These ideas are not completely unknown to us in the West, though. Disney's Beauty and the Beast played on this idea in the film, even though the teapots and clocks and such were a result of a curse instead of old age of the tool/utensil itself.
But what about more modern day things?
I bring to you, the Katsucon Gazebo. Kit (myself) at Study of Anime had the opportunity to speak with the mysterious Administrator of the Katsucon Gazebo's Twitter account recently, and we want to share the interview with you!
[K - stands for Kit, words will be italicized.]
[A - stands for Administrator.]
K: Okay. First, you've said before that the idea for the Katsucon Gazebo, devourer of souls, was in part due to already existing sentiments towards the picturesque gazebo at the hotel center. But why do you think it became so popular?
A: Honestly. I think it was because a
lot of people already had a lot of silliness to it. Most people
assumed it was just this peaceful picturesque thing. But given the
way it got so nasty in 2013. I thought the idea of making it
something that basks in "evil" would be amusing. Sort of a
way to explain why people got so crazy over it.
I think it got popular because of the
transposition of something so beautiful being vaguely evil. Being
sinister under the fact that's it's pretty.
Also, I had taken from pre-existing
Gazebo folklore from the Dungeons and Dragons Mythos. I'm not sure if
your familiar with the story of Dredd Gazebo. I won't transcribe it
here. But in short it ended with the Gazebo coming to life and
killing the whole party. So I think some of the popularity came from
people who already knew about that too.
It was just a sort of perfect storm of
fandoms.
K: It's been likened to Weird Twitter -
the type of surreal, poetic weirdness that ebook bots and fandoms
like that of Welcome to Night Vale take delight in. It's just interesting to
see that around a particular, concrete thing: people can visit the
actual gazebo, for example, and let their imaginations run wild.
I'm not sure if you're familiar with
the parallel of conventions with religious festivals or pilgrimages,
but considering that parallel, it isn't too far off to think that the
story of the Gazebo might tie in to popular imagination of powerful
and dangerous artifacts or relics, too.
A: I can see that. I mean one of the
ideas I run with is that people make a yearly "pilgrimage"
to the Gazebo in hopes of being blessed by cosplay fame. And those
parallels aren't exactly by accident. Part of the reason I'm able to
make some of the jokes about the soul devouring and the "What
will you give up for Cosplay Fame" does stem from the fact that
there are some cosplayers that only go to Katsucon for the Gazebo
itself.
The Irony in that, as it's Twitter
admin, is I've become one of those people.
K: That is some definite irony. Has
being its Twitter admin helped you as a person at all? What have you
learned from it?
A: As a person? Interesting question.
I've made a large amount of friends I wouldn't have normally made
outside of it. Though I wouldn't say it's changed any perspectives I
have. I've been part of the cosplay community for around ten years
now. So there really wasn't any sort of interaction that changed my
perspective.
But I would say there is a confidence
boost that come from being at conventions besides Katsucon and
hearing people talk about the Gazebo without prompting. And that when
you google "Katsucon Gazebo" for cosplay images "Katsucon
Gazebo Twitter" is the first autofill.
But the one thing I will say is that it
granted me more of a voice. Something I try not to over use because.
let's be honest, people aren't following the Gazebo to hear my
thoughts. And let's be clear. There's a definite distinction between
myself and the Gazebo. Though I think the common ground is that I try
to help when I can. When I see a follower asking for help, I try to
get them that help. That's probably the only real "helping"
me that it's given me. It's allowed me to help others at times where
my personal twitter has so much less of an audience I wouldn't have
been able to elsewhere.
K: That's still a great thing to do.
A: Going back to why I think the
account itself is popular. (Since there are Gazebos on Facebook and
Tumblr that aren't as popular as my take). Is that I interact. A lot.
I'd say at least half of my tweets are random responses to followers.
As opposed to "Here's a joke for everyone" and I think
people respond to that level of personal interaction more.
K: Twitter, I think, is great at that
level of personal interaction, so it's a sign you're using the medium
well.
A: I also think that level of
interaction has created something interesting within my account. I
have followers that have never, and will never go to Katsucon. People from Germany, The UK, Canada,
Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and lots of cosplayers
within the US that live too far as well.
Honestly that's one of the things that
I always found a bit confusing.
K: It'll actually be my first Katsucon
at the Gaylord National this Katsucon, so I understand a bit about
followers that have never been to Katsucon before... but it's curious
how other followers from all over the world still are intrigued by
the idea of the dread gazebo from a convention they've never been to,
nor can reach.
I suppose for now, that might be one of the great mysteries of the gazebo - and of Twitter.
I know it's been brief, but thank
you for your time. Unless the gazebo has something it wants to add to
all this?
A: I think that's everything I'd really
want to say, though I imagine the Gazebo might want you all to
remember to BRING IT IMMORTAL SO̢͇͎̱̹̣͔͎͖̻UL̡̼͇̬͉̞̙̣̩̠Ş̡̲͚̻͕̪̳̻̳
[Interview cuts off.]
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