Page 1 Wall St. Journal Article on Lucky Star Fandom

[ArcticMech]

Was surprised to find the following article on the main WSJ.com page today:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121737740486095275.html?mod=hps_us_inside_today (subscription required)

Titled "Popular Cartoon Series Makes Japanese Shrine a Magnet for Fans", the article covers the recent influx of visitors to Washinomiya Shrine stemming from the popularity of the show (which regularly features the shrine) and how the town folk have come to embrace this trend (ka-ching!). This is certainly not new news to anyone here.

However, I then read the subheader: "Devotees Are Mainly Young Men, Who Dress Like the Characters -- in Miniskirts". Sigh...I couldn't help but do a facepalm after reading it. The only 2 photos accompanying the article prominently featured a rather creepy looking guy cosplaying as Kagami.

I can't be too surprised that the paper chose to focus to on this angle - it's the surest way garner reader interest. And in fairness to WSJ, the article didn't slam these cross-dressing cosplayers. But I can't help but be a miffed at the mainstream press for its unrepresentative coverage/portrayal of anime fans. While it has its place, anime fandom doesn't begin or end with adult men dressed in a girl's school uniform while wearing a purple wig with ponytails. Can you blame the uninformed for thinking anime enthusiasts are all weirdos if their only exposure to the subject comes from reading the major papers? (Yes I can but that's besides the point). Sigh... Btw, sorry for the rant.

What are your thoughts?

[Lego]

Do you know if this made it into the actual paper itself? I might buy it just for that article :devil:

[BonifaceVIII]

To be fair to the media, there's nothing really interesting about anime fans except that they dress up in strange clothes and wear wigs sometimes.

If you had to write a story about anime fans for the general public and didn't include references to crossplaying middle-aged men, you wouldn't have anything to write about.

"A local shrine has started recieving visitors due to its inclusion in a popular cartoon show. The influx of visitors has helped the local economy. I am the most boring newspaper story ever."

[ArcticMech]

Do you know if this made it into the actual paper itself? I might buy it just for that article :devil:

Yep, it's going to be on the front page.

[ArcticMech]

To be fair to the media, there's nothing really interesting about anime fans except that they dress up in strange clothes and wear wigs sometimes.

If you had to write a story about anime fans for the general public and didn't include references to crossplaying middle-aged men, you wouldn't have anything to write about.

"A local shrine has started recieving visitors due to its inclusion in a popular cartoon show. The influx of visitors has helped the local economy. I am the most boring newspaper story ever."

I've intimated as much in my post. They are selling a product after all. At least we can point to this article and say "hey, see anime isn't just porn and kiddy stuff." :sdsmiley:

[something]

However, I then read the subheader: "Devotees Are Mainly Young Men, Who Dress Like the Characters -- in Miniskirts". Sigh...I couldn't help but do a facepalm after reading it. The only 2 photos accompanying the article prominently featured a rather creepy looking guy cosplaying as Kagami.
Yes. Of course. They are mainly young men... who crossdress. Because crossdressing is totally widespread and you're not a real Lucky Star fan unless you do it.

Seriously, what the fuck? The media has from time to time written a competent, non-patronizing article about anime fandom, but not very often and this just continues the tradition of FAIL.

[Draneor]

While it has its place, anime fandom doesn't begin or end with adult men dressed in a girl's school uniform while wearing a purple wig with ponytails. Can you blame the uninformed for thinking anime enthusiasts are all weirdos if their only exposure to the subject comes from reading the major papers?

But we are in various ways. Look at the subject of the article--Japanese Lucky☆Star otaku. I don't think it's accurate equate English-speaking anime fandom with Japanese otaku (who may or may not consider themselves primarily anime fans). Truth be told, the populations, as a whole, are rather different. Nevertheless, Lucky☆Star is their show--not ours. It was made for them; we're icing.

And really, Japanese otaku culture may not "begin or end with adult men dressed in a girl's school uniform while wearing a purple wig with ponytails," but how much of it isn't considered weird, abhorrent, perverted, or downright dangerous to mainstream Japanese society? To use an example, is saying Kagami is "mai waifu" (my wife) really that much more normal than dressing like her? I doubt it (full disclosure: I have never cosplayed nor do I personally find it appealing--I do think Kagami is my wife). You have a bunch of otaku going on a pilgrimage (seichi junrei) to a shrine that was prominently featured in a cartoon. Heck, I think that's weird and I'd love to do it myself. I can also think of several things that they could have featured instead that would shock people even more but did not for whatever reason (Lucky☆Star otaku sleep with fan-made, pornographic dakimakura cover of Kagami and Tsukasa, etc.).

[something]

To use an example, is saying Kagami is "mai waifu" (my wife) really that much more normal than dressing like her?
Yes. Yes, it definitely is.

[Draneor]

To use an example, is saying Kagami is "mai waifu" (my wife) really that much more normal than dressing like her?
Yes. Yes, it definitely is.

How is being in love with a 2D character normal? I guess you can always point to the person over there and say "at least I'm not as different or weird as they are." Still, from the standards of normal society, I doubt there is much of a difference.

[something]

How is being in love with a 2D character normal?
Reread your own post. You said "more normal" (i.e. less weird) not "perfectly normal by the standards of society". A man putting on a skirt and visiting a shrine and taking pictures (and whatever else they like to do) is a hell of a lot less common and certainly less 'normal' than facetiously expressing your love for a fictional character using meme-ish phrasing. The former is... well, something not very many people would ever do, the latter is really not a big deal at all.

[Draneor]

Reread your own post. You said "more normal" (i.e. less weird) not "perfectly normal by the standards of society". A man putting on a skirt and visiting a shrine and taking pictures (and whatever else they like to do) is a hell of a lot less common and certainly less 'normal' than facetiously expressing your love for a fictional character using meme-ish phrasing.

I really don't think the degree matters at a certain point (when the differences are so miniscule it's not worth comparing, based upon the party's point of view). Japanese otaku are different from normal Japanese society. It doesn't matter how they are different--the fact that they are is enough. Sure, the Wall Street Journal could have picked numerous aspects of otaku culture to focus on. They picked one which is niche. But my point is both their culture and ours is niche. Why condemn the fact they used a very valid aspect of otaku culture when it clearly is part of it? It's not like they picked something otaku do not do or even something almost no otaku does--like go on murderous rampages and kill people(between crosplay and Miyazaki--I'll take crosplay). They could have used adult doujinshi, which would have upset people even more, I assume. Perhaps most non-Japanese fans dislike certain aspects of what Japanese otaku do--but regardless, it's part of the culture. If an outsider points it out, I don't see why we can blame them for doing so?

I doubt the majority of pilgrims did dress up--although the act of the pilgrimage in and of itself is weird (compared to normal Japanese society).


The former is... well, something not very many people would ever do, the latter is really not a big deal at all.

I really doubt most people would get someone with a 2D complex any more than they would get crosplay. At least, there are more people that dress as the opposite gender than they are with 2D complexes in this world, presumably. Granted, you can normally hide the former much more than the latter.

[something]

It's not like they picked something otaku do not do or even something almost no otaku does
[snip]
At least, there are more people that dress as the opposite gender than they are with 2D complexes in this world, presumably.
I think we'll have to just disagree about the prevalence of crossplaying anime fans. :sd: Your comparison is also getting me a bit confused now. Are you now including all people who crossdress around the world for any reason whatsoever, even when it has nothing to do with anime at all? And "saying 'Kagami is mai waifu'" has morphed into having "2d complexes". The goalposts keep shifting which makes it hard to know what we're talking about anymore.

Eh, I dunno, I've just noticed that you seem to over-humble fandom sometimes. Sure, there are people with stupidly rose-tinted views of how fandom is accepted here and in Japan and they need to be corrected, but I think you're swinging too far in the opposite direction to compensate. It's like I'm being told "Yes, we're all weirdos, so we really shouldn't object to stereotyping because even when it's exaggerated it's essentially true anyway." That's just... way too defeatist and self-depreciating for me. I know for you it's usually a matter of "roll with the punches" and I do agree to an extent that a lot of it just needs to be ignored. It's just people being people, i.e. ignorant, and we shouldn't get overly riled up. But man, sometimes that's just not satisfactory, and there's nothing wrong with objecting to and pointing out ignorance when you see it.

[Draneor]

The goalposts keep shifting which makes it hard to know what we're talking about anymore.

Point taken.

but I think you're swinging too far in the opposite direction to compensate.

I can't deny that.

It's just people being people, i.e. ignorant, and we shouldn't get overly riled up. But man, sometimes that's just not satisfactory, and there's nothing wrong with objecting to and pointing out ignorance when you see it.

Well, certainly, one could object to someone stating that all otaku crossplay. I would vehemently disagree if the purpose of objecting is because a fellow otaku finds crossplay distasteful or insulting as opposed to not factual. It's one thing to dislike something (I dislike crossplay and I also dislike looking at people who do it). It's another to maintain no one should do it when it's really a harmless activity. I try to seperate my tastes from other people's, as much as possible anyway, and supress my irrational feelings regarding what other people do when it does not affect me. Or to put it another way, I don't read YAOI, but I wouldn't feel insulted if someone thought I did. I would feel insulted if they thought I kidnapped little girls or stalked grade schoolers. I suppose this would vary from person to person.

For the record, the article in question states: "young men, some clad in miniskirts, stockings and pastel-colored wigs, were lining up for photos at the shrine's vermilion gate." Granted, it doesn't give the percent of pilgrims doing it (I'm assuming small) and it implies it was only young men (otaku are much more diverse than that--I think we can assume many pilgrims are actually female). However, I wouldn't be suprised that some pilgrims really do, do it. And yes, it then goes on to focus on exclusively those "some" for a couple paragraphs. This is a fairly typical approach for most articles on Japan or really anywhere. Take the percentage of the population with the most extreme differences and focus on them. But I digress. After that, it goes on to talk about the impact of the pilgrims on the local economy.

On a side note, I remember reading articles about this several months back (but without the crossplay angle). I wonder what caused the WSJ to run it now? I'll also admit that the crossplay angle was unnecessary to the main point which was about the impact of the pilgrimages on Washinomiya-cho, which I assume would be why prior takes have not included it.

[Citizen Klaus]

Do you know if this made it into the actual paper itself? I might buy it just for that article :devil:

Yep, it's going to be on the front page.

As someone who works in the newspaper distribution business, I can confirm this. It's at the bottom of the front page, to be precise. There's also a nice color photo of a Kagami crossplayer, also on the front.

[Citizen Klaus]

What are your thoughts?

Coverage of otaku-oriented anime that treats its material with a modicum of respect? From the Wall Street Journal, no less? And on the front page?

Be still, my beating heart.

Personally, I think this is a fantastic development. First moot gets a very even-tempered interview piece in Time, and now we have level-headed coverage of otaku anime in one of the nation's leading newspapers. Folks, we're moving up in the world. :sdsmiley:

Edit: And don't forget, they even included the characters' names -- and got them right. I've never seen that level of dedication before in a mainstream media piece on anime, and certainly wouldn't expect it for otaku material like Lucky Star.

[Quarkboy]

Who is the author of this story? Is it a full time employee of the WSJ?

It just seems like a really out there piece, and I am wondering the back story on how this particular article managed to make to the front page (under the fold, though, but still).

[something]

On a side note, I remember reading articles about this several months back (but without the crossplay angle). I wonder what caused the WSJ to run it now?
That's something I was wondering too. I read stories about this forever ago, so how is this running now, and how so prominently, and in the WSJ at that? o_O

[Quarkboy]

On a side note, I remember reading articles about this several months back (but without the crossplay angle). I wonder what caused the WSJ to run it now?
That's something I was wondering too. I read stories about this forever ago, so how is this running now, and how so prominently, and in the WSJ at that? o_O

Isn't August the most famously slow month for news? Also, I bet a lot of their staff are busy getting ready for the olympics.

[Citizen Klaus]

Who is the author of this story? Is it a full time employee of the WSJ?

It just seems like a really out there piece, and I am wondering the back story on how this particular article managed to make to the front page (under the fold, though, but still).

Perhaps the Otaku Brotherhood have managed to infiltrate Murdoch's ranks. :devil:

[ArcticMech]

Who is the author of this story? Is it a full time employee of the WSJ?

It just seems like a really out there piece, and I am wondering the back story on how this particular article managed to make to the front page (under the fold, though, but still).

The author of the article is Hiroko Tabuchi. Don't know much about the author other than that she is a reporter for the WSJ; she's based in Tokyo; and she seems to a regular contributor to the publication.

As for why it made it onto the front page? WSJ regularly publishes odd-ball (for lack of a better term) articles on the bottom of the front page. Past bottom A1 articles titles have included: "Here's Another Olympic Sport: Skewering the Mascots", " Excuse Me, Do You Work Here? No, I Just Need to Fold Clothes ", "He's No Dummy: Entertainer Sees a Comeback for Ventriloquism", and "When Dogs and Robots Collide, Somebody Needs a Talking To".

[The Great Bear]

As for why it made it onto the front page? WSJ regularly publishes odd-ball (for lack of a better term) articles on the bottom of the front page.

Not really surprising. As has already been mentioned, it's the summer, things are slow, and the [derogatory reference to a socio-economic class] need to have some fun while they [deleted comment on economic activity with political overtones] the [another socio-economic class] on a daily basis.

As for the basis of the coverage: yeah, all news stories have to have a hook. As "his holiness" said above:

"A local shrine has started recieving visitors due to its inclusion in a popular cartoon show. The influx of visitors has helped the local economy. I am the most boring newspaper story ever."

So, no real surprise that they focus on the crossplayers. Whether the readers of this article come away thinking all anime fans are crossplaying freaks or not will depend on how the story is written. Since I don't have access to the WSJ, I don't know.

[Ashyukun]

Definitely an interesting article, and not something I would have expected to find on the front page of the WSJ. I thought the article was fairly well done and not derisive of the fans at all- if a fair number of them are showing up dressed as the characters (and it's not like there's an overwhelming number of male characters they could dress as....), it's unsurprising that it would get a fair bit of focus. And the article does highlight that the fans visiting are quite polite and orderly and how after getting over the initial confusion the local townspeople get along quite well with the fans. That they've done a good job of cashing in on the popularity as well makes for a good story too- in some ways I'm jealous, I wish I could find chocolate coronets here!

[Draneor]

Since I don't have access to the WSJ, I don't know.

It's actually in their free section (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121737740486095275.html?mod=googlenews_wsj), although I think you can only read so many per month or is that the FT...

[The Great Bear]

It's actually in their free section (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121737740486095275.html?mod=googlenews_wsj), although I think you can only read so many per month or is that the FT...

So it is.

*reads article*

Actually, the article does not really line up otaku for ridicule. Sure, crossdressing is not exactly the public image many would want for anime fandom, but this article didn't really do anything to overplay that angle.

And it's not like other fandoms (I'm looking at you, Star Trek, and hey, how about all of those Elvis impersonators?) don't have their own dress up follies.

As to be expected from a WSJ story, the focus is mainly economic: how the influx of fan-tourists has helped the local economy. As far as news stories involving anime fandom go, this one is not all that cringe-inducing.

[xia]

"I find it fun to share the same space as the anime characters and connect to their world," says Keitaro Osakabe, a pharmacy student who recently compiled a 50-page illustrated guide that identifies key scenes, such as bus stops and obscure paths through rice fields. His guide, which is sold to other fans, is packed with advice on the best camera angles to replicate Lucky Star scenes.

My, my ,my.


Um if I were the townfolk i'd be a bit skeeved out too.. and I like anime.

[something]

"I find it fun to share the same space as the anime characters and connect to their world," says Keitaro Osakabe, a pharmacy student who recently compiled a 50-page illustrated guide that identifies key scenes, such as bus stops and obscure paths through rice fields. His guide, which is sold to other fans, is packed with advice on the best camera angles to replicate Lucky Star scenes. My, my ,my. Um if I were the townfolk i'd be a bit skeeved out too.. and I like anime.
Hey, I *love* when people put together real images of locations that were recreated in anime. That book sounds pretty frickin awesome...