The title of the story says it all. Isekai stories have long focused on power fantasies, of one-upping everyone who had ever slighted you. The story encourages catharsis and vicariousness with a hero who is a “nice guy”. Despite his niceness, he’s a geek, fat, ugly, or otherwise socially inept, especially with women. Of course,…
Yes, Public Libraries Censor Manga…Sometimes
I live in a rather conservative region–the type of region that professes to follow Christian values while many people have a brood of kids, all with different last names, and where people have no qualms about shooting someone for theft. You know, possessions are more important that a life after all. To be fair, there…
Why Do Anime Characters Always Get Colds [and Collapse from Them]?
You know the scene. It starts with a sneeze or a chill, usually after being caught in the rain. Next, the character collapses into unconsciousness. Sometimes this happens in the classroom; other times it happens during some emotional event, such as a kokuhaku. The character’s friends and love interest rush to their side. They call…
Kokuhaku, How to Confess Your Love the Japanese Way
Kokuhaku, or love confession, isn’t easy to research. People take contemporary cultural practices for granted; such practices aren’t studied until they fall out of practice. If you do a web search for kokuhaku, you will find many articles, but I aim for academic or newspaper sources. These are scarce. In any case, like so many…
Be Curious Beyond Anime
You need hobbies beyond anime. It sounds obvious. However, I’ve encountered many people who are consumed by their interest whether it is anime or, more common to my area, sports. These people have few interests outside their field and those few interests link back to that field. Growing up, I idolized Leonardo da Vinci and…
Praise For A Quiet, Average Life
In anime, you sometimes see a protagonist who wants nothing more than a quiet, average life only to be plunged into some sort of drama or misadventure. Usually, the character learns they enjoy a more-than-average life. American society also frowns on a quiet, average life. Media teems with stories of people traveling, doing extreme sports,…