Licensing

Several Anime Key Chains

The key chains themselves represent the growing “cultural power” Japan has when it comes to producing imaginative fare through technology or fun trinkets. Having purchased these key chains in the United States, this shows and proves the success of Japan’s commodities penetrating into the U.S. global marketplace. These products then clearly embody the three main issues discussed in Anne Allison’s book Millennial Monsters: fantasy, capitalism, and globalization. The key chains also relate to the concept of “nomadicism,” because they are portable and can follow the individual wherever they may go, as well as the concept of “healing,” because the key chains represent an escape from the stresses of reality and by carrying these key chains, it represents the individual carrying a piece of fantasy in an environment where there is “little time or space for the imagination (Allison, 25)”. In addition to healing, the key chains also allow the individual to develop a bond with the character and therefore bringing the consumer closer to the characters, which can lead to an even higher demand and consumption of these Japanese products and continue to feed into Japan’s success in the global market.