pointless backstory
I was born in the 80s and some of my earliest memories where the Karate Kid films. If anyone here is in their 40s, they'll remember the obsession with karate. Kids were signing up for karate lessons left and right. I recall something on TV where kids were demolishing a house using karate (obviously it was staged by whatevs).
Then the 90s happened, and the West got paranoid about Japan taking over. Pop culture produced absurd books about Japan taking over the US, and people literally feared it happening.
I like anime. It's definitely better than most white culture shit. It just feels like the #1 theme or trope for a video game or series (that isn't the West) is Japan. I'm just utterly bored to death of Japanese schools, Japanese feudal themes, yakuza shit, Tokyo streets, etc. Yes, it's 1000 times cooler than New York or Texas. I'd rather play Ace Attorney or a Yakuza game than COD or Modern warfare. I'd rather watch JoJo's Bizarre Adventure than Family Guy. Japanese stuff is often cooler than Western stuff.
God I can't complain if Japanese developers want to make something that they know with the language they speak. My big gripe is non-Japanese developers imitating Japan because that's what sells. Think Genshin Impact, Battle Realms, or Blue Archive. My steam recommendations are filled with Japanese themes made my non Japanese developers. No, I'm not offended. I'd just like to play a game, once, that doesn't have samurai and geisha. It would be neat to learn about another culture that isn't Japan. Maybe go to another continent.
Wouldn't it be neat to play a stealth game in Nigeria or Bolivia, and not yet another game with Samurai.
I'm hinestly surprised we aren't seeing more Chinese-themed things. It's been a niche fandom in the west for a while now, but with China being what they are today, I'm surprised they aren't more prominent in media, whether made in China or elsewhere
I'd actually really like to see more Chinese themed stuff.
Wuxia! There are a million adaptations of Legend of the Condor Heroes and its sequels. The novels are awesome, too.
New Gods: Nezha Reborn and White Snake (and it's sequel Green Snake) are Chinese animated movies. They're all really good. New Gods particularly is weird in a really good way.
Check out Sifu
but definitely don't pay for it bc the director is an absolute freak
spoiler
Damn, their new rocket-league-without-cars game looked pretty interesting too. Guess I'll just stick to rocket league.
oh that's unfortunate
good thing i pirated it lmao
funny how that ends up being the right choice almost 100% of the time
Their darn movies are taking forever to get pirated. Where's my copy of NeZha 2 at?
ong one of the highlights of the year for me was the new captain america movie bombing so hard they put ne zha 2 into imax theaters, shit was an absolute treat
Lol hilarious.
I didn't know there was a new Cap'nmerica
getting anything that is not already widely distributed is a pain. thankfully (and not so thankfully due to the bad problems they have) crunchyroll is starting to distribute more donghua so it's getting easier to find but there are still many series that look interesting and there is no way of watching them (maybe only learning chinese, but that will take time)
my partner is absolutely hooked on Chinese anime, fantasy dramas, music, etc (korean too).
some taiwanese (i know same thing) because there's more open queerness but i think over time that gap will close
It’s definitely been ramping up in the last 2-4 years. We had black myth wukong last year that got really popular plus a handful of other chinese-themed action/souls-like games out or on the way.
I really liked Fabulous Beasts and I think all of it is available free on YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=52SEMKujJ5k
Fog Hill of the Five Elements is another cool animated Chinese show worth checking out.
Good recco, thanks o7
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
I think it is starting to happen gradually. Some Chinese video game studios are starting to get off the ground with attention grabbing stuff, Black Myth Wukong for example.
they seem less interested in the export market?
or they haven't made something that hits like Akira did 30 years ago and underground demand can't build like it did for japanese art
China is so far behind on the culture game
I dunno. As much as I am a chinaboo I hate Chinese themed stuff. Like, I have no intrested in court drama for the old nobility
Yeah that stuff is pretty dull.