"Escapism and Mental Health: From Iyashikei to ""Cozy Games"""

calendar_today Sat 10:00 PM - Sat 11:00 PM

location_on Prog Panels - 303

"In the past decade the anime scene has been abuzz with flashy escapist fantasy adventures known as Isekai- meanwhile, elsewhere in the pop culture realm, the western world has grown increasingly fascinated with media that captures living at a slower pace and celebrates a romanticization of the ordinary. Japanese games such as the Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon series, anime like Laid Back Camp and Aria represent the Iyashikei or ""healing"" genre- A mode of storytelling that focuses on eliciting warm, fuzzy feelings in their audiences. In this panel, we will discuss the common tropes and themes utilized by this genre and the cultural impacts it has had in both Japan and the United States."