Record 01, Entry 39: Oreimo

3rd Person

English - August 22, 2021 16:00 - 5 hours - 279 MB - ★★★★ - 6 ratings
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Previous Episode: Record 01, Entry 38: Quarantine Walk E

Next Episode: Record 01, Entry 40: The Two Popes

Hey, y'all - Joel here. This entry's conversation around the show "Oreimo" features a common dynamic between John and I. I exhibit a very performative display of open-mindedness, while John exhibits some distaste not uncommon among Western audiences. On its surface, the conversation is a lighthearted jaunt over popular Japanese comedic tropes, but I remember being genuinely unsure about the real truth at the heart of our discourse.

Mainstream morality is hardly a benchmark for truth, but the conversation around cultural awareness has certainly made me think about the inherent biases that I hold. A common question that arises is "Is this cultural phenomenon bad, or merely different from what I'm used to?" Watching Oreimo made me realize that this question is layered in an absurd amount of nuance. When, if ever, is it ok to critique the morality of a cultural practice? If that cultural practice is objectively wrong, is there a parallel issue in my own culture that I give special permission to? If not, and my critique is valid, am I merely using a mask of good intention to covertly push forth a much flimsier racist narrative?

We didn't even begin to unpack all of those ideas in this entry, but it certainly lead to more conversation in the future.

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