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Anime Hardsuits For Sale
Fuzzy_Damnit! pointed us at a site where a guy has built authentic looking
Anime Hardsuits that he's
selling on eBay. Features a quite impressive Nene (from
Bubblegum Crisis).
No. It doesn't fly. Or have weapons. You might still be able to ride a motorcycle.
Um...ever heard of cosplay? It's not my cup of tea, but if you go to any con, you'll see some otaku dressed as his favorite character.
It's not just an American thing, either. Watch Gainax's "Otaku no Video" and you'll learn what Japanese really think about fans of anime, sentai, Western and Japanese SF, military stuff, and other hobbyist culture.
Incidentally, I'm of the opinion that any Westerner who considers himself an "otaku" when it comes to anime fandom really only does so because the term already exists. This is unlike Japan, where "otaku" is a somewhat derogatory term originally used for obsessed people. Hell...it seems like most people in Japan read manga, and public recognition of even moderately-popular characters is immediate and common, so fandom isn't a hard question...it's only a matter of how hard-core you are...and it wouldn't take too much of a hard-core attitude (by Japanese standards) to put one of those suits on.
The guy who made those suits...now that's an otaku. Next step...Lego version.
< tofuhead >
It is still the dark of night.
You don't remind me of Woody.
-Fantastic Lad -The most amazing script kiddie of them all!
If they don't have weapons, why the heck would we want to buy them?
Darnit, I thought I had finally found a 'parts' hard suit to use in restoring mine, damaged in battle with the Gamalons... Alas, back to Schucks autoparts to pay their outrageous prices for NEW Shojin Blaster firing coils and Yamasuka! brand wrist to air missiles....
I'll probably sell it on Ebay, with a starting price of what was originally paid for it ($500). The goal is to end up with a comparable (or better!) daemonette outfit, maybe even in time for Linuxworld 2001 NYC....
It's solid red garment quality latex, made by A woman named Molly (who ran So Hip It Hurts in SF) and sold large amounts of quality latex through Stormy Leather. The two pieces are both custom made from the same batch, and in size small; tshirt and leggings. The shine has partially worn off from the shirt (but still mostly there on the leggings) and it requires several minutes of polishing before it's ready to wear out onto the floor of the convention. This is mainly why I'm selling it. I really don't have this kind of time in the mornings. I'm a reeally late riser. And conventions never seem to happen on 36-hour day cycles. :P
I'm 5"5", anywhere from 120 to 130, so that should give you an idea of who this costume would fit.
Watch for this auction between now and early January.
A friend was good enough to toss a few pics up for me - :)
Credit goes to whoever took the lwce pictures at drunkmonkey.org, and MSK who took the staged pictures. I'm sure I don't need to mention that the copyrights belong to the original photographers....
http://www.freebsd.org/~wpaul/daemonette
-Ceren E.
FreeBSD's "Strange Attractor."
ceren@removethispinkmeat.magnesium.net
I hope that the person who ends up with either suit recognizes the history that came with these things. Not only does it represent an old show but it represents some of the old fan's feelings for a show they really enjoyed(mainly Woodhead and Takagi).
I have been interested in Saturday morning cartoons from an artistic perspective for quite some time, and it has always seemed to me that one of their central themes is the lack of identity of a culture that started out as an British colony and has gone on to being the world's truly foremost modern international capitalist nation in a little over 200 years.
Scooby Doo Halloween costumes are another expression of the angst that this lack of cultural identity has caused, as the old certainties of British rule were ripped away and replaced by the values of Democracy. The Victorian ethos and clothing of the British have been replaced by the tie-dyed shirts and communist values of the slashdot hippie. These Scooby Doo Halloween costumes, and indeed the entire Saturday morning cartoon movement, are an unconscious desire to return to the oppressive certainties of old Colonial America, IMHO.
It is still the dark of night.
If anything, popular culture in Japan reflects the dualism of Japanese modern society. On one hand, there is a reverence for the past and the cultural heritage of Japan. On the other, there is the need to be a part of the modern international community. Japan handles this duality marvelously. Women in kimono ride the subway alongside salarymen and office ladies. Neighborhood shrines sit next door to high rise office buildings. If you are a wealthy Japanese man, you can still buy the virginity of the maiko (women who will become geisha). They call this tradition "mizu ageru" by the way.
Also, you can make as many analyses of the unconscious desires of the Japanese as you want, but they are fundamentally unprovable. What is provable is that there is a growing disinterest among Japanese young people in the traditional Japanese cultural properties. Young Japanese are more interested in learning English than they are in learning to read classical japanese literature. They are more interested in listening to popular music than they are in studying classical Japanese instruments. They are more interested in drawing in popular styles like manga than they are in learning Japanese calligraphy.
So anyway, there isn't any angst over loss of culture among most young people. And anime isn't made for the older generations in general. So I can't really tell what you were getting at besides an attempt to say something profound.
Cryptnotic
My other first post is car post.
It's not just 'a guy' auctioning these, it's Robert Woodhead of AnimEigo. Bubblegum Crisis is one of their licenses and it looks like these used to be used for promotion at Cons. Bubblegum Crisis was also their first DVD release (unfortunately sublicensed to Multimedia 2000, but the rerelease is pretty good by all accounts). He sent an email to the AnimEigo-DVD list about this Dec 7.
These suits, and indeed the entire Anime movement, are an unconscious desire to return to the violent certainties of old Japan, IMHO
Yes, but not entirely. The things you mention, along with all giant robo anime, from Neon Genesis Evangelion to Voltron, handle the universal phenomenon of nostalgia with the unique Japanese bent. They blend the technology and eclecticism of the modern world with the personal excellence and honor of the (romanticized) old. This is not an attempt to turn back the clock, but to hold on to the best parts of the past.
Personal note to KTB: I disagree with you here, but in general I consider you a white hat troll. On the other hand, the people who posted the "it's entertainment" responses are just being dumb.
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Go ahead, blame me... I voted for Nader!
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Go ahead, blame me... I voted for Nader!
Serial Experiments Lain is a meditation on the nature of reality and godhood.
Cowboy Bebop is a noir-ish melodrama, akin to Hong Kong action theater.
Saber Marionette J is a sly reconsideration of the role of women in traditional Japanese society.
Oh My Goddess! is straight romantic comedy.
Princess Mononoke, for all that it's set during Japan's feudal era, is an essay on the inevitably uneasy relationship between Man and Nature.
The assertion that (salaryman == samurai), though widely believed in the West, is a shallow interpretation of a deep and complex culture. Good anime reflects many facets of that culture.
Honesty. Loyalty. Kindness. Laughter. Generosity. Magic!