Yahoo! Answers were better when they were still in English
Don't ask how I stumbled onto this question that was posted on Yahoo! Answers. I have no idea what this supposed "Naruto" is. And the broad outline of the "debate" will be familiar to anyone who was a geek (or, for that matter, a rock snob) in high school, and of zero interest. That's not why I'm posting it.
I don't know what it is, but I found something about this post as funny as any Larry Grozic column. Maybe it's someone using this tone unironically. Maybe it's idea of someone being furious about the "overexposure" of some shit that 99.9 percent of America has never heard of. Plus, halfway through I became convinced that the dude was just making words up.
Does anyone else find the fandom of naruto appalling?i remember when naruto first came out in japan and i found it really cool. but then a year later it was whored out in every anime convention. where for 2 1/2, 3 years straight i've counted over 70 naruto characters cosplayed (which lead bread to the nickname narutard for the cosplayers). it was insulting and made me lose intrest in the anime. then when it got lisendsed it got worse and even hot topic sold the naruto jacket (aswell as vash's coat). i'm glad it is now starting to calm down but who agrees that the fandom was crazy for a while?
i'm finnaly happy to say i am able to watch naruto again without gagging. i can't say the same for one peice. damn i hate how it was slaughtered. it was better 4 1/2 years ago when it was still in japanese.
i really need to learn japanese moreso than i already have. i'm really starting how it gets ruined. anyone agree?
Comments
I'm just so very glad that I don't know most people.
Posted by: Rubrick | April 24, 2007 7:15 PM
I am a tremendous geek, yet never watch Naruto. With that disclaimer out of the way, I would say that it's on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network or some channel like that; so the target audience is ... well ... probably about 10-12. They're more geeks-to-be.
The Yahoo poster though? Pure Groznic. "Those cosplayers are cosplayed out."
Posted by: Jim | April 24, 2007 11:46 PM
I can never read the word "cosplay" or its variants without imagining a bunch of people dressed up as Bill Cosby.
Posted by: Kevin | April 25, 2007 9:42 AM
I had to look up "naruto" and "cosplay" on wikipedia to have any idea what that was about.
After deciphering it, it looks like he's doing the usual "I was a fan before all these chumps" regarding something in pop-culture. Other examples are punk rockers who strive to "keep it real", REM fans who poo-poo fans who were exposed to the band because of the album "Green" (or "Out of Time" for those fans who discovered REM with "Green", or perhaps "Murmur" for the truly hardcore "Chronic Town" fans), and of course, the great Tickle-Me-Elmo backlash of '97.
Posted by: mypalmike | April 25, 2007 9:57 PM
Ask any kid under age 16 if they know what Naruto is and they'll have a general idea. It's a very popular anime series that plays on Cartoon Network. Looks like the kid needs to focus on their homework rather than the state of Naruto because it was a painful rant to read.
Cosplay is funny. My girlfriend and I went to the Sakura Con in Seattle, Washington and it's amazing to see how many people are really into it. They take it very seriously.
Great post!
Posted by: Tim | May 3, 2007 2:57 AM