The new anime series, "Dan Sanrou Higashijima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider," based on Yuushin Shibata's manga of the same name, has been grabbing attention this season. Its unique blend of Kamen Rider action and stellar animation has made its first two episodes quite the hit.
Lately, Japan has seen a surge in bear attacks, with incidents of bears encroaching on residential areas becoming alarmingly frequent. So, it was quite the talking point when episode 8 of "Dan Sanrou Higashijima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider," which aired yesterday (November 22), showed Dan Sanrou wrestling a bear during his mountain training. Just like in the first episode, a rare warning popped up on screen: "If you encounter a bear, for your own safety, please do not fight it." This immediately sparked a buzz online.
Back in the very first episode, Dan Sanrou had already faced off against a bear in the mountains during his personal training. Of course, that scene served to highlight his formidable physique and his unwavering dream of becoming a Kamen Rider, even in middle age.
Now, in the latest eighth episode, with his teammates deciding to hold a tournament to determine the strongest among them, Dan Sanrou returns to his roots, heading back to the mountains to grapple with a bear. The sight of him beating the bear into submission, whimpering and surrendering, was both ridiculous and hilarious XD.
He even gave the bear an extra kick after it surrendered! Dan Sanrou is truly ruthless, lol.
At the time, with news of bear attacks constantly making headlines across Japan, the warning "If you encounter a bear, for your own safety, please do not fight it." immediately flashed on screen after the episode aired. While anime sometimes adds warnings for violent scenes, a "specific warning for bears" is incredibly rare.
Netizens at the time burst into laughter, commenting: "The 'run from bears' warning must be because there are so many bears lately... but normal people would run anyway, right?" "I literally snorted when I saw that line," and "A bear warning popping up after a bear brawl, lol."
From the first episode's airing in October until now, bear attack news continues daily in Japan. After this second warning appeared, netizens' reactions were more understanding and accepting than before: "In this day and age, a bear warning is really necessary..." "There are too many bear attacks lately, so we can't laugh at the warning," "Ah, there it is again. Everyone really needs to be careful of bears," and "With bear attacks so frequent now, adding a warning is completely reasonable."
While everyone had a good laugh during the first episode, the bear situation in Japan hasn't improved. The second appearance of the warning actually made many viewers feel, "Yeah, that's a necessary reminder."
So, if you're heading to Japan, especially to areas with frequent bear sightings, please remember to stay safe. After all, you're not Dan Sanrou, right? QQ