Final Fantasy XIII: Undermining the Japanese educational system

A new TV commercial for the PS3 game Final Fantasy XIII has been raising eyebrows in Japanese cyberspace. One commenter on 2-ch writes, "Won't there be complaints from the PTA and the school board?"

Upsetting the PTA is usually a recipe for fun, so let's look at what all the fuss is about.

In the clip, a frumpy-looking elementary school teacher tells his students, "I have a sudden announcement. I will be taking time off starting tomorrow." When one of his students demands to know why, he says nothing but is silently thinking, "For three whole years, I have been waiting for this day." That day, of course, is the December 17 release of Final Fantasy XIII.

The critics are right -- the premise is sinister. A hard-working public servant is willing to abandon his pupils in order to play a video game the day it comes out. He couldn't even wait one day for the weekend. In the traditional ideals of Japanese society, everyone is supposed to put duty -- giri (義理) -- over their human emotions -- ninjo (人情). In this CM, teach ain't anywhere close to hitting that standard.

Ethical debate aside, we do enjoy the delicious irony that video games can now be marketed as something that "adults" go off to do. It's the kids who just don't understand.

To see the official Final Fantasy XIII trailer, click here.