01-22-2013, 11:09 PM
This is basically me complaining about SAO; go ahead and skip it if you haven't watched the series or really really like it.
[spoiler]Okay so the entire series is one giant pander to the otaku fanbase. Letâs start with the premiseâwhich is pretty much the worldâs largest escapism. VIDEO GAMES ARE REALâI mean thereâs perfect virtual reality which completely immerses you. Really, thatâs what this whole anime is: one big escapism. You could probably make the case that all anime is that way, but letâs hold on.
The main character is as nondescript as possible. Young, average height and weight, black hair, with no distinguishing features, scars, facial hair, whatever. A description that could fit most of the viewers of the animeâor at least, fit the bill for someone they could imagine themselves being. Which is exactly what youâre supposed to do: live vicariously through the protagonist. So Iâll keep referring to him as âyouâ.
He starts out as aloof and a lonerâjust like you! But itâs okay, because literally every single female character to appear in more than one episode sees his nicer side and develops at least a pseudo-romantic interest in him: the beast tamer, the blacksmith, the catgirl, the sylph, the AI, the girl who died, the female lead, and his sister. And honestly, I donât see any depth to the female characters in this anime, they only seem to exist to satisfy the fantasies of the viewer. This extends beyond the copious and expected amounts of boob shots, underwear scenes, and jiggle physics (okay, thereâs not a LOT of that). The female lead in the second arc is reduced to nothing but a damsel in distress waiting for you to save her in a boring, patriarchal power fantasy. I guess the only thing remarkable about the girls in this series was how brazenly said lead took her clothes off to presumably have sex with you. You know, because youâre not daring enough to get intimate with someone without them taking the initiative. The sister is probably the most troubling thing to me. I understand that how cultures view familial and sexual relationships can vary, but the fact that your younger sister has the hots for you (and appropriately receives her share of fanservice despite being a middle schooler) feels really wrong. Itâs okay! Youâre actually first cousins! Not the fucking point! I think Japan the otaku have a real thing for incest (Japan just generally is behind on womenâs opportunities and perceptions). But then theyâre also the origin of tentacle rape, which by the way basically happens in this series. No penetration, but just enough to excite those boners and still be aired.
The aforementioned (along with like three other rapey scenes and a guy sniffing her while sheâs unconscious) happens to the female lead after she becomes helpless. I think itâs pretty patronizing when a work of fiction tries too hard to make me emotional about something. Hate this inexplicably evil antagonist! Be really hurt over this character dying whom we spent all of 7 minutes personifying! And in this case, be really incensed over your kawaii girlfriendâs mistreatment at the hands of evil scumbags. Iâm 4 episodes away from the end now, and Iâm worried that the amazing ending that people are talking about will only be amazing because itâs a big cathartic ejaculation when she gets saved and theyâre so happy and kawaii and shit together (except for his sister, unless there will be a kinky three-way).
It probably sounds rude to refer to everything as boldly as I am, but thatâs really how things are presented if you take a step back. I'll finish it, and hopefully report back more concisely.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler]Okay so the entire series is one giant pander to the otaku fanbase. Letâs start with the premiseâwhich is pretty much the worldâs largest escapism. VIDEO GAMES ARE REALâI mean thereâs perfect virtual reality which completely immerses you. Really, thatâs what this whole anime is: one big escapism. You could probably make the case that all anime is that way, but letâs hold on.
The main character is as nondescript as possible. Young, average height and weight, black hair, with no distinguishing features, scars, facial hair, whatever. A description that could fit most of the viewers of the animeâor at least, fit the bill for someone they could imagine themselves being. Which is exactly what youâre supposed to do: live vicariously through the protagonist. So Iâll keep referring to him as âyouâ.
He starts out as aloof and a lonerâjust like you! But itâs okay, because literally every single female character to appear in more than one episode sees his nicer side and develops at least a pseudo-romantic interest in him: the beast tamer, the blacksmith, the catgirl, the sylph, the AI, the girl who died, the female lead, and his sister. And honestly, I donât see any depth to the female characters in this anime, they only seem to exist to satisfy the fantasies of the viewer. This extends beyond the copious and expected amounts of boob shots, underwear scenes, and jiggle physics (okay, thereâs not a LOT of that). The female lead in the second arc is reduced to nothing but a damsel in distress waiting for you to save her in a boring, patriarchal power fantasy. I guess the only thing remarkable about the girls in this series was how brazenly said lead took her clothes off to presumably have sex with you. You know, because youâre not daring enough to get intimate with someone without them taking the initiative. The sister is probably the most troubling thing to me. I understand that how cultures view familial and sexual relationships can vary, but the fact that your younger sister has the hots for you (and appropriately receives her share of fanservice despite being a middle schooler) feels really wrong. Itâs okay! Youâre actually first cousins! Not the fucking point! I think Japan the otaku have a real thing for incest (Japan just generally is behind on womenâs opportunities and perceptions). But then theyâre also the origin of tentacle rape, which by the way basically happens in this series. No penetration, but just enough to excite those boners and still be aired.
The aforementioned (along with like three other rapey scenes and a guy sniffing her while sheâs unconscious) happens to the female lead after she becomes helpless. I think itâs pretty patronizing when a work of fiction tries too hard to make me emotional about something. Hate this inexplicably evil antagonist! Be really hurt over this character dying whom we spent all of 7 minutes personifying! And in this case, be really incensed over your kawaii girlfriendâs mistreatment at the hands of evil scumbags. Iâm 4 episodes away from the end now, and Iâm worried that the amazing ending that people are talking about will only be amazing because itâs a big cathartic ejaculation when she gets saved and theyâre so happy and kawaii and shit together (except for his sister, unless there will be a kinky three-way).
It probably sounds rude to refer to everything as boldly as I am, but thatâs really how things are presented if you take a step back. I'll finish it, and hopefully report back more concisely.
[/spoiler]