Dreiko said:
NPC009 said:
I think you've stepped into a trap without noticing. Youji is very much a common special anime snowflake. He might act like an underachiever but all the evidence points in another direction. Again, this is not some random private, he has a good rank (and actually gains some more throughout the anime) and he continues to achieve amazing things during the shows' run.
Like I said above, he is a special snowflake, just not specifically otaku-aimed. He is just your run of the mill character who is skilled at those tasks that anyone can identify with.
You do realise that there are a lot of military otaku in Japan? The guy basically combines two fantasies: he's a very competent soldier who gets to handle all sorts of military stuff and all the cute fantasy girls love him.
I am fighting, and losing to, the urge to ask "well if they're bunny girls how can they not be sexy" but seriously, they're not anything special. They reminded me of the Viera race from Ivalice but slightly more furry. I don't think FF stuff is particularly "otaku aimed", it's just...sexy bunny girls. Practically everyone who likes women likes them.
Just because they're common does not mean it makes the series anymore subdued. I know I'm not quite the target audience for Gate, but come on, even someone who is should see Gate's fantasy world and the way it's presented does not count as 'subdued'.
I am critical in seeing if I like how they go about it or not, not just purely being critical of them on a conceptual level, docking points regardless of execution. Every story element deserves fair treatment. I think my job is to try to like everything and then figure out why I didn't like the things I didn't and be critical about that. When I like something, well, I like it, it's perfect, nothing need happen. Depending on how much I like it, I will treat it accordingly. It's not that I am not critical, it's that I genuinely enjoyed everything to the max so I have nothing to take issue with. If that sounds absurd to you, well, sorry, agree to disagree
.
You seem more on the type that prefers to focus on the details that tickle their fancy and is willing to overlook flaws in the big picture as long as
those details meet their requirements. And I guess that fine if you watch anime and play games to for the sake of feeding your fantasies. However, I also think that's a very superficial way of looking at entertainment and one of the reasons why part of the Japanese entertainment industry is in a rut.
There's nothing wrong with expecting a little more from your entertainment and calling said entertainment and its creators out when it keeps choosing the safe path.
Oh, it's definitely safe. I never said those things were original. Just well-executed.
It might be different in the original light novels, but the anime rushes through and even past a lot of plot points. Those pacing problems really detract from the fantasy epos it could have been (if it had spend a little less time on showing cute girls falling for the male protagonist).
The fiancee thing was just because they shared sleeping quarters 3 times (one of which everyone was sleeping together in a hotel), hardly of any consequence. It was just humor. I don't think anyone can get any worthwhile fantasies off of such a joking moment. I just found it cute and moved on since that scene lasted for like 20 seconds, focusing on her sister's outrageous reaction was much more gripping than whatever fantasy potential offered by the joke.
Yeah, it was said half-jokingly, but do you know why jokes like that are commonly made? To show that the protagonist does have a chance with a girl. It's left at that so the viewer can use that information as they see fit. If they see the protagonist as an extension of themselves and want to think of 'their' girl as the main girls, thats something they can do. If they want their 'waifu' to remain innocent, that's also an option.
Series aimed at otaku (male
and female) use tricks like this often. And once you're aware of it, it's hard to not notice it whenever they play that card again. Which is often.
There was literally no reason for them to actually become engaged, that seemed entirely unnecessary. It was more of a heat of the moment event (since that diplomat doesn't really strike me as a creep) and the story didn't at all need to go that way and nothing was gained by it either. I guess it was an emotional moment for the 12 year old female audience members in Japan, I can't really testify to that, but I saw no point to that story development. He could have just let her in the embassy without declaring he'd marry her lol.
Maybe I worded it wrong, but I don't think you understand what I meant.
Mage girl - could fall for and older guy (like the viewer) if you (the viewer) want to believe that. Or not. That's up to you. Fantasize away about your waifu!
This is coming from someone who did like the mage girl as a character. Which is what made moments like that hurt my enjoyment of the series: Gate had a lot of potential, it shouldn't have used tricks to pander to certain types of viewers.
Dead parents girl - is crushing on an older man (which is not actually that uncommon for real girls but is something that should not be encouraged of course), uses a diplomatic situation to protect her own interests (which includes not being murdered). It makes sense from her perspective: she likes him and he represents a foreign country that could protect her. A union like that would be very much in her favor. The guy is, obviously, very uncomfortable with the idea but at the same time doesn't want to endanger the life of a little girl. The series looks at like the complicated situation it is.
Shorter version:
Mage girl - pandering
Dead parents girl - plot
And just to be clear: I wouldn't have had any problems with that if main character's potential relationship with one of the girls, such as mage girl, had been properly explored in a way that respects both characters and wasn't just meant as otaku fodder. Unusual relationships can make for a good story, but they need to be written well. Gate never made that attempt, stopping at the 'nudge, nudge, wink' moments and jokes instead. Sadly, this is pretty much the norm for otaku series.
Proper analysis, if only there was such a thing. I think everyone at least in their head tries to do that in one way or another. Kinda like how no evildoer thinks themselves evil. I don't think anyone can say that they do that, and you can't look at the conclusion an analysis reaches and then say "I like this conclusion, therefore the analysis was proper". In this kind of thing you just have to take a step back and accept opposing interpretations. Just claiming to be more deeply analytical of something without fully knowing what contributed in the opposing conclusion borne out of another person's analysis isn't gonna solve anything.
True, there's no one perfect way to analyse fiction, but judging by your willingness to justify or downright ignore certain tropes and premises, I get the feeling you just don't like being critical of the entertainment you consume. Perhaps because enjoying something with flaws would mean you're flawed yourself?
Personally, I think being honest towards yourself makes you a better person. For instance, I like old school Cyborg 009 and think the original manga series is a ton of fun. I also acknowledge that the racial stereotypes in there are not okay, even if the author didn't mean them as an insult. And on top of that it will look strange to people that I enjoy a series that features harmful racial stereotypes.