F*ckin' Otaku is just ****ed. (Mini-Update)

Last time I did one of these Mini-Updates, it was for the greatness that is Haruhi. This time however, my subject, as well as my reaction, are rather dissimiliar. One might almost say... completely opposite.

F*ckin' Otaku

I can practically hear the derisive comments forming in the minds of some of you out there, so allow me to forestall them by saying I used to like that site. I originally came across it several years ago and actually found it to be rather amusing. I didn't agree with everything they said there, certainly, but that's hardly a prerequisite for enjoyment. Heck, I link three very awesome people over there on the sidebar, all of whom I admire greatly, and if I agree with one out of three points one of them makes in a given statement we're doing pretty darn good. And while the people over at FuKu, as they call it, were often arrogant and overly self-righteous, they also usually tempered it with a measure of good-humor. And so, I went back there yesterday, after having more or less forgotten about it for a good length of time, and wandered into the first article I came across: their "Anime That Suck" review of Kasimasi.

I'll admit that I did like Kasimasi, up until the ending, at least. But, like most sane people, I wouldn't say that it was particularly good. So while I certainly knew I wouldn't be agreeing with many of the points made, I at least expected that the review process would be handled with the above-average level of intelligence and wit I remembered from the other reviews on the site. I couldn't have been proven more wrong had they tried. It was clear from the beginning that the reviewer had no intention of giving the series a fair shake, let alone liking it. This is not as notable as it may appear, though; it's a common trait shared by pretty much every other article on the site. FuKu does not tend to attract terribly open minded people. But this author pushed this inherent antipathy to new and unfortunate limits.

I pressed on, though, slogging through not only through the man's bias, but what I'm going to assume were his attempts at humor, though the only laugh I gave was a chuckle at the irony of an article on a site that bashes anime for it's over the top sexism using some of the most mysogynistic language I've had the misfortune of reading in a good long while. Not to mention the way he espoused that the only way for a guy to be a 'Real Man' is for him to be some testosterone flooded little twerp. This is something of a pet peeve of mine, so you'll understand if my opinion of this author did not in fact raise much upon reading that. Still, I pressed on, if for no other reason than to see what other ridiculous statements the man could bring to the table. Got a bit more than I bargain for there, though.

And I quote: "...So if you're going to do a serious show involving people discovering their homosexuality, you do need to deal with [...] any feelings of shame the couple [...] themselves feel..." Yes, because of course the first thing every budding lesbian thinks upon realizing her sexuality is that she's doing some terrible thing that she should be ashamed of. Right.

I don't mind telling you folks, that, upon reading that line, I felt a dire urge to punch the monitor. And, should some fickle twist of Fate ever place this author in my path I hard pressed to resist performing a similar action upon his person. Look, no one says you have like homosexuality or gay people. ...Wait, strike that, there are quite a few people who would say that, but none around here. You have a right to your opinion on these matters, whoever you are and whatever that opinion is, but lambasting a work because it doesn't portray it or them as the social malady you would like it to pushes the definition of 'low' to new heig- depths.

I'm not normally in the habit of giving scores to websites, since they change too often for the score to mean much, but I'll make an exception here. F*ckin' Otaku gets a score of zero out of eleven, giving it the dubious honor of my first every Zero. As a Zero, it is devoid of any entertainment value; watching grass grow would be more entertaining, and a better use of your time. For that matter, driving burning splinters under your fingernails would be a better use of your time¹, because at least then you wouldn't be providing them with support in the form of your pageviews. It may seem a little over the top of me to judge the entire site so harshly based on one article, but that article is much like finding a severed human finger in your meal. No matter how fine the rest of the meal may be, it is invariably tainted by the presence of that finger.

Okay, this mini-update ran longer than I'd intended, but I feel better for having written it. That is the purpose of this blog, after all: to get my opinions down on paper (figuratively speaking) and out of my head. Anyway, I have found a topic for my next proper update, an older and rather obscure, but still very good video game. Should be up in a couple days. Hope to see you then!

Oh, by the way, should any member of F*ckin' Otaku be reading this and would wish to argue with the statements I have made, I have some very simple and succinct advice for you: Get Bent.


(1:Mr the Tiger's Den does not in anyway recommend that you drive burning splinters under your fingernails. It is by all accounts quite painful, and should be avoided if at all possible.)