So, been watching Lucky Star some more. I've actually come to like the show, even though it is only okay at best. And very weird and nonsensical at worst. I can say this, though. My favorite character is Minoru Shiraishi, for his rant on the term, "Tsundere", alone. But, up to ep. 16, he's becoming less and less of a doormat to Akira-sama. I can't wait to see how that goes.
Also, I went back and rewatched the earlier episodes. Sometimes, I just skip around until I see something funny. This time, I didn't, and I caught something really weird; Kona-chan was apparently impersonating a character from a shojo anime series, but when she did, her eyes stood out, she spoke in a very friendly manner, and quite honestly, her voice sounded very pretty. (Wendee Lee can sound really pretty. Hey, that rhymes!) It was funny. Also, Miyuki-chan just went along with her act. I LOL'd. Oh, speaking of which, I noticed Miyuki's mom is voiced by Bridget Hoffman, an actress I know to have a pretty voice. I wonder if it's possible to fall in love with a woman just for her vocals. Hmm . . .
But, having been inspired by Minoru, I want to comment on something. Concerning the term, "Moe". I ask, can we truly grasp the meaning of the term, Moe? There is no direct English translation, but my research yields that the closest thing Moe can mean is either "desirable" or "precious". However, Moe, in the sense that it is used in the manga/anime fandom, does not merely mean desirable or precious, per se. Apparently, it is meant to describe a character archetype, one that has become commonplace in J-pop culture. Moe is said to refer to a female character who is very nice, very sweet, has a soft, squeaky voice, dresses appropriately, and tries to be cute, usually without realizing it. However, to be truly moe, the girl must also be utterly helpless. She must be defenseless against monsters, emotionally frail, unable to get around without assistance, but people always help her out anyways, because she's just so nice. This is, as far as I can tell, the moe description.
I have also seen characters who encompass all the traits of Moe, except the helplessness. I call these characters Half-Moe. One example is Orihime Inoue from Bleach. She's much friendlier than most of the other characters, has luscious (orange) hair, a Minnie Mouse-like voice in the anime, and I think Orihime is a pretty name for a Japanese girl. On the other hand, her spirit powers kick Hollow ass and can restore a friend like Curaga in a Final Fantasy game. Far from helpless. Another example would be Sakura in CCS and the later volumes of Tsubasa. But my modified term, "Half-Moe" is not what I'm ranting about.
Too often, people are quick to label a character, "Moe". Often times, this is done by people who dislike moe characters, trying to justify their hatred of a character, or a series loaded with moe-ness. Listen, just because a girl has huge round eyes, and became helpless for ONE FREAKIN' EPISODE doesn't mean she's moe. Not only that, people are applying the term "moe" to characters who aren't even moe in the slightest sense of the word! It is time we took a stand! No longer will this mockery of the Japanese language be tolerated! It is time we took back Moe (and also half-moe) and used it in its proper contexts!
ARISE YOU ILLITERATE MASSES!!!!!!
"You were going pretty good there, 123."
There are times I don't like the moe phenomenon. There is one anime series, which will remain anonymous, that has used one-dimensional moe girls to reel in otaku. Also, I admit, moe girls are pretty unrealistic. You're unlikely to meet anyone in real life, save for maybe a very little girl, who is completely moe.
And yet, on the other hand, some moe (and half-moe) girls are just . . . oh, you know what I'm gonna say. They're just adorable, kawaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, they make my heart melt, blah blah blah. Lucky Star does have Kona-chan's little cousin who is moe, and extremely cute, for instance. But please, peoples, learn how to use the term, correctly. Don't corrupt it, or you'll only end up causing confusion.
