With cute characters representing everything from electronics stores to local municipalities to police departments, anthropomorphism is everywhere you look in Japan. A recent edition of Japanology Plus took a look at some of the country's most eye-catching 2D characters, but the question remained—what are the origins of Japan's love affair with anthropomorphism? Once again, host Peter Barakan is joined by Sadashige Aoki, an expert on all things anthropomorphic, for a wide-ranging discussion on where this trend comes from and where it goes from here.
Want to watch Japanology Plus Season 02 Episode 51 the right way? There are several legal and safe options to stream this blockbuster superhero film. Depending on your region, you can find it available on major platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, HBO Max, or Disney+ as part of their subscription libraries.