Why can't girls save the world?

[holytoastr]

Hmmm...anime night. It was shoujo themed. Shoujo is my favorite.

First was Sailor Moon. Last two eps of the first season provided by yours truly. People were saying horrible things about my most favorite show, but I took it in stride. I guess they just can't appreciate a show like that. Bah, let them wallow in their ignorance....

Next was Card Captor Sakura. I'd only seen this dubbed before so it was nifty to see it subbed. They sure cut a lot out of the dub. I think I like it uncut much better. And Yukito is pretty. Very pretty. Someone should point that out to him.

Then we saw an ep of Utena. The one about the curry. Great ep, but not one I would use for people who had never seen the show before. Just because the personality switching joke only works when you ahve previous knowledge of the personalities in question. Still, great show.

Following that was something I had never seen before. Princess Tutu. I thought it was cute. Would have prefered to see more of it. However, I was outvoted on that.

And what was I outvoted for? Oh, I shall tell you. It was AWFUL!!!! Something called Purin Purin or something like that. Absolutely god awful. I hope I enver have to watch anything like that again. Completely nonsensical, borderline into softcore hentai, and not shoujo! You know, when it's shoujo night, you shouls usually show shoujo.

Now that I blame them. The people running it were kinda pushed into showing that one by the guy who brought it. But really, if no one else has heard of the series, you shouldn't show it until someone has viewed it. Cause that was BAD.

They also showed soemthing else after that, but I can't spell it so I won't say much. Other than it wasn't that interesting. Seemed like one of those shows where you ahve to watch all the eps to really enjoy it. Made me a little sleepy even.

After that I left. Partially cause I've got an essay to write, partially cause I was hungry, and partially because the guys in that room were so horribly misogenistic that I just didn't want to be in the same room with them.

The reason I like shoujo so much is because of the girl power. Have you ever taken a good look at american tv? Can you name any shows that target women? I bet you can count them all on one hand. And out of those, how many shows are about girls saving the world? Not many....

In japan they have a whole genre dedicated entirely towards girls. The girls are in charge and the girls are saving the world. I don't think many people in america are used to this concept. So people make fun of shoujo anime and make horrible comments about it.

So, I can't do anything about it. Can't change the way they think. So I removed myself from the situation. Don't need to deal with it.

Need to write my essays now. Only two more to go. I probably should have left anime night earlier.

Comments

[zorikin.livejournal.com]

The Puni Puni thing was Shoujo Parody, which is applicable, even if it wasn't a funny or insightful parody. The Excel Saga creators seem to think that things are funnier when they're said louder or faster.

Your assessment of shoujo feminism is rose-tinted. Many shoujo serieses revolve around magical girls serving male masters a la Charlie's Angels (Tokyo Mew Mew) or epitomizing stereotypically female roles (Wedding Peach). Why do the Sailor Scouts fight with makeup and accessories instead of swords (Utena, MKR) or guns (Noir, Gunsmith Cats)?

Most of the people who were in that room watch more japanese animation than american television.

I don't think those I was able to hear were making fun of shoujo for positively portraying women so much as for the fact that the shoujo we saw was simplistic (aside from Utena and the Puni show, these were childrens' shows) and slightly exploitative (I'll be bleaching my eyes all night to get those fleshy legs out).

My favorite animated series is Digimon, but I would never bring it to anime night if I didn't want it to get picked to pieces, because I realize who it is targeted at and that most people won't enjoy it as fully as I do.

That said, the schedule was posted and everyone was warned well in advance, so I have no sympathy for anyone who thought that their time was wasted.

> the guys in that room were so horribly misogenistic
Guys as in males?
Neal and I are male and we were very well-behaved.
Maryana is female and she was staunchly among the hecklers.
"Misogynist", like "racist", is a nasty word. Don't use it so lightly.

[holytoastr.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes. After I reread what I wrote this morning I saw I was completely irrational. I think it was brought on by stress, hunger and lack of stress.

but I would never bring it to anime night if I didn't want it to get picked to pieces

I was actually only bothered by I think one comment. But after a good nights sleep I can't for the life of me remember what it was. So it must not ahve been that important.

Hey, I'm allowed to be irrational every now and then. It is MY journal after all.

[glazomaniac.livejournal.com]

puri puri poemi was great. it was like excel saga, m'lady. & excel saga ownz. so did poemi.

[holytoastr.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's my style. I don't think I'll be going out of my way to find more.

[glazomaniac.livejournal.com]

it's spelled "misogynistic."

& i think me & maryana (a girl) were the only two you could really say that about with any accuracy.

quit being an -ist, melissa.

[holytoastr.livejournal.com]

Yes, as I told ben, I was a little irrational about my reactiosn taht evening. You would be too if you knew you had a billion essays waiting to be written at home.

It's my job to get cranky and stupid now and then. Otherwise people wouldn't apprreciate my sparkling personality on all other occations.

And I know I can't spell. I don't pretend I can.

[laura47.livejournal.com]

bit over sensitive, are we?

[glazomaniac.livejournal.com]

& you forgot to mention the fact that we make fun of every other anime that comes on that screen, except for Haibane, which is entirely about girls. hardly seems to be misogynistic. if we mock an anime, it doesn't mean we dislike it. it's part of the fun of anime night to mock what's on the screen.

[holytoastr.livejournal.com]

Oh, I was just blowing one or two comments comepletely out of proportion. If it was really a big deal I would have left right after I got my tape back.