Behind The Nihon Review » K-ON!

Why the Megadere Ruined Tsundere-ism For Everyone

Sorrow-kun — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:55:29 +0000

A bit overblown, don't you think? What about New Coke?

In my first entry to this year’s “Tsundere Appreciation Month”, I gushed over some of my favourites, particularly looking back at the tsunderekko who have made a positive impact on the archetype and who I think are memorable for various reasons. Today, with just a few days left in Tsundere Appreciation Month, I want to rage about some of my least favourite, and make some comments on some of the ways that my favourite moe archetype is being cheapened. The tsundere is a tricky balance. Her appeal is a strange one. Too belligerent and you have someone annoying, and hard to like. Too submissive, and it comes off as transparent and forgettable.

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Copyright © 2011 Behind The Nihon Review. All licensed material are owned by their respective parties.
By Sorrow-kun | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to StumbleUpon | Tweet! | reddit
Post tags: Da Capo, K-ON!, Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo!, Rental Magica, Tsundere

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AnimeSuki 2010 Choice Awards: Picking Winners

Sorrow-kun — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:03:58 +0000

It’s on again, and just as I have for the last two years, I’ll be covering this year’s AnimeSuki Choice Awards by sharing my thoughts on the categories, telling you who I’ll be voting for and, most importantly, trying to predict the winners. Last year, I managed to correctly pick 13 of the 18 categories (which is the same number I got the year before), and I’ll be trying to better that again here, except, again this year, I haven’t exactly been active enough on the site to know what people have been fawning over.

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Copyright © 2011 Behind The Nihon Review. All licensed material are owned by their respective parties.
By Sorrow-kun | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to StumbleUpon | Tweet! | reddit
Post tags: Angel Beats!, AnimeSuki Choice Awards, Cross Game, Darker than Black - Kuro no Keiyakusha, Fullmetal Alchemist, High School of the Dead, K-ON!, Katanagatari, Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai, Shiki, Tamayura, The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, Working!!, Yosuga no Sora

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On Exploitation

Akira — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 06:00:49 +0000

Am I being exploited?

During my recent trip, I noticed that not much has changed in Japan since I came last summer, but one can see the commercialization of moe progressing rapidly. The new rage in Japan is what my friends and I have facetiously dubbed “life goods” (after Kyoto Animation’s booth at ‘ket, which sold K-On character “life sets”, featuring coasters, pillow covers and other such kitsch)— goods which have no real practical value such as the ones mentioned above. These life goods are part of a vast scheme of exploitation, which we typically consent to.

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Copyright © 2011 Behind The Nihon Review. All licensed material are owned by their respective parties.
By Akira | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to StumbleUpon | Tweet! | reddit
Post tags: K-ON!, Lucky Star, Moexploitation, Moyashimon, Strike Witches, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Working!!

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Tsundere Sexuality: A Second Cut

Akira — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:00:22 +0000

Tsundere? Her? Nah...

October must be Tsundere Appreciation Month here at BtNHRV. Sorrow-Kun‘s random twitter thought seemed to have generated much discussion and debate amongst the readers of this blog. I happen to think that there’s no direct correlation between tsundere and sexuality or promiscuity. Each character is different; it is our reaction to them remains constant across series.

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Copyright © 2010 Behind The Nihon Review. All licensed material are owned by their respective parties.
By Akira | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to StumbleUpon | Tweet! | reddit
Post tags: Bakemonogatari, Clannad, ef -a tale of memories, K-ON!, Kugimiya Rie, Lucky Star, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Seikimatsu Occult Academy, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Toradora, Tsundere, Working!!

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Tsundere Sexuality: Part 1

Sorrow-kun — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:32:13 +0000

A random thought which I posted on Twitter last night resulted in an interesting discussion on tsundere sexuality. The first thing I wanted to determine was whether I, along with other tsundere fans, were the only ones who noticed tsundere characters in a more sexual light than other moe archetypes, and, if that wasn’t the case, whether some objectivity could be applied to the observation. I think, based on the handful of responses I got, it’s safe to say that tsundere characters, in general, emanate more sexuality than a lot of other moe archetypes, but I still have no idea whether this is something that’s innate or engineered.

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Copyright © 2010 Behind The Nihon Review. All licensed material are owned by their respective parties.
By Sorrow-kun | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to StumbleUpon | Tweet! | reddit
Post tags: Clannad, K-ON!, Love Hina, Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, Tsundere, Zero no Tsukaima

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What if Saten had been Railgun’s Protagonist?

Akira — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:24:51 +0000

U...i...ha...RUUUU!!!

Yesterday, Saten Ruiko (of A Certain Scientific Railgun) won Group H of Saimoe, edging out Fate Testarossa by 39 votes. This is quite a feat, and she will now join moeblob powerhouses Nagi (Hayate), Shana (Shana), Nodoka (Saki), Koromo (Saki), Yamada (Working!), Mafuyu (Maid-Sama!!) and Azusa (K-On!!) in the final eight. She is also the only remaining character from Railgun, Mikoto having lost to Azusa in a rather hotly-contested match. Saten’s victory and Mikoto’s loss got me thinking a little bit about Railgun, which I am currently watching. (Spoilers through Episode 12 of Railgun.)

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Copyright © 2010 Behind The Nihon Review. All licensed material are owned by their respective parties.
By Akira | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to StumbleUpon | Tweet! | reddit
Post tags: Arakawa Under the Bridge, Hayate the Combat Butler, K-ON!, Kaichou wa Maid Sama, Saimoe, Saki, Saten Ruiko, Shakugan no Shana, To Aru Kagaku no Railgun, Working!!

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Summer 2010 Mid-season Impressions

NHRV Staff — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:46:26 +0000

We’re just past the half-way point of the current season, and fast approaching the beginning of the next. A handful of our staff have taken a moment to tell you what we think of the show’s we’re watching so far, up to this point. This collection of our mid-season thoughts will serve as the first in a new seasonal series for the blog. As a comparison, you can read what we thought at the beginning of the season here. So, enjoy.
Introduction by: Sorrow-kun

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Copyright © 2010 Behind The Nihon Review. All licensed material are owned by their respective parties.
By NHRV Staff | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to StumbleUpon | Tweet! | reddit
Post tags: Amagami SS, Asobi ni Ikuyo!, Heroman, High School of the Dead, K-ON!, Legend of the Legendary Heroes, Nurarihyon no Mago, Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi, Seikimatsu Occult Academy, Seitokai Yakuindomo, Shiki, Shukufuku no Campanella

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Elitists: A Reflection of Our Aniblog Tourney Run

Akira — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:29:03 +0000

Is Time a better publication because it is more popular? Is Foreign Affairs a better publication because it is more academic? Does the question even matter?

Our pithy little blog, Behind the Nihon Review, was pitted against Random Curiosity, the mother of all episodic anime blogs, for the second round of the Aniblog Tourney. To nobody’s surprise, we lost. This post should not be viewed as an attempt to justify our failure in the tournament, nor should it be seen as an exercise in hateful finger pointing. I intend to do nothing of the sort.

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Spring 2010: Less Moe, More Substance?

Akira — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:18:29 +0000

Koji Kumeta telling you what's up.

Sorrow-kun has just given his opinion on the new season, and I’ve discovered that the new shows have a subtle, but important, shift in focus away from the “moexploitation” shows of past seasons. While I am not foolish or naive enough to conclude that Spring 2010 will be known as “The Season that Moe Died” (especially with Strike Witches 2 just around the corner, HNNNNNNGH), the shift is still interesting and worth examining.

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Copyright © 2010 Behind The Nihon Review. All licensed material are owned by their respective parties.
By Akira | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to StumbleUpon | Tweet! | reddit
Post tags: Angel Beats!, Arakawa Under the Bridge, B Gata H Kei, Durarara!!, K-ON!, Rainbow, Senko no Night Raid, Sora no Woto, Working!!

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Was Winter 2010 a Good Season?

Sorrow-kun — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:07:30 +0000

Continuing on from the last post. This post contains moderate spoilers for the tagged anime. (Source of above image unknown, found on Moe Imouto; mildly NSFW.)

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