The image is of Kiko-chan, the precocious star of Kiko-chan's Smile. Kiko is a 4 year old pre-kindergarden student who gets up at the crack of dawn, makes breakfast, lunch for herself and her father, helps her mother out
around the house yet is unable to tie her shoes. Kiko's teacher, Megumi-sensei tries hard to get Kiko to say good morning to her, but hasn't quite succeeded yet. Kiko's
pet, Neko-chan (actually an angel from the heavens) tries to bring happiness into Kiko's life, but unfortunately for Neko-chan, things don't work out as they should. A log of a science student (v.5) About myself: Name: Stephen
Congly Alignment: True Neutral, Good
Tendancies Current Readings Journals followed Science Books
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Final Statements I finally will make my final comments about the fanfiction story of April 1st. My two major co-authors Kristi and WMC (8 April 2002) have already replied. I had a draft response that I was working on earlier, but it got lost by Pitas.
Sadly, the comments present on the page were lost, so I am unable to address all of the matters there. I can only remember a few of them...so...
The major reason for writing this entry is to allow for cathargic release...also, it's mainly inspired by Kai Ling's entry and associated comments by Kai Ling et al. whom I respect. Kristi, in her entry has already addressed pretty much everything I would have said, in likely a significantly better manner that I would/could have however.
In brief...I concur with Kristi's statements about parody...although perhaps it wasn't as obvious as it should have been. Mayhaps I should have kept the CLAMP idea in (i.e. pumping works out) and having the YYH guy go overboard in his reactions to help make it really obvious. I made the changes based on my co-authors' comments...but again, it was my final decision, so I shoulder the responsibility/blame.
I did try to clean up what I did to the fullest of my capacities...I did send an e-mail explaining that it was fake to the mailing lists I sent it to myself (save the FYML, due to Thea's stop post order), posted two entries on this blog clarifying it, etc. Letting it just stand by would have been clearly a poor decision I would think. In a sign of good faith, I'll permanently add a link to the main design of this blog to the explainatory comments so as to make it as easily accessible as I can. I will also personally stamp out this story if I come across it again.
I did send my collaborators a copy of my final message before hand...so they did know what was going on. Ummm...I do know that there are a few things that I would have done differently if I were to repeat this again. There were likely some flaws in the execution that made it worse than it perhaps should have been. However, I do note that it could have been much much worse [in good faith, I won't say how it could have been worse so that idea will not be used]
In response to one of the comments posted, I do note that one time does not make an trend. If someone is more critical of something I say, that's perfectly understandable (and might actually be a good thing). Rejecting my comments outhand...because the "one time equals a tendancy"...the logic seems rather flawed. In a non-sequitor...I do note that I and my colleagues were treated better than I would have expected by various admin people. Lastly...my post to fyfanfiction came before I read the admin statement...by that time, it was too late to take back the post. I still would have made the post though so as to take responsibility for what I had done.
I do...regret the extra inconvenience that the various list administrators may have had to deal with and I regret the fact that some received that message way too many times due to spreading. I did not forsee the extent that that message would spread. Yes, I did have an idea that it would spread, but not the extent. I'm saddened that I pissed off people I respect and hope they don't hate me too severely...but that's all.
This marks the last entry of this set and the last entry of the layout and my final public comments on the matter. If people still have issues, take it up with me privately. Stephen...next time, deal with e-mail before blogging -_-
In other stuff...today is the first day of work...slow thus far, but it should eventually pick up.
{sighs and curses certain people under his breath profusely}...will this constant battle ~ever~ end... Lastly...a pointless test: I start this entry off with a few remarks about respect. I'd be remiss in not mentioning the fact that four Canadian soldiers plus a number were injured in Afghanistan after being hit by 'friendly fire' (which is a rather dubious term, just like 'collateral damage', but I'm diverging from the point here). Many Canadians, including myself, were rather upset upon hearing that Bush didn't bother to even mention this tragedy during any of his several briefings the day after the incident until a Canadian reporter snuck a question in. Bush said that he expressed his condolences to Chretien via phone...okay, that's reasonable. However, there is a bit of a disparity here; when US Marines were killed, Bush immediately addressed the issue with full press conference, etc. Is it me, or do I detect just a ~little~ bit of a disparagity here. It's quite...frustrating (for lack of a better term) to see that the US taking Canada for granted (viz. the lack of mention in September 2001). I'll keep myself limited to this particular topic alone before I really get going -_-. I do note that Bush did finally make his comments to the Canadian people on Friday (two days after IIRC)...partially pushed by Canadian Foreign Minister Manley's (think he's also Deputy PM?) strongly worded remarks about the matter.
Linked to this matter is the fairly recent story about the Canadian national anthem being booed down by fans at a Detroit Pistons basketball game (Game 1 of the opening round playoff series). Anthem booing spread to hockey >_<. In fairness, I should note that Canadian fans were booing down the US anthem as well. I'm not actually quite certain where I stand anymore on this matter...I was initially going to criticize both sides for booing the anthem (in the vein of showing respect) before I started typing up this entry...but then I thought about expressing political opinion through booing. I'm dubious that the fans were really booing for political reasons (but because the other team was Canadian/American [depending on the situation]). I'm not sure if I can really condemn the practice of booing an anthem unequivically at this point. I do note that unless there is good reason for booing another anthem (i.e. the state really really did something bad), it is rather boorish. I used to be annoyed somewhat with people starting to cheer even before the national anthem was completed, but I think I'm fine with it now. I wonder what that says about me...
This leads well into the idea of whether anthems should even be played at sporting events. I know that in baseball, the tradition of playing "God Save America" [introduced after the WTC attack] is being phased out {actually, that seems rather non sequitor, but that's another story}. Is the national anthem really needed? Yes, anthems can be a powerful symbol...but then again, you have those who cheer/jeer their way through an anthem...so I wonder if it gets the respect it deserves. It is probably correct to say that playing the national anthems of two rivals (i.e. rival to point of war) at the same time probably isn't the greatest idea. I'm quite used to hearing the anthem(s) performed...so it'd be a change if they were to eventually be phased out. It is a matter to consider though...is it worth it?
Okay, a few quick comments in passing...the public library has been closed here for about...2 weeks now? The staff is on strike...I hope that a fair settlement can be reached on both sides and that the library reopens. It's kind of different being downtown and not being able to stop by the main library for a few minutes between transfers. Ummm...adventures yesterday consisted of me playing on the library computers for about two hours...heading towards the south end of the city, getting a sub from California subs (Western Canada franchise I think)...I got a deluxe pizza sub...it wasn't bad, but I'm still partial to the Mr. Sub assorted sub ^^;;. I stopped by a bookstore en route to the arcade ^^; [didn't know they had a discount book section]...and finally stopped at the arcade. Imagine my delight when I saw that this location finally got a DDR 3rd Mix :D (saves me the inconvenience of going to the north location). I think I danced three rounds...2 on 3rd Mix, 1 on 2nd Mix. Finding this game saved me the extra trip to the 5th Mix machine ^^;; (as the 3rd Mix is 4 songs/$1 while the 5th Mix is 3 songs/$1). Highlights were doing Kung Fu Fighting on Maniac...getting the big SS on Dynamite Rave and on the throwaway songs...failing respectively Dam Dariam, Dub I Dub and Afronova [all on trick: 6, 6, 7 feet respectively...I did come close though]. Played some X-Files pinball...and scored decently (better than I ever scored on that machine :D...though I'm not a big fan of the layout (as well as the fact that it is difficult to cradle the ball to target a shot)...it is much better than the Star Wars pinball layout...where the targets/bumpers are designed to send your ball out of play >_<). I then headed back north to the 7-11 for a Slurpee ^^;;...and then went to the nearby mall to wait for my bus. Doh...had about 15 minutes to kill...so I decided to head into the mall. Lo to my surprise...the Symphony was having its annual bookstore...I managed to find "A History of the Western World" 3rd Ed. [I had used the text in high school so I knew that it's very very good] for $3 XD (I think they might be on the 4th Ed. now, but history doesn't change too much ^_- [unless you're a revisionist then ^^;;]). After that, I headed home...and filled in my tax forms. I'll probably submit them online ^^;; [not sure if I'll head to the university or do it on my slow connection ;_;]
Wow, some short comments eh ^^;. I had thought that's all I wanted to say, but that's not quite true ^^;. 4 May is the Free Comic Book Day...where you can go to a participating comic book store and get some free swag. There are some ones from domestic manga publishers...the list of what publishers and what titles they have are here.
Ah...they're giving away too many As at Harvard ^^;; (Why Harvard Hates Straight A's--Globe and Mail, 22 April 2002) They want to now make B the average grade [I thought C was typically considered average]...students aren't very happy because they feel that since they paid the money (about $27 000 US/annum), they deserve good transcripts?!! -_-. Over 50% of students finished courses with As or A-s... They had a quote from a grad student there (anonymous of course) saying that getting As was easy...there was another quote from a prof basically saying that trying hard would lead to good grades: "One Harvard English professor, Elisa New, told The Boston Globe that she gives A's and A-minuses for students who "work really hard." ". o.o;; Another student explained that a top-notch transcript that makes her
stand out from others is part of Harvard tradition.
"My parents are paying more than $100,000 for me to be here at
Harvard," she said, also asking not to be named. "For that kind of
investment I expect to have marks that make an employer look at my
transcript and say, 'Wow.' "
Needless to say, I have very little to no sympathy for these students I'm sure that many readers of this blog would concur with me. These comments smack of buying grades...
Non-sequitors...the sample from "Black Black Heart" is from Leo Delibes' opera "Lakme"...WMC...they just premiered an opera by the person who did M. Butterfly (Huang)...I think it's called "The Scarlet Princess" it talks about a Japanese legend...though I'm not sure which one it is...however, these lines from the Globe and Mail article (Staging a tale of death and kinky sex--25 April 2002) is rather curious:
Oi oi...what referrers will this post bring _o_ [and yes, I'm still amazed at the Asterix/Obelix hentai search >_<] Lastly, I think there will be one or two more entries with this layout before I change it :) [will probably work on the layout in the next few days]. "The only option is to remain optimistic, and I remain optimistic."--Shimon Peres, Israeli Foreign Minister. From a CBC News report that I watched last Thursday. I don't want to start on this topic because I'll likely start ranting...and I don't want to...as it won't be pretty. Suffice it to say that times are sad in the Middle East and in the world as a whole.
I'm going to truly live up to my blog's title in so far as that I'm going to be jumping from topic to topic. Unfortunately, my time for blogging is rather limited at the moment...and so I'll further put off topics that I said I'd address here...-_-; This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who either knows me or has followed this blog -_-;;
My exciting day Friday...went to the comic store and bought my Ani-Ex (ooh...a haiku competition...why not tanka though XD). I also splurged and bought myself the first volume of Maico 2020 ^^; A cute series...only 5 volumes so I can probably suck it up and get it all. Publisher is Comicsone.com. From what I was skimming, their work is quite well done...(keep in mind that my Japanese skills are nil to none and I've not seen the original). However, there didn't seem to be any Mixxisms present (Kris will know what I'm talking about ^_-). The price is pretty good...similar to what Tokyo Pop is now going to, but Tokyo Pop has better known titles. However, I'm still rather annoyed at their previous efforts...and haven't decided if I'll support the TP stuffs (since Kare Kano really appeals to me ^_^. They also have Bebop...). Hey...at $15.95 CDN...that's at least $10 cheaper than Viz :/ I go make my purchases and then hear that Store A has now moved into the same mall _o_.
Store A (obviously not the real name) is another comic book store in town. It has a main location downtown and it's opened up a satellite store in the same mall as the comic book store I go to. Needless to say, the comic store I frequent isn't very happy. Store A isn't quite the most liked store...I have some ~issues~ with it, although I visit it every so often and rarely make a purchase. I stop into the satellite store...and there, they decide to tempt me. They offer me 40% off any items I get on file and 20% off of any special orders [also, 20% off everything in the satellite] at the satellite location only...discount lasts as long as the store remaisn there "and we intend to be here a long time". I'm torn with what I should do. The discount is very nice...however, that'll help drive the other store out of business and I like the other store ;_;. Store A can give horribly low prices at the satellite as they have the main store to subsidise it...but the little store can't :(. What should I do? :( I'm torn between the options here...
After having the option for temptation placed upon me, I headed to the mall/movie theatre/arcade. I played some DDR 5th Mix...as I said I would. Just three games (which is only 9 songs >_<) I'm glad that the guy that I partnered with for two of the three games was good enough to clear songs and allow me to stretch my abilities...(no, have no idea who the guy was...but I'm sure he was my junior...think he went to my old high school...[guessing from the people he was with]). I was exhausted after each game (which may indicate that I'm out of shape ;_;)...but could recover fairly quickly. I did manage to beat Dub I Dub at 6 feet XD [I think that might be added to my repetoire]...that may indicate that Dam Dariam at 6 feet is doable (my partner danced it at Manic and beat it _o_). Bad decision was then trying to do Afronova Primeveal (think that's the right title) at 6 feet right after. Barely barely managed to beat it...just by the skin of my teeth and I could feel my legs starting to shake in exhaustion ^^;; Not too much else. After the arcade, I went to experience the sweetest tasting thing. [I was thinking of making this topic my title...allowing for people to make naughty connections actually ^^;;]. In this case, the sweetest tasting thing is the first slurpee of the year from 7-11 (and yes, they did raise the price >_<). Made a layered slurpee...like normal ^^;; It was very nice ^^.
[The above was written Sunday I think? Don't know exactly]. I'll make a few more comments really quickly. Congratulations are in order to Kai Ling for being awarded her Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry. Way to go :D (and it seemed like you made it through ~much~ quicker than normal too ^_^). Ming Ling, I think JAK actually doesn't mean "Just Another Kinase"...I looked it up in my biochemistry book [Leninger's Fundmentals of Biochemistry 3rd Ed] (while looking up SAGA)...and found it meant Janus Kinase. {shrugs}. {as for what SAGA means, it's not relevant...^^;;}
So many...interesting...stories in the news to mention, but I'll only mention two: Lastly...a few of the points made in this entry almost made me write up a response...key phrase is almost. Let me enjoy my small diversions such as being interested in Japanese culture ^^;;;; (12 April 2002 entry). Janelle's commentary is quite good I think in resposne to this point.
Okay...that's about it for now. I'm on examination hiatus until 26 April 2002 or so. Like always, there'll be one huge post when I get back [will be taking notes down on topics to write about]. I'll also deal with the one Outstanding Topic that I need to talk about, likely have a new layout [sooner or later...have the graphic and all, etc. :D]...and I think likely there'll be a Promotion/Relegation round with the orders in the near future. Comments are down right now though :/ I will be reading e-mail, etc...so feel free to use that medium. ^^ {incidentally, that's a reminder to look up that code snippet that scrabbles a mailto: link for adbots but not for actual people} I had a good long entry....and it somehow got lost ;_; I'll try and write it up the important parts later. It wasn't quite a happy entry in tone though.
Okay...paper was submitted this morning (had to make some last minute corrections to the figures)...exams start next Friday, and run until the 26th...went out for lunch to the campus pub...am going to go to the arcade and DDR and then get a 7-11 slurpee (though I've been told that the price for a 1.3 L slurpee got cranked up another $0.20. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. I haven't really had a chance to blog for the past while...o.o;; I'll make my final comments on the fanfition matter, likely Friday. I'm still considering what I want to say...
Not much has been happening on my front...working on my prion paper...it's slowly approaching completion...prions are infectious proteins...which differ from the "Central Dogma of Molecular Biology" (to which likely Ming-Ling is smirking at)...in that it's believed that the structure of the prion encodes genetic information.
Oh...Ming-Ling...if you think that writing is messy...^^;;;;;;; WMC and anyone in RL who has seen my handwriting knows just how bad it gets...my printing is better...small and microscopic normally, but better.
Played a bit of the old TIE Fighter...^^;; Managed to survive a couple of levels without shields...which is impressive.
Be impressed that I remembered that DST is now in effect...we don't change ^^;;
Rest of the week is devoted to getting this paper done. I think I'll have to miss a reception, at the university president's house, on Thursday as the paper is due Friday...and I want to have that day to play with (if needed...I'd love it if I didn't need to).
One last quick observation before leaving...themes seem to spread around blogland rather quickly. Anyhow...next entry, Friday. As far as I gather...the reaction is about 75% amused, 25% not so amused...perhaps 5-10% of the total livid.
So...what exactly were the clues for indicating that the "Levard" article was a phoney. There were quite a few actually IMO...some of them not intentional.
First off, the fact that there was no citation should have been a warning sign. As one person put it, how could I quote something without knowing where it came from. No source should immediately say..."I'm skeptical." Next hint was more for people on the US SW coast in California. Turns out there isn't a Mandarakes in LA proper. I didn't know that actually.
Thirdly, the majority of the authors mentioned have made doujinshi, like doujinshi, some even got their start making doujinshi. That may not be common knowledge, fair enough. Let's see...Takeuchi is likely not phased by H, considering some of her drawings {I think there's the Minako one with her hand on Usagi's breast}. Also, I've heard that Takeuchi requested copies of Lunatic Party.
Next up...is the fact that in the words of someone "Sailormoon is dead in Japan"...mostly, that's true. Some mild signs of revival, but not really...so that was the tip off for one person.
Togashi's reaction was not muted...this would be highly unorthodox if it actually occured and would result in much loss of face and shame.
PotterManic55's profanity was a clue to some people. However, I don't think it's the best one as I know I've seen profanity in quotes before in the Globe and Mail.
Let's see...overall, too much fan knowledge for a North American article, not a real newspaper style...I think that about sums up the major ones.
I note that the names were chosen rather randomly...since those were the people I knew of. The Gainax quote is meant to be somewhat humourous (cf Gundam). I was originally going to use CLAMP for that idea.
Bits of reality in there...DJ are starting to become an industry in itself...fanart is being sold now >_<. I strongly strongly disagree with fanart, etc. being sold; it violates the entire spirit of fanfiction/fanart per say. Some NA authors do go hard against fanfiction...like McCaffrey.
It was interesting to see that there were a number of people who concurred with the idea of limiting fanfiction, etc. Kind of a theme implied in the message (although I'm finding the theme later) was the concept that "fanfiction and art are not a right. It is a priviledge." Fanfiction and fanart are tolerated by most creators because it's good promotion (which then means more money) and because it keeps the fans happy. However, that priviledge can be revoked, for whatever reason...a possibility to always be mindful of. As WMC has said already, the entire doujinshi/fanfiction/fanart thing isn't real; it's something I made up with the help of some very evil collaborators. Don't worry about it ^_^. I'll be posting an e-mail to various lists confirming that it was false and perhaps pointing out a few places where falseness could be found, perhaps, later this morning. A number of people did fall for it though...but the greater majority of people recognised the post for what it was, had a laugh and moved on. :) I do admit that that aspects of truth in the message may have helped give the impression.
Having said that, it is true that doujinshi is really starting to be a profitable industry now in Japan...it might be interesting to see what actually happens. I'm pretty sure that fanfiction and fanart won't be targeted though; the effect on profits is minimal and is likely positive. Also, pissing off the people who buy your stuff and let you survive isn't the greatest decision at times.
I cannot take the credit or the blame for this alone. I have to thank my co-conspirators for their help and guidance through the process. Authorship order is as follows [yes, I'll even do a nod to science in this :D]: Clearly, fanfiction, fanart, etc. is important to a lot of people as indicated by the amount of reaction from this post.
When/if I find time, I'll comment about the making of the text [the process], why it could be considered false, and eventually a collection of the various reactions this thing obtained (may be make a webpage about it).
In summary: the text below is FALSE! It was an April Fool's Joke; I hope that others found it interesting and amusing, and so forth. Hopefully no one is too upset. :) I'm in a rush...so I'll have to comment later...took the bus to school as it was snowing today -_-;
Japanese Policy Shift has Serious Ramifications to Authors and Artists
A large group of teenaged Asian girls in the Los Angeles Mandarake cluster
around looking at "doujinshi", fan comics based on professionally published
series, made by her favourite group. This is a common scene in this and
other similar stores around the country. It seems shocking to think that
such a scene might soon become a memory of the past. A recent announcement
by a group of influential manga (Japanese comics) artists and
representatives from the animation industry may make the creation and sale
of doujinshi illegal. This as of yet unnamed group includes artists and
industry insiders such as Naoko Takeuchi, Yukiru Sugisaki, Natsumi Matsumoto
and Togashi Yoshihiro. Representatives from Jump Comics, Gainax, and
Shueisha were also present.
The few individuals present in Japan during the press conference were
utterly shocked at what the artists had to say. Overall, the artists stated
that they were going to begin to enforce their copyright over their
characters and plots stringently. This marks a 180-degree turn from the
policy that had been followed previously in Japan. Originally, others could
use an artist's character and artistic designs effectively without
consequence.
As communicated through a translator, Naoko Takeuchi, creator of the popular
work "Sailor Moon" stated during the conference, "I'm sick and tired of
seeing my characters used in this disgusting way" while holding up a copy of
"Lunatic Party", a sexually explicit fan-creation. "The value of my
characters decreases as this continues. Look, they [two prepubescent girls]
are having sex with each other. It's wrong." Ms. Takeuchi continued by
talking about how the loss of control she had over her characters was
alarming to her. "Stories that my fans write are usually very poorly done
and often twist the characters so that they do not reflect their true
selves." Togashi Yoshihiro, Ms. Takeuchi's husband, jumped in at this point
and agreed with his wife expressing concerns on how several of his
characters in his notable series "Yu Yu Hakusho" are interpreted as being
homosexual. Mr Yoshihiro pounded his fist on the table shouting "They're not
gay!" several times before finally breaking down.
The other participants expressed similar attitudes. Sugisaki Yukiri, creator
of the highly popular title "DNAngel" spoke about the loss of artistic
control as well including the fact that "the garbage [art] done by fans is
inferior to mine. it destroys the beautiful images that I want to put into
peoples minds." Ishiro Suzuki, a representative of Gainax, added the fact
that they faced, in their words, "a theft of the money rightfully entitled
to us. Our work is what puts food on our table; we keep putting out series
after series in order to survive."
Ms. Takeuchi, spokesperson for the group, released the official statement of
the group, which stated "We prohibit any unauthorised use of our characters,
stories, images or other related concepts without obtaining permission
first". When questioned by a reporter on what that would mean for doujinshi,
art, and fiction creators, Ms. Takeuchi said that strong legal action would
be taken against any violators. Ms. Takeuchi then added that a number of
manga creators and other industry members would be signing on with the group
within the next few days.
Reaction to this news was somewhat muted. Organisers for Comiket, a large
sale of doujinshi held twice a year in Japan, were angry at being informed
about this decision by the Takeuchi group. The organisers claimed that
doujinshi helped promote the artist's work and would lead to greater
profits; this would be a mutual relationship all around. The organisers
could not understand how these people were breaking so strongly from
historical precedent; many manga artists started out with doujinshi and
today, still many continue creating doujinshi to do work that could not be
done in the context of a publishing company.
Reaction to this decision from North American fans was mixed. Christine
Goldstream, an American writer of anime (Japanese animation) and manga fan
fiction, was somewhat surprised and puzzled at this announcement and
commented on how the lack of publicity initially was sure to hamper the
Takeuchi group's efforts. "I can understand the reasoning behind it, and
those characters and worlds are the writer's intellectual property. As
writers or artists ourselves, we should try and respect that," Ms.
Goldstream said. However, Goldstream quickly continued "I'm not sure how
they really hope to accomplish this. The cost alone is prohibitive, and
that's putting aside lawsuits for freedom of speech, the tangle of legal
issues involving international copyright, and the costs involved in
alienating domestic and overseas fans."
Not all reaction from fans was as conciliatory. PotterManic55, a writer of
Harry Potter fan fiction, seemed to be livid at this decision. "I don't
agree with this at all! ... We have the fucking right to write these
stories! We have the right to make this art! It's an infringement of our
freedoms. Besides, it's not like we make any money off it.it's because we
love the work so much!"
PotterManic55's comments contrast with the reality of the situation in
Japan. Doujinshi in Japan is almost an industry of its own. There are
thousands of doujinshi groups in the country and they all make copies for
distribution and sale. Comiket, the twice yearly sale of doujinshi, takes up
multiple floors of space and hundreds of million of yen are cleared at each
session; Comiket is only one of the multiple events held in Japan each year.
Some doujinshi groups do profit and profit quite handsomely. The trend of
fans profiting from the creation of fan works is increasing; manga fan art
is often found on the online auctioner Ebay.
Not all manga artists agree with the Takeuchi group's proposal. Higuri Yuu,
a professional manga artist said "I think they're losing sight of the forest
by staring at only single trees." Chiho Saito wondered if hurting and
angering the fans will be more detrimental to the artists in the long run.
Ms. Saito added she felt flattered every time she saw someone draw something
based on her characters. "When I see a picture of Utena [the main character
in her series "Revolutionary Girl Utena"], I feel that I've truly affected
the heart of someone."
Legal analysts in the US say that the ramifications of this decision could
have serious complications for American fans. Fan fiction, although
technically illegal had been tolerated typically based on the principle that
it would promote the creator's work. Rights holders in Japan had been
typically very lax in protection of their rights and so they were weak in
the U.S. due to the Berne Convention on copyright. Now, with this move, fan
fiction and fan art of members of the Takeuchi group are illegal and those
who make it are liable to be prosecuted and sued. This decision will likely
affect manga and anime fan fiction writers and fan artists as well, as the
Takeuchi group will likely become larger. PotterManic55 feels that this
decision will come to affect all fan fiction writers and fan artists; "It's
a Pandora's Box. Once it's opened, first one type will be prosecuted, and
then another. It's like we're walking targets here." There is precedent for
this though; North American authors such as Anne McCaffrey have forbidden
fan fiction based on her works. This has been done to both protect their
characters and plots as well as to prevent claims of plagiarism of ideas by
the author.
Fanfiction.net, one of the largest databases online of fan fiction is sure
to be affected by this action. A large proportion of the fan fiction present
on the site deals with anime or manga series. Being forced to remove a large
portion of its material will certainly adversely impact the site as well as
surely have ramifications to the fan fiction community in general. Pursuing
legal action against the U.S. based fanfiction.net has interesting
ramifications due to the potentially prohibitive cost of trying to enforce
rights outside of Japan. To date, the Takeuchi group has no comment on where
the money will come from, but an inside source has stated that certain
publishing companies are willing to donate money for the cause. No comment
from fanfiction.net has been obtained at the time of press.
So, what does this exactly mean for the future? No one really knows yet. One
thing is clear though; a number of fans are bitter. In the words of
PotterManiac25, "Remember this day...for it marks the first step down a
slippery slope in the creation of a schism between artists and the fans. The
fans have long memories and will remember this attack." One quick announcement here before I go home...got it from a ML I'm on...X is over in Japan; Pioneer has the rights for NA. Quick entry to test out the new comment feature (picked up the site from Janaki). Right now...I'm frantically working on my virology paper as it's due really soon...I'm less depressed than I was yesterday (i.e. within a few moments of breaking down and crying), but there is a lot of work to get done. I might use this site to show the progression of the paper (but I'll delete the entries when it's done...as I don't really want my school papers online). |
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