Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Great Teacher Mango

 

'Creating a great home for GTO'

Home GTO Manga GTO Anime GTO Live Action Forum
   

 

 

.:Main Menu:.

Home

GTO Manga

GTO Anime

GTO Live Action

Other Anime

Forum

Articles and Reviews

Wallpapers and Images

Links

About Us

Legal stuff

 

.:Information:.

I created this article with the fascination of the culture of Japan. Realizing that one could detect culture via entertainment prompted this lit review.

 

 

 

 

.:Culture:.

Please remember, this article is based on articles, and interpretations of mangas and anime. Since I have not been to Japan, I have not been able to do empirical research on the subject. Please do not copy this article, unless you ask me.

.:Articles:.


Every form of art and entertainment represents the culture from where it was created. In America we can understand our culture in small portions or even more from our entertainment and art that we create, which is exactly true to be told in all other cultures. Entertainment and art seems to hit the nail straight on about history to social "contracts." So where does this lead us in this topic, if the obvious is already stated? This article was written to help the audience learn more, or discover what they may or may not know of the culture, and social issues of Japan.

Japan is a land of contradictions and extremes, for it practices age old methods, but has cutting edge technological abilities. The social and cultural norm of Japan is very traditional in their practices. Since it had an economic boom, from the 50's to the mid 80's, the outlook of Japan was very pleasant, but also creating an ethnographic view on others, for them being the better as a side effect of this economic boom. Thus the feel of "We are better" was born. The outlook of change of this mindset does not look appealing. However with satires and metaphors from their entertainment, i.e. Anime, this may change with the children of Japan, since they are the future of Japan.

Traditional values are kept strictly in Japanese culture. Much like the Chinese, they follow the Confucian ideals mixed with their own. These traditions are in Anime, whether they are very vocal about them, or so subtle that one cannot tell. This is for the most part very true with the Anime that depicts families, and the interaction between them. Not only with the families, but also the treatment of elders was to be with utmost respect.

Authors, such as Homer, and Chaucer, incorporate in deep detail of what they lack. In the case of Homer and Chaucer, they wrote in intensive detail of food. Including recipes of how to cook, and its taste was showed to the readers in their epics, Odyssey and in the Canterbury Tales. During their respective time periods, there was a great lack of food, which is why those authors wrote extensively on food. It was because they did not have it themselves or most of the population.
-Dr. William Lutz, Rutgers University English and Literature professor

As the fantasy and science fiction genre always produces, they produce images and thoughts of which in reality one cannot do, i.e. flying, or growing a ligament back right after it has been cut off. One can only wish to be able to do such things. But not only in fantasy images, but simple and very real items as well, food being one of the more important commodities. Depending on the time period, or what natural event occurs, what is needed is described. What is wanted is described. Thus producing an effect on the audience to visualize and understand the author and what has happened in the author's life time. As quoted, both Homer and Chaucer wrote extensively about food, since during their life they lived through famine. In the Anime that we watch this "I want this but don't have it" syndrome can be seen from the obvious, quest for knowledge, money, and property, to the simple aspects of life, such as happiness or love.

One thing that anyone who been to Japan, or lives in Japan, can tell you that hardly any of the females, though lovely as they are, have higher than a 'C' cup. However in Anime, almost every female cast member, most of the time those who are created at the set age of 14 or older, have really excessively large breast size. Something smelt fishy when I saw in every single anime, where there were young cast members, has a rather large chest size. When my friend, whom had just returned from Japan, he related the facts to me that not a lot of ladies in Japan actually have breasts sizes over C. However there are a minority of women in Japan who do have a rather breast size, but as I said they are a minority. But why is this so important to understand? This part is an assumption of mine, but I figure that the men, whom are also the majority of those who create the manga and Anime, create the characters with a larger breast size, because they lack that there in Japan. As stated earlier they are describing and creating images that they do not have but want. Since we live in a world with cultures meet and clash, the Japanese has seen the American "ideal" female as one with a fairly large breast size and elegant in appearance.

The average Japanese worker, work an average of eighteen hours a day to make ends meet. The mother is the one who is expected to ensure that the children get high grades and get into a great university. Failing in doing so would cause shame. Now these are very high in responsibility and time consumption. But where does this leave the mother and father to actually enjoy time together and enjoy a good old time "rocking" in the futon? They in fact have little time to themselves to actually enjoy it, since they are occupied with their jobs. Now since the economy of Japan, as well as the US, seems down, there is a lot of recession in Japan, jobs are becoming scarcer and the workers are working harder and working longer hours, even past eighteen hours. Birth rate of Japan is steadily decreasing with the average amount of children is 1.19 per household. The birth rate of Japan is low in comparison to other global economic states around the world, i.e. the United States of America. The ratio of older to younger Japanese is steadily rising, where the older Japanese will be a majority of its population. This serves a demographic problem in Japan where the ratio is unbalanced and the older Japanese are overwhelming the populace. Creating questions and problems that should seriously be looked into by the Japanese government, and people as a whole. Why did I state that the children are the future of Japan when data thoroughly contradicts that notion? One can only hope for the better of a society.

This relates to Anime in the form of Anime known as Hentai. Hentai is used as a catharsis of hormones of men. Ever since they are working eighteen plus hours a day, relaxation and family time is severely reduced. Leaving only such amount of in-between time for each average worker. One can only assume that this is true, or otherwise the Japanese males are a very perverted bunch.

There is also little time for romance for even the youth, let alone the adults. Every single student does nothing but study for their exams and school. These exams are serious and very difficult to take. This leaves little time out for joy and free time, the students are becoming more stressed out than before. American psychologists, and Sociologists debate this matter readily in Japan and in the United States. Should there be free time for the youth and children to build their motor and social skills? This argument is still in debate. Youth romance doesn't even start to kick into gear until after the University years.

These exams are very important for they determine which high school and university that you are able to get into. For these tests and placements also determine what job may hire you later after graduation. As seen in "Love Hina," the two main characters do nothing but study for their Tokyo University entrance exams, which happens to be one of the leading universities in Japan. Now take Keitaro Urashima's and Naru Narusegawa's case and add in almost every day since fifth grade, and then one may be able to realize that this is rather harsh. Unless the person does not really care, which is hardly the case, enjoyment and relaxation are hardly available. The exams truly are difficult to partake.

The school system of Japan revolves around Rote learning. Rote learning, for those who do not know, is studying only to remember the facts, whereas in America, it is much looser, and education leans more towards creative thinking. The Japanese system of Rote learning has extensively put a strain on the students. There are those who wish to adapt the more western system. This has been debated extensively by both American and Japanese sociologists and psychologists on whether rote learning is effective and beneficial for the students. The arguments against rote learning are that all they are doing is memorizing without being told what the use of what they are learning is good for. However the fact Japan does have the higher ranking students, and creates versatile students. Which reputes ideas of losing the Rote learning.

So what is the problem now, you ask. The pent up stress, and anger that students' feel and the system thereby creates a heavily stratified society. Violence in schools, directed towards the teachers and fellow students, developed during intensive schooling. As of right now, almost 100,000 high school students refuse to go to school. The school system is very resistant to change the Confucian ideals of education, which focused on rote learning and rigid and harsh disciplinary codes. Which does not help the problem at all, since the one side is relunctant to change even if they know there is a problem with the system. That is why I included the fact that they are very traditional, they do not want to change their traditional methods. This problem is very troubling, and if not taken care of in a timely and well done manner, can create a period of time when people are not working. There have been social commentaries criticizing this by educators, and others to try to find ways to mend this situation. But there has also been Animes and Mangas, in which portrays this problem. In the more extreme form is "Battle Royale," in a fashion where the Japan has won the Pacific War and that the school and education has been driven twenty fold from what it is now. Closer to home kind of Anime, Manga, and Live action, was "Great Teacher Onizuka." The story depicts the school violence to both students and teachers, and school refusals, but also how the characters deal with them. This is a satire of the Japanese educational system. As said by Uchiyamada Sensei in GTO live, the teachers and government officials created a system thought to be beneficial, but it is now wrong and becoming a plague to Japan. Which the teachers should now change and fix those problems. (Episode 11-12; GTO live)

So how does this enlighten you of culture and the social aspects of Japan? This would not be worth the while to try and discover this kind of information if you just watch Anime alone. Sure it would give you some ideas, but if you want to see the references, you would have to read a history text of Japan. In this article, I have only touched the surface of Japanese culture, and social issues. As with all other cultures, it is so much more than the forms of art and entertainment that is created. But also their myths, legends, food, presence, and etc. which would help describe the cultures.

I find that I appreciate and enjoy Anime, or rather the entertainment of Japan more when I read the histories and do some research on the Social and Cultural bindings of Japan. Hopefully Anime will help you want to further your education on the culture and social standards of Japan. And hopefully it will help make one aware of the problems in Japan's society to look into one's own society.


-Mango

Sources

Dr. William Lutz, Rutgers University English professor

Andressen, Curtis, A Short History of Japan, Allen & Unwin, 2002

Akamatsu, Ken, Love Hina, Tokyopop, 2003

Arnett, Jeffrey Jensen, Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood, Prentice Hall, 2001

Fujisawa, Tohru, Great Teacher Onizuka, 2003

Sternberg, Robert J, Williams, Wendy M, Educational Psychology Allyn and Bacon, 2002

Takami, Koushun, Taguchi, Masayuki, Battle Royale, Tokyopop, 2003

GTO live action episodes 11-12, based on Tohru Fujisawa's manga.




 

 

 

 

Copyright 2004 GTM. All Rights Reserved. Template done by template by TemplateMonster.BIZ

All rights reserved to their rightful owners. All images, unless specified, are copyrighted as well. All wallpapers, articles, and reviews are copyrighted to me.

Any questions, feel free to email me: Webmaster