The history of anime characters smoking is long and varied. While our brains may be tempted to see these more overt examples as something worth extra notice, sometimes a coincidence is just a coincidence.
since…like…forever? Cowboy Bebop, FLCL, Black Lagoon just off the top of my head from years ago.
this isn’t new. and Chainsmoker Cat does NOT glorify it. it’s a good reminder as to why I quit because when I was smoking and broke I did a lot of the same things she does.
On the one hand, you’re absolutely right. When smoking was common/accepted, it appeared everywhere in TV and films. Then it became a niche thing, but was always incidental rather than core to the plot. Which I think is the point here.
Perhaps many of us lived in a place where it’s been so long without “smoking is normal” that it’s now jarring, but you don’t have to travel far to see that’s definitely not the case everywhere. Australia’s west versus east coasts, UK versus France or Italy, etc.
Seeing the recent smoking- and drinking-centric anime/manga (for me it’s Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You and Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk) is interesting, and makes me think of how easy it’s been to go from smoking and drinking being ubiquitous to fringe where I live.
since…like…forever? Cowboy Bebop, FLCL, Black Lagoon just off the top of my head from years ago.
this isn’t new. and Chainsmoker Cat does NOT glorify it. it’s a good reminder as to why I quit because when I was smoking and broke I did a lot of the same things she does.
On the one hand, you’re absolutely right. When smoking was common/accepted, it appeared everywhere in TV and films. Then it became a niche thing, but was always incidental rather than core to the plot. Which I think is the point here.
Perhaps many of us lived in a place where it’s been so long without “smoking is normal” that it’s now jarring, but you don’t have to travel far to see that’s definitely not the case everywhere. Australia’s west versus east coasts, UK versus France or Italy, etc.
Seeing the recent smoking- and drinking-centric anime/manga (for me it’s Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You and Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk) is interesting, and makes me think of how easy it’s been to go from smoking and drinking being ubiquitous to fringe where I live.