Too Japanese for Me: when the truth doesn't matter because no one tells it

So I'm watching shojo anime La Cordo de Oro when it happens again. I find myself saying, "Not again!  Are you kidding me?!" as the heroine, betrayed by a jealous and shrewish lying liar of a comrade, refuses to tell the truth to those in authority, preferring to take the unfair reputation hit herself for some (probably obvious to Japanese) reason.

My next thought is something along the lines of "This is why I am not a shojo heroine because if I was, I would tell the truth and let justice be done, and then later on when I needed to be helped/saved, there would be no people I had graciously helped to assist me."  (That sort of thing where justice is served and the villain is redeemed to come back and save the hero seems to happen in shonen manga and usually involves fists as a definition for justice.  [Dengeki Daisy is an exception in this case, but DD is, well, an exception-al shojo manga in so many ways.])

It happens again a little later.  [SPOILER] One of the reverse harem members misses a performance because a jealous enemy locks him in a closet.[/SPOILER]  At first, when it could have made a difference, the kids don't explain, but later it sounds like they tell the authorities, not that it makes any difference for some (most likely obvious to Japanese) reason.

I just don't get this.  Is it simply a shojo manga trope, or is it really a reflection of some inherently Japanese cultural mindset/characteristic?  If so, which one?  I find myself very curious. 

Night Head Genesis, making you want to slap people with psychic powers

 I'm quite proud of the ambiguity of that title.  Read on to see what I meant.  :)

Reviewed: Night Head Genesis Disc 1

TMIA rating: b

I just saw the first disc of Night Head Genesis.  It has an interesting premise, more-than-decent music, and beautiful character designs.  That's why it's so unfortunate that it sort of bogs itself down in lame tropes.

That's not actually a very fair review.  The things that drive me crazy about NHG are mostly things that would not drive me crazy if I were watching this series one episode a time one time a week. 

(NOTE: There is no excuse for the unintentionally hilariously bad in-between art.  It's really brutal, which is a shame because the character designs are really nice.)

Also, I'm not the sort of squeeing fangirl this show has laser-sighted its targets on, so it makes sense that the genre-specific crud irritates me. I just think it could have been an even better show without that stuff weighing it down.

Back to what makes me crazy while watching it.  I may want to kill someone if I hear another, "Help me, big brother!" or, "I'll protect you," but that's mostly because I get to hear them every episode, about every 20 minutes when I'm watching a whole disc at a time. 

(NOTE: these lines don't need to be said; they are implied/shown very clearly.  I'm not just saying that because I would appreciate not having to listen to them all the time.  The show would benefit from a little more restraint here (pay voice actors less!) and a little less restraint in the animation budget . . .)

There are enough interesting pieces to the whole that I am willing to stay with the show, even if it doesn't turn itself around and become a masterpiece (it doesn't).  It's a decent show on its own merits. 

I would like to use my untapped psychic powers to slap that younger main character, though. 

It's okay.  By the end of the first disc, he's found a purpose other than being miserable and making me crazy, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he can take what was his weakness and use it to help others.  (I'm sort of personally invested in seeing this sort of thing work out . . .)


Seen it?  Any opinions?


MangaNerd Quiz!

What graphic novel series does this back cover copy come from?

"What if you could see dead people and a guy in a giant bunny suit trying to get them to the other side?"

What Happens to Real Nice Boys

There's this anime trope my sister and I were talking about recently: the nice guy who wins.  It may not necessarily seem like he's winning because there are scads of annoying girls around either beating him up or forcing their affections upon him with various degrees of enthusiasm and success, but that in itself is supposed to be winning.  He is desirable, and girls choose him.

In real life, this doesn't usually happen. The nice guys we know (especially Christian guys), the ones who deserve to get the girl because they will love and cherish the girl and will remain faithful in sickness and in health as long as they both shall live usually get dumped by the girl because she is looking for "something else," though she claims to be looking for a (God-fearing) man who will love and cherish her and stay with her as long as they both shall live.

When this kind of thing happens, it makes me a little angry, especially as a woman who is happy being gifted with contented celibacy. At times like those, I wish I weren't celibate because someone needs to love and appreciate these men in the way that they deserve, and I am out of the game forever.  Love is at least partially a choice, an act of the will, and it seems like too many single women seeking mates are too busy wishing to look at and really see the Prince Charmings around them.

I cannot understand why so many bright women desperately looking for mates overlook all of the wonderful men around them because they're "too nice" (i.e., won't make out in public) or are geeks or nerds. Liking video games or anime (a lot) doesn't cancel out a nice guy's other qualities.  Being a fan of dating sims or a little bit socially awkward shouldn't automatically disqualify a really nice person as a potential love interest.  But it does.  All the time.

What do you think about why nice guys seem not only to finish last but to finish lonely or at least wait lonely for longer than they should have to for someone to discover how great they really are?  Ladies (if this applies to you), why is it that you'll pine for a boyfriend or husband but won't really make the effort to look for someone who has the necessary qualities if they don't make you feel all sparkly?  I really am curious.