the best designers of bakunyuu, the result is a most profound and godly cohesion of expertise.
Needless to say at this point, Yamachichi did an excellent job preserving and realizing the intricacies of Silvia's design. Mogudan's females aren't exactly "physics friendly" but Silvia displays the believable anatomical balance and complete fidelity to the source material that Feane was missing. Inch for inch, this is what a Mogudan figure is supposed to look like. From the effective weight redistribution through the adjustment of posture that keeps Silvia fairly level (especially with those thunder-thighs) to the proportions of the head to breasts, breasts to hips, hips to thighs: it's all there.
Regarding the breasts (arguably the crux of Mogudan's design), they differ considerably from those featured in the original illustration. Or at least they appear to at face value. Two-dimensional Silvia's breasts appear more conservatively rounded whereas Yamachichi's approximation, from certain perspectives, depicts them as more angular. I'm resisting the inclination to call this a complete inaccuracy based on further analysis of the illustration.
The foundation for Yamachichi's portrayal of Silvia's breasts in such a way can be seen in the Unreal cover. Her left breast (most immediately, her left nipple) extends past her clothing in a fashion suggesting an overall shape closer to that of Yamachichi's sculpt, moving away from a perfect sphere to a more natural mammary shape. This is heightened by the obvious constriction of the breasts caused by Silvia's form-fitting one-piece, present in the figure and alluded to in the illustration. While Silvia's breasts may not be exactly as portrayed on Unreal's cover, they nonetheless capture Mogudan's general style and affinity for bakunyuu.
While Yamachichi's sculpt is fairly air-tight, there are a few inconsistencies (Silvia's right lock of hair falling on her lap instead of behind her thigh, the positioning of her tail etc.). But none that would do to negatively effect the sculpt's overall status as a masterful presentation of Mogudan design flair. It would be unyielding and borderline delusion to assert a sculptor must maintain complete adherence to an original illustration. A responsible translation across the dimensional gap is always the best foot forward and Silvia's sculpt achieves this through and through.
While Yamachichi may have overlooked or outright altered some details (most notably the two that were already mentioned), he does better to capture the little tidbits that went unchanged, highlighting them in a subtle but appreciable way. For instance, Silvia's bat brooch, the creases in her thigh-highs, the skeletal structure of her bat wings, the small runes on the belt-like article around her hips and rib cage, the buckles of her garter belt found under her thighs, the detailed notches on the bottoms of her shoes, and many more. Silvia is definitely a figure to be explored.
Production:
Orchid Seed's production is fairly hit or miss, or in some cases a luke-warm homogeny of the two. Thankfully, things went well with Silvia. There are no overbearing or conspicuous errors of any fashion. For the life of me, I couldn't find any bleeding or inadequacies of paint. Closer inspection revealed a couple splotches of dried adhesive and at least one or two anomalies that occurred during either casting or painting (probably the latter). Aside from the minor causalities, there's a single mold line running the length of Silvia's left buttocks, though its presence becomes null when she's properly displayed on her tentacle base. Though there are minuscule deficiencies (if they can really be called that) most are probably on a figure-to-figure basis and the result of painful scrutiny; none of which should detract your eye or wallet away from Silvia.
In the painting and coloration department, everyone graduates with honors. A rather drawn-out color-palette marked by warm reds and dark purples was decided for final production, designating Silvia with a uniform coloration containing minor variation in shadow and hue. Some other color-palettes were explored in e2046's Silvia recast but I much prefer Orchid Seed's take on the succubus queen: its very reminiscent of a subdued autumn (again tying into her release date's proximity to Halloween). There is some wonderful color gradation seen on the slopes and valleys of Silvia's hair as well as her stockings or thigh-highs. I would have liked to see more facial detail though, perhaps some blush (as seen in the original illustration) or unobtrusive line work to really draw out some features and make her face a tad more lively (Yes, I understand she's a demon and not "alive" blah blah blah, get over it).
Some of the same shading and gradation visible on Silvia's sculpt can also be seen on her tentacle base attachment. Really belonging more under the Sculpt category, the base attachment serves its purpose and not much else. It's imaginative (not to mention suggestive) and lets Silvia rest on a demonic stool instead of trying to defy gravity and sit on her hair as she appears to on the cover of Comic Unreal. There's a groove on the bottom of Silvia's left foot which is fitted to a prong protruding out of the tentacle base. This mechanism serves as the primary means of attaching her to the tentacle stool but has the tendency of failing, making Silvia a bit wobbly if she's not firmly connected.
At A Glance:
☹ Minor production anamolies, base attachment problems, not much else
5/5
17 October, 2009
Tsundere Taiga Aisaka of Fall 2008's Toradora has crushed dojikko Yui Hirasawa in the finals of Saimoe 2009. Congratulations to Taiga and condolences to all those who didn't make it as far...
The news made its rounds early this morning as the final thread of Saimoe 2009 came to a deafening close. When all was said and done, Taiga rose from the ashes to become victress, topping Yui by a meager 54 votes and cementing her title as Saimoe championess for ages to come.
Lest we forget, it took much effort to arrive at this zenith. In the beginning, Mio Akiyama's premature and wholly unexpected defeat left K-ON! fans griping. No sooner had they comforted their loss than were they met with another scar when Tsumugi, Ui, and Ritsu were also stricken from the boards. Yui's almost messianic ascendancy lead her to the finals despite the state of her fallen tea-time comrades. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to secure a win against Taiga, who had been silently pillaging her opponents until the finals when her true strength was made known.
Interestingly enough, every-single-Saki-character-lost. I had been rooting for Nodoka in the finals but the penultimate match between Taiga and her left me numb and bereft of where or if I should redirect my votes. I decided Taiga was the fitting vehicle in which to place my trust, having already defeated mai waifu. I hold no grudge though. Both Yui and Taiga's moe is palpable and either would have made a fitting championess. I'd like to thanks pKJD and moetron.com for the always excellent Saimoe coverage. Looking forward to 2010!
16 October, 2009
Inspired by the actions of some other bloggers, I recently decided to purchase a tool kit for the purpose of organizing all those loose bits that just seem to pile up after a while...
Personally, I'm not a heavy-user of alternate parts. I appreciate both their inclusion in PVC releases and the incentive to customize a figure they foster but aside from those rather general endorsements, they just tend to take up space. Take, for example, my recent acquisition of Wave's 1/8 scale Nia Swimwear PVC. After deciding on a display plan suiting my taste (Alternate Long Hair with Gurren-Dan Beach Ball), I was left with multiple parts that simply couldn't be used to complement the figure (the very purpose of accessories). For anyone who purchases Figmas or other customization-intensive figures, this conundrum is a familiar one. Just what do you do with all those extra parts?
I suppose the simplest answer would be to just horde them. There might be a time when you decide to rearrange your set-up or experiment with swapping parts between figures. Thinking back, the latter of the two has helped me out on more than one occasion. I remember having difficulty applying the included glasses on Megahouse's 1/8 scale Cattleya PVC. For whatever reason, be it my unsteady hands or complete lack of grace, I couldn't get them to stay in place. It then dawned on me that I had an alternate pair of glasses from Kotobukiya's 2006 re-release of their 1/8 scale Yomiko Readman PVC. Yomiko's glasses were thicker (librarian etc.) but they fit Cattleya's head and didn't look out-of-place in doing it. Just a utilitarian example of what accessories can accomplish.
Until recent, though, I had been keeping extra parts in a Keroro Gunsou gashapon capsule about the size of a clenched fist. I knew it wasn't the best arrangement, making them prone to paint transfer and breakage, but I had little else to contain them. After seeing some fine examples of accessory organization from fellow Dannychoo.com members, a tool kit seemed so deceivingly logical that I jumped on the idea. After perusing through the various options at my local Target, I found a case for manageable $8. You can see how I compartmentalized various types of parts in the first picture of this post. For now, I'm quite happy with the set-up and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to de-clutter their collection. Keeping parts organized and separated has also lead me use them more often; both on their respective figure and otherwise.
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