There are a number of things I see regularly in anime that I wish I could take part in myself. Not fantasy things like piloting giant robots or appearing in another world where I am apparently the most attractive person ever. And I’m already a Magical Girl so that’s off the list.
I’m talking about normal attainable activities which I imagine may even be commonplace in Japan but I’ve never done. I mentioned before that Obon and School festivals always look very attractive to me even though the concept of walking around crowded places should not be appealing. There’s something softly nostalgic about the festivals I see in anime. I assume the real ones wouldn’t have quite the same effect, but I still would love to go once.
So here are the other top 5 anime inspired activities I want to do at some point:
5) Maid Café (in Japan)
I have been to a number of maid cafes but only in North America. When I went Japan I had almost no time to actually visit so I didn’t get the chance to go to one.
My experience so far with Maid cafes has been…pretty bad. It was an awkward, overpriced and generally joyless affair. It had none of the carefree campy spirit I was hoping for and I was pretty bummed out. However, I’m hoping that this is a cultural issue rather that a conceptional failure. It’s not that Maid Cafes aren’t that great (or that great for me), it’s that something’s lost in translation!
I would really like to go find out for myself. Although I might play it safe and go to a cat café instead. Those are sure to be great!
4) Comiket
On paper this sounds absolutely horrible. Have I mentioned that I am not fond of anime conventions? They’re o.k. if I’m in the mood for it but rooms chock full of over eager people in costumes that are way too warm for the season with all that implies, just aren’t my preferred venue. And from what I gather, Comiket is exactly that but with 10x more people and more…eagerness.
However: Doujin. Not just Doujin but a chance to meet and even talk with the amazing creative team behind them. I understand that most will be exhausted and probably way to busy for anything even resembling a conversation but I still find the concept so much more intriguing that just going to a merch room or watching an anime I’ve already seen with a bunch of strangers. I would like to go, at least once.
3) Mall or Rooftop Costumed Superhero Show
I’m not sure how to describe this… You know how at Disneyland they have themed shows with actors costumed as some of the popular characters. Well more than once I’ve seen animes in which these types of shows were held in a mall, often on a rooftop. And most of the time they looked like power rangers. And seem to be sparsely attended! We have a winner.
There’s something so delightfully cheesy about the whole thing that I would probably just go to my local mall for that if they had them! What a cool and really silly way to kill an hour or so!
2) Melon Smashing
I’ve seen this a few times, where someone gets blindfolded, handed a baseball bat and set loose to go wild on a defenceless watermelon. Usually on a beach so that the melon doesn’t roll away and for easy clean up.
I’ve always thought that this was a terrible waste of delicious delicious watermelon. I’m way suspicious that they never show anyone washing the bats beforehand. I’ve also always thought that this looked like tons of fun. It’s a hyped-up version of pin the tail on the donkey. It must be way satisfying! I’m just a little afraid that I’ll look unhinged doing this by myself in my backyard…
Honorable mention
Chillin’ under a Kotatsu.
How are kotatsu not a thing in Canada. We are so the country for this. And I love sitting on the floor. Pretty much everyone my age does! I’m going to find a Kotatsu. A fancy electric one I can plug in. And I will live under it for 6 months out of the year!
1) Hanami
Sakura trees are beautiful. And for once, the real live ones are just as impressive as the animated ones. I’ve seen pictures of cherry groves in full bloom and it is stunning. A flower viewing party is one of the rare events I wouldn’t mind braving the combination of crowds AND sunshine for.
There’s something poetic about the idea of just quietly enjoying the beauty of nature with your fellow flower lovers and letting the delicate petals rain down on you. It certainly not an experience I’ve had and it’s one that I long to try out!
These are my top 5 completely feasible anime activities I would like to try out.
Do you have anything like that. Just some random thing you see in anime and think to yourself, that looks like fun, I should do that too?
Hanami and Kotatsu – count me in! I’ve even gone so far as to look for Kotatsu online to purchase – and it can be done! Not that I have any idea where I could possibly put one in a 26 foot RV but I want one anyway. I have toyed with the idea of draping a blanket over my table with a heater below… I’d love to go have a lovely Hanami about now – sitting in the shade under a tree softly drifting pretty pink petals down and nibbling on delicious goodies… yeah, thats about perfect.
So I was just introduced to those weird tables that have the blanket and the heater this year. I don’t know how I’ve never seen them in anime before this. But they look lovely.
I laughed at the eagerness comment. I too dislike conventions. They would be wonderful if there were maybe 25 percent fewer people or 25 percent more space.
I might ramp that up to 50%
OMG yes the Melon Game! I thought I reacted to it! We do play it at a local anime con here but i never get picked to try! I really feel I want to try this at a beach though!
I would also want to visit one of those Japanese Firework festivals or visit a Kabuki theather.. even though that isnt shown a lot in anime anymore. The most important one is that I would want my love interest or bestest buddy to get me a gatchapon phonestrap thingy! Because all the cool girls have phone straps!
I need a phonestrap now.
Yes you are cool girl so you do need one! Usually they must be given to you though or you buy them to match someone!
I’ll get you one if you get me one
Deal!
I would love to go to any form of comicon, but sadly, since being a nerd/geek has become more popular, the prices of the conventions and the activities there have sky rocketed out of our budgets. I now live through it on youtube people that went…
I know what you mean
Spectacular list! I’d like to try soaking in a bathhouse and that wonderful Japanese tradition of wandering from stall to stall drinking and eating. (Also, for the record, the only maid cafes I’ve been to were at anime cons, and they were indeed very awkward. Then again, I’ve about reached the conclusion that I’m just too old for cons, anyway. . .)
I may be a bit too unsociable for the bathhouse experience although onsen do look pretty awesome
I’ve always wanted to attend the summer festivals you see happening with all the games and fireworks. I’d love to wear a yukata and just stroll bout, taking in the sights! I’d personally prefer a cat cafe to a maid one cause i think the whole affair would a bit awkward for me personally and I definitely agree with Hanami being the number 1 thing I’d like to do!
Yukata also look amazing. How can they look so pretty and comfortable at the same time
I’m guessing it’s one of life’s mysteries until you actually try them!
Ooh, I forgot about cat cafés. I’d definitely go to one of those.
We have cat cafes here. Or maybe we just let cats wander into our cafés
I’ve almost bought a watermelon to smash it. I haven’t because yeah, it seems like such a waste, but it looks like so much fun!
But my #1 thing would be shopping, especially Akihabara.
That’s one I don’t get. Maybe it’s just because I really prefer online shopping
Melon smashing and hanami would be the ones I’d wanna do the most. 🙂
They sound like so much fun
My nephews did melon smashing last year (they live in Japan) and they said it’s a great way to vent out anger, lol.
I have zero interest in Maid Cafés, but would go if invited. I have moderate interest in Comiket, but the crowds are a serious turn-off. I’d go with friends, but it’s not something I’d initiate myself.
Melon Smashing? The spinning-in-place is a series problem for me. When people are done spinning me, I’m not done spinning. Even if my body remains mostly stationary (a tell-tale wobble might occur). At worst, I’d drop to my knees and rid myself of whatever was busy digesting through the wrong orifice. This is not a state people should trust me with a baseball bat, or a bokken.
A roof-top ranger show sounds like all sorts of fun. I’d like a back seat, please, so I don’t block some poor kid’s view.
I’ve always been curious about kotatsu. I’d love to try one out. I’m afraid I’d get too warm, though.
Hanami is the easy winner. It sounds like so much fun. I don’t drink alcohol, so if I come along that’s that much more sake for everyone not me. Those cherry blossoms are so pretty. Geeky me might annoy some people around me by bringing a stop watch to figure out whether the petals really decend at a speed of 5 cm per second, only to realise that I forgot to figure out how to measure the distance traveled.
For hanami, you could still have amazake (sweet sake), which is apparently so low in alcohol kids can drink it. (Anime, being what it is, still has people getting drunk on it though IIRC…)
Even a little is too much for me. It’s a psychological thing. I really don’t like alcohol. I can drink as a form of social obligation, but I need to exert self-control to contain negative feelings, so I’m likely to be polite but stand-offish. And I’ll leave as early if I can. If I’m with friends, I refuse to drink. They wouldn’t be my friends if they didn’t accept that. I can’t relax in a situation where I’m made to drink alcohol. (I didn’t know there was still alcohol in amazake, so I’d actually like to thank you for the warning, except I’m not sure it’s appropriate since it wasn’t meant to be one. I’m awkward like that.)
Those cherry blossom picnics, though, look like tons of fun.
Drinking should never be a social obligation
You know, the drinking during Hanami didn’t even occur to me… I don’t know who I am anymore…
Don’t worry, maid cafes are overrated in Japan too – expect overpriced everything, and a ton of awkwardness if the cafe is a bit empty and the spotlight is on you (or if you don’t speak Japanese). I highly recommend melon smashing, hanami and kotasu-chilling though – I had a kotatsu in both apartments I lived in while in Japan, and it was AMAZING. No comment on comiket – I’ve never been and it’s just not really my thing.
Now I really want a Kotatsu
They’re dangerous. Once you get in, you’ll never want to leave. Ever.
Sounds like quarantine plans!
You have dreams but life isn’t that simple to realize them. Japan has got specific culture. Outsiders are idealizing this country.
I think that’s true of every country to an extent. Some of us are just wanderers at heart and the great unknown will always be a source of fascination
Yes I agree
I would love to check out one of those little Street festivals you see all the time, get a mask, play a few games, eat a little, and just people watch. I’d also like to look at some child’s dolls on Doll Day
There are so many specific “days”
Having been to japan myself, sadly the only item on the list I can speak to is the maid cafe. Honestly I found the whole thing very awkward and even creepy. I’m a teacher and I’ve had more than my fair share of asian students over the years and I just couldn’t shake the feeling that it felt like people the age of my students (yes I know they weren’t) were serving me.
How old are your student?
I’d really love to go to Akihabara to check out the game,anime and book shops there. and i would really love to see the country side of Japan.
Visting a maid cafe as well does sound really fun and if there is one thing anime actually would get right is the potrayal of Comiket being extremely hectic as it is just like in Lucky Star
-K(rogueotakugamer)
Have you been to Comiket?
Actually no but i’ve heard of it through lucky star.
Out of all the things listed, chilling in a kotatsu is probably the one I’d love the most. There’s only one problem… It’s always hot as heck here in Singapore ;-;
Anyways, if I had to make a list of things I would love that’s commonplace in anime, it would be things like having a childhood friend who lives next door, walking to and from school together and doing work or chilling in each other’s house everyday. Ever since slice of life anime, I’d always wished I could have had that sort of life back when I was student…
That sounds nice too