Hi everyone! With regards to the fundraiser, apparently UA-cam has to approve the Brazil Foundation first. I didn't realize, at the time of posting, that there would be this hold-up. I'll update the fundraiser the moment I can, but please refer in the meantime to the description! Thank you all so much for supporting this cause with me. - Moony EDIT: It's been half a day already, and it is still processing. If this approval process ends up taking too long, I'll carry the fundraiser over to the next video. I sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.
Howdy, and thank you so much for pinning this instead of the ad read. For the peanut gallery that usually manifests on those kinds of comments, to explain why Incogni isn’t a good investment for privacy: Incogni and other data removal services do need your subscription money, unlike most major platforms, because the task is a constant process. You are not buying a magic bullet, you are hiring a qualified data janitor with the tools to keep yourself clean. In theory. In practice, the way most of those services operate is mass-sending requests to take down user data to a list of companies that may have your data. Given that the current system of data removal in the States is intended to be done manually, such takedown requests also require you to list the personal information that needs removal from the system. You will be paying 15 dollars a month to have a middle man give an email list of data brokers your personal data, the one you don’t want on the internet. This is somehow a worse idea than NordVPN
Hey Moony, is there a chance that you could list sources for the music used in the video? I'm specially interested in the various mash-ups that appeared throughout! Cheers from Brazil, and a heartfelt thanks for your donations to my home state of Rio Grande do Sul
I think you get one thing wrong, and that is claiming Japan is the #1 at projecting soft power. I'm sorry but the US is #1 and it isn't even a contest (coming from a non-American). The reason we don't really get the impression that the US is this soft power behemoth is because the US has been so proficient in projecting soft power that it has been normalized and integrated everywhere.
I think we are also more used to thinking of the US soft power and pointing it out. I can watch a US movie and recognize that the caped heroes only visit Paris so the monster of the month can topple the Eiffel Tower before they bug out and do something else. And that while I am familiar with the New York portrayed in one movie after another, the US audience watching the same movie would be unable to place my national capitol on a map.
I think maybe 1st world countries migh feel it less, idk, but the 3rd world cutlure is being taken over by USA. I live in a small town in south america and I've seen this town change so much over the past 20 yrs, with introduction of Subways, McDonald's, Starbucks, etcs. People here would never care about those fast foods yrs ago, our local cuisine is very popular, but today they feel pride in eating them, they drink north american beer brands, they follow their politics, USA musicians are worshipped like gods. Japanese incluence here is also strong, but not like USA is I think Japan does win the "internet culture war" tho, and that might be where Moony's perception comes from
USA soft power is unmatchable despite Japan's successes. Seriously that fact that English(USA English at that) is the most use secondary language says it right there
Jeans. Pop music. Jazz. Rap. Essentially 90% of the film industry. Evangelical Christianity and its vague imagery being rapidly exported across the globe. Jeans again. Yeah, seriously. It's not even a little close.
@@luizmonad777 The thing/thing japan joke is satirizing the fact that a lot of people nowadays have a romanticized view of Japan and respond more positively to things related to that country than their non-japanese counterparts. It does not implicate that you cannot like western culture.
some art is better-funded than other, and if you stick to inner standards of taste, then letting media influence your worldview is no worse than taking advice from people who impress you as trustworthy or wise.
"Be careful about building your identity around something being sold to you, lest your values end up being bought" Your paraphrased version hits the same notes, but please use quotation marks only for quotes.
2:27:00 Also, I kinda disagree with this point a little bit... unless I'm misunderstanding the phrasing. The shows you watch, the video games you play, the music you listen to and the other forms of media consumed can really paint a vivid picture of someone's personality, more than words can. It's also really fun to share your interests, like I like to share all my fandoms on my Steam profile for example. Indeed, a lot of people on the internet will use avatars from the media they consume, they might talk a lot about a show they really like, hell they may "brainrot" or "hyperfixate" on a character they really like. I think thats completely fine as long as it doesn't get out of hand or bother people with it, and they allow everything to have nuance (and they arent super weird about it). It's really nice to find out a friend plays the same game you do, or listens to the same music you do. Everyone has their cringe phase after all, but simply having interests isn't cringe. Just how you act about them. Japan has good music, and bad music, good games and bad games, good shows and bad shows, good food, bad food, just like any other country. But because it's already easily shared due to its history, more people will be familiar with its culture than compared to something like Kazakhstan or another country that doesn't have many global stereotypes. The only thing special about the country is how good it is at furthering globalization. All countries have hardworking and talented artists, but exposure matters a lot. Media like video games, movies, shows, etc. can help you escape into another world, get attached to brilliant stories, hear beautiful music, and indeed teach you GOOD morals I get what Moony means by view everything with nuance; All countries have unique culture, some aspects good, others bad, but if the media you consume just so happens to be from Japan, it doesn't mean you view them as perfect beings. Maybe I misunderstand though... I've seen the terms "weeb, weaboo, otaku" thrown around a lot, but their actual connotations elude me. Some say they are degenerates who never leave their house, put JP on a pedestal, etc. whereas other times its just "a lighthearded term used by people who consume a lot of JP media" So I don't like using those terms since they're rather confusing... to describe myself, for example, I only watch a little bit of anime here and there, but I listen to a lot of vocaloid music and enjoy a few related rhythm games here and there. As for "be careful about becoming a gamer", I thought that term always had a neutral connotation as just "someone who plays a lot of videogames" and so I always call myself a gamer because, well.. I've been playing games since my childhood with the gamecube. I wouldn't like to say I'm "obsessed" with the country itself. I think the "thing, japan" meme is a bit disingenuous, but then again it's just a meme, I just hope nobody takes it seriously. Then again, maybe there are people like that who exist... I don't know. I do like the culture (stuff like the music, modesty, and im ngl more traditional clothes like kimonos for example look good imo, despite never ever even being a fashion guy. I just wear whatever tshirt and shorts i got in the closet most days, but seeing different clothes from different places around the world is cool to me. Cherry trees perhaps are pretty to us because we don't have them, whereas I'm sure to natives they don't look as good since they're used to it. Few countries can say they have a common tree with pink flowers, you know) But the admiration is not because it's specifically Japan, but because it's different / a breath of fresh air from America's culture which is the only one even more global than Japan. And I know it can happen in reverse too! Just look at Hideo Kojima, haha But as for SOME of the specific media that came from it, I really enjoy a lot, maybe to an obsessive degree, for example Bocchi the Rock! being my favorite show. *The way I see it, the country my media comes from is irrelevant to my enjoyment of said media. You are a product of every piece of media you've ever consumed, every person you've ever interacted with. So defining yourself first by all of your interests is completely fine IMO. As long as you are smart about it!* A lot of the music I listen to *just so happens* to be from Japan by pure chance alone, the country is irrelevant.
21:33 The traditional dress looks better, the western one looks generic and she looks like a dude 31:31 lol 32:00 So it was a good thing at first because it was against Russia? 43:27 What is currently happening to the Palestinians 🇵🇸 1:10:33 Entire Anime industry or the ENTIRE Japanese industry!? 2:06:50 But in AoT the island got nuked in the end?
There is a scene from Dragon Quest 7 that has always stuck with me. You go to town in the past (time travel is a huge element of this story) where it is besieged by misfortune. There is also a monster there as well who does not speak. The villagers blame and attack the monster for all their problems. Your party eventually finds the source of the problem and destroys it. Turns out the silent monster was a priest he had agreed to bear a curse and protect the villagers but he could not speak or the monsters who cursed him would destroy the village. The villagers upon realizing apologize to the priest and treat your party as heroes. That night the priest leaves knowing that the if he stuck around it would only make them feel even more guilty. The villagers upon realizing what has happened choose to never forget your party’s deeds and the priest who suffered choosing to become better people. They then memorialize these event in stone. Fast forward to the future (about 100 years) the villagers still remember what happened. However the narrative has been altered it is now framed as the villagers being the heroes and your party being villainized and in league with the monsters!!! The villagers over time had become upset at their actions instead of learning they chose to retell the narrative even changing the stone tablet. You then stumble upon some kids who have found the original tablet. Learning of these event you take the tablet to the mayor he then thanks you and then destroys the tablet to prevent the truth from getting out. Only the kids who have found the tablet and read the true events know what actually happened. They agree to tell the original story to any who will listen. A lot of what you discussed in this video reminded me of this. As the saying goes “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
So does this mean that Dragon Quest 7 is woke for pushing critical theory in regards to understanding how historical revisionism can decontextualize an event and reframe it to make the perpetrators of harm to be the victims/heros?
@@DahVoozel Maybe? I mean in the context of that town absolutely you’re right. However DQ7 tells a lot of self contained episodic style stories each town is basically a different story with different themes. Each one revolving around helping it in the past and then going back to see it again in the future. That town is only one of many it only really starts having a main plot at the very end of the game.
It may be difficult for Americans to realize just how powerful the American cultural export / soft power truly is. it's incredibly powerful and shapes global culture much more than you may realize.
The thing about American soft power is that it's often pretty clear to the other countries what's going on. One of the big reasons for the rise of Kpop in, say, Latin America, is because it is breaking away from the American cultural hegemony. America has dominated world culture for quite some time now, and everybody knows it. Many are getting quite tired of it. With Japan, it's a bit different. Even in Korea itself there needs to be concerted campaigns to remind the youths of Japanese wartime atrocities to try to wake them up to the anime propaganda. The campaigns are kinda gross and dehumanizing, of course, but it shows just how masterful the Japanese approach is. And the craziest thing is that these Korean conservatives are losing. Even while the rest of the world becomes more and more interested in Korean cultural products, the Korean youths themselves have been becoming more and more infatuated with Japanese culture. Even Japan's greatest rivals are starting to churn out weebs.
@@markigirl2757 The Dollar is the US' most powerful tool. The King of Soft Power, globally; and it's not close. And the world accepted it, and built up the infrastructure to transmit them without US influence, decades before the Dollar took the title of Global Reserve Currency.
It's not soft power. USA nuked civilians to encroach further into China to use it as hard labor and did, including animation funding just fater Saudi oil established fake money in petrodollar. It was aspiration of Matthew C. Perry and then they irradiated Hawaii as a testing ground and bait, and branded it with federal voting rights AFTER THE FACT to justify "protecting THIS country" which hawaii was NOT.
@@ronel7836 Honestly so far I've seen weeb be more of the newer term for big anime fans while Otaku is more what older anime fans used to call themselves. That is what my perception has show me so far. Weeb feels more like the person watching Kimetsu no Yaiba, MHA, Attack on Titan. Otaku feels more like the person that watched Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell, Slayers.
@@ronel7836 They're roughly interchangeable with Otaku stemming from Japanese nomenclature while weeb stems from western (4chan) nomenclature. However in Western culture, weeb has more negative connotations implying the person is obsessed with Japan and wants to be Japanese themselves, while Otaku just implies obsession with Japanese media.
@@ronel7836 I've always interpreted them as being (essentially) the same, although i could very well be wrong about that. Besides, it's slang, which doesn't have strict definitions by nature.
@@ronel7836 As far as I understand it, western anime fans used to call themselves otaku, while weeaboo was an insult for them. Then calling yourself "otaku" came to be seen as cringe, and "weeb" replaced it as a self-identifier.
@@j.2512 Not just that. Wokeness is destroying any and all Sympathy for lgbtqialmnop people. And worst. Wokeness Pita Minorities against the Majority in Conflict. This will horribly affect any chance of the Minority being accepted into Society.
@@j.2512 If it's a choice between appealing to the rest of the world and sticking to our values as a tolerant, pluralistic society, then the rest of the world can get stuffed.
@@Nanook128 They clearly did as some people like kings or emperors likened their rule to be divine. Are you dissappointed gods turned out to be like this?
I’m 41yo far-left leaning Japanese pop culture enthusiast (and Brazilian🇧🇷) who lives in Japan for almost 20 years. I grew up with Japanese culture and ended up coming here to study and live in Japan, I can speak fluently Japanese and I can say this is the best video about Japanese pop culture I’ve ever seen in my life. Your video touched in so many aspects of my research I did here in Japan in my university years. I would love to have the opportunity to talk with you about all those issues. As you say, is pretty rare to find otakus who are left leaning, I’m one of those rare ones. Kind regards!
And bruh its cringe af to call yourself a otaku, was cringe 10 years ago when anime was still niche and cringe now, you should take a big look in the mirror and start doing some pushups or something god dayum you cringy
8:24 Ok, this has to be some misunderstanding of them trying to communicate that the turtles have webbed feet that allow them to speed through the water. In fact, you could even say they look like they are using their webbed feet like wings that make them able to 'fly' through the water. Anyone who's seen such a turtle move on land vs. water knows that such a description isn't a stretch at all. I note that the written description doesn't even suggest that the the turtles fly through the air at all, just the winged feet help them compensate for slow progress on land (vs. water, not air lol).
Yeah, of all the "people see foreign animals and describe them really poorly" examples I've seen, that one doesn't get anywhere near the top. Not when you have the... at least three? Totally mythological monster descriptions of giraffes to compare it off of, at least.
Back in college I came across another student's animation work on the subject of her identity. She was an international student from China studying art in the US, and her work was very clearly heavily influenced by Japanese anime. One line from her work was something similar to "if I consume their (refereing to Japan) culture on a daily basis, what is to become of me?" I think about this constantly.
As a German I've become pretty much alienated from my own country at this point. Although this has little to do with anime but a lot with my interest in history and old literature (which ironically enough is European culture, but we do not value it).
@@alexandergilbert1023not like it is only a personal problem. What will be of the cultures of the world in 50 or more years? The Homogenization tendency of modernity will be the only "progress" that all the people will know? There are better discussions about this matter, we need to be conscious about this. For example, in Colombia they started with etno-education. It's not only meant for the marginalized. Soft power, is just this. They (the USA and other European countries) aren't the status quo, and the only valid reality for existing. -A latinoamerican guy, sincerely. I felt it was necessary to mention this
Mmkay, saying that something else dwarfs US soft power really just drives home the point of "you are not immune to propaganda". US soft power or US propaganda is literally everywhere and is so ingrained across the globe. The US has so much influence, to a point where we don’t even recognize it as influence. And that is the ultimate success story for propaganda. Music, movies, fashion, greasy food, the internet, oh and UA-cam?, all that 'good' stuff is all 'soft'(propaganda) power.
American-style consumer capitalism, sanctity of international trade, and our very beliefs about human nature are a few examples of stuff that is so ingrained most people don't even see it's the product of propaganda. Most of your examples aren't that consequential to people's core values and beliefs, but it goes a lot deeper than just a 'style'. In Civ terms, it's the US that's won the cultural victory, and it's not up for debate.
But Americans can't even invent writing. All that American stuff is like a toddler making attemtps at Joss Whedon dialogue, to a normal person. One who casually learns multiple langauges, because their OWN is based on decent grammatical structure, not desperate memorization of contextual nouns. US "propaganda" literally doens't do much to affect a normal adult. It's so nakedly obvious how hard they try, Team America World Police barely registers as satire because everyone is howl-laughing already at your average stock of serious films. That's why serious foreign films are just goofy an exaggerated like german expressionism, that's the point of exaggeration. Because "the message" is not exaggerated instead.
"Music, movies, fashion, greasy food, the internet, oh and UA-cam?" These are all jsut a fraction in the lives of people where "american stuff" is the only visible thing to YOU. You have your temples at Nevada that worship gambling culture but even those are full of roman and Egyptian icnoclast, to deliver the subtle point who you copypasted these "inventions" from. Greasy food isn't even a thing, overseas McDonalds sells actual edible food, it's just a logo. Bascially it's just USA wasting marketing money to make global audiences think American food is as good as what is sold to them as McDonalds. It's a giant sign of "we have food as good as this too, trust me bro!".
@@sboinkthelegday3892 That's not what soft power means? If you don't think propaganda effects a normal adult, that means it's all the more insidious? US soft power is near every nation accepting a mainly US owned internet. US soft power is American social media being the norm in most countries that do not actively block it. It's the UN being centered in new york, it's almost every tech device running code developed by american companies
Soft-power of an country can be particularly important to immigrant population. The Japanese people from Brazil came as slave replacement, so people don't consider their desirable. The success of Japanese economy after WW2 and specially exportation of culture help a lot to change this view.
As someone from Okinawa, I want to point out that a lot of Japanese immigrants to Brazil were specifically of Ryukyuan or Okinawan origin. Not mainland Japanese. Especially for the time I presume you're talking about.
@@urphakeandgey6308 Probably for the better that the non-Japanese didn't know the difference, so that both Okinawans and main landers could enjoy the improved image.
but racism is another challenge that in my opinion japan never faced even if they are low class society in other countries, EU since the age of discovery in 16th favored japan no matter how ugly they are, japan is the only non-EU nation that can access europe and saw everything about Europe by raw, their misdeed in WW2, netherland India, European settler of comfort women that give birth to a child with no clue on who is his Japanese father was, and jews camp in asia, they still survived nuremberg trial, got reparation of image, and diplomacy, and nobody even care or even know, while Indonesian got criticize a lot and struggle with diplomacy.
55:00 - Just as a note: _Jet_ magazine was actually a Black owned and run newspaper. I think there's an interesting discussion here about how African American perceptions of the Japanese were influenced by their own backgrounds as a minority in America, but I understand that wasn't really the point of the video.
I stumbled on a very interesting-sounding book a while ago, that I haven't had a chance to read yet, about pro-Japanese sentiment among Black Americans prior to World War Two where some people looked positively on it as "the only nonwhite empire", which was all quietly dropped during the war and forgotten about afterwards. I'll see if I can find the title again.
Aha, here it is. It was an article not a book. Check out "When Japan Was "Champion of the Darker Races": Satokata Takahashi and the Flowering of Black Messianic Nationalism" by Ernest Allen if you can.
@@felonyx5123 funny thing about that. The Imperial Japanese mentality was inherently racist, calling themselves "the white man of Asia," whose mission was to "civilize" the peoples of Asia (compare to the notion of the "white man's burden"). Imperial Japan latched onto racist concepts from the West and only really pushed back on the notion that they, the Japanese, were inferior.
@@felonyx5123 It was not forgotten. Decades later Hip Hop took it as inspiration again, even for imagery and some names. Wu-Tang may be from a chinese movie but is one of many related examples.
While I find the video interesting, stuff like 2:10:25 is why you should always go to a primary source(s) of information, and not second hand sources, sans instances where the primary source is unavailable or impossible to find. While Dr. Brummer is indeed a respected figure in his field, The Diplomat is itself not an academic journal or publication. His piece in the Diplomat is made without any sources supporting his claims. In contrast, Takayoshi Yamamura, a professor in the Center for Advanced Tourism Studies at Hokkaido University, wrote a paper titled "Cooperation Between Anime Producers and the Japan Self-Defense Force: Creating Fantasy and/or Propaganda?" published in late 2017 in the Journal of War & Culture Studies. In it, Yamamura concludes that, while the JSDF did in fact collaborate with Gate, the collaboration was done completely in post-production. The creator of Gate is indeed ex-JSDF and continues to support them, and HE went to a local branch looking to collaborate with the JSDF, allowing some characters to be used in promotional material, not the other way around. So it was rather requests from production staff and regions that initiated cooperation with Gate (in this case, the author himself) and other anime. Not to mention the grant brought up in the video is from 2019, while Gate's anime concluded in 2016 (though the manga is still in production, to my knowledge) Granted you could say that the paper in question is BS, or that Yamamura is biased, or that Brummer's expertise lends itself as support to his claims, or (in the case of Gate) that even a more grassroots occurrence like the above still provides cause for concern in the larger context of the points brought up in the video. It was just instances like this (and another being Moon quoting the article that had the Miyazaki quote, rather than the interview said quote comes from) that, as a former academic myself, halted me from being fully persuaded
A channel called Study of Swords has made a response essay to this which covers the point you have brought up, along with other potential inaccuracies! I haven't yet checked the sources myself but if Study of Swords is to be believed, this video essay may be relying on a slightly unconventional definition of propaganda. Not to say that this video doesn't make some good points!
As a Japanese person, I have to say this is a very well crafted video. It hits many critical points and summarizes the social issues here, mainly in the creative sector. "Topdown is never cool" is such a true statement, but the LDP is dogmatic about this stance, and it is slowly suffocating every creative facet in this country which is now becoming more clearer than ever. I am very much against the LDP, and am really strongly hoping for its downfall. One important thing however, is that the statement "Japanese progressives have never been into power" is simply wrong. In the graph you exhibited multiple times throughout the video, you can see that there were a few periods in which the progressives became the dominant party (the ones that are not in green). Although these periods were brief, the LDP had been voted out a couple of times. It's surprising how you missed this important bit. I hope it was just a simple overlook.
"You don't need me to tell you about how extensive US Propaganda in media is, and if you do, let me know! Maybe I can make a video on that subject, too" Hi, this is me letting you know. I am very curious.
The major cultural exports for the US are music, television and film. The main propaganda themes are freedom of expression, religious tension is non existent, racial equality and harmony, money is very much not a problem for anyone, food is plentiful and cheap, the government protects people but is otherwise uninvolved in daily life, crime is rare, justice system is fair and favors the weak and oppressed, police are good, US military is awesome, consumerism is great.
@@awdsef1No mention of the glorious invisible hand of the free market, or how America is "the city on a hill"? I'm pretty sure the guy who invented PR, Edward Bernays, was into crafting an image for the world power
Unlike the rest of you, I *am* immune to propaganda. Now if you'll all excuse me, it's been a long day of helldiving on Hellmire, and I've worked up the kind of hunger only tripling the US defense budget can satisfy
That slow pan of the "Cool Japan Fund" viscerally took me back to studying Japanese in college and having to write sentences we would hear from episodes of "Cool Japan!"
The irony that “learning Japanese” is part of propaganda is that now that I can understand Japanese, I can start observing _real_ Japanese chatroom and publications and understand the _real_ issues and opinions of the society, not the ones with subs/dubs carefully selected for the ears of foreigners. It’s almost as if they’re encouraging you to get the ability to break through that propaganda itself…
@@juan-ij1le let’s just say they don’t pull punches when talking about what they think of other countries/nationalities….but they don’t pull punches when shitting on their own country either.
I'm latino and growing up I remember being always really jealous that japanese culture and media was so romanticized and beloved by seemingly everyone yet no one really cared about my culture 😂😭
Oh my god! As Brazillian from Rio Grande do Sul, I found it very heartwarming to see Moony caring about our situation with such devotion. I became a great fan of your work in the late months and I hope more people from my country to be able to enjoy the same good experiences and learning that I had with you. Your channel is a very necessary content in these modern days, and I miss seeing something like that in other UA-cam channels (that weren't just selling our own western propaganda). Thanks a lot for your work and passion, Moony!
The Northern Nations do not consider we, the Latinos western, because of some racist thing. So while we would like to, we aren't really in 'the club' of the Western nations, even less than Japan is.
@@irmaosmatos4026 are these three things the LatAm+Brazilian class+caste systems and the skin colours that come with them, amongst the many issues? In any Latin American country, colourism is a prominent issue amongst many people regardless of ethnicity.
I personally would love a video about the ways Japanese copyright culture treat domestic Doujin fanworks and foreign/western fanworks so differently. It seems like a pressing topic given the specific targeting of western Nintendo fan projects, and how that ties in with the national interest and what you suspect the future of that could be like in Nintendo's current dominating era.
It's a bit complicated, but IP rights in Japan, especially with digital assets are, in short, crazy. It's legal to get arrested for genning Pokemon or live streaming a VN. I wouldn't be surprised if NoA and NoE were focused as IP protectors in the international market to try and maintain the Japanese standard.
As a sort of 'online-Westernized' Japanese (someone who lives in Japan but spends most of his time on the web in the English speaking parts, watching videogame LPs, analyses, reviews, RLM, all that stuff), Something I find funny a is that I get an impression when I'm in the Japanese part of the web that your average person in Japan (a non English speaker) doesn't really appreciate or is aware of just how much the otaku culture has spread and gained popularity around the world (at least among those who regularly use the internet), simply due to their not speaking English and thus not really interacting with the wider interweb. I could be wrong about this, and my understanding of the people outside Japan, (or just, outside of my little sphere of personal friends and acquaintances, even within Japan) is very limited, but given how many people still regularly use the word like gaijin (a word which doesn't necessarily mean the speaker has a negative view on foreigners, but still hints the sort of "there's us, and there's them" kinda thinking or mentality) etc. suggests to me that people (especially those who are less educated or brighter) don't really know that, despite the cultural differences, there's like, normal people outside Japan who aren't too dissimilar to them (perhaps a different story for people/places with radically different social norms). And I kinda worry that, at a larger scale, this.. what can be called ignorance, could be exploited by malicious actors, whether it be ultra-nationalist types or hyper-progressive who want to get rid of borders altogether or something, and prevent intelligent discussion on whatever subject it is.
As a foreigner living in Japan, I have encountered the exceptionalist narrative to be a bit mind blowing. I've seen Japanese people ask if European headphones or earphones would even work the same with Japanese ears (this is a true story), and people are always taken aback when I mention that my quality of life didn't really change too dramatically (neither for better nor worse) after moving here from abroad. The food is great and the transportation is better, but that's about it. I have lived in several different countries so far, but it is a little weird just how "different" people here perceive me to be. Then again, most people are also pretty nice and at least polite to me (to my face, that is) and I also speak Japanese, which obviously helps make most interactions a bit more organic and natural.
A decent part of my childhood was spent around Japanese-American immigrants, both other kids and their parents. They basically accepted me, a white kid. While I was a poor student of the language, I adopted bits of the culture as my own through personal contact. Visiting Japan itself was stark in contrast, because the familiar elements were familiar, but the differences were obvious right away: "yeah, guess I'm always gonna be a foreigner here 😅" Even before I visited, there were things about that early experience that always put me at odds with the western media narratives and fan culture. When a person crosses the threshold into another culture they become more pragmatic and in some ways more able to change their ideas, but also more conservative and protecting of their heritage. The fan culture does not really do that: it stays at a distance that guards prior assumptions, so it makes up ways to misunderstand what it sees. And I believe the same can be true from the native context. I do think every generation sees things in a new way, and a Japan that takes on more immigrants is going to be a different place in other ways.
This video was quite sobering to watch while on my dream vacation in Japan, but definitely in a good way. It gave me a lot to think about not just about Japanese things I like, but American ones and stuff from other countries as well. Learning about the government initiatives behind Japanese products and the history between the West and Japan was very eye-opening. I would like to think I consume fairly mindfully, but it never hurts to re-evaluate yourself. Thank you for creating such an informative video.
As someone who moved to Japan to study in an international university, I can say with a certainty that Japan is completely different from what most people perceive of it. Many people are ignorant to the sheer amount of what I like to call soft racism in Japan against foreigners (it’s not overt or aggressive racism, its more of gently and politely being told you are not welcome). When trying to get an apartment I had to look through an insane amount of apartment complexes before I even found one that would accept foreigners. Even then I needed a Japanese guarantor in order to get the place, or I had to pay significantly more up front. I knew Japan had its problems before moving to Kyoto but I never truly realized the depths of them until I personally experienced the hell of house hunting as a foreigner.
I honestly think that the term "foreigners" softens what is ostensibly just "non-Japanese", and even that can be murky. Clearly Japanese people place great value in where one was born, but there is clearly a racial component to it as well, as many "hafus" (Half Japanese - half non-Japanese) still have difficulty integrating into the country, even when they know the language and culture just as well as any other Japanese person. So its also not just about where you are born, but also what it means to be a "pure" Japanese person, which I would argue, is extremely racist. This speaks to why, despite plummeting birthrates, still stubbornly refuse to allow more immigrants into the country. That's not even bringing up how they treat the indigenous Ainu people in the country. I think the romanticization of the country prevents people from acknowledging what it obvious, where people either don't seem to even want to engage with the topic, or outright refuse to acknowledge it existing. Japan is not a horrible place to be in, far from it, but its also not that great to be in if you are not from there. You can do everything right and still do everything wrong... Especially if you are dark skinned or Chinese/Korean.
While it sucks that it happens, it's not without reason. There are several cases of foreigners renting apartments and then moving away when the payments are due to avoid having to pay the rest of the money. The landlords can't exactly do much about it if they're in another country so the only solution is this ridiculous vetting process to make sure only foreigners who are trustworthy enough are allowed to rent.
I started my journey to understand other countries when I was 12, and I saw China with rosy glasses and then I began talking with Chinese people and I quickly understood, everywhere have problems. I am from Denmark and I grew up poor. That was why I wanted to understand other places to understand how fortunate I was to be in Denmark. And my specific understandings of the Japanese social issues came from studies. My master's degree is in cross-culture studies. So we did read about sexism, and discrimination. And Japan kept showing up, just like Korea did.
@@taiwanisacountrynice usernames but JP and KR does not had racism ,100 million peoples and 1 or 2 people being racist is enough to label a country as such Chinese are racist too but they gatekept themself from the english speaking world Korea is really sexist but China and Vietnam too when i was in VietNam for missionary work the government there tries to banned small breast women from driving
I find it interesting that in translating other languages, we often take the word "barbarian" and words like it for granted. A barbarian, which we define as a primitive person or people that lack culture and refinement; a people and/or person whom are uncouth and animal/beast like in their nature. The word itself is an Anglicization of a Roman word for the Berbers, a neighboring people the Romans were often at odds with, whom in turn were named as such because their language was unintelligible to the Romans. This word is so ancient that there is no people left to reclaim it or defend themselves against this slander, that it functions as -the word- to insult and belittle other cultures with; or to describe other people as monstrous or bestial or violent or warlike. Roman soft power condemned the memory of an entire people and their culture to what we now call people that we look down upon. There is, of course, a lot more nuance and circumstance to the etymology of the roman word "barbaros" but i believe my point still stands.
The Berbers are still here and they prefer the term "Amazigh" instead of Berber because that name itself is derogatory. The word is so ancient yet not ancient enough that because of the internet, and in the English language, people, or supporters of said people, are able to tell us to call them by what they prefer to be called.
re: the conclusion: people like Swift or Musk, or corporations like Disney, don't need you defending them. they have enough wealth to pay for every currently ongoing court case single-handedly. defending the billionaire means you've fallen for their propaganda. like them if you must but realize try not to fall for the game they're all playing.
@@SathornetfireBeing a normie means falling in line with the other normies no matter where the consensus goes. It's no better than defending the fat cats. Be yourself. Have standards, like a professional. Cultivate strong principles on your own and stay true to them. There is nothing wrong with having your actions be similar to what you call normies, but understand you have the freedom to choose your path and can deviate as you see fit. Don't be contrarian just for the sake of being contrary. That's just being an normie in the opposite direction.
I once talked about Ace Attorney and Japanese law with my weeb friend Randomly he got defensive and said "Japanese law is perfect, Japan don't have any crime"
Show him the brand new Japanese drama "Anti-Hero", it is litteraly Ace Attoney, but EVEN MORE in your face, how the Japanese judicial system makes everything (even literal illegal stuffs) to guarantee a condemnation of someone without a propper fair trial or without seek the total proofs and facts It even makes a small joke in itself talking about how the fact that Judicial system problems are often taked in entertainment
I find it funny considering Ace Attorney is a power fantasy where you play as a person so skilled they skirt around the prosecutors who always convict.
The "civilized" word often profess "innocent until proven guilty" (now we can debate on how well it's applied, but it would take too long). In the world of Ace Attorney, it's "guilty until someone else is proven guilty and confesses to the crime". Literally the first case of the first game, the person who found the body isn't even considered on the list of suspects until you prove he did the crime
As a kid my dad would tell me "if you want a car that will last get a Toyota". They got us with that soft power lol. (I still own our old 2003 Toyota Corolla, he wasn't wrong)
@freakshowDK it's Sanzaneeta Reef (Beta Mix) from the Siivagunner "High Quality Video Game Music Rips" parody channel. There's also Reunite (JP edition) which uses an Undertale soundfont
Huh. Sadly the German movie industry had emigrated to the USA after ww2, otherwise we would definitely have similar tropes. Our politicians are too old and make policies that favor the elderly
@@Delmworks a never ending cycle, one generation pushes forward a politician who serves their needs and he continues to cater to that generation even when it hurts the next one. only for the next generation to appoint another politician who does the same to the next generation.
Personally, I think actually going to Japan for a few weeks actually can work as a reality check, because after a while you realise that, while there are lots of great things about Japan, it's mostly like all the other countries with different upsides and problems
Exactly. Learning and speaking from your own experiences is infinitely better than getting swayed by others’s words, UA-cam videos, or media in general. My favorite saying is, “Don’t let anyone dictate your experiences, worldview, and thoughts.” My country is not perfect, and I want people to know that. No country is perfect, and that's okay. Message from Japan with love.
Goes for mostly every country really. That said, I'm from Ireland and Japan might be the actual most expensive journey possible here just in travel alone, so I've long abandoned any idea of visiting myself!
First video I’ve seen of yours. You’re a great communicator. It was very easy to follow your throughline even while you were navigating different subtopics and jumping through time periods. Mpravo
US when other nation has soft power be like: On the serious note, you guys have KFC, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Apple, Windows, Ford, Boeing, Marvel, Disney, and a lot more. It's everywhere, but we don’t even question it. It is so normalized to the point that it kind of makes me uncomfortable. People seem to latch onto Japanese or South Korean pop culture because it’s different from already normalized US soft power.
and nobody is denying this. Just because the video is about Japan doesn't mean US or Brits or whatever don't do this. There was literally a Movement in History about mimicking the French, esp in Poland because it was the hip thing to do.
Japan's soft power is far more interesting a case than the US's. They went from being seen as "literally worse than nazis" to "Kawaiidesu~! =^-^=" in the span of almost a single generation. Basically overnight. That breakneck cultural perspective shift is certifiably insane.
You missed the point, though partially true. Those brands mostly flourished in Asia, outside Europe. The problem is Japan was the enemy to those very Asian countries.
Gosh, I'm smiling so hard. You actually create a playlist for the background music you use?! It always kills me when I hear something that I can't look up afterwards. Thank you!
I find it interesting how you left out the unique relationship between Japan and Prussia/Germany. This relationship played a huge role in pretty much everything you talked about
@@rockedsocks4613 when Japan sought to modernize they decided to remodel their military and other societal aspects after one of the most powerful nations in Europe, which happened to be prussia at the time. This choice along with several others led to a fondness of Germany that can be seen even today. Even in the very Anime talked about in this video. There’s more to it but I‘m too lazy to write an essay 😅
finally finished this after watching in chunks over the last few days. i feel like this video has genuinely shifted the way i perceive my own media consumption for the better. thank you for putting this out there! i especially love how mindful you are about anticipating watcher confusions or objections without overly patronizing your audience. you are truly one of the most well-practiced video essayists out there!
It may sound odd or infuriating to some (very understandable, considering the circumstances), but there is a feeling I have as a Russian, observing Japanese soft power, and the way it works as you portrayed in this video. **Envy.** Maybe some different word, a bit different feeling, but very much something along those lines. My country's government is wasting resources down the drain waging a war. We don't have an industrial base producing consumer products which we could export a lot to grow the economy, we don't really have products which anyone would want to buy. Whenever the war ends, realistically there's no way we would have substantial investment into our economy. The fossil fuel we used to sell by the craploads to Europe won't be needed eventually, and we don't have much other stuff which could generate quick money. While Russian culture keeps being hampered by state censorship. I recently watched a five hour long "Entertainment From North Korea" video, and the end of that made me pretty sad. It showed basically a more extreme version of a simple idea: set a people free and their imagination can run wild. Here in Russia, the government instead has been doubling down on "locking" people's minds. Producing half-assed low quality propaganda (while surely stealing lots of money), parasitizing on Soviet legacy to an internal audience. What does the rest of the world know? Masha and the Bear and ballet? That's not enough. And even then, it's all tainted, seen as an instrument of aggression and imperialism, and my people seen as savage barbarians who won't ever change. Social media propaganda to screw up elections and whatnot certainly don't help. Even if the Japanese government is now using anime to advance their remilitarization policies, their soft power investments still produced something positive for the country in general: people abroad being interested in their culture en masse, learning the language, consuming their media, wanting to move to the country. While we burn our soft power to the ground.
We ain’t remilitarizing anytime soon tho. This country has gone too soft and divided for that. A lot of people will just protest against it. (I’m already seeing group of people with microphone at Kashiwa station in Chiba yelling).
@@Rasupubegasu From an American perspective I believe that your government is attempting to strengthen its military capabilities, insofar as trying to be a more helpful ally for America as it develops a coalition against China. I am for that to that extent. Although I am aware of some Japanese Irredentists who would take this much farther.
@@juan-ij1le Barring the financial connections to state corporations and the game also being kinda meh gameplay and story wise (could've used better writing), I think it was a very good move in a positive direction. Very interesting world, there's so much to be used creatively from our Soviet past in terms of entertainment (though the bad nature of it makes it a harder line to walk. I remember seeing people accusing the game of being Soviet propganada because you're playing as a KGB guy and he's not portrayed as evil, for example) More games, more experience creating games, better games in the future. Hopefully.
You want an example of the US soft power? The very fact that I’m writing this comment in English and I can watch this video and understand everything without my native language subtitles is a result of the US soft power. The impact of the home computer revolution alone has been massive (computer terminology, operating systems, programming languages, etc) and later on the internet revolution brought things again to a whole new level. And this is just the language and communication aspect scraping the very tip of the US soft power iceberg.
so youre basically seething that you know about the english language. very strange... growing up i thought that people in other countries cared about their own histories but as i've grown up i've learned, no - all they do is obsess about america. i believe this to be the result of state-mandated education where they blame america for their governments being so inefficient, poor, and corrupt.
@@hurr48 Excuse me, what? 😮 “Seething” is not the tone I intended the writing to sound like… at all! Instead of sounding angry I had a moment of energetic realization about the matter. I have zero regrets learning English completely voluntarily because of my curiosity towards computers. The investment has certainly paid off as English turned out to be the “Latin” for anything IT related and also allows international communication pretty across the globe on the internet. I tried to bring up how seemingly mundane things, which can be completely invisible for native speakers, can be the result or byproduct of a soft power effort. (I didn’t claim this to be a negative thing at all as soft power effort can be beneficial for all involved parties)
@@xard64 if thats the case then i apologize for you catching strays that i intended against the author of the original video and those who carry the most inflammatory of his positions. i just really got heated at how the guy who made this tries to air out his superiority and biased understanding of history against everyone who dares try and innocently enjoy media.
wouldn't english being one of the most widely used languages in the world be the fault of the british empire and their numerous colonies rather than the influence of the US?
I dunno. Growing up I lived behind an Italian family. Awesome people, possible mob connections or I just had an overactive imagination. But I watched the 70 some year old mother hop a chain link fence into my uncles yard to save his laundry that came off the line. Little old lady put Mario to shame that afternoon.
As you can see in the thumbnail, we have the face of Garfield the Cat as featured in the "You are not immune to propaganda" meme, adorned in the manner of Hatsune Miku as seen in the performance of "Senbonzakura", which is itself one of the most popular vocaloid songs by domestic consumption in Japan and also beyond, but that is steeped in Imperial Japan's visual style, and indeed, the song itself dwells on that period of time in Japan's history. Translation of songs and poetry is a tricky business, but I suppose it could be argued that the song does in some ways glorify that period, or at least look back upon it in a bittersweet manner, when it could be considered a period of time focused on gathering the strength necessary to dehumanize and subjugate their neighbors by force of bloodshed, and led to some of the worst atrocities known to mankind.
I always had this unsettling feeling about Senbobnzakura. Like, the song has lyrics that talk about a metal cage, a guillotine, and one about an ICBM, among others, but I could never pin down whether the song is glorifying Imperialist Japan, or is a telling a story about surviving through that era of Japan and celebrating its end with fireworks or whatever.
In Poland we have an idiom ("ze świecą szukać", ang. "search with the candle") when there is something hard to find. And it is hard to find such polished and comprehensive video-essays tackling such complex topics like this channel. Thanks a lot for your work :)
One thing that I'm surprised was left off as an example of Japanese "soft power" was the very idea of "Bushido" itself, at least as sold to the west in the early 1900s. Nitobe Inazo wrote "Bushido: The Soul of Japan"--in English!--to introduce the idea to Western audiences, in part to connect it to Western notions of chivalry, and to convince them that the Japanese too had high, noble morals and were just as civilized and refined. It was a deliberate propaganda effort to create a positive impression of Japan in the West, and also to justify Japanese imperial ambitions as being similar to Europeans' own. It worked: that is why even now, there is a stereotype of the Japanese as being about "honor" and "loyalty," which was twisted to be a negative stereotype in WWII but is also behind a lot of the more admiring/romanticized portrayals of Japan in the west, like the recent game "Ghost of Tsushima," the movie "The Last Samurai," and the "Shogun" book and TV shows. The "honorable, poet warrior" who would take his own life before dishonor is a type just as powerful as the fine arts described in the video. It still appeals to some Westerners who use it as a foil to perceived Western decadence. (I like how the video reminds us that this is not a new phenomenon at all.) But just like western chivalry, actual bushido was more a myth than a consistently lived practice, a post hoc justification of ordinary feudal domination and violence, usually codified long after the knights/samurai ceased to be an active fighting force in society. And both West and East drew on knightly/samurai imagery to justify their wars in the modern day, to devastating effect.
The old Great Powers are much less susceptible to culture in a way. The statesmen of the era have a sort of understanding of raw balance of power. Your cultural influence ends where my industry and army begins. No culture is so precious that it can prevent trading favors, influence and power in a great game of balance. The russo-japanese war is the turning point. When you can beat a great power, you are effectively part of the great power club. A great deal of the existing great powers start to view Japan as an upcoming great power or at least a regional power. Or at least as a regional power able to exert a sphere of influence and beat down the declining Russia. Then the USA and Wilsonian anti-colonial ideals start to spread, and what would have been okay in the brutal power balance of the Concert of Europe are not cool any more. The chinese nationalists go on their own relationship-tour of the world and the US public is largely sympathetic to them even if they might not want a Pacific war.
Ah yes Bushido, the way of superficial pride, vanity, intimidation, cowardice, and despicable. The samurai was legally allowed to kill any peasants who hurt his pride, given that he later report to the officials. In order to maintain face or reputation in situation of defeat, samurai must restore face at all costs. There were many stories of challengers who defeated a reputable dojo in a spar, but then got ganged upon and dissolved before they can leave, as the news of defeat will damage the dojo’s reputation. The obsession of fame is beyond imagination. The famous Musashi Yoshioka feud started as Musashi’s father defeated the Yoshioka in a comparison fight. Musashi later slayed 2 Yoshioka to elevate his fame, and the Yoshioka summoned all the disciples in order to end Musashi and restoring the clan’s fame. In kendo, the concept of kiai, is literally using a loud shout to intimidate your opponent. The art of iai, or skill sword drawing, was popularized by Rurounin Kenshin. It was initially developed as a skill to quickly execute and counter sudden/sneak attacks against opponents who are (probably) also sitting. This wired sounding skill is a matter of life and death for samurai outside of traditional battlefield. Samurai brings their sheathed katana to negotiations or hostile meeting, and are likely to get into fights if the negotiations goes wrong or straight ambushed and stabbed in the back. Iai practices on quickly drawing the sword from sitting and strike down the opponents or assassins. The quickly sheathing the sword and sitting back down acts as a show of force and, somehow, allows the negotiation to continue. I can probably go on about it all day. The more you know about Japanese culture the more you would be fascinated by it, and the more you despise the other side of it.
It is significant that you pointed out the diplomatic value of Nitobe Inazo's Bushido, but is there any objective basis for the part "justify Japanese imperial ambitions"? I think the general assessment is that it is a book to explain the ethics of Japan, a non-Christian country, to Westerners. Nitobe Inazo's Bushido was written in 1899, but it was not until 1911 that the Harris Treaty was revised and Japan regained full tariff autonomy in its diplomacy with the United States. In other words, Japan's international position at that time was weak and it was in danger of being colonized at any time, and in fact, in 1904, a war broke out between Japan and Imperial Russia and Japan was on the verge of destruction. This book was written in such a time. Japan was also suffering from imperialism.
Worth noting Hearn (the "first weeb") is more recognized in Japan than in the West with there being are multiple museums dedicated to him in Japan. His stories are fairytales, romanticised the same way we romanticise Greek and Norse myths (And not like the MCU, more The Pantheon Folklore Library with great respect given to the original tales.). Only major difference is that Hearn brought this folklore to a new, very different audience in the West. It's worth pointing out that Hearn is notable with no relation to Japonisme which reminds me more of European Egyptomania with similar levels of misunderstanding and appropriation. That said Hearn's fascination with Japan may have been sparked by some influx of Japanese culture to the West.
I should clarify that I've only read Kwaidan by Hearn, not any of his other work. Personally it didn't come off as painting a "Innocent Japan", (In the first story a blind musician has his ears ripped out by ghosts unjustly killed in war and robbed of their land.). It also didn't come off as something that could be used as nationalist propaganda, with no mention being given to the Japanese race, (Remarkable considering the time.). Not quite as outspokenly anti-war as Shingeru Mizuki's Yokai but also uncompromising in the brutality of old fairy tails.
The Egyptians were of the same blood as the later Europeans who "appropriated" things, whatever you're talking about there. So it's all the same culture and the same people. Few know this or appreciate the meaning of it.
I am a weeb. Well kinda. I am animation obsessed, not Japan obsessed. I am also a centralist when it comes to politics as that is a mess I don't enjoy or like to resurch in. So you can all me daft when you start to explain the plotics in anime. I never saw it or paid much attaion to it, as I was faaaaaar to focused on the animation and fluid connection of lipsyncing. lmao
I know some people who barely engage with Japanese culture and call themselves weebs and others who are deeply intrenched in it and out of a sense of pride insist they are not weebs. I think, and I know this comes across as vague, it's about having self awareness and keeping a open mind in regards to the way you consume media is extremely important, wether it be Japanese or not. This seems to be a theme across your videos but this to me felt like a ultimatum. Thank you Moon Channel for teaching your audience about macroeconomics, the importance of culture and the importance of questioning one's views!!
Its not that deep, bro. Weeb is just an umbrella term used to describe those into the anime subculture in the west. No one uses it as an insult towards japanophiles, anymore, the same way casual anime fans call themselves Otaku, and not the way the Japanese use it.
@@TheSonic497 Exactly, it's a very vague lable considering how mainstream anime is. My point is that regardless of how you may see yourself, don't consume media blindly.
The interesting thing is, the first animated TV show I ever saw through fully as a very young child was The Mysterious Cities of Gold in the mid-90s - a relatives friend had the entire series taped from back in the 80s. This was a Japanese-French coproduction, and it was *incredibly* damning toward the Spanish invasion of the Americas. And to be frank, I was probably too young to be watching it. It permanently affected my attitudes toward life, and my own identity, and caused me to massively reassert what my existence was as a white Australian. That this anime was a product of teams from two nations that are infamous for their brutal past colonial (and arguably still ongoing in the case of France) experiences, and the discussion that this video has brung, has made me realise how exceptionally unusual that series was in the context of both nations. I don't know if you're reading this comment, but I really appreciate this video. I also happened to grow up with the 60s Kimba the White Lion series (the 90s Canadian dub, incidentally), and it's only with time into growing into being an adult that I've realised just how many awkward themes seeped into that show. This video's managed to point out something I totally missed - and yes, I very vividly remembered that scene.
As buryat-mongolian, I realized my prejudice against Japanese and Chinese, despite being entirely overpowered by their cultures. That's not something I expected to learn from this video. Oh, and about soft power. My aunt proven that it works really well - at youth she first traveled into Japan, then Korea's doramas and novels took over, and now learning Chinese to travel in the future. And as I grew up, Russia made sure people here only know Russian, and the war in Ukraine is just continuing the soviet trend of erasing national identity. That just sucks
As currently people here don't have independency, let alone ability to project soft power, here's my attempt: Try out Buryat cuisine! It's easy to make, goes with any seasoning and aren't invented BS as it doesn't need to appeal to foreighers, it's authentic no matter how you cook it. Just avoid anything with dairy, it mostly tastes shit
Genuine question: what exactly R**sia did to make sure you only know R**sian and have no national identity? Don't jump to conclusions, I despise our dearest govt as any other guy in UA-cam comment section. It's just that I personally don't have that impression and am very sceptical of people with anime avatars
@@シミズルリ During soviet time: ethnic cleansing of many, restriction on culture and religion, sending people to Siberia and further. Nowadays: Limited education, nationalism, low living standards, disproportionate mobilization.
I hate my government regional university (Russian). It's like school, but somehow worse. Can't have debates with professors because they are "always right". And exams are too much to handle.
This is a video answering questions I’ve had for so long but have not been able to find something so concise and well researched. Thank you so much for your amazing work. Your effort does not go unnoticed, I’m subscribed now. Please keep it up.
I did Japanstudies in my home country (west-Europe) at university and we'd mock ourselves at times calling it "Weebstudies" instead of Japanstudies. Mandatory classes are language, history, art history, sociology and area studies (learning about the orientalism theory and the west vs. rest view) and there's a lot of directions you can choose to go into. I definitely started that with a certain fascination for Japan due to my anime watching like many of my peers, but over the years you also learn about some of those most nasty truths. Also, people who are only there to watch anime without subtitles will usually flunk, although not all. This video has got me wondering just a bit if calling that study course 'Weebstudies' is justified or if it is actually something that plays part in de-Weebing its students (or have those students flunk)... Especially if you define "Weeb" as 'fan of Japanese anime/popculture to the point they're no longer critical of the culture that produced it', a definition I'm not sure is considered absolute? I'm open to be corrected on this one, but I do think one can have a somewhat obsessive interest in anime/manga/etc. and still be very critical about the Japanese culture that produces it. EITHER WAY, this was a super interesting video and while I'd argue some historical context could have been left out or summarised more, I also love that kinda stuff personally and am very happy it is there. I just don't think it's always /that/ necessary for context. And meanwhile am baffled that a movie like Rashōmon, the first Japanese movie to win an Oscar and to kickstart a new (academic) interest in Japanese movie industry (especially so they can have something different then Classical Hollywood Cinema, CHC, to study and contrast) and the name Donald Richie weren't mentioned :0. I think this also just shows I had some courses on this subject in my life,,, which is true and I don't think it is or should be seen as basic common knowledge. It's too niche, but I guess can be another interesting case study for how Japan got cultural soft power again. (Although the entirety of Kurosawas work isn't always seen as super representative of the Japanese people by the Japanese people asked about this and they consider other directors as representing them better). I liked this video essay a lot and as this comment probably shows, it definitely tickled me brain and generated some thoughts and feelings on this subject from me!! Keep up the excellent work!
I am currently studying Japanese Studies, and literally after starting studying I have reduced watching anime. Good to know this is not just me. Feels like I am getting more immune to Japanese fascination, but I've got a new respect for topics in anime that I found obscure before
@@ahtheh Super cool to hear another Japanstudies student relate to my experience, I think it goes for a lot of students of this field (also including majors that focus on Korea, China and other "exotic cultures"). And maybe rather than your fascination for Japan disappearing it's more like it's shifting. With all the new knowledge you obtain it's hard to keep looking at the subject in the same way, but there's still so much interesting things, just differently. If those words strung together made any sense... it's past midnight for me here 😅
@@ahtheh Anime are cartoons. Fascination with anime in itself is nice, but most people just watched it because the most popular shows were cool with compelling stories that adults and children alike enjoyed. The same with manga. Some just took it forward and gained other interests in Japanese culture and Japan at large, or others became slightly “obsessed” with anime/anime otaku culture.
Been living in Japan for 8 years, now. Wife and home. I became interested in Japan through anime and manga as a kid, but studied at university to learn the actual history, language and culture. It's not the most fun country to live in, if you have trouble being social and making friends, because you will end up lonely. More-so tgan you might expect, even if you're already lonely in your home country. A lot of people who don't actually know Japanese culture come here expecting a mix of fun and difficulty, but end up feeling like Japanese people are two-faced and prejudiced. There is some truth to that, but not much more than the US or other foreign countries. The BIG kicker is that people are just not that friendly or talkative. They're polite, but that's a social expectation, not a reflection of individual kindness. People who come here get bogged down by intense loneliness and isolation. So, if you move here, be aware of these things.
@user-dx6eq2rg9b good luck, man. ✊ There's still lots of stuff to enjoy! Sorry if I seemed too negative. I just want people to temper their expectations. 😅
yeah... Everything felt very superficial and surface level when i lived there for 6 weeks as part of an internship. Everyone is nice and is like "what do you like about japan? Why did you come here" but it never goes deep it feels like. By the middle of that period i was feeling kinda depressed. this was while living with 15 other exchange students i'd have gone insane by myself. Edit:just to specify I am fluent in japanese.
Honestly I am already alone in my country, I don't feel like I even exist, it can't get any worse at this point. I don't mind dying alone if I at least get to live in a peaceful and safe country and spend my life studying all the amazing, fascinating, beautiful little things it can offer. I would be content with just that...
I’ve had this video saved in my background video essay playlist for ages, and now that I’ve watched it I’m blown away. This is by far one of the best, most informative, and most thoughtfully put together video essays I’ve ever watched not only on the topic, but across the board. The thoroughness of the evidence presented, the editing, the presentation of both sides of each argument and the care taken to be objective on each topic- all of it thoroughly exceeded my expectations and I feel set new standards. I watch a lot of video essays- like, a *lot* -and this video has absolutely put many of them to shame. It’s a beautifully presented, informative, and impressive monument to the work put into it. At no point during it did I feel like it was stalling, or that the information presented was a waste of runtime. Each topic ties wonderfully into the rest, and it was an absolute joy to listen to. Thank you so much for posting this. I feel better educated and better off for having watched it.
“You are not the things you consume.” Wow moony I was not expecting such a powerful life lesson and change of perspective from this video. But thank you. I feel a lot more at peace with the fact that I like Japanese media. Or even secular media as a whole.
your people are dumb asf not once did i say i was so fuck off already stop stalking me stop commenting on this fakes videos and sending the fake money its cringe im the guy youve been stalking in apex too you sore loser
_"The goal on Moon Channel is and always has been the betterment of the world"_ I'm really curious about your take on TikTok, from a legal perspective, but especially for its ramifications on the state of mind of our younger generations. Is that a topic that would fit your channel?
The USA states that TikTok collects about as much data as the other social media networks, using pretty much the same methods, but mainly opposes its ties to a foreign anti-american nation.
I still have to finish watching the video, but wanted to say thank you for choosing my state, Rio Grande do Sul, for the fundraiser. This entire thing has been heartbreaking, so it warms my heart to see people caring. It's a very common sentiment in Brazil that we're not seen. Thank you for thinking of us. Also, as always, very interesting topic and history lesson :) Looking forward to finish watching.
please make a video about senbonzakura!!! as a HEAVY vocaloid fan I always heard this song and I just got carried away by "oooh, how cool is the military look with the kimono sleeves, so cool" and only recently I went to see more in depth about these themes, like, this video alone was quite explanatory for me to have a better vision and understand more about this song, but I think it would be better to make a video explaining it in full: its lyrics, its imagery, it would be very informative and interesting ! So if possible, and if you are interested, I strongly urge you to do so!! Thats all ❤💕🇧🇷
I thought it was still primarily an anti-war song (like a lot of Japanese media is) but it obviously is meant to evoke nostalgia to a Japan long gone in terms of the aesthetics of the mv. I'm not even Japanese and I feel nostalgic.
Something that always stuck with me about Senbonzakura was a random news article about how japanese celebrities posted themselves singing that song on social media, seemingly out of nowhere, at the height of its popularity. At the time I was a teen and very into Vocaloid so I just thought of it as a normal thing; popular people did popular relevant thing on the internet but I still remember that to this very day for some reason. It's nice to know that it was most likely deliberate, for closure I guess. I want to note that it was indeed mean to use so much of Miku for imagery but I get your point. Also isn't that Ursula screenshot a spoiler...? What do you mean it's been 11 years 😨
I recently came back from a month long trip to Japan, and upon explaining what the trip was like, I realized how bizarre people's perceptions are of the country. Either people think it's literally like what they see in anime, or they think it's some utopia where everyone wears Kimonos 24-7. That is Japanese soft power at play. The country is nice, the people are (generally) friendly, and there are elements of it that also seem pretty dystopian. Doesn't mean it's a terrible place to visit... Unless you are a vegetarian.
From what I've picked up form personal experience and what I've heard through the grapevine, it's an amazing place to visit and an awful place to actually work and live. Perhaps not the worst place full stop or even among first world countries, but far from utopia.
I never thought of Japan as a utopia. Sure, I love the country and Japanese pop culture but I never once let fictional media disillusion me about the country. Perhaps it's because when I take an interest in something I study it, but I always find it cringe when some dude goes "Japan is the best country ever!!!" (Or something alluding to that).
@@Aka-Spade a lot of nerds outside of Japan think Japan is a paradise because thanks to their media consumption, they believe that Japan doesn't have jocks or sports culture and that smart kids can be the popular kids at school. The former is not true. The later has an element of truth in it.
@@leeratner8064 yeah, and since a ton of westerners don't bother to learn the culture or understand the country's issues, social commentary in some of the Japanese games and shows go over their heads completely.
Muito obrigada por ajudar as doações pro Rio Grande do Sul. Não sou de lá, mas mesmo assim, ver as noticias do maior desastre na historia do país é desesperador, as coisas parecem que só vão piorar no futuro e ninguém parece fazer nada. Ver um canal internacional como o seu trazendo atenção ao problema aqui traz uma esperança que esta faltando obrigada, moon
@@0008loser what is wrong about this? Outside of super specific random details. The whole topic seems sound to me and def lines up with a lot of soft power/political that have been pushed, often to hide a lot of shade.
@@0008loser if this video is wrong then that means all of the 12 sources listed in the description + the ones not listed like books mentioned are wrong That or you are just a rando full of BS Which one is more probable I wonder 🤔
@@Punkqurupeco I'm still going through the video, but if this video doesn't cover Azuma Hideo, then it's most definitely BS. No discussion on Otaku subculture is worth watching or reading if the source doesn't mention Tezuka Osamu's equal in terms of influence. There's way too many trash books in English that aren't any good because most of them don't bother with studying Japanese primary source material properly; they're too enamoured with their shoddy game of telephone.
Tapping in to say I'm 2 hours into the video, and yes: I would love a video dedicated to Senbonzakura. Not only is it something that I find myself thinking about a lot (what its relationship to Imperialist Japanese concepts is,) but it's something that I honestly struggle to articulate and thus talk about to other Vocaloid or Miku fans. Having a better thought out-- and probably more well researched than I could do-- video on Senbonzakura would be really interesting and helpful for discussion I think. Great video as always, Moony. 😊
I don't think there is much to discuss. It is propaganda, like most of Vocaloid and Hatsune Miku. But people just refuse to see it because they like the characters.
While it is true that these things do give a good impression of Japan, it must be said that the involvement of the Japanese government is wrong. Much of what is now familiar as Japanese culture has been abused by Japanese society. It is very sad that this is treated as if it were Japanese government propaganda. I felt that what has been created by the people is seen as a national achievement.
Evangelion has an N64 game, it used Super Marios 64 sound library. The results are amazing. ua-cam.com/video/b7T1SVnXYsk/v-deo.html&pp=ygUSa29tIHNzdXNlciB0b2QgbjY0
@@Keima_Katsuragi. Komm Susser Tod is the name of a song from the anime Evangelion played in the scene where everything goes wrong and comes tumbling down. Combine that with the game Super Mario 64, which became prevalent during the 1990s, when the Japanese economic bubble burst. Making it a perfect combination.
Godzilla was a manifestation of the Japanese reaction to the final year of fire-bombing and nuclear crescendo. Metaphor made more poignant by then current restrictions on speech directed for or against military power and America. Godzilla was war movie catharsis for the _millions_ of Japanese who had lost their family homes and starved for months only 10 years earlier. Certainly, monsters of Toho cinema represent the military powers of nations, tearing up the peaceful civilian world for mysterious and selfish reasons. Often the human characters' sole purpose is wondering at their motivations or developing a new means to control them. This remains the core formula even 60 years later. (Parallel in American cinema was Dr. Strangelove, just a few years later. However it didn't spawn 25 retellings.) I loved Paranoia Agent. Similar in tone to Death Note, but more unpredictable, almost to FLCL levels. Never once did I think "You know, I think they are explaining post-war Japan to me." But I can't remember which year that guy who was friends with Mao got shot, and the polite Japanese people almost overthrew their own government for considering rebuilding the military, and changing the american-forced constitution. I was astounded to learn about this. Japan received the most progressive advanced version of democracy, which we were then struggling to adopt in America. Eisenhower left with the warning that he had failed to contain the military industrial complex. We never caught up with the Japanese, and started to lose our best jobs and our middle class in 1981, as the foundations started eroding.
Two big points everyone should take away from this video: 1. It's important to think critically about the things you consume 2. Sucy is best LWA character
Except Sucy isn't - Sucy fucking sucks, the anime outright shows Sucy doesn't give a shit about Akko and only views her as a tool for her entertainment - Anyone who actually likes Sucy, is an apologist for her behavior, and especially thinks she's the best character, is someone who is clearly Evil, and thus is someone whose opinions I have zero respect for and do not view as a human being.
Watching this video after a video discussing Japan’s political climate in the 1960s was an amazing transition lol-definitely understood stuff better Super amazing video btw! I was engaged the whole time :0 i had no idea Japan had a whole system recording their coolness that’s insane 💀 it was also nice to end the video with a focus on self rather than what you consume, that was very wholesome :D
Everything is propaganda in it's own way if you think about it... Don't blindly agree with anyone, have your own mind while considering the interests and opinions other people may have.
Strictly speaking, ANY narrative that tries to convince you of ANY point is "propaganda." The thing is, people often use "propaganda" as a pejorative, meaning "trying to convince (usually other people) of something I don't agree with," so if you like McDonalds, you don't think a McDonalds commercial is "propaganda," but if you HATE McDonalds, then anything McDonalds puts in an ad is "propaganda" to YOU. Put another way, "propaganda" is just "persuasion" when you don't like what's being said. Pointing out that you don't think it's propaganda if you agree with it is kind of the point of the "you're not immune to propaganda" meme, although by another definition, you'd be a solipsistic idiot it you refused to ever let anyone convince you of anything, so it's not like a bad thing. It's that kind of connotation game that most people are playing, and the strict definition of the term is often irrelevant to what people actually mean.
That the Korean gaming market is even now still largely dominated by American video games feels like a major butterfly effect. If Japanese cultural imports were never banned, would these American games still have been so big in Korea?
Honestly I somewhat disagree with a lot of points on this video: For example I'd argue that Japan never even tried to export its media (anime and manga), fans brought most of that culture to the west and western studios in France and Germany outsourced their animations to Japan in the 70s and 80s a lot. The video makes the argument that Japan purposefully tries to appear kawaii or anime but the majority of this media is just for japanese as escapist fiction and if it wasn't for all the westerners who learned japanese in the early 2000s or western tv channels that tried to fill these program with shows from another country then the image of Japan would be more like it was in the 20th century. The anime and manga market never even occured for many japanese to be interesting to westerners and they only became more international as they noticed the growing interest, demand and possibility for profit. And even now it's a mess, the amount of works that will never receive any translation is insane. The Japan-hype simply happened because cultural products from a different and secluded culture suddenly flooded the internet and modern western culture with a lot of ideas and style foreign to western media. Due to the working-culture there's also an abundance of art because they are working so hard at creating, drawing, writing and animating as well, creating an insane amount of works to consume. Otakus and weebs are like punks or metalheads of the 21st century in the west, it's a subculture and like the subcultures in the 20th century it will slowly feel more "normal". People don't bat much of an eye at metal now either or punk. All of this has been driven a lot by the novelty of the now more interconntected world and youth that has been seeking their own niche. Already the next 2 generations will likely not be hyped about it anymore to the same degree because they will grow up being used to japanese games and anime and all that being a thing. Also Japan being so closed off played a large role in the idealization of the country. As more information becomes available a lot of people are getting more reality checks now or even disillusioned about the different values. So all in all I don't think it is soft power play, most of what the west currently considers japanese culture is an aspect of "nerd culture" that is not even really on the mind much for japanese people and they're also not all even avid consumers of otaku culture. Like I'm sorry but it's not always about politics and just because it has influenced the image of Japan in the west in recent years, doesn't mean this was a result of politics or policy. Like soft power and creating an image with Japan may be a lot of things, like the way we perceive Samurai for example as noble upright warriors, but otaku culture is really not it.
Japan has never attempted to export their own media and it’s all done by fans??? Do you think Japanese business people are naive like you? Good lord this is the most delusional comment I’ve seen in this comment section. What a charlatan
No you should really learn to read. Nowadays this is obviously not completely the case anymore AND we are talking about the history of anime and moe-culture in particular in the video and how they got to the west. Some movies (usually with real actors) were always exported from japan to the west and could clearly be seen as a display of soft power, but anime and manga were not it. You can look at the history of how they came to the west. The first anime to be exported to America for example was Astro boy and the reason it got over to america was a man called Fred Ladd who went through many hurdles to get that anime to the west and people didn't even like it at first. In France and Germany you had film production companies that looked in asia for the production capacity to create serial tv shows because they themselves lacked the ressource and they eventually ended up working with japanese animators which is how a lot of the big early anime ended up on western tv. Not because japanese tried to import it but because a man called Jean Chalopin with his company wanted long-running regularly running animated series on french tv but they lacked the expertise in this. In Germany a lot of the older Kid's shows came to be in a similar way by using the skills of japanese animators. Eventually a bunch of (heavily edited) long-running anime from japan also ended up on western tv as well to fill tv-slots which in turn created a lot of anime fans. The first anime convention in america in the 90s in New York only ever had raw anime and then people begun to sub them. The vast majority of anime fandom was fandriven for many years by fansubbers, even crunchyroll the probably only really legal way here to watch the majority of anime with translation nowadays began as a piracy website in the early 2000s before they eventually became an official legal alternative.
i think one of the funniest, yet understated revelations this video brings is the fact that, one of the greatest enemies the whole anti-localization cultural war faces? the one nominally built upon the principles of freeing japanese culture and media from the evils of foreign cultural influence? it's japan
Or to be more specific, certain parts of the Japanese goverment and political factions. There are both allies and enemies within Japan of both sides of that culture war.
its because dumbass japanese boomers don't understand how modern culture actually works, they see anime being popular in the west and think "we need to change our products to appeal to them" without realizing that it's specifically the japaneseness that's appealing; basically the classic story of niche thing becomes popular niche thing changes to appeal to a "broader audience" niche thing loses what made it popular in the first place we don't need localization, we don't need rice balls (or "onigiri" to the more hardcore weebs) to be jelly donuts, we just need to know what they're saying, as close and as literal as possible to the original as possible, and if that involves using TL NOTES (this kills the lolcowlizer) to explain watashi/ore/boku/atashi/etc, then so be it
For example in persona 3 reload, during the operation babe hunt, they change a scence with a cross dress man luring men to a woman who was a nut. Some people call the localization messing with original, despite this change being the Japanese version of reload. Meaning even the native Japanese audience had problems with it.
Not to mention if Japan was successful in remilitarizing, would the Japanese population who has been softened as otaku and neets want to support war or even join the military?
I just want to let you know-I love the historical deep dives. They absolutely matter, and I always learn something new. Keep it coming, Moony. Your work is very much appreciated.
Not always the case. You can enjoy things without agreeing with the underlying messages and themes of them. You can also enjoy things while realizing they’re not an accurate representation of reality.
My first exposure to Japan was Spirited Away, along with other anime that showed on the normal American cartoon channels. Kid me could tell it was something very different from my home culture and it planted a captivating seed in my head that bloomed into my obsession with Japan.
I did not know it reached THIS far. I knew that there was propaganda, but not to this extent. That shows how Japan is the best at it, the idea slowly cultivating inside one's mind. Like you said, we just need to be aware. Just as I suspected the tanks and battle ships were getting maybe too prominent in gacha games... Also, imagine my surprise when you talked about thr Brazil foundation at the end! I'm from Porto Alegre, RS too, and I got to saw the disaster first hand. Military helicopters and trucks for week, and everyday the radio's news only got worse, for a time. I hope that commenter is safe and alright now. Thank you so much for the care and contributions! I'm off to rewatch your Brazil-Japan video once again.
It seems Japan soft power initiative was successful in China. My girlfriend is Chinese and says most young Chinese have a highly positive image of Japan because their love of anime and Japanese video games. She told me it’s a considered an honor among young Chinese to study in Japan. She also feels most young Chinese have forgotten what Japan did to China during WW2. Though she doesn’t dislike japan , she enjoys anime and knows a bit of Japanese, she just think Japan needs to owe up to what they did to China
@@nicksterpick I really wouldn’t know, I’ve never actually been to china. Me and my gf’s relationship is long distance. My girlfriend told me there’s still a lot of feelings of animosity among multiple generations over japans WW2 atrocities against China that gets passed down even to little children. My gf said she once had a little 4 year old cousin tell her to never marry a Japanese man.
IMO, It actually is more a counter-culture itself than the Japan soft power, in CHINA CASE isnt a bad thing, since most of mainstream chinese gov controlled media tend to teach Chinese how hate Japan and how chinese MUST desire harm and destruction to Japan constantly, propaganda non-stop focusing in hate and despise Japanese while there has over expouse to the problems they suffred by the Japanese in past. using those problems as a way to make them see the non-chinese outsiders as the enemy instead of the alç-powerful goverment and party In fact the Chinese Gov and extreme chinese han nationalists are cracking down in anything Japanese at moment, there has a video that became viral in last feel weeks, where chinese nationalists abuse and annoy the hell of two girls that happen to like Kimono and were using them to just take photos
@@nicksterpick okay talking from a country with similar history, they couldn't careless, it is not like the young people now speak Japanese and hail Hirohito in front of them man. History is history, if those Japanese medias are allowed to be imported into the country, by the government then what the older generation can do
"engage with the content with a nuanced perspective" This is such a good line. Very good advice for all media, but I don't know if this is more relevant anywhere than in the Warhammer universe. Very good advice.
This'll be an interesting one. I actually did learn about the whole Japanese soft power strategy and the systems behind it in university, there was a whole introductory freshman seminar on it from the Japanese department. Of course the Japanese department very much liked Japanese soft power, because it means more people who want to learn Japanese, and thus them keeping their jobs.
While I might disagree with the idea that Japanese soft power is overall greater than American soft power past and present, I could totally understand the former's application of it having less hegemonic overtones that often have other countries go full protectionist to save their media industries (Canada is a prime example with the whole dedecated Canadian airtime thing. Not to mention China's restrictions on foreign films, namely American ones, though China is more than established enough to not be drowned out by Hollywood blockbusters.) I sadly have been up for a full day before this video went live at 2PM and thus will not be able to comment on it. It'll probably be good. It'll probably mention the early Japanophile art movement as a precursor, and I'm certain that given the whole Imperial overtones, it's going to cover how Japan uses it to go "What war crimes, gaijin? 🤷🏽" I may not be immune to propaganda, but I'm also not immune to sleep deprivation more so. Oyasumi Nasai Moony. Let's pray for the glory of the emperor.
Yeah, American soft power is definitely greater. I hear so much more from foreigners about all the American content etc that has been exported. Anime and the like doesn't come close.
@@FunctionallyLiteratePersonAmerica always had hard power that they didn’t need to use soft power vs Japan had to develop soft power. I think it’s subjective to say who has more soft power tbh
@@FunctionallyLiteratePersonthe key to Moony's argument is the big "but" in this comment. Japan is arguably better at it because their approach may very well be sustainable, whereas the American approach has begun tumbling down, tumbling down, tumbling down. It's akin to calling the ninja more lethal than the samurai. The samurai dominated Japanese military among the various clans, so they objectively held more power. However, that doesn't change the fact that the small enclave of ninja warriors were generally more skilled than the average samurai and thus "better."
2:02:00 A note, the LDP was out of power from 2009-2012. The Socialist party also was in power for a time in the 90s. The LDP and its ancestors and descendents are dominant in Japan but not as much as you made it seem.
its rare to see this much consideration and nuance put into a video, and i thank you for not politicizing more than you needed to, despite the subject matter. your conclusion part has put a smile on my face, and i thank you for that too, it meant a lot
With regards to the apparent debate of how much of LWA was deliberate propaganda, I suspect its case is closer to why Estonian oligarchs would fund a game like Disco Elysium, the CCP would eventually come around to supporting previously-underground filmmaker Jia Zhangke despite his continued focus on the seedy side of Chinese society, and why South Korean officials were happy to celebrate the success of Parasite despite its direct indictment of Hell Joseon; sometimes you just want to support something that people like and benefit from the glow of its popularity, even if its actual message might not match your own beliefs/goals.
![Chris Langan - The Interview THEY Didn't Want You To See - CTMU [Full Version; Timestamps]](/img/n.gif)
Hi everyone! With regards to the fundraiser, apparently UA-cam has to approve the Brazil Foundation first. I didn't realize, at the time of posting, that there would be this hold-up.
I'll update the fundraiser the moment I can, but please refer in the meantime to the description! Thank you all so much for supporting this cause with me.
- Moony
EDIT: It's been half a day already, and it is still processing. If this approval process ends up taking too long, I'll carry the fundraiser over to the next video. I sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.
Howdy, and thank you so much for pinning this instead of the ad read. For the peanut gallery that usually manifests on those kinds of comments, to explain why Incogni isn’t a good investment for privacy:
Incogni and other data removal services do need your subscription money, unlike most major platforms, because the task is a constant process. You are not buying a magic bullet, you are hiring a qualified data janitor with the tools to keep yourself clean.
In theory.
In practice, the way most of those services operate is mass-sending requests to take down user data to a list of companies that may have your data. Given that the current system of data removal in the States is intended to be done manually, such takedown requests also require you to list the personal information that needs removal from the system.
You will be paying 15 dollars a month to have a middle man give an email list of data brokers your personal data, the one you don’t want on the internet.
This is somehow a worse idea than NordVPN
UA-cam doesn't approve my succinct 3-paragraph rebuttals, but I wonder if name dropping Netanyahu would change that.
Hey Moony, is there a chance that you could list sources for the music used in the video? I'm specially interested in the various mash-ups that appeared throughout! Cheers from Brazil, and a heartfelt thanks for your donations to my home state of Rio Grande do Sul
I wasn't able to find your email in the chanel description, am I looking in wrong place?
@@Neillius-Crafter It should be visible under "view e-mail address" in the Channel Details!
I think you get one thing wrong, and that is claiming Japan is the #1 at projecting soft power. I'm sorry but the US is #1 and it isn't even a contest (coming from a non-American). The reason we don't really get the impression that the US is this soft power behemoth is because the US has been so proficient in projecting soft power that it has been normalized and integrated everywhere.
I think we are also more used to thinking of the US soft power and pointing it out. I can watch a US movie and recognize that the caped heroes only visit Paris so the monster of the month can topple the Eiffel Tower before they bug out and do something else. And that while I am familiar with the New York portrayed in one movie after another, the US audience watching the same movie would be unable to place my national capitol on a map.
I think maybe 1st world countries migh feel it less, idk, but the 3rd world cutlure is being taken over by USA. I live in a small town in south america and I've seen this town change so much over the past 20 yrs, with introduction of Subways, McDonald's, Starbucks, etcs. People here would never care about those fast foods yrs ago, our local cuisine is very popular, but today they feel pride in eating them, they drink north american beer brands, they follow their politics, USA musicians are worshipped like gods. Japanese incluence here is also strong, but not like USA is
I think Japan does win the "internet culture war" tho, and that might be where Moony's perception comes from
USA soft power is unmatchable despite Japan's successes. Seriously that fact that English(USA English at that) is the most use secondary language says it right there
A quick test: how many people are wearing jeans compared to kimonos?
Jeans. Pop music. Jazz. Rap. Essentially 90% of the film industry. Evangelical Christianity and its vague imagery being rapidly exported across the globe. Jeans again. Yeah, seriously. It's not even a little close.
Video: 😪
Video, Japan: 😱
Video was more about western culture in general ngl
@karaqakkzl because Japan and America have different views regarding this kind of stuff.
why can't we like western culture and civilization ?
@@luizmonad777 The thing/thing japan joke is satirizing the fact that a lot of people nowadays have a romanticized view of Japan and respond more positively to things related to that country than their non-japanese counterparts. It does not implicate that you cannot like western culture.
@@luizmonad777because you angloids destroyed it, angloids created liberalism and by angloids i mean america mostly
"Don't define yourself by the media you consume, lest you find your opinion being bought" goes hard
It's ironic that "goes hard" is slang that was taught to you by American hip hop culture.
some art is better-funded than other, and if you stick to inner standards of taste, then letting media influence your worldview is no worse than taking advice from people who impress you as trustworthy or wise.
"Be careful about building your identity around something being sold to you, lest your values end up being bought"
Your paraphrased version hits the same notes, but please use quotation marks only for quotes.
2:27:00
Also, I kinda disagree with this point a little bit... unless I'm misunderstanding the phrasing.
The shows you watch, the video games you play, the music you listen to and the other forms of media consumed can really paint a vivid picture of someone's personality, more than words can. It's also really fun to share your interests, like I like to share all my fandoms on my Steam profile for example. Indeed, a lot of people on the internet will use avatars from the media they consume, they might talk a lot about a show they really like, hell they may "brainrot" or "hyperfixate" on a character they really like.
I think thats completely fine as long as it doesn't get out of hand or bother people with it, and they allow everything to have nuance (and they arent super weird about it). It's really nice to find out a friend plays the same game you do, or listens to the same music you do. Everyone has their cringe phase after all, but simply having interests isn't cringe. Just how you act about them.
Japan has good music, and bad music, good games and bad games, good shows and bad shows, good food, bad food, just like any other country. But because it's already easily shared due to its history, more people will be familiar with its culture than compared to something like Kazakhstan or another country that doesn't have many global stereotypes.
The only thing special about the country is how good it is at furthering globalization. All countries have hardworking and talented artists, but exposure matters a lot.
Media like video games, movies, shows, etc. can help you escape into another world, get attached to brilliant stories, hear beautiful music, and indeed teach you GOOD morals
I get what Moony means by view everything with nuance; All countries have unique culture, some aspects good, others bad, but if the media you consume just so happens to be from Japan, it doesn't mean you view them as perfect beings.
Maybe I misunderstand though... I've seen the terms "weeb, weaboo, otaku" thrown around a lot, but their actual connotations elude me. Some say they are degenerates who never leave their house, put JP on a pedestal, etc. whereas other times its just "a lighthearded term used by people who consume a lot of JP media"
So I don't like using those terms since they're rather confusing... to describe myself, for example, I only watch a little bit of anime here and there, but I listen to a lot of vocaloid music and enjoy a few related rhythm games here and there.
As for "be careful about becoming a gamer", I thought that term always had a neutral connotation as just "someone who plays a lot of videogames" and so I always call myself a gamer because, well.. I've been playing games since my childhood with the gamecube.
I wouldn't like to say I'm "obsessed" with the country itself. I think the "thing, japan" meme is a bit disingenuous, but then again it's just a meme, I just hope nobody takes it seriously.
Then again, maybe there are people like that who exist... I don't know.
I do like the culture (stuff like the music, modesty, and im ngl more traditional clothes like kimonos for example look good imo, despite never ever even being a fashion guy. I just wear whatever tshirt and shorts i got in the closet most days, but seeing different clothes from different places around the world is cool to me. Cherry trees perhaps are pretty to us because we don't have them, whereas I'm sure to natives they don't look as good since they're used to it. Few countries can say they have a common tree with pink flowers, you know)
But the admiration is not because it's specifically Japan, but because it's different / a breath of fresh air from America's culture which is the only one even more global than Japan.
And I know it can happen in reverse too! Just look at Hideo Kojima, haha
But as for SOME of the specific media that came from it, I really enjoy a lot, maybe to an obsessive degree, for example Bocchi the Rock! being my favorite show.
*The way I see it, the country my media comes from is irrelevant to my enjoyment of said media. You are a product of every piece of media you've ever consumed, every person you've ever interacted with. So defining yourself first by all of your interests is completely fine IMO. As long as you are smart about it!*
A lot of the music I listen to *just so happens* to be from Japan by pure chance alone, the country is irrelevant.
“We can have a little propaganda, as a treat” is basically my philosophy when it comes to media consumption
Ill pay for this game in consuming advertisments
That's a good rule
21:33 The traditional dress looks better, the western one looks generic and she looks like a dude
31:31 lol
32:00 So it was a good thing at first because it was against Russia?
43:27 What is currently happening to the Palestinians 🇵🇸
1:10:33 Entire Anime industry or the ENTIRE Japanese industry!?
2:06:50 But in AoT the island got nuked in the end?
There is a scene from Dragon Quest 7 that has always stuck with me. You go to town in the past (time travel is a huge element of this story) where it is besieged by misfortune. There is also a monster there as well who does not speak. The villagers blame and attack the monster for all their problems. Your party eventually finds the source of the problem and destroys it. Turns out the silent monster was a priest he had agreed to bear a curse and protect the villagers but he could not speak or the monsters who cursed him would destroy the village. The villagers upon realizing apologize to the priest and treat your party as heroes. That night the priest leaves knowing that the if he stuck around it would only make them feel even more guilty. The villagers upon realizing what has happened choose to never forget your party’s deeds and the priest who suffered choosing to become better people. They then memorialize these event in stone.
Fast forward to the future (about 100 years) the villagers still remember what happened. However the narrative has been altered it is now framed as the villagers being the heroes and your party being villainized and in league with the monsters!!! The villagers over time had become upset at their actions instead of learning they chose to retell the narrative even changing the stone tablet. You then stumble upon some kids who have found the original tablet. Learning of these event you take the tablet to the mayor he then thanks you and then destroys the tablet to prevent the truth from getting out. Only the kids who have found the tablet and read the true events know what actually happened. They agree to tell the original story to any who will listen.
A lot of what you discussed in this video reminded me of this. As the saying goes “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Thank you for reminding me about that scene - it was super powerful when I played that game a few years back.
Right
When did people ever learn from history? I must have missed it.
So does this mean that Dragon Quest 7 is woke for pushing critical theory in regards to understanding how historical revisionism can decontextualize an event and reframe it to make the perpetrators of harm to be the victims/heros?
@@DahVoozel Maybe? I mean in the context of that town absolutely you’re right. However DQ7 tells a lot of self contained episodic style stories each town is basically a different story with different themes. Each one revolving around helping it in the past and then going back to see it again in the future. That town is only one of many it only really starts having a main plot at the very end of the game.
It may be difficult for Americans to realize just how powerful the American cultural export / soft power truly is. it's incredibly powerful and shapes global culture much more than you may realize.
I wouldn’t call it soft more like hard power considering our military and economical influence to most countries
The thing about American soft power is that it's often pretty clear to the other countries what's going on. One of the big reasons for the rise of Kpop in, say, Latin America, is because it is breaking away from the American cultural hegemony. America has dominated world culture for quite some time now, and everybody knows it. Many are getting quite tired of it.
With Japan, it's a bit different. Even in Korea itself there needs to be concerted campaigns to remind the youths of Japanese wartime atrocities to try to wake them up to the anime propaganda. The campaigns are kinda gross and dehumanizing, of course, but it shows just how masterful the Japanese approach is. And the craziest thing is that these Korean conservatives are losing. Even while the rest of the world becomes more and more interested in Korean cultural products, the Korean youths themselves have been becoming more and more infatuated with Japanese culture. Even Japan's greatest rivals are starting to churn out weebs.
@@markigirl2757 The Dollar is the US' most powerful tool. The King of Soft Power, globally; and it's not close. And the world accepted it, and built up the infrastructure to transmit them without US influence, decades before the Dollar took the title of Global Reserve Currency.
It's not soft power. USA nuked civilians to encroach further into China to use it as hard labor and did, including animation funding just fater Saudi oil established fake money in petrodollar. It was aspiration of Matthew C. Perry and then they irradiated Hawaii as a testing ground and bait, and branded it with federal voting rights AFTER THE FACT to justify "protecting THIS country" which hawaii was NOT.
The problem is that it's massively based on the hard power from world war 2
Yknow what would have been a funny sponsor.
One of those japanese snack delivery companies
Lmao when he went to the sponsor I legit thought he was going to say it was Bokksu or something lmao
Tokyo treat and sakuraco?
I'm ngl those snack boxes ain't too bad
I love that you put a "Brazil Mentioned" meme everytime Brazil is in fact mentioned
That closing paragraph warning against falling into over-consumerism and weeb/otaku culture is a much needed reminder, and very refreshing to hear.
I have a question: What's the difference b3tween Otaku and weeb, or do their meanings intertwine with each other.
@@ronel7836 Honestly so far I've seen weeb be more of the newer term for big anime fans while Otaku is more what older anime fans used to call themselves. That is what my perception has show me so far.
Weeb feels more like the person watching Kimetsu no Yaiba, MHA, Attack on Titan.
Otaku feels more like the person that watched Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell, Slayers.
@@ronel7836 They're roughly interchangeable with Otaku stemming from Japanese nomenclature while weeb stems from western (4chan) nomenclature. However in Western culture, weeb has more negative connotations implying the person is obsessed with Japan and wants to be Japanese themselves, while Otaku just implies obsession with Japanese media.
@@ronel7836 I've always interpreted them as being (essentially) the same, although i could very well be wrong about that. Besides, it's slang, which doesn't have strict definitions by nature.
@@ronel7836 As far as I understand it, western anime fans used to call themselves otaku, while weeaboo was an insult for them. Then calling yourself "otaku" came to be seen as cringe, and "weeb" replaced it as a self-identifier.
"The US has no friends, only interests. And things were about to get interesting."
Might be the hardest line I've ever heard in a UA-cam video essay 💀
@@j.2512 Not just that. Wokeness is destroying any and all Sympathy for lgbtqialmnop people.
And worst. Wokeness Pita Minorities against the Majority in Conflict. This will horribly affect any chance of the Minority being accepted into Society.
@@j.2512 If it's a choice between appealing to the rest of the world and sticking to our values as a tolerant, pluralistic society, then the rest of the world can get stuffed.
Yeah. Hard to top that
@@j.2512hello I‘m a LGBTQ from the rest of the world. Stop watching right wing news and go touch grass
@@j.2512 No, that's just your bigotry speaking.
_"The emperor was demoted from god to politically powerless figurehead."_
Damn, what a demotion.
Getting turned from something that doesn't exist to something that does seems like an upgrade to me
Still better than my job
@@Nanook128 The emperor existed, thus god existed. Then demotion happened and the emperor is a puppet for other powers to use.
@@VVabsa gods cannot exist though.
@@Nanook128 They clearly did as some people like kings or emperors likened their rule to be divine.
Are you dissappointed gods turned out to be like this?
I’m 41yo far-left leaning Japanese pop culture enthusiast (and Brazilian🇧🇷) who lives in Japan for almost 20 years.
I grew up with Japanese culture and ended up coming here to study and live in Japan, I can speak fluently Japanese and I can say this is the best video about Japanese pop culture I’ve ever seen in my life.
Your video touched in so many aspects of my research I did here in Japan in my university years.
I would love to have the opportunity to talk with you about all those issues. As you say, is pretty rare to find otakus who are left leaning, I’m one of those rare ones.
Kind regards!
Bro you cannot be far left and into japan the most xenophobic country in existence
And bruh its cringe af to call yourself a otaku, was cringe 10 years ago when anime was still niche and cringe now, you should take a big look in the mirror and start doing some pushups or something god dayum you cringy
It's my sleepover, I get to select the movie!
You all gon LEARN tonight!
If you did this with me in attendance I would of went from guest to bestie
i love hanging out with the queers and pondering power politics
Good, I wanna get invited too. Btw, what's the snack.
@@ishitapandey2037 Sushi with regional filling. Viva la globalizacione!
8:24 Ok, this has to be some misunderstanding of them trying to communicate that the turtles have webbed feet that allow them to speed through the water. In fact, you could even say they look like they are using their webbed feet like wings that make them able to 'fly' through the water. Anyone who's seen such a turtle move on land vs. water knows that such a description isn't a stretch at all. I note that the written description doesn't even suggest that the the turtles fly through the air at all, just the winged feet help them compensate for slow progress on land (vs. water, not air lol).
I'm so glad that someone made a comment about the flying turtles!
Yeah, of all the "people see foreign animals and describe them really poorly" examples I've seen, that one doesn't get anywhere near the top. Not when you have the... at least three? Totally mythological monster descriptions of giraffes to compare it off of, at least.
Back in college I came across another student's animation work on the subject of her identity. She was an international student from China studying art in the US, and her work was very clearly heavily influenced by Japanese anime. One line from her work was something similar to "if I consume their (refereing to Japan) culture on a daily basis, what is to become of me?" I think about this constantly.
As a German I've become pretty much alienated from my own country at this point. Although this has little to do with anime but a lot with my interest in history and old literature (which ironically enough is European culture, but we do not value it).
The important part is knowing what makes you, you. Who are you? If you can answer this well, there is no problem.
@@alexandergilbert1023not like it is only a personal problem. What will be of the cultures of the world in 50 or more years? The Homogenization tendency of modernity will be the only "progress" that all the people will know?
There are better discussions about this matter, we need to be conscious about this.
For example, in Colombia they started with etno-education. It's not only meant for the marginalized.
Soft power, is just this. They (the USA and other European countries) aren't the status quo, and the only valid reality for existing.
-A latinoamerican guy, sincerely. I felt it was necessary to mention this
silly, obtuse
Mmkay, saying that something else dwarfs US soft power really just drives home the point of "you are not immune to propaganda".
US soft power or US propaganda is literally everywhere and is so ingrained across the globe. The US has so much influence, to a point where we don’t even recognize it as influence. And that is the ultimate success story for propaganda.
Music, movies, fashion, greasy food, the internet, oh and UA-cam?, all that 'good' stuff is all 'soft'(propaganda) power.
American-style consumer capitalism, sanctity of international trade, and our very beliefs about human nature are a few examples of stuff that is so ingrained most people don't even see it's the product of propaganda. Most of your examples aren't that consequential to people's core values and beliefs, but it goes a lot deeper than just a 'style'.
In Civ terms, it's the US that's won the cultural victory, and it's not up for debate.
But Americans can't even invent writing. All that American stuff is like a toddler making attemtps at Joss Whedon dialogue, to a normal person. One who casually learns multiple langauges, because their OWN is based on decent grammatical structure, not desperate memorization of contextual nouns.
US "propaganda" literally doens't do much to affect a normal adult. It's so nakedly obvious how hard they try, Team America World Police barely registers as satire because everyone is howl-laughing already at your average stock of serious films.
That's why serious foreign films are just goofy an exaggerated like german expressionism, that's the point of exaggeration. Because "the message" is not exaggerated instead.
"Music, movies, fashion, greasy food, the internet, oh and UA-cam?"
These are all jsut a fraction in the lives of people where "american stuff" is the only visible thing to YOU. You have your temples at Nevada that worship gambling culture but even those are full of roman and Egyptian icnoclast, to deliver the subtle point who you copypasted these "inventions" from.
Greasy food isn't even a thing, overseas McDonalds sells actual edible food, it's just a logo. Bascially it's just USA wasting marketing money to make global audiences think American food is as good as what is sold to them as McDonalds.
It's a giant sign of "we have food as good as this too, trust me bro!".
@@sboinkthelegday3892cope and seethe
@@sboinkthelegday3892 That's not what soft power means? If you don't think propaganda effects a normal adult, that means it's all the more insidious? US soft power is near every nation accepting a mainly US owned internet. US soft power is American social media being the norm in most countries that do not actively block it. It's the UN being centered in new york, it's almost every tech device running code developed by american companies
Soft-power of an country can be particularly important to immigrant population. The Japanese people from Brazil came as slave replacement, so people don't consider their desirable. The success of Japanese economy after WW2 and specially exportation of culture help a lot to change this view.
The geopolitical reputation and status of a given homeland will alter the perception of its diaspora population.
As someone from Okinawa, I want to point out that a lot of Japanese immigrants to Brazil were specifically of Ryukyuan or Okinawan origin. Not mainland Japanese. Especially for the time I presume you're talking about.
@@urphakeandgey6308 Probably for the better that the non-Japanese didn't know the difference, so that both Okinawans and main landers could enjoy the improved image.
but racism is another challenge that in my opinion japan never faced even if they are low class society in other countries, EU since the age of discovery in 16th favored japan no matter how ugly they are, japan is the only non-EU nation that can access europe and saw everything about Europe by raw, their misdeed in WW2, netherland India, European settler of comfort women that give birth to a child with no clue on who is his Japanese father was, and jews camp in asia, they still survived nuremberg trial, got reparation of image, and diplomacy, and nobody even care or even know, while Indonesian got criticize a lot and struggle with diplomacy.
it had nothing to do with modern soft power in my opinion, they did misdeed because they are treated a little bit too special by international.
55:00 - Just as a note: _Jet_ magazine was actually a Black owned and run newspaper. I think there's an interesting discussion here about how African American perceptions of the Japanese were influenced by their own backgrounds as a minority in America, but I understand that wasn't really the point of the video.
I stumbled on a very interesting-sounding book a while ago, that I haven't had a chance to read yet, about pro-Japanese sentiment among Black Americans prior to World War Two where some people looked positively on it as "the only nonwhite empire", which was all quietly dropped during the war and forgotten about afterwards. I'll see if I can find the title again.
Aha, here it is. It was an article not a book. Check out "When Japan Was "Champion of the Darker Races": Satokata Takahashi and the Flowering of Black Messianic Nationalism" by Ernest Allen if you can.
@felonyx5123 thank you for finding the articles
@@felonyx5123 funny thing about that. The Imperial Japanese mentality was inherently racist, calling themselves "the white man of Asia," whose mission was to "civilize" the peoples of Asia (compare to the notion of the "white man's burden"). Imperial Japan latched onto racist concepts from the West and only really pushed back on the notion that they, the Japanese, were inferior.
@@felonyx5123 It was not forgotten. Decades later Hip Hop took it as inspiration again, even for imagery and some names. Wu-Tang may be from a chinese movie but is one of many related examples.
While I find the video interesting, stuff like 2:10:25 is why you should always go to a primary source(s) of information, and not second hand sources, sans instances where the primary source is unavailable or impossible to find. While Dr. Brummer is indeed a respected figure in his field, The Diplomat is itself not an academic journal or publication. His piece in the Diplomat is made without any sources supporting his claims. In contrast, Takayoshi Yamamura, a professor in the Center for Advanced Tourism Studies at Hokkaido University, wrote a paper titled "Cooperation Between Anime Producers and the Japan Self-Defense Force: Creating Fantasy and/or Propaganda?" published in late 2017 in the Journal of War & Culture Studies. In it, Yamamura concludes that, while the JSDF did in fact collaborate with Gate, the collaboration was done completely in post-production. The creator of Gate is indeed ex-JSDF and continues to support them, and HE went to a local branch looking to collaborate with the JSDF, allowing some characters to be used in promotional material, not the other way around. So it was rather requests from production staff and regions that initiated cooperation with Gate (in this case, the author himself) and other anime. Not to mention the grant brought up in the video is from 2019, while Gate's anime concluded in 2016 (though the manga is still in production, to my knowledge)
Granted you could say that the paper in question is BS, or that Yamamura is biased, or that Brummer's expertise lends itself as support to his claims, or (in the case of Gate) that even a more grassroots occurrence like the above still provides cause for concern in the larger context of the points brought up in the video. It was just instances like this (and another being Moon quoting the article that had the Miyazaki quote, rather than the interview said quote comes from) that, as a former academic myself, halted me from being fully persuaded
A channel called Study of Swords has made a response essay to this which covers the point you have brought up, along with other potential inaccuracies! I haven't yet checked the sources myself but if Study of Swords is to be believed, this video essay may be relying on a slightly unconventional definition of propaganda. Not to say that this video doesn't make some good points!
As a Japanese person, I have to say this is a very well crafted video. It hits many critical points and summarizes the social issues here, mainly in the creative sector. "Topdown is never cool" is such a true statement, but the LDP is dogmatic about this stance, and it is slowly suffocating every creative facet in this country which is now becoming more clearer than ever. I am very much against the LDP, and am really strongly hoping for its downfall.
One important thing however, is that the statement "Japanese progressives have never been into power" is simply wrong. In the graph you exhibited multiple times throughout the video, you can see that there were a few periods in which the progressives became the dominant party (the ones that are not in green). Although these periods were brief, the LDP had been voted out a couple of times. It's surprising how you missed this important bit. I hope it was just a simple overlook.
そうかな？ただ無理矢理アニメを軍国主義や極右と繋げてるプロパガンダだと思う
"You don't need me to tell you about how extensive US Propaganda in media is, and if you do, let me know! Maybe I can make a video on that subject, too"
Hi, this is me letting you know. I am very curious.
As am I, honestly
Me too. Even if other have done it, doing it Moony-style would be awesome ❤
The major cultural exports for the US are music, television and film. The main propaganda themes are freedom of expression, religious tension is non existent, racial equality and harmony, money is very much not a problem for anyone, food is plentiful and cheap, the government protects people but is otherwise uninvolved in daily life, crime is rare, justice system is fair and favors the weak and oppressed, police are good, US military is awesome, consumerism is great.
@@awdsef1No mention of the glorious invisible hand of the free market, or how America is "the city on a hill"? I'm pretty sure the guy who invented PR, Edward Bernays, was into crafting an image for the world power
Not particularly comprehensive, but relevant and a solid starter: ua-cam.com/video/dl2fnWIlDZg/v-deo.htmlsi=7OSFPkvvZIN9uHrr
Unlike the rest of you, I *am* immune to propaganda. Now if you'll all excuse me, it's been a long day of helldiving on Hellmire, and I've worked up the kind of hunger only tripling the US defense budget can satisfy
It's not propaganda if it's the sweet song of liberty!
FOR SUPER-EARTH
The least immune is the one who claims to be not immune, even by a flinch.
That slow pan of the "Cool Japan Fund" viscerally took me back to studying Japanese in college and having to write sentences we would hear from episodes of "Cool Japan!"
The irony that “learning Japanese” is part of propaganda is that now that I can understand Japanese, I can start observing _real_ Japanese chatroom and publications and understand the _real_ issues and opinions of the society, not the ones with subs/dubs carefully selected for the ears of foreigners. It’s almost as if they’re encouraging you to get the ability to break through that propaganda itself…
@@RadenWA what are the chat room like
Struggling against global warming eh? (I'm not sorry)
@@juan-ij1le let’s just say they don’t pull punches when talking about what they think of other countries/nationalities….but they don’t pull punches when shitting on their own country either.
@@RadenWA Propaganda is all about statistics, though. You may have looked further into it, but denial will be stronger in a lot of people.
I'm latino and growing up I remember being always really jealous that japanese culture and media was so romanticized and beloved by seemingly everyone yet no one really cared about my culture 😂😭
You should be the first one to care about your culture
@@kindlingkingwait this goes really hard
i love bossa nova btw
@@slowcuber_aze bossa nova is great!!
On one hand I totally get it, on the other do you really want the attention of a bunch of white teenagers that will bastardize the culture?
Oh my god! As Brazillian from Rio Grande do Sul, I found it very heartwarming to see Moony caring about our situation with such devotion.
I became a great fan of your work in the late months and I hope more people from my country to be able to enjoy the same good experiences and learning that I had with you.
Your channel is a very necessary content in these modern days, and I miss seeing something like that in other UA-cam channels (that weren't just selling our own western propaganda).
Thanks a lot for your work and passion, Moony!
The Northern Nations do not consider we, the Latinos western, because of some racist thing. So while we would like to, we aren't really in 'the club' of the Western nations, even less than Japan is.
@@irmaosmatos4026 are these three things the LatAm+Brazilian class+caste systems and the skin colours that come with them, amongst the many issues? In any Latin American country, colourism is a prominent issue amongst many people regardless of ethnicity.
@@irmaosmatos4026 yeah, we're definitely not part of The West™, we're westernized.
You Anti-US?
Brazil mentioned?
I personally would love a video about the ways Japanese copyright culture treat domestic Doujin fanworks and foreign/western fanworks so differently. It seems like a pressing topic given the specific targeting of western Nintendo fan projects, and how that ties in with the national interest and what you suspect the future of that could be like in Nintendo's current dominating era.
Doujin artists frequently go mainstream. Fan art is cultivating local talent. Maybe attacking foreign fan art is like destroying opposing talent.
Nintendo OF AMERICA is not the same as Nintendo of Japan and exists to sell and protect Nintendo IP overseas. It's their job.
It's a bit complicated, but IP rights in Japan, especially with digital assets are, in short, crazy.
It's legal to get arrested for genning Pokemon or live streaming a VN.
I wouldn't be surprised if NoA and NoE were focused as IP protectors in the international market to try and maintain the Japanese standard.
As a sort of 'online-Westernized' Japanese (someone who lives in Japan but spends most of his time on the web in the English speaking parts, watching videogame LPs, analyses, reviews, RLM, all that stuff), Something I find funny a is that I get an impression when I'm in the Japanese part of the web that your average person in Japan (a non English speaker) doesn't really appreciate or is aware of just how much the otaku culture has spread and gained popularity around the world (at least among those who regularly use the internet), simply due to their not speaking English and thus not really interacting with the wider interweb. I could be wrong about this, and my understanding of the people outside Japan, (or just, outside of my little sphere of personal friends and acquaintances, even within Japan) is very limited, but given how many people still regularly use the word like gaijin (a word which doesn't necessarily mean the speaker has a negative view on foreigners, but still hints the sort of "there's us, and there's them" kinda thinking or mentality) etc. suggests to me that people (especially those who are less educated or brighter) don't really know that, despite the cultural differences, there's like, normal people outside Japan who aren't too dissimilar to them (perhaps a different story for people/places with radically different social norms). And I kinda worry that, at a larger scale, this.. what can be called ignorance, could be exploited by malicious actors, whether it be ultra-nationalist types or hyper-progressive who want to get rid of borders altogether or something, and prevent intelligent discussion on whatever subject it is.
Tru
Good comment.
As a foreigner living in Japan, I have encountered the exceptionalist narrative to be a bit mind blowing. I've seen Japanese people ask if European headphones or earphones would even work the same with Japanese ears (this is a true story), and people are always taken aback when I mention that my quality of life didn't really change too dramatically (neither for better nor worse) after moving here from abroad. The food is great and the transportation is better, but that's about it. I have lived in several different countries so far, but it is a little weird just how "different" people here perceive me to be. Then again, most people are also pretty nice and at least polite to me (to my face, that is) and I also speak Japanese, which obviously helps make most interactions a bit more organic and natural.
A decent part of my childhood was spent around Japanese-American immigrants, both other kids and their parents. They basically accepted me, a white kid. While I was a poor student of the language, I adopted bits of the culture as my own through personal contact. Visiting Japan itself was stark in contrast, because the familiar elements were familiar, but the differences were obvious right away: "yeah, guess I'm always gonna be a foreigner here 😅" Even before I visited, there were things about that early experience that always put me at odds with the western media narratives and fan culture. When a person crosses the threshold into another culture they become more pragmatic and in some ways more able to change their ideas, but also more conservative and protecting of their heritage. The fan culture does not really do that: it stays at a distance that guards prior assumptions, so it makes up ways to misunderstand what it sees. And I believe the same can be true from the native context.
I do think every generation sees things in a new way, and a Japan that takes on more immigrants is going to be a different place in other ways.
This video was quite sobering to watch while on my dream vacation in Japan, but definitely in a good way. It gave me a lot to think about not just about Japanese things I like, but American ones and stuff from other countries as well. Learning about the government initiatives behind Japanese products and the history between the West and Japan was very eye-opening. I would like to think I consume fairly mindfully, but it never hurts to re-evaluate yourself. Thank you for creating such an informative video.
As someone who moved to Japan to study in an international university, I can say with a certainty that Japan is completely different from what most people perceive of it. Many people are ignorant to the sheer amount of what I like to call soft racism in Japan against foreigners (it’s not overt or aggressive racism, its more of gently and politely being told you are not welcome). When trying to get an apartment I had to look through an insane amount of apartment complexes before I even found one that would accept foreigners. Even then I needed a Japanese guarantor in order to get the place, or I had to pay significantly more up front. I knew Japan had its problems before moving to Kyoto but I never truly realized the depths of them until I personally experienced the hell of house hunting as a foreigner.
I honestly think that the term "foreigners" softens what is ostensibly just "non-Japanese", and even that can be murky.
Clearly Japanese people place great value in where one was born, but there is clearly a racial component to it as well, as many "hafus" (Half Japanese - half non-Japanese) still have difficulty integrating into the country, even when they know the language and culture just as well as any other Japanese person.
So its also not just about where you are born, but also what it means to be a "pure" Japanese person, which I would argue, is extremely racist. This speaks to why, despite plummeting birthrates, still stubbornly refuse to allow more immigrants into the country. That's not even bringing up how they treat the indigenous Ainu people in the country.
I think the romanticization of the country prevents people from acknowledging what it obvious, where people either don't seem to even want to engage with the topic, or outright refuse to acknowledge it existing.
Japan is not a horrible place to be in, far from it, but its also not that great to be in if you are not from there. You can do everything right and still do everything wrong... Especially if you are dark skinned or Chinese/Korean.
But this is the same as any other european country for third worlders
While it sucks that it happens, it's not without reason.
There are several cases of foreigners renting apartments and then moving away when the payments are due to avoid having to pay the rest of the money. The landlords can't exactly do much about it if they're in another country so the only solution is this ridiculous vetting process to make sure only foreigners who are trustworthy enough are allowed to rent.
Okay? We do that constantly in the states but nor in kind ways
@@SleepyMatt-zzz Just out of curiosity, how do they reconcile with the fact that the creator of instant ramen is ethnically Chinese?
In a certain way, the YAKUZA serie from SEGA made me realize "oh shit, this country's not all rainbow, shit's fucked up too"
Same. My introduction to Japan was Persona 5. Shit was fucked from the beginning 😂.
I started my journey to understand other countries when I was 12, and I saw China with rosy glasses and then I began talking with Chinese people and I quickly understood, everywhere have problems. I am from Denmark and I grew up poor. That was why I wanted to understand other places to understand how fortunate I was to be in Denmark. And my specific understandings of the Japanese social issues came from studies. My master's degree is in cross-culture studies. So we did read about sexism, and discrimination. And Japan kept showing up, just like Korea did.
@@taiwanisacountrynice usernames but JP and KR does not had racism ,100 million peoples and 1 or 2 people being racist is enough to label a country as such Chinese are racist too but they gatekept themself from the english speaking world
Korea is really sexist but China and Vietnam too when i was in VietNam for missionary work the government there tries to banned small breast women from driving
Government propaganda always reminds me of Un-Go.
It saids something that persona series and Yakuza/like a dragon , ace attorney jabs on Japanese society are only slight exaggerations
Why is it that knowing how things are financed tend to dampen your enthusiasm for that specific thing 😢
@@j.2512 found the guy not immune to propaganda
@@j.2512the right wing bots seem to have found lots of activation words in this video
Because money leads to greed, and greed corrupts everything. When things grow, its ugliness grows too
@@jaybeans981 it's all of us, that was the point of the video.
immerse yourself in the marvellous disappointment that is humanity ❤
I find it interesting that in translating other languages, we often take the word "barbarian" and words like it for granted. A barbarian, which we define as a primitive person or people that lack culture and refinement; a people and/or person whom are uncouth and animal/beast like in their nature. The word itself is an Anglicization of a Roman word for the Berbers, a neighboring people the Romans were often at odds with, whom in turn were named as such because their language was unintelligible to the Romans. This word is so ancient that there is no people left to reclaim it or defend themselves against this slander, that it functions as -the word- to insult and belittle other cultures with; or to describe other people as monstrous or bestial or violent or warlike. Roman soft power condemned the memory of an entire people and their culture to what we now call people that we look down upon.
There is, of course, a lot more nuance and circumstance to the etymology of the roman word "barbaros" but i believe my point still stands.
The Berbers are still here and they prefer the term "Amazigh" instead of Berber because that name itself is derogatory. The word is so ancient yet not ancient enough that because of the internet, and in the English language, people, or supporters of said people, are able to tell us to call them by what they prefer to be called.
re: the conclusion: people like Swift or Musk, or corporations like Disney, don't need you defending them. they have enough wealth to pay for every currently ongoing court case single-handedly. defending the billionaire means you've fallen for their propaganda. like them if you must but realize try not to fall for the game they're all playing.
so be a normies ?
@@SathornetfireBeing a normie means falling in line with the other normies no matter where the consensus goes. It's no better than defending the fat cats. Be yourself. Have standards, like a professional. Cultivate strong principles on your own and stay true to them.
There is nothing wrong with having your actions be similar to what you call normies, but understand you have the freedom to choose your path and can deviate as you see fit.
Don't be contrarian just for the sake of being contrary. That's just being an normie in the opposite direction.
"You can have a little propaganda as a treat" is a phenomenal quote
…..with the sponsor of this video, >insert Japanese snack box subscription service here< !!
No can have their brain active 24hs a day. Let yourself be a little ignorant from time to time to not go insane.
@@RadenWA That was such a missed opportunity hooooly shit.
We're human, after all.
I once talked about Ace Attorney and Japanese law with my weeb friend
Randomly he got defensive and said
"Japanese law is perfect, Japan don't have any crime"
ironic considering the game had a lot of criticisms of Japanese court proceedings
Show him the brand new Japanese drama "Anti-Hero", it is litteraly Ace Attoney, but EVEN MORE in your face, how the Japanese judicial system makes everything (even literal illegal stuffs) to guarantee a condemnation of someone without a propper fair trial or without seek the total proofs and facts
It even makes a small joke in itself talking about how the fact that Judicial system problems are often taked in entertainment
@@LonelyAncient Whole game series take flaws of law and turns it ten-fold
I find it funny considering Ace Attorney is a power fantasy where you play as a person so skilled they skirt around the prosecutors who always convict.
The "civilized" word often profess "innocent until proven guilty" (now we can debate on how well it's applied, but it would take too long).
In the world of Ace Attorney, it's "guilty until someone else is proven guilty and confesses to the crime". Literally the first case of the first game, the person who found the body isn't even considered on the list of suspects until you prove he did the crime
As a kid my dad would tell me "if you want a car that will last get a Toyota". They got us with that soft power lol. (I still own our old 2003 Toyota Corolla, he wasn't wrong)
the music in this video is CRAZY! how am I supposed to learn anything with the mental image of Shinji going down the Mario 64 slide in my head
It's all from Siivagunner, search any game and add Siivagunner to the search.
You were not alone in that XD
I want the version of Ichiban no Takaramono that plays around 1:36:00
@freakshowDK it's Sanzaneeta Reef (Beta Mix) from the Siivagunner "High Quality Video Game Music Rips" parody channel. There's also Reunite (JP edition) which uses an Undertale soundfont
Knowing most of this in hindsight explains why so many shonen stories have such a negative view on old politicians.
in fairness, I feel a lot of countries feel imposed upon by old politicians and this certainly bleeds into media.
Huh. Sadly the German movie industry had emigrated to the USA after ww2, otherwise we would definitely have similar tropes. Our politicians are too old and make policies that favor the elderly
@@Delmworks a never ending cycle, one generation pushes forward a politician who serves their needs and he continues to cater to that generation even when it hurts the next one. only for the next generation to appoint another politician who does the same to the next generation.
@@Delmworksyep
@MaticTheProto damn
Personally, I think actually going to Japan for a few weeks actually can work as a reality check, because after a while you realise that, while there are lots of great things about Japan, it's mostly like all the other countries with different upsides and problems
Exactly.
Learning and speaking from your own experiences is infinitely better than getting swayed by others’s words, UA-cam videos, or media in general.
My favorite saying is, “Don’t let anyone dictate your experiences, worldview, and thoughts.”
My country is not perfect, and I want people to know that. No country is perfect, and that's okay.
Message from Japan with love.
Not realistic for most people. Either time or money.
It's like every country, some things are different, some are the same
Or just watch vids about the suicide forest.
Goes for mostly every country really. That said, I'm from Ireland and Japan might be the actual most expensive journey possible here just in travel alone, so I've long abandoned any idea of visiting myself!
First video I’ve seen of yours. You’re a great communicator. It was very easy to follow your throughline even while you were navigating different subtopics and jumping through time periods. Mpravo
NGL the juxtaposition between the serious history and the goofy Siivagunner rips the the background is pretty funny.
Idk what you mean by goofy rips, siivagunner only uploads the highest quality rips
Exactly
I love siiva but it made this hard to take seriously tbh lol
@@zerir.3726 boo!
Agreed, I really love this video's sense of humor, even in its approach to very serious topics
i am once again tricked into watching a history lesson.
I, on the other hand, came here specifically for it.
These videos have made me accept gradually longer and longer history lessons and even made me interested in them.
I am not immune to propaganda.
You're going to be an honor student against your will, now
fool me once, shame on you
fool me for the fiveth time this year, and I need to rethink some things
Yeah I have to hide this channel
US when other nation has soft power be like:
On the serious note, you guys have KFC, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Apple, Windows, Ford, Boeing, Marvel, Disney, and a lot more. It's everywhere, but we don’t even question it. It is so normalized to the point that it kind of makes me uncomfortable.
People seem to latch onto Japanese or South Korean pop culture because it’s different from already normalized US soft power.
and nobody is denying this. Just because the video is about Japan doesn't mean US or Brits or whatever don't do this. There was literally a Movement in History about mimicking the French, esp in Poland because it was the hip thing to do.
US culture was shoved down our throats using the US's hard power until it became normalized as soft power. It's not "true" soft power.
Moon mentions this near the latter part of the video.
2:21:18
Japan's soft power is far more interesting a case than the US's. They went from being seen as "literally worse than nazis" to "Kawaiidesu~! =^-^=" in the span of almost a single generation. Basically overnight. That breakneck cultural perspective shift is certifiably insane.
You missed the point, though partially true. Those brands mostly flourished in Asia, outside Europe. The problem is Japan was the enemy to those very Asian countries.
Gosh, I'm smiling so hard. You actually create a playlist for the background music you use?! It always kills me when I hear something that I can't look up afterwards. Thank you!
I drank the propaganda cool aid so hard that I know most of the bgms without having to look them up
I find it interesting how you left out the unique relationship between Japan and Prussia/Germany. This relationship played a huge role in pretty much everything you talked about
Wdym?
Absolutely agree.
@@rockedsocks4613japanese constitution, army and police was based on them
@@rockedsocks4613 when Japan sought to modernize they decided to remodel their military and other societal aspects after one of the most powerful nations in Europe, which happened to be prussia at the time. This choice along with several others led to a fondness of Germany that can be seen even today. Even in the very Anime talked about in this video.
There’s more to it but I‘m too lazy to write an essay 😅
@@MaticTheProto When (and if) laziness leaves, please do write here! Thanks
finally finished this after watching in chunks over the last few days. i feel like this video has genuinely shifted the way i perceive my own media consumption for the better. thank you for putting this out there! i especially love how mindful you are about anticipating watcher confusions or objections without overly patronizing your audience. you are truly one of the most well-practiced video essayists out there!
It may sound odd or infuriating to some (very understandable, considering the circumstances), but there is a feeling I have as a Russian, observing Japanese soft power, and the way it works as you portrayed in this video.
**Envy.**
Maybe some different word, a bit different feeling, but very much something along those lines.
My country's government is wasting resources down the drain waging a war. We don't have an industrial base producing consumer products which we could export a lot to grow the economy, we don't really have products which anyone would want to buy. Whenever the war ends, realistically there's no way we would have substantial investment into our economy. The fossil fuel we used to sell by the craploads to Europe won't be needed eventually, and we don't have much other stuff which could generate quick money.
While Russian culture keeps being hampered by state censorship. I recently watched a five hour long "Entertainment From North Korea" video, and the end of that made me pretty sad. It showed basically a more extreme version of a simple idea: set a people free and their imagination can run wild. Here in Russia, the government instead has been doubling down on "locking" people's minds. Producing half-assed low quality propaganda (while surely stealing lots of money), parasitizing on Soviet legacy to an internal audience. What does the rest of the world know? Masha and the Bear and ballet? That's not enough. And even then, it's all tainted, seen as an instrument of aggression and imperialism, and my people seen as savage barbarians who won't ever change. Social media propaganda to screw up elections and whatnot certainly don't help.
Even if the Japanese government is now using anime to advance their remilitarization policies, their soft power investments still produced something positive for the country in general: people abroad being interested in their culture en masse, learning the language, consuming their media, wanting to move to the country. While we burn our soft power to the ground.
We ain’t remilitarizing anytime soon tho.
This country has gone too soft and divided for that.
A lot of people will just protest against it. (I’m already seeing group of people with microphone at Kashiwa station in Chiba yelling).
What do think of atomic heart which causes me an American to be enthralled in Russian cartoons and media
@@Rasupubegasu From an American perspective I believe that your government is attempting to strengthen its military capabilities, insofar as trying to be a more helpful ally for America as it develops a coalition against China. I am for that to that extent. Although I am aware of some Japanese Irredentists who would take this much farther.
@@juan-ij1le Barring the financial connections to state corporations and the game also being kinda meh gameplay and story wise (could've used better writing), I think it was a very good move in a positive direction. Very interesting world, there's so much to be used creatively from our Soviet past in terms of entertainment (though the bad nature of it makes it a harder line to walk. I remember seeing people accusing the game of being Soviet propganada because you're playing as a KGB guy and he's not portrayed as evil, for example)
More games, more experience creating games, better games in the future. Hopefully.
@@xanthespace5141 too early to speak of cultural diplomacy, when your state is so busy spreading destruction, rather than culture.
You want an example of the US soft power?
The very fact that I’m writing this comment in English and I can watch this video and understand everything without my native language subtitles is a result of the US soft power. The impact of the home computer revolution alone has been massive (computer terminology, operating systems, programming languages, etc) and later on the internet revolution brought things again to a whole new level.
And this is just the language and communication aspect scraping the very tip of the US soft power iceberg.
so youre basically seething that you know about the english language. very strange... growing up i thought that people in other countries cared about their own histories but as i've grown up i've learned, no - all they do is obsess about america. i believe this to be the result of state-mandated education where they blame america for their governments being so inefficient, poor, and corrupt.
@@hurr48 Excuse me, what? 😮
“Seething” is not the tone I intended the writing to sound like… at all!
Instead of sounding angry I had a moment of energetic realization about the matter. I have zero regrets learning English completely voluntarily because of my curiosity towards computers. The investment has certainly paid off as English turned out to be the “Latin” for anything IT related and also allows international communication pretty across the globe on the internet.
I tried to bring up how seemingly mundane things, which can be completely invisible for native speakers, can be the result or byproduct of a soft power effort. (I didn’t claim this to be a negative thing at all as soft power effort can be beneficial for all involved parties)
@@xard64 if thats the case then i apologize for you catching strays that i intended against the author of the original video and those who carry the most inflammatory of his positions. i just really got heated at how the guy who made this tries to air out his superiority and biased understanding of history against everyone who dares try and innocently enjoy media.
wouldn't english being one of the most widely used languages in the world be the fault of the british empire and their numerous colonies rather than the influence of the US?
@kisa7283 the US film, tv and music industries would like a word
I'm starting to consider that maybe Italians can't really jump as high as Japanese video games made me believe for so long....
I dunno. Growing up I lived behind an Italian family. Awesome people, possible mob connections or I just had an overactive imagination. But I watched the 70 some year old mother hop a chain link fence into my uncles yard to save his laundry that came off the line. Little old lady put Mario to shame that afternoon.
You're telling me Brazilians can't double jump?!?
XD
Soldiers : "You say jump i say how high!"
Mussolini : "Good!" /dankItalian joke Since then they sure can't jump as high
Moon Channel drinking game: take a shot every time he says "that could be its own video"
"but I digress"
"In other words..."
I cannot afford the healing required for my liver afterwards.
"I hear you say"
As you can see in the thumbnail, we have the face of Garfield the Cat as featured in the "You are not immune to propaganda" meme, adorned in the manner of Hatsune Miku as seen in the performance of "Senbonzakura", which is itself one of the most popular vocaloid songs by domestic consumption in Japan and also beyond, but that is steeped in Imperial Japan's visual style, and indeed, the song itself dwells on that period of time in Japan's history. Translation of songs and poetry is a tricky business, but I suppose it could be argued that the song does in some ways glorify that period, or at least look back upon it in a bittersweet manner, when it could be considered a period of time focused on gathering the strength necessary to dehumanize and subjugate their neighbors by force of bloodshed, and led to some of the worst atrocities known to mankind.
Thank you Stuff
I always had this unsettling feeling about Senbobnzakura. Like, the song has lyrics that talk about a metal cage, a guillotine, and one about an ICBM, among others, but I could never pin down whether the song is glorifying Imperialist Japan, or is a telling a story about surviving through that era of Japan and celebrating its end with fireworks or whatever.
Fun fact: the song also happened to be removed from all Korean releases of the Project Diva/mirai games. For... probably obvious reasons.
Cool fact also I had read this in moony’s voice
@@EdenNeedsAUA-camHandle This actually applies to any rhythm game that has the song, not just Project DIVA.
In Poland we have an idiom ("ze świecą szukać", ang. "search with the candle") when there is something hard to find. And it is hard to find such polished and comprehensive video-essays tackling such complex topics like this channel. Thanks a lot for your work :)
One thing that I'm surprised was left off as an example of Japanese "soft power" was the very idea of "Bushido" itself, at least as sold to the west in the early 1900s. Nitobe Inazo wrote "Bushido: The Soul of Japan"--in English!--to introduce the idea to Western audiences, in part to connect it to Western notions of chivalry, and to convince them that the Japanese too had high, noble morals and were just as civilized and refined. It was a deliberate propaganda effort to create a positive impression of Japan in the West, and also to justify Japanese imperial ambitions as being similar to Europeans' own.
It worked: that is why even now, there is a stereotype of the Japanese as being about "honor" and "loyalty," which was twisted to be a negative stereotype in WWII but is also behind a lot of the more admiring/romanticized portrayals of Japan in the west, like the recent game "Ghost of Tsushima," the movie "The Last Samurai," and the "Shogun" book and TV shows. The "honorable, poet warrior" who would take his own life before dishonor is a type just as powerful as the fine arts described in the video. It still appeals to some Westerners who use it as a foil to perceived Western decadence. (I like how the video reminds us that this is not a new phenomenon at all.)
But just like western chivalry, actual bushido was more a myth than a consistently lived practice, a post hoc justification of ordinary feudal domination and violence, usually codified long after the knights/samurai ceased to be an active fighting force in society. And both West and East drew on knightly/samurai imagery to justify their wars in the modern day, to devastating effect.
The old Great Powers are much less susceptible to culture in a way. The statesmen of the era have a sort of understanding of raw balance of power. Your cultural influence ends where my industry and army begins. No culture is so precious that it can prevent trading favors, influence and power in a great game of balance.
The russo-japanese war is the turning point. When you can beat a great power, you are effectively part of the great power club. A great deal of the existing great powers start to view Japan as an upcoming great power or at least a regional power. Or at least as a regional power able to exert a sphere of influence and beat down the declining Russia.
Then the USA and Wilsonian anti-colonial ideals start to spread, and what would have been okay in the brutal power balance of the Concert of Europe are not cool any more. The chinese nationalists go on their own relationship-tour of the world and the US public is largely sympathetic to them even if they might not want a Pacific war.
Ah yes Bushido, the way of superficial pride, vanity, intimidation, cowardice, and despicable.
The samurai was legally allowed to kill any peasants who hurt his pride, given that he later report to the officials.
In order to maintain face or reputation in situation of defeat, samurai must restore face at all costs. There were many stories of challengers who defeated a reputable dojo in a spar, but then got ganged upon and dissolved before they can leave, as the news of defeat will damage the dojo’s reputation.
The obsession of fame is beyond imagination. The famous Musashi Yoshioka feud started as Musashi’s father defeated the Yoshioka in a comparison fight.
Musashi later slayed 2 Yoshioka to elevate his fame, and the Yoshioka summoned all the disciples in order to end Musashi and restoring the clan’s fame.
In kendo, the concept of kiai, is literally using a loud shout to intimidate your opponent.
The art of iai, or skill sword drawing, was popularized by Rurounin Kenshin. It was initially developed as a skill to quickly execute and counter sudden/sneak attacks against opponents who are (probably) also sitting. This wired sounding skill is a matter of life and death for samurai outside of traditional battlefield.
Samurai brings their sheathed katana to negotiations or hostile meeting, and are likely to get into fights if the negotiations goes wrong or straight ambushed and stabbed in the back. Iai practices on quickly drawing the sword from sitting and strike down the opponents or assassins.
The quickly sheathing the sword and sitting back down acts as a show of force and, somehow, allows the negotiation to continue.
I can probably go on about it all day.
The more you know about Japanese culture the more you would be fascinated by it, and the more you despise the other side of it.
@@anotherbacklog Bushido, cowboys.
Two of the same.
@@ghoulbuster1 always been fascinated how well cowboy and samurai stories work when remade/swapped as the other.
It is significant that you pointed out the diplomatic value of Nitobe Inazo's Bushido, but is there any objective basis for the part "justify Japanese imperial ambitions"? I think the general assessment is that it is a book to explain the ethics of Japan, a non-Christian country, to Westerners.
Nitobe Inazo's Bushido was written in 1899, but it was not until 1911 that the Harris Treaty was revised and Japan regained full tariff autonomy in its diplomacy with the United States. In other words, Japan's international position at that time was weak and it was in danger of being colonized at any time, and in fact, in 1904, a war broke out between Japan and Imperial Russia and Japan was on the verge of destruction.
This book was written in such a time. Japan was also suffering from imperialism.
Long time subscribers already knew WWII was WAAAYYY to late in history to kick off a Moon Channel video.
Worth noting Hearn (the "first weeb") is more recognized in Japan than in the West with there being are multiple museums dedicated to him in Japan. His stories are fairytales, romanticised the same way we romanticise Greek and Norse myths (And not like the MCU, more The Pantheon Folklore Library with great respect given to the original tales.). Only major difference is that Hearn brought this folklore to a new, very different audience in the West. It's worth pointing out that Hearn is notable with no relation to Japonisme which reminds me more of European Egyptomania with similar levels of misunderstanding and appropriation. That said Hearn's fascination with Japan may have been sparked by some influx of Japanese culture to the West.
I should clarify that I've only read Kwaidan by Hearn, not any of his other work. Personally it didn't come off as painting a "Innocent Japan", (In the first story a blind musician has his ears ripped out by ghosts unjustly killed in war and robbed of their land.). It also didn't come off as something that could be used as nationalist propaganda, with no mention being given to the Japanese race, (Remarkable considering the time.). Not quite as outspokenly anti-war as Shingeru Mizuki's Yokai but also uncompromising in the brutality of old fairy tails.
The Egyptians were of the same blood as the later Europeans who "appropriated" things, whatever you're talking about there. So it's all the same culture and the same people. Few know this or appreciate the meaning of it.
I am a weeb. Well kinda. I am animation obsessed, not Japan obsessed. I am also a centralist when it comes to politics as that is a mess I don't enjoy or like to resurch in. So you can all me daft when you start to explain the plotics in anime. I never saw it or paid much attaion to it, as I was faaaaaar to focused on the animation and fluid connection of lipsyncing. lmao
I know some people who barely engage with Japanese culture and call themselves weebs and others who are deeply intrenched in it and out of a sense of pride insist they are not weebs. I think, and I know this comes across as vague, it's about having self awareness and keeping a open mind in regards to the way you consume media is extremely important, wether it be Japanese or not. This seems to be a theme across your videos but this to me felt like a ultimatum. Thank you Moon Channel for teaching your audience about macroeconomics, the importance of culture and the importance of questioning one's views!!
Its not that deep, bro. Weeb is just an umbrella term used to describe those into the anime subculture in the west. No one uses it as an insult towards japanophiles, anymore, the same way casual anime fans call themselves Otaku, and not the way the Japanese use it.
TINTIN PFP 😱😱😱
TINTIN PFP 😱😱😱
@@TheSonic497 Exactly, it's a very vague lable considering how mainstream anime is. My point is that regardless of how you may see yourself, don't consume media blindly.
@@greensky5328 What does that have to do with one labeling themselves?
The interesting thing is, the first animated TV show I ever saw through fully as a very young child was The Mysterious Cities of Gold in the mid-90s - a relatives friend had the entire series taped from back in the 80s.
This was a Japanese-French coproduction, and it was *incredibly* damning toward the Spanish invasion of the Americas. And to be frank, I was probably too young to be watching it. It permanently affected my attitudes toward life, and my own identity, and caused me to massively reassert what my existence was as a white Australian.
That this anime was a product of teams from two nations that are infamous for their brutal past colonial (and arguably still ongoing in the case of France) experiences, and the discussion that this video has brung, has made me realise how exceptionally unusual that series was in the context of both nations.
I don't know if you're reading this comment, but I really appreciate this video. I also happened to grow up with the 60s Kimba the White Lion series (the 90s Canadian dub, incidentally), and it's only with time into growing into being an adult that I've realised just how many awkward themes seeped into that show. This video's managed to point out something I totally missed - and yes, I very vividly remembered that scene.
As buryat-mongolian, I realized my prejudice against Japanese and Chinese, despite being entirely overpowered by their cultures. That's not something I expected to learn from this video.
Oh, and about soft power. My aunt proven that it works really well - at youth she first traveled into Japan, then Korea's doramas and novels took over, and now learning Chinese to travel in the future. And as I grew up, Russia made sure people here only know Russian, and the war in Ukraine is just continuing the soviet trend of erasing national identity. That just sucks
As currently people here don't have independency, let alone ability to project soft power, here's my attempt:
Try out Buryat cuisine! It's easy to make, goes with any seasoning and aren't invented BS as it doesn't need to appeal to foreighers, it's authentic no matter how you cook it. Just avoid anything with dairy, it mostly tastes shit
Genuine question: what exactly R**sia did to make sure you only know R**sian and have no national identity? Don't jump to conclusions, I despise our dearest govt as any other guy in UA-cam comment section. It's just that I personally don't have that impression and am very sceptical of people with anime avatars
@@シミズルリ During soviet time: ethnic cleansing of many, restriction on culture and religion, sending people to Siberia and further. Nowadays: Limited education, nationalism, low living standards, disproportionate mobilization.
I hate my government regional university (Russian). It's like school, but somehow worse. Can't have debates with professors because they are "always right". And exams are too much to handle.
@@シミズルリ ultimate sоуbоу
This is a video answering questions I’ve had for so long but have not been able to find something so concise and well researched. Thank you so much for your amazing work. Your effort does not go unnoticed, I’m subscribed now. Please keep it up.
I did Japanstudies in my home country (west-Europe) at university and we'd mock ourselves at times calling it "Weebstudies" instead of Japanstudies. Mandatory classes are language, history, art history, sociology and area studies (learning about the orientalism theory and the west vs. rest view) and there's a lot of directions you can choose to go into. I definitely started that with a certain fascination for Japan due to my anime watching like many of my peers, but over the years you also learn about some of those most nasty truths. Also, people who are only there to watch anime without subtitles will usually flunk, although not all. This video has got me wondering just a bit if calling that study course 'Weebstudies' is justified or if it is actually something that plays part in de-Weebing its students (or have those students flunk)...
Especially if you define "Weeb" as 'fan of Japanese anime/popculture to the point they're no longer critical of the culture that produced it', a definition I'm not sure is considered absolute? I'm open to be corrected on this one, but I do think one can have a somewhat obsessive interest in anime/manga/etc. and still be very critical about the Japanese culture that produces it.
EITHER WAY, this was a super interesting video and while I'd argue some historical context could have been left out or summarised more, I also love that kinda stuff personally and am very happy it is there. I just don't think it's always /that/ necessary for context. And meanwhile am baffled that a movie like Rashōmon, the first Japanese movie to win an Oscar and to kickstart a new (academic) interest in Japanese movie industry (especially so they can have something different then Classical Hollywood Cinema, CHC, to study and contrast) and the name Donald Richie weren't mentioned :0. I think this also just shows I had some courses on this subject in my life,,, which is true and I don't think it is or should be seen as basic common knowledge. It's too niche, but I guess can be another interesting case study for how Japan got cultural soft power again. (Although the entirety of Kurosawas work isn't always seen as super representative of the Japanese people by the Japanese people asked about this and they consider other directors as representing them better).
I liked this video essay a lot and as this comment probably shows, it definitely tickled me brain and generated some thoughts and feelings on this subject from me!! Keep up the excellent work!
I am currently studying Japanese Studies, and literally after starting studying I have reduced watching anime.
Good to know this is not just me.
Feels like I am getting more immune to Japanese fascination, but I've got a new respect for topics in anime that I found obscure before
@@ahtheh Super cool to hear another Japanstudies student relate to my experience, I think it goes for a lot of students of this field (also including majors that focus on Korea, China and other "exotic cultures").
And maybe rather than your fascination for Japan disappearing it's more like it's shifting. With all the new knowledge you obtain it's hard to keep looking at the subject in the same way, but there's still so much interesting things, just differently. If those words strung together made any sense... it's past midnight for me here 😅
@@ahtheh Anime are cartoons. Fascination with anime in itself is nice, but most people just watched it because the most popular shows were cool with compelling stories that adults and children alike enjoyed. The same with manga.
Some just took it forward and gained other interests in Japanese culture and Japan at large, or others became slightly “obsessed” with anime/anime otaku culture.
"dont become a gamer" real shit
butts
When you have gamers crying over a couple of pixels of boobs being covered, yeah, don't become a gamer
No shit, Sherlock.
@@JSSMVCJR2.1 yall are all stupid man
fallowing a fake
Been living in Japan for 8 years, now. Wife and home.
I became interested in Japan through anime and manga as a kid, but studied at university to learn the actual history, language and culture.
It's not the most fun country to live in, if you have trouble being social and making friends, because you will end up lonely. More-so tgan you might expect, even if you're already lonely in your home country.
A lot of people who don't actually know Japanese culture come here expecting a mix of fun and difficulty, but end up feeling like Japanese people are two-faced and prejudiced. There is some truth to that, but not much more than the US or other foreign countries.
The BIG kicker is that people are just not that friendly or talkative. They're polite, but that's a social expectation, not a reflection of individual kindness. People who come here get bogged down by intense loneliness and isolation.
So, if you move here, be aware of these things.
@user-dx6eq2rg9b good luck, man. ✊ There's still lots of stuff to enjoy! Sorry if I seemed too negative. I just want people to temper their expectations. 😅
@user-dx6eq2rg9b good luck!!! ❤
yeah... Everything felt very superficial and surface level when i lived there for 6 weeks as part of an internship. Everyone is nice and is like "what do you like about japan? Why did you come here" but it never goes deep it feels like. By the middle of that period i was feeling kinda depressed. this was while living with 15 other exchange students i'd have gone insane by myself. Edit:just to specify I am fluent in japanese.
@user-dx6eq2rg9b good luck bro
Honestly I am already alone in my country, I don't feel like I even exist, it can't get any worse at this point. I don't mind dying alone if I at least get to live in a peaceful and safe country and spend my life studying all the amazing, fascinating, beautiful little things it can offer. I would be content with just that...
I’ve had this video saved in my background video essay playlist for ages, and now that I’ve watched it I’m blown away. This is by far one of the best, most informative, and most thoughtfully put together video essays I’ve ever watched not only on the topic, but across the board. The thoroughness of the evidence presented, the editing, the presentation of both sides of each argument and the care taken to be objective on each topic- all of it thoroughly exceeded my expectations and I feel set new standards.
I watch a lot of video essays- like, a *lot* -and this video has absolutely put many of them to shame. It’s a beautifully presented, informative, and impressive monument to the work put into it. At no point during it did I feel like it was stalling, or that the information presented was a waste of runtime. Each topic ties wonderfully into the rest, and it was an absolute joy to listen to.
Thank you so much for posting this. I feel better educated and better off for having watched it.
“You are not the things you consume.”
Wow moony I was not expecting such a powerful life lesson and change of perspective from this video. But thank you. I feel a lot more at peace with the fact that I like Japanese media. Or even secular media as a whole.
You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
Secular media? Wtf lol
what is secular media? haven't heard that phrase before
your people are dumb asf not once did i say i was so fuck off already stop stalking me stop commenting on this fakes videos and sending the fake money its cringe im the guy youve been stalking in apex too you sore loser
_"The goal on Moon Channel is and always has been the betterment of the world"_
I'm really curious about your take on TikTok, from a legal perspective, but especially for its ramifications on the state of mind of our younger generations.
Is that a topic that would fit your channel?
The USA states that TikTok collects about as much data as the other social media networks, using pretty much the same methods, but mainly opposes its ties to a foreign anti-american nation.
I still have to finish watching the video, but wanted to say thank you for choosing my state, Rio Grande do Sul, for the fundraiser. This entire thing has been heartbreaking, so it warms my heart to see people caring. It's a very common sentiment in Brazil that we're not seen. Thank you for thinking of us.
Also, as always, very interesting topic and history lesson :) Looking forward to finish watching.
please make a video about senbonzakura!!! as a HEAVY vocaloid fan I always heard this song and I just got carried away by "oooh, how cool is the military look with the kimono sleeves, so cool" and only recently I went to see more in depth about these themes, like, this video alone was quite explanatory for me to have a better vision and understand more about this song, but I think it would be better to make a video explaining it in full: its lyrics, its imagery, it would be very informative and interesting ! So if possible, and if you are interested, I strongly urge you to do so!! Thats all ❤💕🇧🇷
I thought it was still primarily an anti-war song (like a lot of Japanese media is) but it obviously is meant to evoke nostalgia to a Japan long gone in terms of the aesthetics of the mv. I'm not even Japanese and I feel nostalgic.
Something that always stuck with me about Senbonzakura was a random news article about how japanese celebrities posted themselves singing that song on social media, seemingly out of nowhere, at the height of its popularity. At the time I was a teen and very into Vocaloid so I just thought of it as a normal thing; popular people did popular relevant thing on the internet but I still remember that to this very day for some reason. It's nice to know that it was most likely deliberate, for closure I guess.
I want to note that it was indeed mean to use so much of Miku for imagery but I get your point. Also isn't that Ursula screenshot a spoiler...? What do you mean it's been 11 years 😨
I recently came back from a month long trip to Japan, and upon explaining what the trip was like, I realized how bizarre people's perceptions are of the country. Either people think it's literally like what they see in anime, or they think it's some utopia where everyone wears Kimonos 24-7. That is Japanese soft power at play.
The country is nice, the people are (generally) friendly, and there are elements of it that also seem pretty dystopian. Doesn't mean it's a terrible place to visit... Unless you are a vegetarian.
As soon as I got celiac most east Asian countries became inaccessible too it sucks lol. So much wheat in everything.
From what I've picked up form personal experience and what I've heard through the grapevine, it's an amazing place to visit and an awful place to actually work and live. Perhaps not the worst place full stop or even among first world countries, but far from utopia.
I never thought of Japan as a utopia. Sure, I love the country and Japanese pop culture but I never once let fictional media disillusion me about the country. Perhaps it's because when I take an interest in something I study it, but I always find it cringe when some dude goes "Japan is the best country ever!!!" (Or something alluding to that).
@@Aka-Spade a lot of nerds outside of Japan think Japan is a paradise because thanks to their media consumption, they believe that Japan doesn't have jocks or sports culture and that smart kids can be the popular kids at school. The former is not true. The later has an element of truth in it.
@@leeratner8064 yeah, and since a ton of westerners don't bother to learn the culture or understand the country's issues, social commentary in some of the Japanese games and shows go over their heads completely.
Everytime i see "Brazil mentioned" in your videos it's like i've been hugged.
I love your videos my man
Muito obrigada por ajudar as doações pro Rio Grande do Sul. Não sou de lá, mas mesmo assim, ver as noticias do maior desastre na historia do país é desesperador, as coisas parecem que só vão piorar no futuro e ninguém parece fazer nada. Ver um canal internacional como o seu trazendo atenção ao problema aqui traz uma esperança que esta faltando
obrigada, moon
Crazy that this is free. Normally you'd have to pay a university like 500 dollars for this kind of thing.
500 dollar!?, this is multiple courses so defa few thousand bucks
It's free because it filled with wrong information
@@0008loser what is wrong about this? Outside of super specific random details. The whole topic seems sound to me and def lines up with a lot of soft power/political that have been pushed, often to hide a lot of shade.
@@0008loser if this video is wrong then that means all of the 12 sources listed in the description + the ones not listed like books mentioned are wrong
That or you are just a rando full of BS
Which one is more probable I wonder 🤔
@@Punkqurupeco I'm still going through the video, but if this video doesn't cover Azuma Hideo, then it's most definitely BS. No discussion on Otaku subculture is worth watching or reading if the source doesn't mention Tezuka Osamu's equal in terms of influence. There's way too many trash books in English that aren't any good because most of them don't bother with studying Japanese primary source material properly; they're too enamoured with their shoddy game of telephone.
I am from Rio Grande do Sul and I was not expecting this end. I really appreciate your support. I hope better a time will come.
Tapping in to say I'm 2 hours into the video, and yes: I would love a video dedicated to Senbonzakura.
Not only is it something that I find myself thinking about a lot (what its relationship to Imperialist Japanese concepts is,) but it's something that I honestly struggle to articulate and thus talk about to other Vocaloid or Miku fans. Having a better thought out-- and probably more well researched than I could do-- video on Senbonzakura would be really interesting and helpful for discussion I think.
Great video as always, Moony. 😊
I don't think there is much to discuss. It is propaganda, like most of Vocaloid and Hatsune Miku. But people just refuse to see it because they like the characters.
While it is true that these things do give a good impression of Japan, it must be said that the involvement of the Japanese government is wrong. Much of what is now familiar as Japanese culture has been abused by Japanese society. It is very sad that this is treated as if it were Japanese government propaganda. I felt that what has been created by the people is seen as a national achievement.
Especially knowing the story of certain critical creations like A Silent Voice
The Super Mario 64 Slide theme combined with Komm Susser Tod absolutely sent me into hysterics. What an inspired combination
Moon's understated sense of humour is brilliant.
Evangelion has an N64 game, it used Super Marios 64 sound library. The results are amazing.
ua-cam.com/video/b7T1SVnXYsk/v-deo.html&pp=ygUSa29tIHNzdXNlciB0b2QgbjY0
I don`t get it. Are you started convulsing because it is related with Mario or what?
@@Keima_Katsuragi. Komm Susser Tod is the name of a song from the anime Evangelion played in the scene where everything goes wrong and comes tumbling down. Combine that with the game Super Mario 64, which became prevalent during the 1990s, when the Japanese economic bubble burst.
Making it a perfect combination.
@@Rasupubegasu ah, ok, my wrong. Thanks for information
I remember someone saying Paranoia Agent is a commentary of post-war Japan trying to distract everyone with the cute.
Godzilla was a manifestation of the Japanese reaction to the final year of fire-bombing and nuclear crescendo. Metaphor made more poignant by then current restrictions on speech directed for or against military power and America. Godzilla was war movie catharsis for the _millions_ of Japanese who had lost their family homes and starved for months only 10 years earlier. Certainly, monsters of Toho cinema represent the military powers of nations, tearing up the peaceful civilian world for mysterious and selfish reasons. Often the human characters' sole purpose is wondering at their motivations or developing a new means to control them. This remains the core formula even 60 years later. (Parallel in American cinema was Dr. Strangelove, just a few years later. However it didn't spawn 25 retellings.)
I loved Paranoia Agent. Similar in tone to Death Note, but more unpredictable, almost to FLCL levels. Never once did I think "You know, I think they are explaining post-war Japan to me." But I can't remember which year that guy who was friends with Mao got shot, and the polite Japanese people almost overthrew their own government for considering rebuilding the military, and changing the american-forced constitution. I was astounded to learn about this. Japan received the most progressive advanced version of democracy, which we were then struggling to adopt in America. Eisenhower left with the warning that he had failed to contain the military industrial complex. We never caught up with the Japanese, and started to lose our best jobs and our middle class in 1981, as the foundations started eroding.
Two big points everyone should take away from this video:
1. It's important to think critically about the things you consume
2. Sucy is best LWA character
Also, a lot of people REALLY like Oshin.
Except Sucy isn't - Sucy fucking sucks, the anime outright shows Sucy doesn't give a shit about Akko and only views her as a tool for her entertainment - Anyone who actually likes Sucy, is an apologist for her behavior, and especially thinks she's the best character, is someone who is clearly Evil, and thus is someone whose opinions I have zero respect for and do not view as a human being.
Watching this video after a video discussing Japan’s political climate in the 1960s was an amazing transition lol-definitely understood stuff better
Super amazing video btw! I was engaged the whole time :0
i had no idea Japan had a whole system recording their coolness that’s insane 💀 it was also nice to end the video with a focus on self rather than what you consume, that was very wholesome :D
How do I know if this video also isn’t a propaganda? 🤔
unfortunately everyone is biased. this too is propaganda, but that doesn’t mean it’s nefarious
Everything is propaganda in it's own way if you think about it... Don't blindly agree with anyone, have your own mind while considering the interests and opinions other people may have.
it is just look at his other videos
Strictly speaking, ANY narrative that tries to convince you of ANY point is "propaganda." The thing is, people often use "propaganda" as a pejorative, meaning "trying to convince (usually other people) of something I don't agree with," so if you like McDonalds, you don't think a McDonalds commercial is "propaganda," but if you HATE McDonalds, then anything McDonalds puts in an ad is "propaganda" to YOU. Put another way, "propaganda" is just "persuasion" when you don't like what's being said. Pointing out that you don't think it's propaganda if you agree with it is kind of the point of the "you're not immune to propaganda" meme, although by another definition, you'd be a solipsistic idiot it you refused to ever let anyone convince you of anything, so it's not like a bad thing. It's that kind of connotation game that most people are playing, and the strict definition of the term is often irrelevant to what people actually mean.
@@WraithMagus public relations, propaganda, advertisement. bernays.
FUN FACT! speaking on korea not allowing japanese cultural imports until the late 90s - that's why Starcraft was so popular there!
That the Korean gaming market is even now still largely dominated by American video games feels like a major butterfly effect. If Japanese cultural imports were never banned, would these American games still have been so big in Korea?
Honestly I somewhat disagree with a lot of points on this video:
For example I'd argue that Japan never even tried to export its media (anime and manga), fans brought most of that culture to the west and western studios in France and Germany outsourced their animations to Japan in the 70s and 80s a lot. The video makes the argument that Japan purposefully tries to appear kawaii or anime but the majority of this media is just for japanese as escapist fiction and if it wasn't for all the westerners who learned japanese in the early 2000s or western tv channels that tried to fill these program with shows from another country then the image of Japan would be more like it was in the 20th century. The anime and manga market never even occured for many japanese to be interesting to westerners and they only became more international as they noticed the growing interest, demand and possibility for profit. And even now it's a mess, the amount of works that will never receive any translation is insane.
The Japan-hype simply happened because cultural products from a different and secluded culture suddenly flooded the internet and modern western culture with a lot of ideas and style foreign to western media. Due to the working-culture there's also an abundance of art because they are working so hard at creating, drawing, writing and animating as well, creating an insane amount of works to consume. Otakus and weebs are like punks or metalheads of the 21st century in the west, it's a subculture and like the subcultures in the 20th century it will slowly feel more "normal". People don't bat much of an eye at metal now either or punk. All of this has been driven a lot by the novelty of the now more interconntected world and youth that has been seeking their own niche. Already the next 2 generations will likely not be hyped about it anymore to the same degree because they will grow up being used to japanese games and anime and all that being a thing.
Also Japan being so closed off played a large role in the idealization of the country. As more information becomes available a lot of people are getting more reality checks now or even disillusioned about the different values.
So all in all I don't think it is soft power play, most of what the west currently considers japanese culture is an aspect of "nerd culture" that is not even really on the mind much for japanese people and they're also not all even avid consumers of otaku culture.
Like I'm sorry but it's not always about politics and just because it has influenced the image of Japan in the west in recent years, doesn't mean this was a result of politics or policy. Like soft power and creating an image with Japan may be a lot of things, like the way we perceive Samurai for example as noble upright warriors, but otaku culture is really not it.
Japan has never attempted to export their own media and it’s all done by fans??? Do you think Japanese business people are naive like you? Good lord this is the most delusional comment I’ve seen in this comment section. What a charlatan
No you should really learn to read. Nowadays this is obviously not completely the case anymore AND we are talking about the history of anime and moe-culture in particular in the video and how they got to the west. Some movies (usually with real actors) were always exported from japan to the west and could clearly be seen as a display of soft power, but anime and manga were not it. You can look at the history of how they came to the west. The first anime to be exported to America for example was Astro boy and the reason it got over to america was a man called Fred Ladd who went through many hurdles to get that anime to the west and people didn't even like it at first.
In France and Germany you had film production companies that looked in asia for the production capacity to create serial tv shows because they themselves lacked the ressource and they eventually ended up working with japanese animators which is how a lot of the big early anime ended up on western tv. Not because japanese tried to import it but because a man called Jean Chalopin with his company wanted long-running regularly running animated series on french tv but they lacked the expertise in this. In Germany a lot of the older
Kid's shows came to be in a similar way by using the skills of japanese animators.
Eventually a bunch of (heavily edited) long-running anime from japan also ended up on western tv as well to fill tv-slots which in turn created a lot of anime fans.
The first anime convention in america in the 90s in New York only ever had raw anime and then people begun to sub them.
The vast majority of anime fandom was fandriven for many years by fansubbers, even crunchyroll the probably only really legal way here to watch the majority of anime with translation nowadays began as a piracy website in the early 2000s before they eventually became an official legal alternative.
@@teasea546 Please learn to read.
I love the "Just put them all to the sword, lol!" running joke.
J.K. Rowling, probably, lol
i think one of the funniest, yet understated revelations this video brings is the fact that, one of the greatest enemies the whole anti-localization cultural war faces? the one nominally built upon the principles of freeing japanese culture and media from the evils of foreign cultural influence?
it's japan
Or to be more specific, certain parts of the Japanese goverment and political factions. There are both allies and enemies within Japan of both sides of that culture war.
its because dumbass japanese boomers don't understand how modern culture actually works, they see anime being popular in the west and think "we need to change our products to appeal to them" without realizing that it's specifically the japaneseness that's appealing; basically the classic story of
niche thing becomes popular
niche thing changes to appeal to a "broader audience"
niche thing loses what made it popular in the first place
we don't need localization, we don't need rice balls (or "onigiri" to the more hardcore weebs) to be jelly donuts, we just need to know what they're saying, as close and as literal as possible to the original as possible, and if that involves using TL NOTES (this kills the lolcowlizer) to explain watashi/ore/boku/atashi/etc, then so be it
For example in persona 3 reload, during the operation babe hunt, they change a scence with a cross dress man luring men to a woman who was a nut. Some people call the localization messing with original, despite this change being the Japanese version of reload. Meaning even the native Japanese audience had problems with it.
@@starmaker75 um, based?
Not to mention if Japan was successful in remilitarizing, would the Japanese population who has been softened as otaku and neets want to support war or even join the military?
I just want to let you know-I love the historical deep dives. They absolutely matter, and I always learn something new. Keep it coming, Moony. Your work is very much appreciated.
Not always the case. You can enjoy things without agreeing with the underlying messages and themes of them. You can also enjoy things while realizing they’re not an accurate representation of reality.
But this video calls to do that exaclty by the end of it...
@@indisciiplinethey can’t hear you
My first exposure to Japan was Spirited Away, along with other anime that showed on the normal American cartoon channels. Kid me could tell it was something very different from my home culture and it planted a captivating seed in my head that bloomed into my obsession with Japan.
I saw castle in the sky and some other anime and yeah same.
To be fair I very much like flying machines, so myazakis works obviously resonated with me
I did not know it reached THIS far. I knew that there was propaganda, but not to this extent. That shows how Japan is the best at it, the idea slowly cultivating inside one's mind. Like you said, we just need to be aware. Just as I suspected the tanks and battle ships were getting maybe too prominent in gacha games...
Also, imagine my surprise when you talked about thr Brazil foundation at the end! I'm from Porto Alegre, RS too, and I got to saw the disaster first hand. Military helicopters and trucks for week, and everyday the radio's news only got worse, for a time. I hope that commenter is safe and alright now. Thank you so much for the care and contributions! I'm off to rewatch your Brazil-Japan video once again.
japan is not even close to being the best at it, look at the USA
@@AbdallahAhmed-qz6uu The US has hard power backing up their soft power, Japan does not.
is it ironic that battleship gacha is coming from China ?
their the last nation on earth who wanted Japan remilitarization
It seems Japan soft power initiative was successful in China. My girlfriend is Chinese and says most young Chinese have a highly positive image of Japan because their love of anime and Japanese video games. She told me it’s a considered an honor among young Chinese to study in Japan. She also feels most young Chinese have forgotten what Japan did to China during WW2. Though she doesn’t dislike japan , she enjoys anime and knows a bit of Japanese, she just think Japan needs to owe up to what they did to China
what does the older generation of Chinese think about this mentality? i.e. their parents & grandparents?
@@nicksterpick I really wouldn’t know, I’ve never actually been to china. Me and my gf’s relationship is long distance. My girlfriend told me there’s still a lot of feelings of animosity among multiple generations over japans WW2 atrocities against China that gets passed down even to little children. My gf said she once had a little 4 year old cousin tell her to never marry a Japanese man.
IMO, It actually is more a counter-culture itself than the Japan soft power, in CHINA CASE isnt a bad thing, since most of mainstream chinese gov controlled media tend to teach Chinese how hate Japan and how chinese MUST desire harm and destruction to Japan constantly, propaganda non-stop focusing in hate and despise Japanese while there has over expouse to the problems they suffred by the Japanese in past. using those problems as a way to make them see the non-chinese outsiders as the enemy instead of the alç-powerful goverment and party
In fact the Chinese Gov and extreme chinese han nationalists are cracking down in anything Japanese at moment, there has a video that became viral in last feel weeks, where chinese nationalists abuse and annoy the hell of two girls that happen to like Kimono and were using them to just take photos
@@nicksterpick okay talking from a country with similar history, they couldn't careless, it is not like the young people now speak Japanese and hail Hirohito in front of them man. History is history, if those Japanese medias are allowed to be imported into the country, by the government then what the older generation can do
@@Jasi-Moridètònĝ wáñĝ ťìñĝ detected. opinion denied.
really insightful and well made/articulated video
"engage with the content with a nuanced perspective" This is such a good line. Very good advice for all media, but I don't know if this is more relevant anywhere than in the Warhammer universe. Very good advice.
This'll be an interesting one. I actually did learn about the whole Japanese soft power strategy and the systems behind it in university, there was a whole introductory freshman seminar on it from the Japanese department. Of course the Japanese department very much liked Japanese soft power, because it means more people who want to learn Japanese, and thus them keeping their jobs.
While I might disagree with the idea that Japanese soft power is overall greater than American soft power past and present, I could totally understand the former's application of it having less hegemonic overtones that often have other countries go full protectionist to save their media industries (Canada is a prime example with the whole dedecated Canadian airtime thing. Not to mention China's restrictions on foreign films, namely American ones, though China is more than established enough to not be drowned out by Hollywood blockbusters.)
I sadly have been up for a full day before this video went live at 2PM and thus will not be able to comment on it. It'll probably be good. It'll probably mention the early Japanophile art movement as a precursor, and I'm certain that given the whole Imperial overtones, it's going to cover how Japan uses it to go "What war crimes, gaijin? 🤷🏽" I may not be immune to propaganda, but I'm also not immune to sleep deprivation more so.
Oyasumi Nasai Moony. Let's pray for the glory of the emperor.
Yeah, American soft power is definitely greater. I hear so much more from foreigners about all the American content etc that has been exported. Anime and the like doesn't come close.
American-Japanese "alliance" was a mistake.
Change my mind.
@@FunctionallyLiteratePersonAmerica always had hard power that they didn’t need to use soft power vs Japan had to develop soft power. I think it’s subjective to say who has more soft power tbh
Man, what a prophetic comment
@@FunctionallyLiteratePersonthe key to Moony's argument is the big "but" in this comment. Japan is arguably better at it because their approach may very well be sustainable, whereas the American approach has begun tumbling down, tumbling down, tumbling down. It's akin to calling the ninja more lethal than the samurai. The samurai dominated Japanese military among the various clans, so they objectively held more power. However, that doesn't change the fact that the small enclave of ninja warriors were generally more skilled than the average samurai and thus "better."
2:02:00 A note, the LDP was out of power from 2009-2012. The Socialist party also was in power for a time in the 90s. The LDP and its ancestors and descendents are dominant in Japan but not as much as you made it seem.
What does this mean, when 3/4 of the video is about how the Liberal Dems are Evil Imperialists in Disguise.
Thank you Sci-Fi channel showing Akira when I was 10 in 1993
its rare to see this much consideration and nuance put into a video, and i thank you for not politicizing more than you needed to, despite the subject matter.
your conclusion part has put a smile on my face, and i thank you for that too, it meant a lot
Pad thai is delicious. I am not immune to propaganda.
Delicious propaganda...we were doomed from the start.
Every food you eat?
Propaganda.
Every meme you see?
Propaganda.
Lol same
And Thai BL shows are so engaging, I'm not inmune to propaganda either.
@@ghoulbuster1 Are you really going to believe that even the air you breathe is propaganda?
With regards to the apparent debate of how much of LWA was deliberate propaganda, I suspect its case is closer to why Estonian oligarchs would fund a game like Disco Elysium, the CCP would eventually come around to supporting previously-underground filmmaker Jia Zhangke despite his continued focus on the seedy side of Chinese society, and why South Korean officials were happy to celebrate the success of Parasite despite its direct indictment of Hell Joseon; sometimes you just want to support something that people like and benefit from the glow of its popularity, even if its actual message might not match your own beliefs/goals.