The Lecture Series:
first semester
second semester: you're soaking in it.


Jimmy, is that a six pack?

"Yeah, Prof."
[*cshk*]

Well, I guess I taught you something last term. Did you bring enough to share with the class?

"Hell, no."

I suppose I should be glad you're not planning to sleep through my lectures this semester. Though it remains to be seen if this latest development will elevate your contributions to the class.

"Um, Professor?"

Ah, so you're back as well, Miss Fisher? What's your question, Sally?

"I suppose that's just coffee in your coffee mug?"

So. You learned something as well. We could call this Irish coffee, except it doesn't have any coffee in it.

"Why haven't they fired you yet, sir?"

That's a fairly pointed question, Sally. Let's just say the Dean and I have a new [beat] understanding. Yes. So I can continue to collect my pay check and other benefits as a tenured member of the faculty, while certain hypothetical documents and photographs--which I am not admitting to possessing, mind you--will never see the light of day, and thus Dean Chambers can avoid getting to know Judge Solomon in the same way that, say, Jimmy and I have.

"Cheers, Prof!" [Laughing] "You know, I only have to pass three more of your classes before my suspended sentence is commuted entirely."

[sigh] Yes, Jimmy. Though after a year of this already I have to wonder just which one of us she is punishing.

Well, today is the first day, so let's go over the syllabus and the other crap.

"Is this going to be like your last class?"

Hm. Well, Sally, all I can say to that is yes and no. We are still going to cover topics at the intersection of psychology, sociology, and myth, but as might be apparent from the new course description in the catalogue,

"Sir, the catalog description..."

Yes, let's see [reading] 'Modern Psychology and Comparative Mythology, in context'

"That's not really a new description, though..."

Sure it is. I added two whole words to it.
[beat]

We'll be exploring new topics. And since this is the next course in the sequence, this class will be more than just a survey of the archaeological and historical sources-- we should also have opportunities for some relevant field research and analysis.

"Shit, Prof, now you've got me worried. That sounds like work."

You think so, Jimmy? [small smile] Well, perhaps. You'll have to wait and see. It's not like I want to grade papers or anything, so I think we'll depend more on in-class discussion. So a fair chunk of this semester's grades will depend on class participation.

Excuse me a moment. [grabbing a bottle from inside the podium, adding more Bushmills to his 'coffee'] [long, slow sip]

Ah, yes, much better. Obviously, a few of you took my class last term. I also see a few new faces out there. Let's go over what you can expect: I'm going to stand here and talk for an hour or so, twice a week. There will be a final exam, because the administration says I have to give you one. Your midterm grades will be based solely on attendance, because it's bad enough I have to come up with and score the one damn test-- I can't be bothered to do it twice a semester.

[beat]
[stare]
That doesn't mean this class is an 'easy A'. I'm lazy, not generous. You'll earn whatever grade you get. If I'm not careful, quite a few of you will also learn something, though that's not my primary concern.

[stunned silence]
[beat]
"How did you get hired in the first place, sir?"

In my impetuous youth, I wrote quite a few books on the subject. Nothing quite like having a published author on the faculty. And I think if you stop and think about it, at least I'm offering you a fair deal, and being upfront about my expectations. Most professors at this school share my apathy toward students, only they'll lie to you, and themselves, about it.

Say, Jimmy? Could I have some of that ice?

"Sure Prof."
[clink]

Hmm. Perhaps you do have something to contribute this term.

##

So, has everyone signed the roll? If you want credit for showing up, remember to print your name as well, I can hardly read the chicken scratches some of you claim for handwriting. The clipboard will always be at the back of the lecture hall; from now on just sign in on your own.

Today's lecture topic

[collective groan]

Now, students, you didn't think I'd let you out early, did you? Don't worry, it's a short lecture. I need to get you to change a few mental gears, and start thinking about familiar things in new modes.

Let's take a look at participatory culture.

"What's that, Professor?"

And you are?

"Fairbanks, sir. Ryan Fairbanks"

Well, Mr. Fairbanks, I'll ask you a question, who would win in a fight, the Enterprise-D or a Star Destroyer?

"Huh?"

Did you understand the question, Mr. Fairbanks?

"uh, yeah. Well, I'd have to say the Star Destroyer, if only because of it's size, and the fact that most have a complement of TIE Fighters. The Enterprise would be out-massed, out-gunned, and out-numbered. It might last, say five minutes"

[beat]
You've argued this point before, I think.

So, our Mr. Fairbanks demonstrates at least one form of participatory culture, that of geek fandom. The fact that he could come up with not just an immediate response, but a coherent argument just goes to show that not only is he familiar with with mythic constructs of the two independent stories, he has to some extent internalized them.

Star Wars and Star Trek fans have had endless debates, with each other and also amongst themselves, and in fact I think those arguments were why the internet was invented back in the 70s. It's not the issues or their merits of the arguments that I wish to call to your attention, however. Instead let's consider the fact that millions of people participate.

Fandom is nothing new. And neither are fantasy stories. However, we see today an odd confluence of the two. People who enjoy the stories also feel compelled to add to them. The prevalence of media in the modern world may be a major contributing factor: millions of people can be exposed to a new story, a new mythology, all at once. The hyper-realism of film, even when dealing with the fantastic, is also a contributing factor. The goblins and bugbears of story are no longer just imagined creatures lurking just beyond the shadows, they jump and move about on the screen in front of us.

The old stories and tropes of myth are still there, but we have a marvellous new way to experience them. Telling a story has become more than just nice way to pass the time while sitting around the fire. While we know it is a story, it impacts us as real on a visceral level because we can see what was once only described to us.

Some who see and hear the new myths feel a need to add to them. For them it has become so real that they know what should happen next. A smaller fraction will write these ideas down, or draw them if they have the skill. An even smaller portion might have the ability and inclination to film their new stories-- and this is the start of something very big.

To the fervour of fandom and the desire to create, we have two multipliers. First, even though the fraction of fans who become new creators is very small, the original stories were told to millions of people. The mathematics is easy: even considering just one tenth of 1%, out of every million we have 1000 people, and a thousand new stories set in a shared universe.

The other multiplier to consider is the ability of people to share the new stories with others. The development of shared culture from photocopied fan magazines to the plethora of personal websites that can be found today might be a good topic for a graduate thesis. I'll gloss over that today; let's just say that the internet allows what might have been a passing trend to develop rather quickly into a self-contained, self-defined, self-perpetuating phenomenon. This is the origin of a participatory culture: new mythologies based not on a single historical tradition, but multiple living traditions continually growing and expanding. The small fraction that creates new myth are supported and justified by the remaining fans, the bulk of the herd, who contribute in their own way merely by consumption.

And that is just the fan side of the equation. If a participatory culture is also supported by the original creator, or by a large corporate entertainment entity, things will expand even more quickly. Even if later contributions are inferior, they still add incrementally to the 'official canon' and validate the continuing participation of old fans, while also creating new ones. One example might be something like Battlestar Galactica, which languished for decades until it was remade for cable television. The remake inspired debate among older fans, certainly, with some angry at the changes to 'their' beloved myth, but the new show also brought in new fans, new voices. Eventually the two stories will be integrated by their fandom, and both will stand as valid interpretations of the same mythology.

Battlestar Galactica is perhaps a 'small' example. Star Wars and Star Trek are arguably the largest fan communities, though I might argue that the multiple mythologies that are being built in Role-playing communities are even larger, though their public profile is much smaller. Without a major flagship, like the cinema and TV shows, it is easy for franchises such as Dungeons & Dragons to slip under the radar, largely unnoticed-- though the real impact might best be gauged by how many paperback books are published each year under the D&D banner.

I'll wrap up here for today. A few things to consider before our next meeting:

First, even though a lot of popular culture is pitched as 'science fiction', it is more appropriately classified as fantasy. The 'science' involved is so fantastic, it is little more than a modern re-packaging of old magic. And that may be why sci-fi inspires the most fervent fandom: while many types of stories are popular, and sci-fi and fantasy are often quite far from the mainstream, it is this element of the fantastic that makes the difference. The new myths are growing because they echo the old.

That segues into my second point, even though we might consider ourselves to be more sophisticated than the peoples that have come before, there is little that is 'new' in our new mythologies. The emotions and relationships are always the same. There is the classic example of George Lucas consulting with Joseph Campbell, but even when there are no intentional parallels, there is still a lot of myth to be found just beneath the surface.

The third point I might call to your attention is how little source material we need to create our new participatory cultures. A single motion picture can do it-- one story, told over not quite two hours. The length of piece is not the biggest factor; it need only capture the imagination. At that point, the multiplying factors of mass media and mass communication kick in, and a new participatory culture is created.

Your homework is to go out and watch something. Find a new story, one that you have had no exposure to yet, but may not have heard of. Then try and draw parallels between it and something you already like. Any sort of sci-fi or fantasy will do, just think of it as a new mythology and analyse it from that angle.

[edit 6 Jul 2006: of course we all know the internet was actually invented to efficiently distribute PORN, but I guess no one clued the prof into that fact yet]

A real grab bag today.

Apparently my thoughts aren't coherent enough today for something like another lecture. Oh, more are coming. As long as breweries still make beer, I'll be able to rattle off 5 pages a day of that kind of nothing/something without breaking a sweat. I've got twelve topics already; I'm about to throw down with more anime crap than you can stand-- part of an ongoing effort to alienate all of my meagre readership. Of course, this is more than just fanboy gushing; I'm not just a loser fanboy, I'm a loser fanboy grounded in Jungian psychology, Joseph Cambell, and literary theory. (I said "grounded", not "proficient"-- we'll have to see how it plays. And we'll see if I can get the Prof to say it without breaking character and resorting to my own voice. oy, the headaches.)

...lost the topic again. "apparently my thoughts aren't coherent enough" --but there's some good stuff in here so let's shake my skull and see what pops out this morning:

##

The first cybernetic implant accepted by the general public won't be an electronic memory or an artificial limb or a mechanical organ. It's going to be a set of "headphones" permanently screwed into the temporal bone right behind your ear. Between cell phones and personal music players (is 'iPod' the generic term for these yet?) folks always have something in their ear nowadays, so I can see this as being a logical-dare-I-say-inevitable extension of the current practice.

Bone conduction of sound would either be extremely creepy or remarkably realistic. Likely both at the same time. Hell, I should go patent this right now.

##

Speaking of iPods: it seems to me that there is no real impediment to the amount of hardware/software innovation the engineers at that company can come up with. The only stumbling block for Apple is that they need to come up with a cutesy name for it first.

##

I think the true path to happiness might be found in taking the twelve steps and doing them backwards. That's backwards twice: in-reverse-order and also completely-contrary-to-the-original-intent.

##

I have developed a theory of pop music,
in order of importance:
1. melody
2. rhythm
3. harmony
4. lyric
5. "fullness of sound"

One might also draw a distinction based on tempo. Ballads rely much more on #1, 3 & 4; dance music can almost get by on just #2. And how to describe no. 5? I know it when I hear it; it's more than just a bunch of instruments or mutiple tracks. There should be more than one thing going on at a time for the ear, and the musical lines should be more or less continuous, and . and

Well, when I figure out a better way to say that, I'll write the monograph and get famous for it. The best songs exhibit all 5 traits. Rap "music" relies too heavily on #2 and #4, and that's likely why I don't like it.

##

Why won't the words come? (not these words, the stuff I'm trying to write for that Damn Novel) I don't think I'm blocked. I can't say what's wrong.

I suppose if nothing else I should try a more detailed outline. Maybe I can get that to work despite my general aversion to outlines.

##

while I'm on the writing process, here's a character I have no use for, yet:

playing with stereotypes-- the 65 year old hacker. AKA "the grey ghost", AKA "geezermatic". Can do things the young punks can't, because he knows cobol. and fortran. and *wrote* half a dozen other programming languages. "I'll hack this, you just go get Papa another malt liquor, there's a good girl."

I like this guy. I may have to think up a story for him (and research 70s computer programming, to learn more about him)

##

Here's an idea I'm playing with: I think I may go to not one con this fall, but two. But even with all the crap going on at a sci-fi convention, I think I might get bored after I spend all my money at the dealer's tables. SO...

I'm thinking of taking a camera and a survey, and asking all the klingons and stormtroopers and cosplayers things like "how much money" and "how much time" and "who would win in a fight, a star destroyer or the enterprise-D?"

Of course, this is dependant on me having things like money and vacation days in september.

##

I need new glasses. (yes, I know, I don't usually wear them, but I'm getting to the point where I think I may have to)

##

well, the battery is about to die on me. better post this and get out of the coffeeshop already. more crap coming later this week-- tomorrow, even

I really could use an editor, methinks.

So, extended commentary on yesterday's entry:

1. I said it was a theory, I didn't make any claims that it was original. or even good. And to be honest, I think we could replace 'rhythm' with 'groovin bassline running at double tempo'. The bass is what moves the whole song.

2. If I think the convention is going to end up being boring, why am I even considering it? any logic to this? it's not like I particularly enjoy crowds-- I'm not phobic but I just really don't like having a bunch of people around.

3.

the hell with this. I should just delete this without posting. no point to it today.

"Nice study. Who's your decorator, Edgar Allen Poe?"

Nah, just trying to set the mood a little. Try picturing me, a large overstuffed armchair, my pipe, a pair of reading glass half slipping down my nose, perhaps a glass of sherry sitting just to hand on a nearby table, next to the leather-bound books and an antique globe...

"Mmm. Sherry. Hey, I'll take a glass of that. Unless you've any port?"

Actually, we've neither. You should know by now, beer is the byword around here-- I was just trying...

"Well, pick some up the next time you're out"

Sure Prof. any other interruptions?

[he shrugs]

The sherry was just a suggestion, part of the mental image. Since this isn't one of our usual lectures, I thought we'd try a different format, more of an after-dinner conversation. Hence, the mental image of me in a victorian-era study-slash-library rather than the usual lecture hall.

We're taking a break from the usual lecture format, and I'm taking over the narration, because for the life of me, I can't get the Prof to say what I'd like to say on the topic

"and what is your topic?"

Well, I thought I might cover some thoughts on fiction and the writing process, and maybe what I get out of creating...

"*yawn* "

Hey now Prof, just because I'm giving you some time off doesn't mean you can go to sleep on me.

"I'll try to stay awake. Say, have you got any scotch?"

We're all out.

"Well, put it on the shopping list. Glenmorangie port wood."

"Yeah, and some Balvenie 12 year, while you're at it"

You stay out of it, Mitch. I can only deal with one figment at a time here.

"yeah, sure, just hand over one of them beers. And weren't you about to say something..."

Well, let me go back a bit and cover some personal history

[in stereo] "*groan* "

Shut it, you two.

As a kid I used to read just about anything I could get my hands on. I moved from Seuss to Alexander, then Lewis, then Tolkien fairly seemlessly. I finished the Lord of the Rings (the first time) when I was in 3rd grade, and was reading Dante by the time I hit junior high. Fantasy was one of my best friends, and if it weren't for the fact that I was riding my bike to the library every other day, I likely would have ended up even fatter and pastier than I am now.

I've read so many damn fantasy paperbacks that the plots run together. Occasionally, while reading something 'new', I then figure out around page 120 or so that I have in fact read it before.

All that reading was good for one thing, though. When I later read Campbell's "Hero with a thousand faces", it made immediate sense to me. Everything kinda clicked. And that may have been when I decided to be an author.

And given what I'd read, I wanted to write fantasy.

But here's where things get weird. I don't read fantasy anymore.

"Why not?"

well, I think three things have happened in the past couple of years. One of those things is Netflix. the second is my rediscovery of Anime. though even before that, I had started to abandon a lot of fantasy in favor of non-fiction books, because of Robert-frickin-Jordan and his gods-damned never-ending Wheel of Time series.

"Eh? run that one past me again."

Sure. I like fantasy books. The bigger and thicker the better. I like series, too-- and with Tolkein as a model a lot of authors churned out a lot of trilogies. And this was the model I'd come to expect. You take some time to get to know the characters, they grow and change, and eventually they win. Good vs. Evil, etc etc and the guy gets the girl at the end.

Well, Robert isn't playing that way. And the longer he drags on, the more the flaws in his writing style irk me. At some point between volume 8 and 9 (actually, I think it was when he went back a wrote a prequel for gods' sake, rather than the next book in the series) I just walked away. I didn't care anymore. I don't recommend the series anymore (though the first, say, 4 books are excellent, and if he could concentrate on one character and one story line at a time, I might be persuaded to read another one)

I hadn't outgrown Fantasy, but I had grown very tired of how folks were doing it. I've lost my taste for it-- or at least for hard cover epic fantasy novels. The flaws I had overlooked suddenly became apparent in not just RJ's work, but in a lot of other books I'd read. My primary recreational outlet was closed. I started drinking more

"*chuckle* *snort* Dude. don't do that to me, I just shot beer out my nose. There's no way you're gonna blame your alcoholism on that, is there?"

Well, no. I guess not. But that was a point where I did make a conscious decision to become little more than the sum of my bad habits.

But then I turned a corner. I found Netflix, and started watching movies. And for whatever reason, I decided to rent some cartoons instead of the crap Hollywood had been putting out. (I think, likely because five or six years ago I worked an odd schedule-- typically 5am-1pm-- so I had been watching a lot of movies in the theater, afternoons after work. I'd already seen most of that stuff, even before it came out on DVD.)

So, I rented a show I'd liked, but hadn't seen in a while. The first discs I got from Netflix were Cowboy Bebop.

And things went downhill from there. Right now I'm signed up for two plans, 8-at-a-time from Netflix, and 5-at-a-time from RentAnime. I'm churning through 20-25 discs each week. I'm watching worlds unfold, and it's all new to me. I love anime in the same way I used to love all those books.

These are my new worlds, where I spend my time. I don't even go out to the bars anymore... well, I still make it out about twice a month. (Old friends of mine could tell you: I used to be out drinking every other day) This is my escape from the everyday dullness that makes up a lot of modern urban life.

But I'm not just a recluse shut-in who compulsively watches movies. I a recluse who used to read. Massive quantities of fiction, fantasy, history, mythology, psychology, and all of it still relative fresh to mind, because (once again, old friends of mine could tell you) my memory is an extremely odd mechanism, and I retain all kinds of crap. The most useless information. It's handy for trivia games...

My background means I can bring a critical eye to what others would call 'just cartoons'. I see the story structures. I see the myth in anime.

We'll launch the next lecture from this starting point.


edit 28 Jul 06: and this is how it starts. I've decided to term this the "Anime Conversations" series, and we'll be doing it much like the Lecture Series, except, you know, different.

-- next --

Hey, Andy, bring out the 'raven' set.

"what, that thing again? you know it's cliche, right?"

That's why I like it.

"sure Mr. M. you're the boss."

Good man. and how's the beer situation?

"we're set up for days, boss." [*cshk*]

Now, I thought we went over this last time: what did I say about drinking on the clock?

"take it up with the union, boss. it's in the last contract"

Damn you. Well, at least leave some for later. [sotto voce ] Damn thirsty figments, think they own the place. Need to fire the lot of them...

"what's that boss?"

Nothing, nothing. So, everything set up for the next scene?

"everything except an audience. Dude... I mean, Sir, you haven't posted anything for like, two weeks."

11 days

"whatever. you said yourself that to keep an audience, even one as small as ours, you gotta post every day."

Every damn day, is how I think I phrased it. But since I'm in charge, I'm going to forget that I ever said that.

"the stage is yours, boss. and the other two guys are waiting in the wings."

Gotcha. Let's do this thing.
[*cshk*]

Another in our "Anime Conversations" series, because for some reason I enjoy fictionalizing what should be ordinary blog entries. (eh. It's more entertaining that way.)

-- first -- previous -- next --

(expositionary crap)

There are a lot of topics I could cover first. A survey of major anime plot types, a review of 'landmark' anime series of the past 30 years, Anime as seen in the United States-- and the influence of key series in the overall acceptance of anime in America...

Some of that would be totally yawn-inducing

"All of it is yawn-inducing"

Shut it, Mitch.

So rather than a historical survey, let's look at story structure instead. No matter which type of anime we'd consider-- magical, giant robot, high-school combat tournaments, some-guy-surrounded-by-a-half-dozen-chicks... there is one point that seems to be a foundation for a lot of these shows.

Where are the parents?

19 times out of 20, our protagonist is going to be some teenaged kid. 19 times out of 20, our kid hero is either an orphan, or his parents work overseas, or he just left home to try and get into college, or she just transferred into an all-girls boarding school...

This particular plot device comes up so very often that this has moved from coincidence to 'standard practice' to cliche. It almost goes without saying that the main character of an anime is going to be a teenage kid, and for whatever reason, the kid is on his or her own.

How many of these can I cite? Akira, Burst Angel, Card Captor Sakura, Chrono Crusade, Evangelion, Fushigi Yugi, Gasaraki, Gundam (gundams, plural, take anyone you'd like), Ikki Tousen, Lain, Magic Knight Rayearth, Mohoromatic, Neo Ranga, Pretear, Rahxephon, Sister Princess, Witch Hunter Robin... [edit: yeah, too many to bother with.]

Let me put it this way: if you're a fan, think of your favs, and note how many have a teenaged protagonist with either explicitly missing parents, or ones that just never get shown, or mentioned.

When grownups are present, they're unapproachable, unavailable, or ineffective. A good example of there-but-ineffective parents would be Tenchi.

"Who's Tenchi?"

Consider this a 'recommended reading' anime, Prof. Tenchi Muyo in all of it's various incarnations is one of the standards of modern anime. A brief summary: One ordinary, unlucky guy finds himself surrounded by a half dozen (and more) beautiful women, all of whom want him. (for whatever reason, despite his ordinary looks and talents. ...yes, there may be a certain amount of wish fulfillment on the part of both creators and fans here.) In Tenchi's case, the women in his life are all aliens (cute, human-looking aliens) of various stripes who are marooned on earth each for a different reason, and all of whom end up living in his house. The details, I'll leave to the show. (and yes, this is what is referred to as a 'harem' title, in that we have the one guy and a bunch of chicks-- but I'll discuss that in length later, too.)

"So far, you're not explaining anything, really"

Well, it's a lot to get into, Mitch. Let's just say there's this anime, Tenchi Muyo, that a lot of folks have seen, even if you haven't, and it makes a good place to start.

[Mitch shrugs]

Well, in Tenchi's case, his dad is an idiot. Even though one of his parents is around, it's more of a hinderance than a help. (his grandfather is also around, and his grandpa kicks ass-- in keeping with anime rule #1-- but grandpa has better things to do than get involved in the sort of crap Tenchi gets himself mired in once an episode)

If you were a fan of Campbell or Lord Raglan, you might notice that this alienation from family & support seems like a necessary step. Our hero can't set about on his journey if he has a happy home life. (even if he were content and complacent, he must voluntarily leave to save said happy home. that's the mythic structure for you...)

We might take a step back from myth, however, and look at a couple of other reasons for our lonely teenage protagonists.

First, the main consumers of anime (in Japan and abroad) are teenagers. This is the target market. Even though most will be living in completely ordinary homes, how many teenagers do you know that are 100% happy with that? [insert editorial here on teenagers.] It's a complex thing, raising a child, dealing with the need to support young men and women while allowing them their space...

setting aside the parenting angle-- for the purposes of a fictional narrative, we have to accept that the kids are on their own. In real life, a teenager could appeal to his or her parents if things really got bad, but for the sake of story, we can't have our hero taking that kind of shortcut. (if they do try it, they're going to get shot down, obviously.)

Second, a promising but untried hero makes a good protagonist. We don't know if he or she can save the world, but we're willing to watch them try. While someone could write a story about a 60 year old grandma that suddenly finds the power within herself to defeat alien invaders, it's a bit of a stretch. There is something about the potential inherent in the young... Besides, our grandma doesn't look anywhere near as cute in a school uniform...

which will bring me to my third point: All the heroes are teenagers, because they look good in school uniforms. This has something to do with the mentality of Japanese creators, animators, and fans (and myself) and very little to do with story necessities or mythic structure. It's just more fun to watch a cute girl in a miniskirt save the universe. (or spandex. spandex is good too) (though... OK, spandex is universal; western comic book heroes wear it, too. But why are western comic heroes in skin-tight spandex virile males, while japanese equivalents are underaged females? Actually, I don't think I'll argue that point one way or the other, but my preference is for the Japanese model)

"*snort*"

Yes, Mitch?

[laughing, tyring to hide it] "Oh, nothing"

And you, Prof?

"Well... are you trying to say that no matter how we parse it, using fallbacks like 'mythic structure' and 'universal storytelling'... in the end it comes down to high-school girls in skirts?"

Hm.

[beat]

...and for our next topic, we'll look at sidekicks.

"copout!"

Shut it, Mitch.

... that topic perhaps should be, "annoying sidekicks"
(because for the most part, gods are they annoying)

Another in our Anime Conversations [blah, blah, blah...]
[links to previous entries at the end of this one]

(The usual crap explaining the format.)

A bit of terminology:

MC = Main Character

& The Party:

The group of main characters, the protagonists, are typically referred to as The Party, thanks to Tolkien and D&D and roughly 30 years of role playing games. (unless you're a Buffy/Angel freak, and then you likely use the term 'Scooby Gang'.) I'll cover party dynamics in another post. (Here's a teaser. Dude, did I really write that 6 years ago?)

Setting aside close-interpersonal psychology within the framework of the small group dynamic within our main cast (yes, I'm bullshitting you here), there are two relationships that I feel we should take a closer look at: The romantic interest, and the sidekick.

Today, we're covering sidekicks. (except in passing, I likely won't deal with the other. I mean, it's so simple...) Modern sidekicks have been with us for a while, at least since Cervantes. (one might make an argument for Horatio in Hamlet as well, and Shakespeare often had a servant tag along with the MC in his comedies)

Any examples from mythology, Prof?

"Hmm. Hadn't thought of it in quite that light. ...Other than companion animals-- of which there are many, from mounts to servants, guards, and totem animals which double as symbols for the respective..."

I hate to cut you off, Prof, but this is my lecture, not yours. Any obvious examples from, say, Greek myth? The Greeks should be familiar to most readers.

"Well... Heracles and Iolaus."

"What, they didn't make that shit up for the Hercules TV show?"

"No. It's from the Hydra story. As Heracles would chop off one of Hydra's heads, Iolaus-- his nephew-- backed him up by searing the resulting stump with a torch before it could sprout new heads."

In anime, the sidekick tradition draws equally from Disney, as opposed to literature or myth, at least in the case of uber-cute animals not much bigger than the MC's head. We can trace this back to Disney and 1940-- Jimminy Cricket, in fact. At least from my knowledge base, there were no animal sidekicks before that singing, moralizing, annoying cricket 'conscience'. Thankfully (almost) all anime critters are voiceless, though one could perhaps start an internet flame war over whether a nagging sidekick is preferable to one that merely says "piku" or something equally cute/gagging.

We might identify two types of sidekick(& one important variation-- more on that toward the end of the column): the sancho-robin-tanto-type and the cute-animal-companion-type. Both will often serve the same roles. In the case of a human (or at least, a talking) sidekick, however, their own character development will likely form a major sub-plot in the story. Whether they are training hard to be like the MC (their friend/sensei/idol/master/whatever) or are just trying to find a romantic entanglement of their own, the human sidekicks tend to be more interesting. There are story points to be found there.

Cute animal sidekicks are there because they're cute, and to sell even cuter stuffed-animal-plushie-versions of themselves to the fanbase.

As you might be able to tell, I don't like the companion-animal types. 88 times out of 100, you could get rid of them and the story wouldn't suffer at all. Two exceptions I feel like pointing out are Menchi from Excel Saga, whose name can be translated as "Mincemeat" and who is often referred to as an emergency food supply for the main characters, and Kero from Card Captor Sakura, who in general is less annoying than most, and transforms into a Guardian Beast along the lines of Cerebus (from whom his name derives)-- though the fact that this animal sidekick is marginally less annoying than most derives quite a bit from the fact that Sakura is an above average series as a whole.

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Skipping the hey-let's-add-a-critter-for-merchandising-types... what is the purpose of the sidekick?

Well, we might find any number of reasons (10 in this case; aren't round numbers handy) for the MC to have a sidekick:

1. Student. (or info-dump, if you prefer) If the MC has to explain things to his sidekick, well, he also ends up explaining things to the audience. This is handy for giving all kinds of background info without breaking from the constraints of the story.

2. Confidant. For the purposes of story and to clarify things to the audience, the MC needs to talk to someone, so the author will use scenes where the MC either talks about his feelings (very useful to get an 'inside look' into a character) or where the MC bounces ideas off the guy, talking his way through the process while he figures things out.

3. Combat Partner. "You take the 3 on the right, I'll take the 15 on the left"

4. Comic Relief. (should be obvious)

5. Bait. In those cases where a damsel-or-lad-in-distress isn't handy, the villain can just kidnap the sidekick to provide that extra motivation for the hero.

6. Corpse. Killing off the sidekick will also motivate a hero like you wouldn't believe.

7. Bridge. Sancho Paza served as Don Quixote's link back to the real world. In anime, where our main hero may end up being an 'extraordinary' of whatever ilk (angel, demon, soldier, assassin, stage star, ace pilot, magi, psychic, god... or 'the only guy/girl living who can pilot the giant robot') then having a plain-jane type as a sidekick not only grounds our MC back in reality, it also gives them an important bond. They can't just go off and do whatever-it-is-would-be-easier-- there's this guy back there... Obviously, the Romantic Interest serves this role better, but the Romantic Interest(tm) is Unobtainable(tm), so the sidekick has to do for day-to-day situations.

(maybe I need to do the RI essay anyway)

8. Captain Obvious: "Dude, we need to get out of here!" The MC is often so caught up in revenge/redemption/whatever that he or she is fully prepared to sacrifice his or her life in episode 3. Since there are going to be at least 13 episodes (26 or 39 if it gets picked up by the network) then of course we need someone in the story to drag our hero back from the brink, to keep them from shooting the wad too early.

9. Support. One important variant on the sidekick is the inventor/mechanic back at the base. Someone to fix the giant robot. someone to say "You're pushing yourself too hard." Someone (often an older grandfather sort) (or alternately, a femine-nerdy-type who happens to look unbelievably hot in a pair of coveralls-- seeing more an more of this one) (for the reason stated) to provide not just materiel but emotional support.

10. Proxy.

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I've saved this one for last. Proxy Fighter is the term I've coined for things like Pokemon, where the kid/hero is the Main Character but doesn't actually bust shit up himself.

The most obvious example of a proxy fighter is Pokemon, and it's many copycats. (Monster Rancher, Digimon, YuGiOh, Beyblade, Duel Masters, Zatch Bell, Dragon Drive, a bunch of others I'm sure I'm not familiar with...) The young MC must train his or her proxy to be stronger and better in combat, which takes place in either set tournaments or in random encounters, but always with such frequency that there's one battle each episode (or more painfully, dragged out over several episodes).

Most Proxy Fighters are also marketing vehicles (see pokemonetisation) though of course I think any show aimed at the under-7-set is just a way to advertise merchandise for a half hour.

However I'd care to characterize these sidekicks (and their creators), it's also pretty obvious that outside of the ridiculously exaggerated and extended fight sequences, the cute critter companions fulfil all the major roles of a sidekick, and an important side note: they're also disgustingly cute and sweet.

Having completely condemned a whole class of anime, let me point you toward a show that I personally love, that is rather decidedly yet another 'proxy fighter', but is so good I recommend it anyway. Something like the exception that proves the rule:

Angelic Layer.
There's this hot new game-- you buy a doll, customize it, and when placed in a special game system ("the layer") you can move the doll with a controller. On one level, the show's about an advanced but not unrecognisable fighting game.

The MC is 12-year-old Misaki; she just moved from the sticks into Tokyo to go to a private school, she's a bit shy, a bit neurotic about her height (she's short even for a 12y.o.) and due to circumstances, she's lived with first her grandparents and now her aunt because her mum has been busy with work for the past seven years. She has issues. So on another level, Angelic Layer is about how Misaki, through learning about the game, learns things about herself.

Without giving too much away:
There's also a thread about the guy who created the game, and why.
There's a thread about crushes and first loves.
There are a couple of love triangles, though these are treated gently and not really the point of the series.

Each opponent is given motivation. There are no villians.

The point of the show is about trying your best.

I'd recommend this to anyone. The reason I own it (other than the fact that I'll watch it at least every 8 months or so) is that I want to have the DVDs to give to future nieces (or my own unlikely progeny) because even though the show was developed with the boy's market in mind, I can think of few shows that are more affirming for developing pre-teen girls. Do your best. Believe in friends. Believe in yourself. It's got good stuff all around.

There are three sidekicks for Misaki:
Tamayo is her new best friend at school, and Misaki's main cheerleader.
Hatoko is an opponent-turned-ally, who not only teaches her a lot about the game, but also happens to be even younger than Misaki.
Hikaru is her Angel, her doll, who fights for Misaki on the Layer. In this case, even though the proxy is just a stand-in during the game, she also has something of a personality of her own, and her development mirrors the development of Misaki, our MC.

Angelic Layer: Listing on ANN -- Review on AoD -- From ADV Films (with trailers) -- Buy it.

(you know, that reminds me: if I'm going to be linking this crap, I need to sign up for some sort of affiliate program so I get credit for it. ...something for the next post, methinks)
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Anime Conversations
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Note: this ain't Mexican. Just Mexican inspired, and tasty.
(and yes, I've posted this before, but I keep tinkering with the recipe.)

Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: hard to say. ~30 minutes

Shop:

1 14oz. can (each) of:
Pinto Beans
Black Beans
Garbanzo Beans
Refried Beans (I buy the fat-free spicy variety)
whole kernel Corn (low sodium, if possible)

and 2 14 oz. cans of:
Tomatoes, Diced, with Green Chilies

Also:
4 small (two medium) Onions
1 Bell Pepper
some olive oil
4 packets of Taco Seasoning.
2 cups (uncooked) Rice
2 lbs. of meat (I like ground Turkey)
Toritillas, or taco shells, or nachos; something to put all this on. (we get the burrito-sized tortilla shells)
& Cheese, sour cream, hot sauce; however you like to dress burritos.

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Philosophy:
Over many months of looking for cheap ways to keep from starving (it's an endless battle) we at the Bachelor Chow Scientific Kitchens have stumbled upon (mostly by accident) the perfect burrito recipe. Just the right blend of spice, filler, and nutrition.

The Burrito Triumvirate: Equal parts spanish rice, beans (though our bean mix is more than just that...) and meat.

The roommate agrees, this may be my best version of the recipe yet.

##

Lab Procedures:

I mix this mess up in three 13cup Gladware containers, which I can then chuck in the fridge. YMMV.


Veggie Filling:

In said container, combine 3/4 cup of water and the contents of one taco seasoning packet. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.

Drain the Pinto, Black, and Garbonzo beans, and Corn-- then add them to the mix. (drain well, and rinse. most canned goods are packed in nothing but salt water.) Decant the can of Refried beans (once again, I recommend the 'spicy' varieties) and heat that in the microwave, then add to the mix. Take this opportunity to stir everything well.

To this I added one small onion, diced fine, uncooked. I also diced a bell pepper, but sauteed it in a bit of olive oil (like, 5 minutes) before adding it.

And finally, add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, drained-- though in this case throw something under the strainer, so you can save the liquid from the 'maters for the rice.

Mix well, heat lightly, and you're done.


Rice filling:

To 2 cups uncooked rice, add the contents of one taco seasoning packet, 2 cups of tomato juice (as captured from the diced tomatoes above, or buy a small can of sauce) and three cups of water.

Yes, this is more liquid than is called for in the directions. I'll cook this in the same-type 13cup container, cited above, which does perfectly well as a microwave safe dish.

Depending on your microwave, you'll need to nuke the rice & liquid on high for 6 minutes, and then continue on on medium power for 16-18 minutes. Or cook rice some other way... it's only rice. You can figure it out.


Meat filling:

Dice and sautee three small onions in a little olive oil. Add 2+ pounds of meat, and brown. Follow the directions on the remaining 2 taco seasoning packets.


And.... we're done.

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so, here's the trick. The addition of onions, corn, tomatoes, and peppers really help what could just be a boring ol' bowl of ordinary beans. (In fact, the veggie filling is really nice, all by itself. I might have to think of other uses for it...)

the addition of tomato juice (or sauce) before cooking is what makes the rice 'spanish' to begin with.

& Meat. mmmm.... meat.

the thing that ties these disparate ingredients together is the cheap, 80 cent taco seasoning packets. By using the same spices across the board, everything just sort of goes together well, despite all the other ingredients added to each filling. Folks will figure out their own ratios. (you can even do a vegetarian version: beans and rice, no meat)

And as [insert major 'mexican' fast food chain here] executives will tell you, the advantage to Mexican-American food is that it is cheap