--- AstroNerdBoy <usr1054@astronerdboy.com> wrote:

> > And what have you seen to tell that the fans ARE buying those extra materials

> > (specifically, the ones which have clues about Misaki).  That stuff may be selling

> well,
> > but that is not to say that the majority of Tenchi fans go out and buy the written

> stuff 
> > (and hence, were able to clearly comprehend what was going on with Misaki).  How
many
> > people buy the book after seeing a movie?  Some, yes.  Does everyone?  No.  Do
most?
> Do
> > most Tenchi fans buy that stuff?  The burden of proof would be on those claiming
that
> > Japanese fans buy Kajishima's other stuff, not the other way around.
> > nik
> > 
> 
> I understand your frustration with the Misaki revelation (and to be fair, it was

> troubling to me at first until TS showed me where K-sensei had hinted that there
was
> more to her). 

By the way, I 'm curious about that myself.  Would you consider posting it?

> That said, you are looking at this through Western eyes.  :-)  Having 
> seen nearly 230 anime titles of various lengths, I can tell you that Japanese
> storytelling is at times very different from American storytelling.  

I've heard this before.  As I've been told, the Japanese like to make the material

confusing to promote rewatching (which has a separate sort of fun in it).  But I still

believe that this practice sacrifices the story.  I think it's needless to do a story
in
that way.  The literary devices of allusion, flashback and foreshadowing were created
so
that surprises would make the story flow easier and not feel disjointed (as well,
it is
fun to speculate while watching/reading the material).  Kajishima could have used
hese
but didn't.  Even worse, the incident is never explained nr is any light shed as to
what
is going on.  

Perhaps I am guilty of a weird sort of  narrative ethnocentrism, but if that means
that I
am partial to logical storytelling instead of awkardness, then I am forced to admit
that
I think that the "shock and confusion" form of storytelling is inferior.


> I found it interesting that while accepting the fact that sales of TM!R novels are

> good, you seem to indicate that it isn't the Tenchi "otaku" who are buying them,
rather
> normal everyday people. 

I disn't mean to imply this (not quite sure where you came to that conclusion from
my
posts) but I would not guess that normal viewers in Japan regularly buy the written
stuff
t the point that they would not be confused by ep 19.

> It is the Tenchi otaku who buy the K-sensei doujinshi.  

I would certainly guess that.


> One more thing of note which may seem unrelated, but hang with me.  TM!R has strong

> roots in the Shinto and Buddhist religion.  Thus is the basis for Tenchi's true

> identity, the Choushin, and Counteractor, and more.  These points (much like Washu's

> remarks about the flowers to Sasami-chan in episode 8) would have been known by
the
> Japanese audiences but complete mysteries to most of us in the West.  That's because

> TM!R was written for the Japanese audience and not us Westerners. 

Without knowing the religious/philosophical beliefs in Japan or the nation's intensity

towards learning those doctrines, I can't really comment on that matter other than
to say
that unless the specific religious material that you are citing (which I wonder if
you
would mind telling me about, for comparison purposes so that perhaps I might be able
to
see a connection) is well known and could reasonably be construed as a parallel to
the
Misaki/Choushin thing, then that argument doesn't do much for me.


> Don't get me wrong.  There are things I wish K-sensei had done better with OAV 3
and
> with the previous OAV's as well.  However, he has from the begining felt no need
to
> explain everything in the anime and chose to write novels, doujinshi, and do 
> interviews to get additional information to the fans. 

I wouldn't want him to do that either.  That sounds like a long, boring, history lesson

to me.  The only things I would like explained are those things which help me enjoy
the
material more by being able to understand the action.

 He's done this for his other
> series as well, though TM!R/GXP take up the majority of these additional works.

> 
> Anyway, I hope you won't get angry with me (or TS) for these discussions.  Personally,

> I enjoy this.  :-)

I'm not angry at anyone for their view.  I hope you are not angry with myself or the

others as well.
nik

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