Kevin Yim LeeARTH-80P
2/8/02
Expression of Fandom through the Internet
Fans of anime and manga have found many ways to express their love of a character or series though many ways. Some create dojinshi, some dress up as their favorite characters, and through the invention of the Internet, many create web pages dedicated to their passion. However, commercial companies noticed the Internet's growing community of anime fans and the general public outreach a web site can provide for the public and thus have created their own pages based on their anime and manga products with a focus on selling. While both fan and commercial sites contain content, graphics, and other items relating to the same anime and manga series, the approach to these areas show that fan web pages focus on providing a vast quantity of information on a single series to submerse fans into the world of their anime while commercial sites focus on familiarizing the public to many different anime series for potential commercial gain.
Providing content is essential to attract others to a web site and both fan and commercial sites provide content although in differing degrees. Kodansha, through their professionally built Kodanclub section, offers information on a wide range of anime titles. A viewer searching for information on a specific title in their site might stumble on another title of a similar genre or see a name not familiar to them but with a favorable graphical style. Visitors who closely examine one of the titles finds general information on the publication of the manga and a simple background story, similar in format to their small page on the anime title, Akira. The viewer is treated to a simple page constructed like the other pages on the site, only differing in the manga cover scan, general information, story, and character list. Viewer involvement is passive until the "preview" section where a short selection of the manga is presented in its Japanese format with English provided by passing a pointer over the Japanese characters. Engagement into the world of Akira and other titles is shallow and brief for the viewer, qualities indicating the commercial nature of the site. By keeping information short yet exciting for the reader, Kodansha aims to submerse the reader into the world of the series just enough to promote the reader to purchase the anime and manga and completely submerse themselves into that world. Kodansha also promotes consumption by localizing the main portion of information into one large array of small, tantalizing pictures for each title. Through placing largely unknown titles along with the more popular ones, visitors are introduced to other anime worlds while on a search for a popular title. This creates larger fan bases for unknown titles increasing the possible consumer base for the series if released in the market. With the way Kodansha provides content for a particular series and the way titles are presented, Kodansha wants the visitor to eventually purchase their way into that particular world.
Unlike the corporate sites, fan web pages usually focus on a single series where the information can vary from general to specific. Sites such as The Relief Goddess Office by Geir and BlueBlade Akira from Krafty focus on providing general information on their respective series however both sites serve their information differently. The Relief Goddess Office provides information where Geir "[hopes] you'll find something of interest," a wish that a visitor enjoys his view of the series. Geir requires no prior information to enjoy the various sections of his site for the Aa! Megami-sama! series and quickly aims to fill in visitors not familiar to this series with character profiles and summaries of the series' episodes. Vast information replaces the low budget on the graphical quality of the page ranging from information on music CDs, video prices, and manga statistics to the physical properties of the series' world, translated scripts of the anime and manga, and sound clips from the video. While Geir provides some information on the commercial side of Aa! Megami-sama, the page mainly focuses on giving a detailed introduction to this anime world for others to feel his level of involvement. Even if a visitor is not able to buy into this world, Geir's scripts of the manga and some dojinshi offer the visitor the opportunity to use the imagination to re-create their own version of this fantasy world. Anyone of any level of familiarity can engage with Geir and his fantasy world through his page's presentation.
Conversely, Krafty "designed [BlueBlade Akira] for those who already know a little about Akira," inferring that a visitor already knows some of the world that makes up the Akira anime. His site, while providing general information such as a synopsis and information about the characters, also goes into the making of the Akira world through production story boards and fan related items such as fan art and costume play. Visitors can interact with Krafty and others interested in the Akira world via online polls and a vast forum on a range of topics explaining, interpreting, and fantasizing various aspects of Neo Tokyo. An array of information on merchandise and his personal auction of Akira goods finds itself in a section made for those who want to buy their way further into this fantasy world. Moody and dark graphics custom made by Krafty echo the feel of Neo Tokyo and serve to bind each piece of his site together to create one coherent Akira world. By placing a vast quantity of information, Krafty not only shows his level of involvement in Akira but allows viewers familiar with this fantasy to engage on his level.
Like BlueBlade Akira, Aa! Megamisama Overanalysis by Amagai requires in-depth knowledge of his fantasy world to truly absorb the information he has provided as the site was "designed to enhance your enjoyment of Aa! Megamisama! OAV series by zealously analyzing easily ignored details that at first glance may appear completely unimportant" (Amagai "Overanalysis"). Amagai delves into the details of his fantasy world episode by episode to fill in pieces of the world and the inhabitants of Ah! Megami-sama! and thus further involve himself and his visitors in a deeper level. Amagai also offers the floor plan of the house that the main characters live in, giving visitors a piece of the fantasy world that they can envision themselves experiencing. To connect the real and fictional worlds, Amagai offers information on the people behind the voices of the main characters representing the closest physical representation that one might get. He also covers information on a game based on the anime where players can have an effect on their fantasy world rather than view it passively through anime and manga. Through these sections, Amagai offers not only a detailed view of his fantasy world, but he also supplies real world connections and outlets to this fictional place that visitors can pursue.
The pursuit of a deeper and more involved fantasy realm defines what fan pages are about. They serve as a communication device where "computers and networking [help] overcome great geographical and psychological isolation" between the few fans that fervently look for ways to engage with their anime worlds (Schodt 333). By sharing their world with others, authors of fan sites look to find others to share and expand on their fantasy world. Conversely, commercial pages only serve to promote their products and thus are designed to give fragments of a complete picture. Instead of sharing a different world from reality, they want visitors to buy their way in through products offered by the company. While commercial pages supply the shallow shells of what a fantasy world might be and leave the visitor to find their way, fan sites dedicate themselves to the hunt of more information to piece together their fiction into near reality for themselves and their readers.
References:
1. Amagai. Aa! Megamisama Overanalysis. 23 May. 1997. 6 Feb. 2002. <http://www.concentric.net/~Amagai/megamisama/index.html>.
2. Geir. The Relief Goddess Office. 31 Jul. 1996. 6 Feb. 2002. <http://www.stud.ux.his.no/~geir-f/amg/>.
3. Krafty. BlueBlade Akira. 6 Feb. 2002. 6 Feb. 2002. <http://www.bbakira.co.uk/main.htm>.
4. Kodansha. 6 Feb. 2002. <http://www.kodanclub.com>.
5. Schodt, Frederik L. Dreamland Japan. Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. 1999.