Anime Music Videos as Art - Part II

Warning: The below video is NSFW (not safe for work).

In Part I, I discussed the layers of creativity that need to take place before an anime music video can come into being. When you add in the fans' desire to see a relationship played out between two characters in an anime - where said relationship doesn't actually exist in the anime - another multitude of interpretative layers emerges.

In the fans' defense - there is so much subtext in some of these anime series, they can hardly be faulted for wanting to see something that is hinted at, played with, and sometimes all but thrown at the viewers. The anime creators and producers are fully cognizant of the fans' desire to see certain characters put together; the concept isn't known as "fanservice" for nothing. ;) The subtext is deliberate, and this goes for yaoi as well as for more conventional boy-girl relationships.

For example, in Hikaru no Go, the main characters are Hikaru Shindou and Akira Touya, two teenage boys who play competitive Go. Go is an ancient Asian board game, similar to chess. Hikaru is a cheery, friendly extrovert, while the brilliant Akira is slightly priggish and not too social with others. In canon, the two boys are mutually obsessed with each other for the entire 75-episode series.




Suffice to say, there is no canon yaoi relationship between Shindou and Touya in either the original manga story or in the anime series. But it's not much of a stretch to extrapolate and conceive of a mutual attraction between them, considering their intense rivalry and obsession with each other in canon.

The following video (again, a reminder: watch it at home, not at work) is a great example of taking original material and adding on levels of additional context.

In this video, there is a lot going on. If you feel like killing two birds with one stone, you can scroll down and read my notes while watching the video.





The first thing you notice is that the doujinshi artist has aged the characters to around early 20s or so (the canon story leaves them at age 16). The second thing you can't help but notice is the professional-level quality of the art and writing. This fan-made doujinshi entitled "Kiss" could easily be a comic book or graphic novel you would buy at an independent comics bookstore.

Next come the artistic choices added by the video maker (someone named manaka0907 on You Tube). Notice how much emotion there is in Hikaru's expression at 2:31-2:35; manaka0907 chose to isolate that shot as a single image, and hold it for several long seconds to emphasize Hikaru's feelings in that moment. She also deliberately chose to slowly zoom in at 4:04-4:11 to highlight the shift in mood when Akira finally realizes that he wants Hikaru, too. This leads directly into the lovely kiss shot at 4:12-4:17 (and more great art).

The songs chosen by manaka0907 fit perfectly with the mood and actions of the characters as the story unfolds. The first song, "That's How You Know He Loves You," starts the video off on a teasing note (how do I know he loves me? how do I know he's mine?). Then the tone changes to a quiet romantic mood when Hikaru and Akira are at the love hotel, with the contemplative Spanish love song, "Lo Que Soy," for the latter half of the video. The best moment for me is the breathtaking image of Hikaru and Akira at 5:38-5:44 when the music swells up, and the two young men are in bed making love, each one's entire being focused on the other. And finally, the use of "Caramelldansen" at the end, bringing the mood back to a lighthearted, upbeat feel.

As with the three videos discussed in Part I, many events had to occur on this planet before this video became something that I could stumble across on You Tube:

1. The original manga of Hikaru no Go.
2. The anime series based on the manga.
3. Reading the yaoi subtext between the characters of Hikaru and Akira.
4. The creation of the yaoi doujinshi entitled, "Kiss."
5. The making of the video "Hikaru no Go Yaoi Doujinshi 5" by manaka0907, including: a) choosing the shots from "Kiss"; b) deciding how long to linger on each shot; c) the selection of the two songs by Demi Lovato; and d) the arrangement of the shots to accompany the lyrics/mood evoked by each moment of the two songs.
6. And finally, the video being uploaded to You Tube.

This simple exercise of contemplating what goes into a fan creation like a music video leaves me amazed at fandom - and the artists who hide themselves inside of it.

I love the way this video presents the characters. The professional quality of the art, moments of humor, subtle depictions of sex (more implied than explicit, but you still know what's going on) and perfect music choices all combine to make this video into a unique new piece of art. The doujinshi creator's vision of Hikaru Shindou and Akira Touya as a romantic couple is enhanced and reinterpreted further by this video and its maker. I can't help but think that Yumi Hotta - the writer of the Hikaru no Go manga - would be pleased if she saw this tribute to her characters. When my original work makes it out there in a bigger way someday, I would be truly honored if somebody made a video like this one based on my original characters.

Amazon Store

Another brief announcement: I've added my Amazon store to this blog. Previously, the store was only available at my website, www.jansuzukawa.com. If you'd like to look at the store, please scroll down the page. It's located in the right sidebar a ways down.

My store contains all of the anime and manga books that I have written the English adaptations for, and new ones are being added all the time. Not all of them are yaoi, either - amazingly enough. ;) Although the one shown above is most definitely yaoi. And yes, the title actually is, Eat or Be Eaten. I could reassure you that the story is based in the restaurant industry and hence the title, but that's only the half of it...

Anime and Manga Column

Just wanted to announce that - following a break for the holidays - I've resumed writing anime and manga reviews for my column at BayAnime.com. My latest review is of Night Head Genesis, a dark and atmospheric paranormal/suspense anime series from 2006.

To read this review and visit my archive of reviews, click here.

Anime Music Videos as Art - Part I

Sometimes I find myself watching anime music videos on You Tube without fully grasping the enormity of what I am looking at. As with fan fiction, music videos put together by fans are a form of art in themselves, as well as being a further conjugation of the original creator's work.

A simple three or four minute video is the result of a continually-evolving universe of creativity. Let me try to explain what I mean.

My friend and fellow blogger Yumeka and I watched the following video together a few years ago:



You just watched "Sail On," a music video featuring clips from the One Piece anime series. Now, stop and think for a moment about what was involved in the creation of this video.

Many years ago, mangaka Eiichiro Oda came up with the idea for a manga story about pirates set in a mythical universe. In this universe, a small group of people from diverse backgrounds would band together to become pirates, and sail the high seas in search of a legendary treasure called the "One Piece."

Taking clips from the anime series, and setting them to an English-language rock song (with the title and theme, "Sail On") makes for a nicely-done tribute to the anime known as One Piece. If you knew nothing about One Piece before watching this video, you would still be able to understand that this was an animated series about a group of people who become pirates (we see them sailing together on the pirate ship) and friends (we see them fighting on the same side against their enemies), with a general adventure theme overall.

It may look simple, but think for a moment about what was needed to get to this point: 1) Eiichiro Oda, the original creator, came up with the idea, and eventually executed it as a manga; 2) which became popular enough that; 3) it was then made into a successful, still-running anime series in Japan, which then; 4) became popular with manga and anime fans outside of Japan, where; 5) someone or some people who bill themselves as Many Lemons Productions got the idea to do a music video as a tribute to One Piece and; 6) chose the song "Sail On" by the band Masterplan as the audio soundtrack, and then; 7) using video-making software, chose the clips from the series and arranged them to fit with the song lyrics.

Many Lemons Productions then; 8) uploaded it to You Tube, where; 9) I watched it with my friend Yumeka, and subsequently; 10) several years later, while writing this blog entry, I remembered this particular video and decided to upload it to this post, at which point; 11) you, the reader, just watched it.

What I'm trying to get at here, is to highlight the numerous levels of effort and many layers of creativity which culminate in the creation of something like a fan-made music video. Not only creativity in the original story, but even after its distribution the layers pile on through the years like ripples moving outward in a pond from a single initial point. As with any other creation that is loved, it doesn't stop with its making; but with further explications and interpretations of the original story (e.g., fan fiction, fan art, music videos) and following that, the appreciation of the audience for these new interpretative works - the story takes on ever-evolving levels of meaning and depth as a truly shared experience between its original creator and us - the fans.

Creations need an audience to appreciate them. Without an audience, it's like the old zen koan about a tree falling in the forest. Essentially, without someone to hear it, it's as if it never happened. So to marginalize the participation of the fan base in interpreting and reflecting back what they love about a story is, I think, a mistaken view of the value of fans and what they themselves add to the process.

When I was a new anime fan, the following video brought tears to my eyes:

Konoha Memory Book

L.E. | MySpace Video

The maker of the video is named either "Maguma" or "Dynamite Breakdown" (possibly being one and the same person).

I won't go through the same exhaustive process again, but basically, like the "Sail On" video, this video also had its genesis with a single creative thought in the mind of Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the Naruto manga, who years ago came up with a story idea about a young ninja named Naruto who dreamed of becoming the Hokage of his village.

"Konoha Memory Book," however, adds a few layers of art. Unlike a simple tribute video like "Sail On," this video goes further and tells a unique story of its own. With the addition of certain of the lyrics being superimposed on screen at key moments ("It's time to say it - Good bye"), and in the choice of images to accompany said lyrics, the video becomes about mourning the fourth Hokage, and then about Sasuke mentally saying goodbye to Konoha and to Team 7. Another layer of creativity and individual interpretation has been added, making the video a compelling reframing of certain aspects of the story.

Finally, there's a fan-made video on You Tube based on Hetalia: Axis Powers that to date has attracted over 200,000 views. If you're not familiar with Hetalia, in order to understand the video you should know that the story is about the nations of the world that were involved in WWII, personified as (mostly) male human characters.

Get some tissues ready. Sorry. ;)



This video, "You Raise Me Up," unlike the first two videos, utilizes no clips or drawings from the official Hetalia anime or manga. Every single art image used in the video is fan-drawn art.

If there are one hundred art images in this video, then this video is the compilation of the work of one hundred artists (one hundred and one, actually - including the video maker, someone who bills himself or herself as "xRaerin").

Not only that, but it goes beyond being a simple tribute or even telling a unique story. What this video does is that it takes the universe of Hetalia and interprets it from such a different angle that it becomes a new work of art. In it, xRaerin has created a story of the relationships between countries, seen as family groups (China as the "big brother" of Japan and Korea; the transatlantic "family" of France-father, England-mother and their two sons America and Canada; etc.), and further infuses this with the song's theme, "you raise me up." "Raise me," in the sense of - as one example - England being the one who "raised" America; and "raise me up" in the sense of recognizing that we are interdependent on each other as nations and as human beings; that no nation can stand alone; that we all rely upon each other.

You don't have to have watched Hetalia to appreciate this video; but if you have, the video is even more impressive for its creator's choice and arrangement of images. The final sequence - where Italy surprises Germany with flowers, and concluding with the Holy Roman Empire giving flowers to Chibitalia - adds another jolt of emotion when you recognize the link-back and what this means in terms of the two countries' relationship.

The beautiful music and lyrics, along with the fast-moving panorama of images combine to make "You Raise Me Up" into an unforgettable viewing experience. It is art layered upon art.

So what happens when the fan maker of videos takes things a few steps further - and creates a video in which relationships that didn't happen between characters in the anime are now made to happen? Stay tuned for Part II.

It's a New Year

And with the New Year, a few changes.

Since starting this blog eight months ago, I've updated it once a week, usually on Thursdays. I've decided to change to a new schedule: none. ;) This blog will now be updated at will, and at random.

In addition, while I'll continue to write about anime and manga, I'll be posting more often on writing, art, Japanese culture and other topics that are dear to me - or that just catch my eye.

It's a new year, and there's new energy in the air. Last year, 2009, was a remarkable year for me as a writer in many ways. I'd like to use this blog to continue the momentum.

Thanks as always for reading.

Osaka Bang

This makes me want to live in Osaka:

Meta for the Middle Ground

Fandom is a way of life for some. For others like myself - a person who only visits there these days, albeit fairly frequently - it's a mysterious psychic space that defies easy categorization.

I maintain a journal on Live Journal under a fan name. I don't do Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn or any similar social networking sites. But Live Journal, the portal for so many fan communities, is different. Something about being connected to fan communities matters deeply to me, despite the fact that I'm what's known as a "lurker" for the most part: i.e., someone who reads fan fiction and other people's posts, but who seldom posts herself.

Recently I participated in a fanfic/fan art/meta challenge hosted in one of the Prince of Tennis fan communities. I briefly came out of my usual lurker's shell, posting several entries of my own and making numerous comments on others' work. My sudden surge of participatory fan activity for a couple of weeks caused me to reflect on my sometimes uneasy and always unclear relationship with fandom.



I am older than most anime fans, to wit: I can recall the days before the Internet when fans wrote and exchanged slash "zines," or hard-copy doujinshi-type collections of fan fiction with (usually very bad) fan illustrations based on American and British TV series like the original Star Trek, Blakes 7 and The Professionals. It was the days of slash, in the years before anime and yaoi came to the U.S. It was also a time when you literally met with other fans, as in physically meeting with people - as opposed to reading someone's online journal late at night or posting comments in cyberspace. Fandom was a different kind of experience then, a more in-person experience. I was part of a circle of women that met on the weekends to read zines and to talk slash. It was a lot of fun. I recall there was one woman in the circle who we all envied. She was the manager of a Copymat store, and could make as many copies of her self-produced zines as she wanted to. ;)

Not that I was exclusively a slash fan, in those days. I was a regular science fiction and fantasy fan to begin with. My very first experience in fandom was joining the Mythopoeic Society as a teenager. The Mythopoeic Society - which still exists - focuses on the study of the works of J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. I was a young Japanese-American girl in the midst of a group of largely middle-aged Caucasian teachers and engineers, which I expect is still the main population demographic for most science fiction and fantasy societies even all these years later. (I've only recently begun to read discussions in fandom on issues of race and gender - and it's fascinating.)

After a period of time spent in the slash community, I left fandom for about fifteen years, returning when the Internet lured me back into reading slash fan fiction, and eventually - with anime - yaoi fan fiction.

In an effort to try to understand fandom better, I've been reading meta on fandom. Thanks to 2DTeleidoscope, who recommended Henry Jenkins' blog, Confessions of an Aca-Fan, I've been looking at an academic's perspective on fandom. Professor Jenkins doesn't lecture at the reader from on high: rather, he's an admitted fan himself and is in fact, I believe, the one who coined the term "aca-fan," meaning an academic who is also a fan.

The most interesting discussion I've come across so far in Henry Jenkins' blog archive is a long thread of responses from fan fiction writers addressed to Chris Williams, the head of what ultimately turned out to be a short-lived commercial venture featuring fan fiction. The venture was called Fan Lib; and apparently it was a website that published fan fiction with some vague aim of connecting fanfic writers with the creators of the film/TV universes that they wrote fan fiction in. The comment thread (which can be found here) reads as a passionate and literate defense of fandom and the inherent value of fan fiction by fan writers, who noted that Williams (a male) simply didn't seem to understand how female fandom is (particularly fanfic writers), and how exploitative Fan Lib was being in what it was at that time proposing to do.

Fanfic has been termed a "gift economy." That's a lovely way to put it, and I agree with that term. I recently posted on fan fiction and how much I enjoy reading it. It's an extraordinary thing that fans do, for themselves and for each other. Many fan fiction stories I've read are of high literary quality. I find myself falling into that trap of wondering whether the writer should even be writing fanfic (the same fanfic I'm so greedily reading at that moment - I do recognize the irony and hypocrisy), when clearly she could be writing "regular" fiction, original fiction instead. (I am of course projecting my own life issues onto the unsuspecting and unaware fanfic writer, as someone who is middle-aged and still working on becoming a successful writer in the non-fandom real world.)

From initially not being aware of any meta existing on fandom - to reading Jenkins' blog, and following on from there, other blogs which also discuss in highly intellectual terms what fandom is and means - has been a slightly dizzying ride. Discussing fandom in such academic terms, to be honest, intimidates me. I'm very glad such smart and learned discourse on fandom is taking place out there: but I can't help wondering if there's more of a middle ground somewhere that I'm still not seeing.

Because it's in that middle ground where I am, personally, as a fan in that odd space known as fandom. Due to the fact that I got a late start as a writer, I am torn between - sometimes - wanting to write and participate more in fandom, and choosing instead to focus on my original writing - my real life writing - in an effort to "play the music that's in me" before my time on earth starts to wind down. Fandom is important to me, but I've never been able to clearly define just exactly how it should fit into my life. I left it for fifteen years, but then returned to it; and now, with the variety of opportunities to read fanfic and the ease of connecting with other fans online, I suspect I will never be able to completely leave it again.

In a sense, I was born too early for fandom as its current online incarnation. The appeal of fandom is still there for me, but I have too many other life concerns now as an adult of my age to really throw myself into it at this point. It's an open question whether becoming more deeply involved in fandom would lead me to more creativity or greater fulfillment as a writer. Anything is possible, so the idea remains to tempt me, virtually every time I log in to my Live Journal account. And although I often post appreciative comments on good fanfic or meta that I read online, as someone who is primarily a lurker I do feel the scales are a little unbalanced. I'm not certain any of my Live Journal fan communities absolutely need whatever slash or yaoi fanfics or meta I would be able to write and post, but sometimes just leaving a comment doesn't quite feel enough like payment in kind.

Another little disconnect I feel with fandom these days is due to being much older than most fans, who post personal entries about "finals" or "grad school applications" or "spring break." That world is, to put it politely, way behind me now; and it's hard not to feel self-conscious sometimes when reminded of the age gap. I have to remember that writers only become better and more seasoned as they mature and work on their craft; and that young person I once was is still, in fact, alive within me today - and will speak, if I let her.

Barbara Sher said it best in her book, It's Only Too Late if You Don't Start Now: "You are every age you ever were." None of it gets lost, or goes away. The best thing about fandom is that it's self-defined: you're a fan if you say you are, you're a fan if you still want to be one. Fandom may be one of the indefinables of my life, but it's also a perennial. I may never understand why it's so important to me, and I may always feel conflicted over my level of participation or giving back to it. But it will always be there as an identity, a psychic space, and perhaps again someday for me - a way of life.