by Do you know what anime is most liked by Koreans in their 30s and 40s? It is “Slam Dunk” by Takehiko Inoue of Japan. Members of BTS often talk about their love for “Slam Dunk” on their variety shows. In South Korea, the theatrical version of the animation “The First Slam Dunk” was released on January 4th, after the New Year, and has been a big hit.
The number of spectators surpassed 1 million within two weeks of its release, unique corners were set up at bookstores, and sales of basketball-related goods are said to be increasing.
The scene where they are performing is the most attractive. BTS stage photos Korean YouTuber Jin, who distributes information about Korea from the perspective of ordinary people, are also of the generation that watched “Slam Dunk” when he was a child. “I also watched anime when I was in elementary school. For people a little older than me and were in their 40s at the time, it is one of the comics that symbolize youth. It is ranked 3rd in the anime ranking and has a record of 36% viewership.
The hit of this movie is also treated as a topic even in solid news programs that report on politics and economics. In addition to the popularity of “Slam Dunk,” tourist trips to Japan are booming in South Korea.
The media and other commentators still express opinions with criticism and irony about politics. However, the awareness of “NO JAPAN” that was said during the Moon Jae-in administration has almost disappeared among the general public. Looking at people’s comments, there are quite a few critical comments about Japan.” We asked Jin to explain the current attitude of South Korea toward Japan, including the attitudes of the general public. Interview and text/Keiko Ueda
Are Japan-South Korea relations bad?
Not long ago, in South Korea, there was a movement to stop buying and consuming products made in Japan as part of the “NO JAPAN movement.” The targets include cars, branded goods, daily necessities, food, etc., and it was once a social problem.
After that, due to the corona disaster, it was physically impossible to come and go between the two countries, but the situation has now recovered. You can now go to Japan from South Korea without a visa. And now, in South Korea, many people choose Japan as their travel destination. Many people think that Japan-Korea relations are bad, but in the first place, Japan and South Korea are also countries that cooperate.
Politicians recognize this; just the other day, there was a meeting between Japan and South Korea. Of course, since we are in a different countries, there will be small problems here and there. However, the background to the emphasis on unnecessarily bad relations is that there are people who want to use it for political purposes, and the media who want to make money make a big fuss. Many parts emphasize the discord because the article is read. After all, it becomes a topic with feelings of anger. And people who say, “I’m not on good terms with you,” only read such negative articles.
Even if there is an article that says, “Actually, we’re on excellent terms,” or “Japanese XX is a hit,” they won’t admit it, saying, “No, that’s not true!”. People who watch my YouTube channel read good and bad articles about Japan and Korea, and I get the impression that they are making decisions from an objective point of view.
There are also many Going back to the NO JAPAN movement. When it was booming, people stopped drinking Asahi Beer at an izakaya, and I stopped buying Japanese products that are popular in South Korea, such as Uniqlo and Uniqlo.
Descente is famous as a high-end golf wear in Korea. However, there have been reports that consumption has recovered to about 80-90% of what it was before the corona crisis. Furthermore, from October 11th, it will be possible to enter Japan without a vaccine, and once again, people will be able to travel freely.
