UlasanAnime.com – Episode 3 of Humanity Has Declined, titled “We Are the Fairies,” delves into the societal implications of creation, dissemination, and the perceived importance of cultural endeavors, particularly through the lens of doujinshi publishing.
The absence of fairies in this particular episode, a point of contention for some viewers, is quite understandable. The fairies in Humanity Has Declined often represent complex, abstract institutions and technological systems that are beyond the grasp of the general public. In contrast, the phenomenon of doujinshi publishing is far more accessible and relatable.
The narrative begins with Y approaching the Main Character, tasked with a monumental project: to preserve the collective creations of humanity, encompassing its history, culture, and technology. This discussion quickly pivots to the concept of storage mediums, a topic that, while seemingly tangential, serves a dual purpose. It lays the groundwork for future plot developments and taps into a distinctly otaku-centric interest in the technicalities of preservation.
A more profound observation from this segment is the de-prioritization of such cultural archiving in favor of more immediately practical matters. Only “idle workers,” like Y, are assigned to this seemingly low-priority task. This inherently ironic situation, where the preservation of human heritage is deemed less critical than other pursuits, becomes a central theme.
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Y’s entire doujinshi endeavor is presented as a fascinating microcosm of how culture is created and propagated. The episode subtly invites viewers to reflect on the nature of control and commercialism within popular media, drawing parallels between the motivations behind mainstream entertainment and Y’s personal project. The scene then shifts to a gathering of wealthy girls attending their version of the Comic Market, a stark contrast to the adults observing with general apathy.
This societal indifference mirrors the broader attitude towards cultural archiving – as long as these activities don’t cause disruption and can sustain themselves, they are largely overlooked. The irony is palpable: the monumental task of collecting and archiving humanity’s cultural information is considered less important than, or at best equal to, Y’s seemingly trivial side project. And, crucially, neither endeavor garners significant attention from the wider populace.
The episode reaches a comedic peak when the sheer volume and competitiveness of BL (Boys’ Love) doujinshi begin to overwhelm the distribution network. Couriers, unable to effectively deliver these books, start refusing them, as their efforts are now negatively impacting the delivery of more essential goods, such as food and basic supplies.
Setting aside the inherent humor of muscular men being associated with the shipping of BL anthologies, this situation highlights a critical point. This logistical breakdown serves as the sole point of friction between “the real world” and Y’s fanciful pursuits, suggesting that even seemingly niche cultural activities can have tangible, real-world consequences when they scale.
While the series certainly indulges in otaku in-jokes, Humanity Has Declined addresses these themes with a directness that is both amusing and thought-provoking. The episode questions the genuine enjoyment derived from activities like waiting for hours to purchase fan-made content, suggesting that perhaps the underlying issues within such large-scale gatherings are often overlooked.
The episode implicitly critiques the inherent problems that can arise in any large organization or convention, problems that are often glossed over. Given the earlier episodes’ exploration of societal decline, the fact that the series chooses to satirize doujinshi culture raises a pertinent question: is it being honest about the realities of these subcultures?
Moments like these evoke memories of media reports focusing on the impact of major film releases on workplace productivity, as people skip school and work to catch the latest blockbuster. This, too, can be seen as another manifestation of humanity’s ongoing decline, a theme consistently explored throughout the series.
