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What is with the Japanese and the Hot Springs/Beach Day trope that permeates throughout all of anime/jrpgs?

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
Anime is about some socially awkward dope (stand-in for their Otaku audience) who gets the hottest girl without having to do anything scary, like flirt with her or make a move or compete with other guys for her affection. Instead it all just happens through little accidental “ice breaker” moments like that. It all makes sense when you look at it that way.
 
Onsens are important part of culture in Japan. And people still use public bathhouses there even when they don't need to do it anymore.


like you even have whole citisies famous for hundreds of hot springs they have

 

CamHostage

Member
Some additional context here on the history:



(It's a Youtuber, so expect that, but there's historical clips of the kind of evolution from like a light way to inject fluffy filler comedy relief into a series to practically a requirement for any anime series and the basis for a number of games/spin-offs.)

One further thing not mentioned in this thread (not sure if it's in the video, didn't watch the whole thing,) specific to anime and sometimes manga, a hotsprings/beach episode is produced sometimes as bonus content to help sell the DVDs. The series airs weekly on TV, then for the home release, they would remaster the scenes (often episodes were patchy going to air, and get finalized really for the video release) and maybe add bonus content. A whole new episode might seem extreme for "bonus content", but getting material with all the female characters in bikinis was merchandisable.
 
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Interfectum

Member
I got banned from Era for saying while I do not like the troupe we can’t automatically judge all the creators who add them to their work as “sexist” because the culture in Japan is different than here…banned for excusing sexism. F

REEEEE mods be like

crushed noo GIF
 

MagnesG

Banned
I see that this is a new episode of "western" being "western" here. Ignorant at best, and you can guess the worst.
 

Guilty_AI

Member
How is this comparable? Yeah I'm tired of the oversaturation of the superhero genre too, but I'm not gonna pretend Joker and Black Widow are the same film. Or Guardians of the Galaxy is the same as Invincible. At least some superhero films have different tones, stories, and settings.
Oh yeah, they are "different" eh? Cultural heritage really does work in mysterious ways.
 

Mabdia

Member
I got banned from Era for saying while I do not like the troupe we can’t automatically judge all the creators who add them to their work as “sexist” because the culture in Japan is different than here…banned for excusing sexism. F

Well... that is the Cancel Culture official forum. What did you expected?!
 
japan is a coastal country hot springs and beaches are huge in japan no idea why japan promoting there own culture is no some how bad or "cringy" you know whats cringy he man and burger boy having sex in TLOU2 you know whats cringy edgy completely pointless sex scenes in Game of thrones You know whats cringy the future is female when half of these women weight about 115 soaking wet and would struggle to beat up the nerdiest of neck beards who only thing they live on is mountain dew and taco bell.
 

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
japan is a coastal country hot springs and beaches are huge in japan no idea why japan promoting there own culture is no some how bad or "cringy" you know whats cringy he man and burger boy having sex in TLOU2 you know whats cringy edgy completely pointless sex scenes in Game of thrones You know whats cringy the future is female when half of these women weight about 115 soaking wet and would struggle to beat up the nerdiest of neck beards who only thing they live on is mountain dew and taco bell.
Hurrrr someone said something bad about my anime, I’m gonna even the score by criticizing a bunch of random western shit.
 

Senhua

Member
So I know as far as problems in gaming is concerned, this is such a tiny drop in the bucket it, I get it. But lately this has been something that's been annoying me. I haven't played every Jrpg out there, but I would say I've played a damn good amount of them. I recently started playing a new Jrpg, and of course, I eventually get to the Hot Springs scene. Why do so many Jrpgs, and Anime have this? I get the fan service aspect of it, and I'm fine with that. I love fan service. But why is it almost always Hot Springs, and why does it always play out the exact same way? I would say anyone who's been playing Jrpgs or watching Anime for a good part of their lives, will always know exactly how the scene plays out from the moment it begins.

Girls are on in hot springs. Boys accidentally stumble upon them. Boys apologize and try to leave. Girls physically assault the boys. Scene ends.

Is this supposed to be the funniest skit ever told in the history of Japan, or is Otaku Culture really that retarded over there? Is that why so many games/shows with different studios and writers, all have to have this same scene? Because it's not funny. It's played out, it sucks, and it makes the girls look irrational. I've gotten to the point now where whenever this scene comes up in a Jrpg, I'm going to immediately skip it. Because why watch it? I've seen it dozens of times already.
I also could do the same to American:
"what-is-with-the-american-and-the-guns-and-freedom-trope-that-permeates-throughout-all-of-realistic-Wshooter"

Next time please do more research about East/SoutEast Asian culture especially Japan before making a thread OP.
Thanks god this is American forum, if you ask that question to East Asian community.....lol
 

Larxia

Member
Whats up with americans and their super hero fetishism? I swear 80% of the movies coming out of hollywood nowadays have someone in a cape. It just not interesting anymore after the n-th time.
I'm not sure if you're serious, I guess you're probably exagerrating on purpose. But anyway, it's really not comparable, your argument would be fair if OP complained about too many animes being shonen for example, but that's not the case, he didn't criticize a genre, he criticized a specific scene being identical in many different medias.
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
The simple answer:
It’s hundreds of years of bath house innuendo… bath house were a common thing fir a long long time there. These were separated between men and women.
 

Guilty_AI

Member
I'm not sure if you're serious, I guess you're probably exagerrating on purpose. But anyway, it's really not comparable, your argument would be fair if OP complained about too many animes being shonen for example, but that's not the case, he didn't criticize a genre, he criticized a specific scene being identical in many different medias.
nah, shonen simply designates anime/manga targeted to teenagers/kids that usually involve action.
Super hero wasn't really a genre in movies, it became a genre because theres way too fucking many nowadays.

That said i was half exagerating. The point is american media also has tropes that a lot of the people complaining about jp cliches often don't even realize, or even indulge in it themselves.
 
So I know as far as problems in gaming is concerned, this is such a tiny drop in the bucket it, I get it. But lately this has been something that's been annoying me. I haven't played every Jrpg out there, but I would say I've played a damn good amount of them. I recently started playing a new Jrpg, and of course, I eventually get to the Hot Springs scene. Why do so many Jrpgs, and Anime have this? I get the fan service aspect of it, and I'm fine with that. I love fan service. But why is it almost always Hot Springs, and why does it always play out the exact same way? I would say anyone who's been playing Jrpgs or watching Anime for a good part of their lives, will always know exactly how the scene plays out from the moment it begins.

Girls are on in hot springs. Boys accidentally stumble upon them. Boys apologize and try to leave. Girls physically assault the boys. Scene ends.

Is this supposed to be the funniest skit ever told in the history of Japan, or is Otaku Culture really that retarded over there? Is that why so many games/shows with different studios and writers, all have to have this same scene? Because it's not funny. It's played out, it sucks, and it makes the girls look irrational. I've gotten to the point now where whenever this scene comes up in a Jrpg, I'm going to immediately skip it. Because why watch it? I've seen it dozens of times already.
always sunny move GIF by It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
 

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
nah, shonen simply designates anime/manga targeted to teenagers/kids that usually involve action.
Super hero wasn't really a genre in movies, it became a genre because theres way too fucking many nowadays.

That said i was half exagerating. The point is american media also has tropes that a lot of the people complaining about jp cliches often don't even realize, or even indulge in it themselves.
Oh give me a break. I’m pretty sure any western anime fan who criticizes anime cliches is well aware that American media also has some cliches. Nobody is reading your comment like “oh…oh my god, thank you for opening my gaijin eyes! I used to think that western media was above criticism but not anymore!!!!”

Honestly just makes you look like a defensive weeb.
 

Guilty_AI

Member
Oh give me a break. I’m pretty sure any western anime fan who criticizes anime cliches is well aware that American media also has some cliches. Nobody is reading your comment like “oh…oh my god, thank you for opening my gaijin eyes! I used to think that western media was above criticism but not anymore!!!!”

Honestly just makes you look like a defensive weeb.
touhou-fumo.gif
 

Madflavor

Member
Its funny you should mention diffrent tones, stories and settings because when you generalise so throughly with "All JRPG's" they also funnily enough feature different things in all 3 area's. This results in diffrent games within the same genre, I am unsure why you would now be pretending that they are all the same game...

Valkeria chronicles, Star Ocean, Tales of Vesperia, Trails of Lost Steel & Persona are hardly the same game. They might share story beats but that's like arguing that a fantasy novel can't have a tavern in it which ends in a brawl.
The fuck you talking about? I’m talking about a specific scene that plays out the same in Jrpgs.
 

YukiOnna

Member
Oh give me a break. I’m pretty sure any western anime fan who criticizes anime cliches is well aware that American media also has some cliches. Nobody is reading your comment like “oh…oh my god, thank you for opening my gaijin eyes! I used to think that western media was above criticism but not anymore!!!!”

Honestly just makes you look like a defensive weeb.
From what I've seen, they don't at all. Are you okay though? What a weird way to react.
 
Thread taken right from Reset and placed here with the subtlety of a dead cat after it rained in some ones basement.

Sorry OP but people who won't agree with you won't be banned for sexism (including the women) nice try. Gaf detectives on the scene!

Answering your question, there are plenty of girls doing shenanigans at the springs as well, not as much but a good amount.

Do you disapprove of that side too or is this a one sided thing out of curiosity?
 

Three

Member
It's almost like the high school scenes in American movies with the jocks and the nerds and the bullying. I guess it's a cultural thing.
 

PSlayer

Member
When i was younger I always assumed that class vacation was something common in japan during winter/summer break. But it's probably just an easy way to add some funny inconsequential filler episodes.
 

Dacon

Banned
Culture is what.

Anime is about some socially awkward dope (stand-in for their Otaku audience) who gets the hottest girl without having to do anything scary, like flirt with her or make a move or compete with other guys for her affection. Instead it all just happens through little accidental “ice breaker” moments like that. It all makes sense when you look at it that way.
That's a very myopic view of anime. It's so much more than that.
 
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RafterXL

Member
Op, I think the problem is that you spend a good portion of your life playing jrpgs and watching anime.

Stop doing weeb shit, stop seeing weeb shit.
 

TransTrender

Gold Member
Outside of anime and video game tropes, every time I've been to Japan, communial baths are a very common very regular thing.

Hot springs are just an extension of that.

Not sure about beach days since I haven't been to a real beach in Japan, but I've head of this from my colleagues.

So this also makes it seem like beach days are real events which get people excited. Also makes sense given the country's geography, work/life balance, and affinity for the outdoors when the weather is good.

The weeb shit is fan service for weebs.
 
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TastyPastry

Member
i love the trope and i hope it never dies. i've also been planning my first trip to japan for years and i can't wait to experience an onsen for myself. seriously we should make a onsen thread because i want to know what the comfiest onsen in all of japan is and visit it.
 

hemo memo

Gold Member
Hot springs/Onsen are relaxing and it is part of the culture. I mean it the same with America and fart jokes.
 

ZywyPL

Banned
Well since Japan is huge island surrounded by seas with beaches all around the county, one might have thought it's written in their culture...
 
Or, and hear me out on this, an Onzen in Japan is often a place for people to socialize and relax in an informal setting. And to make you bond with the characters they let you socialize with them in a familiar setting. You know a thing from their cultural heritage.
this is why i think anime is booming right now. we are in a time, as westerners, where we arent allowed to have cultural heritage so we see it in spades in anime and we cling to it.
 
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