[tenchi:106050] Re: The strange relationship of Dual and Evangelion ^_^


to tenchi@usagi.org
from "Joseph Riggs" <josephriggs@lycos.com>
subject [tenchi:106050] Re: The strange relationship of Dual and Evangelion ^_^
date Thu, 08 Jun 2006 10:20:37 -0800
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gregory Himes" <gdhimes@yahoo.com>
> To: tenchi@usagi.org
> Subject: [tenchi:106049] The strange relationship of Dual and Evangelion  ^_^
> Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2006 17:22:25 -0700 (PDT)
> 
> After all, if we're going to be so petty, let's berate and burn all
> copies of Evangelion for ripping off from mecha and angst based anime
> from the 30 years previous to it...
> 

Lately people just seem to have a knee-jerk need to classify things as 'rip-offs'.
I constantly see it used between Starcraft and Warhammer 40,000.  I've seen people
use it in reference to Freespace and Wing Commander.

Typically, though, the classification of 'rip-off' reveals some important things.


1.)  The product supposedly being ripped off is typically one that the accuser has
extremely strong positive feelings towards.
2.)  The product accused of being a rip-off is generally something that has at least
a decent sized fan base, suggesting that it's a product that people enjoy.

Ergo, it's probably reasonable to suggest that most accusations of something being
a rip-off are a defensive reaction to a product that people feel threatens the enshrinement
of the accuser's own favorite.  The casual dismissal of something as a
rip-off means that the accuser doesn't have to evaluate the product on its own merits
as it's 'obviously' just a blatant copy of the product being ripped-off.

Alan and I had a conversation once that I'm shoehorning somewhat, but the gist of
it was that anime is new enough for US audiences that for many viewers the 'big' titles
are the first time they've seen something like that.  To adapt our conversation
somewhat, this means that the newcomers haven't seen many of the old cliches and situations
that have been recurring for as long as anime has been around and that are as stock
as Wile E. Coyote running off a cliff and not falling until he looks down.
I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Americans who've seen Martian Successor Nadesico
think that the rocket punch is unique to that show.  But of course the reality is
that it's practically a requirement in Go Nagai's mecha shows, which have been
around for decades. 

It also doesn't help that certain shows simply aren't available in the US.  Eva's
"kill 'em all!" approach loses a little of its kick if you've already seen Ideon (which
is the series that quite firmly established that nickname with Tomino).

Scott Kurtz spoofed the whole thing in his comic strip PvP Online when his male teenage
character Francis read The Lord of the Rings for the first time (before the movie
came out).  Francis's comment after he finished was that the makers of D&D should

sue that Tolkien guy for blatantly ripping off D&D. 

:P


junior


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