Beyond Anime: Reality TV and Japanese Soft Power
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4013/fem.2020.222.09Abstract
Although Japanese soft power is commonly associated with anime and manga - media products that have achieved great success around the world - we realize that this soft power is proving to be more plural. The appearance of streaming platforms is an interesting fact to this process, since it facilitates access to other Japanese media productions, such as reality shows, which are not usually broadcast internationally in an official manner. With that in mind, we aim to investigate the potential of this “alternative” soft power, through the interpretation of the speeches present in the reality shows Terrace House and Ainori, co-produced by Netflix. We start from the assumption that Japan is experiencing an effervescent moment of expansion of its soft power through dialogue with these platforms, which help to convey other images and speeches about the nation. We conclude that although these programs lack incentives from the government, they may also be able to co-opt soft power. .
Keywords: Soft Power. Cool Japan. Reality Show. Terrace House. Ainori.
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