Roaming Around Japan: Toyosato Elementary School and Kyoto Animation

I’m not really a guy who is into the whole anime pilgrimage thing. It’s pretty easy to blame “Lucky Star” and the many anime fans that still go to Washinomiya Shrine in Saitama prefecture for this whole anime pilgrimage movement. But if anime studios didn’t base their designs on real life towns and buildings, you’d not have this problem. Then again you don’t hear from many towns complaining about the otaku dollars as they cash in by selling merchandise.

Regardless I did decide on my last trip to Osaka in November 2015 that I would go check out the Toyosato Elementary School which was used as a basis for Sakuragoaka Girl's High School in the anime “K-On!”, a show which I had really come to love in the last few years. The main problem with going to the small township of Toyosato (with a population of just over 7,500) is it is really out of the way on a small private railway and hard to get to. If you have the cash, probably the best way is get a rental car and travel the 116 km from Osaka to the school which will take you a bit over one and a half hours. Naturally there are toll booths along the way which are bit hard to dodge, so it’s a bit expensive. Option two is to take the train, which is also a bit of a pain in terms of time and hassle.

From Osaka station, take the Japan Rail (JR) Special Rapid Service bound for Nagahama and get off at Hikone station. Here is where fun starts as you’ll have to transfer to the Ohmi Railway Line, which is a private company which still doesn’t use IC cards (i.e. reusable tap on and off travel cards like Opal and Myki etc.), so your ICOCA card is going to be useless here. It’s time to break out your Japanese skills and ask the guy ant the counter for a return ticket to Toyosato station. Also note that depending on the time of day, the trains going to Toyosato from Hikone only run once an hour (about 35 minutes past the hour) and half an hour in peak hour times. Also note that Toyosato station is unmanned. When you get off the train, go to the first carriage and show the conductor your ticket. Otherwise he will chase you down when you leave. Like he did to me… In total the trip from Osaka station takes around two hours. Please be aware of the amount of time the whole trip takes. You may not want to waste more than half a day to look at what is a school. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, get the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka station to Maibara station, then take the Ohmi Railway Line to Toyosato station to shave about 20 minutes off your travel time. The train line and the township itself have cashed in on the otaku boom. Above you can see the timetable for the train which includes an anime style conductor.

Above is a set of illustrations depicting the four seasons above the platform, also commissioned by the railway. Stepping outside the station, you’ll notice there isn’t anything around in the way of amenities at all. There is a bakery on the left hand side of the street, but it was closed on the day I went. There are no convenience stores within miles (and no restaurants from memory), so bring any food and drink with you if you plan to make a day of it. There are some drink vending machines next to the bakery. To get to the school is pretty easy. Walk around 250 meters straight ahead from the entrance of the station to a T-junction. Turn right and walk a further 650 metres (passing the police station and town offices) and you’ll be right in front of the school.

Along the way you’ll pass several “tobidashi boys” which are essentially warning signs for motorists that a school is nearby and to look out for children. The difference in Toyosatao is that most of these signs have been changed to look like super deformed characters from “K-On!”.

There’s even a Hatsune Miku version and a Konata Izumi (“Lucky Star”) version.

Note that school itself is open from 9am to 5pm. Entry is free. Sometimes the school is closed for special events. Check this Japanese blog called “Clubrooms of Today” for any closures or special events before you make the trip. Besides its inclusion in “K-On!”, the school has quite an interesting history. It was built in 1937 through donations made by philanthropist Tetsujiro Furukawa, the general manager of Marubeni Shoten. His statue appears outside the main school building and is featured heavily in “K-On!”. The buildings were designed by a local American architect William Merrell Vories. Vories who had moved to Shiga prefecture in 1905 as a Christian missionary. On the hand rails in the stairwell of the main building are small brass statues of hares and tortoises which illustrate Aesop's fable of “The Tortoise and the Hare”. The story starts at the bottom and finishes at the top where the tortoise wins and the hare can be found asleep half way up. Apparently Vories suggested the motif for the school and Furukawa approved it remembering his childhood teacher has encouraged him using the story. In 1999 it was decided that the school no longer was up to scratch in terms of being earth quake proof. The local mayor announced a new school building and the old school was to be demolished. This did not go over well with the locals. In 2001 they got an injunction to halt any demolition of the school. However the local council fought back and there were even protests at the site which turned violent (well a bit of pushing and shoving at the very least). Eventually in 2004 the council decided to preserve the school and all its buildings, only after the mayor was defeated in a 2003 election.

The main building is where the club room for the fictional Light Music Club resides. Once you take your shoes off at the entrance and find some slippers which actually fit (this is compulsory for all buildings at the school) at the top of the closest staircase is the room. When I visited, I noted that many of the items I had seen in other fan’s photos online were no longer there. All the instruments were gone and the Gamera “Ton-chan” had been removed and replaced with a crappier ordinary plastic turtle. However all of the costumes Sawako had made for the girls are still there, as well as replicas of other items that appeared in the anime.

If you return to the entrance of the building walk out to the pathway which connects the two annex buildings at either end of the main school building, turn right and go to the annex at the end of the path. In this smaller building you’ll find where most of the items in the club room went. All of the donated instruments have been moved here which join a collection of figures, some more costumes and a ton of other fan made paraphernalia. The locals also sell some regional merchandise, mostly stuff specifically made for the school, including t-shirts.

I bought a Ritsu Toyosatsu School t-shirt (above). They were selling t-shirts with super deformed versions of all five light music club members. When I was on the train I noticed a number of high school aged kids in uniform some with musical instruments, some without. It was the Sunday of a long weekend (22 November 2015, Labor Thanksgiving Day was on the Monday) and the 5th Annual Toyosato Light Music Championship was apparently on that same day. I was finally tipped off by the flyers around the township and next to the merchandise on display in the annex at the school. One of the guys setting up came to talk to me and we had a slightly awkward discussion in half broken English and my barely functional and very broken Japanese (and also suffering from a head cold). From what I understood a number of local high school bands battle it out over a few hours. There are a couple of trophies, one sponsored by the local NHK station. Unfortunately I had a ticket for the shinkansen from Maibara station to Kobe, so I couldn’t hang around for the 12pm start.

I took a quick shot of the school stage where the event was to take place.

A couple of fans in their Itasha cars had shown up for the show in the parking lot.

On the way back to the station, I spotted a notice board with posters for today’s event and previous events held at the school.

Next it’s off to Kyoto Animation’s main studio in Uji, Kyoto. Again, I stress to be aware of the Ohmi Railway Line timetable for Toyosato station as at times the train only leaves once an hour. I would also check Hyperdia before you leave for the optimal time in terms of transfers. We’ll be going to Kohata station which will be two transfers and can take anywhere from a bit over 100 minutes to two and a half hours. Take the train from Toyosato to Hikone station, transfer to the JR Special Rapid Service for Aboshi or Banshuako and then change again at Kyoto station for the JR Nara Line bound for Nara or Joyo. Get off at Kohata station. Kyoto Animation is pretty much right outside the station’s entrance. Just turn left once you exit the station and walk about 10 or 20 meters and you’re there. I shouldn’t have to say this, but for god’s sake don’t go in. It’s not open to the public.

However the studio does have a KyoAni Shop not far away. Walk back past the station until you get to a T-junction (around 85 meters). Turn left and walk a further 290 meters going over the Keihan Uji Line (past Kowata Station) and a 7-Eleven. You’ll see a brown brick building with spiral stairs. Go up one flight of stairs and you’ll find the KyoAni Shop next to a hairdresser. It’s usually open from 10am to 6pm, but I think closes around 4pm on weekends. It’s kind of small and once you get a few people in there it’s hard to move about. Personally I didn’t think much of the merchandise on offer when I was there. There was only merchandise for shows that had just finished screening or current shows. Then again I’m not really the biggest fan of the studio. I bought a couple of “K-On!” artbooks and that was it. On reflection I could have just bought the books from Mandarake in Osaka, possibly for a little cheaper. Note that I didn’t visit both the school and studio on the same day. I originally went to Uji back in March 2013 after I had visited Fushimi Inari-taisha and Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto.

I think visiting the Toyosato school and Kyoto Animation is great for fans of “K-On!” and the studio, however it does take a big chunk out of your day to get to these places, which I found to be a major factor in deciding to go. Next time I’ll be heading out to the Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture.

Roaming Around Japan: The Ghibli Museum

Yes, I know this is a place that everyone goes too, especially if you even have the slightest interest in Japanese animation. Everyone has given their opinion of the places, so what the heck, I might as well give mine. As you may know, tickets can be a little hard to come by. You just can’t rock up to the museum and expect to get in. Often tickets will be sold out a number of weeks in advance even though the museum has been open since 2001 (you’d think everyone in Japan had been at least once by now!). This is because the museum only allows 200 people in per day. Sure, you could attempt to get tickets via the self-service machine in a Lawsons convenience store, but besides being fraught with language difficulties (if you can’t read kanji), as I mentioned before there’s little chance you’d be able to a ticket for the day you want. However if you want to take your chances Lawsons does have an English language website where you can order the tickets. Outside Japan, the best option is to get your ticket from JTB. Frustratingly they have a monopoly on all ticket sales in the western world. Buying a ticket from them costs around AU$17.

To get to the museum from Shinjuku station, take the Chou line to Mitaka station which will be a 15 to 20 minute trip. Take the south exit and turn left and follow the canal for about a kilometre until you get to the second set of traffic lights and a T-junction. In front of you should be Inokashira Park. Take the road to the right and follow the signs to museum which should be 300 metres down the road. The Studio Ghibli and the local council has put up various decorative signs in English and Japanese along the way so it’s hard to get lost. Alternatively there is a bus which goes directly to the museum. However I recommend the walk as the suburb the museum resides in is really beautiful. It’s so green and lush. As I mentioned before Inokashira Park surrounds the museum. You couldn’t claim it’s the most beautiful looking park in the city, but it is really pleasant to walk through after you have a look at the museum. Along with the signs pointing you to the museum, several lamp posts are also emblazoned with a Mitaka coat of arms designed by Miyazaki.

The museum has a faux entrance which has Totoro at the ticket counter (a fantastic photo opportunity that pretty much all patrons take up). The actual entrance is a further 100 meters on. If you buy a ticket in Japan, you will be given a set time when you can enter. This is to have a steady stream of patrons visiting throughout the day. For us foreigners, we can rock up with our JTB tickets anytime during the day (from memory there was two foreign couples who came as well). I went at the opening time, 10am. A ton of people had already rocked up by 9:30am. Around 10 minutes before opening time, the staff called out for families with small children. They were given priority and let in first. At the entrance your printed out JTB ticket is exchanged for Ghibli Museum one which has three 35mm frames from a Studio Ghibli film in it. Mine has a scene from “From Up on Poppy Hill” which had been released the previous year.

As the patrons pile in through the entrance, most head to the gift shop. Despite the best efforts of the museum, both the Mamma Aiuto gift shop and the Straw Hat Café (open from 11am) are seemingly always packed and are hard to get in to purchase anything. The museum itself is unlike any museum I’ve seen. The architecture is heavily influenced by European architecture, mostly on buildings in coastal Italian village called Calcata. On the ground level is the main hall which contains an amazing skylight with a propeller like fan reminiscent of “Laputa Castle in the Sky”. Nearby is an incredibly detailed fresco pained on the ceiling which includes many of the studios characters flying the sky surrounded by greenery. There’s a spiral wrought iron staircase, balconies, a bridge on the first floor and passages, some of which lead to dead ends, some which lead outside to patio area and some of which lead to other rooms. The building has little nooks and crannies all over the place which invite you to explore the building.

The ground and first floors have a permeant exhibit on the creation of one of their animated films. However it is more broadly an exhibit about how animation is made. It includes an amazingly intricate three dimensional zoetrope which animates the characters from “My Neighbour Totoro”. There are a number of “hands on” exhibits in this section which show patrons how animation works. The other main drawcard on the ground level is the Saturn Theatre. The museum runs several animated short films specifically produced for the museum during the day. However you’re only allowed to see one film once during the day. The film I saw was “Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess” which was directed by Miyazaki and seems to be set in the world of “Spirited Away”. There was no dialogue at all in the film, so it’s really accessible to anyone from any country who visits the museum. Like the rest of the museum, the little theatrette is packed full of little details and includes the front end of a tram as a projection booth. I also managed to spot a well-hidden Aardman character in the entrance to the theatre.

The first floor is also home to a mock-up of an animator’s studio which filled to brim with artefacts and tools that animators use and toys as well. On this floor as well are the temporary exhibits. When I went the exhibit was “The Gift of Illustrations - A Source of Popular Culture”, which exhibited the work of Scottish folklorist Andrew Lang and his illustration books from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, in particular the ones about fairies. Other exhibitions have focused on the studio’s work as well as international studios such as Pixar. There’s also the Tri Hawks reading room which is a library of sorts and the Catbus room, which as it sounds has a giant soft Catbuts for kids to play on and in. Outside the Catbus room is a wrought iron spiral staircase inside a cage. This leads up to the roof of the museum where there is a garden and a five metre high statue of the robot from “Laputa Castle in the Sky” and one of the cubes from the film.

It's certainly a fantastic way to finish up your visit to the museum. Everything inside the museum is off limits to photography, hence the reason why I haven’t posted any photos of the interior. I did note that one of the foreign patrons did take a few sneaky snaps of various exhibits. You can take photos of the Laputa robot and garden, so as you can image it’s a pretty popular spot to take photos, especially with all that pent up stress of not being able to take any photos inside the building. I’ve read a couple of comments from some anime fans that the museum is too childish and did nothing for them. This was is totally untrue for me and the majority of people who visit. Hayao Miyazaki explicitly designed the museum as something that wasn’t flashy or put the studio’s work on a pedestal. I really respect what he and the studio have achieved here. It feels “real” and not cheap or shallow or half thought out just to make a quick buck. If you’re looking for a detailed look into Ghibli films with lots of drawings and mock ups of characters or something in the vein of what Disney might do, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

It’s a really fun way to fill in an hour or two for children and adults who love the studio’s films. Afterwards it’s quite pleasant to walk through Inokashira Park, especially in spring when the cherry blossoms have come out. A lot of anime fans do the Ghibli museum in the morning and take the train back from Mitaka station and go to Nakano Broadway which is a mere six stops away. Next time I’ll be heading out to the Toyosato Elementary School which was the basis for Sakuragaoka High School in “K-On!” and the Kyoto Animation studio and shop in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture.

Video Backlog: “Gundam the Origin”

Publisher: Emotion (Bandai Visual, Japan)
Format: Region Free Blu-ray, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional English Dub and English, Japanese, French, Korean and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) Subtitles
Length: 4 episodes, 63 minutes (episode 1), 58 minutes (episode 2), 68 minutes (episodes 3 and 4)
Production Date: 2015 - 2016
Currently in Print (as of writing): Yes

By the year Universal Century (UC) 0068, man has ventured out to live permanently in space. Space colonies surround the Earth at various lagrangian points (where gravity from the moon and Earth are equal). Second and third generation colonists have been born over the last 60 or so years. However, tensions are brewing between the Earth government and the local governments who run the colonies. In the area called Side 3, the colony called Munzo wants to become an autonomous republic. Local politician Zeon Deikun prepares to make a rousing speech asking for the colony’s autonomy in the local parliament, but collapses and dies soon after he takes the podium. The public is outraged and allegations about who killed Deikun run rampant. Jimba Ral, a political ally of Deikun, takes in the Deikun's wife Astraia, and her two children. Jimba suspects their factional rivals the Zabi family, was behind his death. During the procession for Deikun’s funeral, one of the Zabi family cars is bombed with Sasro Zabi dying in the explosion. Rumours spread by the Zabi family implicate the Ral family in Sasro’s murder.

Jimba’s son, Ramba Ral, an officer in the local military is tasked with evacuating Deikun’s family from Munzo. However, a mob halts their escape with Kycilia Zabi intervening to save them. The head of the Zabi family, Degwin, arranges for the Deikun family to live with Zeon Deikun’s ex-wife, Roselucia, who as you can imagine is not on friendly terms with Astraia. This is to keep an eye on the family. In particular, the Zabi family fear Deikun’s children may one day seek revenge on them. The children remain with Roselucia in the main house, while Astraia is cruelly banished to a tower far from the main house. Though the Ral family’s standing in the colony has been ruined by the rumours of their role in Sasro’s murder, Ramba hatches a plan so that the two young children, Casval and Artesia as well as his father Jimba, can escape the colony. He gets his lover Crowley Hamon, to pose as a federation solider and using false orders take the children to the spaceport via a Guntank. But everything doesn’t quite go to plan. The soldiers in the Guntank ask for more bribe money and Federation soldiers attempt to stop them in Guntanks, only to have Casval commandeer the firing controls and destroy one of the Guntanks. Eventually Jimba and the two children are smuggled out of the colony in a cargo ship.

Three years later and the trio are living on Earth in Andalusia, Spain. A local businessman sympathetic to their cause, Don Teabolo Mass, has taken under his protection. He has adopted the two children who are now called Édouard and Sayla Mass. Jimba invites representatives from Anaheim Electronics in order to plan a rebellion against the Zabis, however Don strongly advises him to cancel his plans. Later that night a group of armed men enter the house to kill everyone. Édouard and Sayla fight off a killer in a suit of armour and survive. Jimba is killed but Don survives though is badly injured. In hospital Don is visited by Shu Yashima, an entrepreneur and business man. Sympathetic to Deikun family’s plight, he suggests they all move to his Texas colony which he owns. It’s close to Muzno which means they can keep a distance from the Zabi’s but also give the impression that they are submitting to them. Édouard and Sayla move in with the colony’s chief manager Roger Aznable. There they meet his son, Char Aznable, who is a dead ringer for Édouard, except for the colour of his eyes. As he enters his late teens, Édouard becomes rather cold, calculating and manipulative. He severely beats a man he suspects of being sent by the Zabi family to spy on him and Sayla.

Later Char Aznable becomes indoctrinated by the Zabi family’s propaganda as Munzo edges closer to a fascist dictatorship. Char decides to enter the Zabi’s military school. After the children receive word that their mother Astraia has died in Munzo, Édouard suddenly tells Sayla that he is leaving with Char to go to military school. She tearfully pleads with him to not leave her, but he just ignores her. Édouard has not been accepted by the military school, but plans to do away with Char enroute and assume his identity. Meanwhile Dozle Zabi heads up a development team of new robotic construction equipment called a Mobile Worker, which can easily be adapted into a weapon called the Mobile Suit. He invites Ramba Ral and the men who would later become the Black Tri-Stars, to help test these new weapons.

Based upon Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s manga of the same name from the early 2000’s, this is another big budget OVA/movie series release from Bandai Visual and Sunrise. It’s being released in a similar manner to “Gundam Unicorn” with theatrical releases in Japan, a BD release in cinemas on the same day, an English dub and subtitles in various languages on the BD. This time it’s a bit different with the same Laserdisc sized limited box set (only available in Japan directly from the Bandai Visual Club website) being sold in the US, UK and Australia without the option of the cheaper regular editions sold through regular retail outlets in Japan. The difference is pretty significant (about $40), so I opted to buy the regular versions from Amazon.co.jp.

The set of OVAs (or movies) generally follow the life of Casval Deikun who would later become Char Aznable. This series generally follows the first arc of the manga which leads up to the One Year War just before the events of the original Gundam TV series. The series is directed by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko with Takashi Imanishi (mostly know as the director of “SPT Layzner”) doing the actual direction of the individual episodes. Apart from Char’s backstory we also see his family, the Zabi family, the Ray family, the Ral family and of course a number of cameos of various characters for the original TV series. Also key to the series is the development of the Mobile Suit on both sides of the conflict.

As you’d expect from a big budgeted series like this, the animation is extremely well done with some really nice battle scenes on occasion. However as this is set before the One Year War, big battle sequences are far and few in between. Most of the series deals with the political machinations between the Zabi family and the Deikuns and Rals. Most of this is scripted quite well. Some of the drama in the first OVA heads into melodrama and feels quite silly. This is especially true for Zeon Deikun and Jimba Ral’s scenes. There’s also a scene where a very young Casval Deikun confronts Kycilia Zabi. I know that it’s important to show what Char was like as a kid, but the entire sequence is hard to swallow. I mean he’s still a prepubescent child at this stage. The other three parts fare much better as the teen Casval metamorphosises into the cold blooded Char hell bent on getting his revenge on the Zabi family.

However the lead up to how he became Char also had me seriously attempting to suspend disbelief. As you may have seen from the trailers for the second part, Édouard and Sayla Mass meet a teen boy Édouard age, Char Aznable, who is pretty much a clone of Édouard. It’s patently obvious what happens next, but the whole set up just feels a bit too forced. I also found it hard to believe that the spies sent by the Zabi family could not figure out what happened. How thick are they? The cameos of characters such as Mirai Yashima, Kai Shiden and Hayato Kobayashi also feel unnatural. I especially felt that Mirai’s cameo was completely unnecessary. What kind of businessman would bring their young daughter to a meeting in hospital? The scenes in the last part which showed Amuro’s school and family life also seem out of place in the context of the series. What really worked well however was the beginning of the friendship between Char and Garma Zabi at the military school. In this series Garma is shown to be much kinder than his siblings and seemingly uninterested in family politics. Char’s character is also developed very well in this section as it is revealed that he is a man that will go to any lengths to sate his lust for revenge, and certainly is quite patient and calculating in doing so.

The standard versions of the series I purchased include slipcovers with brilliant artwork by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, a booklet featuring character and mecha designs and second larger book which compares the rough drafts from the manga with the completed animation. I also got a couple of bonus clear files, one when I bought the second part at Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku and the second from Amazon.co.jp for the fourth part. In conclusion this is a pretty exciting series. I think sometimes it ties itself up in knots trying to explain certain parts of Char’s origins and some of the cameos are too obvious for my liking. A lot of the drama is offset by a lot great humour which I really enjoyed. While these scenes with Amuro feel out of place, the sections covering the development of the Mobile Suit work well within Char’s story. Sunrise have announced the second arc of the manga, known as the Loum Arc, as two movies/OVAs for 2017. I’m looking forward to them. 8 out of 10.

Remaining Backlog: Eleven TV series, two OVA series and three movies. In addition I am also waiting for the second parts of two TV series to be released before viewing them.

Roaming Around Japan: Odaiba

On my first trip to Japan I had planned to go to a number of anime related places, so much so that unfortunately the holiday just ended up being an “anime holiday” for the most part. At the time I thought that I would never go back there and crammed as much stuff I wanted to see in the short week and a half I was there. Earlier in that year Gundam Front Tokyo had just began trading in the newly opened Diver City shopping complex and this was the main reason I wanted to go to Odaiba. The main attraction of Gundam Front Tokyo (and Diver City) is the 18 metre tall RX-78-2 Gundam statute which stands right outside Diver City. It was previously used by Bandai as a promotional tool for the franchise’s 20th anniversary, in particular for the line of model kits, but now it has been on display in Odaiba since 2012.

Odaiba is in fact a large artificial island in Tokyo bay. Originally built for defensive purposes in the 1850’s, during the tail end of the economic bubble in the early 1990’s it was earmarked for expansion with the then Tokyo governor announcing the area to be redeveloped as Tokyo Teleport Town. The plans were quite grand with residential and commercial properties planned along with a projected 100,000 residents to be living there by the middle of the decade. However by 1995 over a trillion yen had been sunk into the project. The economic bubble had burst long ago, the developers were bankrupt and many plots of land remained undeveloped. The other problem is that Odaiba is virtually in the middle of nowhere in terms transport. It takes over half an hour to get there from Shinjuku via the train. Businesses just weren’t interested in the place. Odaiba was viewed as a boondoggle. The new governor of Tokyo halted the plan. 

However less than five years later, Odaiba started to become a rather popular local leisure and tourist spot. This really isn’t all that surprising considering what’s there; two museums (Museum of Maritime Science and Miraikan), a number of shopping malls, lots of parks and open spaces, and plenty of futuristic architecture such as the Fuji Television building and Tokyo Big Sight which hosts conventions and other events such as Comiket (in summer and winter) and the annual Anime Japan. The extension of the Yurikamome line into Odaiba also helped with the popularity of the area. In the last couple of years there have been proposals to relocate Kabukicho from Shinjuku to Odaiba (which seems absurd beyond belief), however as you can imagine nearly all of the businesses and residents of Kabukicho hated this daft idea. This was plan was part of a push to “clean up” Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic games. Hopefully it has been hit on the head.

To get to Odaiba, probably the best way is to use the JR Saikyo line from Shibuya which will normally link on to the Rinki line without any transfers. However it is advisable to check Hyperdia before you go. The trip usually takes 20 minutes from Shibuya to Tokyo Teleport. The other option is the Yurikamome line which is far more picturesque journey, but will add on another 15 minutes (to Daiba station). Exiting Tokyo Teleport (the “B” exit), keep walking straight ahead following the covered walkway until you come to the overpass. Keep walking towards the distinctive Fuji Television building, right past on its right hand side. Walk between past the Aqua City and Decks Odaiba/Joypolis buildings (unfortunately the “Little Hong Kong” replica of a Hong Kong streetscape was shut down years ago) and across the road to the park. Walk along the boardwalk to your left and you’ll eventually comes across a replica of the Statue of Liberty. This one quarter scale replica (a bit over 12 metres) was a present from France to Japan and installed in April 1998 for the commemoration of "The French Year in Japan".

Walking along the waterfront is quite pleasant with a nice view of the city and the Rainbow Bridge (blown up in “The Next Generation – Patlabor -” movie). You may even see the Tokyo Cruise Ship Company’s Himiko cruise boat, designed by Leiji Matsumoto (of “Captain Harlock” and “Galaxy Express 999” fame). The only other thing of interest is the Noitamina Shop and Cafe Theatre on the fourth floor of Aqua City. Other than that, the two closest malls in the area are full of chain stores you can practically find anywhere else on the planet. If you get back on the viewing platform between the Hilton Hotel and Aqua City, you can turn around and walk back to Diver City on several connecting pedestrian overpasses without having to cross any of the roads below.

Here you will find the shopping complex Diver City and 18 metre tall RX-78-2 Gundam statute which sits outside. Unfortunately Bandai have decided that the statue will be disassembled on 5 March 2017. Where it will be displayed from  then on, nobody knows. Behind the Gundam statue is a local branch of the Gundam Café (open from 10am). The menu isn’t as large as the main store in Akihabara, but you can buy coffee, light meals such as takeaway burgers and a of course a ton of merchandise. I am unsure if the café will be closing when the statue is dismantled. Inside Diver City are a number of chain stores and restaurants, most of which you can find in any large shopping centre in Japan (or the world for multinational chains). Of interest on the seventh floor though is Gundam Front Tokyo (open 10am) which is like a mini amusement park/museum for all things Gundam. There are a couple of free areas such the Strict-G upmarket Gundam inspired fashion shop and the main shop, however to see the displays, it will cost ¥1,000. This includes a short film in the G-Dome where CG animation projected on the inside of a dome, an “experience field” which has a full sized battle scared Core Fighter and a Strike Freedom Gundam torso which you can enter and have pictures taken in the cockpit for an extra fee, plus other displays and a Gunpla Factory which explains how they make the model kits as well as a chance to make one yourself. As fan of the series, I found Gundam Front Tokyo was really well done and extremely fan friendly.

There is so much attention to detail such as the hallway to the entrance of the Dome-G theatre (above). If stand in a certain spot, you can see the image of Heero Yuy’s Gundam from Gundam Wing Endless Waltz. A loop of two introductory videos laying out the rules for the Dome-G play in this hallway before you go in. One is narrated by Gihren Zabi from the original Gundam series, the other by Lacus Clyne from Gundam Seed. Unfortunately Bandai have decided to close Gundam Front Tokyo on 5 April 2017. With the removal of both Gundam attractions, I’m not sure what else Diver City could do to attract visitors. Without the Gundam stuff it’s just another ordinary shopping complex. There was a Maidreamin maid café in the complex, but it seems to have shut down.

Right outside Diver City in front of the Gundam statue, if you turn to your right, keep walking over what is called the Symbol Promenade Park for around 270 metres. To your right you’ll see a covered walkway to the Mega Web (open from 11am). Walk through that  to get to Toyota’s history showcase. This is display of various motor vehicles from the 1950’s right through to Toyota’s short-lived foray into the world of Formula One motor racing in the 2000’s. It also includes an area where they restoring cars they’ve recently acquired and of course a gift shop. The complex also includes Toyota Showcase City which displays current models, concept cars and cars available for test drives and Ride Studio which is basically a large indoor go-karting place. Connected to the Mega Web is Venus Fort, whose interior looks like an elaborate mock-up of an 18th century southern European town. The lighting cycles though the various parts of a day (from morning to night) in about 15 minutes or so. It’s gaudy and quite odd. I’ve never really seen any shopping complex like it before. It’s certainly worth the trip even if you’re not interested in any of the shops. Apart from the usual chain shops you find in these complexes there is a local branch of Studio Ghibli’s Donguri Republic chain, Village Vanguard and Kiddy Land.

Finally, the other building of note is Tokyo Big Sight. To get there, go to Aomi Station and take the Yurikamome line to Kokusai-tenjijo-seimon Station (about a 10 minute trip). As I said before this convention centre hosts the two big otaku events in Tokyo; the biannual Comiket and the annual Anime Japan. Even if there is no conventions happening, it’s still an awesome building to behold. Around 350 meters over the walkway across the road is the Panasonic Centre. This is mostly a building to display Panasonic goods, however some of the displays are quite interesting. Best of all it’s free. The building also houses Nintendo Game Front were you can play recently released games and a café.

There’s far more to Odaiba than what I’ve mentioned here. You could literally spend a day or two wandering around and discovering all it has to offer. I think it’s a real shame that Bandai has decided to pull up stumps in regards to its Gundam related attractions. Still if you need somewhere to go on a rainy day in Tokyo the museums, shopping malls and other attractions in Odaiba should be more than enough to fill in a day or two. Next time like everyone else who has visited Tokyo, I’ll be looking at the Ghibli Museum to give my thoughts.

Video Backlog: “Strike Witches: The Movie”

Publisher: Funimation (USA)
Format: Region A Blu-ray, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional English dub and English Subtitles. Region 1 DVD, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional English dub and English Subtitles.
Length: 95 minutes
Production Date: 2012
Currently in Print (as of writing): Yes

In 1939 a mysterious enemy called Neuroi attacked Earth, mostly centring on Europe. Suspected to be of alien origin, Earth’s armies were no match for them. However in the past humanity had always relied on witches, young women, who had magical powers and fought off monsters and demonic creatures whenever they appeared in the world. Military scientists designed Striker Units, wearable machines with propellers that in combination with the witches magical powers, helped the young women to fly. In the battles against the Neuroi, the witches soon discover that they have cores, which when fired upon destroy the Neuroi and dissolve them. The first two TV series follow the 501st Joint Fighter Wing team, where after a prolonged battle the heroine of the series, Yoshika Miyafuji, uses up all of her magical power in a climactic battle.

Two months after the battle, Yoshika has returned to her home country of Fuso and adjusting back to her old life. She surprises her childhood friend, Yamakawa Michiko (who was searching for her in the forest), by riding on a bear that she befriended as a cub. Later the pair hears the distressed cries of a puppy and discovers it fighting for life in a fast running river. Yoshika leaps onto the rocks to save it, but eventually falls in with the puppy and soon finds her self floating downstream and over a waterfall.  Lucky a witch in a Striker Unit was passing by and saves Yoshika and the puppy. She introduces herself as Hattori Shizuka and soon realises that it was Yoshika she saved, someone she idolises due to her former military career in the battle against the Neuroi. Hattori explains that she in fact was looking for Yoshika to bring her to Europe to study as a doctor.  The Helvetian Medical School, one of the most prestigious medical schools in the world, has invited Yoshika to study there. Yoshika jumps at the chance and her and Hattori board the Carrier Amagi the next day.

While Yoshika is no longer part of the military, she still wants to help around the ship. This irks Hattori to no end and scolds her for not adhering to military regulations. As their journey continues the ship hits an iceberg causing major damage to ship and badly injuring and trapping one crew member. Despite the fire and threat of an explosion, and ignoring Hattori’s commands, Yoshika bravely rescues the trapped and injured man and also manages to get the sprinkler system back in operation, putting out the fire. At their first port of call Gallia, the pair meet two old friends from the 501st; Lynette Bishop and Perrine H. Clostermann. There they spend some time with orphaned children that Perrine looks after. Hattori soon realises that because Yoshika doesn’t act like a solider, it actually helped the 501st become a better fighting force. Later the ship stops at the Rhine to help people affected by a landslide. The 501st become aware of Neuroi becoming more active in the area. Soon Yoshika finds herself in the middle of a Neuroi attack and helps evacuate a local village. Despite the fact she no longer has any magical powers, she joins in the fight alongside the 501st.

This franchise has an infamous reputation for having a bunch of young girls weaning no pants (or a skirt). However the first TV series at least didn’t really concentrate on this fact and to my surprise was quite entertaining. The second series wasn’t as nearly well written and was focused more on the fanservice side of things. Like the “KanColle” franchise, this series revolves around anthropomorphic mechanical girls, a trend that really started in the late 1980’s, but really didn’t take off in a big way until around 2005 with shows like this one and “Sky Girls”. “Strike Witches” is a little bit different to other franchises due the fact the girls are normal people and only wear boot-like mechanical devices with propellers which help them fly. For some reason which I don’t think has ever been explained, the girls also grow animal ears and tails when using their magical powers. My personal theory is that they are possessed by animal spirits which give them their powers. Or maybe they just drew them that way because it’s cute.

Anyways let’s talk about the elephant in the room; the lack of skirts and/or pants. It’s utterly absurd that Yoshika and the rest of the girls walk about in underwear or the old style Japanese school bathing suits, even when they’re no longer in the military or off duty. Let’s face it; it’s pure sexualisation of teenage girls. It serves no other purpose. Even worse with this film there are a large number of crotch shots, especially during battles as the camera passes in extremely close (literally giving the viewer a face full of crotch) as the girls zoom into frame before they take on the Neuroi. It was never this bad in the original series. The story itself is a rather dull affair. I don’t understand why the military themselves took Yoshika to the medical school. She couldn’t be advised by letter and make her way there herself? The movie is a just an excuse to string a number of battles together and bring out the extended cast for the two series, which most of their appearances don’t propel the plot along one iota. For the most part they really don’t need to be in the film at all.

From what I’ve read online there are huge number of highly accurate military machinery and references to key military personal from WWII. This is fantastic if you’re a military nut, but for the general audience it just flies right over your head.  The animation by AIC (yes they still make anime, and I bet you can’t name any of their recent shows) is pedestrian at best. It looks no better than standard TV animation from that era. It’s certainly not movie quality except for some parts of the battles. Speaking of which, the best thing I can say about this film is that the battles were very well choreographed and look quite good (gratuitous crotch shots notwithstanding). But other than that’s there’s not much to like in this film. It’s quite a disappointment. Even the personalities of most of the girls are non-existent. Almost the entire cast are softly spoken doormats. They’re very submissive and really, really dull. The exceptions are the extroverted Francesca Lucchini and Charlotte E. Yeager whose contributions to the story and film are just to make obligatory appearances.

Funimation have been really dead slow in getting this film out; nearly four years. Why they didn’t release this earlier is beyond me. I can understand a year or so hold back due to reverse importation worries, but four years is a bit of a joke. The presentation is as per usual; the video is OK, except for the horrible banding which plagues many of their discs. It’s quite noticeable in low light scenes, especially inside the ship during the fire. At least they’ve included the Japanese promotional video and trailer as extras. Funimation now seems to lump all of their previews of other titles as one long video rather than listing separate previews which you can chose to play. It’s yet another thing to add to the pile of Funimation annoyances. At the very least on screen titles in the film are all Japanese, probably because Funimation weren’t supplied “clean” footage for these segments. I can only give this film 5 out of 10. While I loved the original series, I wasn’t all that fussed with the sequel TV series. But this film has finally killed the franchise for me.

Remaining Backlog: Nine TV series, two OVA series and three movies. In addition I am also waiting for the second parts of two TV series to be released before viewing them.

Anime On the Big Screen: “Your Name”

Venue: Dendy Cinemas, Level 2, North Quarter, Canberra Centre, 148 Bunda Street, Canberra City, ACT
Date: Saturday 26 November 2016
Distributor: Madman Entertainment
Format: Digital Projection, Japanese dialogue with English subtitles
Length: 107 minutes
Production Date: 2016
Currently on Home Video in English (as of writing): No

It’s pretty amazing that the two highest grossing Japanese films of 2016 have made it to Australian cinemas only months after their Japanese cinema releases. First “Shin Godzilla”, which had a limited screening last month, and now “Your Name” (officially rendered as “your name.” in the official English title) which is on track to become the sixth highest grossing film in Japanese box office history (close to ¥18 billion so far). I didn’t want get involved with the Christmas shoppers, so I went to the earliest session I could. Dendy have a new website and a new online ticketing service. When I printed off my PDF ticket it said I didn’t have to go to the box office. Great, except it had no cinema number on the ticket, which meant I had to go to box office where I was given a ticket anyway… With this film being a limited release and not a one off event, as usual there were no real otaku types to be found in the audience (well except me). There was a real mix in the audience; a few young people by themselves evenly split between the sexes, a Japanese mother and her young child a couple of older Asian women. The Asian cinema goers certainly outweighed the western ones. I know it was early, but I found it a little surprising that the amount of patrons in the cinema didn’t reach double digits.

The film initially follows the life of Mitsuha Miyamizu, a teenage girl in the latter years of high school. She lives in Itomori, a very small town of around 1,500 people way out in the countryside with very little for teenagers to do. She lives with her little sister and her grandmother, head of the local Shinto shrine. Both her and her little sister are shrine maidens and have to perform in a ritual every year where they make kuchikamizake, a type of sake where a person chews rice and spits it out and is left to ferment. Mitsuha finds having to do this practice publicly a little humiliating. She is also estranged from her father, Toshiki Miyamizu, the local town mayor. He left the household after a fight with Mitsuha’s grandmother after his wife died. Campaigning for re-election, he publicly humiliates Mitsuha by telling to stand up straight in front of a group of voters. Mitsuha later declares she hates her life and wishes she could be reborn as a boy in Tokyo.

At school Mitsuha’s friends explain to her that she was acting quite strangely the day before. She couldn't find her desk or locker and came to school with bed head rather than her hair usually tied up. However Mitsuha doesn’t remember any of this at all. She finds a scrawled message in her note book reading “Who are you?” which she blames one of her friends for. The next morning Mitsuha wakes up and finds herself in an unfamiliar room. She soon discovers to her horror she is in a teenage boy’s body. She pieces together enough information about his life from his father and his phone to know that his name is Taki Tachibana and the school he goes to and the names of his friends. Initially she is struck by the fact she is in Shinjuku, Tokyo, a place she has always wanted to go to, however reality soon sets in as she realises she has to pretend to be Taki, even though she believes it’s all a dream. She even manages to go to Taki’s part time job at a restaurant and somehow manages not screw up too much. There she meets Miki Okudera, a co-worker whom Mitsuha determines Taki has a crush on due to the amount of photos of her in his phone.

It soon dawns on Mitsuha and Taki that they aren’t dreaming and that both of them somehow swap into each other’s bodies almost randomly. Over the next few weeks the pair communicates with each other via writing in notebooks and on their phones. They lay down ground rules for each other so not to put a strain on family and social ties and more importantly not to embarrass each other. However Mitsuha manages to get Taki closer and closer to Miki. Eventually she sets up a date for Taki. But the date doesn’t go well for Taki. Taki later tries to call Mitsuha but the phone seems to be disconnected. No more body swaps occur either. Taki cannot fathom why this has happened and attempts to go to Mitsuha’s home town. The problem is he has no idea what the name of her town is or what prefecture it is in. Using only the detailed drawings he made he does as much research as he can and sets off for the most likely prefecture. However at Tokyo station he discovers his friend Tsukasa Fujii and Miki waiting for him. Initially he asked Tsukasa to cover for him at work and school, but Tsukasa told Miki, who agreed that Taki had been acting strangely recently so both of them decided to accompany him. Their journey takes them through a couple of prefectures, almost aimlessly wandering and asking the locals if they can recognise the town from Taki’s drawings. In a small ramen restaurant Taki soon leans the horrifying truth.

This is Makoto Shinkai’s sixth major work and his third full length feature film. I was not a fan of his faux Ghibli film “Children Who Chase Lost Voices”, but I am a big fan of all his other works. For a while there I think he was on the cusp of pigeonholing himself with his trademark twilight panoramas and tales of romantic breakups and separation (often tied up with technology of some sort). However I think with this film he has finally broken out of that mould and proven he can stand on his own two feet. This is despite the gushing western mainstream media proclaiming him as “the new Miyazaki”. Wasn’t Mamoru Hosoda “the new Miyazaki” last week? Or was that Keiichi Hara, Sunao Katabuchi or even Goro Miyazaki? Maybe none of them are. I find this talk a bit tedious and diminishing of these new director’s films.

Anyway as per Shinkai’s other film’s it does contain twilight panoramas and lost loves and forced separations in a big way. However at the core of this this film is a rather intriguing and constantly surprising story. The basic story is no different to other body swap films like Disney’s original 1976 “Freaky Friday” or the tens of copies which followed that film. With its opening animation credits looking very much like the opening animation of a TV series and music by pop rock band Radwimps, it sort of sets the stage for a very mainstream family film squarely aimed at Japanese teens. About a third into the run time it changes pace, quite effortlessly and becomes darker (with Taki’s bad date with Miki foreshadowing that), and turns into a paranormal mystery. The third act changes pace again where the film turns into another teen subgenre where the teens try to save their beloved town from disaster but the town’s adults won’t listen. Naturally the teens save the day. Shinkai’s screenplay switches between the three different arcs with relative ease. I found the plot twists were quite surprising too.

Shinkai’s direction is fantastic as well. The cinematography, use of silence in dramatic scenes and editing are top notch and ratchet up the drama at the right moments. The animation, especially the special effects and use of filters in regards to light makes a number of scenes look incredibly realistic, however I still think his previous film, “Garden of Words”, has got this film beat in terms of realism and use of light. Shinkai certainly knows how to move a camera around within a “set” to maximum effect without looking like he’s showing off. Some trivia by the way; Yukari Yukino, the teacher from “Garden of Words”, has a cameo in this film.

Despite all the gushing reviews this film has being getting, I did have a few minor quibbles with it. First is the fact that Taki didn’t know the name of Mitsuha’s town which seems rather implausible. Though I completely understand that if he did know, it’d kill a lot of the plot. Second is the way Taki was able to “get in contact” with Mitsuha at the start of the third arc of the film. For whatever reason I couldn’t suspend a lot of disbelief in that. Like some reviewers I didn’t think much of the epilogue after the climax. I understand the audience would have probably hunted down and killed Shinkai if he hadn't concluded the film in the way in did, but I wish it was written a bit better. I think some scenes, especially in the last third, could have been trimmed to tighten up the film and ramp up the drama. I have seen complaints about Taki and Mitsuha “checking out their new bodies” and one review which bizarrely seemed to concentrate on this entirely.  Sure it’s a running joke, but  a really minor one. I’m not sure why people are making a fuss about it. The other aspect other reviewers harp on about are the scenes of natural disaster and making comparisons to the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. I think to a small degree Shinkai is referencing the disaster, however it’s not used as a blunt instrument in the way it was in “Shin Godzilla”. Here’s it’s more matter of fact and used to advance the plot.

In conclusion, this is one of Shinkai’s better films, albeit far more commercial than what he has done before. While squarely aimed at a family and teen market, the film has enough plot twists and drama to keep adults thoroughly entertained. The final scenes were a bit too saccharine and safe for me. I think the post climatic scenes could have been better written. A little more trimming of certain scenes wouldn’t have gone astray either. I really wish the mainstream western media would give the Miyazaki comparisons a rest and judge other Japanese directors on their own merits. It’s really good film, but maybe not the second coming as others are suggesting. 8 out of 10.

Sydney: A Piss Weak Anime Shopping Guide

Back in the 1990’s there used to be fan created guides of lists of anime shops in local areas on places like newsgroups like arts.rec.anime. Unfortunately lists like that have disappeared. If you want to find “bricks and mortar” stores locally, you have to do a bit of searching. Surprisingly this can be a slightly difficult. It amazes me that no one keeps list of stores any more. Then again if you can get it easier, cheaper and quicker from online store, why in heck would you bother with physical stores?

But after compiling lists for stores in Japanese cites, I thought it would be fun to do guides for local shops. After getting my Opal card on Thursday (which I got for a future trip so I could get from Central Station to the airport easily), on a whim I decided to go up to Sydney and attempt to compile a list of shops for my blog. Admittedly I haven’t actually been to Sydney for at least five years. These days I only go to Central Station and then on to the airport and never visit the actual city. I admit that for this particular trip to Sydney I had visions of the cool record stores and anime shops that were there in the 1990’s. My hopes would soon be dashed though. Since the Olympics, Sydney CBD looks horribly rundown. Leaving Central Station and walking along Eddy Avenue, the first thing I noticed was all the shops along the street are all closed and bordered up except one café and a 7-Eleven. There are homeless people everywhere, young foreign backpackers roaming the streets ready to exploited by local recruiters, and the city seems to be in a state of disrepair, covered in a fine layer of grime and graffiti. There’s also the ongoing construction for the tramline up George Street. And as always, it gets hot and humid, even in spring. The city looks and feels ugly and uninviting.

Unfortunately most of the stores are in the CBD. Below I’ve listed the stores of interest in alphabetical order;

Anime At Abbotsford
Main Store
Address: 318 Great North Road, Abbotsford
Phone: (02) 9712 1418
Opening Times: Everyday 9am to 6:30pm, except Sunday, closes at 5pm

CBD Store
Address: Shop 125, First Floor, Prince Centre, 8 Quay Street, Haymarket
Phone:  (02) 9281 9355
Opening Times: Everyday 10am to 6:30pm

Easily the biggest and best anime shops in Sydney. I think this shop opened in 2007 in Abbotsford (hence the name of the store). Admittedly I have never been out to the store in Abbotsford, but the city store near Chinatown is just jam packed with figures including figma, Nendoroids, S.H.Figuarts and various arcade crane game prizes. Of course there are also a ton of regular figures from manufacturers such as Good Smile and Kotobukiya. The Abbotsford shop also stocks some general pop culture items such as POP Vinyl figures. The online version of the shop stocks artbooks, however neither shop has them on display from what I’ve seen. The prices are relatively decent when compared to online shops. While it’s pretty easy to find the shop in Abbotsford, the one in the Prince Centre is a little more difficult to locate. If you go into the proper Prince Centre entrance on Quay Street, go up the escalators to the first floor, walk through the glass door on the balcony area and the shop is out in that area. The Abbotsford store also holds regular events.

AnimeWorks
Address: 259 Broadway, Glebe
Phone:  (02) 8041 3913
Opening Times: Everyday 10am to 7pm, except Saturday, closes at 5pm, Sunday, closes at 4pm

Just my luck, this shop was shut for the day when I visited. Apparently the owner went to a convention in another state for the weekend as a vendor. This part of town looks really rundown and shifty. Right next door to AnimeWorks is the most infamous “rub and tug” massage parlour in Sydney. Really not a good look or perhaps the best place to have an anime shop, but whatever… From what I could see through the windows and in their online shop, while the do have a heavy anime bent in the stock, there’s also a fairly large percentage of general pop culture items. It seems one wall is filled with POP Vinyl figures. They also stock Gundam model kits, various kinds of merchandise such as towels and key rings, plush toys, some manga, t-shirts, some cosplay items and of course figures galore. Prices seem rather reasonable and competitive.

Books Kinokuniya
Address: Shop RP2.2, Level 2, The Galeries, 500 George Street, Sydney
Phone: (02) 9262 7996
Opening Times: Everyday 10am to 7pm, except Thursday, closes at 9pm, Sunday, 11am to 6pm

The local branch of the biggest book chain in Japan. Certainly this branch isn’t as good as some of the branches in Japan, however it surprisingly does stock a lot of Japanese magazines, manga and books. When I went a few years back, I was really disappointed at the lack of artbooks. This time I was really surprised at the stock they had. They must stock at least a couple hundred different titles including four different “Love Live!” artbooks. There’s also quite a number of different weekly manga anthologies, loads and loads of manga and even a small selection of monthly anime magazines such as Animedia, Newtype, Megami and Animage. Of course the real problem is the price. It’s as if they’ve doubled the original cover price in yen and then converted it. In short, while the range is pretty damn good, it’s far easier and cheaper to order this stuff from Amazon.co.jp or elsewhere. Kinokuniya also stock manga in English (not too far from the entrance). It’s far more reasonably priced than their Japanese stock. Also the “manga cows” of times gone by don’t visit the store anymore, so it’s easier to get around.

Comic Kingdom
Address: 71 Liverpool Street, Sydney
Phone: (02) 9267 3629
Opening Times: Everyday 10am to 5:15pm, except Thursday, closes at 6:15pm, Saturday, 10am to 4:15pm, closed on Sunday

The oldest comic book store in Sydney which began back in the 1960’s I believe. I didn’t realise this shop had an infamous reputation for bad service and a “comic book guy” from “The Simpsons” type of owner. Apparently the shop was going to shut down in November last year, but here we are a year on and they’re still open. Admittedly there is little of interest for manga and anime fans; a small range of “Robotech” and “Battle of the Planets” back issue comics and various English language “hentai” manga from the late 1990’s. I think there is very little in the shop which was published in the 21st century. In terms of non-anime stuff, there are some interesting old annuals from the 1970’s and load of old sci-fi magazines from the same era and a little bit more modern down the back. I managed to snag a copy of “Fanfare” magazine from 1980 which has Captain Harlock on the cover and an 11 page article on anime by Fred Patten.

HobbyCo
Main Store
Address: Shop 50/53, Level 2, Queen Victoria Building, 429 - 481 George Street, Sydney
Phone: (02) 9264 4877
Opening Times: Everyday 10am to 6pm, except Thursday, closes at 9pm, Sunday, closes at 5pm

Rhodes Store
Address: Shop 60, Level 1, Rhodes Waterside Shopping Centre, Rhodes
Phone: (02) 8765 1165
Opening Times: Everyday 9am to 6pm, except Sunday, opens at 10am

MacArthur Square
Address: Shop C027, Level 1, 1 Gilchrist Drive, MacArthur Square Shopping Centre, Campbelltown
Phone: (02) 4627 5311
Opening Times: Everyday 9am to 5:30pm, except Sunday, opens at 10am

The only hobby store left in Sydney’s CBD by the looks of it. Naturally I only went to the shop in the CBD. Their main products they deal with are scale trains and model kits (a much undervalued hobby I think). I really think it’s unfortunate that practically no one outside hobby shops sell plastic model kits anymore... Anyway, the CBD HobbyCo sells just about every Bandai model kit on the market by the looks of it, including Gundam kits and a small section of Evangelion kits. In fact they had an episode of “Gundam Build Fighters” on an overhead TV playing in store. They also stock a wide range of Hasegawa’s Macross kits, a small range of Ultraman and crane game prize figures and fairly good range of figures including some “Gundam”, “Love Live!” and “Yamato 2199” figures. I’m always impressed at the amount of and type of anime related merchandise in this shop. There’s also a sizable range of Shonen Jump related figures and merchandise not far from the counter. The entrance to the CBD store has a bust of a Gundam one side and a huge Beargguy on the other. Looking at the pictures of the Rhodes store online, it seems that there isn’t much in the way of anime merchandise there.

Hondarake
Address: Suite 204, Level 2, 39 Liverpool Street, Sydney
Phone: (02) 9261 5225
Opening Times: Everyday 11am to 7pm, except Sunday, 12pm to 6pm, closed Tuesdays

To get to this second hand Japanese bookstore is an utter pain in the arse. Over the last decade or so, it’s been in several locations, however this one is the most hidden and out of the way. The only way you’d know it actually existed is its name in hiragana on its outside window, two stories up. To get there; go to the entrance of the building on Liverpool street (clearly marked “39”). Do not walk up the stairs. Walk straight through to the courtyard where on the other side where you’ll see a Japanese restaurant with taiko drums either side of its entrance. Turn around at in front of that restaurant entrance and you should see a glass elevator. Annoyingly the button is nowhere near the actual elevator (actually on the column to your right). Take the elevator to the second floor and Hondarake will be to your right. The shop’s name means “full of books”. It’s part of an obscure Japanese chain of second hand book shops, 14 in total, mostly in Kyushu but it also has branches in Aomori, Chiba and Tottori. Never heard of it? Not surprised. Why do they have a branch in Sydney? God only knows. The shop has second hand Japanese novels, magazines, a ton of manga, CDs, DVD and a few anime artbooks. There are some English subtitled and/or dubbed anime and Japanese films as well. Though I did manage to snag two “To Heart” artbooks, be warned, the range is really, really limited. The original store they had was a gold mine of anime magazines and manga (back in the early 2000’s). It does seem really piss poor now. The Japanese lady running it spoke in a mix of English and simple Japanese, which was a bit weird.

Kings Comics
Address: 310 Pitt Street, Sydney
Phone: (02) 9267 5615
Opening Times: Everyday 9am to 6pm, except Thursday, closes 8pm, weekends, 10am to 5pm

The other comic book shop in Sydney. This is very much like any comic book shop in the country; lots of Marvel and DC titles and merchandise, Walking Dead comics and merchandise Doctor Who merchandise etc., practically nothing to differentiate it from any other popular comic book store. As expected there is a fair wack of English language manga, but certainly not as well stocked as Kinokuniya. There are a couple of books on anime as well and a very limited range of figures, mostly S.H.Figuarts of popular stuff like “Sailor Moon”.

And that’s that for anime shops in Sydney. I walked through the Chinatown/Haymarket area as well as through the little arcades and was utterly surprised that all of the bootleg DVD shops had disappeared completely. I think I only saw one shop sell Chinese DVDs and Blu-rays in Market City, but you could tell it wasn’t their main business. All of the little hobby shops selling model kits had disappeared as well. I was also a little annoyed that general second hand book, CD and DVD stores had been wiped out from the CBD. I knew that the two Chinese newsagents, who stocked anime magazines and bootleg merchandise, had shut down in the mid 2000’s. Even Game Infinity had disappeared without a trace. In its place was just a blank white façade as if its existence had been wiped from everyone’s collective memory. But of course the internet has killed video stores and fandom has collectively shifted away from plastic model and garage kits to completed figures that sell for hundreds of dollars each. Though I don’t mind the stores that still exist, it was all a bit depressing really. Sure I don’t miss the horribly overpriced DVDs and shitty service of the Cartoon Gallery, but nostalgia for the 1990’s bit a little hard. Regardless I quite enjoyed my trip up to Sydney. However I don't think I'll be heading back any time soon.

I’m hoping to do post on whatever anime related shops still exist in Melbourne sometime in the future. I’m hoping to head down there sometime in mid or late 2017. I’m hoping things might be a bit better there.

The Problem with Anime Feminist (And Navel Gazing Fandom as Whole)

I often admit that I no longer keep up with trends. I do have some vague idea of what is hot or not in the otaku world, but often ignore it or find I have wildly differing tastes and opinions from the mainstream. It’s only in the last couple of weeks I have discovered a fairly new trend in the western world of anime fandom; the anime fan’s feminist critique. In particular a new website called Anime Feminist created by British citizen Amelia Cook. Here’s the major problem I have with it; essentially it offers nothing new when compared with other anime blogs. The subjects on the blog are rather curious; “Scorching Ping Pong Girls”, “Keijo”, “School Days” and “Shin Godzilla” for example. It’s not that I don’t think that women wouldn’t be interested in this stuff, it’s the fact it’s being presented as “feminist” when the writing is no more insightful (or better) than your average anime blog.

The other problem I have with the site is that they have the hide to ask for cash donations (via Patreon) yet offer no better analysis than any other writer that doesn't identify as a feminist. Reading through the site, Amelia’s previous writings on the feminist geek blog site The Mary Sue and her interview at Kaoaku in regards to the Anime Feminist site, I am utterly baffled at what she hopes to achieve. For example from the Kaoaku interview;

“It’s not censorship, because we’re not asking animators in Japan to stop making anything. We’re not asking people to ban anything. We’re not asking for any rules to be put in place. What we’d like to see is more anime being created to give more options to people.”

This is just absurd. In 2016 there are nearly 170 anime TV series, over thirty anime films and dozens of OVAs released this year. If you can’t find anything you like in that amount of content, you aren’t looking very hard or maybe anime just isn’t for you. There’s also the absurdity of the Japanese anime industry, already being stretched thin due to the amount of product they are pumping out, pandering to an utterly niche pocket of fandom in the west. Economically it makes no sense and why should a product made for and targeted to a Japanese audience be tailored to a tiny subset of western fans?

Cook also states that she couldn’t find any female characters that weren’t sexualised or objectified. Not sure where she was looking, but this statement is patently untrue. Interesting female characters have existed in anime for decades. Way before the Bechdel test was invented, a lot of manga and anime were passing it with flying colours. There has been anime specifically made and targeted towards girls since the late 1960’s. How many western productions would have a character like Motoko Kusanagi (“Ghost in the Shell”)? Let’s not forget the early 1990’s where Animage’s character poll where Nausicaä and the dark skinned, short tempered vegetarian Nadia (“Nadia of the Mysterious Seas”) battled for a number of years over the number one spot.

Cook’s articles for The Mary Sue expose the fact she has little understanding of the history of anime, fandom or the business behind it. In her first article in regards to fanservice in anime, (Hey Anime Fans: Stop Making Excuses for Fanservice) she states the following in regard to why anime doesn’t get much of a write up in mainstream publications;

“Here’s a thought: maybe critics would be more enthusiastic if the face of anime weren’t pro-Gamergate, anti-Ghostbusters trolls. I wonder how many people who were once neutral towards anime have developed an instinctive aversion to it, associating anime girls with anonymous entitlement?”.

Uh, what now? Well if Cook wanted to get fandom’s back up immediately, mission accomplished. There isn’t much I can really say in reply to this except that none of the people I know or follow on social media are pro-Gamergate, anti-Ghostbusters trolls. Absolutely none of them. In fact the majority are most definitely anti-gamer gate. She then justifies that paragraph by writing this;

“Here’s another thought: maybe that’s not unfair. Maybe becoming the visual of choice for misogynistic harassers is the unsurprising result of a fandom that has spent years normalizing the objectification of women”.

Uh huh. So Cook is saying that the way anime portrays women caused people to become “misogynistic harassers”. Well that’s fucking bullshit. Just straight up bullshit. Guess what Amelia? The Media Effects model is broken. There’s no evidence to show any type of fictional media does this (apparently Cook believes that anime fans are special and that society and close family and friends have no effect on them) and your comment is an absolute insult to anime fandom as whole. In a latter Mary Sue article (Moé, Misogyny and Masculinity: Anime’s Cuteness Problem–and How to Fix It), Cook takes on moe with utterly predictable results. Taking five random quotes from the book “The Moé Manifesto”, she concludes that an “undercurrent of misogyny runs through The Moé Manifesto” which is a bizarre takeaway from the book. In fact the point all the interviewees she selectively quotes from is that the men who enjoy the moe sub culture are outright rejecting Japanese mainstream ideals of masculinity and to a large degree don’t meet the criteria a lot of women set for a partner (criteria that few men actually do meet). Frustratingly she does acknowledge this point, but then sidesteps it in the next sentence. And then Cook piles on more misinterpretation of why men enjoy this material;

“Then there is the fact that moé characters are designed to appeal to adult men with the income to afford DVDs and models, but the vast majority of moé anime have teenage protagonists”.

Admittedly, this is a common misinterpretation of what is going on in these shows. The life of a salaryman (and Office Lady) in Japan is shit. Japanese corporate and public service life is pretty awful. The reason why a lot of games and anime have protagonists around the age of 14 is because a lot of people actually believe this was the best time in their life. They want to return to a simpler time in their life. Like all entertainment it’s escapism and fantasy. While I don’t doubt that a small percentage of men do have paedophilic tendencies, to paint everyone who likes this kind of entertainment as paedophiles is myopic and deliberately misunderstands what is going on with these anime and games. I find it strange and hypocritical that adults who watch “Dawson’s Creek” or “Glee” aren’t branded the same way. And then Cook conflates anime aimed at children with that which is squarely aimed at otaku;

“However, adapting certain anime to better suit these adults while still appealing to its original audience means giving children messages about what women are and should be which are rooted in deliberate unreality. This leads to some uncomfortable promotional imagery and merchandise decisions for such children’s television. […] However, it is all framed to cater to the male gaze–even if this is through the characters’ behaviors rather than their physical attributes”.

This paragraph completely shows Cook’s ignorance of how the modern anime industry works. Moe shows are almost always aimed at the otaku set and are always broadcast in the early hours of the morning. Outside of advertisements in Akihabara and specialty anime magazines, when would children actually see any promotional material for these shows? Advertisements for late night anime aren’t even broadcast on TV during afternoon or prime time, even on the TV station broadcasting late night anime. There is no merchandise manufactured or marketed from these shows to children. None at all. It’s far more likely children would see “Crayon Shin-chan”, “Sazae-san”, “Detective Conan”, Toei’s Super Sentai series, “Kamen Rider” or the latest “Ultraman” series. Japan is also a highly patriarchal society. Children are far more likely to receive messages about women’s place in that society from their own extended family, school and society in general.

Cook also asserts that moe caters to the male gaze even if it’s not sexual. But moe is not really about the male gaze or necessarily sexual. For example “K-On!” not only has a sizable amount of female fans but has female staff in key roles of the show. Even if this were true, why the hell does it matter? Why are male fans not allowed media that deals with fantasy, even if it sexual? Cook also conveniently forgets moe shows are made and marketed towards female fans like “Hetielia”. But Cook’s problem is that the girls in these shows just aren’t like her;

“As a woman keen to see increased representation of female characters on screen, I find moé alienating. Moments of cutesy clumsiness or misunderstandings only believable from a five-year-old are so far away from anything I experienced as a teenage girl with female friends my age that it is impossible for me to relate to those characters. […] If we can acknowledge the genuinely positive aspects of moé while also criticizing the ways in which it contributes to a long-standing problem of female representation, perhaps we can build a more inclusive anime culture together.”

Because her experience as a teenager in the UK is exactly the same as a teenager in Japan. Seriously though, Cook can’t understand that perhaps high school culture and indeed wider society in the UK is totally different to Japan’s? Or young women in the UK may be different to young women in Japan? And again, even if the portrayals in these kinds of shows are unrealistic, what the hell does it matter? Fictional media isn’t allowed fantastical or unrealistic elements anymore? And the portrayals of boys and young men in anime and manga created for women don’t depict them in an unrealistic fashion? Cook also seems to be suggesting that outside of moe there are few representations of women, which is patently untrue.

A third article for the Mary Sue (Stop Pretending “Sexy” and “Sexualized” Mean the Same Thing) compares the portrayal of Revy in “Black Lagoon” and Yoko in “Gurren Lagann”, concluding that Yoko is heavily sexualised and Revy isn’t. This is all fine and dandy, except she omits the fact that the two shows are completely different. “Black Lagoon” is a hardboiled drama set firmly in reality and “Gurren Lagann” is an absurdly over the top and cartoonish fantasy. She concludes that because “Gurren Lagann” was broadcast on an early morning timeslot, it was aimed at children, however there isn’t a skerrick of proof to show this. No merchandise aimed at children or anything of the sort actually exists. Cook then tries to compare the US comic, video game and animation industries to the Japanese animation industry;

“Animation, video game and comic book artists don’t have to deal with this hassle […] As artists, they can create whatever they like, with no restrictions… so of course, artists draw women with essentially the same few body types, or even exactly the same body type. This has received some backlash in the video game, comic book and western animation communities, leading to increased diversity. In anime, it is practically industry standard and vigorously defended by its fans.”

As with most of Cook’s statements on anime, this is also untrue. There most certainly isn’t some “industry standard” on how girls and women are portrayed in manga or anime. You could suggest there is more diversity in anime than in western pop culture and has been for decades (again see Nadia, the women in “Utena”, Motoko Kusanagi etc). And you have to realise in Japan there’s really isn’t much diversity around. Foreigners account for just over 1.5% of the Japanese population. There really aren’t that many overweight people either. Most of the population are pretty slim (mostly due to the local diet). The only place I saw overweight people was in the Kansai region. Naturally a creator’s surroundings are going to influence the media they make. To suggest that a foreign country’s pop culture should conform to your own western ideals is really paternalistic. It also goes against the real reasons why so many people enjoy anime; the fact that it is so different to western entertainment.

Having said all that, I don’t like fanservice much at all. A lot of it is cheap and exploitative and serves no purpose. However it is pretty easy to find shows with little to no fanservice. As I said previously, there are nearly 200 anime TV series and movies released a year, plus a back catalogue of hundreds of thousands of anime dating back to the 1960’s and even earlier. If you can’t find anything you like in that vast amount of material or if it clashes with your ideals or ideology so much you can’t watch it, perhaps anime isn’t the hobby for you.

The Anime Feminist website focuses a lot on fanservice laden shows. I am really baffled why Cook would do this as I think it entrenches false idea that there are no decent portrayals of women or anime for women. Cook also fails to comprehend that Japanese culture is different and the evolution of Japan’s pop culture was vastly different to that of the west’s, and that certain elements within subcultures might have different meanings to those in mainstream western culture. It feels as if she is determined to start a culture war that will be pointless and decisive as that shity Gamergate nonsense and will do absolutely nothing to change the portrayals of women in Japanese media, mainly because the production committees behind modern anime shows will not pander to such a minuscule demographic. If any change is to occur, it will come from within the country, not from foreign feminists.

I think we do need a site like Anime Feminist, but it has just gone down the wrong path. Why isn’t there a focus on the shows women would like? While the site did interview a black woman working as a mangaka in Japan, why not do profiles on local women working in the industry such as Sayo Yamamoto (currently directing “Yuri!!! on Ice”) and Naoko Yamada (director of the recent “A Silent Voice” currently working on “Sound! Euphonium 2”). With “Miss Hokusai” currently in US cinemas and being released on home video in the UK this month, why not do a piece on the original manga’s author Hinako Sugiura? She’s a fascinating person who came from a feminist background and led an amazing life. Cook’s site encapsulates what I don’t like about fandom today; pointless navel gazing and calling aspects of Japanese pop culture “problematic” through the myopic lens of a westerner. Certainly Japanese pop culture and sub cultures should be criticised, but with an understanding of how those cultures sit within Japanese culture as a whole and an understanding that symbolism in western context may not be the same in a Japanese or sub culture context.

Recently one of the former writers broke away from the writing circle for the site. Or more correctly was ejected from the group. It does increasingly seem that the site was created for a small circle of friends to air their own views shared views to the exclusion of other feminist voices. Seeing as the site’s name implies a certain range of topics and writing, I am really disappointed at its content up to now. The fact that most of the people funding the site are men just goes to show that it has failed to draw in the demographic it was supposed to.