Happy 2022, to the few who still visit here

[ClosetOtaku]

Returning once and again to CAA, it's a bit of a mixed bag of feelings.

Most recently, it's like visiting a necropolis. Topic headstones jut out of the soil, some polished, others broken... and for those who have tread these pathways before, there are patches of bare ground where a discussion once stood but has been wiped from existence by the mods. The rest, as Hamlet says, is silence. You run into a couple mourners from time to time who reminisce of better days when this was a vibrant town.

You shake your head. What happened?

The intersection of anime and Christianity has always been an ill-defined spot on the Venn Diagram. Watching the best of anime can be a spiritual experience, but most of the titles past and present are mundane, derivative, and not at all uplifting; some of them are downright unwholesome. As always, they reflect entertainment media in general, and the dynamics of society at large.

A lot of people "grow out" of anime; that's perfectly understandable. It is now, and always has been, a medium largely focused on the teenage demographic. But that also suggests we should see a renewal of interest here at CAA, an influx of new blood. We don't, even though consumer demand for anime has grown steadily since I became a CAA member in 2004.

So, then, demand for Christianity - half of that narrow band of the Venn Diagram - must be partly at fault. And I think we see these trends already; there are plenty of other media sites that discuss them, and there's no point in rehashing that topic here.

But I also think Marshall McLuhan's observation that "The Medium is the Message" applies here in several ways. Bulletin-board-style sites have had their heyday, but have declined, their content replicated and replaced by the Facebooks and Reddits and YouTubes of the world. Likewise, the life cycle of these bulletin boards is so well-documented that it's practically a trope: initial enthusiasm and rapid growth gives way to discomfort with diversity, smug complacency, and stagnation. Theological discussion boards are particularly vulnerable, as participants are often more intransigent by nature, and any deviation from their perspectives may be perceived as slights, leading to friction, conflict, and eventual abandonment.

CAA hasn't been insulated from any of these dynamics. Whereas we once had several hundred board updates per day, now we have fewer than 200 per month. And that number continues to drop.

For those who keep the faith by posting -- and to the mods who keep the lights burning -- you have my appreciation and respect. I come here to praise CAA, not to bury it -- and yet this is the closest thing to an autopsy I've ever written. It's a sad statement about the intersection of an art form that I love and a worldview that I (try to) live by. CAA is a mirror that, over time, has reflected a trend I'm not at all comfortable with. Like it or not, though, it is reality.

Happy 2022, with earnest wishes that the sun never sets on CAA even as the rays slowly dim...

[Kaori]

Happy New Year! Good to see you, ClosetOtaku, and I hope you are well.

I think one major influencing factor here is that anime and Japanese media are not the subculture that they used to be. During the initial boom of anime and manga, when there started to be a big influx of officially-licensed media, I feel like being an anime fan was still very much a subculture thing, something that set you apart from other people. In my college days (which was when I first joined CAA), there were friend groups that formed purely on the basis of the common interest of anime/manga/Japanese media. There wasn't the abundance and easy access of streaming services like Crunchyroll and Hulu yet, so people got together to share what they had.

Paradoxically, it seems that as Japanese media become more mainstream, more widely available, and more diffused, people don't have the same need to congregate together with like-minded individuals. When you can walk into Kroger and see Pokemon on food packaging, there's just not that sense of "Finally I found someone who understands me!" or "Finally I found someone who shares my obscure, offbeat hobby!" Some people watch anime and some don't, but it doesn't feel like a defining identity anymore, at least not for most people.

But largely, as you say, the decline in posting here is the same fate shared by bulletin boards everywhere. They have simply been swept away by the changing tides of technology.

I have said this before elsewhere, but the reason I am still around is that I genuinely like forum-style interaction. It's organized logically by topic. Things are archived in such a way that you can go back and actually find previous discussions and shared knowledge on a topic that you're looking for. It's asynchronous, which allows people to actually take their time to think and write out thoughtful posts. Most bulletin boards are small enough that there's a community feel, you see the same people posting and you get a sense of what their personality is like. I have tried Reddit and Discord (I don't have Facebook and don't want one), and I just don't feel that anything else fosters meaningful interaction the way that this does.

And even though I don't actually watch anime that often, there are still times when I really miss having a venue to be able to have meaningful discussions about shows and share my thoughts on them. Recently, Demon Slayer has been like that for me. While I absolutely would not suggest that show was written with a religious intent or from a religious standpoint, I do find it to strongly reflect a lot of spiritual principles; it expresses Japanese values and morals in a way that heavily overlaps with the teachings of various religions. Watching Mugen Train in a thoughtful and reflective way felt like it was something that was both borderline-spiritual, and made me a better person. If you (or anyone) would like to stick around and discuss, I'd be happy to.

Anyways, thank you for coming back to share your thoughts about CAA, and I wholeheartedly second your appreciation of the people who are keeping this place going, Shooraijin and Mithrandir.

To all the members on here, new or old, Happy New Year, and may it bring you true blessedness.

[shooraijin]

I'll not belabour the point except to say right back at you both.

[ClaecElric4God]

Happy New Year!
This is a cheesy thing to say, but CAA exists as long as its members do, even if they aren't posting regularly or hopping in the chat. We're all out there, doing life. We all have awesome memories of CAA. Some of us find time to chat or post once in awhile. Mith and shooraijin keep the place alive for us to come back to when we have time. And I think for most of us, CAA is always going to be a part of who we are. Communities don't die just 'cause the shelves get a little dusty.

[Kaori]

Claec, it's so good to see you! T.T

新年あけましておめでとうございます。

On the subject of new year's greetings, did you see the Emperor and Empress's? A friend sent me the link to the video, and I thought it was very touching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dZifXy ... 8%EF%BC%89

[shooraijin]

I actually understood that. Go me.

[Kaori]

They used some kind of advanced and formal vocabulary, so that's pretty awesome!

[shooraijin]

No, no! I understood you said happy new year! The video was largely incomprehensible

[Kaori]

No, no! I understood you said happy new year! The video was largely incomprehensible

*laughs at self*

Well, 改めて、あけましておめでとうございます！

I thought, "Surely there's an official English translation out there," but I didn't see one (on YouTube at least). So then I thought, "I can just translate it, it's not that long." *Forgot how long it takes to translate from video subtitles*

Overall, the Emperor (and Empress, at the end) are expressing their sympathies and condolences to all those who are suffering or have lost loved ones due to COVID worldwide, as well as to all those impacted by recent natural disasters in Japan. Although there are hopeful signs with Japan's vaccination rate and dramatic decrease in infections, the Emperor reminds the people that we are facing the new omicron variant and urges continued efforts to prevent the spread of the virus as well as to help and support each other through this difficult time. He also mentioned the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics bringing hope and courage to millions worldwide.

Those are the main points. I also did translate the first half:

-Happy New Year.
-Happy New Year.
-This year, again, as a precaution against the spread of the novel coronavirus, regretfully, we cannot meet with you in person in a public address.
Therefore, we would like to send our greetings by video, like last year.
This year, as well, the novel coronavirus continues to run rampant, and many people in Japan and abroad have become ill and perished.
We would like to express our deep grief for those who have lost their lives, as well as our sincere condolences to all those who have lost loved ones.
Moreover, we express again our gratitude and respect towards the extraordinary efforts of medical workers who have sacrificially labored to treat the ill this whole time.
Thankfully, in Japan, due to the distribution of vaccines and the unwavering efforts of the people, the number of infections has dramatically decreased, and the situation has stabilized considerably.
With the cases of serious illness and fatalities decreasing, it seems that we have started to see favorable signs.
At the same time, we are coming face to face with the threat of a new mutation, the omicron variant.
Abroad, there are many countries seeing an increase in cases; and among these countries, there are multitudes of people who cannot obtain vaccines or necessary medical treatment.
We pray that this situation will improve soon.
We are pained at the thought of the many people within Japan who have become unemployed or are living in harsh circumstances due to the effect of the novel coronavirus.
We cannot cease hoping that warm helping hands will be extended to all those who are in difficulty.
We understand how much you have suffered already, but again, we hope and pray that, learning from our experience with the virus thus far, the people of Japan will continue your efforts to prevent the spread of the disease and, while holding the connections between one person and another all the more dear, you will share each other’s pain, support each other, and overcome this hardship together.

Although they are addressing the people of Japan, some of the Emperor's remarks are extended to people worldwide and are very universal.