Meru Otonashi and Japan's Negative Internet Culture

It's funny how the Internet can bring out the best and the worst in people, and all of us seem to change a little when interacting with others online. Depending on various factors -- the kind of virtual interaction, the degree of anonymity of the participants and so on -- even the most passive person can turn into a fire-breathing Internet troll, spitting venom at all who disagree with their views. This strange mechanism works in Japan, too, as normally mild-mannered net users shed their polite exteriors when participating in heated discussions in chat rooms or forums like the famous 2chan BBS. Japan's negative net society is so pervasive that it's changed the course of more than a few careers, such as artists caught plagiarizing by sharp-eyed 2-channelers and one of the producers of Gurren Lagann, who was pressured into resigning by online haters. One of my favorite characters from the anime and manga Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (Goodbye, Mr. Despair) is Meru Otonashi, a quiet girl who's too shy to speak to anyone directly, so she sends them emails from her keitai. The mails she sends are so hateful and insulting that the recipients can't believe what they're reading, but since the girl is all sweetness and light in person, no one can take her to task. Of course not all parts of the Internet are full of negativity, and if you're on Twitter, feel free to follow J-List and read some hate-free, positive observations about Japan, anime and our wonky little company called J-List.

Meru-chan embodies all the hate and negativity on the Internet.