A private boys' middle school in Tokyo recently held its entrance exams, but one particular question unexpectedly grabbed the internet's attention.
The reason? A social studies question asked students to identify "a work aired in 1979, themed around a war of independence against the Earth Federation government" from a multiple-choice list. This immediately set Japanese social media ablaze. Since the question clearly pointed to the anime "Mobile Suit Gundam," netizens slammed it as a "terrible, overly niche question." Some even called it a "freebie" for certain students, questioning its actual evaluative power.
The post came from an account specializing in reviewing current events questions on middle school exams. They pointed out that while the question offered clues like "aired in 1979" and "Earth Federation," and was a six-option multiple-choice, it "heavily relied on knowledge outside of textbooks." For students who don't typically watch anime, it was "virtually impossible to answer," making it hardly a fair entrance exam question.
The question read:
In the Universal Century 0079, half a century after humanity began migrating to space due to overpopulation, "the space city closest to Earth" launches a war of independence against the Earth Federation government. From the options below, select the work that aired on TV in 1979.
A. "Galaxy Express 999"
B. "Legend of the Galactic Heroes"
C. "Mobile Suit Gundam"
D. "Space Battleship Yamato"
E. "Macross"
F. "Neon Genesis Evangelion"
After the news broke, a flood of parents and netizens swarmed the comments section to voice their displeasure. One parent bluntly stated, "It's too cruel for a child to be rejected because of this one question," and "A single question could affect admission, yet it has nothing to do with the four core subjects or current events. I can't understand the intent behind it." Others questioned the fairness, arguing that such a question not only disadvantages students but could also be influenced by the generational background and interests of their parents.
What really fueled the debate was that 1979 was nearly half a century ago. Even among the parents' generation, not everyone would necessarily be familiar with anime titles from that era. One netizen quipped, "Unless you're in your fifties and happen to be an anime fan, there's no way you'd guess it."
However, amidst the controversy, some dissenting voices emerged. It turns out the school actually has a "Gundam Research Club," which has even been featured on TV programs, and is explicitly mentioned in the school's prospectus. Some speculated that the question might be a message from the school, symbolizing "how well you've researched this school," or even interpreted as a "secret code" for students with specific interests.
One parent shared that their child, who usually watched "Gundam" with the family, surprisingly got the question right, joking, "You never know when these things will come in handy!" Of course, a single question isn't likely to determine admission, as overall fundamental abilities remain the most crucial factor.
Overall, this "Gundam social studies question" received a pretty polarized reception across Japanese social media. Some argued it had zero discriminatory power for social sciences, while others saw it as a reflection of the school's unique style and values.
While anime references are becoming increasingly common in academic exams these days, crafting these questions effectively remains an art.
via： togetter