Posted on

Umaru Vs. Kirino

 

Recently I asked people on Twitter what they considered to be the funniest anime of 2015 and one of the more popular answers given was the Doga Kobo produced series Himouto! Umaru-chan. When it was released this past summer I vaguely recall some people talking about it but then it kind of went away and I forgot all about it until people started mentioning it as the funniest anime of the year. So I watched it. All of it. In one day.

 

Now, I’m going to be very honest and say that I didn’t dislike this series. It had some cute and clever moments but to call it the funniest series of the year is overshooting the mark by quite a bit and a big reason for that is the main character. In the continuing spirit of being honest let’s not beat around the bush – Umaru is a two-faced, manipulative brat that ruined what could’ve been an otherwise fun otaku comedy. Yes, she was funny at times but for the most part she was just plain mean and a completely unsympathetic heroine.

 

 

Here’s the thing though; Umaru isn’t a completely unique character type. There have been tons of cute but manipulative female otaku characters over the last few years. There have even been cute but manipulative female otaku characters that I’ve really enjoyed seeing and watching such as Kirino Kousaka from OreImo. So what makes her different from Umaru that I can tolerate one character of this type but not the other? Let’s break it down…

 

First off, let’s address the point of sympathy. Umaru is not a sympathetic character. At no point do her actions make you feel bad for her situation or place in life. Yes, both her and Kirino are model students and secret otaku but the difference between them is that Kirino has a genuine desire to connect with other people and share her hobby with others while Umaru is completely anti-social when it comes to her hobbies. Kirino is lonely, Umaru is happy to just hang out with and abuse her older brother for giggles.

 

 

Abuse is a pretty big connecting factor between these two characters as well. Kirino literally slaps her brother awake in order to ask him for advice and Umaru regularly pounces on her older brother because she wants him to buy her something. Once again though, it goes back to sympathy. Kirino doesn’t know how to connect with her brother so she abuses him as a substitute. Umaru is perfectly well aware of how to connect with her brother but chooses to abuse him simply because she can get away with it.

 

This leads into another point where the two characters are completely different: Kirino is self sufficient and Umaru is a sponge who refuses to pull her own weight. Thanks to her successful modeling career, Kirino is able to pay for her own hobby and does so with pride. On the other side of the spectrum is Umaru who relies to her brother to buy her everything and will even go so far as to demand that he buy her things like manga magazines and video games.

 

 

The last thing that separates the two characters are their friends. In the case of Umaru, she is easily the least interesting character in the series and really should’ve been a supporting character at best. In reality, any one of Umaru’s friends could’ve been the star of the series and it would’ve made for a much more entertaining viewing. Kirino may be a bitch but at least she was interesting and had some depth to her which made her stand out against her friends.

 

This isn’t the last time we’re going to see this character type appear in an anime series. We are going to see this come up time and time again in the future. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing as it’s perfectly possible to come up with a female otaku who is a bitch but is still likeable in one way or another; Umaru is just not a great example of how to do that.

 

Posted on

Marvel engaged to Netflix for mini series? What about Hulu?

 

Marvel Comics has been a leading publishing house for long time with Iconic characters like Spider –man, Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Daredevil are just a few of them. Marvel has held a market share of around 33.5% followed by 30.3% of DC comics in 2014. Today, Marvel comics is owned by Walt Disney Company. In shifting our focus onto its competitor, DC Comics, a comic publishing powerhouse which is now a ‘Time Warner Company’ has also a fair share of superheroes like Superman, Batman and Green lantern are just a few of them. These two comic publishing giants were competitors for a long time but with emergence of companies like Netflix and Hulu gunning for that lucrative number one spot, on the in-demand internet streaming space, the fight is now on this new platform.

Jessica Jones by ign

Marvel Comics has signed a lucrative deal with video streaming giant NetFlix for live TV action programming of four TV shows that Marvel is developing. The deal has kick started by screening of the ever popular series, “Daredevil”. “Daredevil” is a story of an attorney named Murdock who becomes blind due to an accident turns vigilante by night taking on criminals in the streets of New York with his heightened senses. This will be followed by the screening of “Jessica Jones”. The overwhelming popularity of “Daredevil” series has raised the expectations on “Jessica Jones “which is next on the list. “Iron Fist “would be third from the Marvel’s portfolio to be screened at Netflix network. “Luke Cage” will be last in line followed a mini-series based on “The Defenders”. NetFlix has already struck gold with the very popular series “House of Cards” and “Orange is the new Black”.

The marvel series will enhance significantly the NetFlix content offering for kid’s entertainment. ABC studios has clearly taken the mantle of production of all the programs Marvel series. Netflix in a recent development has agreed to remove all the shows by DC Comics. This according to industry speculation was done keeping in mind the huge success of “Daredevil”. Hulu which is partly owned by Walt Disney has missed an opportunity by letting go of Marvel series to Netflix. DC Comics might be heading towards the direction of Hulu with all its offering following a snub from Netflix. Whatever be the final outcome, customers are in for a treat as both Netflix and Hulu battle it out for the slice of best kids content that is on offer

 

Posted on

Women of Geek Fandom: We Deserve Respect!!!!!

 

Anime fans vary greatly. The fandom of a particular anime, or even just anime in general can span across nationalities and genders. People from all over the world can all enjoy the same anime, and thanks to the internet, they can meet and discuss it with other like minded people in online forums like Reddit and on social media sites like Facebook. You’d think this would mean that anime is free from things like misogyny, but that is sadly not true. While the vast majority of anime fans and communities are open minded, there are always trolls. Though few in number, these types of people make it hard for others, especially woman, to feel welcome in the anime community, even going so far as to try and force them out.

In online communities, woman face sexual harassment and bullying. Simply being a woman can make them a target for insults. This is especially common on internet forums where there is almost complete anonymity. Internet bullies are more vicious because they aren’t having to face the person they are insulting. Even if they aren’t directly attacked, women can still be faced with prejudice. Due to the stereotype that women can’t be nerdy, fan boys will question the sincerity of a fan girl’s interest. They even face the possibility that any argument they make will be thrown out simply because a woman “doesn’t get it”.

In offline communities, women face a lot of prejudice as well. They can be sexually harassed and mistreated, or ignored as just being “booth babes”. Most media coverage of conventions and the like only show women in sexualized outfits and will ignore their participation, while focusing only on their male counterparts. This is especially frustrating because of how opposite this is in reality. Women are a large portion of the offline community, and their participation is vital.

So, in a community that is heavily contributed to by woman, why would they still be looked down upon by members of that very same community? Well, one part of it may just be the stigma that society in general has put on women who enjoy nerdy things and the stereotypes on both men and women, but maybe there is yet another cause of this uncalled for behavior.

The problem may have begun with anime itself.  Although, the argument could be made that female characters, especially in recent years, have been shown to be stronger and more capable. For example, Mikasa from Attack on Titan. She’s able to stand on her own from the beginning, and she sets an example for others to follow. Another example might be Lady Tsunade from Naruto. On top of being one of the most powerful ninja in the village, she’s the first female hokage, the leader of the village. Those characters are independent and don’t need to rely on the male characters, setting a good example for female viewers, and showing the strength of women. However, in a lot of anime, that isn’t always true.

Young pretty woman opening her shirt like a superhero. Super girl, image toned. Beauty saves the world.

imagesource: http://fc08.deviantart.net

 

 

 

Then again, shouldn’t it be the community that takes responsibility?

How can that be done? Well, the solution is pretty simple. When you’re on your favorite forum, talking about your favorite thing, be sure to keep an eye out for trolls. Most of what keeps a bully, well, bullying, is the fact that they aren’t properly dealt with. If they think they’re getting to the person they’re harassing, they will continue to harass them. Speak up against bullying when you see it, offline or on. That way, if the community is behind it, we can stop bullying and harassment within the anime fandom.

 

Remember that everyone on a forum is a real person, and that you’re both there to contribute to a community of people who all enjoy the same things. Be kind, be respectful, and keep watching!

Author:

 

Matthew/BigMish