Your Happening World (January 12th through April 30th)

  • A Mari Okada Anime Timeline – 女のカントク – Ten years ago on March 11, 2006, Mari Okada made her anime movie debut on a film for the TV anime Kaiketsu Zorori (The full name of the movie is Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori: Nazo no Otakara Daisakusen). In honor of that, here’s part 1 of a two part project on Mari Okada.
  • Kiznaiver and Mayoiga: Okada Mari in Spring 2016 | HOT CHOCOLATE IN A BOWL – When I declared two weeks ago that I’d be looking at Okada Mari for this next post in my ‘Anime Writing’ project, I hadn’t actually read more than one of her interviews (the noitaminA one that’s summarised with one mistake here).1 Just one week later, I found myself regretting that rash decision, for I’d come across around ten relevant interviews, and had no idea if I’d even be able to put together something coherent. In the end, I decided that the best thing to do was to focus on the offerings this season that she’s had a hand in: Kiznaiver and Mayoiga.
  • 80sanime — 1979-1990 Anime Primer – I wrote this primer to serve as an introduction to those new to 80s anime. It features 50 titles, all of which are either films or OVAs for ease of viewing. I attempted to strike a balance between iconic productions and lesser-known gems; nevertheless, this list reflects my personal opinions only and is not meant to be definitive. Also, please note that Studio Ghibli films from this era were purposefully not included since they’re already so well-known (I consider Nausicaä to be pre-Ghibli).
  • The Dreaded ‘Anime Avatar,’ Explained — Following: How We Live Online

GamersGate: Intel lets spoiled manchildren think they’re important

So GamersGate. A bunch of petulant man children from the open sewer of the internet got roped into some creep’s crusade against his ex-girlfriend under the banner of “objective gaming journalism”, spewed the usual mix of rape and death threats against her, but Zoe Quinn, their intended victim, turned out to be smarter than the lot of them and had infiltrated their main planning channel for weeks. These losers are still sputtering on, the 101st chairborne brigade fighting a losing war against the forces of social justice on blogs and Twitter, a tweet too far.

What kind of lame company would let themselves be roped into their campaign and feel pressured to withdraw advertising from a gaming site just because they say so? Intell, that’s who:

GamerGate’s ballyhooed success with Intel reveals them to be a movement for “journalistic integrity” that is willing to use major corporate sponsors to dictate the editorial content of a website for no reason other than the fact that they disagree with it. As a “consumer revolt,” it has shown itself to be a neoliberal nightmare wherein large corporations are the heroes and plucky independent journalists are the “elite” villains who need to be toppled.

(Incidently, the habit of Feministing here to blank out the Twitter accounts sending death threats in their screenshots but not those of the victims of said threats is mildly annoying.)

By giving in to blackmail, Intel has enabled the most whining, dumbest and aggressive part of videogaming “culture” to terrorise more women and the websites that publish them, in exchange for much more negative p.r. than it would’ve had, had it refused to play ball. The LoserGaters are a noisy and obnoxious part of gaming, but they’re only a minority. Normal people, sane people, want nothing to do with them.