I’ve been taking my time off planning for activities inside and outside the school I’m registered in, but hey, I’m here to speak about what’s on my mind.
The image above goes from way back the 2000’s, where I only see Anime on my TV set. Most of the Anime-viewing public remembers this. The reason why I placed this here is because nowadays, our tastes in Anime have exceeded — but they are still stuck in the taste we’ve had a decade ago. There is a reason why I’ve written off that Anime in Terrestrial TV is not viable, and we rely mostly on Anime-themed cable channels to provide our fix, if not the internet.
Moving on, I’ve just read AKB48’s Karen Iwata’s impression of Wake Up, Girls! (as seen on this Tumblr post shared by Bluemist on Twitter), and after I read that I pondered upon my impression of the series.
Here’s what Iwata has to say about the series’ first episode:
Sendai winter is staggeringly cold. Back when I was in primary school, I wear leggings under my jeans, and also thick socks. I walk my path to school wearing stomach band around my belly. If I must wear skirt there, at very least I will use thick tights. And if it’s possible, I will put on a jersey under the skirt.
Moving back to the first episode, I am aware that the girls were shivering because it’s cold, but after I’ve read this I thought to myself, “Maybe they’re resisting the cold weather too much that it didn’t affect their first performance.”
Sure, WUG! is Yamakan’s take on Japan’s Idol scene, but it does matter to know that it’s still part-fiction.
WUG! is an Idol group based in Sendai, yes, and their agency Green Leaves has its website featuring them, but that still does not leave the fact that the plot in the Anime series is not that real. I still doubt that website exists because it is a talent agency, because all I can see are the girls themselves — even their company profile is yet to be constructed.
But seriously, Yamakan, you’re not saving anime here. You’ve just given the people in your team (aka the production committee and the cast) the opportunity to get moving and pursue their purpose in the Anime industry. I repeat, you’re not saving Anime, but it helps that you’re here for some drama to get rid of our boredom.
Anime introduced me to the Idol culture through that wrestling Anime Sekatsuyo and WUG!, where they both talk about the entertainment industry. I’ve had this feeling that I’ll delve into learning the Japanese entertainment slowly, which was then further realized when I found out about Ai Shimizu’s pro-wrestling debut.
As long as you’re in the Japanese entertainment industry, regardless if you’re a voice talent, a wrestler, an idol or even a JAV actress, you will have a place there until you quit. That is what I perceive, and it won’t change for now.