Animangaki 2013 Touhou section: hope and gratitude for the local Touhou fans

Last weekend marks the third year of the Touhou section of Animangaki (this year being called as Animangaki Touhou Festival, with the second one being refered to as Touhou GenTouShou). As someone who was involved in helping for all the three consecutive years, I’d like to give a short review and critique on the Touhou section. This post is meant not only for this year’s post-event review, but hopefully as a review for any future activity among the local Touhou group over here.

Excuse for lack of picture for this year's event

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Times Like These: Rambling from an ultra neutralist

By now, I'm sure most are aware of the general pessimism and depression surrounding the result of the 13th Malaysian General Election. The most obvious trend that's going right now is the blackening of most social website's profile - which I'm sure represent how the view the state of the country: dark; hopeless; dirty.

Now I won't deny it: as the result was slowly being announced, I was disappointed. With the long buildup of political awareness since the last general election - with the general public taking a greater interest in the political game here - I was looking forward to some sort of change in the political landscape here.

And I'm sure I'm not the only one with the same thought. So I could imagine the devastated hearts everywhere as the news was out.


Am I angry? I guess. Devastated? Sort of. I try to take an ultra neutral stance on all this, to not let myself get carried away with the ongoing mood and feelings of the people. To think.

But I'm even more devastated with the current pessimism running in response to what has been unfolding. There was talk on how they lost hope in Malaysia, on how dirty the political landscape here. And the worst part of it is that a lot seems to follow the current sentiment without really thinking it through. And perhaps most have conveniently forget how they show their worst sides during all this while that leads up to the election: hate for hate, ignorance for ignorance.

Now don't get me wrong: I'm not saying it's all squeaky clean here and all is right. But what I do want to say is how we're too quick to give up in the face of this adversary. Sure the current party has been leading the country for more than 50 years. Sure it speaks volume of the political situation here which favour them to hold on power for this long.

But you know what? I believe we're on a right way for change. Never before, I believe has the leading party been scrutinized this much. The amount of involvement from the people in the election this time seems very phenomenal. While it does not really translate into our desired result, we've surely changed on how the political landscape will look like in the near future.

Sure we're hungry for change, but maybe it's not this time. To throw it all away and say how you've given up in the country... that's very much like running three quarter of a marathon and you throw in the towel just because you can't see the finish line yet. To be angry without logic is pointless, but to totally lose hope is even worse.



So with all the general pessimism, cynicism and depression, I seriously hope that the light of reason and logic will shine through. Come on Malaysian, we're much stronger than we give ourselves some credit! It might take a while to get where we wanted, but I believe we're on the right track.

I just wish that we would be able to stand shoulder to shoulder, and to think on our own feet. Because the way I see it, if we're still naive and gullible to being pulled around by our nose; if we're easily caught up in mob mentality and emotional drive; if we lose hope, then the same thing will turn out no matter who's in charge.

We need more people to push on logic and reasons, instead of baseless rhetorics and emotional drive. Until then, I'll take an ultra neutralist stance on the situation that unfolds and do my part in getting the change to happen.

Not change in governance necessarily, but change in the people's mindset.

Godspeed.

(Obligatory) New year post (2013 ver)

Another year passed, and it's high time I produce another blog post eay?

I won't make a resolution on making more posts for the year tho

Slight trivia: I was born in the year of the snake

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