Today marks the 1st installment of my new segment Otaku x Gamer Corner which means I have an interview prepared for you all! I hope this catches on and people want to participate and keep the segment alive! With no further a due here’s File 1!
Curbside: Thank you for being a part of this new segment on Emptysodacans.com, I really appreciate you taking out your time to have a little talk with me. Now with that out of the way let’s get into some discussion! Let everyone know who you are, where you’re from, and what it is you do.
Yoh: Thank you for having me. Around these Internet streets I go by Yoh. Currently exploring life in Clayton County, Georgia. You can find me on a few of your girlfriend’s favorite hip-hop sites blogging and what not. Also a pretty avid anime watcher.
Curbside: Well when you say “avid” what does that mean? Because I know some cats that will cut people for interrupting their viewing sessions (Points to self) lol. When exactly did you get INto anime? And what was the show that turned you out?
Yoh: Ah man plenty of people have been cussed out of due to torrent interruption haha. You remember Kids WB? Fox Box? Back when Saturday mornings were heaven to a child. They introduced me to anime before I knew what was considered anime. Toonami was like a drug dealer. It really showcased a wide variety of shows that caught my attention for hours on end. Dragon Ball Z was weed, my gateway drug, it made me further explore Japanese animation, but Naruto was my cocaine. I was… 14-15 tripping balls over the series. That’s when anime on television was declining and I found my Outlet online. The rest is history lol. God that’s a lot.
Curbside: DUUUUDE I remember both of those, they had a very good block of stuff from Pokemon, to Digimon, to Card Captor Sakura. Being a child of the Toonami era, you and others like me, found DBZ to be the “gateway” anime. How do you feel about people saying it’s the greatest of all time? I usually feel people say that because of the nostalgia you gain from just uttering the name. Sometimes I feel people toss it around to sound cool when they are around people who are really into anime. What’s your take on this?
Yoh: I honestly don’t agree. It will probably be the most popular and the most well known anime of all time. For me the biggest problem with Dragon Ball z is character development. Emotionally you cannot connect with them. It’s the blue print for any battle shonen BUT I feel like One Piece has expanded on where Dragon Ball failed at. It’s a popular, battle series, with characters that you can be emotionally tied too. Nobody cried when Goku dies but it will be a flood of tears when Luffy checks out.
Curbside: That’s exactly what I try to convey to people. There’s no plot development worthy of 20+ episodes and the characters that do develop (those who carried over from dragon ball) don’t show any significant change. I can agree with you on the battle sequences, you can find traces of it EVERYWHERE now, which is good and bad…depends on the show. With that said, what is your fave genre of anime? And how do you feel about the war between shonen and nonshonen viewers? It reminds me of underground and mainstream hip hop fans.
Yoh: Lol I sadly don’t have a favorite genre. I dabble in everything. Battle, slice of life, comedy, everything but hentai haha. I’m big on animation and story if those two are good then I’ll watch. It’s very similar to main stream Hip Hop and underground. I think it’s ridiculous, people argue more about why one is more popular than actual content. Naruto gets bashed all over the Internet but each week the same ones bashing it will read/watch. Through my eyes limiting your viewing to certain shows because it’s consider mainstream or underground is stupid, you’ll miss out on so much if your biggest worry is titles.
Curbside: THANK YOU! I hate seeing people on youtube trying to troll others for liking what they like. If I wan’t to watch/read a shonen, that’s my right, and no one can rob me of that. I enjoy pretty much any genre as long as it has these components- Action, character and plot development, comedy, some romance, and art work that is appealing to me. When I can find all those components it get’s added to my vault of faves. And speaking of Naruto, how do you feel about the blatant difference in the Naruto series/manga and the movies? Is it me…or do the movies lack the same appeal
Yoh: You have good taste I must say. The Naruto movies have excellent trailers. The trailers will have you HYPED for the release but when you finally get your hands on its completely lackluster. Except for the first one all the rest are pretty forgettable. Good ideas for the most part but executed horribly, especially the last one, with the 4th Hokage. Not my cup of tea at all. We do get some good fights out of them.
Curbside: Thanks bruh mayne! And yes…the ideas are there…but they never get that extra push to make them memorable movies. I can say the soundtracks and fight scenes are very well constructed! So being that you’re an African American, how has your interests in anime played out in your social life? Usually when I tell someone I like anime I get the stink eye and then the whole “You still watch cartoons?” or “I don’t get what you see in that” spill. It gets pretty annoying at times.
Yoh: Probably when I turn 14 I realize it’s something that you get shunned for. Nothing is cool about watching cartoons, and since I went to a school that was a majority African American, liking anime basically meant you wanted to be Asian. I think that’s the main reason why forums became such a big deal when I was in my teen years. No judgment. You could talk about your interest with people that shared similar interest. Rarely watch sports, was never big on B.E.T, so connecting with peers was tough. Even now I don’t know too many people personally that watch anime or read manga. I rarely even speak about it since so many wouldn’t understand what I’m talking about.
Curbside: Man I share the same experiences, it’s hard connecting with people when they shut you out because of a particular interest that they aren’t used to being exposed to. Going to conventions really helped me find that “belonging” when it comes to connecting with peers about anime. Everyone is there to have fun, and there’s no malice. Have you had any experience with conventions? and If so how was it? So far I’ve been to 4 (Wizard World Comicon, Ikkicon V, Ushicon VI, and San Japan 4TW). I’ll be attending Ikkicon again this December and if it all works out I’ll be at A-kon 23 in June (Longest running anime convention in America)..who would have thought it would be 2 hours away from Austin? Lol
Yoh: If I make it too SXSW this year I might have to come back and attend A-Kon, never been to a convention. Planned to but money or transportation became an issue. I plan to hit a few in 2012, I feel like it would be a great experience.
FLASH ROUND
Curbside: Charizard vs Greymon…in a fight to the death…which side would you stand on?
Yoh: Charizard. Real ninja’s know.
Curbsdie: What is your TOP 5 anime list of all time and what is the worst series you’ve ever seen?
Yoh: I can’t recall a wack series. I’ve seen some, but I tend to drown them with liquor.
This is my top 5 @ 6:14 12/7/2011 subject to change. Watch me catch mad hate for this.
5. Code Geass (Better than death note)
4. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (Ask rawb about this series!)
3. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
2. One Piece (GOAT manga)
1. Naruto (first 135 episodes are better than your life)
Curbside: Which one would you take home to mom, a stripper or a chick in cosplay?
Yoh: Cosplay. Strippers are overrated.
Curbside: If you woke up in an anime series, which one would it be and why?
Yoh: Ah good question. One piece. The pirate lifestyle intrigues me.
Curbside: Gary Samurai and I are trying to make a hentai game and become billionaires…you want in?
Yoh: Depends can we make it for the wii?
FIN
If anyone would like to contact yoh click on the link below
http://twitter.com/Yoh31
http://www.thesilvertongue.com
http://www.thetapedeck.net