Here it is: a legitimate moe-blob, all 1.6 centimeters of blobby, defenseless, useless, incapable, thoughtless blob of a human being that I’d do anything to protect. All it does is float uselessly in the womb and grow body parts. Now I won’t be able to settle the issue of classification of an embryo as a sentient human being here. This however, is immaterial. If I can feel moe for Ranka, I can do so for my own blob and blood. This thing is my blob, AND BY THE SUNGLASSES OF KAMINA I AM MOE FOR IT.
AND I SHALL GIVE IT A NAME, as befits its blobby nature and my capacity to feel moe. For the next seven months I shall call it KYUUN~KYUUN.
Now for all of you who are ignorant or simply fail to remember love. KYUNKYUN, or more specifically ‘Kyuun~ Kyuun~’ is a classic Macross verse. It is the opening line to a song second only in canonical popularity to ‘Do You Remember Love?’ itself: ‘My Boyfriend is a Pilot.’
The Lyrics:
Watashi no kare wa PAIROTTO
kyuun kyuun kyuun kyuun
watashi no kare wa PAIROTTO
KIRARI hikatte kyuukouka
GOOtto fukashite kyuujyoushou
nagaku o ohiku hikokikumode
ookina HAATO ga kasanete futatsu
aoi aosora RABUSAIN
I love you, you love me?
dakedo karettara watashi yori
jibun no higokini onetsunano
kyuun kyuun kyuun kyuun
watashi no kare wa PAIROTTO
Here’s the original first performance in episode 11 of Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982).
Just a year ago, Macross Frontier (2008) remembered love.
Kyuun~Kyuun, I AM YOUR FATHER. Someday you may grow up to read this and be apalled, at how your father used you as a discursive device to participate in a conversation on the GAR-MOE continuum while you’re still a blob. May you see inspiration rather than opportunism. I had wanted to distinguish a kind of moe that is not sexualized. Why? It’s because while the definitions of moe bandied about do say that it is not a sexual feeling, in practice I highly doubt that there are many (or even few) who feel moe devoid of sexualization for anime characters. I however, will protect you. It’s beyond just a feeling. It’s what fathers do, baby.
In related matters,
Belated happy birthday to my dearest waifu and mother of Kyuun~Kyuun, sybilant. Her birthday is yesterday and we’re celebrating it today.
I love you baby!
Congrats faggot and lady.
Keep Shin away ~
Thanks. LOL Shin, how cute.
Most parents wait until their children are born before doing things they’ll almost certainly find embarrassing.
Speaking of embarrassment, it’s time for a highly appropriate quasi-pun: is Sybilant embarazada?
It’ll be many years before a human being is taught shame, by then this would be insignificant compared to what’s in store for her/him.
sybilant’s just fine, it’s not like I didn’t tell her about this LOL.
“Embarazada is the Spanish word for pregnant. It is a false friend for native English-speaking students of Spanish who may attempt to say “I’m embarrassed” by saying “estoy embarazada.” This phrase actually means “I’m pregnant” in Spanish. This may be confusing to Spanish speakers who are not familiar with the English word, even more so when said by a man.”
I have called the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language..as we speak, highly-trained linguistically pure assassins are going to your place to take you out!! Jesus.
Not many men have the balls to call their unborn child not only a blob, but one of the moe variety. You are a beautiful man, and that is a beautiful blob. I can’t listen to my boyfriend is a pilot without just hearing the dub version in my head.
This blob is going to be born with H4xx and pwn all y’all.
lmfao. I hope you’re still around in fifteen years so I can see your kid’s reaction to this.
This kid will inherit We Remember Love, and blog with stupendous power levels.
Congrats to you and sybilant.
The My Boyfriend is a Pilot scene is up there in my top 5 animation sequences in Frontier.
Thank you! That scene is beautifully done, the heart-shaped contrails are epic win.
“All it does is float uselessly in the womb and grow body parts.”
I rofl’d.
I don’t know, though; your fledgling offspring looks pretty gar to me. There’s at least definite gar potential there.
Conceived with spiral energy, it had better have GAR potential.
So you pierced… ah… nevermind.
LIFE!
moooeeee BLOB ^^ Kyuunn~Kyuunn! Kyuunn~Kyuunn! Fun name
It makes me wonder about real 2nd-generation otaku out there. They may still be too young, as the 1st generation Otaku who were active during the early 80s would’ve spawned kids in the 90s. Still, they’d be teenagers right now, and would probably gone through Pokemon or Yugi-Oh and the like.
I cry manly tears as I offer my heartfelt congratulations!
Thank you very much ^^/
That’s awesome man! I wish I had something witty to say, not in the absence of anything witty, I offer my congratulations!
Sorry, grammar nazi in me says “but in the absence…”
Congratulations are valued as much as wit in times like this, so thank you very much. ^^/
OH MY GOD HE’S GOING TO NAME HIS KID MINMAY! SOMEBODY STOP THIS MADMAN!
But seriously, congratulations are in order. Might I also success a viewing of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbours The Yamada’s as you are about to embark on this latest leg of the journey that is family life?
No lol, no Minmays (but you’re on to something ~_^). Thanks for reminding me about the Yamadas; I’ve been meaning to watch this film but I’ve totally forgotten about it!
That’s lovely and beautiful. But don’t call the kid Minmay. Maetel sounds better.
I’d like to take this opportunity to recommend to you Eureka SeveN, where there is a lovely golden-haired child named Maetel/r. While one of three children who are references to the author Maurice Maeterlinck (Maurice, Maetel/r, Linck), Eureka SeveN is so clever at remembering love that I have little doubt that the lovely child is animated in loving remembrance to your queen.
My children will have proper Spanish names (long and multiple) as befits our inherited colonial names (apellido). If anything, they are both aurally and stylistically pleasing.
matsumoto did character design for an anime adaptation of maurice maeterlinck’s play in 1980. go figure..
The web of reference, influence, and remembering love is wide — and I am both spider and fly: nourishing myself and being nourishment for those who’d have a taste for loving homage.
DANGO, DANGO, DANGO, DANO, DANGO DAIKAZOKU.
I am a horrible person and I should feel bad about this.
I am blissfully ignorant about dangos and the anime they come from.
omg it’s a real life moe blob!! We’ll be keeping watch to see how this little moe blob grows up to be
and again, congrats!!! ^__^
Grow strong and GAR-inspiring, even while growing through the loli/shota stages in life: that’s what an otaku parent asks for right?
Thanks again ^_^/
The idea of a Ghostlightning Jr., either male or female, is somewhat alarming but at the same time unspeakably awesome. Congratulations to both…I mean, all three of you! As for the embarrassment thing it’s a parent’s duty to embarrass their kids, so there’s no harm in getting some practise in a few months in advance. I hope you’ll be making your offspring facepalm and cringe for many years to come. ^_^
Seeing people I know hitch up and have kids always makes me feel old for some reason…
Thank you!
My scion will facepalm and cringe all the way to adulthood, as I plan to be very involved. WWWwwwwWWwwwWWWwwLOLOLOLwwwwWWww
We’ve started pretty late, being in our 30s. I’ve been seeing friends and acquaintances get knocked up, get married, separate, get knocked up again for over a decade. Each time I felt positively ancient.
I believe ‘parental moe’ (if that’s what this ought to be called) is, because of the altruistic and non-sexualised nature, the most pure, powerful and amazing variety in existence. Kids in general still scare me (the younger they are the more freaked-out I am) but as my dad once assured me, “Children are like farts. You can only stand your own.” Someday I hope I have enough wisdom and cool stories to pass on but until then I’ll sit by on the sidelines to cheer on those who not only remember love but create a new generation of it.
The dango concept and the parental theme that goes with it (Clannad ~after story~, in case you’re curious) is one of the few anime shows that portrays parenthood and, well, any genuine relationship beyond the typical high school stage, in a lifelike and heartwarming way…except it’s pretty tragic in places so I recommend you watch it after your youngster is a little growed-up.
In any case, I see they two of you being less of the ‘embarrassing parents’ and more like the ‘cool parents’ that they’ll brag about to their friends…I can see those DVDs and mecha figurines becoming family heirlooms!
I can very much relate, but at the same time I actually enjoyed other people’s kids — when you get along they’ll be so much fun and sap your energy, and you’ll thank your lucky stars that you don’t have to bring them home with you.
While I can’t comment on Clannad I do think that parental themes are explored well (even if not the main focus) in the Kare Kano manga, as well as the Itazura na Kiss anime.
I do hope that we’d be the ‘cool’ parents, but this will be difficult. Even now I’ve lost touch with contemporary music. I can’t imagine being able to keep up 15 years from now.
This is late, but congratulations. You’ll make a fine dad!
No, not late, and quite welcome. I do plan to be a fine father — if an embarrassing one. Not a perv like an Izumi Souchirou (but quite close! Konata is legit — if fictional — nissei otaku), nor a dunderhead like Son Goku, nor an absentee one like Kabuto Kenzo (Mazinger) nor Bright Noa (Gundam) nor Sergey , nor a revolutionary (Dr. Gou in Choudenji Machine Voltes V), nor an idiot panda like Saotome Gendo, nor evil like Ikari Gendo, nor whacked like Dr. Tenma (Pluto).
Maybe more like Dr. Kusama in Giant Robo only not dead (he’s dead by the beginning of the OVA). Give me ideas! Who is the ultimate anime father!?
I’d have to go with Nagi Springfield.
Who? From what show?
Negima, but READ THE MANGA TO FIND OUT MORE, IT’S DURING THE SCHOOL FESTIVAL ARC AND SO FUCKING AMAZING THAT I CANNOT PUT PICTURES INTO WORDS HERE.
Ok, I will then. Thanks for the recommendation.
Congrats! You’ll do a fine job in making him/her remember love.
Thanks!
Starts with Mazinger for supers, then First Gundam for reals, then Macross all the way for indoctrination. The rest can come afterward. After seeing quite a few shows (e.g. Gunbuster/Diebuster, more Gundam), the ‘remember love series’ can start:
Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Eureka SeveN
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
…all for a well-rounded mecha anime indoctrination!
Wow…I wonder when I will be old enough to be a father. It sounds like you are living one lucky and happy life, and I hope it lasts for a long time.
Oh yea, do name your child anime-related. It would be awesome
(and I gather that all the toys he/she will be playing with will be mechas?…not to mention the type of cartoons…)
Happy? Absolutely. Lucky? Unbelievably so. I’m verily ‘Fortune’s Favorite’ to quote the title of my favorite Colleen McCullough novel.
I have witnessed the horror of inappropriate anime-themed naming of offspring. Since we have Spanish names, the incongruity is very jarring. Japanese names are out (but not all anime names are Japanese ^_~).
As for toys, we gots lots of dolls: robots and girly dolls (mai waifu is a doll collector) so there’ll be a lot of toys to play with.
We married and are having kids pretty late, and I don’t really advise starting early. I got to live a pretty full and interesting life before digging deep and growing roots; and I feel very good to have lived like that before starting a new life with someone.
Congratulations!
The wonders of modern medicine are awesome.
Thanks! Wait until modern medicine allows us to mechanize our body parts. That’s when it gets really wonderful.
As regards the feeling of moe and the notion that few actually feel a “pure” version of moe for characters which inspire such a sensation, I would make the argument that females who feel moe are less likely to have a sexual taint to the emotion. Part of this is based on my own experiences, both in that characters which I go “Aww, so moe~!” over do not inspire a sexual feeling in me, and that female anime fans with whom I have had contact do not express sexual feelings for characters they find to be moe.
Admittedly, part of this may be due to cultural factors, as a females who express attraction to children garner more disgust than do males because of the dynamics of motherhood. However, pschyiatric studies do consistently demonstrate that pedophiles are much more likely to be male (the range in these studies is 80%-95%); this isn’t to conflate sexual feelings for a 2D child with pedophilia, though – I’m using it simply to illuminate a larger fact, which is that someone who finds the imagery of children to be somehow sexually stimulating is more likely to be male than female.
Anyway, now that I’ve blathered on about all that, congratulations on Kyuun~Kyuun. I’m trying to decide if this means its ok for me to have a kid one day and nickname it GAR.
Thanks!
…And yet, a well-traveled path in H-manga which I imagine is targeted at males (the particular examples).
I agree that females who feel moe have less sexualization of the feeling. Perhaps this is a key to making moe less predatory and more protective (true to its initial definition) — that is to feminize it. More than just protect, it can also be made to mean to nurture.
—
Before I had encountered the term GAR in relation to anime, I had known it to be a species of fish (Alligator GAR related to Barracuda). My best friend had a pair in his aquarium and we named them GARfield and GARfunkel. I told him that should I get my own I’d name them GARgamel and GARbanzo. I mention these because people may assume that your child’s full name may be the ones I mentioned, or SlegGAR.
Congrats!
Thank you ^_^/
A belated birthday to your wife, and again congratulations. Though I worry about how the kid will be in the future immediately after he finds out. :v
Thank you! It won’t be for a long time before my child discovers and develops an appreciation for these archives. In any case, I don’t think it’s objectionable anyway. If anything, it’s just me declaring my love for my growing family as only I can.
Happy belated birthday to your wife, congratulations on successfully propagating a line of Macross fans. I am sure you will make a sound decision on naming your kid…
Thanks comrade! While I’ve no plans to emulate the prodigious um, output of the Jeniuses (and I do want a boy too), we do hope that the ‘culture’ we made leads to fine offspring.
Congrats to you and sybilant!
Thank you very much!
I wish you, sybilant, and Konata the best of luck!
Thanks! LOL Konata lol. Kukukuku
Awesome, your fetus is proving to be a new moe star in the making. Until he turns out to be a boy who prefers sports.
…much to my reliefA daughter is a most precious of gifts.I’m pretty late on this, what with 3d life and all, BUT HOLLYYY SHIFSAJFJASFSAKFS CONGRATUSFLAKSJLKJWLEIJROWRIU5O29U52954URioeauoi#%uoq#i$ruejFLKDSMNV,S M,SSmkdfljdjiuWR545U2O4TRJ
Thanks man. 3d life can make for interesting post content SOMETIMES. I’m actually very interested in what you study making for uncommon anime discourse. You know it’s not that hard. Also I’m game for an LotGH gattai post. I just don’t have an angle to work with, but you might.
lol congrats
I can tell you will be a great daddy!
Thanks man! I really hope so ^_^/
I’ve just thought about this: do include Voices and Aimo in your playlist of lullabies.
Yes surely, along with ‘Planet Dance’ and ‘Totsugeki Love Heart’
This post makes me happy. Hearty congrats.
I’m glad it does! I couldn’t keep all the fun to myself ^_^/ Thank you very much!
Not often do I see a post of such a nature in the anime blogosphere. It’s good that we can put aside DORAMA and lulz and offer our congratulations for what must be a momentous event for you, ghostlightning.
This is damn late, but I offer mine as well. May the hotbloodedness and love serve your offspring well in future!
Thank you very much, from sybilant and myself for your generous words and congratulations.
I’ll make Kyuun~chan read this post and feel the love in the comments. Maybe that’ll get me off the hook.
Belated congratulations! Thanks for sharing the news with all of us; gotta love a soon to be dad calling his child a “blob”. ^_^
This will no doubt make for some great conversational material 20 years down the road when the kid stumbles across it. Just remember, you can never truly erase something off of the internet! =P
Thanks man! ^^/
20 years into the future…
Kyuun~: Dad, why are you so nice to me?
ghostlightning: Do you like your Nu Gundam?
Kyuun~: uh, yes I think. Other kids got cars or a trust fund, but I’m the only one to get a mobile suit for graduation.
ghostlightning: don’t let your soul be held down by gravity…
Kyuun~: What is this I don’t even-
ghostlightning: Your father loves you, always remember that…
Kyuun~: Also dad, what’s the internet?
ghostlightning: Wan’t to take the Gundam out for a spin?
Kyuun~: uh, okay…
sybilant: fufufufufufu
@ghostlightning and sybilant: You plan on making your kid a mobile suit pilot? Give him/her the inheritance of writing in this blog. We Remember Love will be like a book of generations or whatever.
Also, whatever your blob’s gender would be after conception, either boy or girl, keep him/her away from Shin. We all know what Shin might do.
Congrats, my good man. Name your kid Ranka, so we’ll be happy!
Ranka was rejected outright by the mother lol. And yeah, lol Shin.
This blog is part of the birthright yes, though the child may grow up hating the anime of the parents (the same way I couldn’t get into my parents’ music). That said, if WRL turns into a blog about magical girl shows, I can’t say I’ll be truly disappointed, as long as the writing is better than mine.
~Hurray! Grats to you and Sybilant!
PS: Bebe-chan would be even more moe if you’d put on the bunny ears and nekomimi when he/she makes his/her awaited debut! ;P :3
WILL DO. Thanks! ^_^/
Congratulations! Don’t listen to these people; I’m actually quite harmless in real life ┐(‘～`；)┌
Thanks Shin, I’m sure you’ll make a great uncle ^^
congratulations on your moe blob. i certainly hope you won’t be naming it… char. keep it away from shin. *evil grin*
Thanks Bianx! No Chars. Not Charlene or Charles or anything like that lol. Shin means believe in moonspeak, so I believe in Shin.
shin will probably drop it. but it’s still best to keep it away from him until it’s turned 18. i still <3 shin.