Comments on: MoY Podcast 2 BEYOND THE TIME: Episode 19– The Matt Alt Interview Part II

By: VZ

VZ — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:30:09 +0000

So is there any specific reason why those in the animation industry (other than high up executives) get paid so low?

By: wah

wah — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:37:10 +0000

That may not be too far off the mark, considering you have to be an otaku in the first place to actually want to work at an animation studio.

As Matt said, they’re living under the poverty line.

By: Carl

Carl — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:10:51 +0000

I’m not especially into moe, but then, I was never especially into mecha either. But that’s where a lot of anime is and was, so I appreciate people like Matt Alt and yourself who can write about these genres in an informed, funny, and clear-headed fashion (by which I mean, you both have the ability to understand how this stuff can look from the outside).

Is it possible that the miserable conditions of the industry reinforce the dominance of moe? That is, if you’re an animator barely getting by, and don’t have much real hope for career advancement, the one “luxury” you can afford is creating a world of adorable, consoling characters to cheer you up a little.

By: wah

wah — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:12:23 +0000

Fished out your comment from the depths of the penis-enlargement ads, Carl. Have no idea how it ended up there.

But yeah, while I do enjoy them moe animez, I do think Matt’s point about the medium becoming too inward looking is very valid. I don’t have much to add myself, but it is something of a shame that so few studios are going out of their way to make a statement these days.

That as, all studios except Studio SHAFT.

By: Carl

Carl — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:50 +0000

I had a comment, but I’m not sure it came through ^_^

By: VZ

VZ — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:58:04 +0000

I didn’t like Gundam Wing for it’s political dribble nonsense and every time I tuned in to watch it, I’d almost always see a character drinking tea.

By: Carl

Carl — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:43:44 +0000

Despite the shortwave-radio sound quality, the content of the podcast itself was first class. I was scribbling quotes down through the static: “Anime in general has become kind of a parody of itself. Moe is just a reaction to anime, instead of a reaction to other art or a reaction to the outside world. Anime is constantly focussing inward. I mean, I know it’s all right for Shinji to be here and all of that, but meanwhile, here in the real world, we all interact with each other…I don’t know, I just really feel that inward focus is a shame, because I think that as a medium it’s capable of so much more.” This is an ironic echo of what Anno himself said about Eva’s message the first time around, in 1996: “Look outwards first of all. Most anime makers are basically autistic. They have to try and reach out to others, communicate with others now.” Thirteen years later, as Matt said, the message is “Ayanami Rei, pouring Doritos over her naked body.”

Matt had a number of interesting points about Eva, including the its influences in kaiju eiga and tokusatsu. In my experience, this is a somewhat underemphasized angle when the series gets analyzed in the West.