Advertisement
In South Korea and Japan, culture bridges historical divides: ‘quite a contrast’
Eighty years after South Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, a younger generation’s shared passions are creating a new intimacy
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
1
In Seoul’s hip Hongdae neighbourhood, 19-year-old Choi Jae-eun is already deep in conversation with her friend about the latest anime drop on Netflix. The pair are making their way to Animate, a shop inside AK Plaza whose shelves overflow with Japanese manga, anime figurines and limited-edition merchandise.
Pop-up stalls themed around blockbuster series lure teenagers and twenty-somethings who, until recently, might have been dismissed as otaku – a once-derogatory term for obsessive fans.
But now, Japanese pop culture is everywhere: in the manga-laden shelves of Animate, in the queues for anime-themed pop-ups, in the playlists of teenagers.
Advertisement
Eighty years after Japan’s colonial rule ended in 1945, South Koreans – especially the young – have made Japanese culture part of their daily lives. The same is true of Tokyo, where the Hallyu wave hit especially hard and K-pop concerts sell out in minutes.
“I started to watch Japanese animation from a young age as my parents introduced me to classics like Dragon Ball Z and Studio Ghibli,” Choi said. “I’m always asking my friend if they watched the new Japanese anime that dropped on Netflix.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x