No, MAG (Manga-Anime Guardians) is not some awesome metamanga about protecting manga from manga-destroying pirates; rather, it’s a very real organization put together by the Japanese government to crack down on manga/anime piracy–albeit in the most inconceivably stupid ways possible, as outlined by this handy (and hilarious) video by the good folks at Tofugu.
Ah, but if the Japanese government would only devote anti-piracy energies to developing the manga I just made up a second ago and direct the proceeds towards starving manga-ka . . . but dear me, no, that’s a solution for fantasy-land; here in the real world, we take hardline measures against illegal piracy, like 1) GRATITUDE and 2) FEEBLE LEGAL ALTERNATIVES. And trust me, 1) is even more baffling than it sounds, and 2) even more pathetic. Manga reader, educate thyself:
Aside from this highly informative video, Tofugu also puts out similarly humorous “How to” tutorials for learning Japanese as well as quality cultural mini-videos as well. Check’em out–the host isn’t nearly as annoying as he looks in the first few seconds–I found myself giving a Robert De Niro face and saying pleasantly “Ehhh . . . not bad *nods*.” Thanks again, Tofugu!
