Ask John: Why do Anime Characters Endure Bullying?

Question:
Why do Japanese characters always let someone push them around or bully them till it gets to the point where they want to kill themselves. Is it merely for the sake of the story, or is it an actual portrayal of Japanese characteristic?

Answer:
Viewers have to be conscious that anime is fiction and therefore not a reliable representation of real life Japanese society. However, that doesn’t mean that the Japan depicted in anime and real life Japan are totally different. Anime set in contemporary Japan have to exhibit some degree of resemblance to everyday reality in order to be convincing for viewers. American prime-time sitcoms aren’t an accurate illustration of American life, but we can still relate to them and see familiar characteristics in them. In the same way that America’s prime-time sitcoms reflect stereotypical and exaggerated elements of American culture, certain character types and characteristics of anime are representative of Japanese culture.

Although Japan’s societal mandate to fit in and not rock the boat may be weakening, I assume that it’s still quite present and influential in contemporary Japanese society. Japanese society encourages a sense of personal responsibility in its citizens. This social conditioning encourages a strong sense of responsibility, unselfishness, and motivation. But it may also cultivate introversion, emotional and personal isolation, and a sense of persecution. In anime and manga stories including Gantz, Lain, Ichi the Killer, Neighbor 13, Narutaru, Jigoku Shoujo, Perfect Blue, and countless others, a character will just suffer through bullying, stalking, or other persecution. Unlike American culture that urges victims to defend themselves or seek assistance, Japanese culture urges victims to persevere or seek assistance surreptitiously or quietly. The principle of Japanese social etiquette is supposed to prevent much of this bullying and victimization from occurring in the first place, but when it does occur, victims are supposed to handle their problems themselves, without bothering others. This sounds like a self-perpetuating cycle, since the rigid pressures of Japanese society become a pressure cooker – creating and bottling up frustrations until they overflow, resulting in violence or suicide. But arguably this self-perpetuating cycle is no more or less guilty than America’s society in which violence begets more violence.

In recent years Japan’s rate of violent crime committed by minors has been steadily increasing (or at least the reporting rate of juvenile crime has been increasing). Japan also has a shockingly high rate of suicide. As of 2004 Japan averaged roughly as many annual suicides as America, even though America has roughly double the number of citizens. Also as of 2003, Japan’s National Police Agency statistics showed that Japan’s rate of child suicides was steadily increasing. Japan is now even home to internet “suicide club” chat rooms in which members discuss and plan their own deaths. Japanese suicides are largely attributable to desperate middle-aged businessmen who can no longer face the pressures of their work or personal financial crisis. But children are also susceptible to suicidal tendencies largely because of the intense pressure from Japan’s rigorous educational system and the pressure to succeed applied by parents and peers.

I think that Japan is a successful, rational, psychologically well-adjusted nation, but Japan is not an idyllic utopia, no more so than America is. It’s neither reasonable nor rational to take anime as an accurate, comprehensive illustration of Japanese society and culture. But at the same time, anime isn’t entirely unrealistic. Viewers will sometimes find anime characters that suffer victimization and persecution silently, and endure that suffering until it becomes overwhelming because that behavior is a conditioned response to the demands of Japanese societal etiquette. It’s not an ideal social environment, but I don’t know of any country in the world that’s perfect.