Are schools in Japan the same as anime schools? Most Japanese animations, despite featuring a lot of fantasy and exaggeration, most often show a real scenario of life in Japan. School anime is a very popular genre that shows what life is like for a student in Japan. Most school anime have the same characteristics that seem even clichés.
Anime really present what Japanese schools are like and the personality of the students. In this article, we're going to examine points and clichés that actually exist in schools in Japan for real. We will also see some small differences and details of the schools and some references that may be of recommendation for you.
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Where do anime schools get it right?
clubs – The first thing we notice in anime schools is the existence of clubs that involve various categories such as sports, reading and even games and computers. In most anime the main characters participate in clubs,
Festivals and Events – Those games you find in the anime of people riding on top of each other and competing really exist and it's called Undokai. Schools also hold other open festivals where students have the opportunity to do a Maid Café or Cosplay.
shoes – In Japanese schools there are those lockers for you to put your sneakers and traditional shoes to walk to school and keep it clean.
Senpai and Kouhai - It's not just in anime that this happens, there really is a relationship between students from different grades, especially when they're friends, they end up using these terms to call each other. Senpai is like a seasoned veteran who helps you out, and Kouhai is a rookie freshman.
Westminster Chime – This is the name of the famous and nostalgic bell that rings in schools in Japan. In almost all school anime we end up hearing this sound.
Ijime: Bullying - People think that anime only shows good things in Japanese schools, but in reality they don't. Anime really show all kinds of things that happen in a school, including Ijime. Not just anime, several dramas that are based on manga end up focusing on this theme.
Some anime like GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) show cases of ijime that even led to a suicide attempt, and this unfortunately happens in Japan. And there, even the girls end up doing ijime with some boys.
Other characteristics of schools
Snacks - In most schools it is forbidden to eat processed and industrialized foods, the most you end up finding are juice and soda machines. Anime end up presenting this well, with the famous obento (lunchboxes) and shopping for drinks during lunch at school.
School only for girls – There are girls' schools in Japan. It has already happened in some cases that these schools started releasing enrollments for both sexes, as happened in the Maid-Sama anime. Imagine how happy the first boys must have been.
Tests for the entrance exam – The last school year really puts pressure on students to study like crazy to pass the entrance exam, the most important test of their lives. Just like in anime, they do cram schools, teachers do career tests, give support, etc.
school trips – The students' travels in the real life are impressive as in the anime. They actually travel to other islands like Okinawa, go to another distant prefecture and to different tourist spots in the country. Some schools even organize trips to other countries like Korea.
School anime stuff that isn't quite real!
Colored hair – Although Japan is quite liberal with respect to fashion and appearance, it is uncommon to find students with hair of different and exotic colors. Some schools even ban certain hairstyles and hair colors.
Skirts are not short – In the anime most girls have short skirts on the thighs, and really the girls from Japan also wear very short skirts… But the reality is that the skirts themselves are not extremely short, the girls who shorten their skirts to stay before the knee, most of the time outside of school. Girls usually do this to get attention, and anime authors ended up using this cliché to get the attention of the male audience. Some schools are strict on this matter, do not usually allow certain changes in uniform and even in appearance.
school roof – Almost every school anime we watch shows students on the roof of the school. This is not allowed in a large number of schools in Japan, but many end up breaking this rule. Why so many scenes on school roofs? Manga and anime artists use the school roof a lot to present the beautiful scenery, or do some scenes that require the characters to be isolated.
Grades – We see in some anime the display of student grades in the class, this can really happen, but not in all schools. In most schools the best students are rewarded, but in secret.
Student council – The anime ends up featuring the student council as the head of the school. The council helps teachers plan festivals, events, and other important things for the class and school, but they don't usually have the power that anime shows.
Japanese or anime schools? Conclusion!
Despite anime depicting Japanese school life well, they exaggerate most things, showing many activities that are prohibited and breaking school rules, as well as exaggerating the animation and joy of the students. The reality is that Japanese school is much stricter, but like any other school. They are there to study, follow rules, make friends, fall in love, misbehave, etc. Like us, many of them do not like going to school and studying... I myself during. my trip I found several students skipping class.
Below I will leave a school anime list I recommend for you to get to know the schools in Japan better:
- Toradora;
- Another;
- K-On;
- Suzumiya Haruhi;
- Hyouka;
- Kimi ni todoke;
- Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru;
- Kokoro Connect;
- Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO);
- Gin no Saji;
- Angel Beats!
- Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo;
Needless to say, in real life boys don't accidentally fall on girls' chests. Nor that monsters, massacres, magical girls, strange creatures, time travelers and paranormals appear at school. I hope you enjoyed? Have something to add? Leave your comments.
