As the old saying goes, everyone loves a good underdog story. From physical and mental disabilities to troubled home lives or a simple lack of skill, people love stories that feature characters that are disadvantaged in some way. Part of this simply comes from the fact that it's an easy way to make a character's successes feel that much sweeter when they have to overcome more than most to make their dream a reality. Another part, though, comes from a desire to see characters that are closer to reality than some over-powered god-beast protagonist. Poverty, then, is one such "disability" that is easier to write for since it is an easier problem to solve than most and there's less of a risk of offending the viewers that you're trying to connect with—as is so often the issue with LGBTQ+ representation in anime. Just because it's easier to write for doesn't always mean it can always be written well, though. In the attempt to offer that level of connection and representation, it's not uncommon for series to write poverty and other disadvantages into a character's life the same way they write in character quirks. Every year, you'll find plenty of shows and characters that have these kinds of half-baked problems written into their backstory but rarely do they ever play into actually defining who they are or affect the direction of their story.
While I might catch hell for saying so, My Hero Academia (MHA) and other shounen titles like it are perfect examples of where we can see poverty turned into little more than a character trait or hook than an actual problem. Oftentimes, you'll see characters like MHA's Uraraka, Ouran High School Host Club's Fujioka Haruhi, or Toradora!'s Takasu Ryuuji for whom financial distress is a core aspect of who they are but it is treated like a character quirk or easy comedic gag. More often than not, though, you'll get characters like MHA's Kirishima, Hinomaru Sumo's Ushio Hinomaru, or Demon Slayer's Kamado Tanjiro and Nezuko whose poverty is acknowledged once or twice throughout the series and is simply never brought up again because it's not relevant to their story. Now, as great as these characters and their shows might be, I'd argue that none of them display what I'd call an "effective" use of poverty. Rarely do we get to see how poverty affects character's development, connections to others, and general attitude towards those with an excess of wealth. Even more rarely do we get glimpses into how poverty is a symptom of a society that's failing to meet the needs of its people. With that said, imagine my surprise that we got several shows this past season that took a much more serious look at their use of poverty, offering settings and characters that are almost instantly more believable and relatable than their peers. So, to give these shows a moment in the spotlight and give myself an excuse to talk about some older titles that scratched that same itch for me, here's a list of series that managed to incorporate poverty into their stories effectively.
From the Fall 2019 Season:
Ahiru no Sora: Following the lives of a basket ball club at a down-and-out high school, Ahiru no Sora uses communal poverty to bring its cast of rebellious delinquents together and give them a better means to vent their pubescent struggles, on the court rather than the mean streets they call home. While the series tends to focus more on the problems unique to each character as they affect the performance of the team, their flaws and drives all spring from a similar well of personal or financial hardship.
Ascendance of a Bookworm: While the theme of poverty doesn't particularly rear its head until later in the series when its isekai protagonist has earned enough recognition to gain the attention of local merchants, the hardships of Myne, her family, and her friends can be seen from the first. Because of the feudal system they live under, there are dozens of moments that showcase how financial and social lack of access to sanitation, medicine, and quality food makes living as a peasant a real trial, especially for the weak and frail Myne.
Psycho-Pass 3: Psycho-Pass has already spoken to the ability of a social system to force people into poverty for the pettiest of reasons but the third Season of this larger franchise especially brings that point home. As this season focuses on the struggles of the immigrants who have fled to Japan and the relative safety of the Sybil System, we get to physically see how politics, religion, and the justice system that is meant to protect these people is instead wielded as a weapon against them. From manipulating the housing market bubble to human trafficking and creating slums specifically to boost the morale of the average citizen, this season took a much more social focus than its psychological predecessors.
No Guns Life: Turing the transhumanist focus of shows like Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner toward something much more down-to-earth and personal, No Guns Life makes a point of showing the plight of those who have upgraded or replaced parts of themselves with the cybernetics created by the corrupt and manipulative Berühren Corp. From being forced to use parts that incompatible with one another and manipulating the availability of pain-killing drugs to using people as guinea pigs, the evils of this biomechanical megacorp might be stereotypical but they're no less representative of the struggles impoverished and desperate people are forced to deal with in real life.
Kabukicho Sherlock: Kabukicho is one of Japan's more infamous slums, well-known for the yakuza organizations and gambling rings that thrive there. From this grungy but simultaneously enticing background, Kabukicho Sherlock adapts some of the classic Sherlock Homes stories into something that would feel at home in that den of vice and organized crime. Yet, despite the pedigree of Sherlock Holmes and the infamy of Kabukicho itself, this series somehow manages to remain focused on the struggles, both personal and financial, of its mystery-solving cast of quirky characters.
Stars Align: What starts out as your basic shounen sports anime quickly turns into one of the most personal and and emotionally compelling stories I've ever seen. Much like Ahiru no Sora, Stars Align showcases how a team sport can give a group of troubled teens the ability to bond and vent their frustrations. Rather than just focusing on the effects of communal poverty, though, Stars Align gives you a glimpse into a variety of troubled home lives that affect the cast in different ways. The story of the show's main lead, Katsuragi Maki, though, is focused almost entirely on the struggle of getting by financially in a single-parent household--to say nothing of his abusive father who regularly steals what little they have to fuel a raging alcohol addiction.
From Seasons Past:
Banana Fish: Both to its benefit and detriment, Banana Fish is a series that focuses heavily on the cycle of violence and cruelty that the poor and desperate are forced undergo once they get swept into the prostitution, drugs, and violence that can be found in gangs. Ash Lynx might not be your typical gangster, thanks to the privilege and pedigree he's afforded as the local Mafia Don's favorite plaything, but the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse he both inflicts and suffers are all too real.
Beck: Much like its kin in the sports genre, Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad is another solid example of how a shared pastime can connect people of various backgrounds and help them deal with a variety of problems. What Beck doesn't shy away from, though, is that some groups and pastimes are just as capable of being just as toxic as their community, home, or personal lives. From personal struggles born of unhealthy competition to drug abuse and simple depression, Beck's world of rock n' roll make it equally harsh and uplifting and more representative of what life is like for anyone who has tried to turn music into a career or escape.
Binbou Shimai Monogatari: Far more happy and hopeful than pretty much anything else on this list, Binbou Monogatari somehow manages to turn the tale of two newly orphaned sisters struggling to get by into something more like a moe slice of life series than the drama you'd expect. Yet, despite it's light and cheery attitude, the series still captures a deeper understanding of poverty than other shows simply because it focuses on showcasing how these sisters manage find joy in each other's company rather than the materialistic joys most people take for granted.
Clannad: After Story: Odd as it might seem to list After Story rather than the original Clannad, this spin-off sequel to the main series captures the reality of poverty much better than its predecessor. Focusing on the adult lives of of the original series' cast, After Story glimpses into how Okazaki Tomoya and Furukawa Nagisa struggle to make ends meet and start a family. Since neither of them came into their relationship with much of a financial security net, though, getting married and getting ready for a child seem like impossible dreams when you're already living hand-to-mouth.
Cop Craft: Much like No Guns Life, Cop Craft prides itself on showcasing the fact that poverty and privilege are both endemic of society itself as it shows just how capable society is at crippling the opportunities of anyone "other" from the social norm. Namely, when a gate to a fantasy world opens up off the shore of a city akin to San Francisco and elf-like people start immigrating in droves to the glitzy human world, humanity proves unwilling to help their new neighbors adapt. Instead, the Semanian people are thrown to the wolves and steeped in a world of drugs, vice, debt, and racism that is bent on keeping them coked up and desperate to make the "American Dream" a reality for them too. Now, if only the series could take itself seriously enough to actually focus on that theme and run with it.
Dororo: While the story of Dororo might mainly focus on the demon-slaying adventures of Hyakkimaru, the series also works to build on the past and future of the series' child character, the titular Dororo. Constantly battling with starvation and demons alike, the story of Dororo steadily turns into a discussion on the nature of power, wealth, and the concept of how to best wield both for the benefit of our fellow man. "With money comes a world of new opportunities" is a lesson that Dororo quickly learns when he discovers that his bandit father left them a mountain full of gold as an inheritance that they'll only be able to claim when he can decipher the map branded into his own back.
ERASED: Though ERASED might contend itself with its fantastical time-leaping, crime-solving main premise, its strongest arc by far is the one focused on the first child Fujinuma Satoru saves from an enigmatic serial killer. Born into an abusive household with a neglectful mother, Hinazuki Kayo is an ideal target for said serial killer since, obviously, no one would miss her or even notice if she disappeared. To save Kayo from her fate, though, the young Satoru insists that she stay with his family until he's certain that she'll be safe. What he doesn't expect, though, is just how much this display of heroism and his own mother's kindness would mean to the neglected Kayo--giving us a singular moment so raw and emotional that it, even now, still brings a tear to my eye.
Fruits Basket: Another series that is a bit on the lighter side when it comes to this theme, at least for a good half of the series, Fruits Basket is something of an old classic that, thankfully, is in the middle of being readapted so it can cover the whole of the manga's story. After losing her mother in an accident and being forced to live in a tent while her grandparent's house is being renovated, Honda Toru is given the chance to live a better life when she catches the eye of her school's prince, Souma Yuki. Finding the girl after a landslide took out her temporary home, Yuki offers Toru the change to live with him and his uncle until she can get back on her feet. Just as soon as she moves in, though, Toru learns about the secret of the entire Souma family: a curse that causes certain members of the family to turn into animals when embraced by a member of the opposite sex. Rather than recoiling from this discovery, though, Toru's own problems have only served to mold her into an incredibly empathetic person determined to help the Souma family lift their curse and overcome all the emotional trauma it has caused over the generations.
Grave of the Fireflies: An absolute heartbreaker of a movie, this classic Studio Ghibli perfectly encapsulates how vulnerable children are to the effects of war and poverty. As WWII rages across Japan, a young brother and sister are forced to fend for themselves in the Japanese countryside after their house is bombed and their only remaining family turns them away. Now forced to live in a cave and steal to survive, Seita and Setsuko find themselves wholly at the mercy of nature. Constantly battling sickness and and starvation, we are forced to watch as the war steals more and more of these siblings' future.
GTO - Great Teacher Onizuka -: Just like poverty, gang violence is yet another indication that society is failing to meet the needs of society, especially since they are both connected in such a way that one often gives rise to the other. Despite his past as a yakuza, though, Onizuka Eikichi is determined to turn his life around for the better and become a high school teacher, giving him the opportunity to mold the lives of young adults from all walks of life. From rich brats to society's down-and-outs, Onizuka works tirelessly to help these kids build a future they can be happy with. The only problem is that his methods are rarely above board and often involve showing these kids just how tough life can be and giving them a glimpse of the life he used to live. As questionable as his intentions and methods might be, though, injecting some harsh reality into these kids lives is just the kind of bitter medicine they need.
High School Babysitters: Cutesy as this series' exterior might be, High School Babysitters is yet another series that channels the vulnerability of children seen in Grave of the Fireflies. After his parents die in a tragic accident, Kashima Ryuuichi is forced to raise his little brother on his own while still attending high school. Luckily, unlike Grave of the Fireflies, things take a turn for the better when the school's headmistress offers the brothers the opportunity of a lifetime. In exchange for work part-time at the school's in-house daycare, usually reserved for the children of the school's teachers, Ryuuichi will be given a full ride, his brother will have a place to grow up alongside kids his own age, and they'll both be allowed to live with the headmistress until they've both grown up. Yet, while their financial problems might be solved with this arrangement, that doesn't stop Ryuuichi from fretting about his little bother's future the same way any financially-struggling parent would since their livelihood and hope for a future rest in the hands of someone else--i.e. the cold, uncaring bureaucracy that distributes everything from medical aid to Food Stamps.
Hinamatsuri: Though it might generally conduct itself as a comedy, the psychic shenanigans of Hinamatsuri occasionally take a back seat to some legitimately affecting drama centered on the homeless Anzu. Appearing initially as a rival to the super-powered Hina, Anzu quickly learns that teleporting to another world also means that she won't have a safety net if things go bad for her--which, of course, they do. Without a way to get home or a penny to her name, Anzu is forced to steal food and live on the street until, eventually, she's taken in by the local homeless community and raised as the community's daughter. With this little act of kindness, the snotty brat quickly learns the value of money and kindness and believably turns into the sweetest, kindest, and most considerate child character I've ever seen in an anime.
March Comes in Like a Lion: One of my all-time favorite dramas, 3-gatsu no Lion (March Comes in Like a Lion) is a series that pulls from the stories of several different characters to ultimately tell the story of its main lead, the young pro shogi player Kiriyama Rei, as he battles for survival both on the shogi board and in his own head. Plagued by everything from impostor syndrome and survivor's guilt to full-blown depression, every day for Kiriyama is battle just to justify his own stubborn existence. Yet, no matter how dark things get in his head, Kiriyama always has a place where he feels happy and safe: beside the happy-go-lucky but financially struggling Kawamoto sisters. Initially taking him in out of empathy for his situation, the kindness of the Katamotos is forged, like Toru from Fruits Basket, from a firm and tested understanding of how hard life can be for other people. For their kindness, though, Rei also proves to be an invaluable ally for the sisters as he both helps them make ends meet with his winnings and stands by them whenever the weight of their situation and other family struggles start to weigh heavy on their shoulders.
Megalo Box: While it is generally more focused on its themes of equality than most anything else, Megalo Box also has an undercurrent of the theme of poverty to it that only serves to strengthen that core principle of equality. Action-packed and dramatic as its story may be, the lives that the main cast live and their constant battle with debt and a lack of funds for proper gear makes their underdog story all the greater. From their suffering comes a resolution only that much more powerful and engaging as the poor underdog proves he is equal to the privileged, pampered pooch that has been king of the hill for years. From that rise, then, comes the message that wealth or lack thereof shouldn't be an impediment to greatness. It's idealistic, to be sure, but a message anyone down on their luck deserves to see.
Silver Spoon: Coming back down to earth, Silver Spoon is a series of financial struggles that is strongly grounded in reality. Focusing on the education of students working to inherit their family farms or move into the agro-tech industry, watching it turn into story of financial struggle in its second season was almost inevitable. After all, farming is never easy and comes a a great cost and risk, particularly for those who don't engage in the arguably cruel but necessary practice of industrial farming. For the average farmer, new equipment might as well cost a literal arm and leg and that's to say nothing of the cost of the seed, fertilizer, feed, and pesticides to make each year's crop that much more likely to thrive. So, while it might be a bit a niche series, the way that Silver Spoon teaches the viewer about the highs and lows of farming makes its character drama that much more personal.
Welcome to the NHK!: Most people would argue that NEETs, people who are not currently employed or undergoing education, are something of a plague in modern society and I, for one, am inclined to agree. How I agree, though, might be different from the norm since the rise of NEETs in Japan and the world over is yet another sign that society is failing on some level. Whether they're bogged down by social pressures, suffering from a debilitating illness, or struggling mentally, NEETs are people who have given up on society because society has often given up on them. Welcome to the NHK! makes that point perfectly clear as we watch it's main cast struggle with problems ranging from mental to financial as they desperately try to reintegrate into society any way they can.
Wolf Children: Being a single parent is never an easy task. Being a single parent to a pair of half-wolf children might as well be impossible if that first statement is true. Impossible or not, though, the mother in Wolf Children is nothing short of an inspiration to those who struggle with children and would do anything to see that their needs are met. Yet, as much as she loves her children and works to keep them clothed and fed, her story also shows that it really is impossible to raise a child perfectly. From little accidents here and there to her categorical inability to understand what her wolf children might be going through, her role as their mother is almost always an uphill battle. Tiring, stressful, and financially crippling as it might be, though, it can't be argued that she didn't do her best and raise a couple of great kids when all is said and done.
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