"Itasha is what happens when you combine people obsessed with manga, anime and video games (referred to as otaku) with unsuspecting cars."
http://jalopnik.com/5320386/itasha-japans-creepiest-car-fetish/gallery/
Forums » Anything Goes
Itasha
(24 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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Larushka
Member
These cars are awesome. The commenters were pretty harsh in that article. I'd be totally stoked if I saw one of these cars out on the road. I wouldn't have the balls to drive around in one, though. I could manage a small Haruhi or mecha on the side panel. In fact, now that I'm remembering, I wanted to do something like this about 9 years ago when my truck was new.
Posted 2 years ago # -
JuelZ Jonah
Member
anybody see the hello kitty car @ the cherry blossom festival?
...not my style, but i was impressed
...as far as the writer of the piece & the commenters...a bunch o' haaaterz!!!
probably a bunch of guys that get hard-ons while drinking stale bud light watching the fast & furious 'trilogy', then sneak off 2 the backyard with each other 4 shirtless greco-roman wrestling...all the while fantisizing about Paul Walker & Vin Diesel...HA!
Posted 2 years ago # -
I think you guys are being too hard on the author and other posters in the link. If you look, there is a photographer taking an upskirt of a life-size anime girl statue (that is wearing a blindfold). I do watch some anime, but when I see this sort of stuff I just have to say "wtf."
Posted 2 years ago # -
Well as a girl here's my view. Honestly the guys who are into fantasy anime women THAT much totally disturb me. Seriously dudes, that is total objectification of women there... I mean it is the anime equivalent of guys pasting Maxim or Playboy pinups on cars.
Anyway it's possible that some anime otaku women might be okay with or even into their boyfriend/husband being that crazy about anime girls, but I am certain the majority of the female population is not. I mean hey, I like anime a whole lot but I think this kind of behavior is creepy. A lot of my girl friends think so too. Like what if we women decided that we were going to spend all our time obsessing over and decorating all our stuff with anime bishonen or something? Tell me you dudes wouldn't feel a little disgusted or at least put out.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Posted 2 years ago #
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Larushka
Member
Ann, I have to disagree with you. To objectify a woman means to take a person who is a rich tapestry of body, mind and soul, and reduce that person to an emotional and physical caricature for the purpose of pleasure or power (and I grant you that for many men, that's the same thing). I found that the character of Haruhi (as an example) had an amazing personality. She was smart, forceful, emotional, and had a satisfying craving for mystery in life. For me to want to put Haruhi on my truck is a desire to celebrate, not her cuteness, but who she represents for me. That is the exact opposite of ojectification. If I saw someone driving around in a car with an anime girl on it I would assume that person likes anime. I would be stoked see that there's someone who also appreciates what I appreciate (isn't that the purpose of conventions)? I bet alot of the people driving those cars feel the same way. Sure, like any population segment you've got bad seeds who deserve to be seen as creepy. But for you and those other posters to automatically see creepy instead of celebratory is prejudicial.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"reduce that person to an emotional and physical caricature"
Dude. They DID reduce a girl to a physical caricature, LITERALLY.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Larushka
Member
Sure the dolls are creepy. The cars are cool.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hi Larry, I realize that your personal view may be innocent, but the posters on that blog, Colin, and myself are making some general assumptions about the owners of these cars that honestly, given how perverted Japanese males tend to be, are most likely true.
I'm pretty sure that when MOST guys are into the life-sized anime girl dolls and plaster their cars with scantily clad anime girls they are more often than not the kinds of guys that most girls would find creepy. "Normal" Japanese girls tend to stay away from guys like that, which is what accounts for the stereotypical fantasy anime story of the lonely girlfriend-less male anime otaku who one day finds himself surrounded by a horde of women of every conceivable "type" all throwing themselves at him.
Anyway, I find the Pikachu cars kind of funny, and a decal of Haruhi I could understand... but the cars plastered with anime girls I find excessive and disturbing.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Larushka
Member
So if you saw a car driving down an american street like car #17, without any dolls and without a perveted Japenese guy behind the wheel, would you still be creeped out?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Larushka - 2 minutes ago »
So if you saw a car driving down an american street like car #17, without any dolls and without a perveted Japenese guy behind the wheel, would you still be creeped out?
Wouldn't you? Just look at the comments in that thread, bro. People think its WEIRD.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Larushka
Member
To be honest I couldn't tell if those posters were freaked out by the dolls, the cars, or both. It's probably too late to disassociate them, either way. I never associated the two in the first place so I just don't see the cars as anything but cool.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Larushka
Member
Also Colin, you ask wouldn't I, and you reference the comments in the posts. As if somehow what someone else posts should affect what I think. Is that what you meant to say?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Larushka - 35 seconds ago »
Also Colin, you ask wouldn't I, and you reference the comments in the posts. As if somehow what someone else posts should affect what I think. Is that what you meant to say?
Yes. It is a matter of what is socially acceptable. Objectifying women, in this country at least, isn't really acceptable... most people would agree with that and that is the point I'm trying to make.
If anime is to "grow up" more, it needs to realize that. Its my opinion that too many anime fans celebrate the perverted sexual fantasy aspects of it and that is really holding it back. Basically ALL new animes pander to boys with crazy sexual fantasies which is pretty much why I became disinterested in anime as a whole.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I don't see a car 17... but if they're in line with the rest of the pics I'd probably think whoever owned the car was weird.
It's not like it's just because it's anime... there are lots of pictures people put all over their cars that are creepy (see Goth car above). Put real girls in their place and my reaction is the same. It may or may not make more sense to you to consider that scenario. Just because they're anime girls won't get you off the hook.
I think most males would be offended/disgusted/creeped out if they saw an exhibition of cars plastered with any combination of scantily clad dudes, little boys, and bishounen. I think they would think twice about associating with any girl (or guy for that matter) who owned such a car.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Larushka
Member
Colin,
As far as anime growing up, I'd have to disagree with you on that too. What part of Fruits Basket sexualizes women. What part of Full Metal Alchemist sexualizes women. What part of Last Exile sexualizes women. What part of Kaleido Star sexualizes women What part of FLCL sexualizes women. I could go on and on. Anime is doing just fine.
Look, having mudflaps on your car with that naked girl in outline is an objectification of women. Having Haruhi on your car is a far more complex situation. Car #17 is the car up above that has the creepy doll in the drivers seat. Haruhi is in classic Haruhi pose from the Hare Hare Yukai dance routine. She's being playful. She might look cute, but there's not the slightest hint of perversion. To see perversion says somthing about the viewer.
I agree with you 100% on the dolls. That's just wrong. Of course, I think clown dolls are creepy.
I just had to go wiki 'bishounen'. I still don't think I would have a bad reaction. I would see an anime character. I would think "Anime fan". I would think, "Hey, cool, I'm an anime fine". I wonder if that person likes the same kind of anime I do. I just can't see it as a bad thing. I would wonder where (s)he got it painted and how much it cost. If the image had sexual undertones, then sure I might question the moral character. But most (all) of the paintings I saw in that post were tastefully done in my judgement.Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm not sure grown men painting school girls (some more dressed than others) on their vehicles could be called "tasteful."
That is the thing about taste though. Its a sliding scale..
Posted 2 years ago # -
Larushka
Member
Colin, What are some of your favorite anime/manga?
Posted 2 years ago #
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