The Emperor Still Lives

ZERRROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Moe Revisited

I think the best thing about writing visual novels is that you get to play around with the concept of moe. It’s now been over a year since I wrote my original joking essay on moe. Now, with nearly four years of studying moe (that’s what I call all my anime binges) and a year of contemplating on the various responses people have given me in response to my previous essay, I am finally ready to write the serious version of that essay. So here it is: On MoeMoe Revisited!

My original proposition that the definition of moe is indeterminable in my previous essay has been changed to that the definition of moe is variable, or that what people think is moe is different for different people. Some people like glasses girls, while people like me honestly don’t understand what’s so good about them. Some people are addicted to shrine maidens and little sisters, while others like genki girls and dojikko. Well, that’s a pretty obvious statement, isn’t it? But if moe is different for different people, then how do we understand anything about it?

I propose that there is, in fact, a single theory of moe that binds everything together. We’ll test that statement by applying that theory to three anime shows (case studies, if you will) and see how well the theory does in explaining how moe can be used to immerse the viewer and to create engaging and gripping stories.

How do I create moe?
So, I bet you’re reading this because you want to write your own cute visual novel story, right? Or god forbid, you don’t even like moe and you’re rolling your eyes through all of this. Well, I have good news for both of you: we will learn how to write moe, and we’ll get to deconstruct moe to pieces too. If you ever want to disprove moe, then feel free to use any of this as material.

First, Moe is an image. Let’s say that you’re a painter who’s been commissioned to draw an ugly Italian lord during the Renaissance. You know that you can be paid a lot of money if the lord likes your painting, but if he doesn’t, then you’ll most likely be thrown into the dungeon and tortured for three weeks. So obviously, you embellish the painting and make the Italian lord look a lot better than what he actually is, right? Moe is like that painting. Whatever real life may be for you, moe is a painting, or image, of life that has been embellished and made beautiful.

Moe works the best on people whose lives are ugly. The blacker the reality, the more stark the contrast between the world and the image. But then, that’s not to say that only depressed people can enjoy moe, of course. (I wouldn’t venture to call you depressed, my dear reader!) Some people simply like beautiful, extravagant images, and I’m sure everyone has had bad experiences against which to compare the idealized image of moe against.

In order to write moe, first take reality. Then take out all the looming rain clouds, remove the irritating relationship problems, and throw out the annoying people you don’t like. Moe is all about meeting people’s extravagant expectations. Like the aforementioned Italian lord, take out all the stuff that’s ugly about him, and add in a few details that make him look more handsome. It’s a colourful make-belief world designed to get us as far away from the real world as possible by pretending to be the real world.

But caution must be taken here! If you over do it, then you risk the possibility of making the image too remote from the real world. At that point, it becomes too obvious that you’re making a lie and immersion is lost. There shall be more on this later.

But that’s pretty one dimensional…
Yes, you are exactly right if you think that is too simple. I’m trying to tell you how to write good stories here, and simply having moe is not going to help you much. Simply idealizing the world is not enough to be a good writer. To properly wield moe, you have to know how to both create and to destroy moe.

What do I mean by this? Well, now the game gets a little bit more complicating. There are two ways to use moe. The first is to use absolute moe, and the second is to use relative moe. When you use absolute moe, the level of immersion is directly proportional to the amount of moe you create. Using this system, it’s the most beneficial to just maximize moe to the fullest degree. This can be a pretty successful method of writing, but I know that I suck at it and I don’t know how to pull it off. But if you happen to like it and if you know you can do it, then go ahead and use it. Just be forewarned that absolute moe creates nowhere the same amount of immersion as relative moe.

The second way, and the method that I favor, is relative moe. In this system, the level of immersion is proportional to the change in moe level over time. Your goal is not just to create moe, but to destroy and remake it at opportune moments to maximize the plot drama and so grip the viewer. After giving the viewer a glimpse of the image of the idealized world, nothing is more horrible than shattering the image and plunging him back into reality. And nothing is more relieving for the viewer than to return him to the image after dipping him in reality. You are the story writer who has the power to give moe and to take it away. This is about creating drama here, not creating happyland.

Properly wielding moe can create gut wrenching dramas and tragedies, hysterically funny comedies, and heart warming romances. Let’s look at some examples and see how moe was wielded by the writer in each of these stories.

Kanon
Kanon provides the most traditional use of the relative moe method. It was actually such a successful system that it’s now been done to death and I would honestly half advise people to try to find some way to re-invent the formula now that it’s become too predictable.

Kanon uses the straight relative moe structure. In the beginning, Yuichi arrives at his old town, and his friends have random fun adventures. This is when the moe levels gradually get built up, and the player believes that he is safe. But just when things are looking good, various accidents begin to happen. The moe level takes a precipitous dip at the moment when it is revealed that Ayu is dead. Then, once it is revealed that she is, in fact, not dead but in a coma, the moe levels begin to rise again, pretty much sky rocketing once she comes out of the coma and happiness is restored. All of the emotional immersion is centered around the two massive changes in moe level near the end of the graph. Once again, I reiterate – emotional immersion happens when the moe levels change quickly. You don’t even have to be a fan of moe to have been emotionally engaged when young Ayu falls off the tree and dies in Yuichi’s arms. The only reason that this structure now fails is that it has been overused and now people already know that all will be well again in the end anyways, thus breaking immersion. However, I think that with some minor variations, this structure is still one of the best that you can use.

Other examples of this structure: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, Clannad, Bamboo Blade, Kannagi, Mai-HIME

K-On

K-On is the best example of the absolute moe structure. No attention is paid to actually varying the amount of moe, and instead the goal is just to maximize it. This is a successful structure, but with a few conditions. First, it creates nowhere the same amount of immersion as the relative moe structure (nobody’s hearts were pounding and were on the verge of tears during K-On, right?), and second, the person watching it must actually like moe in the first place to get enjoyment out of it.

Other examples of this structure: Lucky Star, Minami-ke, Hidamari Sketch

School Days

School Days is the best example of relative moe used to create a tragedy. At first, there are signs that things are going well – Makoto begins to go out with Kotonoha and Sekai and Kotonoha become friends. However, things begin to take a sinister twist when Makoto begins to cheat on Kotonoha. Finally, the moe level plummets with the final murder of Makoto and Sekai. Once again however, the emotional immersion is greatest when the moe level changes abruptly. I’m sure just about everyone felt something when Makoto gets stabbed, whether it be horror or euphoria.

Other examples of this structure: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori, Toradora!

So you’re telling me that Kanon and School Days basically uses the same system?
Yes, that’s exactly right. Moe can be used to create the happiest or the most horrifying of endings. It all depends how you use it. Story immersion doesn’t just come from making happy, idealized images by itself. It comes from varying the amount of moe skillfully at the right moments.

But isn’t moe formulaic then?
In terms of the story structure, it can be as formulaic or original as you wish. After all, it’s your choice when to vary the moe level and at what amount. Just remember that varying the moe level has consequences. If you do it at non-plot pivotal moments, that’s a lot of emotional immersion that you’ve sacrificed for no reason.

But why do all moe stories have set character archetypes like tsunderes, genki girls, dojikko, little sisters, and childhood friends? Isn’t that too formulaic?
Remember what I said back here?

But caution must be taken here! If you over do it, then you risk the possibility of making the image too remote from the real world. At that point, it becomes too obvious that you’re making a lie and immersion is lost. There shall be more on this later.

This is actually a very good time to return to this point. Moe is an image designed to get us away from the real world, so it is a deception. You need to get the viewer to accept that the world you have created is real, or else you don’t ever have a hope of creating immersion.

There are two ways of deceiving someone. The first way is to use your skills at persuasion to make another skeptical person accept what you are saying as true. The second way is when the other person has no skepticism about what you are saying in the first place and simply accepts whatever you say as true. The key difference between the two methods is that in the first one, the action happens with the deceiver – it is he who has to do all the work of tricking someone, but in the second, the action happens with the deceived – he purposefully stopped doubting the other person, and at this point, the deceiver doesn’t need to do anything at all to trick him.

How do you make the second method occur? The best way is if the deceived tells the lie to himself. In most circumstances, there’s going to be a certain level of skepticism in believing something that somebody else tells you. But almost always, nobody ever doubts the veracity of one’s own thoughts, even if they are obviously false. And this is where character archetypes come in.

Consider the following scene. A visual novel begins with a girl waking the player up. She complains about him being lazy ever since they were little kids and goes downstairs to cook him breakfast.

The player instantly recognizes this character as the childhood friend archetype. And once he has done that, he practically tells the story to himself. The player tells himself that she must have lived next door since they were born, and that she has had secret feelings for the player character for awhile now but has not said anything because they’re “like brothers and sisters.” And the player knows that that one day, she may confess to the player character and they may live happily ever after, but this will require a lot of work.

All of that are lies of course. Obviously, the chances of such a scenario occurring in real life are slim to none. What the visual novel is presenting is just an idealized image of the real world designed to trick the player into accepting it as true. Perhaps had it been the writer that tried to tell the player that all of this was actually happening without the help of the archetype, the player would have rejected it. But the pivotal point here is that the writer didn’t tell the player that – the player told himself that just by identifying the archetype. The player practically wrote her entire character by himself using his own expectations of the archetype. The player has accepted as true a lie created by the writer because he already accepted the lie even before it was spoken.

Consider the next example. After the player character wakes up, he walks down the stairs and bumps into a younger girl. She falls down and shyly covers her exposed underwear with a blush. She ruefully smiles and tells the player character that “big brother is always such a ditz! He should really watch where he’s stepping.”

And already, without the writer having to say a word, the player already tells himself that this is his little sister. She’s a cheerful young girl who looks after her older brother. She’s had a girlish crush on him for awhile now, but she knows that he’s family and that it’s not allowed. Once again, all of this is absolute fabrication. Have you ever seen a little sister who behaved like this? If any self respecting writer actually tried to convince a reader that this was all true, he would be laughed out of his career. But it all works and it accepted whole heartedly by the reader because the writer never actually tells the reader this, but the reader tells himself the lie just by identifying the archetype.

And that is the power of character archetypes. If used skillfully, a good writer can get readers to accept just about every ridiculous fabrication imaginable using these archetypes just because all the lies are told by the reader to himself instead of by the writer to the reader. Since the reader has expectations from the characters, he practically writes their characters by himself. And once he has done that, you have perfect immersion.

Does that mean I can’t develop my characters?
And here, you have the moe dilemma. The more you develop your characters, the more difficult it will be for you to keep up the illusion. In most absolute moe stories, where the purpose is to maximize the moe, most characters remain relatively undefined for this reason. You don’t really know much about Tsukasa, other than that she’s a shy, caring, clumsy girl. You don’t really know if she’s ever had a boyfriend, or if she has an interesting back story. If the writer says a single word outside of the player’s expectations, moe is broken.

However, in relative moe stories, the writer has much more opportunities to be creative, since the purpose is to vary moe rather than maximize it. Exposing more and more of a character leads to interesting changes in the moe level. Nothing will destroy a reader’s heart more than if the aforementioned childhood friend, who he thought to have known her entire life, has a tragic back story. And that is where your skill as a writer is put to its test.

Wrapping it up
Playing around with moe is a pretty enjoyable exercise for me. If properly wielded, moe is a great way to get the reader to laugh, cry, and most importantly, to believe that your fiction is happening right in front of them. Of course, enjoying moe and writing moe are two different things. The former doesn’t take much. All you have to do is just watch. In order to create, you need skill and practice. Hopefully, this reader was of help in giving you some of that.

Trapped in a Haunted Monastery

Being trapped in a haunted monastery can be a tricky affair, as the cast of Symphony will soon learn. Not only do a steady stream of bodies tend to appear with each toll of the bell tower, but you never know for certain if they were the unfortunate targets of a earthly murderer, or the victims of dark magic. Fortunately, there is good news. Fear not my dear amateur detectives, because this is the realm of anime, and even if you will probably get murdered (perhaps even multiple times… Thanks Rika.), you will most likely die at the hands of these lovely maidens. Some of them might go into emo facial contortion mode and kill you while laughing maniacally – others might kill you softly while singing you a lullaby – while others might go silent zombie mode and kill you quickly and emotionlessly. But have no fear! Even if you will die, you will not be killed by an ugly monster thingy like most Western horror flicks.

(Notice: Pantsu inside. Click to continue.)

Anime Fall 09 (And Friends)

Overall, I think this season’s pretty decent. It’s not a season of master pieces, but most of the shows are of either watchable quality or better.

TIER 1

A Certain Scientific Railgun
JC Staff

Pizza hut supports the Rebellion! NIPPON BANZAI!

A vast improvement over the first season, A Certain Scientific Railgun has solved all the serious pacing issues of the original and turned into one of the standout shows of the season. I leave it to H.C. Staff to say the rest.

Needless
Madhouse
Continuation from Summer 09

I’m telling ya, you don’t need the “pretty” part…

One of the most glorious stupid show ever made, Needless is idiotic when it needs to be, clever when it needs to be, and perverted just about all the time. Needless to say, it’s a blast to watch.

TIER 2

Kampfer
Nomad

It’s a trap!

Imagine that you wake up one day and find yourself a girl. And then imagine that the girl that you’ve had a crush on your entire life comes out of the closet for she-you, and somehow thinks that he-you trying to take she-you away from her. Does this make your head hurt yet? Kampfer is the gender bender anime to beat all other gender bender animes. It’s part scary, it’s part hysterically funny, and it’s all stupidly enjoyable.

The Sacred Black Smith
Manglobe

Don’t you think you need more armor than that?

Let’s say that you want to make a fantasy anime. First, you would gather up your default fantasy characters (DFCs – not to be confused with pittans or delightful female crew mates), then create your obligatory mysterious hooded villain, then import the necessary fantasy world – and voila! Instant fantasy success! But The Sacred Black Smith goes one step further: the sword is actually a living, scantily-clad bishojo. Is this a master piece in the making? I don’t know, but I do know that it looks like something I’d make!

Asura Cryin’
Seven Arcs
Continuation from Spring 09

Trainwreck? I’m there!

I can’t make much of a judgement here, since I’m still watching the first season, but from what I’ve seen so far, Asura Cryin’ is turning up to be a great mecha anime. We have multiple factions, great mecha action sequences, and a character expy of Takamachi Nanoha. What more can you ask for?

TIER 3
Nyan-Koi
AIC

Mewmew

A by the numbers example of an unwanted harem anime, the show features everyday man Junpei, who’s feelings towards the destined end girl, Mizuno, are thwarted every episode by an unwanted harem of a childhood friend, the tomgirl, an oneesama figure, and an unfortunate curse. Fun for now, but probably going to be one of those shows that I can’t remember that I ever watched a year from now.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Studio DEEN
Continuation from Summer 09

Adoptation trip up

A lackluster show redeemed by the fact that it is the heir to the master piece known as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Unfortunately, something happened between Higurashi and Umineko and DEEN can’t reproduce any of the things that made Higurashi good. Fun to watch only to reminisce about Higurashi.

Seitokai no Ichizon
Studio DEEN

A show where four cute girls sit in a room all day and act cute. Sound familiar?

An attempt by Studio DEEN to match the master piece that was K-On that only serves to highlight the massive gap in production quality between DEEN and KyoAni. A valiant effort to be sure, but compared against the other similar shows to have come before it, winds up being just a modestly watchable series.

TIER 4
Sora no Otoshimono
AIC

As train wreckky as they come

Ouch. Just one episode of Sora no Otoshimono was enough to prove that this was going to be the train wreck of the season. Imagine the plot of Ah! My Goddess, except instead of a Yamato Nadeshiko, the female protagonist is a nymphomaniac love slave, and the main protagonist is a pervert matching Ito Makoto of Nice Boat fame. With a premise like that, this can only go southward, so unless this ends with the note of Kanashimi Mukou he, I’m going to be very disappointed.

Sunrider’s Landing: DFC Edition

As depicted accurately by some anime series, space travel can be an arduous endeavor. Not only does one need to be crammed into a tiny metal box for months at a time, completely at the mercy of getting vaporized by long range beam weapons, getting the ship’s conveniently placed windshield smashed by a Zaku, and getting turned into Vajira food, but also get trapped hundreds of millions of light years (and sometimes even actual years) from one’s special one back at Earth. Sounds like a completely bad deal, huh?

That’s where our Delightful Female Crewmates are here to help! (Note: “DFC” as used in this blog refers not to the more well known characters of the less endowed variety, but to those brave young women who brave the travails of space travel and join the would be mecha hero on his adventures through the cosmos.) Any top-of-the-line ship needs its crew of only the most skillful and talented DFCs to back up and sometimes rescue the protagonist. Besides, what would be better than finding true love amongst the stars, on top of saving the galaxy from certain doom? We all know the previously mentioned special one back at Earth was just a lie, after all.

As such, I have prepared my roster of the top DFCs. These celestial ladies are at the top of their game and can turn any hopelessly outnumbered situation into an instant success story. A spaceship needs a crew, and a crew we have!

Strategic Analysis
Kaguya Sumeragi
From Code Geass

One of the heads of Kyoto by the age of 14, and later the ruler of the free world by age 15, few other DFCs can match Kaguya’s strategic abilities. Plus, she can officiate all starship weddings using her position as a world leader, which always comes in handy, especially if the said wedding happens to be taking place in the middle of a space battle. (Happens with alarming frequency in these kinds of shows…)

Ship Counselor
Nia
From Gurren Lagann

A bit air headed, and sometimes what she says doesn’t really make sense, but Nia’s still on board to give everyone a smile in case a mission doesn’t turn out as planned.

Bridge Bunnies
Feldt Grace
From Gundam 00

Darry
From Gurren Lagann

Milfeulle Sakuraba
From Galaxy Angel

Every ship needs a bridge team of only the most competent (relatively) bunnies, so here they are! We have Feldt to actually do all the work, Darry to clean up the mess Milfy will cause, and Milfy to provide everyone with food. (Don’t forget to bring someone who knows how to cook along for long space voyages… You know what’ll happen when Nia offers to cook for everyone.) And the best of all, the three of them visually complement each other! That gives them at least a +2 unity bonus on top of Milfy’s already massive luck bonus.

Mecha Squadron Leader
Meia Gisborn
From Vandread
Mecha of Choice: Vanguard

An old veteran who actually existed in a time when Gonzo actually stood for something other than trashy, unoriginal anime series, Meia has seen countless battles and can easily match any new gun to have come after her.

Stoic Mecha Pilot
Rei Ayanami
From Evangelion
Mecha of Choice: Eva-00

An even more experienced veteran from the really olden days of no computer generaterated graphics, Rei Ayanami is always willing to sacrifice her life for the sake of the mission. Not that she will ever have to, mind you, since this going to be a fun adventure in space where she learns of the power of friendship, rather than a dreary mindscrew series about how Kikuko Inoue is your mecha and a clone who falls in love with – ah, screw it, what am I saying here…

Rear Guard Mecha Pilot
Anya Alstreim
From Code Geass
Mecha of Choice: Mordread

Any mecha squadron needs a rear guard who can plow away large numbers of weak enemies, and Mordread fills the bill quite nicely. With enough defensive and offensive abilities to blow away entire swarms of cannon fodder, Anya provides the team with the necessary busting potential to remove all obstacles.

Wrathful Loli Mecha Pilot
Klan Klein
From Macross Frontier
Mecha of Choice: Queadluun-Rhea

With our mecha team consisting of stoic, serious characters like Meia, Rei, and Anya, we need Klan to provide the team with some loud wrathful loli action. Somebody’s got to put the protagonist in his place whenever he accidentally walks into the female change room.

Science Mecha Pilot
Mint Blancmanche
From Galaxy Angel
Mecha of Choice: Trick Master

And finally, we have Mint, who can provide everyone with information about the weaknesses of the bad guys and who can also hold her own using her DRAGOON inspired interceptor fighters.

And that concludes our DFC roster! Even though these girls are extremely capable and can bring a quick end to any masked super villain’s schemes, there’s bound to be other yet to be discovered DFCs out there. What will your crew look like?

Best Compilation Movie Ever

A Dango Disaster

Source

I’m sure everyone has seen at least one Kyoto Animation show. Being the creators of anime series like Haruhi Suzumiya, Lucky Star, and Kanon, they’ve created some of the best in anime. So, obviously, a second season to the already great Clannad is just destined to succeed right? I mean, how could the people who made Kanon 06 possibly fail?

Spring 09 Anime

Yet another season approaches its end and a new season begins… Look through the list and see if there’s anything you like.

I’m intrigued in K-on, the slice of life anime by Kyo-Ani. It sounds like a fusion of Lucky Star and Clannad Season 1, so it should be good right? Also, there’s gonna be a Valkaryia Chronicles anime? And the K-drama Winter Sonata’s going to get an anime adoptation? And then to top it all, appearently Gonzo’s going to make a mahjhong anime about moe girls. Moe girls have so far invaded kendo, WWII, and Tsukasa knows what else, so this should be pretty interesting. I’m also pretty curious what Sunrise is going to be working on next season…

It’s a Trap!

Ackbar would be proud.

(click for larger image)

Toradora 16 – Many Girly Tears Were Shed

Source: link (may not be safe for work)

As of this writing, Toradora has become the premiere anime of the Fall/Winter season!

What an unbelievable turn of events. With guaranteed wins such as Gundam 00 S2 and Clannad After Story in the season lineup, Toradora was initially just another Rie Kugimiya tsundere anime that nobody had any expectations for. And these low expectations surely were not unfounded after such misses as Zero no Tsukaima and Shana Season 2. But coming out from nowhere, J.C. Staff has finally done it again!

(warning: spoilers inside)

[Click for screenshot by screenshot commentary]