Very nice entry, Matt! A good extension on the earlier RPG post...
As some of our readers might know, I recently lived in Tokyo for a month with some friends and indeed, the concept of "kawaii" (super-cuteness) is everywhere in Japan. Every national landmark has its own personalized Hello Kitty keychain you can get-- even Hiroshima (no, Hello Kitty doesn't straddle the atomic bomb, but she does ride one of the paper peace cranes from the Hiroshima Memorial for Elementary School children killed during the blast).
Commercials, music videos, and banners often feature anime characters or have actors with really over the top expressions. I define "kawaii" as so cute it makes one want to vomit. Since I am American and not Japanese, I can not explain why things have to be kawaii in Japan. I know a lot of Japanese women speak in higher pitched voices to make themselves sound younger and cuter-- more "kawaii." It permeates Japanese culture and I'm sure there is a good book out there somewhere explaining this in more detail.
Looking at the cover art for the American and Japanese markets are always interesting. The European cover art is often very interesting as well to notice the cultural differences. While the American cover art for "Dragon Warrior" looks more American, it still is very stylized. Yes, the Japanese art looks more humorous, but it is adhering to the "shonen" manga style-- the kind of Japanese comics made for teenage (or younger) boys.
You are absolutely right, Matt, when you say that when somebody (like me) grows up with Japanese games, the culture shock is a lot less. I played my first RPG when I was 6 and that was the original Dragon Quest. I didn't play a Western RPG til I was 13 or so, playing a copy of The Bard's Tale.
I enjoyed Dungeon Seige as well. I wish the plot wasn't so cliched, but it had a rousing musical score. The upcoming Uwe Boll movie based on the game looks hysterical-- search on YouTube for the trailer!
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=- Mat Tschirgi =- Armchair Arcade Editor
Hear my gaming podcasts!
Very nice entry, Matt! A good extension on the earlier RPG post...
As some of our readers might know, I recently lived in Tokyo for a month with some friends and indeed, the concept of "kawaii" (super-cuteness) is everywhere in Japan. Every national landmark has its own personalized Hello Kitty keychain you can get-- even Hiroshima (no, Hello Kitty doesn't straddle the atomic bomb, but she does ride one of the paper peace cranes from the Hiroshima Memorial for Elementary School children killed during the blast).
Commercials, music videos, and banners often feature anime characters or have actors with really over the top expressions. I define "kawaii" as so cute it makes one want to vomit. Since I am American and not Japanese, I can not explain why things have to be kawaii in Japan. I know a lot of Japanese women speak in higher pitched voices to make themselves sound younger and cuter-- more "kawaii." It permeates Japanese culture and I'm sure there is a good book out there somewhere explaining this in more detail.
Looking at the cover art for the American and Japanese markets are always interesting. The European cover art is often very interesting as well to notice the cultural differences. While the American cover art for "Dragon Warrior" looks more American, it still is very stylized. Yes, the Japanese art looks more humorous, but it is adhering to the "shonen" manga style-- the kind of Japanese comics made for teenage (or younger) boys.
You are absolutely right, Matt, when you say that when somebody (like me) grows up with Japanese games, the culture shock is a lot less. I played my first RPG when I was 6 and that was the original Dragon Quest. I didn't play a Western RPG til I was 13 or so, playing a copy of The Bard's Tale.
I enjoyed Dungeon Seige as well. I wish the plot wasn't so cliched, but it had a rousing musical score. The upcoming Uwe Boll movie based on the game looks hysterical-- search on YouTube for the trailer!
--------------------------
=- Mat Tschirgi =- Armchair Arcade Editor
Hear my gaming podcasts!
The Super Koopa Troopa Show
Played to Death