"Yo quiero TAKO" - Cephs in anime, and worldwide

[Clem]

Here's a fine bit of ceph-signage in Osaka, Japan.

 

[nanoteuthis]

Cool sign! Is the place a restaurant, fish store, or what?

Taningia

 

[Clem]

Taningia,

According to the caption on the source page, it's a restaurant in Osaka. From another site, we get a different (and much smaller) view:

Meanwhile, up in snowy Hokkaido, the town of Otaru is watched over by "The Happy Octopus," another gourmand.

Clem

 

[Fujisawas Sake]

Oh!

My new niece absolutely loves the Australian program "The Wiggles"... It turns out that the Wiggles have a giant octopus friend that sings and dances with them.

Oh, and Krin, I finally got around to reading your post about Cowboy Bebop. That is my favorite anime series and the crown jewel of my box set collection (I have the very rare box set, plus the movie and an original sound track).

Oh well... any more worldwide ceph sightings? Please let me know!

John

 

[Clem]

Oh well... any more worldwide ceph sightings? Please let me know!

Hello John,

First, I'm grateful to you for mentioning "The Wiggles." I caught a glimpse of it months ago, saw an octopus performing a scary-bad children's rap number and decided it was an hallucination. Thank you for proving otherwise.

Are you, by any chance, a fan of "My Neighbor Totoro?" Some wag has gone and produced his own variation on the theme, "My Neighbor Cthulhu."

Elsewhere in the anime realm, Masamune Shirow, creator of "Ghost in the Shell," has a nifty logo:

Clem

 

[Fujisawas Sake]

Hmmm....

See, I don't know what to make of that...

"Tonari no Totoro" is my favorite anime film, but that is SOOO HILARIOUS I can't help but laugh my head off!

As for "The Wiggles".... Well.... Its a helluva lot less sedate than "Teletubbies", and a lot more intellectually challenging...

Sushi and Sake,

John

 

[Emperor]

Nope, no tentacle hentai here! :P I have heard of it, but I'm not sure I want to see it....

Ah well I suppose I should own up to having researched this topic (from a purely socilogical/historic point of view you understand) and thrown my findings together here:

[Webmaster Edit, 12/29: Link removed, nice try though ... Contact Emperor via PM if you're interested in the link... interesting, but the contents are too adult to be displayed here pubically... ]

It largely revolves around Hokusai's "The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife" (largely as there was a big flap over David Laity's interpretation of the picture recently) and I have found examples of netsuke (kimono toggles) and small statues going back to the 16th century. Apart from the 18th century woodcut (which some may find rude/distrubing) there isn't actually any proper tentacle porn on the page (although I do link to some of the main sites - although I wouldn't recommend anyone start digging too far in that direction as it gets unpleasant quickly).

Ah well I knew I'd end up throwing this link in here at some point and never being able to darken the Tonmo doorstep

Now where did I leave my coat?

Emps

 

[Fujisawas Sake]

Emps.

Wow... dude, you've been censored!

Interesting thought though... So you think that hentai has a more mytho-historical root? That actually would make an interesting psychology paper, though a weird one...

Oh, and I saw another octo ... this time on Animal Planet's "The Most Extreme"...

Sushi and Sake,

John

 

[Emperor]

Wow... dude, you've been censored!

LOL - probably for the best

Interesting thought though... So you think that hentai has a more mytho-historical root? That actually would make an interesting psychology paper, though a weird one...

Thats an interesting question and one that I haven't really found an answer to. I've read all sorts of theories about its origin (like its somehow the product of having to nuclear bombs dropped on them - clearly the antiquity of this rules that out if nothing else will) and it may just be 'different strokes for different folks' (there are very specific reasons for its use in hentai which has strict rules about what can and be can't shown). The Japanese often do things that seem weird/amusing at first (and often third) glance but I'm sure they look on some of our practices with a raised eyebrow. If I had to guess I'd suggest that it might be due to Christianity (as opposed to Shinto, etc.) taking us further from our natural roots where a blurring between the lines of people and animals was more understood. Shamans communicate with animals and often turn into them and pre-Christian myths (in particular those around Zeus, esp. Leda and the Swan.) deal with these kinds of topics.

[edit: Its worth noting that all the original woodcuts and statues date to the Edo Period (1600-1868) which saw an upsurge in nationalism and a big return to Shinto]

Emps

 

[MuscaDomestica]

Another big anime fan. Although I would not recomend Hand Maid May, it has a cute squid robot but the series its self is part of the Herem genre (ie one guy half dozen girls) and not a good example at that.

here is a link to the squid
http://www.wonderfarm.co.jp/hand-maid/sakuhin/mayicon/j-ikariya.gif

Anything by Miyazaki is great, each film is good in its own special way. I suggest people try to get their hands on Porco Rosa amazing film. The most fun of all of his movies.

Other recomended series
Crest of the Stars, well done hard science fiction, although I have heard very bad things about the English Dubbed version.
Haibane Renmei- New series done by the guy who made Lain. Is an interesting series. No where near as much of a trip like Lain but still good.
Slayers: Fantasy Anime Comedy series, very fun. The main character is a Sorceress who happens to be one of the most powerful in the world and has no qualms about using her power. There are movies and I think the first and I know the fifth movie deal with Cephs, all of the movies exept for the fifth are prequils to the TV series.

 

[Fujisawas Sake]

Hiya!

See, I liked hand Maid May, only because I thought it was funny. But you're right; I think innuendo comedies are pretty trite and cliche in anime, and ones like "Strawberry Eggs" and "Dual" are better.

I am also a big fan of Haibane Renmei, and I'm glad to hear of someone else who is familiar with it. As far as Miyazaki and Isao Takahara (Studio Ghibli in general) are concerned I have seen every film except for "Howl's Moving Castle", which isn't scheduled for release until July.

Overall, my favorite anime series of all was "Cowboy Bebop".

Always fun to see another anime fan!

Sushi and Sake,

John

P.S.... "House Fly"? Very cool!

 

[nanoteuthis]

Ah, anime! We may be getting a little OT here, but I have recently gotten into the genre and IMHO Miyazaki's crown jewel is SPIRITED AWAY. It is exquisite and has become my favorite animated feature of all time.

Lately I have been watching INUYASHA and RUROUNI KENSHIN on the Cartoon Network, too.

Emperor, please PM me that link which was censored (I can certify that I am 2 x 21, plus 11 ). I find the topic quite interesting, and I agree with your conclusion that the roots of tentacle hentai are in the ancient Japanese imagery of women/mermaids mating with cephs, though I find the modern version crude and often sadistic. I believe the image is a Shinto fertility symbol, as I doubt if anyone (least of all cephs themselves!) has ever figured out a way to actually do it! In fact, there is an entire thread on this topic -- I believe under the title "Mucho Bizarreness" -- on the Members' Forum, so if you are not yet a member that might be a good incentive to join!

Konichiwa and Happy New Year,
Tani

 

[Emperor]

Emperor, please PM me that link which was censored (I can certify that I am 2 x 21, plus 11 ). I find the topic quite interesting, and I agree with your conclusion that the roots of tentacle hentai are in the ancient Japanese imagery of women/mermaids mating with cephs, though I find the modern version crude and often sadistic. I believe the image is a Shinto fertility symbol, as I doubt if anyone (least of all cephs themselves!) has ever figured out a way to actually do it! In fact, there is an entire thread on this topic -- I believe under the title "Mucho Bizarreness" -- on the Members' Forum, so if you are not yet a member that might be a good incentive to join!

I think 2 x 21 + 11 should about do PM away.

The modern version is vile (anyone, at least of non-Japanese decent, who enjoys it has to have something deeply wrong with them) but it does make more sense (especially the nearly mainstream nature of it - I watch a BBC News 24 report on it and you can just pick i up in ordinary comic shops and I believe it makes an appearance in 'Legend of the Overfiend' which was massive) when seen in the light of:

1. The hentai guidelines which don't allow male genitals in cartoons.

2. The 'priming' of the society due to the blurring of line between human and animal that underpins animisim (that is a mainstay of Shinto).

So it can't be shrugged off with a 'only in Japan'.

However, it is still really extreme because it breaks one of our few remaining taboos in the West and combines it with a cephalopod which adds brings in elements of something 'alien'/other. As the Japanese are reliant on the fertility of the sea (and it is "The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife") you can see why it was an important aspect. I haven't read anywhere if this based on early legends or stories but I suspect it must have great antiquity and I wouldn't be suprised if there have been scholarly investigations of this in Japanese but thats where the language barrier gets in the way but I am happy to leave it at that point as at least it now makes sense (even if it is still repellent).

Emps

 

[Fujisawas Sake]

Here's an interesting sidenote: Ever notice that H.R. Geiger's "Alien" (from the 1979 movie) had tentacles? Its had four hose-like tentacles that jutted out from its dorsal section.

I think that there may be some nod to deep-seated fears of the unknown when it comes to octos and how they (and their various body parts) are portrayed in popular culture. I think we get weirded out when we consider the idea that these animals, mollouscs at that, can show so much intelligence and overall potential.

Just my opinion, I may be wrong.

John

 

[Clem]

John,

Before Giger became involved with "Alien," the filmmakers envisaged the first-stage creature, the Facehugger, as an octopus-like creature. The "pipes" on the adult creature's back served an important visual function, as they broke-up the humanoid outlines of the Alien (and obscured the fact that it was a man in a rubber suit). Unsurprisingly, Giger's work has long been esteemed by Japanese audiences.

Clem