Depso said: The anime is already toned down, in the manga Girls' Last Tour flipped that, as it was quite dark and depressing. That spoiled, I agree with the mono no aware thought of @MalchikRepaid. Some iyashikei are just feel good and moe blob, some are bittersweet. And this is the sort I seek, because that Weltschmerz (German edition of MnA) is so rare in story telling, and nobody masters it better than the Japanese. Bless Girl's Last Tour, which is a true gem of that emotion. |
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| Mushishi is also one of the better known ones as well which also has many episodes and scenes which are pretty overtly this way or at least can be taken as such by a certain segment of the audience, and there are plenty of others and lesser known ones. You're not the first person I've heard broaching this topic, but usually it's phrased in a way of more just registering dislike on the part of people for those iyashikei series which contain outright melancholy or dispiriting elements, or can be easily taken that way. Regardless of whether you yourself like those aspects or those series for having them or not, you may be the first person I've heard actually question the purpose of such a phenomenon, which is interesting. I think at its core it's because these series aren't just feel-good. They're deeply contemplative and meditative on a visceral human level, and there is some overlap with the psychological subgenre or theme on MAL in that respect, even if the framing and emphasis is different. Iyashikei often focuses on some of the real and authentic-feeling aspects of daily life and the human experience, and to have those whilst only focusing on the positive aspects in a way which doesn't conform to reality and the lived experience of real people including many of its viewers, would probably come off feeling too overly saccharine and disingenuous, and cheapen the world and make it feel more artificial. That realism represents an attempt at effecting greater buy-in to the world, and just as some will cleanse their palate with a neutral sorbet at a feast or fancy dinner party, like at a wedding reception, or add salt to enhance by contrast the sweetness of their melon slice, you need that duality and the palate cleansers in-between to make it feel like a more rounded and rich overall experience; a living breathing one. Also, when you say "Wandering Witch", are you referring to Majo no Tabitabi (since Wandering Witch is part of the English title for the series)? Or do you mean Flying Witch? Because I've seen both and to the best of my knowledge, Majo no Tabitabi/Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina is not an iyashikei and was never intended to be. I've never seen it labeled or categorized that way either, whether on MAL or anywhere else. Whereas Flying Witch is the epitome of iyashikei and a tremendous example of it. Despite both having witches, they're very different shows. |
WatchTillTandavaJun 4, 2023 5:58 AM
Depso said: I've originally thought of Iyashikei as how it's described in all the definitions, cozy and relaxing, but seeing Girls' Last Tour flipped that, as it was quite dark and depressing, now I've started watching Wandering Witch and have been met with a similar somewhat depressing feeling (in some episodes at least). why is that, isn't iyashikei supposed to NOT be dark and depressing? A better word to describe this would be melancholy. Iyashikei in live action Japanese dramas are usually built like this too. I don't know what your experiences with western films are but Movies you would typically find coming from something like the Hallmark Channel often does this type of thing too. Iyashikei Anime is more of an outlier simply because Iyashikei is thrown around loosely as a tag on MAL where most User haven't really been exposed to media that would generally fall under this type of category. A good Analogy would be is if someone has never seen a real true action film in their life so the moment they are exposed to a bunch of Adventure films they can easily mistaken a simple Adventure with Action. The same goes with Horror and Thrillers. A good example of loosely tagging anime would be "Restaurant to Another World". Where this anime gives off a melancholy feeling due to the OST used in the 1st season but when you take away that type of music and give it a more upbeat OST "Restaurant to Another World 2" doesn't give off that same melancholy feeling as the 1st season. So some how it's no longer tagged as a Iyashikei? |
ColourWheelJun 4, 2023 6:30 AM
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| I don't get it. Nor Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou, nor Mushishi makes me depressed. Those have some dark themes, but somehow show you how to handle psychologically such situations. (Those girls from Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou just had the wrong idea what their goals in life should be...since nobody taught them that.) |
| I don't get it why anime should be depressing in the first place.. I've never seen any anime that's more depressing than real life.. The reality is always more depressing than fiction.. |
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| Most Iyashikei is kinda melancholy. People who have no worries or problems don't need "healing". So I don't think GLT's message is depressing at all. It's weird that so many people seem to think it is. Aria, a much brighter and more cheerful Iyashikei also leans heavily into the idea that precious moments in time are fleeting and that all things must come to an end. |
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| Anime about real life, has real life issues. More at 9. |
| Iyashi means healing and kei means type in this case so iyashikei = healing type. Happiness isn't the only state of healing. Solemn melancholic reflection on something bittersweet can also be healing. |
| ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣸⠋⠀⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⡔⠀⢀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⡘⡰⠁⠘⡀⠀⠀⢠⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠁⠀⣀⠀⠀⡇⠀⡜⠈⠁⠀⢸⡈⢇⠀⠀⢣⠑⠢⢄⣇⠀⠀⠸⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢰⡟⡀⠀⡇⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⡇⠈⢆⢰⠁⠀⠀⠀⠘⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠤⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡼⠀⣧⠀⢿⢠⣤⣤⣬⣥⠀⠁⠀⠀⠛⢀⡒⠀⠀⠀⠘⡆⡆⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢵⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡰⠀⢠⠃⠱⣼⡀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠛⠳⠶⠶⠆⡸⢀⡀⣀⢰⠀⠀⢸ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣀⣀⣀⠄⠀⠉⠁⠀⠀⢠⠃⢀⠎⠀⠀⣼⠋⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠴⠢⢄⡔⣕⡍⠣⣱⢸⠀⠀⢷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⡰⠃⢀⠎⠀⠀⡜⡨⢢⡀⠀⠀⠀⠐⣄⠀⠀⣠⠀⠀⠀⠐⢛⠽⠗⠁⠀⠁⠊⠀⡜⠸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⢀⠔⣁⡴⠃⠀⡠⡪⠊⣠⣾⣟⣷⡦⠤⣀⡈⠁⠉⢀⣀⡠⢔⠊⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡤⡗⢀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⢀⣠⠴⢑⡨⠊⡀⠤⠚⢉⣴⣾⣿⡿⣾⣿⡇⠀⠹⣻⠛⠉⠉⢀⠠⠺⠀⠀⡀⢄⣴⣾⣧⣞⠀⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠐⠒⣉⠠⠄⡂⠅⠊⠁⠀⠀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣻⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⢠⣷⣮⡍⡠⠔⢉⡇⡠⠋⠁⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀ |
| like the person above me said, healing =/= happy. for me, iyashikei is any "relaxing" atmosphere, and that includes depressing episodes. but rather than a full on tragedy, it's executed with more tranquility. it's more like a "well that's life, you gotta move on" without melodrama. |
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| I think u just picked the wrong straw, girls last tour is an exception. Elaina is not iyashikei. |
| sup dumbo |
| think of it like this- the more depressed you are the harder the happiness will hit🗿🗿🗿 |
 The end of an era. Thank you Wit, Mappa and Isayama. Feeling half happy, half sad. Kawaii waifus and precious best girls <3333 |
| Iyashikei is intended to have some kind of healing effect, a depressing story usually comes along with how the characters deal with the situation and that can be wholesome for some viewers. |
*kappa* |
bobylashly said: Sure, it seems like the Iyashikei genre is taking some unexpected turns with series like Girls' Last Tour and Wandering Witch, introducing darker and somewhat depressing elements. I wouldn't describe Majo no Tabitabi/Wandering Witch as an iyashikei. Partly a Slice of Life perhaps, but it has way too many tonal changes and has too many plot-defining conflicts to be an iyashikei. Whereas Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is in many ways even more dramatic and with a premise even more dire and serious, but the focus is on the changing environment around the girls and effects/ravages of the passage of time, slowing down frequently for more simple activities like just fishing, daydreaming, bathing, baking, making music out of rainwater, etc.. |
WatchTillTandavaNov 26, 2023 4:44 AM
| Really? Girls Last Tour was a bunch of nothings with a couple of interesting stuff here and there. |
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| @Asdzd I mean, the genre is generally pretty exciting. Not all of them, comedy SOL is generally pointless, if you don't find it funny, and there is the abomination that is CGDCT, which I don't get, but please ignore the fact that I gave one of them a 10/10. So you know, just because it's mundane, doesn't mean there aren't stakes, that are understandably important to the characters. If anything a stake too high is off putting, because if the characters can't fail without the show ending, they usually don't... Recommendation: https://myanimelist.net/anime/46093/Shiroi_Suna_no_Aquatope Or if you want to read: https://www.anime-planet.com/manga/one-step-away-from-happiness (No idea how is neither of these tagged, that tag was a mistake...) |
| Well, Girls' Last Tour is more of how to find happiness in a world destroyed by war, it's something like a lesson of stoicism, or how to adapt to the harshest of circumstances. Some anime adapt the concept of Mono no Aware (The fact that everything must come to an end and that we should value stuff while we have them) which, some of them are tagged as Iyashikei. https://myanimelist.net/stacks/38549 There is a stack compiling some of them. |
 MOKUSHI KUSHIMO SHIMOKU KUMOSHI MOSHIKU SHIKUMO. |
| A more recent example is Super Cub. The main character herself states that she has no parents (father died when she was little and mom left when she began high school), no relatives, no friends, no hobbies... Basically all alone until she meets her honda cub. I think it's just me, but when hearing all that, I feel more grateful of what I have and appreciate the people around me and things I take for granted if only a little. I like it when iyashikei touch on these issues from time to time for a change of pace. |
"Nobody could laugh at someone who's trying their hardest" -Machio- |
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