October 23rd: Commentary on Hiroki Azuma

In his book, Hiroki Azuma proposes that Otaku embody a new and unique approach to media consumption. In the second chapter, Azuma introduces the concept of database consumption, a relationship chiefly about atomized elements such as characters, settings and moe-elements, which he contrasts with narrative consumption. This is, I believe, a reasonably bold approach that deserves some critique. In order to accept Azuma's argument, we must first subject it to some questions:

1. Is 'Database' consumption all that new? That is to say, are we confident that no examples of this phenomena exist in all of prior history?
2. Does 'Database' consumption accurately describe works aimed at Otaku?

To answer the first question, we find that there exist quite a few instances of similar processes. Fan-fiction, after all, has a relatively long history. Yet going back farther reveal an example far closer to Azuma's proposed Otaku model. Christian writers, poets, painters and sculptors, have spent many centuries producing a layer of works derived from the Bible.

Is it simulacra? The immediate answer would be no, considering that Biblical cannon always retained authority. There exists at least a few notable examples, however – the foremost being the Book of Mormon, which if considered 'fan-fiction', certainly achieved the same level as the original tome amongst adherents. Even amongst more mainstream sects, there were derivative works that achieved similar authority – the popularity and influence of The Pilgrim's Progress puts it into this category in early-modern England. Additionally, since the Bible cannot directly relate to certain forms of art, being a text rather than a painting, sculpture or building, certain derivative works achieved a sort of local authority in their field. David, by Michelangelo, might well be considered simulacra, considering that it is a depiction of a character in the Bible (one that had been itself adapted previously), yet holds a degree of renown that excludes it from being a 'copy'.

An excellent example of Christian simulacra might be found in Milton's Paradise Lost. For the epic, Milton lifted characters (God, Lucifer, Adam and Eve), settings (Heaven and Hell), and themes (original sin, salvation) from the Bible. Many of the characters display the characteristics that would make them immediately recognizable to the intended audience, but the narrative is in some ways contradictory of the original source – i.e the devil is treacherous and takes the form of a snake, yet is depicted sympathetically through much of the work. Paradise Lost is simulacra; it relies on the Bible for much of its content, and yet is not a copy.

The purest examples of this archaic 'Database consumption' can be seen in the depictions of Saints and other holy figure. In much the same way Azuma points to a database of Moe characteristics, so to did there exist a 'database' of saintly characteristics. Thus, St. Bartholomew could be identified by his flayed skin, or St. John by wearing camel hair, even as the backgrounds and facial appearances shifted from work to work.

Of course, it may be countered that Christianity subscribed to a 'Grand Narrative', which united the disparate works. However, the different sects of Christianity – Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, etc. represented wildly differing worldviews; only the characters remained the same. Thus, we see much the same 'Database consumption', sans the internet and telecommunications.

In reference to the second question, we might find fault with Azuma's focus on the consumer, at the expense of examining the producers of content. Implicit in his conception of database consumption, is a certain condemnation of the content; certainly, one's material cannot be of any real value, in and of itself, if it merely consists of an agglomeration of database elements. Certainly there exist many examples of purely exploitative content in Otaku culture, as in other genres, which are tailored to fit particular consumer interests, such as Moe, without any consideration of narrative or style. Undoubtedly, Azuma's point is boosted by a recent anime, conceived and produced entirely on the basis of a standalone promotional clipⁱ.

At same time, there are examples of content that are quite clearly more than simply the sum of their parts. The anime film Ghost in the Shell was an extraordinary success, spawning film and television sequels, video games and merchandising, as well as the usual fan material – doujins, artwork, etc. In this respect, it closely conforms to the 'database' model. Yet Ghost in the Shell has also been recognized for its narrative and thematic qualities – for instance, in regards to its discussion of genderⁱⁱ. Such abstract content defies the database model because it cannot be extracted and replaced in a separate context. One cannot simply extract a treatment of gender or cybernetics and expect it to function alongside an arbitrarily chosen setting and characters. If a particular piece of media evokes the abstract, it is not simulacrum, as it has a clear delineation from a copy. Nor is it merely an assortment of 'database' attributes, since there exist elements that are not reproducible, atomized parts.

Database consumption and Video Games

Thus far, we have pointed to 'Database consumption' prior to Otaku, and examples of Otaku media that defy databases. Despite this, it remains valid to consider whether Azuma's theory holds true to video games. Games have certain characteristics which would seem to make them especially suited to Azuma's model. As a new media, barely four decades old, video games cannot lay claim to the same narrative traditions that exist in older art forms. Perhaps more than any other media, video game developers seem eager to recycle settings and characters, demonstrated by the overabundance of sequels, or by the continuous rehashing of space operas, high fantasy and the post-apocalyptic. One could even point to a game such as Marvel vs. Capcom, which features a combination of wildly unrelated characters, as proof that video game is the quintessential embodiment of 'Database consumption'.

Conversely, video games also have a number of features that would seem to discourage this interpretation. To a certain extent, the database items that Azuma refers to – characters, settings, and the underlying Moe elements – are less necessary in video games than in other forms of media. Games can have a plot, characters and setting, and many do, but it is not a necessity. Pong had none of these. One might argue that gameplay mechanisms could constitute 'database' elements, but these in many way analogous to literary techniques or musical conventions; to expand the 'database' to encompass them would stretch the term to the point of risking meaninglessness. Furthermore, gamers would appear to have a rather clear hierarchy of importance and quality, easily distinguishing between titles even in the same genre. Medal of Honor is not Call of Duty, Command and Conquer is not Starcraft, and Star Ocean is not Legend of Mana. This is to say that the copy is not indistinguishable from the original and that there is some value attached to the title, rather than the constituent elements.

One might go further than this, and argue that the essential nature of video games rejects 'database consumption', or at least renders it a non-issue. Specifically, the elements of paidea present in video games allow individuals to endlessly reinterpret the constituent parts of the game.

To use an analogy – suppose one is playing with LEGO blocks, using the assorted blocks of previous construction sets. Although the available components are drawn from a 'database' of previously used items, each block retains none of the meaning it previously held. A block that was previously a functionless façade may become a structural component, or vice-versa.

Similarly, a gamer may decide to replay a game in a way that radically reconfigure the elements of gameplay. For example, 'Speedruns' in DOOM and Quake reinterpreted the objectives of the game, altering the importance of many gameplay mechanics, and ignoring the narrative components of the experience. Seen through the frame of paidea, the database model dwindles into insignificance, because rules are constantly changing. There can be no 'database', as the elements themselves become amorphous, re-purposed not only between games, but individually, often during a single session of play.

To conclude, I would argue that, as an explanatory model, the concept of 'Database consumption' faces some serious flaws. It is arguably neither a new phenomena, nor one that comprehensively explains Otaku media, and furthermore, may be considerably undermined by the creative potential of video games.

ihttp://kotaku.com/congrats-devoted-fans-the-swimming-anime-is-now-real-482662233

iiFor an example of such a discussion, see: Carl Silvio. "Refiguring the radical cyborg in Mamoru Oshii's 'Ghost in the Shell.'." Science Fiction Studies no. 1 (1999): 54.