My Problem with Japan

by Brenton Pyle , COMMUNITY WRITER

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Tags: humor, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, Japan, Blazblue, Immaturity

Before I get into my actual post, I would like to introduce myself. Hello Bitmob! My name is Brenton Pyle and I am a gamer (shocker!). I hope to post as much as I can, especially in these first weeks to get my blog off the ground. Hope you enjoy!
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Ah Japan, the nerds paradise. How many long to journey to the crowded streets of Tokyo and take in all its glory. Although I too would love to take a trip to the nerd homeland, I do have very distinct problems with it.

I first would like to point out that I am a recovering japanophile. The stacks of manga and shonen jump magazines easily surpasses my 5 foot, 10 inch stature. I have grown up playing Japanese games and watching anime. I even have a Naruto headband sitting in my clothing drawer. As I have grown up, I have become less enchanted with my old obsession.

I grew away from watching anime and reading manga and more focused on American culture. This last summer, I recently delved back into Japanese games again and some accute points struck out at me. My problem may seem weird, but hear me out. Many people accuse Japan of backwards design or have a bone to pick with the overly emo storylines. I accept both of these "faults." What bugs me the most about Japanese media, is the humor. My lord, the humor of Japan is horrible. Japan's humor relys on perverted jokes (and they beat you over the head with it).

Every piece of media has to have some chick with obscenely giant tits, and every character has to point this out as a joke. Or maybe they'll throw in an accidental upskirt. Or maybe they'll be a stalkerish lover. Or seeing someone naked accidently. The list goes on. This feels very immaturish for me. It bugs me sooo bad that I want to put down good games because of this. Blazblue is a prime example of this. One of the characters, Tao (the supposed comic relief), refers to one girl as booby lady over and over and over and over (and over). He also trys to grab the boobs, and the boob girl has a stalkerish lover...the list goes on.

I feel like I would find this humor funny if I were in middle school or fifth grade (haha boobies). The only non-offender I seem to have found is Persona 4. Any attempts of this type of humor were done very maturely and thus came off as funny. If only more Japanese media could learn from Persona 4 and actually make the mature tag on it actually mean something. By the way I still have to finish Persona, think I'll go do that.....

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Comments (28)

Rachel Jagielski

November 29, 2009

I too am a recovering Japanophile! Humor in Japanese games didn't bother me when I was younger but now I get embarrassed hearing jokes that didn't faze me in high school. I don't know if it's because I'm older or what, but right now I find it hard to believe that I watched as much anime as I used to.

Edward Dang

November 29, 2009

That's right, YOU SHOULD FINISH PERSONA 4!

Granted, Japan does have alot of perverted humor, but remember just how different their culture is from ours, especially how people in their culture who would be "gamer-equivalents," are treated. In the end, if you know something would be funny, or if you're taking the safe road in story writing (in BlazBlue's case, boobs and stalkers) you don't have much to worry about. I'll admit though, I do cringe at ALL the perverted little upskirts, over-sized busts, and under-aged sex appeal that just fills Japanese gaming media, but at the same time, the reason games like Persona 4 are so outlandishly popular is because they DO these things but deliver them how they should be delivered: subtly. That's why Atlus, and Shin Megami Tensei have growing appeal stateside.

Oh wait, woops, I meant to say, "I agree, Mr. Pyle!"

Daniel Feit

November 29, 2009

As someone who actually lives in Japan, I suggest you rethink your views on the country as a whole based on the video games you have played or the manga you have read. Would you seriously want someone drawing erroneous conclusions about the United States based on our popular media?

I see it happen all the time and it isn't pretty. Not many Japanese people have been to America but they all have half-assed opinions about it based on watching 24. I am frequently asked to answer questions about guns. All Americans carry guns, right?

Brenton Pyle

November 29, 2009

I was writing more about Japanese media than the people themselves I'm quite sure your not a stalker :)

Daniel Feit

November 29, 2009

My point is you've never been to Japan, which means you're extrapolating a hell of a lot of information based on your narrow view of it. Am I denying that Japanese comedy is, how you say, "ribald"? Absolutely not, those jokes play here. But that's not the only kind of humor they go for.

I think there are legitimate discussions to be had about Japanese game design trends and how Japanese culture handles subjects like sexuality. Writing "My Problem with Japan" and complaining about anime isn't how those discussions get started.

Brenton Pyle

November 29, 2009

My problem with japan is a much more catchier title than my problem with Japanese media I'm just saying alot of those things in games and amine bug the crap outta me

Jay Henningsen

November 29, 2009

I'm with Daniel here. I also think you're focusing on what Americans believe to be stereotypical Japanese games. I think you'd be surprised to learn how many of the games you play that were developed in Japan and have none of the things you complain about. Here's an incomplete list to get you started: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Video_games_developed_in_Japan

Brenton Pyle

November 29, 2009

True, many American games are outsourced to be made in Japan, but I'm sure you know what games I am refering to that contain this humor (i didn't mean to be so broad but I am an amateur writer)

Jay Henningsen

November 29, 2009

I was not talking about outsourcing. I'm talking about games that originated and were developed in Japan that contain none of the things you were complaining about. Companies typically outsource projects to save on development costs. In numerous industries in Japan, labor costs actually exceed those in the United States. I think you're over-estimating how many of the games you play actually originate in the United States.

Daniel Feit

November 29, 2009

I think there are catchy titles you could have gone with that didn't casually insult an entire nation. And if you're looking for mature themes in anime, you've got an uphill climb ahead of you. Most Japanese manga is aimed at boys and young men (hence the "shonen" label) so the humor is broad and base. You say you might have found these jokes funny when you were in middle school, who do you think reads Naruto in Japan?

Try looking into some literature perhaps, or maybe rent a few films from respected Japanese directors. You'd be surprised how much has been translated into English over the years. Broaden your horizons and you'll encounter less "immaturish" humor.

John Ostermiller

November 29, 2009

I agree with Daniel that your title, while attempting to be catchy and incite interest (which it does) is ultimately very narrow-minded and seems to be based upon your personal experiences - i.e. criticism based on your old interests. Yes, the things we often love as children/young adults/teens turn out to be... shall we say... less perfect then we remember. For those of you who've seen the original Bubblegum Crisis at 13 and again at 25, you'll know what I'm talking about. To help "fix" your "problem" here are a few suggestions of where you can start looking for "better" examples of Japanese media and/or culture... or if you prefer, something completely different then what you've likely been exposed to.

1.) Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, etc)
2.) Gaijin Smash (An American's Blog about living in Japan - www.gaijinsmash.net or http://outpostnine.com/gaijin_smash/)
3.) Super Dimensional Fortress Macross
4.) The Work of director Akira Kurosawa
5.) Muramasa: The Demon Blade

A Side Note: What really irks me, as someone who likes Japanese TV and is interested in the country in general, are the "Japanophiles" out there who like to wear poorly fitted, home-made costumes and run around screaming butchered catchphrases at conventions or acting out bad skits that three people actually get. I'm not against people being passionate, but being at least a little classy is a huge plus. I'm not trying to rag on Mr. Pyle here, I'm just trying to express that going from "fanboy" to what could be perceived as "snobby ex-fanboy" is not a true development of interests and taste, but rather a very public, awkward attempt to develop and reflect on one's sense of self and interests.

Richard Eisenbeis

November 29, 2009

Okay, I'm going to go over this with you step by step. I'm not going to rag on spelling or formatting, but you should look into those a bit more carefully before posting. Anyway, I hope this helps you.

Before I get into my actual post, I would like to introduce myself. Hello Bitmob! My name is Brenton Pyle and I am a gamer (shocker!). I hope to post as much as I can, especially in these first weeks to get my blog off the ground. Hope you enjoy!

First off, nice to have you join us. All gamers and aspiring game journalists are welcome here. You will get much feed back and learn a lot about becoming a better writer if you continue to post and read here.

Ah Japan, the nerds paradise.

Right off the bat is where you show the biggest flaw in your eventual argument. This statement shows your view on Japan is based on an American pop-cultural view of “what Japan is like” and not on first hand research (ie actually going there) or secondary sources (ie classes, sociological papers, textbooks). Simply put, despite the romantic view of Japan prevalent in the online Anime community, Japan in not a “nerd's paradise.” In fact, being “Otaku” here is treated as a social stigma and identifying as one (at least openly) will negatively affect not only one’s romantic prospects but carrier prospects as well. That said, there is an area in Tokyo called Akihabara where being a nerd is celebrated in the most capitalistic of fashions. Yet, despite what you may have come to believe, that mere five square block area is not a representative sample of Japan as a whole.

How many long to journey to the crowded streets of Tokyo and take in all its glory.
Although I too would love to take a trip to the nerd homeland, I do have very distinct problems with it.

Now ignoring the previously touched on “nerd homeland” idea, this is more of a weak hook than a thesis. The reader is exiting your introduction, but has no real feel for the argument you are going to make. In fact, you don’t make that argument for 13 more sentences. This, right here, is where you make your “outrageous claim” that reaches out of the computer and slams the reader’s head into their computer screen, forcing them to read more. Don’t say, “I think.” Don’t say, “It’s just my opinion.” Write it as simple fact, and make the entire rest of the article back it up. Ex: “Japan's reliance on adolescent humor in games is detrimental to their popularity in foreign markets.”

I first would like to point out that I am a recovering japanophile. The stacks of manga and shonen jump magazines easily surpasses my 5 foot, 10 inch stature. I have grown up playing Japanese games and watching anime. I even have a Naruto headband sitting in my clothing drawer. As I have grown up, I have become less enchanted with my old obsession. I grew away from watching anime and reading manga and more focused on American culture.

Now, this section here is basically you listing your qualifications for making your yet unsaid argument. In many ways, this is unnecessary. After all, the reader should care about your argument, not who you are. However, this is a community post and not a magazine article, so on that standing, it is nice to learn about where –metaphorically– you are writing from.

That said, I question one of the terms you use and define: Japanophile. You say this is a person who is obsessed with anime, manga, and games. However, the word itself would suggest that a Japanophile is a lover of all things Japan. During this phase of your life, did you study the language, society, history, or religion of Japan? Or did you just enjoy the small sampling of Japanese popular culture that was easily obtainable where you grew up?

Richard Eisenbeis

November 29, 2009

This last summer, I recently delved back into Japanese games again and some accute points struck out at me.

Again, this is nothing but a weak hook. Instead of stating or reaffirming your point, you again promise that there is an argument out there if the reader continues reading. On the nit picky level, you have one point, not several and an “acute point” (pointy point) is redundant.

My problem may seem weird, but hear me out. Many people accuse Japan of backwards design or have a bone to pick with the overly emo storylines. I accept both of these "faults."

This whole section should be cut. Who cares about other arguments about other problems with Japanese games? Their irrelevant to the point you want to make and thus detract from your argument.

What bugs me the most about Japanese media, is the humor. My lord, the humor of Japan is horrible. Japan's humor relys on perverted jokes (and they beat you over the head with it).

And BAM! There it is! The introduction and thesis. This is where your article should have started. Right here. Japanese humor = bad. Jokes = perverted. Everything above this could easily be cut.

Every piece of media has to have some chick with obscenely giant tits, and every character has to point this out as a joke. Or maybe they'll throw in an accidental upskirt. Or maybe they'll be a stalkerish lover. Or seeing someone naked accidently. The list goes on. This feels very immaturish for me. It bugs me sooo bad that I want to put down good games because of this. Blazblue is a prime example of this. One of the characters, Tao (the supposed comic relief), refers to one girl as booby lady over and over and over and over (and over). He also trys to grab the boobs, and the boob girl has a stalkerish lover...the list goes on. I feel like I would find this humor funny if I were in middle school or fifth grade (haha boobies).

Okay, here we have a decent start for a body paragraph. You say what things will support your thesis and then show the reader a game with several examples of the perverted humor you mentioned. Now find me at least two more games with the exact same perverted scenes and write a paragraph about each of those. You could use Final Fantasy VII or Mega Man Legends for the walking in on changing thing, for example.

The only non-offender I seem to have found is Persona 4. Any attempts of this type of humor were done very maturely and thus came off as funny. If only more Japanese media could learn from Persona 4 and actually make the mature tag on it actually mean something.

Now here you undermine your own argument. You mention a recent game that is a blatant counter example to the argument you’re trying to make. You do your best to handle it well, by explaining that Person 4 is the rare exception to your argument. However, sadly that is simply not true. You have not thought this through. There are many Japanese games that have none of the adolescent perversion of which you speak; namely every racing game ever made. Then there’s, many of the Final Fantasys (and square games in general), not to mention the Zeldas, Metroids, Castlevanias, and Marios. Now some those games have buxom females, but unless you mean to argue that sex appeal in gaming is a purely Japanese phenomenon, breast size needs to be cut from your overall argument.

By the way I still have to finish Persona, think I'll go do that.....

Or you can rewrite this article and strengthen it into a cohesive weapon of argument. Remember, articles are not “fire and forget” they can always be improved and resubmitted.

Nick Giunta

November 29, 2009

@Daniel - You mean to tell me the Japanese can't learn everything they want about America through Jack Bowwa? I beg to differ.

Alex Beech

November 29, 2009

Just one problem here is that you are viewing the Japanese media which is being screened for the Western market. Jokes they feel will translate to a broader audience with less cultural baggage.

I doubt you are looking at comedians like Down Town, or any number of the more adult/complex stuff that is here.

I won't blindly defend Japan there IS humor here that I find immature, but thats everywhere (perhaps a little more here), its just someone worked out none Japanese people like this form of Japanese media. If I were to base my knowledge of America based on the media it shows me I would imagine all Americans use guns or Opera to solve all their problems. And are fat. Or models.

MY problem with Japanese media is the photo you posted of coz-players who have no business being in the costumes they are in, which rarely happens here as all coz-players select by their physical appearance and make their own costumes. (I jest, I love that people embrace things they love and choose to pay homage to it. I used to myself, but as Liono.)

Toby Davis

November 29, 2009

Now only if a Persona 5 would come to the PS3. I hear this series is really good. Then again I get most of my anime from other outlets who dub them for me to read.

Richard Eisenbeis

November 29, 2009

I doubt you are looking at comedians like Down Town, or any number of the more adult/complex stuff that is here.

I can't believe you just used the words complex and adult to describe them (unless you mean adult as in NC-17). You clearly missed the special where they held the competition to see who could flick a woman's nipples the most times in just one minute.

David Matos

November 29, 2009

My group of friends in high school were huge Japanophiles, yet I wasn't....

Because of them, I hate Japanophiles, anime/manga nerds and everything in between. Cosplaying is dumb because few people can pull it off, anime is so saturated it has lost all meaning and there is nothing special about Japan.

ITS A BIGGER NEW YORK CITY FULL OF ASIANS! It isn't some place where people walk the streets in costume, talking about anime and that crap. This love affair people have with Japan needs a reality check.

Whew, Otakus and Anime Nerds always russle my feathers. I'll close by saying this, since it is the flagship game of Japanophiles.

FINAL FANTASY 7 WAS NOT THE BEST FINAL FANTASY!

John Ostermiller

November 29, 2009

FINAL FANTASY 7 WAS NOT THE BEST FINAL FANTASY!

OH-EM-GEEZ! Oh no you didn't! Oh no you didn't!

-ahem-

I am personally so beyond holding the Final Fantasy series as a some sacred cow of gaming. It's got some interesting stuff here and there, but the last one I really cared about was IX. Best memories are from IV and VI.

Jason Wilson

November 29, 2009

Final Fantasy 7 may not be the best of the series, but I respect it for three reasons: 1) The way it helped bring a new generation of players to RPGs, 2) the Materia system (I loved the combinations), and 3) the way the game throws you into the story -- no long clearing-of-the-throat (as in another JRPG I'm playing right now).

John Ostermiller

November 29, 2009

This isn't meant to be a direct comparison, but "bringing a new audience in" could also be compared to Dragonball Z/Naruto for anime as FF VII has done for JRPGs. It's not that I think FFVII didn't have certain things it did well (at the time, or possible even still today). What the problem is, is that Square has squeezed every single ounce of goodwill and interest in what is arguably the most iconic and bankable titles in their catalog and caused us all to choke on some serious swill. And let's not forget, like many Japanese game companies, they tend to innovate rarely (and then only by degrees) and then stagnate as they "don't fix what ain't broke".

Square will always have a place in my heart as being one of the companies who put out some good games in my childhood, and I still intend to check out XIII, but I know the games I'm looking forward to (and have looked forward to most) will not be made by Square.

Jason Wilson

November 29, 2009

@John Yeah, but Square has done some good things with franchises. Take Rocket Slime, the Dragon Quest spinoff. That's a wonderful, delightful game that captures the charm of Dragon Quest without feeling like a something that's squeezed out to make money (as, say, Dirge of Cerberus).

John Ostermiller

November 29, 2009

There is that, I suppose. Although I still think of that is Enix even though they are now together-as-one as Square-Enix (or Squeenix, the hideous JRPG BORG... of doom).

It does blow my mind sometimes, to stop and think about the subtle shift in my gaming diet from Japanese to Western developer titles. I can remember when I ONLY wanted to play Final Fantasy or find a used Secret of Mana that didn't cost a $120 at Video Gamer Swappers or somesuch. Now... meh.

I do like me some Tales of Vesperia and Tales of Symphonia though. Neither which I've finished. Oh well.

Travis McReynolds

November 29, 2009

@Jason-- I loved Rocket Slime.

@Everyone else-- There is a middle ground here. I went to Japan not expecting a world of gamers and anime exclusively, but gaming is held in a very different light over there. It's not an emerging medium as it is considered in the states, people openly enjoy and play games.
As for the very popular attitude that Final Fantasy VII wasn't that great-- I couldn't possibly disagree more. This is the game that introduced the archetype for modern console RPGs. It still sells like crazy today (check PSN). Even if it isn't your cup of tea, there's no denying that the game's rabid fan base are justified in their devotion.

Jason Wilson

November 29, 2009

@John I enjoy a mix of Japanese and Western RPGs (a few European as well) -- I just want interesting stories and fun places to play. I don't care who makes.

John Ostermiller

November 29, 2009

@Travis

Don't misunderstand me. Final Fantasy VII is certainly influential and I have fond memories of playing it in junior high. However, it is not "the best game evah", either. I think the problem is that a (very) good game has been overexposed and exalted ad-nauseam by a very (very) vocal group who have discovered it for the first time, and as a result of the hype it has had its reputation tarnished.

It doesn't mean I'm against playing Crisis Core if I ever get a PS3... or if they put it up on PSN for PS3 users.

John Ostermiller

November 29, 2009

Dur... make that "If I ever get a PSP". I own a PS3.

Travis McReynolds

November 29, 2009

@John Totally. It's over-hyped and overexposed, I just tend to take devil's advocate and say there's a good reason for it's popularity. I am, however, not posting any SPOILER ALERTS when talking about Aeris' death.
And I haven't played any of the off shoot games, but will probably start with Crisis Core.

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