Japanese Culture

[Sumeragi]

I already answered the cafeteria part:

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

The use in cafeterias is to prevent saliva from getting into the food as the servers speak.

And yes, the masks are used when dusting stuff. Prevents stuff from going into one's nose and mouth.

[Dreamer90]

Aah, alright, thank you! Do you use the same kinda masks for all those things or are there specific kinda masks for specific purposes?

D3

[Akka]

Originally Posted by Dhomochevsky

As DonQuigleone said, this is more a sign of a weak female status, than a weak male.
The woman is not taken seriously, so she can do whatever she wants and all it amounts to is comedy.
If the girl was actually in the stronger position, like you say, then behavior like this would have serious consequences. But as it is, it can be ignored, because it comes from a girl.
For someone with this line of thinking, it would make the male look weaker, if he took a girl serious. He would lower himself to her level, so to say.

So yes, these are symptoms of inequality, but you are reading them upside down.

Sorry, but this interpretation feels just weird. Ignoring people being annoying can certainly denote looking at them as inferiors. But submitting to them and doing their bidding ? Not buying it.

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by andyjay729

Here's a look back at Japanese TV 30 years ago (the year I was born).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPc6_phqhx0

That was very interesting to watch. Lots of coffee commercials though. Also, I had no idea Pocky was that old.

Endless "Tiller girl" Soul

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by Akka

Yeah, but how many of them don't let themselve being talked down, or actually react when they are punched by a girl of their household/nakama (I'm not talking about beating her back, but just calling her on it, or getting actually mad and not just meek ?) ?

Well there's plenty of shows where they're never punched, or talked down to by a girl at all. Most of the shows I cited were of that nature.

There are plenty of guys that get mad, or annoyed. Due to the facts that their characters are more subtle, they mightn't stick out in your mind, but I'd actually say the completely meek guys only make up a small minority of male protagonists as a whole.

I suppose you don't usually get guys "punching back", but hey, guys aren't supposed to punch girls...

The loser harem protagonist is certainly the most "glorious" example of complete doormat, but I'm rather talking about the "submissive/passive" streak of nearly every protagonist, not just the most extreme cases.

Certainly many characters in Anime have a passive streak, but first it's important to consider that many Otaku in real life also have a passive disposition, so it's easy for the viewer to empathise, and because it's a familiar experience, they can draw comedy from it.

Also, it's not necessarily a bad thing, a lot of Anime feature around characters overcoming their passivity. Which is a satisfying thing to watch.

Also, however annoyingly passive guys can be in Harems, they don't hold a candle to girls in a lot of Shoujo. A significant portion of them never make a decision for themselves. So it might be a japanese thing that cuts across the sexes.

And finally, there are also plenty of manga/anime characters that aren't passive at all. Death Note anyone?

You're preaching to the choir here. If I'm so irritated by some flaws ubiquitous in anime (like the doormat protagonist or the unability to actually build a relationship until the last episode), it's precisely because anime is practically the only kind of visual medium I watch (as it's the only one that "resonate" with me).
And so it makes me desperate to see the series break more from the usual clichés

I'll admit that when you watch the umpteenth light novel adaptation and realise it's almost the exact same as the last 10 you watched, you feel a little bit of you die. But there are plenty of of exceptions. For instance yes it's annoying that anime guys never can get the balls to confess until the last episode, but sometimes they do (Kids on the slope!). It could be that you're watching bad anime. The good anime tend to mix things up a bit more, and will surprise you (which is one reason why they're "good").

If you think it's bad in Anime, don't even touch JDramas.

Originally Posted by Dhomochevsky

As DonQuigleone said, this is more a sign of a weak female status, than a weak male.
The woman is not taken seriously, so she can do whatever she wants and all it amounts to is comedy.
If the girl was actually in the stronger position, like you say, then behavior like this would have serious consequences. But as it is, it can be ignored, because it comes from a girl.
For someone with this line of thinking, it would make the male look weaker, if he took a girl serious. He would lower himself to her level, so to say.

So yes, these are symptoms of inequality, but you are reading them upside down.

I'd say the logic of this is also correct. Part of women being inferior is that they are weak and need to be "protected". One of the easiest ways to wring comedy from this is to subvert the demure female stereotype and have the girl beat up on the guy.

It's also worth remembering that most female characters in Japanese harems and Rom-coms come in basically two varieties: Yamato Nadesico and Tsundere. Yamato Nadesico is the perfect girl who'll basically mother you, and Tsundere basically represents the idea that a guy can "tame" a girl, IE he tames her and transforms her from Tsun Tsun to Dere Dere. Both have a [male-centric] sexist idea at their core, though in a lot of anime it's not so overt as to be offensive. Otaku tend to often be a very conservative bunch, remember the furore when Nagi of Kannagi was revealed not to be a virgin, the mangaka got death threats.

Originally Posted by Akka

Sorry, but this interpretation feels just weird. Ignoring people being annoying can certainly denote looking at them as inferiors. But submitting to them and doing their bidding ? Not buying it.

The guy doesn't usually submit. He often just tolerates. Because he's superior, a girl can't threaten him. If a guy behaved the same way, he'd punch him in the face, because it's a girl, he doesn't need to care.

Of course, I still contend that this behaviour you're citing isn't ubiquitous, though I don't deny that it's common.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by aohige

Haha, your timing is impeccable, Saint, I was just editing that in.

Needless to say, I prefer the old days protags.
Same even goes for eroge. The early 90s eroge protagonists were badass, strong, manly, and openly playboy.
Now they're just as spineless and whiney as their anime counterparts.

I think aohige is a Level-5 psychic or something, plus if anyone wants to look for a place that will be like Japan, they didn't need to look far :

Actress Felicia Chin: S’pore men are shallow and arrogant

Maybe in modern society, men are taught to let go of their "barbaric ways" and be more "civilised" (meaning to become more docile to the Big Corps and government who milk dollars and sense out of them). Punish the boys for fighting in school when it is their natural instinct to protect what they deem is important to them (pride and ego)? Suspend them when they think critically and challenge established ideas?

Well there they have it : soft men whom women don't want to breed with, and a greying population.

[Guernsey]

I an not sure about the rest of the male population in Japan but it seems that they learn to be more in tune with their emotions and besides being 'manly' does not necessarily being reckless. It is also about being responsible and taking care yourself and others, I guess women are looking for a confident male who can take them as well as themselves and otaku don't provide that.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Guernsey

I an not sure about the rest of the male population in Japan but it seems that they learn to be more in tune with their emotions and besides being 'manly' does not necessarily being reckless. It is also about being responsible and taking care yourself and others, I guess women are looking for a confident male who can take them as well as themselves and otaku don't provide that.

I agree with your theory, and I have thise sub-theory that due to the rising standards of living, some women's perception of "able to take care of them" includes a Burberry handbag whenever they want one.

Though I admit that I am a soft and lazy man who let my male friends have their way (probably explains why I am constantly surrounded by fujoshis, FML) instead of jostling for the pack leader position (why bother? It isn't like army days where incompetent leaders are a dime a dozen, my buddies are dependable enough not to lead us to death); maybe indeed, our lives have been to comfortable that we no longer see the need to lead anymore.

[Sumeragi]

So you're basically the opposite of Oppa (who just turns into a leader by his mere presence), and that explains why you're my otouto

[DonQuigleone]

Strange.

Whenever I'm involved in a group task, I always end out being leader in all but name. People seem to follow and trust me.

Really, it's not that hard to lead, you just need to work for the well being of your team mates. In that way your team will trust you, and leadership without trust is nothing.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

So you're basically the opposite of Oppa (who just turns into a leader by his mere presence), and that explains why you're my otouto

Whatever, nee-sama. But stop abusing your position!

I recently met up with a few old bunkmates (no, that is not what you think! Not that kind of "bunkmates"!) during a gathering, and when we were talking about old times, they mentioned that I often had weird and funny ideas to carry out which could have put me in a leadership position, just that I am too lazy and "ball-less" to suggest it out loud for fear of "offending someone". My response of "everyone is a leader, and at those times, it just isn't my turn yet" was immediately shot down.

Maybe I really am too soft instead of just merely "lazy"? I don't know - there hasn't been a girl that told me that yet, and I can't be bothered to find out from one.

[DonQuigleone]

You should have just said your ideas. Maybe they're terrible, but it's on the group to decide that. Suggesting new ideas can't make things worse, unless your boss is an asshole, in which case, get out of there.

Often I end out leading the people around me because I suggested good ideas for whatever task we're doing. Not everyone is so good at coming up with ideas...

[Guernsey]

I am not in the military like SaintessHeart (assuming that you are in the military) but I guess I can be called lazy, I don't realy talk or speak my mind as much and I am constantly a 'girl' like by my father or brother. Despite being the firstborn son, I lack any real leadership qualities and I am not assertive at all in social situations.

[AnimeFan188]

"The bizarre taste in helmets of Japanese samurai, generals and warlords would
put any modern cosplayer to shame, and sengoku jidai buffs have been busily
collecting up some of the most egregiously eccentric examples.

The classic Japanese helmet (“kabuto”) came into being during the Heian period,
and became an essential martial accessory during the Sengoku Jidai period.

However, with feudal daimyo increasingly more interested in advertising their
presence on the battlefield than participating directly in combat they began to take
on less practical designs, eventually becoming the subject of the daimyo equivalent
of creepy otaku collectors."

See:

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2012/0...anese-helmets/

[AnimeFan188]

6 Ways Japanese Wrestling Makes the WWE Look Sane:

"Professional wrestling is crazy by nature -- you can't get fans to tune in for a
couple of guys pretend-fighting for an hour; you need to spice it up. In America, this
is done with gimmicks and outlandish personalities and openly silly story lines. In
Japan, this is done with utter insanity."

See:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19868...look-sane.html

[aohige]

Originally Posted by AnimeFan188

"The bizarre taste in helmets of Japanese samurai, generals and warlords would
put any modern cosplayer to shame, and sengoku jidai buffs have been busily
collecting up some of the most egregiously eccentric examples.

The classic Japanese helmet (“kabuto”) came into being during the Heian period,
and became an essential martial accessory during the Sengoku Jidai period.

However, with feudal daimyo increasingly more interested in advertising their
presence on the battlefield than participating directly in combat they began to take
on less practical designs, eventually becoming the subject of the daimyo equivalent
of creepy otaku collectors."

See:

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2012/0...anese-helmets/

Such a dumb list.
I went through the whole thing, and didn't see the best helmet of all.
愛

[Ridwan]

A helpless fan of traditional sweets and desserts that I am, this shop is permanently on my to-visit list when I'll visit the country someday : http://www.chuckeats.com/2009/04/20/...zen-yoshifusa/

[SeijiSensei]

I just happened today to look at hospitalization statistics after reading this announcement that Goto Yuko is spending 2 1/2 months in hospital with what appears to be an autoimmune disease. It reminded me of Yuuki of Moshidora who is endlessly hospitalized with an unnamed mysterious illness. Long hospital stays appear in a number of anime shows. I wondered if this was just a fictional convention or representative of actual Japanese health care.

Originally I thought it might be a consequence of Japan's national health system, but it turns out long hospital stays are a distinctly Japanese thing. In 2009 the OECD reports an average length of stay for Japan of 32.5 days, more than twice the next country Korea, at 14.7, and far longer than most other rich countries that average some six to nine days.

This difference between Japan and other countries has persisted at least as far back as 1960 when the data begin. In 1965, the average length of stay in Japan was 56.7 days, with most other countries reporting figures in the 15-30 range.

As a social scientist, I generally dislike explanations for "outliers" like this one that rely on "cultural" differences. I have to admit this one seems to qualify. Any ideas about why the Japanese hospitalize their people much longer than other rich countries do? Hospitalization is generally the most expensive method to provide care. Perhaps Japan works differently?

[Sumeragi]

Patients accept responsibility for 30% of these costs while the government pays the remaining 70%. The out-of-pocket and total expenses of patients seem to be much lower than other countries. Furthermore, while most of the OECD countries rely on drugs to keep the patient get better, Japanese tend to go for a more "extensive" caring to make sure they aren't unhealthy for whatever reason.

[monsta666]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

You should have just said your ideas. Maybe they're terrible, but it's on the group to decide that. Suggesting new ideas can't make things worse, unless your boss is an asshole, in which case, get out of there.

Often I end out leading the people around me because I suggested good ideas for whatever task we're doing. Not everyone is so good at coming up with ideas...

You don't even need to be good at generating ideas to become a leader. If you are good at implementing and selecting the right ideas to be promoted that can be enough. Stress should be given on implementation side however because many people want others to do the leg work!