Stop! It's Survey Time
Nov. 15th, 2006 04:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
azuriteOkay, so I have a few questions for everyone. They're all over the place, so feel free to only answer some questions/one survey or the other. It's all good. :)
What do you consider "the line" between Rated R/M and NC-17/MA/X fics? At what point does a rated R/M fic get its rating upped? Do you think this "line" can be flexible, depending on a reader/site moderator's point of view, or is it rigid, and should ALWAYS apply, regardless of who hosts the content or where?
1 - How many fandoms have you been involved/interested in since you first got started with anime and manga?
2- Do you remember them all, or do you think there are probably (at least) a few that you've forgotten about (for whatever reason)?
3 - For those that you do remember, or are still actively involved in, do you know the names of the people responsible for the creation of your fandom? For example, if you like a particular manga, do you know the name of the manga-ka, the writer and the manga-ka (as some manga have separate writers and artists, though this is apparently rare in manga), and the publishing company? Do you know what magazine/anthology it was originally published in? Does this kind of information interest you, or do you think it does not matter? Why or why not?
4 - Do you think this is true of other people in the above fandom(s)? (That is, if you picked fandom Z, do you think other fans of Z do/do not know the people responsible for Z's creation/publication? If so, how much do you think they know? Do you think they might be interested in learning the info, and if not, why not?)
5 - Can you think of a particular manga or manga-ka whose writing/art has been influential to you? Who is this person, and why are they/have they been influential?
6 - For that manga-ka's work, do you still read their work (if they currently produce the same manga, or new manga)? Why or why not?
7 - Name 3 manga-ka from any era, of any gender, who you think is:
a) extremely popular/well-known. Why did you choose these people?
b) very influential to you/others. Why did you choose these people?
And now, a treat for anyone and everyone! I present to you The Tens!
For these differences, I obviously won't be saying things like "They speak Japanese," or "Everyone is Asian." I will be saying the things that people might nor might not expect to be different. These are things that *I* personally have observed; you or your friends/family might have other opinions. These are ranked in no particular order, and I am sure there are some I have forgotten.
1 - The majority of toilets in public places are "washiki," or those long "hole in the floor" toilets that resemble urinals set into the ground. In shopping centers and train stations, there are usually about 2 "yoshiki" (Western style toilets, sometimes with bidets or warmed seats) in a bathroom with anywhere from 8-12 total stalls. They are primarily used for mothers and the elderly, though it's not uncommon to see foreigners waiting to use these toilets explicitly. Some fancier places, like the Keisei mall or the giant Jusco mall will have ALL "yoshiki," and many times they are very fancy, with bidets, washlets, warmed seats, music-- the works.
2 - Bathrooms in Japan don't typically have soap/cleanser or paper towels. It's actually kind of gross. They also don't have seat protection sheets, but they do sometimes have antibacterial spray you're supposed to put on toilet paper and wipe across the seat.
3 - People don't speak English here as well as you might think. Yes, many of them have been learning it since junior high (the lucky few begin to learn it during elementary school), but few of them ever get the opportunity to use it regularly with native speakers. Often, Japanese native "English" teachers aren't that skilled at it, and they pass this broken English onto their students. Occasionally though, someone will surprise you with their fluency in English. Of note is the fact that while education is stressed here, that doesn't necessarily mean the teachers CARE about their students. If a student is known to be troublesome, the teacher may pass them just to get them out of the way. Many students graduate junior high (the limit of compulsory education here in Japan) without really having the abilities that they should. However, it IS possible to fail and repeat a grade here in Japan-- just as it's possible to fail an entrance exam and become a "ronin."
4 - The Japanese aren't all hi-tech savvy. Yes, there's Akihabara "The Electric Town" right in Tokyo, but it seems that Japan is more about exporting their famous electronics than they are about using them themselves. Of all the computers I've seen here in Japan, most seem very dated and clunky. There are some exceptions-- Macs are very popular here in Japan, as both computers and including the Apple line of other productions (i.e. iPods). However, they're insanely expensive, which is a big deterrent, even though I'd say people probably make more money here. The cost of living in Japan is extremely expensive; my roommates pay 25,000 yen/month (that's $212.50 in current USD) for rent, but there's also groceries, laundry (150 yen/load to wash, 100 yen/40 minutes to dry), and travel expenses (the latter of which can be the most expensive).
5 - Speaking of money, YOU DO NOT TIP here in Japan. It's a grave insult. As a result, those jobs where you would usually expect to tip someone-- i.e. a waitress, a bartender, a driver... they would get very upset at you if you even TRIED to tip them.
6 - Although this is likely to be common knowledge, the individual is NOT emphasized here in Japan. It's more about the team, the group, and the family. This is the reason why Japanese (and many other Asian cultures as well) names are given FAMILY NAME FIRST, given name last. There are other ways this is shown, too... uniforms, for example. It's considered very important to get along with your family, classmates, and co-workers, and not be disagreeable to them. Individualism does show up, of course-- students, especially, like to appear original, and will find ways to modify their uniforms or other regulation/standard things so they stand out. This is why there are so many cute keychains, cell phone charms, and the like.
7 - Jobs here pay according to AGE. You're allowed to start working after junior high, and while there may be regulations regarding the number of hours a student can work, high school and university are NOT compulsory, so if a student decides they don't like school/are making more money working, then they can just keep working and quit school. At a restaurant near here, they were advertising a job opening-- high school students get the lowest pay, and it increases to about age 20. After that, it depends on WHEN you work-- the people that work the latest get more pay. According to many of my teachers, the managers of convenience stores (Lawson, 7-11, etc.) are actually college graduates (though it's not that they couldn't get a better job; it just apparently pays very well, since those companies don't want a NON-college educated person running their stores. The underlings can be any age, but the managers are typically college-educated women).
8 - That's gotta be illegal... IN AMERICA! But not in Japan. For example, I see people riding motorcycles without helmets all the time, speeding up in school zones, not signaling when they make turns, jaywalking... the works. But whatever's an illegal or ticketable offense in America is probably just "meh" worthy here in Japan, because despite those supposed misdemeanors, Japan seems to have a very low crime rate. Maybe it depends on the kind of crime and where you are, but I see people leave their purses, expensive guitars, etc. just lying around without a second thought. The only time I've heard about crime here is when Todd's bike got stolen, and it was a garbage bike to begin with (and it's kind of his fault for not locking it).
9 - *cough* *cough* Here in Japan, smoking seems to be the norm. Though the regulation age for being allowed to smoke is age 18 (afaik), vending machines for cigarettes are everywhere-- inside supermarkets, on street corners, next to Coke machines... everywhere. So it's easy for anyone to get cigarettes if they want, even if the machines have stickers that say "This age and older only!" And truthfully, regardless of age, I think smoking is debilitating and stupid. Even if Japanese cigarettes have less tar, that doesn't change the fact that
a) they make you stink (your person, your breath, just everything)
b) they turn your teeth yellow (which is bad enough in a society where their toothpaste has no flouride)
c) impairs your ability to breathe... which means when you NEED to run, or if you start hyperventilating, you stand a greater chance of hurting yourself
d) generally makes you unfun to be around, for those of us that don't like smokers
Alas, in Japan, since smoking is the norm, people still smoke in restaurants. Many restaurants DO NOT have a full-sized or enclosed space for smokers (unlike malls, which have smoking "rooms," as do many airports). Just be sure not to ever get "kin'en seki" (non smoking) confused with "kitsuen seki" (smoking), like I did when I went to Cafe with Cat in Akiba.
10 - You call THAT a car? In America, there are many different kinds of cars, in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and colors. While I have seen some unusual COLORS here (periwinkle and rose pink, for example), the shape seems to be pretty standard: you either have a standard sedan, or you have a BOX. If you know me, you know I DETEST cars like the Honda Element and its ilk. But here in Japan, they're so common, they don't even bother coming up with kitschy names for them. The box shaped cars are called "The Cube." There a few, slightly rounder ones, like the Wish, the March, and a few others... but the majority of cars look like that. CUBES. With wheels. But they have to, because there's such little space for parking here in Japan. And parking lots are NOT paved, and when they do have any sort of markings on them, it's done with rope. Thus, when it rains, it's common for parking lots to flood completely. I've seen only a few vans and SUVs while I've been here, and they're clearly the odd ball out. The funniest thing to see on a Japanese street is always a Hummer. It looks like Godzilla compared to the cars around it.
I'll do another Top 10 if you like... just tell me what you'd like to know (or think you know)!
Some more random questions:
1 - Do you know of any female Japanese novelists whose works have been translated into English besides Banana Yoshimoto? (Preferably contemporary ones; ones that are still alive and writing)
2 - There is no number 2. There was, but I forgot it, so there's no question here. If I remember it, or come up with a good question, I'll put it here in an "ETA."
What do you consider "the line" between Rated R/M and NC-17/MA/X fics? At what point does a rated R/M fic get its rating upped? Do you think this "line" can be flexible, depending on a reader/site moderator's point of view, or is it rigid, and should ALWAYS apply, regardless of who hosts the content or where?
1 - How many fandoms have you been involved/interested in since you first got started with anime and manga?
2- Do you remember them all, or do you think there are probably (at least) a few that you've forgotten about (for whatever reason)?
3 - For those that you do remember, or are still actively involved in, do you know the names of the people responsible for the creation of your fandom? For example, if you like a particular manga, do you know the name of the manga-ka, the writer and the manga-ka (as some manga have separate writers and artists, though this is apparently rare in manga), and the publishing company? Do you know what magazine/anthology it was originally published in? Does this kind of information interest you, or do you think it does not matter? Why or why not?
4 - Do you think this is true of other people in the above fandom(s)? (That is, if you picked fandom Z, do you think other fans of Z do/do not know the people responsible for Z's creation/publication? If so, how much do you think they know? Do you think they might be interested in learning the info, and if not, why not?)
5 - Can you think of a particular manga or manga-ka whose writing/art has been influential to you? Who is this person, and why are they/have they been influential?
6 - For that manga-ka's work, do you still read their work (if they currently produce the same manga, or new manga)? Why or why not?
7 - Name 3 manga-ka from any era, of any gender, who you think is:
a) extremely popular/well-known. Why did you choose these people?
b) very influential to you/others. Why did you choose these people?
And now, a treat for anyone and everyone! I present to you The Tens!
For these differences, I obviously won't be saying things like "They speak Japanese," or "Everyone is Asian." I will be saying the things that people might nor might not expect to be different. These are things that *I* personally have observed; you or your friends/family might have other opinions. These are ranked in no particular order, and I am sure there are some I have forgotten.
1 - The majority of toilets in public places are "washiki," or those long "hole in the floor" toilets that resemble urinals set into the ground. In shopping centers and train stations, there are usually about 2 "yoshiki" (Western style toilets, sometimes with bidets or warmed seats) in a bathroom with anywhere from 8-12 total stalls. They are primarily used for mothers and the elderly, though it's not uncommon to see foreigners waiting to use these toilets explicitly. Some fancier places, like the Keisei mall or the giant Jusco mall will have ALL "yoshiki," and many times they are very fancy, with bidets, washlets, warmed seats, music-- the works.
2 - Bathrooms in Japan don't typically have soap/cleanser or paper towels. It's actually kind of gross. They also don't have seat protection sheets, but they do sometimes have antibacterial spray you're supposed to put on toilet paper and wipe across the seat.
3 - People don't speak English here as well as you might think. Yes, many of them have been learning it since junior high (the lucky few begin to learn it during elementary school), but few of them ever get the opportunity to use it regularly with native speakers. Often, Japanese native "English" teachers aren't that skilled at it, and they pass this broken English onto their students. Occasionally though, someone will surprise you with their fluency in English. Of note is the fact that while education is stressed here, that doesn't necessarily mean the teachers CARE about their students. If a student is known to be troublesome, the teacher may pass them just to get them out of the way. Many students graduate junior high (the limit of compulsory education here in Japan) without really having the abilities that they should. However, it IS possible to fail and repeat a grade here in Japan-- just as it's possible to fail an entrance exam and become a "ronin."
4 - The Japanese aren't all hi-tech savvy. Yes, there's Akihabara "The Electric Town" right in Tokyo, but it seems that Japan is more about exporting their famous electronics than they are about using them themselves. Of all the computers I've seen here in Japan, most seem very dated and clunky. There are some exceptions-- Macs are very popular here in Japan, as both computers and including the Apple line of other productions (i.e. iPods). However, they're insanely expensive, which is a big deterrent, even though I'd say people probably make more money here. The cost of living in Japan is extremely expensive; my roommates pay 25,000 yen/month (that's $212.50 in current USD) for rent, but there's also groceries, laundry (150 yen/load to wash, 100 yen/40 minutes to dry), and travel expenses (the latter of which can be the most expensive).
5 - Speaking of money, YOU DO NOT TIP here in Japan. It's a grave insult. As a result, those jobs where you would usually expect to tip someone-- i.e. a waitress, a bartender, a driver... they would get very upset at you if you even TRIED to tip them.
6 - Although this is likely to be common knowledge, the individual is NOT emphasized here in Japan. It's more about the team, the group, and the family. This is the reason why Japanese (and many other Asian cultures as well) names are given FAMILY NAME FIRST, given name last. There are other ways this is shown, too... uniforms, for example. It's considered very important to get along with your family, classmates, and co-workers, and not be disagreeable to them. Individualism does show up, of course-- students, especially, like to appear original, and will find ways to modify their uniforms or other regulation/standard things so they stand out. This is why there are so many cute keychains, cell phone charms, and the like.
7 - Jobs here pay according to AGE. You're allowed to start working after junior high, and while there may be regulations regarding the number of hours a student can work, high school and university are NOT compulsory, so if a student decides they don't like school/are making more money working, then they can just keep working and quit school. At a restaurant near here, they were advertising a job opening-- high school students get the lowest pay, and it increases to about age 20. After that, it depends on WHEN you work-- the people that work the latest get more pay. According to many of my teachers, the managers of convenience stores (Lawson, 7-11, etc.) are actually college graduates (though it's not that they couldn't get a better job; it just apparently pays very well, since those companies don't want a NON-college educated person running their stores. The underlings can be any age, but the managers are typically college-educated women).
8 - That's gotta be illegal... IN AMERICA! But not in Japan. For example, I see people riding motorcycles without helmets all the time, speeding up in school zones, not signaling when they make turns, jaywalking... the works. But whatever's an illegal or ticketable offense in America is probably just "meh" worthy here in Japan, because despite those supposed misdemeanors, Japan seems to have a very low crime rate. Maybe it depends on the kind of crime and where you are, but I see people leave their purses, expensive guitars, etc. just lying around without a second thought. The only time I've heard about crime here is when Todd's bike got stolen, and it was a garbage bike to begin with (and it's kind of his fault for not locking it).
9 - *cough* *cough* Here in Japan, smoking seems to be the norm. Though the regulation age for being allowed to smoke is age 18 (afaik), vending machines for cigarettes are everywhere-- inside supermarkets, on street corners, next to Coke machines... everywhere. So it's easy for anyone to get cigarettes if they want, even if the machines have stickers that say "This age and older only!" And truthfully, regardless of age, I think smoking is debilitating and stupid. Even if Japanese cigarettes have less tar, that doesn't change the fact that
a) they make you stink (your person, your breath, just everything)
b) they turn your teeth yellow (which is bad enough in a society where their toothpaste has no flouride)
c) impairs your ability to breathe... which means when you NEED to run, or if you start hyperventilating, you stand a greater chance of hurting yourself
d) generally makes you unfun to be around, for those of us that don't like smokers
Alas, in Japan, since smoking is the norm, people still smoke in restaurants. Many restaurants DO NOT have a full-sized or enclosed space for smokers (unlike malls, which have smoking "rooms," as do many airports). Just be sure not to ever get "kin'en seki" (non smoking) confused with "kitsuen seki" (smoking), like I did when I went to Cafe with Cat in Akiba.
10 - You call THAT a car? In America, there are many different kinds of cars, in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and colors. While I have seen some unusual COLORS here (periwinkle and rose pink, for example), the shape seems to be pretty standard: you either have a standard sedan, or you have a BOX. If you know me, you know I DETEST cars like the Honda Element and its ilk. But here in Japan, they're so common, they don't even bother coming up with kitschy names for them. The box shaped cars are called "The Cube." There a few, slightly rounder ones, like the Wish, the March, and a few others... but the majority of cars look like that. CUBES. With wheels. But they have to, because there's such little space for parking here in Japan. And parking lots are NOT paved, and when they do have any sort of markings on them, it's done with rope. Thus, when it rains, it's common for parking lots to flood completely. I've seen only a few vans and SUVs while I've been here, and they're clearly the odd ball out. The funniest thing to see on a Japanese street is always a Hummer. It looks like Godzilla compared to the cars around it.
I'll do another Top 10 if you like... just tell me what you'd like to know (or think you know)!
Some more random questions:
1 - Do you know of any female Japanese novelists whose works have been translated into English besides Banana Yoshimoto? (Preferably contemporary ones; ones that are still alive and writing)
2 - There is no number 2. There was, but I forgot it, so there's no question here. If I remember it, or come up with a good question, I'll put it here in an "ETA."
