Chapter Bikini nel bakumatsu, intimi anacronismi. Il caso di Ōka Sabaki

Abstract

Japanese Adult Computer Games feature a plethora of setting and themes, ranging from science fiction and fantasy to romantic comedies set in present-day Japan. A subset of these video games features historical or pseudo-historical backdrops for their narratives. An illustrative instance of this approach is the bakumatsu period in Japan, characterized by its unique societal mores and representational affordances. Despite such a setup, this video games remain firmly entrenched in anime-manga industry conventions. This brief contribution explores how these industry practices take precedence over strict adherence to historical accuracy, and what this means for approaches based in Japanese studies.