Questions about anime and manga in the broader context of Japanese culture. Includes both questions about cultural origins for anime/manga references and questions about the cultural impact of a particular series.
Questions tagged [culture]
190 questions
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Why are there so many "in Wonderland" episodes?
Many series that I have seen have "x in Wonderland" episodes where they have retellings/variations of Alice in Wonderland with the characters from the show. Examples of this include Ouran High School Host Club (episode 13), Black Butler (season 2…
kuwaly
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What or who is "Minami" in "Search for Minami"?
In chapter 63 of Kare Kano, Arima appears on a television show called Search for Minami after he is recognised for his academic and athletic prowess. The beginning of the show is depicted in the manga, and it begins with:
Hello! And welcome to the…
Maroon
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Why are a lot of characters in anime and manga named after their mothers and not their fathers?
I've noticed this a lot in many manga I've read. The character (usually the protagonist) is named after their mother's family name and not their father's. Some examples I have found of this are as follows:
In Special A, Kei Takashima is named of…
Mugiwara9
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Why do Aya and Youko consider going to a ramen shop alone so amazing?
Consider the following page from Kiniro Mosaic.
Some context, in case you don't know the series: The three girls are in high school. Karen is the blonde, Aya is the girl with black twin-tails, and Youko is the girl with short light hair. Karen is…
Torisuda
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Why is (action-adventure) anime so focused on teenagers?
I've been a fan of anime since Star Blazers in my childhood, but... I wonder about an overused cliche in anime action-adventure series: teenage prodigy heroes.
For example, the most popular action-based anime (as opposed to comedy or…
Foo Bar
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Why do sick anime characters often are said to have a "weak body"?
In anime when a character is chronically sick, they are said to have a "weak body".
The first and most obvious example that comes to my mind is Clannad, but I've seen this in other animes as well.
Is this something out of japanese culture? Or maybe…
Sarumanatee
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What does Itachi's crow symbolize?
Everything in Naruto seemingly has a Japanese cultural reference. From the name Sasuke meaning legendary ninja to the Sannin summons (slug frog snake) representing the Japanese version of the game Rock Paper Scissors.
I recall briefly that I read…
krikara
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Why do characters in anime/manga eat their lunches in restrooms?
I have seen many times in anime and manga that a character eats his/(mainly)her lunch in a toilet.
Examples include Nagisa from Kanojo mo Kanojo who used to eat her lunch in the restroom. (Revealed in Episode 3)
Another example is Yuria from…
Michael
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Why are most isekai happening in a medieval world?
Why are most isekai happening in a medieval world? I have been reading some of these and I actually can't recall of any in which the story is happening in an other era than in a medieval period. Why is that? Is it common in Japanese videogames too,…
AirOne
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Is the grip shown in Hikaru no Go really used by expert Go players?
In an early episode of Hikaru no Go Akira Toya comments that Hikaru must be a beginner because he's holding his stones incorrectly. In the show, it is shown that real Go players use a grip that only uses their index and ring fingers. Is this true in…
Shaymin Gratitude
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Why are crosses so popular in anime and manga?
I've recently noticed that I see a lot of "Crosses" in manga and anime. I thought it was just because Japan has a lot of Christians as I remember my history teacher telling me how Japanese people once really liked the Bible when Europeans came to…
user1477539
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Why are post offices always a target for robbers in anime?
I've seen quite a number of anime where the targets for robbers are mostly post offices and not banks and or other places that could have money. Is this a plot device that started somewhere or is it actually a fact that robbers actually go for post…
DarkDestry
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Is there an 'angel dance' outside of the Shirobako anime?
In Shirobako episode 16, Ema is caught doing a little dance exercise on the roof.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlVueWyu18
CrunchyRoll's subtitles call this the 'Angel Dance' exercise. There's no results for that in english, but I was thinking…
Toshinou Kyouko
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Who is Saigo-san?
In Episode 7 of Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai Ren, Shinka and her friends are on a school trip in Kagoshima. They see a statue of someone called Saigo-san. One of the friends complains that he doesn't have his dog, and Shinka tells her that he…
Torisuda
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What is the idea for exchanging Alice stones for engagement based on?
In Gakuen Alice, if two people exchange Alice stones that they created, it can act as the equivalent of an engagement or promise. Is this based on any specific Japanese tradition? If not, what is it based off of?
kuwaly
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