Level of Distubing: Critical

TOKYO (Reuters) - At Edelstein boarding school, the schoolboys wear lip-gloss, the headmistress has a weakness for homoerotic comic books, and there is only one subject: how to serve female visitors.
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Welcome to Tokyo's first schoolboy cafe, the latest in a flurry of eateries in Japan where customers and waiters role play themes from manga comics.

Yeh... full article

Well, considering we're talking about the Japanese culture here, it really isn't that disturbing - at least not when you've heard of it before.
Personally, I'd never visit such a place - but than again, it's not quite what we're used to, so I'm not about to jump to any conclusions any time soon.

where customers and waiters role play themes from manga comics.

I think if you pay attention to that line, it's not that weird. It's like over the top comicon.

I read full article it disturbed me throughly. :/

You realize, of course, that simply because something is different does not make it wrong.

Japan's a weird place; the article implies it's because of the strict social norms there. Definitely disturbing (read the article), but if it's their cup of tea... and note that it's not the cafe that's disturbing; it's the reading material that it's based off.

I wonder what Dynamo has to say about this kind of stuff and if it's common or anything like that.

It may be like anything though? We have some stuff that I'm sure looks real strange to foreigners, but it isn't everyone doing it. (I can't think of anything off the top of my head?)

Suzanne wrote:It may be like anything though? We have some stuff that I'm sure looks real strange to foreigners, but it isn't everyone doing it. (I can't think of anything off the top of my head?)

Read the article. I just updated my last post to clarify what's disturbing about it (the reading material).

I read the article earlier. I guess you have a point with that. Maybe I'm not easily shocked? XD

Suzanne wrote:I read the article earlier. I guess you have a point with that. Maybe I'm not easily shocked? XD

lol, guess not. I'm not really shocked per se because I knew there was that vast sub-culture in Japan, but I still find it disturbing. But meh, we aren't all disturbed by the same things

I...wow.
Just...wow.

Hums. When you say you find this disturbing, what aspect are you talking about?

The cafe itself, to me, is not disturbing at all. No more than a cafe where the girls dress up as french waitresses to amuse male customer's anyways. I look at it and asking myself: Is there anything wrong with being a feminine man? Nope. If there anything wrong with being gay? Nope. Oh well then, no problem. Of course, it is a little disturbing that older women in their 30's are dressing up like teenagers.

But hey, it's their culture. I'm a very tolerant person, I guess. This is their culture, and in a way I think it's pretty cool they're so open to role playing and such.

Though I did read the rest. The whole yaoi (boy-love. Or is it sho something? Hmms) thing seems fine to me. Romance mangas a hugely popular, that it's about two guys falling in love isn't an issue. Now, that there is a huge market for the whole violent sex and rape bit is a bit concerning. Or rather, very much so. But still, I think to myself that's there porn all over the place that puts women in the same situations, except without the elements of some love-struck knight in shining armor coming to save the day. Which yes, is pretty disturbing. But since I haven't seen anyone posting a thread telling us how disturbing that stuff is, I can only say that this whole article is no more disturbing than what's already been out there for ages.

^_^ Keek

I just think there a thin line between obsession and religion. A friend of mines once said "Japanese tried to take over the world they doing so with anime." Of course not many people know. Personally fact of the matter I prefer the old animes like Appleseed etc.

*immature giggle* I'm assuming this is in Akihabara? XD

There's an entire neighborhood in Tokyo dedicated to this sort of thing. It's common. Nothing more than a costume party, though--considering we dress our children up in satanic guise for a night of extortion once a year, it's kind of funny that people find it disturbing.

Well that came from long ago Sam . Halloween is basically a Witches Fesivals, but comparing it to Halloween is wrong, since Halloween was about before. Long before.