02.01.2011 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Moe for something with value...
I had to snap a picture of this advertisement for a girls' school in Suginami, an area known for its high concentration of anime production houses. The sign reads: "Get fired up! For something with value." I assume they mean schooling, but, based on the location, I couldn't help but read the "moe" in "fired up" as a pun on "moe" in the otaku sense. That is, a response to a fictional character or representations of fictional characters. With that in mind, I read the "with value" as something other than what otaku are fired up about, i.e., stop getting fired up about fictional characters (which is a waste of time) and start focusing on schooling (which has a value). Am I reading too much into this? I admit, I was cranky - on a crowded train in the middle of the night - when I saw this...
Tags: Moe CM 0 Comments
28.12.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
New Year's bishojo
Encouraging tourism (not to mention rampant consumption) with images of cute anime girls is certainly nothing new, but here's a double whammy: Shinto shrines in rural Ibaraki Prefecture. The advertisement is for hatsumode, the customary first shrine visit of the new year. Why not add a little moe and start 2011 with warmth in your heart?
Tags: Moe Tourism 0 Comments
09.04.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Shrine to the girls of anime
Also in Nagoya. Advertising for a pachinko parlor, but still beautiful!
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04.04.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
The reach of moe is long...
OK, so anime of late tends to put in cute girls to attract viewers and sell merchandise. Some people criticize and dismiss it for this reason. But on a recent trip to Nagoya, I realized just how natural the trend towards moe marketing is. A furniture store on Akamon-Dori (the otaku street in Nagoya) put out the advertisement: "We can do moe furniture!" Yeah, a custom couch with a cute anime girl on it. This man, an older gentleman, had survived in a neighborhood fast becoming a young otaku haven by turning to where he knew the market was. It doesn't matter how good his couches are if no one notices them, buys them and sits on them. And it takes the power of moe to get people in the seats. That's as true for furniture stores as it is for anime.
Tags: Moe Travel CM 0 Comments
21.02.2010 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Kaiju/Musume Event in Akihabara
Kaiju/Musume
In the heartland of anime, manga and games, Akihabara, Schatz Kiste is a maid cafe dedicated to spreading Akihabara's culture to Japan and the world. And now, indie soft vinyl kaiju are invading!
Kaiju and Cute Girls
Shock and Moe
Old-School Japan and Modern Akiba
3D and 2D
What will happen when these elements come together? The only thing guaranteed is that it's definitely something you don't want to miss!
Featured creators will be bringing new original figures for display and sale, and original photography and illustrations featuring a blend of Kaiju and Akiba culture will be on display. Creators will also be stopping in periodically through the week so guests can get a first-hand view of the creative process and inspiration behind their creations.
Featured makers:
Blobpus
Dr. Strange Toys
ILANENA
Monstock!!
Velocitron
Vinyl Junkies
Yamazakura
Opening Party: Feb 26, 19:30
Gallery runs until March 6
Akihabara Culture Cafe Schatz Kiste
「怪獣／娘」
アニメ・漫画・ゲームを始めとした色々な「秋葉原カルチャー」を体験して一日中熱く語れるカフェ「シャッツキステ」にインディーズ怪獣ソフビが集結！！
「怪獣」と「美少女」
「怪奇」と「萌え」
「下町」と「秋葉原」
「3次元」と「2次元」
こんなような絶対混ぜられない物を混ぜてみようとしたらいったいどうなるだろう？ 確かなのはこれだけ：絶対つまらないわけありません。
オリジナルインディーズ怪獣ソフビ、イラスト、写真を展示します。参加メーカーの方が来場したり、ソフビの販売も予定しています。
参加ソフビメーカー
BLObPUS
Dr. Strange Toys
Ilanena
Monstock!!
Velocitron
Vinyl Junkies
山桜
オープニングパーティー 2月26日（金）19：30〜
最終日：3月6日（土）
秋葉原カルチャーカフェ 「シャッツキステ」
09.11.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
I see Kitty everywhere...
Chalk this one up to an obsessive-compulsive personality, but I can't stop seeing Hello Kitty around town. Damn you, Sanrio! Why did you have to sink your claws into me?! I am having a hard enough time controlling the output from KyoAni and Gonzo, and now this... My life is over...
Tags: Moe 0 Comments
01.11.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Academic article on moe published
My most recent article, "Moe: Exploring Virtual Potential in Post-Millennial Japan" has just been published in the Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal. Check it out here! Long be the age of affect!
「萌え」について論文を書かせて頂き、昨日アップされました。申し訳ないですが、英語のみですが、ご興味がありましたらご覧頂ければと思っております。詳しくはこちらへ。
Tags: Moe Academic 0 Comments
24.10.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
【異議】萌えを擁護します【あり】
今夜文化放送の「アニスパ」に出演し、2009年秋のアニメについてお話しさせて頂きました。大変皆様のお世話になりまして、心より感謝致します。どうもありがとうございました。しかしながら、皆様とお話ししているうちに、番組においてのみならず、全体的に萌え系アニメはどうも批判されすぎではないか、萌えヲタは悪の槍玉に挙げられているのではないかというような気がしてきました。このクールのアニメはこんなに面白いのに、番組のコメンテーターの中では「萌えキャラ」「意味ないパンチラ」「エロス」が多すぎたという意見はかなり強かったです。二次元の美少女が好きで何が悪い、それで良いではないか、ということで、ここから萌えを援護していきたいと思います。
１）美少女だけ出てくればいいんですか。アニメはそれだけだと腐っちゃいます。
アニメには、二つの機能しかいらないと私は思います。すなわち、見て萌えるか、あるいは見て癒されるか、です。このつらい世の中で生きていくためには、アニメを見ることでで良い気持ちになってしかるべきではありませんか。
２）これは美少女イメージの不当な乱用ではないですか。
そういう言説もありますが、個人的にはそう思ってはおりません。ヲタクたちは美少女との力関係を知っている上で楽しむのです。例えば、「そらのおとしもの」の登場人物、イカロスさんは首に鎖がかかっていて、可哀想に見えます。まるで男の願望に縛られているようにも見えます。我々ヲタクは自分の欲望について素直に考えておりますので、「普通」の方より幾分ましです。しかしながら、その鎖はイカロスさんを支配したい気持ちからではなく、いつも一緒に居て裏切らない保証の表現、と考えたらいかがでしょうか。ここでその「鎖」は少女マンガに頻繁に出る「赤い糸」と同じように、絆で結ばれた関係があるという象徴であると主張したいです。まあ、どちらも妄想で現実とは全く関係はありませんが。イカロスさんは典型的な「人外」、つまり人間ではないキャラです。人間でないことは現実と関係ないことです。「人外」という存在（ロボット、猫耳、異星人、ドールや、それらに似ているメイド、ロリ・キャラなど）と一般的な感覚からすると「異常」な関係（百合、BLなど）は現実より純粋なものを指摘していると私は思っております。
３）何にでも萌えられますよね。
お褒めの言葉として受け取ります。さらに、「愚か者よ、エロスは限られてはおらぬ」という言葉をお返し致しましょう。男女を問わず、擬人化された動物や物まで、何でも思い切ってキャラに変えてしまえば萌えることはできます。現実（＝社会規範）から抜け出した自由さえあれば萌えは可能です。二次元の妄想だからもう良いじゃありませんか。
いかがでしょうか。あくまでも個人の意見ですが、萌えアニメについて文句が聞けた今夜の感想です。
ガルバレス・パトリック・ウィリアム、「In Defense of Moe」より
追伸：釘宮理恵さんの声を聞いてしまったら、誰が日本を離れてアメリカに戻れるでしょうか。釘宮病に患ったら「普通」の女性------あるいは、「普通」の社会に------戻れるでしょうか。私が来日した理由はそれと同じだから許して下さいね。田村ゆかりさんはそのうちの一つでした。＾。＾；
Tags: Moe Japanese 3 Comments
18.10.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Dating sims are the source of maids
I have argued in my discussion of maids and maid cafes that dating simulator games (or bishoujo games, if you prefer) are the source. Specifically,
The game was so popular that Tokyo Character Show in August 1998 featured "Pia Carrot Restaurant." It was a hit, and on July 22, 1999, Gamer's opened a more permanent establishment on the 6th floor of their store in Akihabara. When it closed, fans were so upset that the shop reopened it, then closed and reopened it again. In May 2000, Cafe du Cospa opened, which later was replaced by Cure Maid Cafe in February 2001. The influence of "Welcome to Pia Carrot" on all this cannot be underestimated.
On a visit to a fellow maid cafe enthusiast's house, I was once again reminded of the vaulted place of "Pia Carrot." First, on his shelf just happened to be three maid figures: Pia Carrot, Cos-cha and Pinafore. The resemblance is remarkable. Elements of the original Pia Carrot design appear in both these iconic maid outfits.
Next, he had two cans of coffee lined up - Pia Carrot Coffee and @home cafe Coffee. The way both maids are standing, the design of their uniforms - all almost a perfect match. Maybe no one else is interested in this, but for me it was a flash of lightning, a eureka moment. Thank you, Pia Carrot, for bringing the world such joy!
Tags: Moe Dating Simulators Maids 0 Comments
06.10.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Honda Toru in Akihabara
I met the man, the myth, the legend, Honda Toru, a light novel writer who married a two-dimensional character and advocates other join in the moe revolution. One of his stories is going to be made into a live-action film, and we commiserated that it wouldn't be anime, but had to be better than "Dragon Ball Evolution." He signed my book, and asked that I never show his face to anyone so that he could continue to live his footloose and fancy-free otaku lifestyle. Long live moe, and long live the moe man who gave the movement a face (well, sort of).
Tags: Moe Akihabara Otaku 0 Comments
25.09.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Moe graffiti
I was in Nippombashi, Osaka, in the care of some really great guys, Howard and Rob from Macross World, and Takumi and Shacho, standard Japanese otaku. All were experts in the area, the "Akiba of the West," and extremely generous with their time. Thanks so much! Walking around one of the backstreets in search of forgotten hobby shops, we happened across some graffiti of moe. On closer inspection, it became clear that the culprit had mistakenly drawn the Chinese character. (Click second image for a closeup.) Priceless!
21.08.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Moe Hello Kitty!
I often joke with friends that moe will conquer the world. They laugh, and I present an official Sanrio souvenir Akihabara towel with Hello Kitty asking, "Moe?" I bought it years back in Shinagawa station. Comike 76 provided more evidence. Kitty made her debut, courtesy of two of my favorite illustrators, Okama and Pop. These guys are squarely in moe territory, and that Sanrio tapped them, and at Comike no less, is a pretty big statement for the expanding cultural power of moe. Or the fall of the once great character designers.
25.06.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Moe pub in Saitama
I was visiting an otaku friend way out in Oume Kaido down Saitama way, and just happened to see this pub. Nice name, and the perfect place for our chat!
Tags: Moe 0 Comments
27.05.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Moe, maids and coffee
A sign in Akihabara station. It reads: "You, all moe in Akihabara. We haven't any maids or butlers, but this is a delicious new meeting. Tasty Famima Cafe." I don't know if it means to be, but this strikes me as rather condesending. As if stupid convenience store coffee could ever be as delicious as moe. Humbug!
Tags: Akihabara Moe CM 0 Comments
21.05.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
'K-On' Rocks!
I am in love with Yui from "K-On" (けいおん). Not Mio, not Mugi, but Yui. I was down in Akihabara killing time before the broadcast tonight, and everyone was talking about Mio this and moe that. It's a regular flipping boom. But I am sticking to my guns on this: Yui is the cutest. As I rounded the corner for some GoGo Curry, I saw that Music Vox has a picture of the lovely guitarist on their entry. Rock and roll!!
24.04.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Otaku work out!
My friends tell me I need to lose weight. OK, so I'm a porker, no shame in that baby. But I agree I need to shed some blubber before cosplay and convention season. I was kicked out of my local gym for having tattoos and being generally antisocial. Ejected from public space, I retreated to my room looking for a quick fix. And the spankers on 2channel had it. Behold, "Let's Training!" heralded as the first anime exercise video. Boasting moe characters in compromising positions, viewers can be confident their forearms will be like a freaking gorilla as they “exercise” in the privacy of their own rooms. I considered it, but doubt this will solve my problems. Might actually compound them… Moe…
Tags: Otaku Moe Anime 2 Comments
07.04.2009 · by Patrick W. Galbraith
Moe meets punk, and it is beautiful
This CD just came out, and being a huge Goto Yuko and Momoi Halko fan I was there to pick it up. The idea is basically seiyuu trying to sing famous punk songs in English. They can hardly speak the language, let alone sing it, and their high pitched voices make the ensuing chaos all the more moe moe. Truly, whoever thought of this deserves the Congressional Metal of Honor for heroism in my world. Highlights:
1) Kadowaki Maii sings "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)"
2) Goto Yuko sings "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
3) Shimizu Kaori sings "Blitzkreig Bop"
Worst moment: Momoi Halko sings "Sex and Violence" (it should have been so good...)
As a younger man I hated all the songs on this album, but now they are somehow strangely soothing... Thank you, moe, and thank you Japan.
Tags: Moe J-Pop Seiyuu 0 Comments
