I thought Heidi was a European cartoon back in my childhood until I grew up and learn it's actually Japanese's. I haven't been flabbergasted like that since I found out Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction.
Because Japan is absolutely nothing without the greatness of Western civilization. Every modern success of Japan can be attributed to copying and capitalizing on Western technology and system. Simple as that.
fictional and romanticized europe will always have a place in my heart. it always puts me in a nostalgia for an era im not part of specially because its just japan's glazing of europe plus i love halloween, there's no other perfect setting for halloween other than europe
Being a german it was very obvious for me while consuming anime media of all genre. Just had to listen to the intro of AoT and was like „what did they just sing there?“😂
I agree. One of the reasons I admire Japan is that you keep your traditions alive. In Finland, we have a lot of history but it's not talked about in schools or publicly. All the cultural aspects get forgotten, and the few areas which still practice them, are deemed "backwards". 🙄 I want to change this, be headstrong about it. Educate others.
Because europeans and asians are having crush on each other. We both respect and admire our achievements and cultural hermitage. We really should stick together, because it's a violent planet full of not so developed individuals who prepare to destroy us.
all middle easterns, indians,south east asians and africans have alway been obsessed with our languages, 4000 year old history, our cities, architecture etc,culture. Japan not that much compared to the rest
Everyone knows your people literally worship White race and Western civilization. Ironically the acceptance of Western superiority made East Asians the No.2 race ot the world.
in greece this show was playing until 2007-8 every morning :) i was waiting for it to watch it i born 1997 and im happy that i was one of the latest gens who watch this beautiful show heidi
As a german, growing up in Bavaria and having an austrian grandmother, I can assure that a lot of the european romanticism is actually accurate. Both on country side and in the cities, there is a history of an european education and it was more connected to a conservative period of european history, where eduaction and beliefs were some of the highest values. But it existed and it's still part of european daily life.
A note on Kiki's setting: two places in Sweden, Stockholm and Gotland Island, were used as inspiration for the fictional town. They were even visited and photographed by the team. If you look at pictures of both places, you can easily recognise features depicted in the film.
I mean, their obsession with europe is in many ways the same phenomenon as europeans being obsessed with all things east-asian (particularly Japanese in this context).
It's crazy when you think about how both Disney and Ghibli developed from adapting european folklore and drawing inspiration from it in their own ways, but ultimately both making Europe into majority of the world's "dream place" from childhood. I think all continents deserve as much love and coverage but in the end Europe is still full of wonder and magic to explore💞
I love this Paris syndrom, like french frites and french horn and other things which are not fom France😂😂 . Film makers often says that the best Paris is in Prague😋
By coincidence, the last anime I watched (Ergo Proxy) and the one I'm currently watching (Monster) are both set in Europe. I also think back on old favourites like Noir or Hellsing. I did wonder why these shows would need an exotic setting, but then again I'm from a generation that's been taught how important it is for cultures to tell their own stories. Evidently, the Japanese don't have those same qualms. It makes sense that a contemporary artist would use an otherworldly setting like the past or a foreign culture (i.e. "the past is a foreign country") to be able to say something to speak to a contemporary society. Science fiction has been doing this for decades using the future, aliens, and technology as means to say something relevant to a population weighed down by the myopia of socio-political norms.
Not just anime but also games. Most of the games Japan makes takes place un either Europe or America. And if not then they have characters from that regions
Quite interesting. I would love to see anime/cartoons expanding out of just Europe and Japan cultures - there’s a plethora of different stories and cultures to tell from everywhere. I’m quite fascinated with the magnitude of Chinese, Indian and cultures in the Middle East. An untapped market
Heidi is my first introduction to europe. I started to search for the place the cartoon placed. The scenery was so beautiful and i fall in love with Switzerland.
I mean, the quick answer to "Why western media don't do stories about Japan?" Would be: "Because if a western show depicts another culture it's considered culture appropriation by western countries" So they probably avoid the heat.
Might have been worth mentioning the Japanese Alps (Nihon Arupusu), large slice of Japan named for a place in Europe because of how similar it was, the local architecture style is French/Swiss chalet and the local bus company is even called Alpico in English letters.
I think there’s an important, and possibly uncomfortable, question that’s lingering in the subtext of this European fascination. Does the frequent theme of escapism through fantastical European settings suggest a Japanese discontent with their own home country?
The headache inducing contradiction of my life: Watching European tourists drool over Japan, and Japanese tourists drool over Europe. Wanting a break from your norm is one thing. But one of humans' most consistent and worst personality trait is believing the grass is always greener. Although these days Americans and Europeans might be justified with how bad of a dumpster fire the west has become.
