cliché

Japanese netizens attempt to answer our questions about confusing things that happen in anime

As much as we all love Japanese anime and manga, we also have to admit that they can be a little… confusing. For almost all of us, there’s probably been a few times when watching a show or reading a manga that something happened to make you go, “Wait, what?”

Why is that guy’s nose bleeding? Why are they eating a “Christmas cake?” Our cultural misunderstandings can be pretty funny to the Japanese, so much so that they’ve been compiled into a book: If Japan’s So Safe Then Why Are There So Many Chikan? With all the questions in one place, Japanese netizens have stepped up to finally provide some potential answers.

Ready to finally clear up some of your anime misunderstandings? Read on to find out the answers!

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Enough already! 10 all-too-common occurrences in Japanese anime

Let’s play a game. I’m going to say a word, and you have to say the first thing that pops into your mind. OK, ready? Here it goes: ANIME!

What was the first thing that you thought of? Maybe the stereotypical big eyes, or common visual aids like sweat drops? Regardless, chances are you weren’t alone in your thinking–even though there are some incredibly original and groundbreaking works of Japanese animation, there are unfortunately just as many series with incredibly clichéd story lines.  

It appears that an article covering this topic from last year on science and science-fiction-themed website i09 has recently been making the rounds online. Translated versions of the piece, titled “10 completely annoying anime cliches,” have just recently popped up on Chinese and Japanese websites under the tagline “10 conventions in anime that foreigners are fed up with.”

We bet you’ll have no problem recognizing them!

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