Old vs. New: Dragon Ball

During my recent re-watching of Lucky Star, I couldn’t help but smile when Konata sang the classic Dragon Ball Z OP “Cha-La Head-Cha-La.” But then I remembered the new Dragon Ball Kai OP “Dragon Soul,” which is sung by one of my favorite GAR artists of all time, Takayoshi Tanimoto. Now I can’t decide which song is better. Help me decide, friend reader, and I’ll stick the winning song in the next episode of Bakacast!

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhJwOx1LXmA’]

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-7pzJRwplk’]

[poll id=”23″]

Heavenly Legs – Which Grade of Zettai Ryouiki Is Best?

 

Natsuru displaying Grade B zettai ryouiki.

As every otaku knows, the true pinnacle of anime fashion (and Japan’s most popular fetish) is that heavenly bit of flesh between the top of a girl’s kneesocks and the bottom of her skirt… the absolute territory, better known as zettai ryouiki. Now, the power of SCIENCE tells us that the ultimate ratio of length of skirt : zettai ryouiki : length of socks above knee is 4:1:2.5 ±25%. However, I say TO HELL WITH SCIENCE! Zettai ryouiki is all about passion, not mere mathematics. The very notion that certain “grades” of kneesock length are superior strikes me as far too absolutist. Each grade has its own strengths, its own appeal!

The question I pose to you, dear readers, is which grade of zettai ryouiki do you find the most appealing? Do you agree with the conventional wisdom that Grade A is the true “golden ratio,” or do you prefer a more exposed leg? Using the chart I’ve provided, cast your vote in the poll below. Don’t hesitate to leave your opinion in the comments below as well. This is one of the most pressing issues facing otakudom today, so now is your chance to let your voice be heard!

Click to expand.

[poll id=”22″]

 

Otaku Debate: The Most Popular Fall Anime

Last week, Crunchyroll released a ranking of its streaming fall anime, based on their popularity. It contained a few interesting surprises.

  1. The World God Only Knows
  2. Otome Youkai Zakuro
  3. Sora no Otoshimono: Forte
  4. Super Robot Taisen OG: The Inspector
  5. Fortune Arterial
  6. Squid Girl
  7. Yumeiro Pâtissière SP Professional
  8. Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
  9. Tegami Bachi Reverse
  10. Tantei Opera Milky Holmes

The World God Only Knows and Sora no Otoshimono topping the charts was pretty much expected, but seeing Super Robot Wars and Otome Youkai Zakuro ranked so highly definitely makes me scratch my head. Panty & Stocking‘s is low rating is also puzzling… perhaps more people were repulsed by it’s unique comedy than I thought. Based on the Twitter buzz I’ve been reading over the last few weeks, I had assumed the most popular shows of this season were OreImo and Squid Girl, but this list is making me rethink those assumptions.

Now I’m curious about which shows are popular among our readers. Which of the new anime do you love? Which do you hate? Does Squid Girl warm your heart? Does Panty & Stocking make you vomit? Are you just as confused by Star Driver as I am? Let me know by voting for your favorite show in the poll below, then give us your unrestrained, honest opinion in the comments!

[poll id=”19″]

Otaku Debate: Finding an Anime Girlfriend

Last week’s debate indicated a fairly split opinion on the quality of the summer anime season. 59% of you said it was either average or horrible, whereas 31% liked it. 12% didn’t even bother watching any shows from this season at all. Based on these results, it think it’s safe to say the summer season received a somewhat negative reception from our readers.

As many of you have already seen, my room is decked out in all manner of otaku merchandise. Upon seeing those photos, one of my friends remarked, “Now that’s the kind of room guaranteed to repel girls. If she doesn’t turn tail and run after seeing that, she’s a keeper!”

That got me thinking. Are girls really turned off by such overt displays of nerdiness, as my friend claimed? The dream of any otaku (or any nerd, for that matter) is to find a significant other who shares their interests. I’m sure we’ve all fantasized about that perfect girl or guy who’s both cute and into K-ON!. The question is, can we turn that fantasy into reality? Is it really viable to meet an anime girlfriend or boyfriend? What would be the best method for finding otaku romance? Or are we all doomed to spend our lives alone, crying ourselves to sleep every night while hugging our catgirl body pillows? That, dear readers, is what this week’s debate is about. Cast your vote in the poll below, and share your thoughts in the comment section!

[poll id=”18″]

Otaku Debate: Did the Summer Anime Season Suck?

Surprisingly, last week’s debate didn’t generate the knee-jerk negative reaction towards obesity that I expected. Most of the poll respondents said they preferred their girls anywhere from “meaty” to “slightly chubby,” which could be considered average weight for most people. It’s nice to see our readers have rejected the “thin = sexy” message of pop culture and formed more realistic standards of beauty!

This week’s topic is a bit of a painful one for me. In my humble opinion, this anime season has been a total letdown. Most of the shows, such as Seitokai Yakuindomo and Ookami-san, were just too bland to be worthwhile… and the few that showed promise, like Occult Academy and Highschool of the Dead, turned out to be total duds. The only show that’s marginally entertaining at this point is Mitsudomoe, but the very risque humor makes it appealing to only a small subset of otaku.

Now, I don’t think this means anime is doomed or anything silly like that. We’ve had bad seasons before, particularly in the early nineties after the last economic crash. Still, that doesn’t make it any less depressing to slog through such mediocrity. Has this season left you in a similar state of despair? Or do you think that I’m being overly negative? Are there any anime this season you did enjoy, or are you taking refuge in old classics like Dirty Pair and Gundam while this storm blows over? Vote in the poll below, and share your thoughts in the comment section!

(Just FYI: I consider K-ON!! to be a spring season show, so it doesn’t figure into this debate.)

[poll id=”17″]

Otaku Debate: Can Fat Girls Be Sexy?

You cannot unsee this.

Last week’s sexy hair poll was so popular, I decided to make a weekly poll-oriented debate column. Welcome to the inaugural edition of Otaku Debate! Here, we will discuss the hard-hitting issues facing the otaku community today, while oogling as many sexy ladies as we can. Let’s begin!

When I posted this image to Twitter last night, I was surprised when many of my followers expressing support for fat fetishism. Quite a few people thought that pictures such as this one (VERY NSFW) and the one above were sexy, often repeating the catchphrase “Big girls need love too.” This got me thinking… last week’s poll seemed to indicate a certain sense of conformity with regard to hairstyle preferences, with twintails and waist-length hair being the most popular. Are there a significant number of otaku who go against the norm and enjoy a nice, fat anime girl? Or is this particular fetish relegated to fringe status, supported by a small but vocal minority? Vote in the poll below, then let me know your thoughts on the matter in the comments!

[poll id=”16″]