Say Hello to Earth-chan
I’m having lots of fun here in sunny Guam, where I’ve come to relax and spend quality time with my wife. Because the island it’s popular with visitors from South Korea, I feel like I’ve fallen into one of those Korean dramas Mrs. J-List loves to watch on Japanese TV…
As I floated in the water above coral reefs around Guam today, I was reminded of how beautiful our planet it is, how worthy of our love and respect. I was also reminded of how easily a small thing like a tweet can change the world. Back in November a user named @Trinimmortal suggested that someone make an show featuring the planets of the solar system as anime girls, with the main character being Earth, who is always self-conscious about being having a flat chest. (“I’m not flat!”) As can happen with the Internet, fan-artists reached for their drawing tablets and started creating amazing art images exploring the new anthropomorphized planet. They drew Earth-chan with beauty and grace, built on her relationships with her other high school universe-ity “classmates” in the solar system, explored her geography in detail, and finally went where you’d pretty much expect.
What should we think about fans creating a meme that turns the planet we all share into a moe anime girl with an increasingly detailed backstory? Earth-chan is attracted to Sun-kun, the star of the classroom, but Moon-chan is always there to come between them, casting a shadow on their relationship. She coughs all the time and has to wear a Japanese health mask because of all the pollution. No matter how much Baka Human-kun (us) abuses her, she always smiles and tells us she loves us. We then repay her gentle kindness by lewding — or “pollewding” — her, creating naughty art of her to share on Twitter. If you’re not used to seeing memes anthropomorphizing and sexualizing everything from the love between a penguin and a Komono Friends character to a certain fast food restaurant, you might be somewhat alarmed, but don’t worry, because it’s all part of Rule 34, and just another day on the Internet.
It’s a new year, and J-List is coming out with great new anime figures for your special figure display shelf, whether it’s in your room, office or some other place. One thing we especially love are “cast off” figures with clothing that can be “re-configured.” Browse it all now!
