Re: Euro-Japan or DNAngel's Setting

Lee Ratner wrote:


I've been watching DNAngel recently and yesterday, I've purchased
the first two volumes of the manga.
Its a great series and it made me aware of a type of setting used in
manga and anime which I have not noticed
before. I call this setting Euro-Japan.

Yes! I noticed this too when I watched DNAngel for the first time.

In a Euro-Japan setting, all
or most of the characters will be ethnically Japanese
but the place where they live would be nothing like anyware in Japan,
contemporary or past. The setting of a manga or anime
in Euro-Japan would have distinct look of a very idealized version of
a European town or city. This town will combine elements of different
parts of Europe, especially popular are combinations of French,
Italian, and Scandanavian towns and will be very charming. The
architecture will range in style from gothic to Hausman's Paris. There
will be lots of cobble-stoned streets and fountains and plazas and
stone bridges.

Yet despite the, idealized, European look of the town, its located
in Japan and the inhabitants are Japanese. The culture will be a
strange combination of both Europe or Japan. In DNAngel, everybody has
a Japanese name and eats Japanese-style food, with chopsticks but
otherwise the culture seems to be "European." The pieces of art-work
stolen by Dark are in a "European" style, even if they would be
considered kitsch rather than art in real life, and the fairytales of
the place, including the names of characters in the fairytales, are in
a European-style.

Exactly. I found it very disorienting myself.

Besides DNAngel, are their any other canidates for mangas or
animes in Euro-Japan? Its been a while, since I saw the show but I'd
argue that CCS as a Euro-Japan setting, kind of. Yeah, some of it
takes place at Tokyo Tower but Sakura's section of Tokyo as a rather
idealized pseudo-European look about from my memories. Is it ever
mentioned what country Kiki's Delivery Service takes place in? If its
Japan, Kiki's is a strong contender for a Euro-Japan setting. Any
other mangs or anime come to mind? St. Tail?.

CCS is more a modern Japan story. Yukito for instance lives in a Japanese style house, and Miss Mizuki is a miko.

I think I would put Utena in that category. Princess Tutu and Ouran have strong European influences, but Tutu is more clearly meant to have a European setting, while Ouran is Japanese with a jet set, global attitude. Snow Fairy Sugar is actually set in Germany.

But your raising the issue does remind me of a question I've had. Is Fai Flowright the only wholly Caucasian major character in a CLAMP manga/anime? I can't think of any others.

laurie
.

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