Clothing recommendation

[oniakki]

{...} Also, if I remember correctly, Ciel is thirteen, not eight. I know that doesn't sound much better though!! ) It personally doesn't bother me, especially because that's what the actual mangaka is going for. {...}

Doesn't sound better to people from other countries because of their countries' age of consent laws. In Japan the age of consent is 13. I did some digging into it a while back because I was curious why so many anime characters were 13.

I've heard that some prefectures have local overrides bumping the age up to 16-18 (depending on prefecture) but only for intercourse or some such. I haven't found definitive proof of this though so no idea how accurate it actually is. (Side effect of not being able to read much Japanese.)

[MeltedCaramel]

{...} Also, if I remember correctly, Ciel is thirteen, not eight. I know that doesn't sound much better though!! ) It personally doesn't bother me, especially because that's what the actual mangaka is going for. {...}

Doesn't sound better to people from other countries because of their countries' age of consent laws. In Japan the age of consent is 13. I did some digging into it a while back because I was curious why so many anime characters were 13.

I've heard that some prefectures have local overrides bumping the age up to 16-18 (depending on prefecture) but only for intercourse or some such. I haven't found definitive proof of this though so no idea how accurate it actually is. (Side effect of not being able to read much Japanese.)

<----Oh, I'm well aware of Japan's obsession with youth. It's not just the laws but a cultural divide thing that many Westerners don't really get. (I've heard so many "shocked Westerner" stories of seeing salarymen groping teenage girls on the train, and spying on them in schoolgrounds, and even worse, lots of the young girls will encourage the behaviour for juvenile giggles since Japan is a pretty safe place (in general, I'm not listing specifics) and that guy err...pleasuring himself on school grounds? He's more likely to freak the hell out and drive away if he's harassed by his objects of affection than he is to be anything more than a really introverted pervert. )

Sometimes liking anime is part understanding that a) it's fake, no children were sacrificed to demon butlers, etc. in the making of said anime, and b) realizing that no matter how fascinating it is, you're watching a skewed, fetishized version of something that you're not likely to readily culturally understand, which is why you run across so many things that make an eyebrow go up. (I'll admit the prevalence of "stereotypical black" designed characters in even modern anime throws me a little, but I understand that it is again, a cultural divide thing, not a blatant attempt at racism, and I need to keep my mouth shut lest I start WW3 over it on some video or something.) I have a friend who has taught English in Japan, she's in the process of moving back, speaks flawless Japanese, has been there for a total of 10+ years in all her wandering around the globe, and she still admits that Japanese is a unique culture that often clashes with others. She in particular hates the Japanese custom of "when you're angry, be really anally polite until you sound like a rote textbook description" because Japanese people will very rarely actually tell you outright that you're offending the hell out of them, they rely on distancing themselves to get their point across. That's quite different from my Italian upbringing! I'm used to seeing pots and pans go flying, and you always know when someone is pissed off!!

The cultural thing can be an extremely fascinating topic provided someone regards it with a neutral eye and an understanding that it is truly another culture, and while not another planet, you need to let go of some preconceived notions to truly enjoy their culture for what it is, not what you wish it would be.

Also, final note: Anime Is Not Japan. Biggest mistake I see people make. Search google for articles and you'll find tons of examples of this hilariously misguided notion. A parody video says it best(won't link it here unless someone asks because it's raunchy and full of bad language. ):
*School bell rings*
Boy: Oh no, I'm gonna be late for anime school!

[oniakki]

I have a friend who has taught English in Japan, she's in the process of moving back, speaks flawless Japanese, has been there for a total of 10+ years in all her wandering around the globe, and she still admits that Japanese is a unique culture that often clashes with others.
{...}
The cultural thing can be an extremely fascinating topic provided someone regards it with a neutral eye and an understanding that it is truly another culture, and while not another planet, you need to let go of some preconceived notions to truly enjoy their culture for what it is, not what you wish it would be.

Ohh, jealous, I've always been intrigued by Japanese culture myself. I've wanted to visit for a long time, but the airfare from the US alone puts it outside my price range. ;.;

[MeltedCaramel]

I have a friend who has taught English in Japan, she's in the process of moving back, speaks flawless Japanese, has been there for a total of 10+ years in all her wandering around the globe, and she still admits that Japanese is a unique culture that often clashes with others.
{...}
The cultural thing can be an extremely fascinating topic provided someone regards it with a neutral eye and an understanding that it is truly another culture, and while not another planet, you need to let go of some preconceived notions to truly enjoy their culture for what it is, not what you wish it would be.

Ohh, jealous, I've always been intrigued by Japanese culture myself. I've wanted to visit for a long time, but the airfare from the US alone puts it outside my price range. ;.;

<----Ah, my friend is a chronic wanderer. I've known her for around two years now and she's moved about three times! As for Japanese culture, check youtube, there are some amazing videos chronicling Japanese culture from a Western point of view and being explained by people who were patient enough to actually learn about the culture they immersed themselves in. They debunk a lot of stereotypes, tell you which ones are completely true, and explain the often strange cultural differences you'll notice. Being Italian, my culture is just about as polar opposite from Japanese as you can get. We're loud, louder, and the loudest, we fight hard and love harder, and everything and everyone within a five mile radius will be damn sure to hear us even if we're just talking about how our day was! I've found it fascinating to compare my own culture to Japanese and just...how truly different it is. It's helped me respect that invisible cultural barrier as well too, because I tend to make loud, bold declarations, and anyone that knows me knows to take it as a simple statement and probably not the half of what I truly feel on any given subject, but I know now that I would be offending the hell out of many Japanese people! Now I usually apologize for being Italian! (I'm joking of course, I couldn't be prouder of my heritage, but at least I acknowledge we're a rowdy bunch that will try and stuff you to the gills with food and drink and send you on your way with even more after some bawdy conversation! )

There's a wealth of knowledge out there Oniakki! You might find it a fun journey to do what I did, and to truly soak up the differences and appreciate them and examine not only Japanese culture but your own, and find out what you have in common, and what is different.

[versora]

Ahh, oops on the age, but it still doesn't help. I kinda guessed Black Butler was kinda gay inuendoed. Yeah that one guy from Loveless can be very creepy at times, but at least he's a bit respectful of the fact that he can actually wait. Kinda a shame they never made a short seires of them when he boy was old enough, but I suppose that's what fan fiction is for. As for Tsuzuki, he gives me mixed signals, and that Muraki[?] Silver haired duded in all white gives me the heeby-jeebies. I know that guy is batting for the same team, since he keeps on tesing Tsuzuki. And yes, it was the Legend of the Blue Wolves I was thinking about.

[MeltedCaramel]

Ahh, oops on the age, but it still doesn't help. I kinda guessed Black Butler was kinda gay inuendoed. Yeah that one guy from Loveless can be very creepy at times, but at least he's a bit respectful of the fact that he can actually wait. Kinda a shame they never made a short seires of them when he boy was old enough, but I suppose that's what fan fiction is for. As for Tsuzuki, he gives me mixed signals, and that Muraki[?] Silver haired duded in all white gives me the heeby-jeebies. I know that guy is batting for the same team, since he keeps on tesing Tsuzuki. And yes, it was the Legend of the Blue Wolves I was thinking about.

<----- Black Butler is definitely on the strange side, but a lot of animes have that sort of weird age difference. Also...Soubi basically greets Ritsuka by taking his first kiss!! I'd say he can be rather insistent. Though he seems to be abstaining from...err..."taking Ritsuka's ears" for now. Also, I could have sworn that Loveless isn't over yet! We may or may not get to see how Soubi and Ritsuka's relationship evolves. It seems to be on a bit of hiatus, but Yun Kouga has mentioned wanting to finish it in fifteen volumes, and it's up to volume eleven right now. (Though she has a penchant for some bittersweet endings so I'm not holding my breath for happily ever after! ) Haha, Muraki is a weird villain. I remember hating him because everyone said he was this hardcore scary villain but I just thought he was a weird creep who was more interested in sexually harassing Tsuzuki than anything else! Hmnnn, Legend of the Blue Wolves is one I haven't gotten a chance to see yet, but it has been heartily recommended to me. I'll have to check it out!

[versora]

You should watch it MC. I like it although it's a sad story, but good in my opinion.

Oh, and I also got my doll, today! viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9891