Dank Memes in Japan and the World

I write a lot about memes because they’re an interesting form of communication for the 21st century. Memes, of course, are “units of human knowledge and culture” that move through society, changing and evolving the way organisms do. Just the progress of animal genes will be corralled by physical barriers like a mountain range or an inland sea, leading to the formation of two separate species over time, memes are often grouped by geography and language, with only a few — the cardboard box Gundam guy, the awesomeness of Bob Ross, the most famous swimming pool in Japan — able to make the jump from one side to another. While users of the English-speaking Internet might be sharing “black dude tapping his head” or “notice me, Senpai” memes, Japanese would more likely be buzzing about an “offline meetup of Shiba dogs” or quoting anime lines that every Japanese person knows, but fans outside Japan are rarely familiar with. (The reverse happens too. Japanese fans have no awareness of “over 9000.”) One of the more successful Japan-related memes of 2016 was the silly Pen Pineapple Apple Pen, which managed to become famous around the world thanks to the power of YouTube.

The best anime season in years continues, with so many quality show it’s hard work to keep up. When I first took a look at Demi-chan to Kataritai (aka Interviews with Monster Girls), it was a charming show about a teacher named Tetsuo trying to learn about the “demi-humans” (a vampire, a headless Dullahan and a mythical yuki onna snow girl) at his school, but as the show has progressed, it’s become one of my favorites. While all the characters are cute, the one I like the best is Sato-sensei, the math teacher who’s a succubus, and who has to avoid men because her body gives off a strong aphrodisiac capable of sexually enslaving any male. Because of this, she’s 24 years old and is a virgin, and is very self-conscious about this. When she decides she likes Tetsuo, viewers find themselves rooting for the two characters to become a couple. You should totally watch Demi-chan to Kataritai!

We love to stock anime magazines and artbooks from Japan, and always have good items in stock, filled with free gifts for fans, whether it’s the 18 posters in the current Megami, or the ecchi pillow cover in Dengeki Moeoh. Which will you buy?