Unconsciously, the Heisei era has been gone to Japan for half a month. For the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, the Heisei era was a period of great development and continuous "moths", to paraphrase the famous quote from Dickens's "Tale of Two Cities" - "This is the best era, and it is also the worst era." For the Self-Defense Forces, the "best of times" naturally refers to the rapid development of the Equipment of the Self-Defense Forces during the Heisei Period, which makes the Self-Defense Forces still one of the most technologically advanced armed forces in the world to this day. And the "worst of times"... This can be said in many ways. No matter how much the Japanese Self-Defense Forces emphasize "exclusive defense," their nature as an institution of violence cannot be changed. However, looking back at the Heisei Era's Self-Defense Forces, it always makes people feel that there is something "wrong with the painting style" - why is the armed forces of Asia's second-largest power so "abandoned"?
□ for Chinese military enthusiasts, the last impression of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' "otaku" is probably the standing painting of the captain's room of the "Liangyue" in the visit to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Navy
If you want to talk about the "home" of the Self-Defense Forces, it can be said that it is deep into the bone marrow. This can be seen in the official spoof of the Self-Defense Forces. In 2011, a Japanese photography enthusiast took a laughable photo of a Sailor Moon-SDF-class destroyer, and the crew "disguised" the "dense array" close defense weapon system in front of the bridge into the character Elizabeth in the popular manga Gintama. To be fair, this design is very clever, not only using the "dense array" radomes shape and color similar to Elizabeth's characteristics, but also "Gintama" was originally a very popular national anime at that time, so this sea self-version of "Elizabeth" was very popular.
□ stood in front of the bridge, and the pilots of the incoming enemy planes were estimated to be stunned when they saw it
Since the "Navy Red Deer" is in a mess, the "Army Red Deer" naturally cannot lag behind. In October 2012, during an aviation exhibition held at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Kisarazu Aviation Base, the Ground Self-Defense Force publicly displayed the two-dimensional image character Ofsan Tsuna. On May 13 of the following year, new characters Aoi Kisarazu, Wakasa Kisarazu, and Yuzu Kisarazu were exhibited, and the character-themed "Pain Machine" (i.e., the character image was painted on the fuselage) was used on the AH-1S gunship and OH-1 armed reconnaissance helicopters. This is not to mention, the Land Self-Defense Force actually found a female Self-Defense Force COS the above role, it can be said that it is home. Subsequently, in February 2016, the page game "りっく☆じあ~す" was launched, with the four Kisaratsu sisters and the "Nymph" Land Self-Defense Force weapons and equipment as the main characters, and it seems that the image management of the Land Self-Defense Force is also to put long-term fishing for big fish.
□ the official COS, the most deadly
If the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Land Self-Defense Force are still only at the level of engaging in pain machines and playing with COSPLAY, the Aviation Self-Defense Force simply came to a "physical house". On April 17, 2015, the mech "Ingram" from the cartoon "Mobile Police" appeared in the Air Self-Defense Force's fortification base, and the 8-meter-tall guy was also photographed with the F-2A and F-15J fighters in the base. What's going on? Originally, the Air Self-Defense Force had supported the live-action film "Next Generation - Mobile Police - Capital Showdown" of "Mobile Police", and the filmmakers sent "Ingram" to the Air Self-Defense Force for exhibition in order to express their gratitude. Although the "Ingram" is also a very mechanical object, but put this thing that can only run on the ground in the air base and take a picture with the fighter... That's a bit of a stretch, right?
□ fighters with mechs, so it looks silly (Note: The Self-Defense Forces in the theatrical version of "Mobile Police" are actually the opposite of "rebellion")
In fact, the support of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces for anime works has long been nothing new. The well-known "Detective Conan" in our country, its theatrical version of "Detective of the Absolute Sea", was produced with the background of the fictional Maritime Self-Defense Force's "Hotaka" destroyer (actually the "Atago" class destroyer), which was fully supported by the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Ministry of Defense. To this end, the film side also held a special film prayer activity at the Yokosuka Base of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, during which the Japanese film star Shibasaki Yuki, who voiced the self-defense officer fujii Nanami of the Self-Defense Force in the film, not only visited the scene, but also boarded the destroyer "Plum Rain" to visit and meet with the female self-defense officer on board. The cooperation between the two sides has deepened to this extent, and it is difficult to say whether the filmmakers will promote the new film through the Self-Defense Forces or whether the Self-Defense Forces will use animation as a means of publicity.
□ this kind of cooperation that each needs is probably a "win-win"
What's more, the Self-Defense Forces are no longer satisfied with assisting in the production of cartoons, and have begun to produce their own cartoons. On January 8, 2016, the animation film "GATE Fantasy Self-Defense Force" produced by the Ground Self-Defense Forces was released, which was adapted from the novel and manga of the same name, but it was heavily modified in content, and in terms of content, it was almost the self-defense officer Itami Yoji who was the protagonist of the "open unparalleled" and "open harem" in another world. There is no doubt that this kind of content is using the common content of internet popular culture to attract "otaku" to join the army, as to how effective... That's another question.
□ when I go to another world and don't do the right thing, I will open a harem, and I might as well go to see an online novel for this plot
This is not the end, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are using the elements of otaku culture to attract attention, and it can be said that it is only unthinkable that cannot be done. For example, inviting famous voice actors (voice actors) who are popular among the "Otaku" community, Uesaka Eisen, to visit the destroyer Yamayuki and serve as "Captain of the Day", introducing a two-dimensional image in the recruitment poster, and making the female self-defense officer COSPLAY popular anime character image in an open event (yes, the Self-Defense Forces play COSPLAY far more than their own original characters). As for the music teams of the various units of the Self-Defense Forces, it is even more common for them to play "The Cruel Angel Action Plan", "The Bow arrow of the Red Lotus", "Senbon Sakura", "Former Past Lives" and other "Second Dimensional Divine Comedy".
□ house to recruit soldiers rely on cute girls, such a self-defense force wants it to have no use
In fact, in Japan, a country where otaku culture is prevalent, the Self-Defense Forces have introduced a little element that the "otaku" like to attract attention, which is understandable - although it looks a bit awkward, it is actually no different from the US military's support for Hollywood blockbusters. However, the current Self-Defense Forces are obviously going farther and farther down the road of "dead houses", and even have the tendency to go into the magic, and this image that is incompatible with its own functions not only surprises the outside world, but also inevitably makes people doubt that "such a unit can still fight".