• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

What is with the Japanese and the Hot Springs/Beach Day trope that permeates throughout all of anime/jrpgs?

Madflavor

Member
So I know as far as problems in gaming is concerned, this is such a tiny drop in the bucket it, I get it. But lately this has been something that's been annoying me. I haven't played every Jrpg out there, but I would say I've played a damn good amount of them. I recently started playing a new Jrpg, and of course, I eventually get to the Hot Springs scene. Why do so many Jrpgs, and Anime have this? I get the fan service aspect of it, and I'm fine with that. I love fan service. But why is it almost always Hot Springs, and why does it always play out the exact same way? I would say anyone who's been playing Jrpgs or watching Anime for a good part of their lives, will always know exactly how the scene plays out from the moment it begins.

Girls are on in hot springs. Boys accidentally stumble upon them. Boys apologize and try to leave. Girls physically assault the boys. Scene ends.

Is this supposed to be the funniest skit ever told in the history of Japan, or is Otaku Culture really that retarded over there? Is that why so many games/shows with different studios and writers, all have to have this same scene? Because it's not funny. It's played out, it sucks, and it makes the girls look irrational. I've gotten to the point now where whenever this scene comes up in a Jrpg, I'm going to immediately skip it. Because why watch it? I've seen it dozens of times already.
 
Last edited:

cireza

Banned
I can tell you, I understand your disgust towards these types of scenes.

My personal fight, the fight of my life, is about fishing. I hate fishing. I hope that every person who fishes encounters a slow death and end up in hell.

That's why from this day on, I am going to spam the entire internet and social medias of threads and topics about how fishing should not be included in J-RPGs. Because honestly, it is in ALL of them. Unacceptable. Is there even a single person out there who thought about the fishes ? Come on.

I also strongly dislike people wearing red shirts. I will probably do something about it as well, some day.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
I can tell you, I understand your disgust towards these types of scenes.

My personal fight, the fight of my life, is about fishing. I hate fishing. I hope that every person who fishes encounters a slow death and end up in hell.

That's why from this day on, I am going to spam the entire internet and social medias of threads and topics about how fishing should not be included in J-RPGs. Because honestly, it is in ALL of them. Unacceptable. Is there even a single person out there who thought about the fishes ? Come on.

I also strongly dislike people wearing red shirts. I will probably do something about it as well, some day.
Fishing is peak comfy, both in games and real life.

618084-Yakuza-3-fishing.jpg
 

Guilty_AI

Member
I can tell you, I understand your disgust towards these types of scenes.

My personal fight, the fight of my life, is about fishing. I hate fishing. I hope that every person who fishes encounters a slow death and end up in hell.

That's why from this day on, I am going to spam the entire internet and social medias of threads and topics about how fishing should not be included in J-RPGs. Because honestly, it is in ALL of them. Unacceptable. Is there even a single person out there who thought about the fishes ? Come on.

I also strongly dislike people wearing red shirts. I will probably do something about it as well, some day.
Yeah, fuck those red-shirted bastards. I bet they're the ones implementing fishing on those jrpgs anyway.
 

clem84

Gold Member
Its an opportunity to show some skin.
And to inject some humor into the game. Also, to see the character(s) in a different, less serious, light compared to the rest of the game. It provides a change of pace.

I agree with OP that's it's a bit overdone. Usually when I come across these I think "wtf was this necessary?"
 

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
It's mostly filler content to pad out an anime. Also gives characterization for characters to show when they aren't all serious business.

I don't particularly mind them considering hot springs/hot tubs feel really nice.

The peeping tom stuff is generally Japanese culture but it's more guy sees pretty girl and girl gets embarrassed about it. Especially if it's the girls designated crush or love interest.

It's more common in what I refer to Harem animes where you have a male character that seemingly attracts all the girls to him. You will generally have at least one of these hot springs scenes in there.
 

BlackTron

Member
It's Japanese bath house culture, but I agree it's lame how the scene plays out the exact same way EVERY TIME.

The same way that a movie can take a story we've seen 1000 times before and freshen it up with its unique spin, they could stand to be a little more creative with how these scenes play out. It feels like checking a box off a list. But this is true about MANY aspects in games, not just the hot spring scenes.
 

Interfectum

Member
So I know as far as problems in gaming is concerned, this is such a tiny drop in the bucket it, I get it. But lately this has been something that's been annoying me. I haven't played every Jrpg out there, but I would say I've played a damn good amount of them. I recently started playing a new Jrpg, and of course, I eventually get to the Hot Springs scene. Why do so many Jrpgs, and Anime have this? I get the fan service aspect of it, and I'm fine with that. I love fan service. But why is it almost always Hot Springs, and why does it always play out the exact same way? I would say anyone who's been playing Jrpgs or watching Anime for a good part of their lives, will always know exactly how the scene plays out from the moment it begins.

Girls are on in hot springs. Boys accidentally stumble upon them. Boys apologize and try to leave. Girls physically assault the boys. Scene ends.

Is this supposed to be the funniest skit ever told in the history of Japan, or is Otaku Culture really that retarded over there? Is that why so many games/shows with different studios and writers, all have to have this same scene? Because it's not funny. It's played out, it sucks, and it makes the girls look irrational. I've gotten to the point now where whenever this scene comes up in a Jrpg, I'm going to immediately skip it. Because why watch it? I've seen it dozens of times already.
You trying to apply for a job at Kotaku with this?

go away GIF
 

StormCell

Member
I can tell you, I understand your disgust towards these types of scenes.

My personal fight, the fight of my life, is about fishing. I hate fishing. I hope that every person who fishes encounters a slow death and end up in hell.

Fuck. You. And especially fuck you.

When I win the bassmaster's classic, I'll be name dropping your alias as my inspiration. :LOL:
 
Last edited:

Lupingosei

Banned
Filler content for all the horny weebs
Or, and hear me out on this, an Onzen in Japan is often a place for people to socialize and relax in an informal setting. And to make you bond with the characters they let you socialize with them in a familiar setting. You know a thing from their cultural heritage.
 
Last edited:

Madflavor

Member
Whats up with americans and their super hero fetishism? I swear 80% of the movies coming out of hollywood nowadays have someone in a cape. It just not interesting anymore after the n-th time.

How is this comparable? Yeah I'm tired of the oversaturation of the superhero genre too, but I'm not gonna pretend Joker and Black Widow are the same film. Or Guardians of the Galaxy is the same as Invincible. At least some superhero films have different tones, stories, and settings.
 

waquzy

Member
It’s a Japanese thing…

They are obsessed with 4 things: bright colours, big boobs, upskirts and schoolgirls!
 
Last edited:
I know this might sound crazy to some people, but going to a hot springs resort is something many Japanese people actually do, like, a lot.

The country is also an island and most of the major population centers are near the coast, so going to the beach is also something people do fairly frequently.

It's not just games and anime, either. Onsen visits in particular are an absolute staple of Japanese movies and entertainment in general. Half the variety programs on Japanese TV are about random celebrities visiting hot springs, restaurants, or, ideally, both.
 
Last edited:

Scotty W

Gold Member
Lupingosei Lupingosei has hit the nail on the head. I live in Japan and there are spas and onsen everywhere. You have to remember that this was THE way to take a bath for centuries, and are still popular. Hell, I went to one next to Akihabara just yesterday.

The tropical islands are probably connected to Okinawa.
 
Last edited:
or is Otaku Culture really that retarded over there

This is a reason, this and that "quality" and "creativity" is really not a concern. If you pay attention you'll notice who these games, these stories, are full of tropes. It's always the same archetypes, the same personalities, the same dynamics, they work on auto without trying to make something new or unity. Their entertainment world is plagued by this.
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
How is this comparable? Yeah I'm tired of the oversaturation of the superhero genre too, but I'm not gonna pretend Joker and Black Widow are the same film. Or Guardians of the Galaxy is the same as Invincible. At least some superhero films have different tones, stories, and settings.

Its funny you should mention diffrent tones, stories and settings because when you generalise so throughly with "All JRPG's" they also funnily enough feature different things in all 3 area's. This results in diffrent games within the same genre, I am unsure why you would now be pretending that they are all the same game...

Valkeria chronicles, Star Ocean, Tales of Vesperia, Trails of Lost Steel & Persona are hardly the same game. They might share story beats but that's like arguing that a fantasy novel can't have a tavern in it which ends in a brawl.
 
Last edited:

Tschumi

Member
My wife warns me that one day I'm gonna have to do the nuddy infront of my father in law in one of the onzen... get fucked, i say, get fucked immediately. I also say I won't go to an onzen with her father, but that usually comes after da fakkin

...

More seriously, mixed communal baths are uncommon as far as I can tell, using these baths is often is a pretty Showa (70s/80s) thing do to, or maybe a very old neighborhood thing to do. . . I think these are typical highschool trips that happen for all students at some point so, like sports days, they're bound to feature *shrug*
 
Last edited:

yurinka

Member
Hot springs are very popular in Japan, they have a lot of them and use them pretty frequently. So I assume it gets reflected in their animes and games.
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
I've played a good amount of JRPGs as well, but maybe not as much as you. I don't remember this type of scene being so prominent as you say. What games are you playing typically OP?

I can only suggest that this comes from the Onsen part of japanese culture. When I went to Japan, Onsens or public baths typically allow boys and girls in the same pool, though the showers are separate. I mean just because of that setup I'd imagine the kind of incident you're describing is pretty common. Sprinkle in a little fantasy and boom. Instant relatability to the target audience.
 

Fbh

Member
It's just one of those tropes that Japan loves and seemingly never gets tired of.

Like the Highschool setting
Pre Teen girls that are actually much older (even though most of the time they still talk and act like they are 8)
Annoying non human mascots
And the power of friendship
 

NahaNago

Member
It's mostly filler content to pad out an anime. Also gives characterization for characters to show when they aren't all serious business.

I don't particularly mind them considering hot springs/hot tubs feel really nice.

The peeping tom stuff is generally Japanese culture but it's more guy sees pretty girl and girl gets embarrassed about it. Especially if it's the girls designated crush or love interest.

It's more common in what I refer to Harem animes where you have a male character that seemingly attracts all the girls to him. You will generally have at least one of these hot springs scenes in there.
yep, harem or ecchi anime tends to have a pool , beach, hot springs, or bath house scenes and in some cases all of these. Which as I get older it gets creepier and creepier since they are always high school girls. So of course anime jrpgs would have them.
 
Last edited:

lachesis

Member
Actually, ryokans with good hot spring is my definite healing/go-to vacation. Good food, sake and nice dip in the hot mineral water gazing open night sky in silence - there are not much better stuff for me.

But it is true - that onsen skit/beach + fishing is indeed overused in most JRPGs. It's just like shooting a gun is basically a requirement in any western games.
 

FunkMiller

Gold Member
I can tell you, I understand your disgust towards these types of scenes.

My personal fight, the fight of my life, is about fishing. I hate fishing. I hope that every person who fishes encounters a slow death and end up in hell.

That's why from this day on, I am going to spam the entire internet and social medias of threads and topics about how fishing should not be included in J-RPGs. Because honestly, it is in ALL of them. Unacceptable. Is there even a single person out there who thought about the fishes ? Come on.

sircaw sircaw - this alt of yours is not very convincing.
 
Last edited:

sircaw

Banned
I can tell you, I understand your disgust towards these types of scenes.

My personal fight, the fight of my life, is about fishing. I hate fishing. I hope that every person who fishes encounters a slow death and end up in hell.

That's why from this day on, I am going to spam the entire internet and social medias of threads and topics about how fishing should not be included in J-RPGs. Because honestly, it is in ALL of them. Unacceptable. Is there even a single person out there who thought about the fishes ? Come on.

I also strongly dislike people wearing red shirts. I will probably do something about it as well, some day.
Amen Brother.

I am right behind you, FUCK ANGLERS.


Ps, i get flashbacks when i look at Sushi. :messenger_sad_relieved:
 

YukiOnna

Member
Go to an onsen or some of the beaches there and you'll understand. Best way to relax and probably one of the easiest ways to socialize, hell people make vacation trips just for onsens.

That said, as others mentioned, it's just a slice of life aspect to give some downtime to the characters. Same way other genres and regions have their own thing or none at all which I can sometimes find exhausting. Rather than focus on the setting if that bothers you, why not the dialogue because it usually has some nice information about the characters? For JRPG's it will usually be: Onsen, The Beach, Island Getaway, International Trip.
 
Last edited:
S

SpongebobSquaredance

Unconfirmed Member
I got banned from Era for saying while I do not like the troupe we can’t automatically judge all the creators who add them to their work as “sexist” because the culture in Japan is different than here…banned for excusing sexism. F
for real?
 
Top Bottom