(*Puchi kuri means "little/tiny creator")

 This is my 2nd Japanese book review. When I wrote the 1st book-review by OKADA, I felt that it's meaningless to non-Japanese readers. However, the 1st book review had an unexpected high viewership rate.
 So I try to write the 2nd book-review review of OKADA. The title is "PuchiKuri".
 Although the book was published in 2005, it gives readers many good suggestions.

 Here's my review.

[Content summary]
 OKADA is a lecturer in a private university: 大阪芸術大学[Osaka University of Arts](*1).
 He laments the  low success rate of being a "notable creator". Although all his students have to pass a tough entrance exam to enroll in the course that he teaches, ultimately only about three out of 150 students go on to be someone successful in the creative field.

 This book is based on his experience of being a creator, and he wants to encourage young talents not to give up on their dreams. His method for becoming a successful creator is very simple and clear: to become a notable creator, just follow these steps

1) Drop the idea of becoming a professional creator.

2) Put aside talent and focus on your favorite subjects.

3) Create your niche expertise by combining your interests.

4) Declare that "I'm a (so-and-so), creator/expert (of niche subject of interest)".

5) Express yourself through your works, and keep at it.

 This book tell you how to become a Puchikuri along with these steps.

[Readability for non-Japanese natives]
 Very easy, because this book aims for university students(from late-teens to around twenty years old). If you have fairly good Japanese ability(as a non-native Japanese), you'll be able to read it within an hour.
 As for me, I can finish reading it in just 30[min]. However, knowing the background or the circumstances of creators in Japan is required. This is the reason why this book (published in 2005) has not been translated into non-Japanese language yet.

[My impression]
 Puchikuri is a portmanteau of a French term "Petit" (JP: "Puchi") and creator. So Puchikuri means "little(or tiny) creator".

 Overall, this is a very good book. It's recommended for bloggers, too. His thoughts is just his personalized version of "Blue Ocean strategy"(a.k.a. "Only one strategy" in Japan). In the niche that you have found, you'll always be the number one.

 At first, his maxim of "Stay amateur, do not become a professional creator" seems to be very paradoxical. But I agree with his idea. He recognizes himself and is recognized by others (including me) as an expert in discovering talents. Indeed, many founding members of GAINAX were spotted by Okada himself. So his opinion is very convincing.

 The highlight of this book is part 2 and 3(as shown above). He recommends readers to write down their favorite things on paper, and combine each other (like KJ-method). This book has many good examples.

[After-reading thoughts]
 Besides saving young talents, OKADA has another reason to recommend his Puchikurism. There is obviously a bad working environment around professional creators although he didn't write about it seriously.
 In Japan, creators are not well paid. For the animation industry, even top Seiyus don't earn much(*2). It's below typical office workers' salary. According to a report, Japan has even ten thousand professionally trained Seiyus, but not many of them are able to find voice-acting jobs. This is partly because of a glut of voice actors in the industry, and partly because of their low wages.

 This situation is the same for animators. Anime magazines doesn't reveal such depressing facts since many creator vocational school（専門学校, Senmon-gakko） are major advertising clients for these magazines. You can gather these facts over the internet. The average annual salary is two million something Japanese yen. This salary fall shorts of minimum wages to survive life in Tokyo.(*3)

 So "Stay amateur, do not to become a professional creator" is good/sound advice. Fortunately, Japan is very accommodating to personal hobbies(*4) in spite of the Spartan work ethics(*5). As he stated in his book, if you choose a Puchikuri lifestyle, you can freely pursue a day job without having to give up on your creative hobbies.

 As for me, I found that my favorites are "overseas travel", Anime(and its music), and maid-sans(sometimes...). Blogging through akibanana as don777 is an good example of Puchikurism itself. For example, "Otaku Ippiki goes to abroad", and "The best CD" series is a fruit of my Puchikuri activity.

[Appendix: My favorite Puchikurists]
 This book has several Puchikuri examples. However, I don't think that those examples are always good for Otakus.
 Of course, SHINKAI Makoto (creator of Hosinokoe[Voices of a Distant Star]) , and Frogman (蛙男商会, the creator of 秘密結社鷹の爪 [Eagle Talon]) is a kind of Puchikurist(*8). But I don't like to explain in detail since they are already famous creators.

 Instead, I'd like to introduce some unique Puchikurists, who are rarely known overseas.

#1: Package-tape font artist: Mr. SATO Shuetsu（佐藤 修悦）
 SATO's job is a security guard in a construction site. One day, he made a direction sign, and an information board for passers-by. Since these materials are temporaral, he made them by package-tapes. But these finished materials are amazingly elaborate, and gradually gains popularity by word of mouth.
 

Now, his handmade font works are commonly named Shuetsu-tai（修悦体）after his first name. Besides his official site, there is also a fan-site.

#2: Josou cosplayer: Mr. Laimu [lime, らいむ]
 Laimu-san is an independent IT worker. His hobby is cosplaying. But it's not an ordinary one. He specializes in Josou (cross-dressing as a woman). His works are never beautiful, but not ugly. It's rather comical(^^).
 What's so special? He gets through with all the tasks by himself (i.e. making clothes/accessories, making himself up, going location-hunting for outdoor photo-shooting).
 

 His hobbies (dress-making, car-driving, and photography) are combined into cosplay-photos. It's really a one-man show! I never like to go to the Brain-crasher cafe, however I highly appreciate his works.

 Here's some info-links.

 **His CV[JP-only] (It has media coverage history. Even foreign media covered his works in the past.)
 
 **Cosplay History(he cosplayed most of the popular moe-characters!)
  (Here are some recommended photos!, His own JP-comment is so humorous.)
 **2008: Hatsune Miku < Vocaloid series
 **2007: MIZUNASHI Akari < ARIA
 **2005: Onigawara Mao < Earth Defender Mao-Chan
 **2005: 2K-tan < MS-OS muscot
 **2004: Kokoro < Kokoro Library
 **2004: Cure Black < Futari wa Precure
 **2004: Melon chan < Melon books' muscot
 **2004: TAKAI Sayaka(3) < Pia carrot 3
 **2003: TAKAI Sayaka(2) < Pia carrot 3
 **2003: TAKAI Sayaka(1) < Pia carrot 3
 **2003: SANADA Momen(2) < Lime-iro Senkitan
 **2003: SANADA Momen(1) < Lime-iro Senkitan
 **2003: NAKAHARA Komugi(3) < Nurse Witch Komugi-chan
 **2003: NAKAHARA Komugi(2) < Nurse Witch Komugi-chan
 **2002: NAKAHARA Komugi(1) < Nurse Witch Komugi-chan

#3: Doujin cartoonist: Mr. SATSUKI JIN（さつき 仁）
 SATSUKI-san is a designer. His hobby is making Doujin cartoons. Yes, there are so many Doujin cartoonists in Japan. But most of the Doujin cartoons are all parodies of Japanese Mangas/Animes. His work is quite unique. He is seriously making his own successor of US TV-drama "Bionic woman" from 2000.
 

 The "Bionic woman" is not the new(remake) version(starring Michelle Ryan)  but its original version(starring Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers(*9)). Unfortunately the new "Bionic woman" had a bad reputation, and had to end after airing only a few episodes(*10).
 

 However, The "Bionic woman" is still living in his Doujin cartoon, which is entitled "The Bionic Teacher Jemmy(*11)". His story is continued from the last TV episode. Jaime is seriously tired of her mission as OSI agent. Her boss: Oscar Goldman(dubbed Kyokucho（局長） in JP version) orders her to take working holiday in overseas. He selects Japan as her holiday destination since Japan has many US military bases, and also has a substitute English teacher（臨時英語教員） system in many public schools.
 

 At first, she enjoyed her working-holiday in a Japanese school. But an unknown powerful enemy is creeping up on her....(the story continues in his book(^^), and never finishes at all.)
 

 I was deeply impressed with his deep respect to the original work as well as his foresight（先見）. That is because he started his work in 2000, eight years before the new TV drama. I think that this Doujin work can reexport to US via an agent(like Tokyo-POP)!

[Note]
*1) This kind of career path(from a creator to an educator) is not so special. For example, 安彦 良和(YASUHIKO Yoshikazu, a legendary animator of the first Gundam) is now a professor of 神戸芸術工科大学[Kobe Design University].

*2) This varies from studio to studio. Some animation companies give very good salary to the top talents. ISHIKAWA Mitsuhisa（石川 光久） from Production I.G. is highly appreciated in terms of this matter(*6). But generally speaking, game industry gives better salary than that of anime industry. So "an ex-animator, now, a digital creator in a game company" is not so special. From the late 90's, Bishoujo Game(Ecchi-game or Eroge) suddenly rose. Now, many anime titles are based on Bishoujo Games. I can't believe that it's nothing to do with talents' brain-drain from anime industy to game industry(*7). This is because I can feel the potential of game and 3D anime rather than that of traditional anime.

*3) To improve working conditions, some industry veterans formed trade associations such as JAniCA last year. The chair person of JAniCA is ASHIDA Toyoo(a.k.a. Tommy ASHIDA). If you can read Japanese, please refer to this interview(JP-ONLY).

*4) There are some exceptions. I can't recommend you to reveal your Otaku related hobbies like anime, idol, Bishoujo Game or 2D-characters' fetish to your colleagues.(^^)

*5) Besides what is called professionals(i.e. lawyers, medical doctors), a professionalism must be required for all workers(incl. blue-collar workers) in Japan.

*6) Please refer to this interview (JP-ONLY).

*7) Please refer to this column(JP-ONLY) of a scriptwriter:YOSHIOKA Takawo（吉岡 たかを）.

*8) As many readers know, Frogman and SHINKAI is not originally a professional animator. Frogman was once a TV-drama creator. SHINKAI was once a CG artist in the game industry.

*9) The new version[2007] is not aired in Japan.

*10) This original version was so popular in Japan. You can see the OP movie of the Japanese version, with (pseudo voice-synthesis) Japanese narration and different music from the original version.
 The Japanese version was entitled 「地上最強の美女バイオニック・ジェミー
[Bionic Jemmy(*11)]」, and dubbed by Japanese Seiyus. Lindsay Wagner was dubbed by TAJIMA Reiko（田島 令子）. TAJIMA's voice has a really adult tone, far from the Moe voice. But her voice grabbed the hearts of many male viewers(^^). The role of Lindsay Wagner made TAJIMA so popular. Even Tajima sang a Japanese theme-song in the original air time.

*11) "Jemmy" is not a typo-error. The female protagonist: "Jaime Sommers" was introduced as ジェミー・ソマーズ[Jemmy Sommers] in Japan.

[BOOK DATA]
Title  : プチクリ! ― 好き＝才能! (Puchikuri, Little Creator - Love=Talent!)
Author : OKADA Toshio（岡田 斗司夫）
ISBN-10: 4344010825
ISBN-13: 978-4344010826
Price  : JPY1,200-
Pages  : 211p
Publish: 2005
Company: Gentousha（幻冬舎）
Status : Available/In-stock only

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don777: An Otaku ippiki in Tokyo

[JP]  http://don777.cocolog-nifty.com/

[EN] http://don777-ax.cocolog-nifty.com/
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