twilitegxa Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 How do I fix it so that the text wraps around the mainnav.php? Here is a screenshot and the code for the page: <?php session_start(); ?> <?php //Access Tracking Snippet //set up static variables $page_title = "genre.php"; $user_agent = getenv("HTTP_USER_AGENT"); $date_accessed = date("Y-m-d"); //connect to server and select database $conn = mysql_connect("localhost", "root", "") or die(mysql_error()); $db = mysql_select_db("smrpg", $conn) or die(mysql_error()); //create and issue query $sql = "insert into access_tracker values ('', '$page_title', '$user_agent', '$date_accessed')"; mysql_query($sql,$conn); ?> <html> <head> <title>Sailor Moon RPG - Chapter 1: Introduction - The Magical Girl Genre</title> <style type="text/css" media="screen"> /*<![CDATA[*/ @import url(global.css); /*]]>*/ </style> </head> <body> <!-- HEADER --> <h1 class="logo">Sailor Moon RPG</h1> <!-- /HEADER --> <?php include("topnav.php"); ?> <div id="main"> <?php include("includes/log.php"); ?> <?php include("mainnav.php"); ?> <h1>Chapter 1: Introduction</h1> <h2>The Magical Girl Genre</h2> <p>The magical girl genre has a rather long and important history in Japan. The magical girls of Japanese animation (or anime) are a rather unique group of characters. They defy easy classification, and yet contain elements from many of the best-loved fairy tales and children's stories throughout the world. Many countries have imported these stories for their children to enjoy (most notably Italy and Spain) but this particular genre of anime still remains mostly unknown to much of the English speaking world. </p> <p>The very first magical girl seen on television was created more than thirty years ago. <em>Mahotsukai Sari</em> (or "Witch Sally") began airing on Japanese television in 1966, in black and white. The first season of the show proved to be so popular that it was renewed for a second year, moving into the era of color television in 1967. Soon afterwards in 1969, <em>Himitsu No Akko-chan</em> ("Akko-chan's Secret") debuted on television and ran for a year and a half. Many magical girls have followed these first two, including:<br /><br /> <table width=100%> <tr> <td width="10%">1970</td> <td><em>Maho No Mako-chan</em> ("Magical Mako-chan")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1972</td> <td><em>Mahotsukai Chappy</em> ("Witch Chappy")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1974</td> <td><em>Majoko Megu-chan</em> ("Witch Meg-chan")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1978</td> <td><em>Majoko Tickle</em> ("Witch Tickle")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1979</td> <td><em>Hana No Ko LunLun</em> ("Flower Girl LunLun")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1980</td> <td><em>Maho Shojo Lalabelle</em> ("Magic Girl Lalabelle")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1982</td> <td><em>Maho No Princess Minky Momo</em> ("Magical Princess Minky Momo")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1983</td> <td><em>Maho No Tenshi Creamy Mami</em> ("Magical Angel Creamy Mami")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1984</td> <td><em>Maho No Yousei Pelsia</em> ("Magical Fairy Pelsia")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1985</td> <td><em>Maho No Star Magical Emi</em> ("Magical Star Magical Emi")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1986</td> <td><em>Maho No Idol Pastel Yumi</em> ("Magical Idol Pastel Yumi")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1988</td> <td><em>Himitsu No Akko-chan</em> ("Akko-chan's Secret")(Second Series)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1989</td> <td><em>Mahotsukai Sari</em> ("Witch Sally")(Second Series)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1990</td> <td><em>Esper Mami</em></td> </tr> <tr> <td>1990</td> <td><em>Maho No Angel Sweet Mint</em> ("Magical Angel Sweet Mint")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1991</td> <td><em>Maho No Princess Minky Momo</em> ("Magical Princess Minky Momo")(Second Series)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1992</td> <td><em>Hana No Mahotsukai Maribell</em> ("Flower Witch Maribell")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1992</td> <td><em>Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon</em> ("Pretty Soldier Sailormoon")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1993</td> <td><em>Hime-chan No Ribon</em> ("Hime-chan's Ribbon")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1994</td> <td><em>Ton de Boo-rin</em> ("Flying Boo-rin" or "Super Pig")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1995</td> <td><em>Ai Tenshi Densetsu Wedding Peach</em> ("Legendary Love Angel Wedding Peach")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1995</td> <td><em>Nurse Angel Lilika SOS</em></td> </tr> <tr> <td>1996</td> <td><em>Kaitou Saint Tail</em> ("Mysterious Thief Saint Tail")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1998</td> <td><em>Maho No Staji Fancy Lala</em> ("Magical Stage Fancy Lala")</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1998</td> <td><em>Card Captor Sakura</em></td> </tr> <tr> <td>1998</td> <td><em>Himitsu No Akko-chan</em> ("Akko-chan's Secret")(Third Series)</td> </tr> </table> </p> <p>In the 60's and 70's, the general criteria set forth in the original two magical girl stories, <em>Mahotsukai Sari</em> and <em>Himitsu No Akko-chan</em>, helped to maintain a consistency of elements to define the genre. The target audience was obviously defined to be young girls (<em>shojo</em> anime), usually under the age of ten and sometimes younger. Both characters were Princesses of the Land of Magic, but their abilities were different. Sari-chan used her powers directly, casting spells of various kinds to effect things around her. Akko-chan, however, used a magical compact to <em>henshin</em> (or transform) into an alternate identity to become anyone, or any living creature, she desired. Therefore, her magic only effected herself and not anything else around her. Both girls were 10 to 12 years of age, and both stories were focused on the "coming of age" traumas that girls experience as they grow into adolescence and become young women. The girls in these stories were unique with respect to those around them --- they had abilities that other people around them did not. Most of these magical girl traits apply not only to the magical girl stories, but also to other <em>shojo</em> stories about idols, fantasy adventures, and romantic dreams. </p> <p>With the creation of <em>Maho No Princess Minky Momo</em> ("Magical Princess Minky Momo") in 1982, new standards were incorporated into the genre. Society had changed --- women everywhere were gaining more independence in a world hat had always been controlled by men. <em>Minky Momo</em> was the first magical girl story to incorporate a very important element into its story --- for the first time, the heroine of the story dies. Although <em>Minky Momo</em> was still targeted primarily for young girls, it was also created to be viewed by everyone. The story operated on a number of different levels and to this day remains one of the greatest classic stories in anime history. Minky's story was designed to make children actually think about their world. Adults enjoyed the show for exactly the same reasons that stories like Walt Disney's <em>Bambi</em> are suggested viewing for people of all ages. The <em>Minky Momo</em> series also broke the gender boundaries when many boys found themselves profoundly affected by the story of a young girl whose death was felt by the entire world. </p> <p>The 1980's also saw the creation of some of the most memorable magical girl stories ever told. Studio Pierrot created four popular shows during this period: <em>Creamy Mami</em>, <em>Pelsia</em>, <em>Magical Emi</em>, and <em>Pastel Yumi</em>. In addition, a whole new generation of girls was brought up with remakes of the first magical girls ever: <em>Mahotsukai Sari</em> and <em>Himitsu No Akko-chan</em>. Although some boys also expressed an interest in the genre, it was still dominated by and targeted for young girls. One of the reasons for this was very simple --- many of the girls were portrayed to be idols, or what Westerners might call "pop stars" of music, movies, and television. The idol industry was booming in Japan in the 1980's, and adapting this popularity into the magical girl genre was only natural. The 1980's also saw the birth and growth of the OAV (Original Animation Video) industry. Since many people in Japan owned VCRs, it could be profitable to create an anime series exclusively for the consumer market and video rental outlets. </p> <p>By the 1990's, traditional gender roles had changed considerably. Society encouraged men to be caring and tender, and women to be more forceful and assertive. The idol and OAV industries were showing signs of drastic slowing as the audience changed and people began looking for a new "fad". A whole new generation of girls was introduced to the continuation/remake of <em>Maho No Princess Minky Momo</em> in 1991. Megumi Hayashibara, one of the most popular <em>seiyuu</em> (voice actress or actor) of the 80's and 90's was cast in the leading role. </p> <p>Also in 1991, Naoko Takeuchi debuted a new <em>manga</em> (comic book) story called <em>Codename wa Sailor V</em>. This story featured a sailor-suited, super heroine, teenage girl who tracked down and punished criminals. The following year, in February of 1992, Naoko began an expanded version of this story in <em>Nakayoshi</em>, a monthly <em>shojo manga</em> collection for young girls. This new story featured a team of five teenage girl super heroines who fought evil invaders of the Dark Kingdom, and was called <em>Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon</em> ("Pretty Soldier Sailormoon"). Only one month later, the animated version of the story aired on television --- the rest, as they say, is history. The <em>Sailormoon</em> series combined the magical girl elements that had always been popular among young girls with the <em>sentai</em> (team fighter) elements that have always been popular throughout Japan, especially with young boys. As the dual stories continued, more and more young boys and older fans of both genders began watching the weekly exploits of the Champions of Justice. Viewers chose their favorite characters, and watched them grow as they struggled not only with the responsibilities of being defenders of Love and Justice on Earth, but also with boy troubles, school work, parents, their own friendships, and many other common problems that adolescent girls experience worldwide. Naoko had discovered a very simple way to vastly expand the market for young <em>shojo</em> stories --- incorporate elements that were popular with female and male audiences, and with a wide variety of age groups. </p> <p><em>Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon</em> ran for a total of five years, with two hundred television episodes, three theatrical movies, and several live-action musical plays. Additionally, it inspired various strategy and fighting-style video games, as well as an endless plethora of licensed merchandise. <em>Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon</em> demonstrated that television could be a very successful venus for promoting not only a story, but also the toys and related products. the show proved beyond a doubt that the risk of making an expensive television anime could indeed be highly lucrative. This fact, coupled with the expanding popularity of anime overseas (especially in America) encouraged studios to gamble on higher quality productions. </p> <p>By 1994, studios were beginning to air series that were originally slated to be produced as OAVs. Examples of such high quality television series include <em>Magic Knight Rayearth</em>, <em>Blue Seed</em>, <em>DNA²</em>, <em>Zenki</em>, <em>Ai Tenshi Densetsu Wedding Peach</em>, and others. <em>Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon</em> also helped gain the acceptance of stories featuring young girls in strong roles. This is not to say that young girls in the story have become less feminine --- as a general rule, they have not. However, the girls do show a greater level of independence and headstrong behavior than many of the earlier characters. Strong young girls can be seen in <em>Magic Knight Rayearth</em>, <em>Kaitou saint Tail</em>, <em>Ai Tenshi Densetsu Wedding Peach</em>, <em>Nurse Angel Lilika SOS</em>, and others. These stories are some of the most emotional and dramatic stories ever seen in any genre. </p> <p>It is very likely that many boys who experienced <em>shojo</em> storytelling prior to <em>Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon</em> had already learned that this genre featured something that appeals to everyone --- namely, that these stories focus on people and relationships. Rather than conflict or action driving the story, it is the characters and their relationships with each other that advance the plot. Again, this is especially true for magical girl series, because these stories deal with the various upheavals that everyone experiences with the onset of adolescence. Adolescence is possibly the most turbulent period in anyone's life, and thus many people identify strongly with one or more characters in these <em>shojo</em> stories. </p> <p>Since the <em>shojo</em> stories focus on characters and relationships, they tend to portray the characters as very real people with human strengths, weaknesses, virtues, and flaws. Even though the stories are nominally written for females, the strong portrayal of the male characters makes them appealing to boys and men as well. In many ways the broad appeal of <em>shojo</em> stories can be likened to Shakespeare's <em>Romeo and Juliet</em>, which is widely considered to be the greatest love story ever told and is favored among diverse audiences. There is a great deal of nostalgia and idealism portrayed in the young <em>shojo</em> stories --- the idealism, innocence, and naivete of youth that we lose as we grow into adulthood. The young <em>shojo</em> genre allows adults to experience the fleeting beauty of innocent youth once again, and encourages us to believe in and strive for our dreams. </p> <p>One of the most significant strengths of <em>shojo</em> storytelling can unfortunately prove to be one of its greatest liabilities for North American audiences. Many stories involve a great deal of symbolism, and thus if the audience misses the symbolic references, or misunderstands them, they may also miss or misunderstand the story as well. Common symbolic references include: the various meanings of flowers, plants, and animals, seasonal symbolism, meanings of personal names, flights of white doves, clouds, angelic symbolism, Biblical symbolism, and even different clothes. All of these symbols add incredible depth and meaning to the stories, but their contexts are not explicitly stated to the audience. <em>Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon</em> is a typical example of symbolic storytelling --- there are many hidden meanings within the story, depicting the true nature of the characters and their relationship to each other. Symbolism is common in the North American culture as well, and thus the hidden references in young <em>shojo</em> stories may not seem all that "foreign" if the audience knows where to look. </p> <p>The changes with which magical girls are confronted during their "coming of age", both physically and emotionally, will account for some of the greatest adjustment in their lives. Consequently, the <em>shojo</em> stories tend to develop the plot rather slowly compared to the <em>shonen</em> (young boy) stories. After all, growing up does not take place overnight --- it might take several episodes, or even volumes, before the audience begins to see the true "heart" of the story. By the end of the story, the young girl is a different person. She will doubtlessly retain the fundamental charm that always defined her personality, but she has grown wiser as well. </p> <p>The primary element that defines a magical girl is the fact that she has abilities that others around her do not. This is a very important distinction; without it, most girls in anime and <em>manga</em> would be magical girls! These abilities can come from two different sources: either she has been granted these abilities by some outside or "higher" power, or the abilities are hers by birthright. If the abilities are her birthright, she will either always have them, or she will discover them as she reaches adolescence and "comes of age". If she has been granted the abilities by an outside power, it has happened at that particular moment in the story because she was deemed to be ready for the challenge. Giving her the powers sooner would have been premature, and she would not have been capable of handling the responsibilities they represent. Giving them to her later is unfeasible --- once the innocence and purity of youth is lost, it can never be regained. Such magical girl stories are highly idealistic, but they also display a level of realism. They strive to show young girls that their ideals are attainable, but that there will very likely be a cost...perhaps even a very high cost. Since <em>Minky Momo</em> first aired in 1982, it has become fairly common for the magical girl to die at some point in the story. She is normally brought back to life, but her rebirth is consistent with the other fundamental elements of the story. </p> <p>The physical changes a young teenage girl goes through at this time in her life carries important symbolic meanings in the magical girl stories. The girl will usually be 10 to 14 years of age, and thus is very likely going through puberty. Though it may not be explicitly stated, the awakening of a young girl's sexuality is a common symbolic element in magical girl stories. She is now capable of bearing life, and it is this capacity, coupled with the various other elements that define her as a person, that make her a "magical girl". The magical girl's transformation sequence is symbolic of this change from childhood to womanhood. </p> <p>Of course, one of the most cherished fantasies children have is to be older. Parents reinforce this tendency when they say to their children, "You'll understand when you're older" or "Not now. Wait until you grow up." When the magical girl transforms, she will normally become a slightly older version of herself (after all, she doesn't want to be an adult quite yet). This instantaneous aging can cause some problems, however. For example, if the girl's secret identity is discovered, or becomes famous, how can she live the lives of two people at once? This problem occurs during <em>Creamy Mami</em>, and it has a very adverse effect on the main character's school work. Her grades and health really start to suffer as she tries to be two people at once --- the tomboyish schoolgirl she really is and the Magical Angel Idol that everyone loves. </p> <p>In addition to such obvious complications, there is another one that is even more serious, and quite unexpected. Young girls often have a crush on an older boy. "Crushes" might be a quaint term, but they can be very serious. The magical girl is normally very thrilled at her transformation --- that is, until the boy she loves falls in love with her secret identity instead of her. This often creates an impossible competition between the girl's two identities for the boy's affections. It is also a very biting commentary on our human tendency to never look beneath the surface. How many times do people find out that the person they thought was so wonderful is really not a very "nice" person, or that the person they thought was very annoying really has a pure heart? No other genre of anime storytelling shows people that there is no "Mr. Right" more often than the magical girls genre. </p> <p>The young <em>shojo</em> stories are a celebration of life and love, especially the magical girl tales. A magical girl will always be pure, sweet, and innocent --- aside from her purity, she is usually a normal girl. She is an extension of all the positive energy in the universe, a girl who represents the physical embodiment of all life and love. She is also a "channel" for this energy and thus will normally have some type of "accessories" to help her channel this energy (compacts, wands, crystals, etc.). These items are rarely the actual source of energy, however. She thinks with her heart, because her heart is true; her mind might be deceived, but never her heart. It is this "purity of spirit" that allows her to act as a channel for the powers of life and love. </p> <p>Since a magical girl thinks with her heart and not her head, she is prone to make decisions that are not very practical, or hat are the product of her idealistic emotions. For this reason more than any other, she is often accompanied by a magical pet or mascot. The first series to really feature magical pets as true companions to the young girl was <em>Minky Momo</em> in 1982, but they have now become a standard element for magical girl stories. The mascot not only acts as her companion, but also as her confidant, friend, and conscience. This last point is very important, because the magical pet is almost always male. Although Sailor Moon's cat guardian, Luna, is female, the original magical pet from Naoko Takeuchi's <em>Codename wa Sailor V</em> is the male cat, Artemis. The magical girl might make choices that are morally correct, but very impractical or unrealistic. Her mascot acts as her conscience to tell her when she is doing something that she should not, or to offer alternatives to her chosen course of action. This often results in arguments, with the young girl defending her position with phrases such as, "I know I shouldn't do this, but I can't help myself and I'm gonna do it anyway!" The girl does eventually learn to take advice, though, and to temper her emotional judgments. By the same token, the magical pet often learns that the girl's emotional actions are the correct path to follow, despite the difficulties. These types of interactions may parallel married life, or interactions between close friends. Communication and understanding are the keys to any successful relationship and the magical girl stories teach this lesson very well. </p> <p>In some stories, the magical girl is granted her abilities for a limited time. She must follow a number of rules concerning their use or face the harsh consequences. In <em>Creamy Mami</em>, for example, Yuu is granted her magic for one year. If anyone discovers her secret, she will remain as Creamy Mami for the rest of her life. In <em>Hime-chan No Ribon</em>, Hime-chan is asked to use a magical ribbon for one year by Princess Erika of the Magic World, which will prove that she is capable of being a wise ruler. The ribbon allows Hime-chan to transform into anyone else for a short period of time. If she exceeds the time limit, however, she will remain transformed forever. </p> <p>Even more dramatic are the stories in which the magical girl actively seeks to remain a "normal" girl, without any magical abilities. In some stories, the girl heroine of the series may actually be allowed to remain a normal girl by choice. For example, in <em>Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon</em>, Usagi's (Serena's) dying wish is to just be a normal girl; the wish is granted to her by the <em>ginzuishou</em> (the Imperium Silver Crystal). In <em>Wedding Peach</em>, Momoko and the others ask the Goddess Aphrodite to erase their memories and the memories of the boys they love, so that they can live normal lives together. Of course, these desires represent one of the main points of these stories, too. There is nothing wrong with being "average" or "normal", and it is much better to be yourself, and to be true to your heart than to try to be something extraordinary. The magical girl stories reinforce the idea that if you are true to yourself, you already are something extraordinary...even if you do not yet realize it. </p> <p><em>Sailor Moon</em>'s translation into English in North America is truly a landmark event. Many other countries have already discovered the beauty and wonder of the magical girls and now, for the first time, Canada and the United States have been able to partake in the magic, too. Will we ever be the same again? </p> <p align="right"><s>Previous</s> | <a href="sailormoon.php">Next</a> | <a href="creationform.php">Create Character!</a></p> </div> <?php include("bottomnav.php"); ?> <!-- FOOTER --> <div id="footer_wrapper"> <div id="footer"> <p>Sailor Moon and all characters are<br> trademarks of Naoko Takeuchi.</p> <p>Copyright © 2009 Liz Kula. All rights reserved.<br> A product of <a href="#" target="_blank">Web Designs By Liz</a> systems.</p> <div id="foot-nav"><!-- <ul> <li><a href="http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http://webdesignsbyliz.com/digital/index.php" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.w3.org/Icons/valid-xhtml10-blue" alt="Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional" height="31" width="88" /></a></li> <li><a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/validator?uri=http://webdesignsbyliz.com/digital/global.css" target="_blank"><img class="c2" src="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/images/vcss-blue" alt="Valid CSS!" /></a></li> </ul> --></div> </div> </div> <!-- /FOOTER --> </body> </html> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haku Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 You didn't really give enough code to be able to say. Is left nav floated? Is your table floated as well? Try lowering the width on your table - it's set at 100% right now which could be bumping it below the nav. But if you want the text to flow around, you are going to have to stop using tables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twilitegxa Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 I changed the width, and that helped. Thanks for the information! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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