I surprisingly enjoyed Millennial Monsters. My first thought of the book was I would not understand the appeal of toys and games like Pokémon and Digimon. As the author, in a chastising writing tone, writes how idiotic that someone cannot understand the joy that is Pokémon or Sailor Moon. Even though I was the right age for these games and toys, and I knew many kids that loved playing with them, it just never interested me. I thought this book was about how wrong I was for not liking or playing with these games or watching their TV shows. However, as I continued reading I was happily surprised. She explains the evolution of not only Japanese toys and games, but also culture to a global audience but in Japan as well. She explains these phenomenon’s in a non-judgmental and a humanistic way. Allison does not do what other American or Western researchers, she does not try to show how backwards Japan is through their entertainment. She explains everything sympathetically, realistically, and in detail. And yes, I know that I said on my last response of the last book had too much history/detail. However, this book, Allison details are engaging, entertaining, and thought provoking. I had no clue the issues Japan dealt with, or maybe still do, with the rise of violence among young children and teens. And the complex view of women in magna and anime.

The section about the increase violence in China and Japan, the cult that gassed the subway, the man who abducted a girl and kept her for years, and the kids killing their parents, teachers, siblings, or friends, I thought was both interesting and sad. Sad, of course because the lives lost, but because when the author asked a woman about safety in Japan, she said that it what was still a safe country, unlike the United States. I am not a pro-American individual, I fine nationalism in any form is ridiculous. However, the fact that this woman and the country at large, has the same view that United States does when it comes to violence is just sad. And the fact, that people in United States and Japan, still have this back in forth argument over proving who is the better and safe country is ridiculous. I think children in the United States, still, feel the same as Japanese children. They “lack hope or dreams today, and a sense of emptiness rubs up against pent-up emotions that are not released or expressed (at home, at school, or with friends). The hearts and spirits of children are ‘buried’ today.. even good students feel irritated and impatient, eaten up by a workload whose payoff is no longer secure.” (Allison, 81). This is still true today, and nothing has changed. After reading this quote, and continue reading, I understand why toys, games, and figures like Pokémon and Sailor Moon became popular. They are happy, bright, cheer, and fun. And if ever they are in a bad spot they fight or actually do something that leads to the evil, cumbersome event, to stop. Moreover, for a time, never comes back again. These cartoons and electronic devices are an escape from the realities of the world.

The idea of loneliness and isolation I think is the most important parts of her book. Every chapter in her book has those themes in it, sometimes at the center and others not. Nevertheless, they are there and they are demons of this global and “connected” world. In the chapter about Tamagotchi, I felt like she was writing about my experience in the virtual world. I have a Tumblr, I have friends in other countries, and I feel more comfortable talking to them than physical people. Nevertheless, there is loneliness. After the computer goes black, the realization that this person is not physically with you is hard to understand. Additionally, there is a fear of that person not being real or not being who they say they are. And I think it is our fear of being alone and to die alone is why we search for comfort in any shape or form. But, it is the fear of being rejected is maybe a reason for why some people delve into the virtual world. Well, that is what I think Allison is saying, and still think Tamagotchi’s are ridiculous.