If you haven’t already heard, Kyoto Animation has decided to continue with the production of FREE,named by fans as Swimming Anime ! It is set to release this July.

KyoAni’s promo caused a big, positive uproar. But while I lived under a rock, there was also a lot of backlash from some otaku (fans of KyoAni) trying to shut peoples’ optimism down about the production of Swimming Anime, stating it would be a waste of money, and complaining about how it caters to the fujoshi. I was confused as to why people would even complain. I wondered if I should take a stance toward this: should I care that people are complaining? I’m not one who cares about anything negative someone has to say. So I roamed the blogosphere to read others’ opinions on it, and in my efforts of giving a damn I couldn’t, but I did  consider others' opinions about this hatred & I do have things I want to denounce.

So here’s the issue: KyoAni are practically known for their fan-service: creating the most moe of characters such as Chitanda Eru, and practically the K-On & Clannad casts. Moe sexually appeals mostly to males (let’s be honest, is Chitanda in a purple bikini really supposed to turn me on?). Now that they want to shift their gaze towards the female demographic it’s a problem.  So what’s so bad about catering to the fujoshi, or female otaku in general? Well, fans are mad that for once it’s not going to be about what they  want.

 KyoAni fans couldn’t be more wrong in their reasoning: that they won’t make any money from this is incorrect. For one, people love spending money on what they love or think they deserve, such as spa days or new clothes. For two, yaoi, which is targeted toward fujoshi, is very popular. Some companies like to imply a hint of this type of fan-service in their works. An appropriate example would be the Naruto series: Naruto’s love for Sasuke burns very deep. I mean he’s so fixated on bringing his friend back home that we Naruto fans ‘ship them together. I can go on with examples. Kishi’s pretty much thrown in so many dashes of yaoi in every male-male relationship. You see, it’s a fujoshi world after all. I’m not stating that the characters in FREE will have gay relationships, but I am expecting some bromance, like in Naruto.

An interesting perspective that I want to point out is one of Celeste from Bateszi ’s points on the backlash. She suggests those against FREE are annoyed that it may communicate a reality that they don’t want to deal with:

To these dudes, all women are ideals but especially the geek girl. For the otaku, most girls are impossible – they’re too girly, too chatty, too cute, too womanly, too whatever - but the geek girl? He might actually have a chance with her… The geek girl plays games with you, watches anime with you, has just as strong opinions on directors and studios as you. But, in the male mind, this girl also wears short skirts. Isn’t overweight. Is a model on the side.  Maybe a cosplayer. Probably an imouto… So what happens when their patron saint of studios, Kyoto Animation, starts pandering towards this kind of geek girl – the otaku ideal - that isn’t anything like their ideal at all? When men themselves are sexualized and - gasp - the male ideal held by these women isn’t a wimpy, whiny, conservative otaku but  sexy boys with built shoulders and 6-packs and real interests?... Of course he’s upset, because the fantasy world he’s constructed around himself is revealed to be a lie.

Now, I’m not saying all male otaku are wimpy, whiny and conservative. But I agree that it’s possible that people against FREE are hating at the design of these characters, which of course are the embodiment of every straight woman’s dream including the female otaku, and that may not be a reflection of what they are. So, they’re jealous that Kyoto Animation is catering to females and that they’re not as hot as these 2-D dreamboats? Sounds silly to me, but the anime hasn’t even been out yet so, guys, what other possible reasons could there be?

As far as I care, whoever’s complaining can take a seat. In the midst of all the ecchi & moe in our subculture, it’s about time someone made an anime completely dedicated to female otakus— call us fujoshi, akiba or whatever.

Lastly, I need to mention that I don’t think KyoAni ever really wanted to drop the production; if you ask me, it was a test to see the reaction they would get from their 30-second promo. They’re the first to do something like this, so wouldn’t it make sense to test the waters first?

yum !