Sudden Thought

[andrewducker]

Incredibly tightly wound, work-oriented and obsessed with honourable behaviour on the outside.

Underlying levels of sexual depravity, sexism and horrible social heirarchy.

Are the Japanese the modern Victorians?

Or is it just the way they're advertised?

Comments

[derumi.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of it is also that art is a big part of their society. Another part of it could be the restrictive laws the US placed on Japan post-WWII, and the fact that you've had randy young American soldiers running amok the island for many years afterwards, especially during the 60's. Just a guess... Odd, I just blamed weird sexual tastes on the Vietnam war.

[tigrrgrr.livejournal.com]

You've no idea who I am. I just wondered what sparked this sudden thought?

[andrewducker]

Some strange MTV video with Japanese people being obsessively happy and Lilian saying that she wondered if they were all like that. I said that they seemed to have a tendency to be very dedicated on the surface and then need a way to release that - like the Victorians.

Just suddenly occurred to me :->

[tigrrgrr.livejournal.com]

Ah. Oddly enough that makes sense.

[aberbotimue.livejournal.com]

don't tell him that, he'll have loads of random thoughts...

[tigrrgrr.livejournal.com]

I adore random thoughts. They are the purest.

[mb2u]

I think it's an astute obsesrvation. I would include Japan's near-fetishistic love of all things English.

[luxcanon.livejournal.com]

I think you're not far off.

I think that Gibson and Sterling and especially Stephenson agree with you... read Diamond Age if you haven't.

[andrewducker]

Ooh, yeah, Diamond Age! You're so right!

Must re-read.

[thadrin.livejournal.com]

I'm reading the Manga that spawned "Battle Royale". (The manga is better than the film btw...and I think the film is fantastic).

That series is pretty good support for your case.

[derumi.livejournal.com]

The book is supposed to be better than the manga.

I think the reason is that the manga goes into more of the characters' backstories than does the movie, and the book goes even further. Hoping to get ahold of the book sometime.

[laserboy.livejournal.com]

Go visit. It's a lovely place. :)

[opusfluke.livejournal.com]

An obsession with paperwork... technology... things about school girls... Yes, yes, I see it. Even the thing against facial hair fits in and a harking back to a simpler, nonexistant past.

[douglasbryant.livejournal.com]

You could allways look at it from the sixties perspective. A country long repressed by high moral, is trying to find the balance. I you only here the extreme stuff, no one is going to report that there was a perfectly normal day where nothing happened 3 times at 12pm.