Lesson: Who’s your Anti-hero?

While Japanese anime is well-known, the plight of the typical Japanese OL (office lady) is not common knowledge outside of Japan. Aggretsuko is a split-personality version of Hello Kitty, who is passive and subservient during the daytime but becomes a heavy metal headbanger at night. I can’t help but wonder how much truth there is in the depiction. How do women in Japan deal with the stress of oppressive and frustrating workplaces? Then, of course, we have Gudetama, another Sanrio anti-hero character who is the epitome of laziness as a coping mechanism for societal turmoil. Which one best represents how you deal with the stresses of the world around you?


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Example Article

Each conversation topic is based on a theme. In order to help students acquire a basic understanding of that topic, four media articles are provided for them to read. I will never test you on the articles, but I strongly suggest you book lessons far enough in advance to give yourself enough time to properly prepare. The better prepared you are, the more benefit you will receive from our conversations.

Below is an example article for this conversation topic.