Throughout Anne Allison’s book, the intertwinement of capitalism and fantasy and its impact on American soft power and Japanese globalism are discussed through various examples. I thought her writing style was a bit dense at times, but still readable nonetheless. I felt like an underlying theme throughout her book was the topic of relationships in congruence with games. It was a major throwback when she spent a section talking about Tamagotchi. She deems this “techo-intimacy” as an indicator of Japan’s social clockwork. The ability to form a relationship with a piece of technology, in my opinion, has the threat of altering the ability to form new, human relationships.

This leads into the discussion of Pokemonization of America and the world. Allison describes the creation of Pokemon as an outlet to create relationships as well. I agree with Skye about the theme of loneliness among the gaming realm. The relationships formed online are just as real as a relationship in a physical sense. They are just built on different foundations. What comes to mind is The Sims. I used to spend hours, NO, DAYS, playing this when I was young. I never felt a human connection with these characters, as the house I built them would typically catch in fire and kill them all (RIP SIMS). However, I can see how when time is invested into a game, a relationship can be formed, whether that is with a real person or an animated character. Allison also points to gender connections and aesthetic appeals with Sailor Moon and the Power Rangers- both of which allow for the entrance into a fantasy world.