{"id":100713,"date":"2024-03-05T01:39:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-05T01:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/?p=25212"},"modified":"2024-03-05T01:39:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T01:39:00","slug":"science-fell-in-love-so-i-tried-to-prove-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/05\/science-fell-in-love-so-i-tried-to-prove-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By Amelia Cook.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Anime-Like-Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-shitemita-Science-Fell-in-Love-So-I-Tried-to-Prove-It-850x446.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Anime-Like-Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-shitemita-Science-Fell-in-Love-So-I-Tried-to-Prove-It-850x446.jpg 850w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Anime-Like-Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-shitemita-Science-Fell-in-Love-So-I-Tried-to-Prove-It-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Anime-Like-Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-shitemita-Science-Fell-in-Love-So-I-Tried-to-Prove-It-768x403.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Anime-Like-Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-shitemita-Science-Fell-in-Love-So-I-Tried-to-Prove-It.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alltheanime.com\/collections\/coming-soon-and-pre-order-releases\/products\/science-fell-in-love-so-i-tried-to-prove-it-season-1-collectors-edition\">Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It<\/a><\/em> is a comedy about two intense postgraduate students who develop feelings for each other in their research lab. Before the first set of opening credits, elegant and confident Himuro states her feelings for her aloof intellectual rival, Yukimura. He is stunned, and expresses cautious interest, but isn\u2019t sure his feelings are love. \u201cWhat is the definition of \u2018love\u2019?\u201d he asks. \u201cHimuro, upon what evidence did you determine that you love me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-25212\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019d expect Himuro to be upset, but she isn\u2019t. On the contrary, she is delighted by his challenge, and presents a thorough argument, with pie-charts, graphs, and a working hypothesis. In this scene and beyond, the series turns into a fantastic representation and allegory for the experience of online dating. Just not literally.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"479\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/wp5864165-850x479.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/wp5864165-850x479.jpg 850w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/wp5864165-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/wp5864165-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/wp5864165-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/wp5864165-2048x1153.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>For a start, it works on the same premise and processes as a dating app. After Himuro\u2019s presentation, she and Yukimura evaluate her argument, adjust the hypothesis, and determine a new research project: to establish the \u2018base conditions\u2019 of love, the signs that anyone in love is guaranteed to experience. They intend to use these to construct a Turing machine that can answer the question \u201cIs this love a 0 or a 1?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, scientists are searching for the right numbers to accurately assess the viability of a romantic relationship before it begins. That\u2019s the premise of <em>Science Fell in Love<\/em> and every dating app out there from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eharmony.com\/blog\/science-behind-eharmony\/\">eHarmony<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/christian_rudder_inside_okcupid_the_math_of_online_dating\">OK Cupid<\/a>. \u201cRomantic affection, and the question of its determination, can be rendered as a formula.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ask a question, and make an educated guess at what the answer could be. Test your guess, learn from the results, repeat. That\u2019s the scientific method in a nutshell, which drives Himuro and Yukimura\u2019s research, and their relationship. Online dating apps don\u2019t use data from wearables like smart watches (yet). But whoever is advocating for it behind the scenes may well sound like Yukimura: \u201cIf we monitor heart rate, we can quantitatively measure \u2018thrilling palpitations of love\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/4ace80d9486c93df4a9993ea6fbc0302.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/4ace80d9486c93df4a9993ea6fbc0302.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/4ace80d9486c93df4a9993ea6fbc0302-300x158.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Digital dating entrepreneurs have worked this way for years. Back in 2014, in an OK Cupid blog post titled \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140920210949\/http:\/blog.okcupid.com\/index.php\/we-experiment-on-human-beings\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">We Experiment on Humans!<\/a>\u2019, co-founder Christian Rudder said: \u201cIf you use the Internet, you\u2019re the subject of hundreds of experiments at any given time, on every site. That\u2019s how websites work.\u201d And if you want to tell a story about an internet-based industry without actually showing computer scientists at work, computer scientists in a lab are a sensible side-step.&nbsp;Scientists like Himuro and Yukimura are a particularly good choice. Empirical to a fault, their insistence on prizing logic over emotion helps approximate online dating dynamics in their 100% offline relationship.<\/p>\n<p>When complete strangers agree by text-message that they see the potential to sleep together\/get married\/raise children, it adds a shot of intimacy to their otherwise distant relationship, with nothing in between. Because of this, couples who match online have a different dynamic on their first date than couples who crushed on each other in person, or who show up to a blind date.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Science Fell in Love <\/em>parallels this dynamic by swapping interpersonal unfamiliarity for extra emotional distance, gag-manga style.&nbsp;One way it does this is by inverting the online dating mentality. Many people come to online dating with a shopping list, intending to take no risks until they find someone who meets a lengthy checklist of conditions. However, Himuro and Yukimura intend to take no risks until they find a lengthy checklist of conditions to justify their existing interest. In both cases, the goal is to keep attraction at arms\u2019 length until the data lines up.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/4f28b0f0fca081efaa2e36d14be6c97b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/4f28b0f0fca081efaa2e36d14be6c97b.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/4f28b0f0fca081efaa2e36d14be6c97b-300x158.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>The show also inverts specific online dating experiences. For example, when Himuro states her feelings for Yukimura, both are sitting with their backs to each other, staring at computer screens while they talk. Where app users may play it cool in DMs and freak out in real life, Himuro and Yukimura speak calmly while their typing dissolves into gibberish.<\/p>\n<p>Himuro and Yukimura are naturally detached characters who find a way to turn romantic exploration into their job. Each aspires to \u201calways deal with things calmly and intellectually.\u201d So, their choice to explore their feelings through a lab-wide research project rather than, say, dinner and a movie, actually downgrades their intimacy from comfortable rivals to awkward new colleagues.<\/p>\n<p>While the experiments they run do bring them closer, they frequently interrupt that closeness to record observations, or doom it from the start by prioritising efficiency. They communicate more as collaborating researchers than potential partners, hiding their desires and fears behind clinical analysis and academic theories.&nbsp;All this extra distance largely mitigates the impact of their pre-existing relationship on their romantic prospects. Because of this, their relationship develops more like a couple who met online than a workplace romance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/animes-like-rikekoi-850x478.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/animes-like-rikekoi-850x478.jpg 850w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/animes-like-rikekoi-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/animes-like-rikekoi-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/animes-like-rikekoi.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>If <em>Science Fell in Love <\/em>were about two people who met through an app, you wouldn\u2019t need to change much about their relationship. Consider:<\/p>\n<p>Figure 1: After their efficient and matter-of-fact expression of mutual interest, Himuro and Yukimura arrange meetings where they can act out different relationship behaviours. They analyse their actions and reactions in depth to assess their romantic potential.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 2: Both find it hard to trust their own instincts, instead relying on what the data says. As a result, each new piece of information has a disproportionate influence on their own opinions of their romantic potential.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 3: When a sentiment is difficult to voice, both use text-based communication instead. At one point, they even set up a way to accurately record their emotions towards each other through one tap on their phone screens.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever tried online dating, some of this may sound familiar.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/maxresdefault-1-850x478.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/maxresdefault-1-850x478.jpg 850w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/maxresdefault-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/maxresdefault-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/maxresdefault-1.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Himuro and Yukimura\u2019s first on-screen interaction is exactly one minute of verbal sparring followed by Himuro telling Yukimura that she has feelings for him. The start of many happily-ever-afters in the internet age. A far cry from the longing glances and dramatic confessions more typical of anime romance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The two of them rarely refer to their time together before the series, and never in detail. From the audience\u2019s perspective, their relationship begins with the equivalent of twelve messages and an expression of mutual interest that transforms their previous dynamic. It\u2019s one of the most efficient starts to a requited romance in anime, featuring two of the most obvious candidates for online dating.<\/p>\n<p>With some anime couples, you have to wonder how compatible they actually are. Are they happier together than they would be with anyone else, or just childhood sweethearts who believe in fate? What fuels their relationship: is it true love, or the traumatic event they went through together in season one?&nbsp;Not so in <em>Science Fell in Love<\/em>. Instead, you have to wonder if either of these people could ever make a romantic relationship work with anyone else. Himuro and Yukimura\u2019s language is science. Interrupting a hug to review their respective heart rates might look unromantic, but they enjoy these experiments in their entirety. They are never happier or more attracted to each other than when converting a real-world problem into equations they can solve.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This intense devotion to rigorous analysis puts off other love interests and makes progress slow. But it\u2019s also exactly what draws Himuro and Yukimura together and gives their relationship a fire no-one else understands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-Shite-Mita-01-Large-17-850x478.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-Shite-Mita-01-Large-17-850x478.jpg 850w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-Shite-Mita-01-Large-17-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-Shite-Mita-01-Large-17-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Rikei-ga-Koi-ni-Ochita-no-de-Shoumei-Shite-Mita-01-Large-17.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>They\u2019re unusual. The way they communicate is unusual, the activities they enjoy most are unusual, and the way they approach romance is unusual. From what we see of their backgrounds, this has always been the case, and has often isolated them from their peers.&nbsp;Niche online dating is perfect for people like this, social outsiders on the same wavelength. Himuro and Yukimura\u2019s relationship shows what online dating can achieve at its best.<\/p>\n<p>And anime is the best medium to portray online dating. One of the biggest challenges for any online dating series is that text-based interactions are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uFfq2zblGXw\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">boring to watch<\/a>. Most of us understand now that on-screen \u2018hacking\u2019 looks nothing like the real thing. But that convention was set before many people knew what the real thing looked like. <em>Everyone<\/em> knows what online dating looks like, warts and all, whether they\u2019ve used it or not. At its worst, you\u2019re seeing dick pics and getting ghosted. At its best, you\u2019re chatting happily in DMs. How do you make that look interesting, let alone romantic?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Internet romance is a steamy sub-genre in novels but rarely the central topic of any TV show or film, in Japan or otherwise.&nbsp;Anime has the best shot of making online dating into an aesthetically pleasing story though. The most unimaginative way to show text-based interactions is through close-ups of screens, typing fingers, moving eyes, reading out loud. Anime takes this option often. But on the other end of the spectrum, you have the overlapping speech bubbles in the superflat <em>Summer Wars<\/em> netscape.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"364\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/tenor.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/tenor.png 640w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/tenor-300x171.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Between those two extremes is a range of less creative but still visually interesting options. The obvious option is to have characters interact in the form of online avatars, but <em>Science Fell in Love<\/em> takes another tack, illustrating Himuro and Yukimura\u2019s communication with lively equations, graphs, and charts. Just as often, though, it cuts to manga panels, sumo wrestlers, classic anime, fairy tales, dating sims, sports, computer animations, stick figures, and other aesthetics. It\u2019s vibrant and engaging, bringing dry data points to life.<\/p>\n<p>But why is online dating all but absent from anime? The first reason is simple: stigma.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018 YouTuber <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W_-yV10izuQ\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">That Japanese Man Yuta<\/a> hit the streets of Tokyo to ask young passers-by if they had heard of Tinder. Most hadn\u2019t, though one recalled it being \u201csome sort of app for talking with foreigners.\u201d When asked about other dating apps, most had no experience or interest, assuming the accounts would be fake or that they\u2019d be swindled out of money.<\/p>\n<p>The earliest dating websites in Japan, known as <em>deai-kei<\/em> (literally \u2018encounter\u2019) sites, quickly became notorious for crimes like fraud and solicitation. The result was a stigma around online dating that\u2019s taken two decades, a generation of Facebook use, and a pandemic lockdown to turn the tide.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily for online dating companies, the emergence of the word <em>konkatsu <\/em>in 2007 opened the door for a rebranding. <em>Konkatsu<\/em> is a term to describe the active search for a partner to marry. For Japanese singles in 2007, <em>konkatsu<\/em> mostly referred to activities like asking a friend to introduce them to new people or attending <em>goukon <\/em>(group dates), both still popular options.&nbsp;But the dating industry spotted an opportunity. Within two years there was a \u2018<em>konkatsu<\/em> boom\u2019 of commercial services to facilitate the search for a spouse. Nowadays, <em>konkatsu <\/em>services (and <em>renkatsu <\/em>services, to aid a search for love without the focus on marriage) form a complex ecosystem of matchmaking agencies, live events, and online activities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vzbHN7satJLQ3iaUcpHpvjOdGcI-850x478.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vzbHN7satJLQ3iaUcpHpvjOdGcI-850x478.jpg 850w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vzbHN7satJLQ3iaUcpHpvjOdGcI-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vzbHN7satJLQ3iaUcpHpvjOdGcI-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vzbHN7satJLQ3iaUcpHpvjOdGcI-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/vzbHN7satJLQ3iaUcpHpvjOdGcI.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Dating apps and websites are not only part of this ecosystem, but legitimised by it.&nbsp;Because <em>konkatsu<\/em> is seen as one solution to Japan\u2019s dangerously low birth rate, there\u2019s a lot of institutional support for it. That support has become more and more digital, especially since the global pandemic has simultaneously worsened the birth-rate crisis and made it harder to meet new people by chance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Local officials facilitate <em>machikon<\/em>, city-wide matchmaking events, now also online. The Japanese government owns around 25 matchmaking agencies, and in 2020 announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/asia\/japan-birth-rate-ai-couples-dating-b1768090.html\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">funding to subsidise AI upgrades<\/a> for those agencies. Some companies even pay for dating app memberships as an employee benefit. Being in this category makes online dating more respectable and trustworthy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone in Japan does <em>konkatsu<\/em>, of course. But it\u2019s not a tiny niche, either. Of the people who got married in Japan in 2019, it\u2019s reported that <a href=\"https:\/\/souken.zexy.net\/data\/konkatsu\/konkatsu2020_release.pdf\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">30% had been using <em>konkatsu <\/em>services<\/a>. Many more have used <em>konkatsu <\/em>services \u2013 including online \u2013 for fun, friends, and FOMO. Japan\u2019s dating landscape is full of varied relationship types, dating tools, and motivations for finding a partner.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"660\" height=\"369\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Science-Fell-In-Love-So-I-Tried-To-Prove-It.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Science-Fell-In-Love-So-I-Tried-To-Prove-It.jpg 660w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Science-Fell-In-Love-So-I-Tried-To-Prove-It-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>But anime shows almost none of that variation, because romance anime are almost all based in fantasy.&nbsp;Some romance anime are based in the fantasy genre, involving supernatural beings, magical powers, and other worlds are common. Some show more mundane fantasies, like childhood promises, foreign settings, or harem households. Most often though, the fantasy is nostalgia, set in historical periods or \u2013 the big one \u2013 teenage years. Look up any anime romance listicle, remove anyone young enough to be in high school, and see what\u2019s left.<\/p>\n<p>This is the second reason online dating is so rare in anime: the industry\u2019s bias towards youth. Romances between human adults in anime set in contemporary, real world Japan are rare. Even then, most of those adults are university age, not ready for the <em>konkatsu <\/em>that makes online dating respectable.&nbsp;Sure, it\u2019s unreasonable to expect any one medium to represent an entire country\u2019s romantic landscape. But it\u2019s striking how little of that landscape anime covers compared to Japanese TV, films, novels, and manga.<\/p>\n<p>In anime, adults most often fall in love through education, house-share, or shared passions. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But there are so many more relationship origin stories that other Japanese media explore and anime doesn\u2019t touch. In 2020 alone, Japanese TV dramas showed adults falling in love through all of the above, plus <em>omiai<\/em> (a formal matchmaking introduction), quickie marriage, dating apps, government matchmakers, social media, even social distancing at home! They showed romance between old people, queer people, an international couple with children&#8230; And 2020 wasn\u2019t special.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Manga and novels offer even more diverse stories, some of which become boundary-pushing series like <em>38sai Batsuichi Dokushin Onna ga Matching Apuri wo Yattemita Kekka Nikki<\/em> (<em>The Results Diary of a 38-Year-Old, Divorced, Single Woman Who Tried Dating Apps<\/em>). While the title makes it sound like a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sf-encyclopedia.com\/entry\/light_novel\">light novel<\/a>, it\u2019s actually a memoir, based on the true story of a Tokyo resident enjoying her single life with younger men and celebrities. Anime just doesn\u2019t tap into the same range of potential options.<\/p>\n<p>Occasionally a series will add some nuance. In 2017, mid-career professionals met in a digital space in <em>Recovery of an MMO Junkie<\/em>\u2026 but the space was an MMORPG, and didn\u2019t bring them together in real life. In 2020, <em>Rent-a-Girlfriend<\/em> had undergrad students meeting through an app&#8230; but as escort and client, slotting into old <em>deai-kei <\/em>associations.&nbsp;While serials like this add welcome variety, they are few and far between. There is one outlier going above and beyond to balance the scales, though, and that\u2019s <em>Aggretsuko<\/em>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Aggretsuko-Season-3-Netflix-Renewal-Status-850x478.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Aggretsuko-Season-3-Netflix-Renewal-Status-850x478.jpg 850w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Aggretsuko-Season-3-Netflix-Renewal-Status-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Aggretsuko-Season-3-Netflix-Renewal-Status-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Aggretsuko-Season-3-Netflix-Renewal-Status.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Main character Retsuko, a company accountant in her mid-twenties, develops crushes and enters romantic relationships as you would expect. But she also dabbles in <em>konkatsu<\/em>, despite not wanting to get married yet, attending an <em>omiai<\/em>, <em>goukon<\/em>, and \u2018<em>omiai <\/em>party\u2019 (speed dating for marriage prospects).&nbsp;On top of this, <em>Aggretsuko <\/em>has so far showcased a female employee quitting work when she got married, a divorcee with no interest in remarriage, a woman in her forties investing in <em>konkatsu<\/em>, a working mother, and more. It\u2019s refreshing for an anime to give so much attention to adult women navigating dating, love, and marriage.<\/p>\n<p>With one notable exception: online dating. Season three of <em>Aggretsuko<\/em> does introduce a dating app&#8230; as a prototype for a character\u2019s side hustle. No character at any point uses the app with the intention to find a date with it. <em>Aggretsuko<\/em> features a VR boyfriend who puts you in debt through microtransactions, but doesn\u2019t want to deal with online dating.<\/p>\n<p>And this is the third reason online dating doesn\u2019t show up in anime: because anime doesn\u2019t often represent stigmatised industries literally. Take love hotels. In Japan, their pay-by-the-hour rooms attract three main demographics: sex workers, people having affairs, and keen young couples. In anime (that isn\u2019t hentai, which is a separate genre with its own conventions), they\u2019re mostly a place to shelter (<em>Weathering with You<\/em>) or to kill time (<em>Beastars<\/em>). They become sites of safety or comedy, sometimes even sexuality. Sex work? Infidelity? Not so much.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"478\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pie-850x478.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pie-850x478.jpg 850w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pie-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pie-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pie-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.alltheanime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/pie.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>In light of all that, <em>Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It<\/em> successfully packages the <em>feel<\/em> of online dating to make it both more acceptable for Japanese audiences and pleasing to romance fans expecting characters to fall in love organically. It has the same premise as a dating app, and follows the same processes. The characters are highly compatible misfits, the kind online dating excels at bringing together. They interact in a way that brings online dating hallmarks like a quick start, emotional distance, and over-analysis into their relationship. The romance progresses in a similar way to relationships that start online.<\/p>\n<p>As for online dating in the real world, the industry in Japan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyberagent.co.jp\/news\/detail\/id=25710\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">grew by 23%<\/a> in 2020, and is predicted to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyberagent.co.jp\/news\/detail\/id=25710\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more than double that growth<\/a> in the next five years. The pandemic has <a href=\"https:\/\/tokyo-calendar.jp\/article\/20355\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">further tanked Japan\u2019s marriage rate<\/a> and forced more traditional matchmaking services online, where they are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/japan-love-dating-online\/a-53559970\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">thriving<\/a>.&nbsp;For the first time ever, online dating is about to be big in Japan \u2013 and anime is the perfect medium to represent it, because anime creators aren\u2019t chained to the literal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Amelia Cook is the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.animefeminist.com\/\">Anime Feminist<\/a>. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alltheanime.com\/collections\/coming-soon-and-pre-order-releases\/products\/science-fell-in-love-so-i-tried-to-prove-it-season-1-collectors-edition\">Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It<\/a><\/em> is released in the UK by Anime Limited.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<h2><b>Commercials Cooperation Advertisements:<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><br>(1) IT Teacher IT Freelance<br> <\/p>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/wordpress><img src=http:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ITTeacherITFreelance-Website.png alt=IT\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2 java\u88dc\u7fd2 \u70ba\u5927\u5bb6\u914d\u5c0d\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2,IT freelance, \u79c1\u4eba\u8001\u5e2b, PHP\u88dc\u7fd2,CSS\u88dc\u7fd2,XML,Java\u88dc\u7fd2,MySQL\u88dc\u7fd2,graphic design\u88dc\u7fd2,\u4e2d\u5c0f\u5b78ICT\u88dc\u7fd2,\u4e00\u5c0d\u4e00\u79c1\u4eba\u88dc\u7fd2\u548cFreelance\u81ea\u7531\u5de5\u4f5c\u914d\u5c0d\u3002\/><\/a><p><a href=https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/wordpress\/index.php\/findteacher>\u7acb\u523b\u8a3b\u518a\u53ca\u5831\u540d\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2\u8ab2\u7a0b\u5427! <\/a><br>\r\n\r\n\u7535\u5b50\u8ba1\u7b97\u673a -\u6559\u80b2 -IT \u96fb\u8166\u73ed\u201d ( IT\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2 ) \u63d0\u4f9b\u4e00\u500b\u65b9\u4fbf\u7684\u7535\u5b50\u8ba1\u7b97\u673a \u6559\u80b2\u5e73\u53f0, \u70ba\u5927\u5bb6\u914d\u5c0d\u4fe1\u606f\u6280\u672f, \u96fb\u8166 \u8001\u5e2b, IT freelance \u548c programming expert. \u8b93\u5927\u5bb6\u65b9\u4fbf\u5730\u5c31\u80fd\u627e\u5230\u5408\u9069\u7684\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2, \u96fb\u8166\u73ed, \u5bb6\u6559, \u79c1\u4eba\u8001\u5e2b.  <br>\r\n\r\nWe are a education and information platform which you can find a IT private tutorial teacher or freelance. <br>\r\n\r\nAlso we provide different information about information technology, Computer, programming, mobile, Android, apple, game, movie, anime, animation\u2026 \r\n<\/p>\n<p><br>(2) ITSec<br> <\/p><a href=https:\/\/itsec.vip><img src=http:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ITSec-Main-Promotion-Image.png alt= https:\/\/itsec.vip\/\r\nSecure Your Computers from Cyber Threats and mitigate risks with professional services to defend Hackers.  \r\nITSec provide IT Security and Compliance Services, including IT Compliance Services, Risk Assessment, IT Audit, Security Assessment and Audit, ISO 27001 Consulting and Certification, GDPR Compliance Services, Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), Penetration test, Ethical Hacking, Vulnerabilities scan, IT Consulting, Data Privacy Consulting, Data Protection Services, Information Security Consulting, Cyber Security Consulting, Network Security Audit, Security Awareness Training.\/><\/a> \r\n<br><br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/itsec.vip>www.ITSec.vip<\/a> <br> <br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/sraa.com.hk>www.Sraa.com.hk<\/a> <br> <br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/itsec.hk>www.ITSec.hk<\/a> <br> <br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/penetrationtest.hk>www.Penetrationtest.hk<\/a> <br> <br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/itseceu.uk>www.ITSeceu.uk<\/a> <br> <br> \r\nSecure Your Computers from Cyber Threats and mitigate risks with professional services to defend Hackers. <br><br>\r\nITSec provide IT Security and Compliance Services, including IT Compliance Services, Risk Assessment, IT Audit, Security Assessment and Audit, ISO 27001 Consulting and Certification, GDPR Compliance Services, Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), Penetration test, Ethical Hacking, Vulnerabilities scan, IT Consulting, Data Privacy Consulting, Data Protection Services, Information Security Consulting, Cyber Security Consulting, Network Security Audit, Security Awareness Training. \r\n<br><br>Contact us right away. <br><br>Email (Prefer using email to contact us): <br>SalesExecutive@ITSec.vip<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Amelia Cook. Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It is a comedy about two intense postgraduate students who develop feelings for each other in their research lab. Before the first set of opening credits, elegant and confident Himuro states her feelings for her aloof intellectual rival, Yukimura. He is stunned, and [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-container-style":"default","site-container-layout":"default","site-sidebar-layout":"default","disable-article-header":"default","disable-site-header":"default","disable-site-footer":"default","disable-content-area-spacing":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[61,25303,122,127,129,124,128,125,132,131,133,126,130,123,66,94,88,97,56,64,65,60,112,40,75,95,104,33,120,105,101,98,115,30,29,41,86,70,69,68,72,71,26,118,108,87,46,55,48,52,54,51,50,83,62,58,57,109,35,59,63,85,79,82,96,80,27,81,114,44,42,43,45,38,39,110,117,100,111,116,73,89,90,92,91,93,84,78,37,102,34,36,77,67,74,25304,99,113,119,28,121,32,47,49,53,103,31,76],"class_list":["post-100713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anime","tag-airpods","tag-amelia-cook","tag-anime","tag-anime-characters","tag-anime-cosplay","tag-anime-edits","tag-anime-merchandise","tag-anime-movies","tag-anime-news","tag-anime-recommendations","tag-anime-reviews","tag-anime-series","tag-anime-streaming","tag-animes","tag-app-store","tag-app-store-samsung","tag-appgallery","tag-appgallery-oneplus","tag-apple","tag-apple-music","tag-apple-tv","tag-apple-watch","tag-bbc-sport","tag-best-mobile-games","tag-bixby","tag-bixby-xiaomi","tag-champions-league","tag-cyberpunk","tag-cyberpunk-2077","tag-fantasy-football","tag-fifa","tag-football","tag-formula-1","tag-fortnite","tag-free-fire","tag-free-mobile-games","tag-freebuds-pro","tag-galaxy-a52","tag-galaxy-note-20","tag-galaxy-s21","tag-galaxy-watch-4","tag-galaxy-z-fold-3","tag-game","tag-games","tag-golf","tag-harmonyos","tag-how-to-backup-iphone","tag-how-to-factory-reset-iphone","tag-how-to-reset-iphone","tag-how-to-restore-iphone","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone-5","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone-6","tag-huawei","tag-ios","tag-ipad","tag-iphone","tag-live-soccer","tag-lol","tag-macbook","tag-macos","tag-mate-40-pro","tag-mi-11-lite","tag-mi-home-security-camera-basic-1080p","tag-mi-home-security-camera-basic-1080p-huawei","tag-mi-smart-band-6","tag-minecraft","tag-miui","tag-mlb-scores","tag-mobile-game-design","tag-mobile-game-development","tag-mobile-game-marketing","tag-mobile-game-monetization","tag-mobile-games","tag-mobile-gaming","tag-nba-scores","tag-nba-standings","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-scores","tag-nhl-scores","tag-one-ui","tag-oneplus","tag-oneplus-9-pro","tag-oneplus-buds-pro","tag-oneplus-nord-ce-5g","tag-oxygenos","tag-p40-pro-plus","tag-poco-x3-pro","tag-pokemon","tag-premier-league","tag-pubg","tag-pubg-mobile","tag-redmi-note-10-pro","tag-samsung","tag-samsung-pay","tag-science-fell-in-love","tag-soccer","tag-sports","tag-steam","tag-steeam","tag-top-10-anime","tag-valorant","tag-when-do-the-iphone-7-come-out","tag-when-does-the-iphone-7-come-out","tag-when-is-the-iphone-7-coming-out","tag-world-cup","tag-xbox-series-x","tag-xiaomi"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/105"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100713"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100714,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100713\/revisions\/100714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}