Glasslip is a Japanese anime about a transfer student into a new school. Anime is a very popular style of cartoon amount America’s youth, and it seems to only be increasing in popularity. I had spent a month in Japan, and 8 months in other Asian countries, but felt I never really got familiar with the culture. I thought anime would be a great way to see into the Japanese way of life through a cartoon. In this blog, I decided to see what all the hype is about:
One of the first things I noticed about this show is actually how SIMILAR some of the themes of this show were to American shows. In the show, teens are gathered at a firework festival discussing plans after graduation. Some of the teens are very excited for what the future might hold, while others do not want this moment to end. This is also a common theme seen in American books, shows, and movies.
As the show progressed, some of the cultural differences became clear. Most of the characters walked or rode bikes, however there was one scene where a friend pulled up in a car. She had just gotten her license, and some of the boys made jokes about her driving. I chuckled at myself when she got out of the car as the driver. As an American I am used to seeing the driver get out on the left side of the car. When the new driver got out on the right, I had a moment of “Oh yeah, not everyone does things like us”, which I thought was very funny.
In the show the characters diet consist mainly of traditional Japanese foods. Ramen can be seen eaten throughout, and especially in the last seen. The family gathers for dinner and eats a giant ramen soup together. “Ramune” is drank frequently throughout the show. This is a drink similar to soda, however, a marble sits at the top of the glass bottle. The drinker hits the marble with their palm downward into the soda, creating carbonation. This actually seemed to be a little more of a fun way to drink soda rather than a fountain.
The surrounding landscape and architecture in the show was so beautiful. There were rolling hills, and flowing streams outside. Rivers that cut through some of the hills provided a great backdrop for the characters to think. The building structure was modern, and still traditional in regards to Japanese architecture. When eating their family dinner, they sat on the ground, with one giant pot of soup in the middle.
After really watching this show, the Japanese culture seems so different, but at the same time very similar. The premise of the show seemed to be a coming of age story, where teens will be figuring themselves out in future. They meet for coffee, talk about school, get new drivers licenses, and have a great time at a fireworks show. There are however cultural differences in what they eat, slang they use, how they get to school, and the family dynamic. Glasslip is a great watch to really exemplify the global connectedness that exist in our world today.
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That’s so cool you went to Japan before. I have always wanted to go and explore it. Have you every tried Ramune when you where in Japan for a month?
Hello! I like reading your post! You have paid great attention that you figured out the driver sits on the right-hand side. I am from an Asian place that drivers also sit on the right. My friend made fun of me when hanging out because he saw me looking so confused when sitting on the left but not driving. I also love Japanese traditional clothes that are pretty and unique. I also mentioned differences in eating habits between Americans and Koreans on my blog post. Thanks for introducing this anime and your insightful comparison.
I really liked your post and have always thought anime was a fun and unique form of foreign entertainment ! I also noticed in my show that the landscape was much different and had so much more natural beauty to it but also found some similarities between my show and the shows we are accustomed to.
This was a super interesting read! I have not seen or heard much about Japanese anime. I think that it is awesome that you spent some time in Japan. After you watched the anime, were you able to relate any of it back to your visit and understand their culture more?