This article uses the Japanese otome game (video games for women) as an example to examine the exoticism during cultural exchanges in this current globalized world. This article mainly argues that,...Show moreThis article uses the Japanese otome game (video games for women) as an example to examine the exoticism during cultural exchanges in this current globalized world. This article mainly argues that, even though we are getting in touch with cultural products such as video games that contain the mixture of global cultures, what attracts most of the people is the ‘exoticism’; which indicates that what seems to erase or blur cultural borders in a globalized world is actually enlarge and emphasize on the cultural differences. By carefully analyzing four otome games that based their stories outside Japan, this article shows how most of the foreign elements are used 'exteriorly' in these Japanese products. The article ends up with an elaboration on similar cases in other cultural aspects, which indicates that the chase of exoticism is rather common all over the world. It is difficult to be certain of whether the cultural gap under globalization is narrower and wider than before, but instead of the convergence, the diversity of cultures is probably more emphasized in the contemporary world.Show less
