Robot Maids...

[Lord God Jinnai]

Okay, we all know that the Japanese can be pretty weird. Thankfully, the weirdness is of the good variety.

So then, let us have a discussion on the various weird-ass anime/game fixations that the Japanese have. Examples of these are robot maids, magical girls, cutesy mascots with dots for eyes, fighting nuns, etc.

Why are the Japanese so fascinated with them? And why the HELL do we become obsessed with them ourselves?

Begin discussion.

[Spanner]

Well, if you don't mind my being cynical, a lot of the popular stereotypes in anime seem to fall under two categories: Things that are cute, and things that are fetishistic.

The Japanese realize that certain types of outfits just generally appeal to a large (generally male) audience, and are completely unshy about exploiting it. Schoolgirl outfits, maid uniforms, nun habits, glasses, catgirls - from what little I've seen of the Hentai world of anime, you'd be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't exploit at least ONE of these. To those who go for that kind of thing, they're a sexual turn on, and even in anime that is NOT blatant porn, it can make the anime more appealing for the characters to be dressed in such a way.

Most of these fetishes don't particularly appeal to me, personally. Maids and nuns do nothing for me. (Though, I'll confess I have something of a weakness for glasses. ) The cute, I better understand.

People like looking at cute things. Kittens, puppies, miniature versions of various products, and so on. Stereotypically, females go more gaga over cute than males do, but certainly there's no shortage of guys who like the cute stuff, too. That's where the mascots come from, and the magical girls, and those two little kids who are always hanging around the dojo in Rurouni Kenshin. (The magical girls have an added bonus, as they are often able to combine the cute ideal with fetishistic schoolgirl clothing - the best of both worlds, right?)

As for why WE become fascinated with them... Well, for the same reason the Japanese do. Overexposure. Brand-shiny-new anime fans will typically be confused by all the fetishistic things in anime. I know I sure didn't get the joke in Slayers the first time I saw Lina doing her "Call me queen!" routine. (Ah, to be young and innocent again...) Gradually, as we become aware of the fact that certain things are supposed to be sexually appealing, they become so. I'll bet 99% of the anime fans who go gaga over robot maid anime had no particular interest in maids before they got into anime and began seeing maid after maid trying to loyally serve their masters in every possible way.

At least that's my take on the whole deal.

[Lord God Jinnai]

You do have a point. I would whole-heartedly agree, but for the fact that the fixations in anime aren't just regular maids or regular nuns. They're robot maids and fighting nuns!

I'm beginning to suspect that the marketers who come up with these characters just write down a bunch of random nouns, throw em all into a hat, then pick two out. Whatever it forms becomes their next anime show.

Let's try it. Let's type up as many random nouns as we can, then put them together to come up with the next big anime hit!

LGJ's word pile:

log
peanut
mechanic
stewardess
teacher
bomb
static
magician
cat
drum
wings
atom
computer
nurse
doll
gun
Howitzer
sword

Okay, here are just some of the words that I've come up with form my list:

1) Cat Nurse ~has potential...
2) Log Mechanic ~ewww
3) Computer Magician ~IT superhero maybe?
4) Howitzer Doll ~I'd buy one
5) Stewardess Nurse ~INSTANT HIT!

[Saucer]

Fighting Nuns!

3) Computer Magician ~IT superhero maybe?

Already been done (see Corrector Yui manga).

Weird fixiations and fetishes is one of the things that makes anime and manga such a unique and appealing facet for us westerners deprived of entertainment rife with sex and violence that still knows how to take things lightly and have a good time! Glasses, school girls, nurses, maids, robot-nurse-maid-school girls with glasses and big boobs, angels, demons, teachers, aliens, lycanthropes..... anything goes!

Despite having laws against sexual harrasment and sexual discrimination, Japan is still a country where men are men and women are women. And since a higher proportion of the anime demographic are boys & men, it's tailored to men's tastes (manga however is a different story. there are manga for every age and gender in Japan). Take for instance the panty fetish. Many ask..... why? The answer is simple, the Japanese don't supress their sexuality like we do in the West (come on, you can buy pr0n out of a vending machine!). However, at the same time, the Japanese observe quite a number of censroship standards in regards to commercial art (ie; anime) and photography. What do you do if you can't show a women's naughty bits? Heck, just show 'em with the panties on! The censorship standards have been lifted in recent years, but the fetish remains...

For anybody who's interested in learning more about the process of and industry behind manga, takes on fetishes (including the evolution of the panty shot) and having one hell of a laugh, do check out Koji Aihara & Kentaro Takekuma's Even A Monkey Can Draw Manga. I recommend it highly!

[MrWhat]

Okay, we all know that the Japanese can be pretty weird. Thankfully, the weirdness is of the good variety.

One of the fun things about anime, at least for me, is that it's from a completely different culture.  I don't pretend to understand exactly how or why the Japanese differ from the Western world.  But it's fascinating to watch stories told from such a different perspective.

Why do we become obsessed with these things?  Well, I can't speak for you, but myself, I ain't got the sense God gave a goose.

Maids and nuns do nothing for me. [...] The cute, I better understand.

Yeah, I really don't get the whole "maid" thing, either.  In fact, a maid outfit is ugly to my eyes.  School uniforms, nurse uniforms, etc., etc., are nice on a pretty girl, but they're no more attractive than any other nice clothes.  I guess my brain is wired to appreciate, uh, other things.

And there's cute, and then there's... cute.  Wacky zany Alielle cute is Good, but sugary sweet Sakuya cute is Not Good.

Let's type up as many random nouns as we can, then put them together to come up with the next big anime hit!

Anime and Manga-related Generators
Anime Name Generator
Anime Title Generator
Shoujo Anime Title Generator
Hours of fun!

Weird fixiations and fetishes is one of the things that makes anime and manga such a unique and appealing facet for us westerners deprived of entertainment rife with sex and violence that still knows how to take things lightly and have a good time! Glasses, school girls, nurses, maids, robot-nurse-maid-school girls with glasses and big boobs, angels, demons, teachers, aliens, lycanthropes..... anything goes!

I think that the stereotypical Japanese unrepressed attitude towards nudity and sexuality is, very generally, a Good Thing-- as long as everything is consentual.  I enjoy most harem comedies and the like-- but there's some nasty anime out there too.  E.g., Don't Leave Me Alone, Daisy.  Ick.

[Fujisawa4654]

Isn't that picture from PSO or something?... RAcasteal or something.. Some sort of fan art I've seen before I believe... The fighting nuns though are... Well what the f*** is wrong with those people!!

[Lord God Jinnai]

Isn't that picture from PSO or something?... RAcasteal or something..

Yep. The RAcaseal are the requisite robot maid class in that particular MMO.

The fighting nuns though are... Well what the f*** is wrong with those people!!

Hey buddy, JESUS KICKS ASS!

[Fujisawa4654]

I never said anything bad about anything... Except.. the aprt where I said what the f*** was wrong with these people.. I meant the people who made the... manga...

Addiction to PSO rising again.. Gonna play in on the l33t PC

Oh and the RAcaseal is a Ranger class, meaning MARKSMAN... TBH That class just sucks for when you're in a group....

[Saucer]

I never said anything bad about anything... Except.. the aprt where I said what the f*** was wrong with these people.. I meant the people who made the... manga...

What do you mean what's wrong with them? Nuns w/katana are fscking hot! Hirano Kohta-sensei (creator of Hellsing) is a genius.  

[Lord God Jinnai]

Nuns w/katana are fscking hot!

As someone who went to Catholic School, I feel as if I must say something.

Nuns with katanas are not hot. They are scary.

**gets beaten with a whip by Sister Mary Josephine**

[Xel]

What do you mean what's wrong with them? Nuns w/katana are fscking hot!

I feel you. I seem to have developed a bit of a cassock fixation. Funny, that.

[js_morris]

Nuns, nuthin'. You want to take care of business, call in the Jesuits. My father-in-law tells about his days at a Jesuit high school where it was nothing to see a brother attempt to pass an unruly student's head through the blackboard.

JSM

[Lord God Jinnai]

Feh. Jesuits don't got nothin on the Franciscans, brother. My uncle is the head of the Franciscan Order in the Philippinnes, and he can tell you some "unique" and "creative" (i.e. illegal) ways to discipline an unruly youth.

Monks are awesome.

[Kathy Guinea]

Monks are cool.

If I weren't female I'd probably be a monk. But since I am... well that's kinda out for me... and being a nun just isn't as cool as being a monk. :p

[Saucer]

I'd like to be a monk of Esoteric Buddhism. Powers are cool. I don't think if have it in me for all the dedication and training though.... Maybe I can be a Shinto Priest?