Nihilistic anime/manga are an anomaly! Japan is an inherently forward-looking culture, this implies a belief in something good, in something greater, in something beautiful, and it perfectly aligns with their Shinto animistic (all is alive; inherent goodness; evil exists, as an Other) Buddhist (purification of the soul) operating system. In the narrative tradition of Japan we encounter Noh, where heaven and hell meet on stage to exorcise, purify, and harmonize; leaving no room for nihilism.
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When we encounter nihilism in anime/manga/games we encounter it in the setting, not in the theme. From Berserk, Dark Souls, to Higurashi, the heroes we encounter, accompany, live with find meaning in worlds that seemed to offer everything but that.
