Continuing off with first ever member interview with our new moderator
Aoi this week the focus is on none other than Mr.Mario Kart himself, DarkJibTEC!
Anime Related Questions
Q: When and how did you start getting into anime?
I’ve been watching anime since the age of 5 (1993), but didn’t start actively following series until 2003-2004. Although I loved anime before that it was just too difficult getting access to much of it until our internet was upgraded to ADSL. It was also the time when particular methods of digital distribution became popular. Some of the very first series I watched after getting active were recommendations from friends, and others I randomly came across online.
Q: Favourite Anime series and why?
Since watching it in 2007 until now, my single favourite has been Higurashi Kai (note: 2nd season only, not Higurashi overall). It’s a very excellent continuation of the first season, which was awesome but left viewers wondering what the hell they watched, with a satisfying conclusion and a plot played out brilliantly. It’s also because of Furude Rika (more on her below).
Promotional art for Higurashi's second season.
Q: If you could make an HD remake of an older series, which one would it be?
I would prefer it to be an older series (at least from last century), and be something I enjoyed as a kid but wouldn’t find corny today. To name one series only… maybe Lain.
Q: Has there been a scene that has made you tear up?
Not on the outside, but there have been some series that left me upset for many days after watching. Rather than single scenes it was from anime with a sort of accumulating sadness over all its episodes. I’m referring to series that have an initially cheerful atmosphere but slowly leads into inevitable doom (death, despair, separation, memory loss etc) while at the same time developing the relationship between the characters. A few include Saikano, Midori no Hibi, Mahoromatic, Chrno Crusade. In contrast to these, I found more recent series such as Angel Beats and Clannad to be quite tame.
Q: Follow up question, has there been a scene that made you laugh hysterically?
Way too many, especially as (schoolgirl) comedy is one of my favourite genres. Every single episode of Nichijou gave me good LOLs, although the humour isn’t for everyone. Here’s an example
Q: In your opinion, who would be the most annoying character from a series you have watched?
Most tsundere characters annoy me. It’s fine if the “janai dakara ne” is somewhat shallow, but not if it becomes overused in a series you know won’t lead anywhere. Even worse if she has an annoying voice by default. Most roles by Kugimiya Rie are like that, but to name one would be her character (w/e the name is) in Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka. She turned an otherwise decent harem anime into complete shit. Even though the guy ends up with the better route, that series left me with so much rage.
Q: If you could alter a scene/change the outcome in an anime, what would it be and why?
Get rid of Haruhi S2’s Endless Eight arc or at least recreate it with interesting enough variations for each episode. It was no less than a disaster for KyoAni and a disgrace to Haruhi’s excellent first season. Only in Endless Eight was messing with time NOT awesome.
Q: Who is your favourite character and what series is he/she from?
Furude Rika from Higurashi. I admire her for her strong will and endurance, in never losing hope in her (mostly) solo fight against impossible odds. Compared to other characters who also received a similar “Homura treatment”, none have had it as bad as Rika. She is usually composed, despite putting up a childish persona, and is able to calmly assess a situation and do what’s necessary to win eg:
- asking Takano to keep her awake while slicing her open, so she wouldn’t forget
- what she does in Higurashi Rei in order to return to her world
Oh also, she happens to be a cute loli who’s voiced by my favourite seiyuu.
Furude Rika. So cute she makes you want to watch Higurashi until you see this:
Q: Are you following any series right now? (doesn't have to be currently airing)
Following quite a few at the moment, around 8 currently airing series (and plan to catch up with 2 more) and also working through 3 completed series (making slow progress). This has been the average amount for me for many years.
Q: If you could bleach your brain to not remember/forget an anime, what series would it be and why?
Although I’m usually quite critical on any anime I watch, there aren’t any that are so bad I want to forget. Even for those I end up hating I will usually try to accept it for what it is, and move on. Plus, if I seriously dislike a series it’ll get dropped in the early episodes.
Q: How do you watch your anime? (PC/TV/Smartphone etc.)
Usually on my laptop, sitting in bed :3. I prefer the privacy of having earphones and a smaller but sufficient screen. Since getting the Note 2 I’ve also watched episodes on the phone, but it’s not as comfortable as the 13” screen on my laptop.
Q: Are you picky on quality when you watch an anime? (240p/480p/720p/1080p)
Yes, in terms of both picture quality AND file size. So I find 720p is best of both worlds, with the exception of a couple of top notch movies (such as the Nanoha movies) where I will spare the extra GB to go for full 1080p quality.
Q: Which genre in your opinion (can be anime/character type) has been done to death? (eg Getting stronger through friendship or the typical useless best friend)
Anything generic has been done to death imo, but probably typical tsunderes with skin deep appeal and not much dere. It’s become so ridiculous that it’s now often deliberately used as a joke in many series. Having said that though, we could use more guy tsunderes.
Q: Dubbed or Subbed Anime?
RAW. I’m being increasingly put off by sub groups who don’t properly translate the dialogue. It’s worst when their grammar/spelling is lacking or when they troll, but in many instances subbers use a “whatever fits” phrase that conveys the same message but the words are different to what is being said. Unfortunately I still have trouble understanding some dialogue (mostly names) without the aid of subtitles, so subbed anime will suffice for now.
General Questions
Q: Name?
Jib
Q: What is your current avatar and why did you choose it?
Tsukiko from Hentai Ouji, I’ve been using it in anticipation of the series to start airing in April. I like the shape of her head.
DarkJibTEC's Current Avatar
Q: How did you come up with your username?
TEC was once an active Australian gaming clan with skilled gamers (both online and in local events) in many console titles. I was a member of their Mario Kart DS and Wii teams. As for the “DarkJib” part… it’s a name I randomly thought of I have stuck with for over a decade.
Q: Aside from MMGN, what other websites do you go on frequently?
No too many. AmiAmi, MAL/ANN, a few Anime blogs, Facebook, Youtube, 9gag, and serious stuff like LinkedIn and some news websites.
Q: What's an interesting fact that you have learnt recently?
Roosters are chickens. Seriously, for the last 24 years of my life I’ve always thought Chicken referred to female only, and hen was just used for the period they’re laying eggs.
Q: If you could erase a fad from history, what would it be? (can be a person/dance/viral video etc.)
Harlem bloody shake.
Obligatory video
Q: Dream Job?
Actually quite happy where I am now, at one of Australia’s largest insurance companies. Given the choice though, maybe stable self employment, or a permanent position in a large corporation with flexibility, good career growth and access to its extra benefits. A pretty boring response I’ll admit… basically I’d like to take it easy. 5 years ago it would’ve been something in the gaming or anime industry, but now I’d rather keep work and my hobbies separate.
Q: What is your most prized possession? And if you don't mind, can you share a picture?
Either my figure collection or car, here they are:
Q: Most favourite quote? (can be yours or someone's else)
"My absolute will weaves an absolute future. No one can hinder me. No one can overthrow it. Even fate is up to me to decide. With my unwavering, unyielding will."
-Takano Miyo (Higurashi Kai)
“Bring it.”
- Furude Rika (Higurashi Kai)
… not her exact words, but she says something similar a couple of times.
MMGN Related Questions
Q: How long have you been a part of the MMGN admin team and what site do you take care of?
Since the Anime Channeru launched sometime in April last year – this answers the other question. I-it’s not like I’m moderating the place for you, or anything like that. No seriously, I don’t do much at all.
Q: What is your primary focus for that section?
Like the other Achan regulars, we’re trying to build an Australian community for the more enthusiastic anime lovers. Anime has been steadily growing its presence here over the last few years and there are many Australian otaku, but very few communities to cater for them. I believe enough interest exists for this place to become very popular (as we’ve seen with some of the articles) but we need to spread the word.
Q: When the topic arises what’s the most common reaction you get from family and friends when you tell them what you do for MMGN?
It hasn’t happened with my family and I doubt they’d understand if I tried to explain. As for friends, only a few of them know about this place. Due to differing interests (and narrow minded perceptions) I’m not so keen to invite them here.
Q: Some moderators like to stick to where they are familiar with, eg a PS3 moderator tends to stick to the PS3 forums. Which other sections of MMGN do you like visit and why?
Most of the time I’ll only visit pages on Achan, while occasionally browsing the other sections for major gaming news (usually the Nintendo sections). Again it’s a matter of interest, but I’d like to start contributing more on the other forums too.
Q: Some days as moderators/admins you really need to have a tough layer of skin when it comes to dealing with the occasional member that likes to get a little colourful when voicing their opinion of you. When a day like this happens what’s your motivation to keep doing what you are doing?
I think it’s important to firstly try and consider these situations objectively. It’s just as bad for mods to think their opinion should be worth more than regular members, and it could likely be this attitude that sparks “colourful discussions” in the first place. If they’re genuinely being unfair, then I’ll happily give them a good hammering. Fortunately this sort of thing rarely happens with our members.
Q: Have you had the pleasure of meeting a MMGN member in real life?
Yes, a good portion of this community in fact. Aside from weekly anime and lan sessions with Aoi I was recently part of the group who went to Japan over the Christmas break. There are also local events like SMASH! and random lunches. Would love to one day meet up with the Melbourne and Brisbane guys on here as well. Aside from Aoi I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Mirage, xxSoS, W0lf, Toads, and Yay (very briefly). Outside of Achan, I’ve met a couple of other MMGN members at several gaming events over the last 4.5 years I’ve been here. Most recently was at a Mario Kart competition in November last year, where I got to meet Ben, Marge, Punk and SpeedyG (didn’t even realise a fellow Achan mod was there).
Q: What additional section of MMGN would you like to see created?
Nothing else at this moment, the focus should be on getting more active members. We’ve been trying to do this for the anime channel but it hasn’t been easy. I think MMGN has some excellent resources to house a major Aussie anime community. Always wanted to say this, but there is so much more customisation and interactivity here than the average forum, and pages work so well with Google’s indexing. A lot of our anime articles are coming up on page 1 from Google searches. The potential to grow is definitely there, but we haven’t yet been able to use much of it.
Thanks Jib for the interview!
Stay tuned for our next interview later this week featuring our beloved Community Manager - Guyver!