Comments on: Magazine Review: Otaku USA, volume 1

By: kyok

kyok — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 04:47:04 +0000

I agree with Ocha-san about Bashcraft not really fitting in with Otaku USA. I do frequent Kotaku often but feel that the news snippets reported by Bashcraft are very slanted and often breeds ignorance and hatred for otaku-subculture.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:17:11 +0000

An American magazine based on the otaku subculture…what a laugh. XD

By: Ocha-san

Ocha-san — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 09:52:17 +0000

There’s Bashcroft in this mag? I’ll probably not going to pick it up then. I don’t think Bashcroft is that bad in reporting about Japanese culture in general – it seemed he actually knows JPOP culture very well and watches actual TV shows in Japan. He just has this just very anti-otaku views; he doesn’t belong in a mag called Otaku USA.

Given the amount of hatred he has for idolm@ster and other otaku game properties, I’d say that Bashcroft probably doesn’t even like HD, as he’s likely to laugh at those who attend Comiket (that’s you, Shingo).

Bashcroft, I’m sure you’re a pretty cool buy, but you’re an Otaku-basher. I think Otaku USA would be better off without you. You should start writing about general gaijin-related articles for sites like Japan Today rather than focusing on Gaming/Otaku culture – Your holier-than-thou attitude toward otaku-ism is really annoying.

By: Bashcraft

Bashcraft — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 23:08:53 +0000

Wow, you really sound like a nut job, that’s for sure! Good luck with feeling better about yourself, ikimashou.net and the incessant trolling.

By: Totali

Totali — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 06:51:17 +0000

Hmm…I remember seeing this at the bookstore the other day and thinking, “wth is this? Where’s my Newtype for this month” xD. Maybe I should have taken a closer look. -.-

By: Randall Fitzgerald

Randall Fitzgerald — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:42:25 +0000

Ashcraft:
I don’t hate you, I just don’t respect you. I’d say there’s a wide swath of difference there. And I don’t know if you’ve used these internets before, some of us enjoy shit talking people.

And why should I be classy? Classy people are boring. I don’t like your writing. If Otaku USA is any different, I’ll step up and say so, but until I get see the article, I’m going to keep on bitching. It makes me feel good about me. :D

Haha, oh yeah, and is not remembering me supposed to make me feel bad? I don’t care. Hahaha. Oh man.

By: The geek shall inherit « Precocious Curmudgeon

The geek shall inherit « Precocious Curmudgeon — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:28:36 +0000

[...] be surprising given the credentials of many of the contributors. Here’s Jog’s run-through, and here are the views of the good folks at Heisei Democracy. (That last link was found via Simon [...]

By: MangaBlog » Blog Archive » A few quick links

MangaBlog » Blog Archive » A few quick links — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:37:51 +0000

[...] English-language anime and manga magazines he can find, with some info on each. And Hesei Democracy reviews the newest addition, Otaku USA, which officially debuts [...]

By: Bashcraft

Bashcraft — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 21:35:47 +0000

@Randall Fitzgerald
We’ve come into contact? Sorry dude, no clue who you are. But look at that, you’ve ramble on in separate posts about why you hate me. Good for you.

And the only gamer-type who lives in Japan? And only posts “them wacky Japs” item? Hilarious and so classy, Randall Fitzgerald.

By: Shingo

Shingo — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 01:47:59 +0000

There’s one page devoted to cosplay (a single cosplayer, to be precise); a bit more if you’re feeling generous in your interpretation of some of the pictures attached to other articles. Definitely not a focus of the magazine, though.

By: Sydney2K

Sydney2K — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 01:28:21 +0000

Wot, no cosplay material?

By: Randall Fitzgerald

Randall Fitzgerald — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 19:13:30 +0000

Fair enough! Wouldn’t want them getting pissed. I already told Heero I’d be picking up a copy, so I guess I shall. As long as the manga’s good, I don’t mind.

Still, I’d prefer Brandon Sheffield to Brian Ashcraft any old day. Not as an insult or anything. I just prefer Brandon’s writing style.

By: Shingo

Shingo — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:08:06 +0000

Sometimes I think the “oh, Japan” line is apropos, though it can definitely be abused… to be honest I’m not familiar enough with his game coverage to have much of a stance on it, but his article in the magazine is solid enough. I agree with you that one-chan is incorrect Romanization, though.

I’m going to keep mum on the content of the extras as it’s not displayed on the magazine cover and I don’t want the information to sway anyone’s purchasing decision. I will say that one of the manga is visually stunning and I have a volume of the other one in Japanese, so I doubt it’ll be boring material – the first volume of one was released Stateside recently, with the other coming soon.

By: Randall Fitzgerald

Randall Fitzgerald — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:35:55 +0000

Oh, one thing though, admittedly, Ashcraft has been doing less of the wacky-japan posting lately. And for that I am happy. I still say it’s always oneechan and never onechan.

By: Randall Fitzgerald

Randall Fitzgerald — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:34:54 +0000

Question: What is the pullout poster? And what is the manga insert? They running anything good?

Comment: Brian Ashcraft is probably the least otaku person I’ve ever come into contat with. One of them, anyway. He’s just about the only gamer-type person who actively lives in Japan but still chooses to post “them wacky japs” posts anytime there is something odd about a game. If it’s a man conforming to his blog standard, it sure doesn’t show to me when he insists oneechan can be romanized as onechan.

Ah well. I should stop bitching before I develop some sort of reputation. (