Eat You Alive – Utena AMV

anime title: Shoujo Kakumei Utena

song is “Eat You Alive” by Limp Bizkit

Brightside of Utena

anime title: Shoujo Kakumei Utena

song is “Mr Brightside” by Killers

She Loves Me Not

anime title: Kannazuki no Miko

song is “Loves Me Not” by tATu

The earliest known fan music video made using anime is Jim Kaposztas’s comedic Space Battleship Yamato video to “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles, produced in 1982 using two VCRs. The hobby, in parallel with fan dubbing and fan parodies, was largely spread via VHS tape trading by anime fansub distribution services and by performance at anime conventions.

By the mid ’90s, anime conventions began holding contests for anime music videos, and a distinct anime fan AMV subculture developed. As video editing technology became more accessible, and as video distribution over the Internet became more common, AMVs became an integral part of online anime fandom.

Here are some of my favourite shoujo-ai (yuri) amvs – all made by Natalie (her nickname on youtube is ’strawberrypanic’) – she is my favorite yuri amv creator.

1000 words ~ Yuri amv

clips from anime titles:
Kannazuki no Miko, Strawberry Panic, Maria Sama ga Miteru, Yami to Boushi to hon no Tabibito, Simoun

songs are:
“To zanarkand” – ffx soundtrack
“1000 words” – ffx-2 soundtrack

~Freedom~ Yuri amv

clips from anime titles:
Aria, Blue Drop, Kiddy Grade, Candy Boy, El Cazador, Kannazuki no Miko, Maria Sama ga Miteru, Simoun, Murder Princess, Yami to Boushi to hon no Tabibito, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha

songs are:
“Freedom” by BeForU
“Hikari – Kingdom Orchestra Instrumental Version”

Shoujo-ai amv

clips from anime titles:
Kashimashi ~Girl meets Girl~, Yami to Boushi to hon no Tabibito, Maria-Sama ga miteru, El Cazador, Rozen maiden

song is “Fields of Hope” by Rie Tanaka

~Frozen Hearts~ Yuri amv

clips from anime titles:
Kannazuki no Miko, Maria Sama ga Miteru, Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora, Mai Hime, Simoun, Strawberry Panic, Kashimashi ~Girl meets Girl~, Venus Versus Virus

songs are:
A song of Storm and Fire – Kajiura Yuki
Shoujo Meiro de Tsukamaete (berry mix) – Aki Misato

Manga comic books are read right page first, and then the left. The text and panels are meant to be read right to left as well. Many artists have fought long and hard to maintain this tradition when publishing Manga comic books in other countries, and to date the tradition remains.

The word “manga” basically means “comics” in Japanese. A single manga volume is around the size of a paperback novel and a single manga series can take many volumes to tell a story. While many manga series are for children and teens, many more are in fact geared towards a very adult audience.

Manga are typically printed in black-and-white, although some full-color manga exist. In Japan, manga are usually serialized in telephone book-size manga magazines, often containing many stories, each presented in a single episode to be continued in the next issue. If the series is successful, collected chapters may be republished in dedicated book-sized volumes, called tankobon. A manga artist (mangaka in Japanese) typically works with a few assistants in a small studio and is associated with a creative editor from a commercial publishing company. If a manga series is popular enough, it may be animated after or even during its run, although sometimes manga are drawn centering on previously existing live-action or animated films.

There are several distinct types of Manga comic books. The most popular types include Shonen (boys), Shojo (girls), Seinen (men’s), Josei (women’s), and Kodomo (children’s). Shonen is often filled with action and humor while Shojo is lighthearted and often features romantic plots. Seinen often features adult subject matter, violence, and sexual references. Some of the most popular Manga titles include “Battle Royale”, “‘Full Metal Alchemist”, and “Blade of the Immortal”. Classic Manga includes titles like “Dragon Ball”, “Ghost in the Shell”, “Akira”, and “Gunsmith Cats”.

Shoujo-ai manga centers generally around the romantic relationship between girls. It includes titles like “Maria-sama ga Miteru”, “Claudine”, “Kashimashi: Girl meets Girls”, “Maya’s Funeral Procession”.

Artbooks

The artbooks are called gengashu in Japanese, which means “original picture/illustration/art collection”. The art books in Japan are of extremely high quality with dust covers, or even hard cover compilations. They are to be treasured. Concept artists will also create new scenes and images just for the art books. Some will even feature little comics in them, making light of certain characters or situations. Art books are meant to be enjoyed and perused at your leisure. You could use it as a coffee table book if you’d like. Or you could just have it as a keepsake, to remind you of your love for a favorite anime or video-game.

Dojinshi

Dojinshi, meaning “niche journal,” doesn’t refer to any one style of publication, but to a way of publishing. Dojinshi manga are non-professional and/or self published comics, and d0jin refers to any self-published work. Dojinshi manga can be broken into two broad categories: fan-comics and original works. Fan-comics, much like fan-fiction, are based on established properties and created by fans of those properties. Original works are based on the dojinshi-ka’s (creator) original ideas. The only difference between mainstream manga and original dojinshi is that the dojinshi is not published by a publishing company; it is self-published by the dojinshi-ka.

Manga, Manwha, and Manhua

While manga are Japanese comics, “manwha” are Korean comics and “manhua” are Chinese comics. Although they each have subtle differences, they often get grouped together because of their strong similarities.

Brother, Dear Brother [TV 1991]

Alternative titles Oniisama e…
To My Brother…
Onii-sama e

Total Episodes 39 (39 x 26 min)
Release Date 1991-07-14 ∼ 1992-05-31
Director/Creator Dezaki Osamu (based on manga by Ikeda Riyoko)
Studio TMS

SUMMARY

Oniisama e (“To Big Brother”) is a shoujo-ai manga series by Ikeda Riyoko, also the author of Rose Of Versailles. Written in the 1970s, it is one of the earliest examples of the genre, and seems to have had a considerable effect on the series that came after it. It was adapted into an anime series in the ’90s.

Misonoo Nanako is a professor’s daughter looking forward to her first day of school at the prestigious Seiran Academy, a girls-only school that caters to the rich or, in her case, those with high test scores. She soon finds that the school is polarized by three popular and talented individuals, known as the Magnificent Three and distinguished by their nicknames: “Kaoru no Kimi” or Kaoru Orihara, a boyish, but talented sports player named after a character in The Tale of Genji; “Saint-Juste” or Rei Asaka, a flamboyant pianist named for a French Revolutionary character; and “Miya-sama” or Fukiko Ichinomiya, the president of the Seiran Sorority, an elite group of the most beautiful and talented girls of the school.

She narrates the story of the series in a series of letters to a young man named Takehiko Henmi, who she calls “Oniisama” (Brother). In reality, Takehiko was her teacher at the cram school she went to earlier. She feels such a strong bond with him that she asks if she could continue corresponding with him. He agrees, and soon she begins writing to him as a “brother”. When Nanako starts her new school year at the all-girl Seiran School, she is unexpectedly inducted into the school’s Sorority despite having none of the looks, talents, or background needed to become a member. As the series progresses, she becomes involved in the lives of the Magnificent Three.

As Nanako continues to interact with these women, she becomes attached to the great but troubled Rei Asaka, whom she wants to help, but cannot get close to due her obsession with Fukiko Ichinomiya, the Sorority president. Nanako also becomes friends with a beautiful and lonely young girl named Mariko, who is determined to get into the Sorority and make Nanako her best friend at all costs. Meanwhile, Nanako has problems of her own; she is constantly being bullied by her peers due to her membership in the Sorority despite not having any of the requirements.

Throughout these problems Nanako is supported by her childhood friend Tomoko, the athletic but secretly ailing Kaoru Orihara, and the correspondence with her “brother”, who just happens to have some secrets of his own. The series chronicles her first-year at Seiran Academy as she uncovers the past of some of the most popular girls in school, learning of love, loss, and her own family’s secrets, including her true relation with Takehiko.

“Oniisama e” is beautiful, and full of angst. This anime will haunt you through screenshots and pieces of music. The voice acting is superb (watch it in japanese, please, no other language does justice, just read the subtitles). This anime have deep, strong, characters and really touching stories. It is one of the most captivating anime I have ever seen. The presence of strong female characters is one of the things that attracts me. I really adore Kaoru Orihara and Rei Asaka – they both have deep strong personalities. Oh, how I want such women to be in reality!

I have added 2 new ones:

Blue Drop: The Drama of Angels [TV 2007]

Alternative titles Blue Drop: Tenshi-tachi no Gikyoku
Blue Drop ~ Tenshi-tachi no Gigyoku

Total Episodes 13 (13 x 25 min)
Release Date 2007-10-02 ∼ 2007-12-25
Director/Creator Ohkura Masahiko
Studio BeSTACK

SUMMARY

In 1995, all 800 habitants of the isolated Kamikakushi Island vanished in one night, all but a single girl who lost her memory. The cause of the disappearances was never identified.

An introverted girl who has lost all of her friends, family, and memories Mari Wakatake has been living with her Grandmother for the past 5 years after a tragedy. Fearing for her future, her Grandmother admits her into Kaihou Academy, for her to make friends, instead of home studying. Although reluctant to go, she does and meets Hagino Sekonji.

Hagino is the school idol and completes her student council responsibilities flawlessly. She becomes a roommate of Mari. But when they lock hands in a friendly handshake, Hagino manages see into Mari’s forgotten memories and grasps her hands around Mari’s neck, choking her. Hagino’s trance seems to subside, and Mari walks away confused and angry at Hagino, who pretends as if nothing had happened while in front of other students, but at the same time, somehow, she is attracted to Hagino too. It is obvious that Hagino is attracted to Mari, its almost like she can’t help herself, and Mari has a hate/fascination feeling when it comes to Hagino.

In reality, Hagino is actually an alien who was sent to Earth in order to reconnoiter prior to an invasion. These aliens are very much human in appearance, but their race consists only of females. The event on Kamikakushi Island occurred when the 200-member crew of a battleship, the Blue, whose captain was Hagino and the island’s inhabitants had killed each other. The Blue was seriously damaged and hidden. Hagino had since blended into human society and continued her reconnaissance.

Within her school life, while fighting with fellow students, Mari begins to come out of her shell. Hagino has been living a double life, but her encounter with Mari makes her face human beings, and gradually she begins to have doubts about her mission. While the invasion and war draws closer unnoticed, the girls begin to understand each other.

The art in anime is superbly smooth and well done, details couldn’t have been more and everything just looks so realistic. Characters are rich and engaging, they interact with each other a lot and are very detailed. I really liked the relationships between main characters. The plot has many shoujo-ai overtones developing between Hagino and Mari.

The top choice was actreand singer Yui Aragaki (also known as Gakky). She has black hair, white skin and a slender figure. She has the image of a young woman who displays the feminine virtues of old Japan. She is also ranked #9 in the female celebrities.

She is followed by actress Aoi Miyazaki. Yukatas totally suit her. She’s so pure and adorable. Just like Gakky, she’s known for her really cute and bright smiling face and you simply have to have a nice smile when wearing a yukata. Yukatas only suit women with a beautiful smile just like her.

An actress Maki Horikita took third place. Her slender figure and small face look good with a yukata.

01. Yui Aragaki

02. Aoi Miyazaki

03. Maki Horikita

04. Aya Ueto

05. Yukie Nakama (Yakuza leader and teacher in the Gokusen series)

06. Nanako Matsushima

07. Masami Nagasawa

08. Yuu Aoi

09. Yukina Kinoshita

10. Erika Toda

Brief explanation:

If you consider the white wedding dress a fashion item, then you would have to consider the kimono a fashion item too. Most modern Japanese women do not wear the kimono as an everyday item, but it is still a very important part of a Japanese woman’s wardrobe.

The kimono is a form of traditional Japanese clothing that people used to wear in every day life until in the middle of 19th century (the opening of the Japan to the rest of the world). Today kimono are mainly worn for special occasions or events, but in a major Japanese city you can still see some Japanese women wearing them. There are many different kinds of kimono. They are all different in design, who wears them, when and why.

The yukata is a japanese summer kimono worn by both men and women. Originally of pure white cotton and worn after bathing, yukata were later dyed with indigo. Today, a variety of patterns are used in making yukata. Yukata are worn today during summer festivals, called “matsuri,” at temple or shrine fairs and are provided to patrons of Japanese inns, known as “ryokans.”

Harajuku became famous in the 1980s due to the street performers and wildly-dressed teens who gathered there on Sundays when Omotesando was closed to traffic. Omotesando is a very long street with cafes and upscale fashion boutiques popular with residents and tourists alike. Today on Sundays one can see many Gothic Lolita on the way to Meiji Shrine. You’ll always see foreign tourists and amateur photographers milling around taking pictures. Many world class fashion designers send their scouts and photographers to Harajuku to get inspiration for their work as they are miles behind their fashion trends.

Japan is still very good at consuming trends from the West, so if you walk down the boutiques of Takeshita street in Harajuku you’ll probably see a lot of teenagers wearing mod clothes. Harajuku is a mecca for artists, independent spirits, and burgeoning fashion trends that provides a space of free expression in what is ordinarily a rather conservative Japanese culture. But Japanese fashion isn’t afraid to take it one step further… dressing-up in costume is seen as a major element of fashions, so no-one will bat an eyelid at a pretty girl wearing a plastic fried egg round her neck as a fashion statement.

The nice thing about Japanese – and Harajuku fashion – is that it’s not a case of shops and brands (like Gap) dictating what people wear, but teenagers dictating what the shops will start selling. There are now many clothes and websites that sell harajuku fashion and lolita fashion, but the spirit of this japanese style has arisen from teenagers not being afraid to customise and accessorise their own clothes, and to wear crazy outfits with a sense of humour to retaliate against social expectations of straight clothes, straight jobs, straight attitudes.

Today all segments of Harajuku have their celebrities who set trends or, more generally, function as influencers. In Japan, such influencers have a palpable effect on public opinion and directly impact the market. One of the prime celebrities and influencers of Goth-Loli world, Mana, is a hybrid between music celebrity and fashion designer.

Currently the lead guitarist and songwriter for the band Moi dix Mois (after the breakup of Malice Mizer in 2001), he is also the band’s artistic director, choreographing their on-stage performance interludes (usually without musical accompaniment) and, more important, their wardrobe. Moi dix Mois is one of the key visual-kei bands, part of a larger genre of musical acts that have a very stylized look. Big hair, layers of makeup, signature costumes. In Harajuku fans have an entire wardrobe, based on their favorite visual-kei bands, that they wear every day. One of the major labels of this genre is Mana’s own brand, Moi-même-Moitié (MmM).

Many styles have originated or developed on the streets of Harajuku, and many Harajuku girls (and boys) integrate one or more of these somewhat more defined styles into their outfits.

Gothic Lolita involves wearing gothic, feminine and elegant clothes, to the extent that you look like a living Victorian doll. Gothic Lolita (also called Goth-Lolita or Gothloli) usually wears dark colors. It’s a hard to digest, eclectic mix of cute and punk, with miniskirts, ribbons and lace trims, boots, skull-motif accessories, and stud belts.

Sweet Lolita is a childlike version, mostly characterized by pastel colors and fairy tale themes. They look like Porcelain dolls. Hello Kitty is also a big inspiration. This look is accessorized by head bows, cute purses, pink lace parasols and stuffed animals. Outfits are accessorized with plastic toys that clink together to add an acoustic dimension.

Japanese punks, inspired by the punk movement that began in London in the 70s, magnify rebelliousness with over-the-top clothes, accessories, makeup, and piercings.

The Kogal Harajuku style basically consists of extreme tans, white pearl eyeshadow, bleached hair, miniskirt schoolgirl uniforms, and long leg warmers.

Ganguro is similar, with extreme tans, bleached hair, and pearl makeup, but they also feature white lipstick, colorful outfits like tie-dyed sarongs, and lots of bracelets, rings and necklaces. They are sometimes called the Californian girl look.

Visual Kei – a style very popular within the entertainment field in Japan. This style deliberately creates an androgynous look. It consists of striking makeup, very eccentric hair colors and a very loud outfits.

Cosplay entails dressing up like your favorite cartoon/anime or computer game character.

Decora style favors bright colors, flamboyance and accessories from head to toe. You decorate yourself with plastic toys and jewelry, and it’s not uncommon to have so many that you can hear them click together when the person moves.

Kawaii (literally translating from Japanese to “cute”) places an emphasis on childlike playfulness–anime characters, ruffles, pastel colors, toys, and so on.

As a matter of fact some teenagers and their friend come to Harajuku every Sunday dress in their own style just to hope of being snapped by one of the many magazine photographers who mingle in the crowd.

Celebrity style: Gwen Stefani

Previously little known outside of Japan, Harajuku style rose to fame when the celebrity singer Gwen Stefani, featured them in her recent solo debut album: Love. Angel. Music. Baby. A fashion icon who is often seen in kooky outfits, trademark platinum blond hair and engine-red lipstick, Stefani claims these adolescent girls as the muses for her entire album, as well as for her own fashion line, L.A.M.B. The singer’s video from her first single “What Ya Waiting For?” is shot with a distinct Japanesy flair, supplemented by four black-liquid eye-lined, pig-tailed, and cherry-lipped “Harajuku girls” prancing around in clothes by Vivian Westwood. The album also includes a song titled in the girls’ honor, in which Stefani professes, “Harajuku girls, you got the wicked style – I like the way that you are – I am your biggest fan, oh.”

History

In 1913, a Japanese railroad tycoon named Ichizo Kobayashi founded the theater school to boost tourism to the area. Rejecting the styles of Kabuki, Japan’s most prominent theater, Kobayashi decided to focus on musicals and love stories. As it was not socially acceptable for unmarried women to have romantic scenes with male actors, the troupe was made exclusively female to appeal to conservative audiences. There audience is also 99 percent female.

Although the Revue was initially thought to appeal mainly to adolescent girls, its audience is actually comprised mostly of married women. Some of these women claim that they turn to Takarazuka because they are neglected by their husbands—Takarazuka creates a dreamworld in which men can be kind, sensitive, and attentive, because they are really women underneath.

Training

Training for Takarazuka is disciplined and exclusive. Each year, about 50 young girls are selected for the academy out of thousands of applicants. The first few years of training involve tradition-specific menial tasks, like scrubbing floors and cleaning mirrors. These tasks are done with extreme care and are micro-managed by older students. After the first year, students are separated into otokoyaku and musumeyaku (male and female) training categories.

Many factors like height, looks and vocal range determine which actress, or Takarasienne, performs male or female parts. Those trained to play male parts usually cut off their hair, deepen their voices, and speak in male pronouns when referring to themselves. Top star otokoyaku achieve pop-star celebrity status, occasioning swoons and screams among young girls whenever they appear in public. The male characters in Takarazuka performances are usually romantic, charming and loyal. Some cultural studies suggest that the female fans that idolize otoyoaku are attracted to this fantasy or hero version of men.

Jennifer Robertson describes the appeal of otokoyaku for women:
From the beginning, the Revue management has sought to limit female fans’ infatuation to the ideal man performed by an otokoyaku. My archival research and interviews suggest that, on the contrary, female fans of all ages, class, and educational backgrounds do not see a prototypical man onstage; rather they acknowledge and appreciate a female body performing in a capacity that transgresses the boundaries of received femininity and masculinity (“Takarazuka” 82)

Plays

Takarazuka musicals take inspiration from many mediums. Some are Japanese versions of well-known Western musicals and some are based on books or movies. Others are manga adaptions, but many are original. The subjects vary greatly from one production to the next, some set in Japan’s feudal past, others in the contemporary United States, and others in long-ago Europe. The settings are often foreign and exotic, such as ancient Egypt or China. This allows for lavish costumes and gorgeous, finely detailed sets.

One of the most popular plays performed by the company is The Rose of Versailles (Versailles no Bara) in which a girl raised as a boy by her soldier father is constantly torn between the freedom of her male existence and the desires of her female self. Experts speculate that the hero of this play is attractive to fans as she portrays “safe” androgyny by having male characteristics, but no roughness and a deep understanding of women.

Fans

Takarazuka is closely followed by serious fans, and many fan clubs follow the star’s lives closely. Some of the performers live in apartments or homes that fans pay for.

Celebrities

Here are some of the top otoyoaku stars of the Takarazuka Revue.

Name: Todoroki Yuu
Name Meaning: distant thundering
Nickname: Tom (Tomu)
Height: 168 cm
Debut: 1985
Became Top Star: 1997

Yuu seems to specialize in playing smooth, serious men and distinguished gentlemen. A low and gentle voice is lovely to listen to when she speaks. Offstage, she looks smart in suits and occasionally sporting a type of skirt look over her pants. Photographs often are taken with a delicate smile or simply seriously, without a grin. If you appreciate drama or would like to see an example of some of Takarazuka’s best acting, Gaisenmon (Arc de Triomphe) is recommended. Yuu received a best actress award for her starring role in this solemn, thoughtful tale.

Name: Takumi Hibiki
Name Meaning: artisan,
Nickname: Charlie (Chaarii)
Height: 168 cm
Debut: 1987
Became Top Star: 2001

Hibiki is a magnificent dancer, one of the very best. Hibiki does a terrific masculine walk and looks smart in a suit. Her serious roles are debonair while cheerful, cute roles showcase a dazzling gladness. Hibiki is essential in Tango Argentino, deftly playing a German general whose wife falls in love with another man. That man is caught as a prisoner of war and brought to him, upon which he must decide whether to finish him off or let him go.

Name: Emao Yuu
Name Meaning: painting of flaxen cord,
Nickname: Bunchan, Emao
Height: 168 cm
Debut: 1987
Became Top Star: 2002

Yuu is a splendid performer because her top-notch acting is dramatic and realistic. She has played James Dean surprisingly well, and was heartbreaking when her character Rudolf was so sad in Elisabeth at his father’s harsh reprimand. Yuu creates believable male roles using face expression, stride, and stance. Her dance and singing are also thoroughly enjoyable.

Some of the top musumeyaku stars:

Name: Hanafusa Mari
Meaning: cluster of flowers,
Nickname: Hana
Debut: 1991

Mari is the best musumeyaku and one of the best performers that Takarazuka’s ever seen. Being an exceptional actress, she can convincingly play characters completely unlike herself! She has such a wide range in acting, and makes you believe each role is a real person. She can be an innocent young girl; an aging, world-weary empress; a haughty noblewoman; a gypsy wrought with emotion.

Name: Shiraki Ayaka
Meaning: white castle,
Nickname: Ayaka
Debut to Retirement: 1988-1997

Ayaka was dignified as Elisabeth, intriguing in “Futari dake ga Waru”, and especially hilarious in “Action!” as a bubblehead rich girl who switched bodies with a conceited rock singer – Ayaka acted like a guy really well.