OK, what's the deal with Kuroko's Basketball?

[SteveH]

ANN posts another 'panic article' about a chain of stores in Japan dropping the DVDs and manga for Kuroko's Basketball. The article cites other threats and fear stories, but not ONCE mentions what, exactly, the 'trigger event' is.

In other words, why is some one or some group so unbalanced by this thing? Did it kick their puppy? Does it expose some seamy but never spoken truth about Japanese people and Basketball? Is it just a case of butthurt in the linked society?

Of course I could Bing the thing, but I want to hear what other people believe as well as the facts. How much urban legend is blossoming around this stupid thing?

Thoughts?

[davemerrill]

Threats

After the anime began airing in 2012, the series became popular with dōjinshi circles, particularly for yaoi dōjinshi,though there is no yaoi in the series itself. Several events at which doujinshi of the series were to be sold, as well as several other locations linked to the series, including a television station airing the anime, received threatening letters containing a powder or liquid substance.[15] Multiple doujinshi events, including Comiket, banned content related to the series, barring creators from selling Kuroko no Basuke-themed doujinshi at their events.[16]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuroko%27s_Basketball

Steve bringing it up here is actually the first time I've ever heard of this series.

[Animusubi]

At first I thought it was just some guys hating on fujoshi who made yaoi doujinshi of Kuroko no Basuke, but I guess it's a personal vendetta between one man and the creator himself. I'm not sure if they've actually caught this guy.

I dug up translated posts from the alleged, from 2ch: http://sukikatte.wordpress.com/2012/12/ ... -mourning/

It's rather disturbing. This sort of behavior seems to be popping up more and more in Japan. I try to understand the culture and why people do this in Japan? This sort of indirect revenge? It reminds me of all those instances where pop idols get sent threats for dating or marrying. They seem to hold grudges and be the worse kind of passive aggressive.

[SteveH]

Threats

After the anime began airing in 2012, the series became popular with dōjinshi circles, particularly for yaoi dōjinshi,though there is no yaoi in the series itself. Several events at which doujinshi of the series were to be sold, as well as several other locations linked to the series, including a television station airing the anime, received threatening letters containing a powder or liquid substance.[15] Multiple doujinshi events, including Comiket, banned content related to the series, barring creators from selling Kuroko no Basuke-themed doujinshi at their events.[16]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuroko%27s_Basketball

Steve bringing it up here is actually the first time I've ever heard of this series.

But re-read that. ZERO info on WHY someone or some group or someones is doing this. As Ryoran says, are we meant to believe that this is a protest against fans creating their own interpretations of a (I guess) popular I.P.? Because I don't understand how doing 'prank terror' on Combi Stores gets that done.

But that's the world we live in. Total lack of common sense combined with...I don't even have the words. If I was butthurt about something I could type a letter, sprinkle some baby powder on it and send it to the place that upset me and WHAM they would shut down and run screaming. I'd also get my pale ass arrested. And I should be. It's like the asshat kids who call in bomb threats to their school, or write "everyone will die" in marker on a bathroom wall. Yeah, I know, this crap CAN turn out real but there's also some common sense about it that needs to be taken.

I'm not even going to go into all the stuff like the 'Terrors' in England caused by the IRA and how there were de-facto rules in place and blah blah.

This whole Kuroko's Basketball thing is just complete nonsense.

[davemerrill]

Reading the 2chan translation of the guy's letter, it has the same selfish, obsessed tone as do many conversations I've had with troublesome fans over the years, the sense of entitlement, the idea that we HAVE to listen to their demands, the willingness to cause trouble for lots and lots of people over what appears to be a very small incident. Fans!

Surprising that this person or persons hasn't been caught yet; from what I understand the threats and mailings have been happening for almost a year now. I wouldn't be surprised if we're looking at copycats now.

[SteveH]

Reading the 2chan translation of the guy's letter, it has the same selfish, obsessed tone as do many conversations I've had with troublesome fans over the years, the sense of entitlement, the idea that we HAVE to listen to their demands, the willingness to cause trouble for lots and lots of people over what appears to be a very small incident. Fans!

Surprising that this person or persons hasn't been caught yet; from what I understand the threats and mailings have been happening for almost a year now. I wouldn't be surprised if we're looking at copycats now.

Yeah, reading that translation, and I could only take so much of it (and thanks again Ryoran! excellent job! ) I almost get the sense of trolling.

I mean, am I reading between the lines correctly? Allow this paraphrase:

"I'm not gay but I'm kinda gay and I like this guy and I really like this guy in his basketball uniform and there was this other cute guy I liked in his basketball uniform and the creation of this manga which makes the fujoshi make into gay comics mocks me and my fetish and I WILL NOT BE MOCKED"

is that close?

so, yeah, copycats. because it's fun to panic people over TOTAL CRAP.

[usamimi]

I wondered the same thing when I first heard about it, because it literally felt like NO ONE KNEW why it was happening. People were just reporting that someone was doing it because they were mad...but not why they were mad!

I had a feeling it was probably something like that, though, so I guess that'd make sense...though it's still ridiculous. There are fans who make romance/porn doujinshi for EVERYTHING--not just the boy's love creating fujoshi. Fans make yuri and ecchi doujinshi for the stuff that features more female characters, so no series is "safe" from the porn treatment. I don't get why some fans get so enraged by what other fans like to create in their spare time...it just seems like a pointless thing to get mad about. I mean, yeah, I get annoyed/aggravated when I think about how much underage porn is floating out there for Madoka Magika for example. But I try not to think about it and enjoy the series for what it is, and not let other fans ruin that.

Obviously, whoever is behind these threats (be it 1 guy or a group) has some serious insecurities and issues that they need to talk out with a therapist. Because if you legitimately feel threatened by a bunch of cartoon boys in Basketball shorts, that's...something to worry about, man.

[greg]

It's rather disturbing. This sort of behavior seems to be popping up more and more in Japan. I try to understand the culture and why people do this in Japan? This sort of indirect revenge? It reminds me of all those instances where pop idols get sent threats for dating or marrying. They seem to hold grudges and be the worse kind of passive aggressive.

Because there are far too many people in Japan who need to relax and/or get a life. (I'm sure GP would agree if he reads this.) Too much sexual frustration, I imagine.

[kndy]

It's definitely caught on this year as I'm meeting so many people cosplaying as "Kuroko's Basketball" which is interesting because I don't recall many Shohoku High cosplayers during the "Slam Dunk" years.

But the popularity of this series reminds me of "Tennis no Ojisama" (Prince of Tennis) which did receive quite a bunch of boys love manga releases.

As for the revenge situation....just be grateful it's not as bad as what is in S. Korea with the anti-fans.

[SteveH]

OK, and now this:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... -last-year

Again, lazy reportage by ANN with no actual mention of WHY this person or persons are so hot to hate.

Another thing I'm getting tired of in the reporting is that one line about 'substance that might emit Hydrogen Sulfide if it were vaporized', which in stories written by others gets 'de-contextualized' into just hydrogen sulfide.

OK, know what that is? Drain cleaner.

Of course it can be nasty stuff, but you can make something just as nasty using ANY common cleaning product. Hell, I was going to suggest looking up what a 'Works' bomb was but in this day and age that would probably get someone in trouble.

But the story is about panic. Panic and unrest. Fear. And it's just insane. It is beyond my understanding why this is still going on.

It's just a cartoon! It's just a comic book! geeze.