Japan Officials Are Endorsing a Wild Anime Trope When It Comes to Dating

The pandemic put a hold on love lives all over the world in 2020, and for some, they are starting to get back into the dating game. This is very much true in Japan now that the country is opening up travel restrictions, and officials are eager to combat the country’s declining marriage rate. In fact, the government has advice for singles looking for love these days, and one tip involves a rather controversial anime trope.

The whole thing came to light under grape as the Japanese site pointed out the fact kabedon is listed in the Research Document on Love. The term may not be immediately familiar to you, but if you have seen a bit of anime, you will recognize it easily. After all, kabedon describes the action of a person or character pushing another against a wall and trapping them there with their arm. In most cases, kabedon is done with a male lead leaning into a female love interest, and its domineering stance has made it controversial in recent year.

After all, the power imbalance needed for kabedon is problematic, and netizens continue to critique it for being a possessive trope. After kabedon appeared on this list, fans hit up social media to reiterate this stance as some admitted they thought its listing was done as a prank. But as it turns out, the research guide really does breakdown the rules of kabedon and how to use it.

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For fans, this move has been seen in tons of shoo anime and even the odd shonen series. After kabedon was popularized in the early 2010, the move began cropping up in other mediums like K-dramas and webtoons. Now, it is even appearing in official government documents, but fans aren’t sure the whole kabedon trope needs to become a trend in real life. 

What do you make of this wild new report? Do you find the kabedon practice to be controversial? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

HT – Otaku USA Magazine