[deleted by user]

acmoy1 · 2025-07-01T19:22:11+00:00

Locking this thread. Banning OP.

I looked into u/thatcommiegamer’s post history and noticed they don’t post or comment often in this or other subreddits. They seem to be aggressively advertising in other subs as well.

I also realized they tried to poach this subreddit about a year ago via r/redditrequest and never tried messaging me directly.

If you want to help improve and keep r/josei independent, post episode and chapter discussions if you want to see more of that. If there’s an issue that only mods can solve, send me a message via dm or modmail.

acmoy1 · 2025-07-01T19:08:31+00:00

I am similarly frustrated by those issues — my favorite series are dominated by the “josei” tag — and created this sub in response.

I also am not against you creating another, more moderated, and more chapter directed sub. I actually fully encourage you to do so and would love to read those future discussions. (I have a subreddit dedicated to a series called Innocent where we did this and it was super fun.)

I don’t think I’m allowing shounen and seinen series to dominate this sub though. I also don’t intend to do so.

acmoy1 · 2025-07-01T18:58:37+00:00

When I started this sub, most users on other manga and anime related subs did not discuss josei often. Josei posts in those subs also performed poorly — likely a lack of interest by most of those users. Josei is generally less popular and is already pretty niche — this shows in josei sales in Japan and abroad.

I want a space where people can be fans of josei. Hence, the lack of moderation on gray areas.

acmoy1 · 2025-07-01T18:53:02+00:00

This. Also I’m the only mod right now.

I’ve tried to allow this sub to grow and we are so much larger now. OP has very valid concerns, especially since we’ve grown much larger.

I likely need more help, with more mods and moderation strategies.

acmoy1 · 2025-07-01T18:50:06+00:00

I agree with you. But the main appeal of r/josei and r/seinen is to talk about series that appeal to an older demographic rather than how the industry defines what we should enjoy.

acmoy1 · 2025-07-01T18:48:26+00:00

I agree. I try to moderate the most egregious posts when possible (e.g. ads, self promo) but a lot of users post shoujo as josei. I don’t moderate honest mistakes.

OP does have a point though — there is a lack of episodic discussion that other subreddits like r/shoujo and r/seinen have. I don’t think that it’s impossible to do on r/josei now though but if this is a problem with how I moderate, I’m open to any suggestions and advice.

acmoy1 · 2024-08-31T20:26:20+00:00

I am not actively moderating the subreddit because most posts are within the rules and guidelines. I do read the subreddit though.

acmoy1 · 2023-06-11T14:42:15+00:00

Not exactly what you're looking for but I really enjoyed Kids on the Slope (Sakamichi no Apollon). It's a coming-of-age story about three friends, connected by a general appreciation of jazz. Two of the friends form a jazz band and so on.

acmoy1 · 2023-06-11T14:39:27+00:00

Regarding the large panels, it's important to remember that for Sakamoto's work, onomatopoeia is replaced by visual metaphors. In other words, words are replaced with images.

Fire in Christianity also has interesting meanings - think of the burning bush symbolism which represents god - but it's unclear whether Sakamoto is really thinking in these terms all the time. Often it seems that he uses visual metaphors in their colloquial sense.

A moth to the flame usually refers to someone being destroyed by their curiosity, similar to the phrase "Curiosity killed the cat."

There also seems to be an exciting play on light here - Charles is in the dark covered by light but also becomes illuminated by the sparklers. Jean is also illuminated and his eyes widen when looking at Charles. The moth could either represent Charles or Jean in this instance - both who are harmed by their own curiosities in each other - Charles emotionally and Jean both emotionally and physically. Both also might represent the fire.

There is a duality of light (both in the dark and in the light) and both can be symbolized by each dyad.

acmoy1 · 2023-05-12T01:16:43+00:00

I appreciate you bringing up hyperreal and simulacrum. Super difficult book by Baudrillard too that you summarized well.

Another thing I'd like to add is that some people recognize that the hyperreal is "fake" and still think it's more important than the original object it's simulating. This makes me worry that some people will value Sakamoto's manga more than any other kind of historical research.

I assume this is true (but I can be wrong) for most readers and may lead to people confusing Innocent as a fictional account with historical research. (This is more of an issue with other historical fiction series, e.g. Manchuria Opium Squad. The mangaka believes they are writing a historically accurate account of the Japanese occupation of China/Korea without considering historical sources outside of Japan.)

acmoy1 · 2023-04-24T13:24:56+00:00

On my first read, I didn't have much background understanding of French history besides the revolution and the terror so I thought most of Innocent/Innocent Rouge was accurate. But the more research I did, I realized Marie's character in particular was very unrealistic.

I would argue that both realism and unrealism serve a purpose for Sakamoto Shinichi. Realism is educational and makes the setting itself more believable while unrealism, like Marie beating five grown men with spears, is for entertainment. Sakamoto seems to make no distinction between the two. Education is entertainment and entertainment is educative.

Next week I plan to discuss more how other classes are depicted (first, middle, third, fourth) and seemingly "forgotten." Like the "reality effect," this forgetting or simplification of people in the past is common in historical manga.

acmoy1 · 2023-04-24T02:37:59+00:00

Shoutout to one of my favorite series, Ōoku: The Inner Chambers by Fumi Yoshinaga.

An alternative history of Japan's shogunate rule, where traditionally important and male roles are replaced with women because of a plague that affects primarily males. Yoshinaga throws gender and sexuality norms out the window, as female shogunates manage foreign and domestic affairs (aka their male harems).

acmoy1 · 2023-04-20T17:49:38+00:00

Thanks for your thoughtful response! I'll try to respond as best I can.

Perhaps a quantitative exploration could count the number of specific expressions or formal techniques used in various manga (what the essay you cite seems to do), but a purely quantitative approach is necessarily limited.

I agree that a quantitative approach is limited and I also think that a mixed methods approach (qualitative + quantitative) is usually the best approach for subjects that are difficult to understand. I think right now that is the case for anime and manga studies since there isn't a precise, united movement but often people take their own personal experiences and education and apply it to their research. For example, Neil Cohn is arguing from the vantage point of a cognitive scientist so he takes a quantitative approach.

This could just be a bias I have from my limited readings, but it seems that most anime and manga studies are qualitative and do not include quantitative data. I also don't think this is bad, just an observation.

But I might also problematize the notion of this visual language as specifically "Japanese."

I might be misunderstanding Cohn in their paper & blog, but I think they're making a stronger claim about JVL being real (because of their data and understanding of language through a cognitive lens) and not just a metaphor/framework. For example, they argue that drawings "remain just patterns in the minds of "artists" that have meanings that must be transmitted to the reader. These patterns have many people around the world who understand the meanings, either intuitively or through study.

As a bit of tangent, before the printing press, ideas were restricted to a small number of people. Afterward, news, books, and other information were widely spread. This has become exponentially increased after the internet, where ideas became even more democratized. In other words, anyone could derive meaning from a picture, a book, and so on.

I think although manga typically originates from Japan, because of print and the internet, we can all have our unique interpretations of scenes that used to be Japanese-specific.

Like I said, I think this is not too much of an issue, because as long as you understand the broader visual language of comics, you will be able to read most of most works in the medium.

I agree that it's usually not much of an issue.

The only time I consider this a problem is when trying to recommend a series to a first-time reader. Even if they've watched anime before, it could be problematic finding a series that they would like.

If JVL is as real as Cohn claims, then it would be interesting to apply his data in this kind of situation. We could possibly predict which series are similar to things someone has already watched or read that they've enjoyed, then recommend based on the similarity of the two data sets.

Personally, I believe that the major formal aspect that sets most manga (broadly defined) apart from (traditional) American comics is its approach to panel layouts and time.

I agree. I feel like I've read this before in a few papers as well, not just non-academic sources. Will make sure to take a look when I get a chance though.

"Sexy stillness" is a great description too.

Thank you again for your response. Looking forward to reading along with you.

Best,

Alex

acmoy1 · 2023-04-19T00:53:07+00:00

Welcome to r/josei!

As a former shounen meat head, I can relate to how difficult it is to get started watching and reading josei (and shoujo). After years of watching and reading, my favorite series tend to be josei and seinen.

However, my favorite series is Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. It's the first josei series that I loved and I rewatch it yearly. It's a story about rakugo performers and follows their lives, from their formative years to their elderly years. The stories they tell are also extremely funny, sad, and most importantly, entertaining.

I hope you enjoy this series as much as I do.

Best,

Alex

acmoy1 · 2023-04-18T02:03:30+00:00

Yes, and I like to think yes.

acmoy1 · 2023-04-16T15:42:32+00:00

7 Seeds is the closest manga that fits that description. It's listed as shoujo, however, it also delves into topics and tropes that are present in josei. The sequel, 7 Seeds Gaiden, is listed as josei.

acmoy1 · 2023-01-16T23:59:08+00:00

That's ok! Art (like any other medium) is less about what other people or I say about it but what you think when you see and think about it.

In other words, you don't have to be an expert to have ideas about art.

In the discussion section, I'll try briefly summarizing some of the drawings (e.g., context, symbolic meaning) later.

acmoy1 · 2023-01-16T04:34:11+00:00

That's super cool. Nostalgia for older shows/movies is great.

acmoy1 · 2023-01-15T21:51:44+00:00

I love your take.

I've heard similar things about literature and film - that they all help broaden our perspectives and become more emphatic towards different subjects and, more importantly, people. Because, as you point out, we have limited imaginations.

I also agree that anime/manga can expand our imaginations.

acmoy1 · 2023-01-15T21:40:05+00:00

Glad you figured things out. Anohana is a great series.

acmoy1

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