It’s safe to say in our more enlightened age, the traditional idea of what a family is, has broken down. And a lot of this has to do with sex. See before one of the big rewards for young people to get married, was the social acceptance for them to have sex.
But as time progressed it became more and more acceptable to have sex without being wed, and a lot of the social taboo surrounding it began to disappear globally as well. It also just so happen with the advancement of technology many replacements for sex came into play as well such as pornography and sex toys.
And in the hormone riddled brains of the youngsters, a huge incentive for getting married disappeared. But the truth is the point of marriages was never just sex. It was also companionship, love, fostering more intimate bonds and of course for raising children.
Media Influence
Alright so far all that’s good, but the real question is what does any of this have anything to do with Spy x Family and cute little Anya-chan. Well that’s quite simple. In order for someone to do something we must find a way to make people want it. In this case if you want people to still believe in traditional families, and want to have kids we must first sell them the dream.
In this case in the form of cute little pink haired psychic girl named Anya. What Anya and the whole forger family represents is wish fulfillment.
But unlike power fantasies, or harem fantasies of other Anime, what Spy X Family sells is the fantasy of the perfect family. It sells this idea that life does not get dull after marriage, that there are other benefits to getting married besides carnal desires. It shows us the fulfillment of raising a child and how it gives a sense of purpose even to the most amazing of individuals.
Is this a perfect lie? Yes, of course. But then that’s the case with every representation we see in media, but this one in turn helps re-affirm the need for families, which honestly is still the best system we have in battling against the tribunals of life.
What the Popularity of the Show means
But what’s fascinating about Spy X Family is not that it exists, it’s that it got so popular. Not just in Japan, but globally. What this shows us is that despite the breakdown of the traditionally family setup, people still covet it. A lot more than they care to admit at time.
Even more fascinating when you consider that Anime is a predominantly male dominated medium. Which shows that despite what the Media would have you believe, the idea of having a family is still a huge dream for a lot of men.
It would seem that the main reason so many young people shy away from relationships these days has to do with their insecurities and fear. Especially in such a socially conscious country like Japan.
But what Spy X Family does is give them hope, and in turn make the young population face their fears and at least try, by selling them a dream.
The truth is life is changing at an ever increasing pace, especially with the boom in technology and the growth of the internet. And while it is a great thing that more unconventional family structures and relationships are more accepted these day, we must remember that the family structure exists for a reason and for a large part of the population it’s still the best option we have for companionship and a happy life.
So look to the Forger family, get out there and face your fears when it comes to relationships. Stop fearing commitment so much, and who knows maybe you’ll have your own cute little brat one day with psychic powers like Anya-chan.
Which Greek God in the New World Odyssey has Psychic powers like Anya?
You must be logged in to post a comment.