Friendster, Hot Teachers and Anaheim
Anime, JET Program, Uncategorized August 20th, 2003
Fucking genius. After everyone and their mother asked me if I’ve joined Friendster I told them this:
“Yes. I joined a month before the fever hit and cancelled because it was pointless.”
So why did I join again? Because people won’t shut up – my friends just keep asking. So there I am. I’m on it. Enjoy. Now I can connect to twelve thousand people. I feel special, really. Call it another social experiment, or if I will suddenly be re united with my high school crush. I really don’t know and I honestly still don’t care. But I am still open to some hopes of the internet.
I already know that Friendster will start charging in a few months. Maybe not the current users but possibly future users. How else is a company going to manage a database of millions. For free? You have got to be kidding me. Once they ask me to pay up, you can kiss my userID goodbye. Until then, I’ll sit idle on the network.
Yesterday I watched all four episodes to the first DVD of “Please Teacher” (Onegai Teacher in Japan).
It’s easy to tell that PT is something of a male, adolescent fantasy come true. Everyone at school think’s Kei is 15 when he’s ctually 18 years old. A “standstill” causes him to sleep in a coma state for three years. So while his body hasn’t matured three years, his mentality somehow has.
Now, a new teacher has started in his small town. And she just so happens to be very sexy. Can I talk about animated characters that way?
Call it the best way to get around a teacher/jailbait scandal, but there you have it. While some scenes are clearly targeted towards a male audience, there is a bit that can lend itself to both male and female viewers alike. It is not adult anime but isn’t for younger viewers either. The supporting characters are very, very entertaining.
I’m interested in catching the rest of the series and plan to pick up the other DVDs (4 in total with the first 3 currently in release) as time and money permits.
So that is what I watched yesterday afternoon. There is finally some time now to do a few other things to relax (PlayStation 2, many DVDs to catch up). Everything in moderation I suppose.
***
The day is not over, but I did spend a few hours out. I had to drive to Anaheim to visit a branch of my credit union. Pension refund and all that goodness from my work as an ALT in Japan. It was comfortable even though it the temperature was high. Relaxing despite the horrid traffic. I’m pretty sure that will all change once I find work. For now, though, I am optimistic.
I feel as though when I’m out, or talking to people, my peripheral vision has somehow narrowed. My focus has increased some. Somewhat difficult to explain with words, but something very assuring and comforting in execution. You’d just have to be there.
Oh, and Kristen of mediatinker.com posted my contribution to Yamanote29. My caption to the image?
Businessmen as usual.
August 20th, 2003 at 6:47 pm
I don’t quite understand the appeal of Friendster. My social network, both online and offline, is small anyway. I’d rather have a small group of close friends than an arena full of passing acquaintances.
Anyway, I enjoyed Onegai Teacher. The premise is kind of pervy, and it gets off to a rough start (I thought so, at least), but the series really matures as it progresses. In many ways, the strongest aspect of the show is the supporting cast…they have their own stories as well, and all things considered, they up being more interesting than Kei and Mizuho.
The sequel, Onegai Twins, began airing last month in Japan. I’ve been watching, and thus far, it’s been as good as if not better than its predecessor.
August 21st, 2003 at 1:36 am
Friendster is succeeding because of it’s timing. The same concept was executed with the “Six Degrees” web service years ago, but no one seemed to care. At least those of us who were surfing at the time. I agree with your philosophy though.
OT, while pervy-premised, is entertaining. And besides, I am pretty sure that people out there had some crushes on teachers when we were younger. Either that or I have gone mad.
August 21st, 2003 at 6:40 pm
Friendster just seems to be yet another internet implementation of the social meat market mentality. Ugh, creepy. I think that you should instead have just told the asking friends to stop asking.
I can’t quite call OT pervy-premised. There’s nothing in it that’s really all that sexually abnormal or deviant. I’m not versed in what’s accepted as normal in japan, but I think the show’s 18 year-old in a 15 year-old body thing is partly a cop-out in lieu of just trying to suggest that in some situations, age shouldn’t mean a damn thing.
Or maybe it really is all just the fantasy of getting laid by your unbelievably hot teacher. For all I know, the show’s creative staff could have been saying as much in the articles in Animage, Newtype, and Megami Magazine that I buy now and then. I can’t read them yet, so I just look at and scan the pictures.
If you’d like, James, next time you’re in the area I can bring over the fansubs of OT and OTwins on CDs. Also have OTwins in unsubbed form too if you’d like–got them to make my own DVDs while waiting for the official ones.
Hmm, first 3 OT DVDs in release you say? Did they release vol. 3 early? Dvdplanet shows Sept. 2nd for vol. 3′s release… should I raid their store now instead?
August 22nd, 2003 at 1:26 am
Well said, nobrandhero.
You’re right also, about the releases: the 3rd DVD isn’t out until September.