Pop Cultures of East Asia

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As an avid video game consumer, it was only natural that I gravitated towards the subject once we discussed Street Fighter in class. Although I do not specifically play Street Fighter, I am a huge fan of fighting games and the community as a whole. The question that arose from my interest was how has Japanese video games become such a big part of East Asian pop culture today? Through my media project, I came to the conclusion that the video games, especially the popular fighting games that originated from Japan, have been able to sell and create such a large community through embodying the pop culture of its consumers. In other words, by creating a community around games that allow consumers of all ages to play and compete, East Asian pop culture has adopted these games making it a huge part of their identity. The combination of anime, martial arts, and making it accessible to play for all users has made it a huge success and breakthrough. For example, By simply picking up the controller, the player creates a connection to the game and its characters. Especially in Street Fighter, the characters that one can use come from all different places of the world, embodying different aspects of their home country and to make a connection to the player. 

 

I have chosen to make a series of photos as the medium in order to portray my message because I would be able to best utilize my experience as a photographer. The concept of the project was to create a form of media that would bring the two worlds together. An important aspect of Japanese fighting games is the style of Anime they use to create the characters and stages. I needed to combine reality and virtual reality, in order to show the embodiment between the individual and the game. The media consists of two pictures of individuals that I have photographed and edited into making it look as though they are characters in Street Fighter. They each have their own special powers, as do the characters in the game. The caption “There’s a fighter in all of us,” shows that everyone can be something beyond his or her self through the game. They become connected to the character as they compete against each other and have the ability to do limitless martial arts moves and abilities that one can only dream of. This is one of the greatest aspects of the game, being able to test your skills against another person with the special traits of the character you select. Even for those who has never played the game before, they still have the ability to pick up a controller and just play casually against anyone.

 

One challenge that I encountered while making this project was simply stepping outside of the box to create the media. I have never attempted to edit something to this difficulty and adding such special effects. I had several version where it would vary in effects and backgrounds, but ultimately I had to be able to smoothly incorporate both worlds together. By making both come together, I am able to show how the subject and the video game become embodied within each other. Although it was my greatest challenge, it forced me to learn new skills and push myself creatively to make a project beyond my comfort zone. 

 

Overall, although there are many kinds of video games produced around the world, the fighting games originating from Japan have been a trailblazer for the the industry and have solidified themselves into pop culture as something for consumers of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. The games act as an intermediary between the individual and these virtual worlds that bring timeless entertainment to the masses. Street Fighter has become a classic and one of the most well known fighting games, but also has created a sense of community for its consumers. Therefore, it has been embodied by pop culture and will loved and enjoyed by many for many years.