>To Japanese millennials and zillenials, wartime defeat and economic triumph are both ancient history. Their futures are far less bright, marked by threats of recession, political gridlock, and a hyper-aging society, not to mention the traumas of the covid era. They’re living through another apocalypse, of the socioeconomic variety. Is it any wonder that their animated dreams are more down to earth?

Forget about anime, look at the YA movies in the last decade. Gone are the traditional awe-inspiring scifi, in are the post-apocalyptical dystopia where teenagers are being oppressed by old people and the teenagers have to overturn the old ruling class.