“One Does Not Care To Acknowledge the Mistakes of One’s Youth” – Char Aznable
The night before the “People’s Action Figures Party”, I got Cuz and Pp to help me make props for the Action Figure activists.
Pickets
While making the anti-ODEX props at the void deck, Cuz and I were still feeling a little uneasy. “So, was this how the student activists felt the night before Tiananmen happened?” mused Cuz.
The ‘climate of fear’ was palpable – would we be arrested for what we’re gonna do?
Although it’s just a photo-shoot, we know that what we’re “making a statement” in a public place. Will the police construe this ‘act of protest’ as a ‘demonstration’? Were we liable to be prosecuted for ‘unlawful assembly’? We’ve never been activists and were treading on unknown grounds.
Void Deck
As I cut the placards from the printed sheets, I thought to myself,”Why should I be sticking my neck out?”
RAISON D’ÊTRE
Was the ODEX saga any of my business?
I have not received any of the threatening letters from ODEX. I doubt I’ll be receiving any since I don’t download fan-subbed anime via Bit Torrent [EDIT: I actually do download fan-subbed anime. The last series that I followed was "Welcome to the NHK!". If not for the fan-subs, I would not have been able to write articles such as this]. ODEX’s demand for ISPs to disclose the identities of the ‘illegal’ downloaders shouldn’t be of much concern to me. Furthermore, I’m not acquainted to any of those who were penalised by ODEX. If I’d behaved like any other Singaporean, I’d think “boh wah tai chee” (none of my business) so why should I bother?
From my perspective, ODEX’s penalty was tantamount to extortion.
The Freedom to Download Fan Subbed Anime is the Right of all Sentient Beings
It hadn’t been established if ODEX had the right to do what they did. Yet, they went ahead threatening to prosecute those who downloaded fan subbed anime unless they paid ODEX a fee. Emboldened by their success to make victims pay sums from S$3,000 to S$5,000, ODEX widened their campaign to make the other ISPs reveal the identities of the alleged downloaders so that they can issue more ‘legal letters’. If ODEX’s bully-behaviour is left unchecked, more of my fellow otakus/anime fan will fall victim to their scam.
I never believed that downloading of fan-subs constituted a crime. ODEX’s ‘mandated’ crackdown on the downloading of fan-subbed anime would make almost every other local otaku/anime fan liable for litigation. That would deprive us of our freedom to enjoy our passion. It’s not difficult to see ODEX as a villain that’s making unscrupulous gains at the expense of my tribe.
ODEX must be stopped.
TAKING ACTION (FIGURES)
There ought to be something I could do. More could be done to make ODEX feel the heat from the incensed community.
I’d already been toying with the idea of doing a figurine photography session. This is an activity that’s characteristic of Ota-culture. Although it’s almost close to impossible for Singaporeans to stage demonstrations and rally in the street, there’s no prohibition against action figures if they did the same. Afterall, they’re unlikely to run amok and disrupt public order. So I thought the theme of a symbolic protest, with action figures lined up carrying pickets as they were staging a demonstration or rally, would make an interesting theme for the shoot. I won’t deny that the Buangkok white elephants served as an inspiration.
As the ODEX saga unfolded, the chatter on the Internet to oppose ODEX’s heinous deeds grew louder and louder. It appeared that the resistance against ODEX was gaining momentum. There were at least three “resistance groups” that emerged in the context of the situation. One of them was called “ODEX Rebellion”.
This group came to my attention because one of their members posted a comment on the entry where I spoke of sending ODEX’s product to Hell. This group first wanted to collect ODEX’s products for incineration. That was the first initiative by any group to return the ball to ODEX’s court, and I thought it’s a significant move that deserved support. The group had wanted me to “drum up awareness” and I did them the favour. Later, this group changed tack when they realised the act of burning VCDs wasn’t very popular with environmentally conscious otakus and anime fans. The ‘Burning Ceremony’ became a ODEX VCD recycling drive. In the end this recycling drive also fizzled to an anti-climatic end. After all that oo-leng oo-hor (got dragon got tiger/有龙有虎) posturing, it turned out to be nothing more than chui kong lam par song (mouth talk balls shiok/觜讲卵葩爽). Talk is cheap.
However I wasn’t disappointed, because I didn’t expect those ghin nahs (kids) to go very far. I’d made contact with the representative of “ODEX Rebellion” via instant messaging, and he/she left me with the impression that they hadn’t thought through what they wanted to do and apparently wanted to leave things to chance. I wasn’t convinced that they had the conviction to follow through with what they’d wanted to achieve. So when the person behind the idea hum chee (含籽) and gave up, I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t hold it against them because, I think they’re just a bunch of ghin nahs. [That's why, I never agreed with the concept of Gundam Seed series, because I can't believe that the ZAFT, Orb and OMNI would leave war fighting to the kids.]
So when ODEX Rebellion dropped the flag, I thought the “People’s Action Figures Party” (PAFP) could salvage the situation. Xedo Defense is still talking, talking and still talking. The failure to make a decisive gambit would dampen the morale of the resistance, especially when there’s so much hype going around.
Action Figure Calvary
I didn’t pin hopes that people would turn up and contribute their action figures for the shoot. Rather, I was expecting a lot of curious onlookers and bystanders waiting to see drama. If I had depended on them, I don’t think I would be able to create the kind of effect with one Zeong MS-in-Action figure and three Beast Wars apes. I dug deep into the store room and brought out my collection of action figures that I hadn’t seen in years.
TIME & SPACE
I had considered the venue for the photoshoot, and I thought the Youth Park was a good choice. The Youth Park is a convenient location because of its accessibility. Although its in town, the Youth Park is located away from the high traffic area. Unless there’s an event at the park, the place is relatively quiet and is shy of the Orchard Road crowds.
*Scape
Other than the location, the Youth Park is a symbolic venue. This park would soon be known as *Scape. The *Scape project is an effort by the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports to create a space that would excite Singapore’s youths’ imagination and creativity. It’s defined as a “space of possibilities”. This would be the place where the youths of Singapore create and shape their future. As I see it, when *Scape comes into existence in 2009, this place could be an incubator for Singapore’s indigenous Otaku culture – where aspiring animators, comic artists, cosplayers and other new media artists come together to share ideas and inspire one another.
This is a good venue to make Otaku history.
Two days before the event, I went down to take a look at Youth Park just to get a feel of the area. I was there at around 4pm in the afternoon so I could gauge the direction of lighting, as well as the mood of the place. Although it’s not the weekend, it’s pretty close to get a sensing of how the place would likely to be on the actual day.
During the recce, I picked this corner of the Youth Park as the stage for the PAFP. It’s the edge that’s closest to Exeter Road, away from the bustle of Orchard Road. I felt that we could do our own thing here without inconveniencing the rest of the public. I also recce’d for an alternate site, in case it rained or if the Park became too crowded as a result of other events.
Quiet Corner
I noticed that there’s this Omega (Ω) shaped concrete bench at that corner. I figured that it’d make an interesting meeting point.
Ω
That’s because the “Ω” is a notation for Ohms, a unit of electrical RESISTANCE. And resisting ODEX was our mission. The lower case of “Ω” is “ω”, which looks like a pair of testicles. So it’s also a way of saying that you need ‘balls’ to resist ODEX, as well as telling ODEX ‘balls to you’.
D-DAY
I have to admit that I was feeling nervous on the actual day. I’ve a strong intuition that the police are going to show up, and they might just break up the event.
I reached the Youth Park about half past three. As I was driving down Exeter Road to the car park, I spotted the Ang Chia.
Ang Chia
No, not the Ang Chia (Red Bus) at the Youth Park. But these Ang Chias:
04 x Ang Chia
There were four Riot Buses, otherwise known as Ang Chia (Red Bus) in colloquial term. The Singapore Police Force had deployed the Special Operations Command en scene. They’re the heavy duty enforcers of public order. The Riot Buses were an intimidating sight. It begs me to wonder if Singapore is really a Forbidden City. However, I didn’t see any of their body armoured, MP-5 armed patrols moving around.
After parking the car, I went alone in ‘clean fatigue’ (not wearing the Laughing Man t-shirt nor carrying the props) to the Youth Park and walked around. I spotted some people in civilian clothing who looked out of place.
It was a fight or flight moment. I had to decide whether to proceed or abort the mission.
I decided to stand my ground.
I went back to the car, put on the Laughing Man t-shirt and went back to Youth Park with my barang-barang. I knew the eyes were on me, and I sighted people moving into my peripheral vision.
I unpacked the action figures. There were some other people milling around. And then a girl came over, with a black ribbon fixed on her top. Then came another guy, carrying something that might look like a weapon (they’re part of his suite of AV equipment). We’re from the same side. So I got them to help me set up the action figures for the photoshoot.
It didn’t take long for one of those guys in civilian clothing to come up to me. A rather senior guy came up to me and asked what we’re doing, politely as if it’s out of curiosity. I replied him with a question,”Are you from the SOC?” He seemed taken aback by my bluntness. I introduced myself, and learnt that he’s from the Tanglin division. I explained to the Station Inspector what I intended to do – just to put some of my toys together and take some pictures. After I’m done, I would leave the place. I told him I would need around an hour, because I was waiting for my friends to bring down their action figures.
The police took our identification cards and noted our details – myself, the girl and the other guy. And then, the other people started arriving. I very much wanted to turn them away because I didn’t want to implicate them or get them into trouble. But those who turned up and contributed their action figures appeared unfazed. Perhaps that’s because they didn’t appreciate the gravity of the situation (or was I being paranoid?)
Setting Up
Altogether, there were eight of us doing the PAFP (aka 「ODEX倒す！！」) photoshoot. I told Cuz to leave the area as I didn’t want his two Retrievers, Top and Rowdy, to chew up the action figures. There were other bystanders who hung around to observe what we’re doing (but they’re far off in the background). I thought it’s interesting that of the people that showed up (strangers whom I wasn’t previously acquainted with), two three of them are girls. I think the girls had more Omega than the guys.
The police didn’t stop us from doing what we wanted to do. They pretty much left us to our own devices. Of course, the Station Inspector did ask some other questions, specifically about the black ribbon that the guy and girl pinned on their top. They were asking who made those ribbons, and who was distributing them. I told him that the ribbons were made by the owners themselves, and they weren’t distributed. I did explain to him about the ODEX saga, and why we did what we did. Yes, we’re doing this to protest against ODEX’s actions.
I can’t deny that when all of my action figures were holding anti-ODEX pickets.
When we’re ready for the photo shoot, the police also took out their video camera to film us in action.
Big Brother is Watching
We were under surveillance. The scrutiny was annoying. Although their posture was none-intimidating, their presence made us feel unwelcome and ‘incriminated’. I would have liked to take the time to arrange the figures, set them up in various poses and take them from different angles. I didn’t have that luxury. As much as I had my rights as a free Citizen, I also did not want to impose on the police. They’re just doing their job.
So give and take. 一人一半，感情不散。They let me do my stuff, and I don’t get in their way. We wrapped up the shoot at a quarter to five.
I’m sure the police and the riot squad was there because of the Anti-ODEX protesters. Maybe they had turned out in full force expecting that there would be a group of rabble-rousers carrying banners and pickets, threatening to burn stuff. Ironically, the only thing that was burnt was the police’s weekend. I wonder if they’re working on credible intelligence that there was going to be a demonstration at the Youth Park, or was it a preemptive act in context of the ‘death threats’ that ODEX’s management had received.
Here’s Pp’s account of the event from his perspective. [EDIT: Here's sesshomaru_haku's experience during that day. She's one of the girls who turned up. Psyke brought his Chaiyo Ultraman to the party.]
Even after we dispersed, the police was still maintaining their surveillance over the area. When my group adjourned to the near by Spinelli’s for coffee, we were tailed by the police. They wanted to make sure that we don’t go back to Youth Park or another alternate location to make trouble. I heard that some others turned up at the Youth Park and was disappointed to find nobody there. Well, there’s a reason why we couldn’t go back there. When I drove off at close to 7pm, the Ang Chias were still parked along Exeter Road.
If we heeded the general rule that Singaporeans go by is – keep your head down and don’t look for trouble – the People’s Action Figures Party would not have happened. After this episode was over, I was still wondering if this was something Foolish, but I knew I did the right thing and did it the right way. It was my first taste of activism, although its for a non-political cause. I think the time is ripe for active citizenry. The interests of business groups shouldn’t undermine the well-being of the society. ODEX has to be censured for what it’s doing to the Otaku community.
THE NEXT BATTLE
So, where do I/we go from here? I’d like to make a stop-motion animation using action figures, but I would need people with the expertise to collaborate on the project. Meanwhile, I’ve pledged my support to Tsubaki who’s going to do an Anti-ODEX short film.
For those who want to send their message to Sunrise/Bandai regarding the dissatisfaction with ODEX, I’ve got a Japanese friend who has contacts with industry insiders. She’s willing to assist assist the Singaporean Otakus in translating the English text into Japanese and to convey the message. This is a good opportunity for the local Otakus to collect a petition, draft a letter and send it up the command chain of Sunrise/Bandai. If ODEX can issue love letters, you can issue yours too. The offer is on the table, so make it count.
So the police really turn up.
I admired you for your bravery.
You indeed have balls to go through this.
its kind of weird that the cops actually gives a crap about a bunch of nerds with toys
its weirder that someone actually called the cops to tell them that this was happening
its super weird that someone in an authority position ordered riot police to turn up immediately instead of sending a few scouts to ascertain the situation first
oh, by the way with reference to tsubaki’s latest post, i would like to say a prayer for otaku-kind
dear god judge lau, odeximinator be thy name
thy anime heaven come, thy judgement be done
thanks god, know that i will love you unconditionally for you have shown me the path to enternal life which is compassion to my fellow nerds
Now the target has switched to singnet for giving consent to provide ip address to ODEX.
In today wed straits times, singnet deny giving consent.
Yah right, they can deny all they want.
But without sending a lawyer to contest the courts decision and just follow the rule blindly, they still dare say they deny giving consent!!
I am a singnet user and i felt disappointed, maybe is time to change a provider if my sister agreed….
HI I also wish to applaud your bravery and daring for holding this event!
It is no small thing, to do what you have done in our little red dot really took guts! And it is great that we will have a way to communicate with the Japanese and appeal to their side…Please keep us updated with the goings-on and I will surely sign the love letter should there be one. We should pass the love around indeed ;p
Side note, I can do help with the video stuff if you need it, the stop motion idea sounds cool and maybe we can even make some wack a Xed-opher game if we have programmers with the know-how…heh heh heh…
what kind of expertise do you require? and I too, wan to help…make it fast though..
Quote:
“That’s because the “Ω” is a notation for Ohms, a unit of electrical RESISTANCE. And resisting ODEX was our mission. The lower case of “Ω” is “ω”, which looks like a pair of testicles. So it’s also a way of saying that you need ‘balls’ to resist ODEX, as well as telling ODEX ‘balls to you’.”
ROFLMAO … I’m an electronics engineer and I can’t agree more with this …
Fight on! Although I’ve only recently been made aware of your situation please don’t let the police pressure you into silence. I’m an American currently living in Taiwan and have never been to Singapore but your ‘mini’ rally is great.
And I echo the sentiments, don’t the police there have better things to do than bother people who are peacefully doing something in a public park? And as I said I’ve never been to Singapore but on what right do they have to ask for your identification when you’re in a public park?
everytime i read and comment on zeros blog it makes me feel like i am some sort of blog fanatic trying to psycho other bloggers fanatics with words to incite a holy otaku war against the great o-satan
the truth is that there are other blogs like dark mirage that adopt a more balanced point. first a sent an open letter, did an interview with them and then reports that a jap is coming to singapore to help the great satan
there are others like 1 minus 1 blog = zero’s view which are more focused on the goal of stopping the great satan’s action to stick the finger up more nine year olds butt
then there are the general bloggers that just mind their own business and dont bother with the topic at all, i guess they are moderates
so the fact remains, how does the FANatic (thats a clever play on words!) get the moderates to their side?
or how does the great satan convert and PR the moderates into believing their side of the story
extremism almost never works when talking to smart moderate bloggers, they are just too wise to know that there is no right or wrong, or it is pointless to debate on a topic they have no control over
but does subtle brain washing work as well? perhaps the goal of a beautiful world where anime is distributed by a beloved figure who claims that the world must be free of downloads before real quality anime can be sold to consumers. weeds must be destroyed before the rose can be planted! For the preservation of our Blue and Pure World!
i do not really know who will win what, the outcome will probably not affect most otaku in their lives but i do know that if there is anything to be learned from watching hours of anime instead of studying textbooks is this
what would suzumiya haruhi do ?
To cuz :
You wrote “For the preservation of our Blue and Pure World!”
Gundam seed? lolz!
So we are naturals and they are coordinators.
And when they go into seed mode, we all going to die.
@wongtcsg: hey, don’t forget Cagalli! ;D
zer0, if you can get me in touch with some people, it would be rad.
I’ll need all the help I can get.
This reminds me of the movie, V for Vendetta
Quote:
Inspector Finch: No, it was a feeling. But I can guess. With so much chaos, someone will do something stupid. And when they do, things will turn nasty. And then Sutler will be forced to do the only thing he knows how to do. At which point, all V needs to do is keep his word. And then…
Somewhat futuristic-esque like situation, with the authority showing up there, trying to be incognito. Kinda surprise that the police brought their riot bus. Maybe the next step is a rally like the one they held at Akihabara recently. What a sight it would be with tons of people of cosplaying rallying against Odex. Of course easier said and done.
I think you’re one of the few anime fans who’ve actually stood up and done something about the Odex saga. Thanks for bringing the sentiments of anime and non-anime fans alike to light in such a witty and innovative way! With Odex showing no signs of stopping now, we’ll continue to need people like you to speak up or explore other creative avenues to show that we won’t be taking this sitting down.
Cheers
Hey, Zer0.
Really respect you for going on with the photoshoot.
The police are just doing their job too. :)
Odex, and now the Japanese studios… We’re so disappointed. I guess fansubs aren’t useful to you guys anymore. Go ahead, kill anime in SG. :(
Men in blue are really very free, no wonder some crimes are not reported. Because they are not there in the first place to investigate the crimes, they were chasing plastic models and photographers. It is very clear, BIG BROTHER is watching all net activities. And ODEX, they can screw themselves. Even they get their way in the courts in the future, BOYCOTT all their products. They will last for a while but when no one buy anything from them. They will be out of business. Businesses need to understand that WE control how WE used OUR money, and not them. At the end of the day, money talks…
WAH THE ANG CHIA CAME.
THE MOAR I WANT TO MAKE MY FILM. MANY LULZ TO ODEX.
[...] now, this great hero organized a “figurine demostration” against ODEX. Read more about 「ODEX倒す！！」: The Making Of on Zer0’s blog. An extremely daring movement, considering how this is Singapore. A gathering [...]
[...] News Source: http://textfiend.net/zerohero/?p=454 [...]
Excellent gambit. I don’t know if I’m supposed to congratulate you for provoking such a reaction from the police, but I will anyway ;) Good job, you have made our paranoid state apparatus look even sillier than before.
Kudies to you Zero… you did what most of us would probably never do… such bravery! anyway… ever considered asdding some stuff to ur campaign? lik a Zero costume… and the Mask! yes the Mask is veri important… haha… but it would be nice seeing zero protest, bet tsubaki would join u if u did so… lolz… i m trying to make the mask now, but i m stuck… dunno how it looks like exactly and need a base…. sigh…
Zer0 ada bola! So far, you’ve got the most balls around here, not like those guys who threatened to kill stephen sing, you’ve actually done something! I dunno if this is coincidental or whatever but..this somehow reminds me of code geass..where everyone’s gathering around ZERO to rebel against britannia. Are you going to be our zero? :p
To think there so many big demonstrations in my country (france) every year…
Singapor is quite freaking and fearing country.
Anyway, you do a good job Zero!
Keep up!
Just suggesting xD why dont you print the words “Support The Rebellion” from CG on those pickets xD
Erm….I didn’t/don’t watch Code Geass so all those references are lost to me….
ごめんね～
(-___-;)
[...] http://textfiend.net/zerohero/?p=454 [...]
My congratulation to your success and my saluation to your guts and stands
:)
Actually the police correct to send Ang Chia lah. They have to protect the public mah. Sekali, the Action Figure Calvary come alive… How? Sekali, the Action Figure Calvary run amok, run here run there in our tiny red dot, then how if no Ang Chia to catch them.
Imagine Action Figure Calvary simply run and run….
1) into massage palor just when china mei mei start to do action on old man on the bed.
2) into your toilet when ah soh take a crap
3) into Odex meeting where they thinking how to tell more lies to the Shit Times to fool the general public.
Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass! Code Geass!
Support the Order of The Black Knight-Otakus… The Weak! Join us! The Powerful! Fear us!
Lolz
Quote:
“That’s because the “Ω” is a notation for Ohms, a unit of electrical RESISTANCE. And resisting ODEX was our mission. The lower case of “Ω” is “ω”, which looks like a pair of testicles. So it’s also a way of saying that you need ‘balls’ to resist ODEX, as well as telling ODEX ‘balls to you’.”
Hilarious…when you mention Omega, I tot u would say something like a bad omen cos Omega can also mean the end – Alpha and Omega (Beginning and End).
Great works, guys…and the gals with Omega!
I guess the biggest surprise is 4 Ang Chias?!?! Even before anyone of you turned up! Do they really expect that many people to turn up? And I thought police knew something about aggressive cue theory yet they deployed 4 Ang Chias! I wonder if the General Election rallies can mobilise 4 Ang Chias or not…
Hi,
I just want to say that I salute what you did with the Odex protest. Or anti odex protest rather. It was a courageous thing to do, especially given the Singaporean mentality towards protests and voicing out. Congratulations and kudos to you for carrying it out.
Great work guys! It takes lots of courage and conviction to stand up and make your point. Singapore will be a whole lot stronger with people like you instead of gutless sheep. How long more are we as people going to keep being afraid to stand up for what is right and not what the authorities thing is right!
Technically speaking, you guys did not stage any protest, only your figurines are staging a protest. Perhaps the police department could also deploy some riot police figurines to capture your protesting figurines, adding a few riot police toy vans as well.
BTW, where can you buy riot police toy figurines?
If i am in sg during that time, I will definately join in. I will wear my metallic black ribbon collar pin. And bring my Shinigami from Gundam Wing put behind that certain paper mascot ;P
As for the police, u dun nid to be afraid of them. we are not doing anything illegal. As long as our conscience is clear, there is nothing to be afraid of. Challenge them, talk to them, take their photos like they took yours. If they are stalking you, strike a conversation with them. If they make u feel uneasy, call the police, saying that you are being stalked. Eyyyy!!! this doesnt sound right… lol
As for the lack of poor turn out. I think the reason might be too little publicity? I follow this saga as an otaku currently overseas all the way from back in the days when darkmirage first posted the pdf letter. But on the other hand. if the turn out is too good, probably u will see the “innards” of those ang chias? lol
Yo..Man…
I am damn impressed…
Wanted to join u guys onm the 25th but I can’t cos i was overseas.. due to work..
Anyway..KEEP UP THE GD WORK.. !!!!
If any such protest against ODEX comes again, I will be sure to turn up…
GAMBATTE !!!!!
Thank u.
I know this may not mean much in the overall scheme of events but your actions are more than anything that has transpired or what anyone could have achieved. Words are cheap, praises even less. But for what it’s worth.
Thank you.
Thank you for making a stand.
Even though I am not an anime fan ( more a sci-fi fan), I fully applaud your actions and IMO u did the right thing.
Anyway Order is paramount to the “soceity” (i.e. Singapore soceity) – anything that suggests disagreement in the collective will be “purged” . Sounds familiar?
Keep on and stay true – This “atmosphere” will not prevail forever
KUDOs to you, baby!
ODEX is trying to emulate the Lord of Oxley Hill in terms of his ways and dealings.
Calling 4 Riot Buses is simply a waste of Tax Payer’s money.
I Wanna see how is cops gonna say?
Illegal gathering of toy?
And can be arrested under Secret Society Act?
“I arrest and confiscate your toys. And you are Head Honcho!”
WTF???
If this goes on, the whole world will laugh until muscle cramp.
Kudos to you guys!
BTW I also was called to CID for a very funny case last week; I was accused of bringing guns in!
Which of course, I didn’t except the X-ray shadow faintly look like a gun.
The CIDs giggling at me when I showed the what is it; a pair of boots, Dr Marten’s.
I also damned pissed about the whole affair of the anti xedo drive; scared until called off.
Salute to you.
Here there is no freedom of expression, or rather, you cannot express freely without getting intimitated by the authority..
A totally conforming society is one void of creativity, innovation and progression. We are slave to our government, trading our soul and principle for material comfort..
Balls to Odex.
California approves :}
Wow.. Singaporeans sure have a lot of spare time to do these kind of silly things.
Downloading is against the law.
you anger the Japanese, take away their business and now you’re complaining that they are not allowing you to download as you please.
It’s their work, you should give these already low paid firms some credit here.
how would you like to spend 3months making one anime episode and you get no sales, just a lot of people downloading your anime. yes, it shows that your anime is popular, but just it being popular and no one buying your work isn’t going to help them.
Stop being so self centered man, think about the poor people who go for sleepless nights making these things.
Its already wrong to download these, but noooooo, you all think you’re right.
what your anime distributer did might not be the best way to handle things, but it was because the japanese companies had asked for their assistance because they cant stand it anymore.
please be more sensitive, buy anime, even if you don’t buy it from your distributer, get export version, get it from ebay, at least support the industry.
it does thrive on popularity, people need to earn a living, they need to be paid.
think about it man.
You are one brave guy.
Sometimes, during those frustrating moments, I daydream doing something “crazy” as you did. Like you, I battled a little with the ‘climate of fear’ but unlike you gave in after a second. Yes, you did only a small personal “protest” but it’s a small step that is beyond the majority of Singaporeans.
Please give yourself a pat but I have a feeling that you certainly wouldn’t care to repeat such a “stunt” especially when you get older and….not neccessarily wiser.
[...] Or perhaps there isn’t ‘politicization’, since that would suggest that it’s the PAP that’s changing its stance, becoming more hardline. On the contrary, I think it, and its OOB markers, have been quite static over the years. It’s rather that people have been more creative and shrewd when attempting to slip by the “electric fences”, as Andrew Loh of TOC so vividly calls them. A perfect example would be the anti-Odex ‘protest’ that was recently held (a very funny account by one of the participants can be found here). [...]
I’m in the U.S. and saw the story on Reuters today. Congrats on making world news!
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=2007-09-07T113541Z_01_SIN4742_RTRIDST_0_OUKOE-UK-SINGAPORE-PROTEST-ANIME.XML
~Dank
change the rebellion to Order of the Black Knights!!!! and wear a mask zero.. Code Geass =P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzSrSuEX7i0
This scene roughly describe what the police is doing.
Help! Help! I am being repressed!
Plus the line: Bloody peasant!
Hey we ran this story today and I just read the whole deal. Great work on your show of outrage in the face of a nation that would rather you stick your head in the sand. Even though it probably wouldn’t make the same statement here, I would be willing to set up a similar demonstration in a nearby park to show support for your cause. Being a reviewer for action-figure.com, i’ve already got boat loads of figures myself and would just need to recruit friends to help set things up. Shoot me an email if you’d like me to do this, if only to show my support for your display across the water…and better yet, i’m positive the police can do NOTHING here in the states if I set up an army of figures holding signs!! At the very least, it can be wave 2 of your demonstration. A show of solidarity if u will.
Best
-Paul
I admire you for your bravery for such a perverse act, furthermore in our country, definitely making a mark in the Anime history in Singapore. Although I won’t like this to spark off riots in Singapore (Social Studies’ influence) in the future to come, but when considering this is just a “photoshoot”, well, it’s amazing and totally cool ;D This ODEX saga is getting a bit too much attention for the liking, I hope ODEX tries to do something about it. Their reputation is tarnished everywhere. This can reflect badly on the anime community >:[ Not that it may not have already did.
vote of confidence!
yeah man. i’m irritated that i dont have the rights to download my anime via bittorrent! all the way!
well first i admire u for your bravery in initiating this stuff u haf done..
and its really surprising..4 ang-chias for 8 people???? next time round up andother 2 people,make it 10 pax so the commandos,gerka unit plus soc and maybe UN peace keeping coalition forces will come down.. anyway 3 cheers for speaking up for ur self.. and as they are most prob watching over wat we saying..
DISCLAIMER:the above are solely my own comments and are nt linked to any organisation or anyone.pls do not arrest me or bring me into questioning or whatever.i am sorry if i pissed anyone off..
[...] On August 25th a protest by a group of Singaporeans with Japanese anime figurines and placards met some real-life police in the city-state. It appears that a few anime fans showed up at a Singapore public park to protest against the restrictions on downloading of anime material by Singapore animation distributor Odex. The protest was not reported in the local press but you can find pictures on blogs and political web sites(here). [...]
Hey, Just want to leave a comment. xD
You have balls, and I mean real, brave balls of mankind.
I Salute to you guys. Seig Zeon!
Hmm… Also as a sidenote…
The police, instead of sending Undercovers to understand the situation first, deployed 4 Ang-Chias at the area. Then, after that, they dispatch an undercover to get info on what you guys are doing AFTER you guys spotted them. Well, everyone should know that majority of the Singaporeans wont really bother about what you do to even care to ask you right? So when the person ask you about what you are doing, everyone can immediately guess that he/she was from SOC(according to blog).
This had seriously makes me wonder what have the police force been doing. Their actions lately dont seem so smart…. At all.
The police should’ve brought their toy riot vans along. Would prob fit right into the photos. :)
I think polices should’ve put you on arrest because what you doing very wrong for you. Singapore cartoons full of naked little girls and monsters putting them in rape. You should be sad and feel embarrased and the president should have you killed. This “anime” thing bad for you because my boy Afel watched it and killed himself with toy sword I bought him from store. So now I think should it be banned yes it should anime should be banned. So goodbye and go to jail, yes?
Uh, this Pet My Kitten guy is retarded. He can’t even speak English.
TRANSLATION
“I think the police should’ve put you under arrest because what you’re doing is very wrong. Singaporean (should be Japanese) cartoons are full of naked little girls and monsters raping them. You should be sad and feel embarrassed and the president should have you killed. This “anime” thing is bad for you because my boy Afel (Alfred?) watched it and killed himself with a toy sword I bought him from the store. So now I think it should be banned. Yes, it should. Anime should be banned. Goodbye and go to jail.”
Wow. This guy should go to jail for being such a moron. Probably some troll who randomly came to this website because he doesn’t have a job and spends all day trolling the Internet.
Am not surprised that the Ang Chias were deployed in. Typical of the SPF.
Anyway, great work for you guys out there. So ‘em what you got.
You are the Omega!
i really have to admit, you guys have the balls. jiayou.
> Pet My Kitten
No offence, but which hole did you just crawl out from? Cartoons with “naked girls and rape”? Not too sure about your son and the toy sword you bought him, but either you can’t tell the difference between a real sword and a fake, or you should be busy suing the toymaker than wasting your time posting here. And while you’re at it, why don’t you visit all the Lord of the Ring, Harry Potter, Star Wars etc fansites and warn them too–plenty of potentially lethal toys they inspire too.
[...] Read more here, with photos. A first person account of the event of a protestor in Singapore. It's not called a protest actually. But it's the most what Singaporeans can do. Other than wearing black. | var blogTool = “WordPress”; var blogURL = “http://stylemywords.com”; var blogTitle = “Gary Ler’s Journal”; var postURL = “http://stylemywords.com/2007/09/10/anime-figurine-protesters-meet-real-police/”; var postTitle = “Anime figurine protesters meet real police”; var commentAuthorFieldName = “author”; var commentAuthorLoggedIn = false; var commentFormID = “commentform”; var commentTextFieldName = “comment”; var commentButtonName = “submit”; [...]
downloading anime is illegal…
what about human rights? freedom of speech?
Why are they afraid?
Because the meek will inherit the earth…hahah
But jokes aside, great stuff here
Would be great if anime fans from overseas could drum up some interest to highlight the plight of anime fans here…
[...] Kinda timely also, considering the recent downloading saga, the hilarious apex of which can be read here. [...]
in the first place downloading is wrong, and yet you were convinced u did the right thing to protest? if you are really anime fans. wouldn’t u have support and buy the real stuff?
I admire u for what u did. I mean is this what u call justice in singapore? If u have set up a website specially for FREE downloads, u shouldn’t go back on ur word right? What kind of bullshit is this? I mean let’s be frank, do u know what politics are goin on in SG? The PAP are cancelling the WP cycling event and the gay teacher in RI is being retained and may be sacked? What has SG become, so much for a “developed country with ” peace and harmony”
You sure have the guts to do this kinda stuff, and i respect u for that. Come on, if u have the balls to say it in public to fine those that have downloaded these animae, y no balls to come down to face the public? HUMJI AH? What was all the red trucks for? oh ya, btw it”s called ang tao chia” red head trucks” where ghurka”s would come with battons and shields and move in unision. Not anymore la of course…
It’s not a crime to express the youth”s side of views, is it? If there is a PARLIMENT HOUSE
I admire u for what u did. I mean is this what u call justice in singapore? If u have set up a website specially for FREE downloads, u shouldn’t go back on ur word right? What kind of bullshit is this? I mean let’s be frank, do u know what politics are goin on in SG? The PAP are cancelling the WP cycling event and the gay teacher in RI is being retained and may be sacked? What has SG become, so much for a “developed country with ” peace and harmony”
You sure have the guts to do this kinda stuff, and i respect u for that. Come on, if u have the balls to say it in public to fine those that have downloaded these animae, y no balls to come down to face the public? HUMJI AH? What was all the red trucks for? oh ya, btw it”s called ang tao chia” red head trucks” where ghurka”s would come with battons and shields and move in unision. Not anymore la of course…
It’s not a crime to express the youth”s side of views, is it? If there is a PARLIMENT HOUSE
y can’t there be one just for teens right? I respect u with the guts u have to do this sort of stuff, go zero…
well done! u have the omega indeed!
I just wanna say I also support this action. As a sidenote I find it strange that the SOC knew about this PAFP thing.
What I don’t understand about this odious saga is why the anime were put up on the site for free access to download in the first place. Was it all a scam to make money? A honeytrap? And who was the rat who called in the police?
[...] Update – The Fool’s Progress: 「ODEX倒す！！」: The Making Of – Otakurean? :Our drill will thrust through the heavens! – mrbrown: Singapore police sends 4 riot [...]
actually some anime are put there by the ppl who made them themselves. odex are the ones who will buy the licence if the anime turns out to be popular. in short, those ppl who downloaded the FREE anime, PRIOR to being licenced it’s OKAY. but once it’s licenced, then not supposed to download anymore. what ODEX does wrong is cuz they NEVER publish a list of anime that they LICENCED.
Now, why do anime makers wanted to put their anime online for free download? this is to ATTRACT potential buyers such as ODEX. but who will want to buy anime that nobody bother to download right? so back to square one, it depends on the popularity of the anime. And how is the popularity best determined? By the number of downloads of cuz.
I think ODEX is too much, They start the whole things by lying. If you all followed the process from the beginning (if you all read newspaper),
1. odex lied about the cost that they need to cover to track the illegal download. In Todays news paper, it said its only cost odex 25 dollar a month for 100 IP
2. According to the news paper, the latter that odex sent out is not legal since it was created by odex him self, its not by lawyer
3. Peter ho also lied about the quality of their sub, he said its because of singapore rules, so they need to change, meanwhile if you read news paper, the goverment actually denied all of the statement.
4. Odex lied about which anime that they have rights. They never really open to the community about which one that the have.
5. Even if you read the history of them, they also last time selling pirated stuff and being raid by cops and goes bangkrupt. you can read this on the news paper
Many things that you actually can notice when you following the process.
I think basically in the start they want to make profit by doing this, but when things turn bad, they cant run already. so they keep lying and lying to protect them self. and the latest is now they tried to offer peace by saying they wont sue people who stop download. I think now they scared of the community but they cant turn back. If they do that, they will lose their credibility. I am honour those people who brave enough to fight for this right. My support is with you all. This type of guys, who always lying and think about them self, I cant trust their word anymore. I wont buy or support anything about ODEX, eventhough they promise alot things. I also got PRIDE, and i am not as low as them (Lying to people for profit).
I dont understand why no one on the goverment react about all the lie and why japanese company like bandai supporting them, Maybe in the end its all about money. whos strong, they will win. So thats why i am proud to those who fight on this matter. It give me courage and open my eyes too
[...] them out first hand ::HERE:: & [...]
You’ve got guts dude! Indeed it is time for some active citizenry. Perhaps a new breed of Singaporeans who are willing to stand up for their interest will be born right of this saga.
[...] more details, do take a peek @ Zer0’s account of the events & Reuters [...]
[...] People’s Action Figures Party (a long but good read) – A demonstration that is essentially a photo shoot of anime-inspired (mostly) action figures [...]
Hi there, congratulations on your successful Anti-Odex protest!
SG Review applauds your courage in standing up for your beliefs and making them known far and wide. We need more patriots like you in Singapore.
Would you be kind enough to do an interview with us? Please email me back thanks!
[...] I can’t believe that the ZAFT, Orb and OMNI would leave war fighting to the kids.]" – The FØØL’s Progress
Hi there, i’ve included some of yr pics on my blog if u dont mind. thanks. :) http://ripperstrife.livejournal.com/
i didnt know
But meanwhile im doing admin work! I’m mass mailing to the original manufacturers and producers of the anime to stop giving rights to ODEX to distribute their products in Singapore for the risk of angering and boycott from their fans!
You should to!
I am surprised that the riot police was involved.
It takes high authority to activate such measures.
It is also a blatant and irresponsible wastage of the tax-payer’s money.
It seems that someone high-up has interests in ODEX, I wonder why???
I feel the riot police were at the wrong place, perhaps they have problem reading street maps? They should have raided ODEX premises for pirated wares, would have been more meaningful.
I think ODEX must be stripped of all rights to distribute anime products.
I am also disappointed with the 2 ISPs.
Kudos to PACNET for standing up for its subscribers.
Many times, quitters like me like to laugh at PApa govt’s over-reaction.
Pity you guys in Singapore, cannot even conduct a peaceful protest.
Some more have to bear with the petty govt.
Next time, send paper figures of Ang Chia as well.
Anyway, admire your bravery. unless me, did not say on to fight.
I wonder if the people who had paid Odex want to take a lawsuit against Odex for illegally using the legal system to extort money from them.
Since Pacnet has won its case and Singnet has denied giving out customer’s details, we can rightfully say that Odex has acquired ISP users information through illegal means .
There is a saying ” Once a crook, always a crook”.
although i am not a fan of anime but i want to applaud you for the drive and creativity in staging this protest.
The anime that is sold in Singapore obviously sux!
If we are not allowed to download, we would be like watching 90’s anime even when its already 2007!
I really admire your courage and honestly thinking on the economical side, if we dont download, we dont know the latest anime from japan, wouldnt anime figurines and model kits sales suffer? So video sales suffer? hello this we download wont be even on video till a long time later! Sometimes u even see anime stuff which never hit singaporean shores till maybe, 5 years later?
No matter what, I feel Odex is certainly too much and for the sick of passion we have to stand up!!!
Good job fellow comrades!
Might as well gather 50 000 person x$20 to buy over the animes, become the official owner.
Hey…
I just came across this post.
Didn’t even hear about what you guys did.
Myself, I’m just pissed
that ODEX targeted kids.
I’m not part of any
movement to bring down ODEX.
But if I’d known about the
photoshoot,
I would have turned up.
And that guy from
the Tanglin division
would have just pissed me off.
Singaporeans have the right
to protest.
It is our right.
And it is comforting to know
that in Singapore,
there are still a few who are
willing to exercise that right.
And yes, you could have been jailed.
What you did was technically,
against the law.
Right now,
I’m taking on Hang Ten
because of the horrible
way they exploit their
workers…
Soon, they will take legal action.
But I will not stand down.
Although
it has nothing to do with
your own protest,
I’d like to thank you.
Your actions have given
me just a little more motivation
to go up against them
despite the fact that I will lose.
Again, thanks.
And rock on.
Leave a Reply
[...] show me an interesting post on some anime figurine parody against Odex here and here. Haha looks cute.. I wonder what will happen to those who got fined now that Odex seems to be on [...]
Well…I am a Malaysian otaku studying in Australia and the only reason I got to know about this entire scenario is through a Singaporean otaku friend. Truthfully, I feel that there is a lot of havoc going around in the Singaporean anime community thanks to this company, ODEX. I feel also that those ISPs that leaked those internet users’ information are really to blame also. I mean, that’s invasion of privacy, dudes!
Anyways, good luck with your quest. Give that dumbass xysing a big can of whupass. I mean, for a corporate dude, he’s real childish. Know what I mean?
Down with ODEX!
^^
I don’t understand why SG gahmen allow ODEX to blackmail people so openly when they do not even have the rights to do so!
Blackmailing is a criminal offense!!!!!!
Hi everyone might want to check this news.
Its about Odex:
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62032298,00.htm
I hate Odex, no matter what they do, i wont support them anymore. I cant trust their word anymore.
Kudos to what you did. Finally someone who does something rather than sit around and complain. I hope that one day, I’ll be able to fight for a cause that I believe in too! =)
Good job!
I was visiting Sigapore 2 days ago, and one of my friends here told me your story.
It’s very interesting that something happened in Taiwan right after your protest.
http://blogs.myoops.org/lucifer.php/2007/09/05/otaku4
Some of the fans started another protest for CTV, and finally get their apology letter.
I was very touched by your brave action, and would like to share your story with readers in Taiwan on my blog. If it’s possible, I would like to ask for permission to use some of your pictures to write a article .
I’ll be waiting for your reply.
Br,
Lucifer
[...] There were four Riot Buses, otherwise known as Ang Chia (Red Bus) in colloquial term. The Singapore Police Force had deployed the Special Operations Command en scene. They’re the heavy duty enforcers of public order. The Riot Buses were an intimidating sight. It begs me to wonder if Singapore is really a Forbidden City. However, I didn’t see any of their body armoured, MP-5 armed patrols moving around. – Blogger involved in the protest (link) [...]
[invoking the Force] We’re just geeks… playing with our dolls. There’s nothing to see here. Move along. [/invoking the Force]
God, I love subversive people!
[...] http://textfiend.net/zerohero/?p=454 [...]
[...] http://textfiend.net/zerohero/?p=454 [...]
[...] Road at the cross junction of Stevens Road/Bukit Timah Road. This reminded me of the time when someone staged an anti-Odex protest using figurines and were under surveillance by the cops. Surprisingly, there were 4 SOC vehicles, [...]
[...] started this whole affair was tremendous by Singapore standards. The Odex street protest. The blog coverage. The many SingTel and StarHub customers piling invective upon hokkien invective on their internet [...]
[...] i think it’s damn cool… From the event organizer’s blog, anime fans wore black ribbon pins and brought their anime figurines down to the Youth [...]
Hahah, I would have run like a little girl xD….
But why not “watch” the episodes instead of downloading it (take a long time) and in a way bypass the ODEX.
b^^b
Here is list of good online streaming site:
http://subbedanime.com
http://zogmanime.com