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.
Table of Contents
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 computer science. In most anime, the main characters participate in clubs,
Festivals and Events - Those games that you find in anime of people riding on top of each other and competing really exist and are called Sports FestivalThe schools also hold other open festivals, where students have the opportunity to hold a Maid Café or Cosplay.
Footwear - In Japanese schools, there are lockers for you to store your sneakers and wear the traditional shoes to walk around the school and keep it clean.
Senpai and Kouhai - It's not just in anime that this happens; there is indeed a relationship between students from different grades, especially when they are friends, they end up using these to refer to each other. Senpai is like an experienced upperclassman who helps you, and Kouhai is a new freshman.
Westminster Chime - This is the name of the famous and nostalgic bell that rings in schools in Japan. In almost every 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. There have been some cases where these schools started allowing enrollment for both sexes, as happened in the anime Maid-Sama. Imagine how happy the first boys must have been.
Tests for the entrance exam - The last school year really pressures students to study like crazy to the entrance exam, the most important test of their lives. Just like in anime, they take preparatory courses, teachers give career tests, provide , etc.
school trips - The students' trips in the real world are as impressive as those in anime. They really travel to other islands like Okinawa, go to distant provinces, and visit various 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 regarding fashion and appearance, it is uncommon to find students with differently colored and exotic hair. Some schools even prohibit certain hairstyles and hair colors.
Skirts are not short - In anime, most girls wear short skirts on their thighs, and indeed, girls in Japan also wear very short skirts... However, the reality is that the skirts themselves are not extremely short; the girls often shorten their skirts to be above the knee, usually outside of school. Girls tend to do this to draw attention, and anime creators have ended up using this cliché to attract the male audience. Some schools are strict about this issue and do not usually allow certain alterations to the uniform and even to appearances.
school roof - Almost all the school anime we watch show students on the school roof. This is not allowed in a large number of schools in Japan, but many end up breaking this rule. Why are there so many scenes on school rooftops? Manga and anime artists often use the school roof to present the beautiful scenery or to create scenes that require the characters to be isolated.
Notes - We see in some anime the display of students' grades in class; this can really happen, but not in all schools. In most of them, the best students are rewarded, but in secret.
Student council - Animes often portray the student council as the head of the school. The council helps teachers plan festivals, events, and other important activities for the class and the school, but they typically do not have the power that animes depict.
Japanese or anime schools? Conclusion!
Although anime showcase Japanese school life well, they exaggerate most things, presenting various things that are prohibited and breaking school rules, in addition to exaggerating the animation and joy of the students. The reality is that Japanese schools are much more rigorous, but they are like any other school. They are there to study, follow rules, make friends, fall in love, cause mischief, etc. Like us, many of them do not like going to school and studying... I myself during my trip found several students skipping class.
Below I will leave a list of school animes that I recommend for you to get to know the schools of 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.
