UlasanAnime.com – It’s generally assumed that individuals should act like sensible, mature adults. However, it’s debatable whether this is always the best course of action or the most engaging approach in every situation. More significantly, it’s an unrealistic expectation.
I’d like to elaborate on this post a bit. I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already.
The online reactions to “yakkai” this past week, stemming from complaints about minor issues, have prompted several personal reactions and observations from me.
- The existence of “police” within the EN Love Live community is a point of interest. I’m curious about its origins, the perceived necessity for its emergence, and so forth. While I don’t closely follow the Japanese Love Live scene, I imagine that Japanese “LL Police” types face considerable challenges. Do overseas LL Police types have it even harder? But then, why does the overseas LL Police even exist?
- Many people are using the term “yakkai” without fully understanding its meaning, which I believe is partly why Rop posted the second article.
- This isn’t about a small percentage of people being problematic. It’s about leadership and cultivating maturity within the fandom, in my opinion. While there will always be a few bad apples and their complaints will inevitably be highly visible, there are still distinct “good” and “bad” fandoms. What differentiates them isn’t statistics, but rather the active and mature investment of their members into the community.
- People often lack context for these situations. Rop’s post presents a continuum, but I suspect it’s primarily applicable to Japan. This isn’t the case in the USA, for instance. Most individuals haven’t participated in Japanese events, making it difficult to conceptually explain how things work. More importantly, there are numerous layers to consider (this is not an exhaustive list):
- A “live” event is distinct from a “live viewing.” Attending a screening in a movie theater inherently imposes limitations and enables different actions compared to a live concert.
- There’s a broader fandom perspective that some individuals clearly disregard. For example, while it might be acceptable to “ietaiger,” it doesn’t harm anyone. However, engaging in the behaviors I observed at my LL2nd viewing, as described in this post, is problematic. These actions are not only dangerous but also constitute “bothersome behavior [TL Note: Yakkai]” that creates issues for management, not just fellow attendees. The goal isn’t to present the fandom as universally good or uniform, but rather to avoid causing problems for organizers if we wish for them to continue hosting live screenings.
- Should fans from different countries and cultures necessarily behave identically to Japanese fans? I don’t believe this is a requirement.
From my perspective, discussing this topic necessitates an examination of the meta-narrative. One aspect of this meta-narrative is that Rop, if you’re unfamiliar with him beyond his two blog posts, exhibits “police-like” tendencies. This represents a clear bias. It’s not inherently a problem or an issue; he currently resides in Japan, a society that is generally quite “police-like,” so it’s natural for him to adopt a more harmonious viewpoint. However, I believe this represents a lowest-common-denominator approach.
Appealing to authority and causing artists distress are also aspects I don’t particularly value in a general context. Rop’s arguments, to some extent, rely on these points. Ultimately, the consumption of art is a personal experience. While fans should indeed behave like mature and sensible adults, from an individualist standpoint, causing a commotion isn’t a significant issue. For some scenes, this is a fundamental aspect of live performances. Naturally, as Rop describes, it exists on a spectrum. Even in America, people need to avoid being “KY” (kuuki wo yomu – reading the room), but the degree of forgiveness is considerably higher, tolerance for disruptive behavior is greater, and these kinds of actions don’t “ruin” fandoms or individuals as easily here.
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I believe the situation is also much simpler. Manipulating fandom becomes easier when the artist becomes involved. If the goal is to keep fans in line, this is one method. The Anisama event in 2017 seemed to attempt this in its own way. While it might have been clumsy (the initial rules generated some online complaints), the approach suggests a respect for attendees’ freedom to engage in activities like “housing tiger” or similar expressions. From a management standpoint, the aim is to curb the most extreme fans and those who delve too deeply into the meta by intervening before their actions cross into completely unacceptable territory.
Speaking of which, for those who engage in the “yakkai” game, Anisama offers its own arena for “creative” expressions. What Rop’s informative posts omit is some of the context behind these behaviors. For instance, why do people run around during “Days of Dash”? Because it’s Anisama, it’s exhilarating, and the song complements the action. This is one of those activities that subsequently became popular at anikura/wotagei events, thanks to Anisama. Anisama’s “yakkai” instances are, at times, what I would classify as clearly appropriate and proper. It’s a unique game, even if it occasionally bends spoken and unspoken rules.
Of course, to some extent, not all of these actions are advisable, as the primary purpose of Anisama is the performers and the live experience. However, performance art is a two-way street between artists and audiences, and I believe any professional musician must acknowledge this to some degree. Personally, I believe it’s acceptable to be “yakkai” if it leads to a net positive outcome. Take that as you will. (This principle applies not only to concerts but to life in general, don’t you agree?)
A good illustration of my point is touching the performer. While attempting to high-five them as they pass is acceptable, it shouldn’t be an opt-out rather than an opt-in situation, if you understand my meaning. This, I suppose, explains why a lowest-common-denominator approach is sensible. It’s because we cannot expect “wotas” (passionate fans) to consistently exhibit “KY” behavior, adhere to common sense, and act maturely. The online reactions from some individuals following the Love Live 2nd viewing do little to disprove this stereotype.
In essence, the damage caused by “house tiger” is far less significant than the backlash from those reacting to “yakkai.” It seems rather absurd to amplify such issues online, as the perceived damage, in my view, is far more detrimental than a few people shouting during a live viewing. Here’s Rop, a person in Japan who didn’t attend any North American viewings, dictating how some eventers should behave, solely because a commotion was generated online? It’s quite amusing. While I appreciate his educational posts, like my own, they are primarily aimed at individuals who likely don’t need them to change their attitudes. Ultimately, it requires a certain level of maturity and responsibility, along with a degree of not being overly “KY.” These are not qualities that can be “persuaded” into someone. You either possess them or you don’t. Hopefully, as you age, Father Time will provide you with valuable lessons if you haven’t already cultivated these traits.
PS. It’s perfectly acceptable to wave non-penlights or towels at Anisama. I waved a banana for Angela at Anisama during Aho Girl’s “Zenryoku Summer” because it was featured in the PV and used as a glow stick. I observed at least three other individuals doing the same (out of potentially thousands). Use your judgment; it shouldn’t be that difficult.
