Caribbeancom-081715-950 Niiyama Saya — Jav Uncens...

One cannot study Japanese entertainment without confronting honne (true feeling) and tatemae (public facade). The smile of the idol hides exhaustion. The slapstick of the variety show masks rigid hierarchy. The beauty of the anime landscape floats over a exploitative production pipeline.

Netflix realized that anime is its most globally consumed non-English content. They are now proactively funding bizarre, niche projects like The Naked Director (a biopic of an AV mogul) and Romantic Killer (a parody of otaku tropes). Caribbeancom-081715-950 Niiyama Saya JAV UNCENS...

A government initiative with $1 billion to invest in IP. It has had mixed results (losing money on hotel investments) but has successfully funded anime studios to keep production in-house rather than outsourcing to Korea/China. Part 6: The Dark Side – Karoshi and the Stalker Crisis Entertainment in Japan is fueled by karoshi (death by overwork). Anime studios have seen animators die at their desks. Idols work 18-hour days, sleep in bunk beds in shared dorms, and are restricted from dating. The beauty of the anime landscape floats over

Idols are sold on the fantasy of availability. Dating scandals often result in public apologies (head shaved, as happened to a member of AKB48 in 2013) or forced resignations. This is barbaric to Western eyes but is rooted in the concept of seishin (pure spirit). A government initiative with $1 billion to invest in IP

Anime is not "children's cartoons" in Japan. It is a medium tackling philosophy ( Ghost in the Shell ), economics ( Spice and Wolf ), and depression ( Neon Genesis Evangelion ).