On values dissonance and the resolution thereof

[computersherpa]

Recently I've been watching an anime called Hajime no Ippo. It's an adaptation of a very popular and long-running manga about a late-teens guy named Ippo (pronounced eep-oh) who gets tired of getting beat up at school and decides to become a boxer. He rises quickly through the Japanese boxing tournaments, the guys who were bullying him become his

Comments

[chisotahn]

Hm - I don't actually know about if it was broadcast uncensored, but I kind of doubt it was; Japan does have a, um... somewhat of an anatomy thing going in that they usually obscure it somehow, even if it's only token (as an example, a lot of fan-drawn porny comics use some form of obscuring censor bar, though it might be very thin - or they might just white out the offending anatomy entirely).

... this just goes to show I know too much about this. /o\ Possibly a bad thing. I could be wrong about this particular show, though, I haven't seen it.

The bathing thing is definitely true; I remember some people raising their eyebrows about the family bathing scene in My Neighbor Totoro, which is basically the most innocuous movie ever to exist (also extremely adorable, if you've never seen it I recommend it).

It is an interesting cultural comparison which I could probably say more about if it wasn't 12:30am here. XD; So I will stop being possibly incoherent at your LiveJournal and go to bed. Still, good thoughts.

[computersherpa]

I'm trying to find the reference that implied that it was originally uncensored and I'm not seeing it, so I could be wrong about that.

Unfortunately, it's hard to "sample" anime from here--low connection speeds render torrenting impossible, and purchasing the discs of untested shows is an expensive proposition. I'll probably take a look at My Neighbor Totoro when I get back to the States, though--more than one of my sources has recommended it.

Thanks for the thoughtful comment! I'd be glad to hear any more you have to say once you're caught up on sleep. :-)

Totoro

[anonymous]

haha, Totoro was right there on our shelf among Beauty and the Beast and Jungle Book. I never thought the bathing scene was awkward... Until I was like 5 I shared baths with my other siblings to save water... I guess today that's starting to be frowned upon.

I thought the look into another culture was neat... a few years ago me and my sister found out who made Totoro and watched the other Studio Ghibli movies. No one in my family is really into Anime, but the Studio Ghibli movies have always been an exception... like a window into another civilization's Disney movies.

I've been trying to watch Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, and Desert Punk but sometimes I feel overwhelmed... anime hasn't been my thing since Digimon or Trigun.

-Kumah

Re: Totoro

[kottonballs]

so what's it about nudity and americans?!?! i suppose its a culture thing. In Germany, they have no problems with being naked. its just a state of being. kids run around diper free most of the time and of course the nude beaches. I was bathing with close friends and siblings until i was like 8 and then it was girls only. I still do sometimes to save time and water. i can't see what the big deal is about.

Re: Totoro

[computersherpa]

From what I've heard, "liberal" in America is "moderate" abroad. "Liberal" abroad is "CRAZY FASCIST" in America.

I think everyone's okay with being bathed by their parents at a young age. (Somebody has to do it.) It's when the parents get naked too that people start freaking out.

Re: Totoro

[kottonballs]

and i say phooy to that!

[kottonballs]

yay! more anime! i cant wait to check it out!!! the male nudity especially. ;) (heehee) alas, i have a bbq to atend to. toni and josh made me get up early this morning to prepare for it. i should prolly enjoy the fruits of my labor, eh? lol.

Update

[computersherpa]

Here's an article that shows the practical consequences of this culture gap. You can buy things on store shelves in Japan which will get you sent to prison in the US.