Salaryman: Difference between revisions

[[File:salaryman_1899salaryman 1899.gif|frame]]

The essential ingredients for the proper [['''Salaryman]]''' include a charcoal grey (or funeral black) suit with proper necktie, a briefcase, glasses, and usually a receding hairline if they're not outright bald. After a night's revelries, a carton of carryout food becomes part of the setup. Add a sake bottle and tie the necktie around the head as a [[Hachimaki]], and he becomes the "drunk salaryman" stereotype.

Salarymen are usually portrayed in ways similar to [[White Collar Worker|White Collar Workers]]s in American programming; stuck in dull jobs with [[Pointy-Haired Boss|irritating employers]] and little chance of advancement. However, as a whole, they tend to be more optimistic. They also have an unfortunate tendency, encouraged by both the Japanese work ethic and their employers, toward both [[Workaholic|workaholism]] and [[The Alcoholic|alcoholism]]. Some all but [[Married to the Job|ignore their family]] in pursuit of their job, going drinking with office-mates after (unpaid) overtime, going home to sleep for four hours, then getting up to do it all over again.

As a protagonist, this is essentially the same character as the [[Ordinary High School Student]] -- shining—shining example of Japanese conformity ripe for a life changing transformation at the hands of an extraordinary event/individual/robot. The difference is that the salaryman's disproportionately extensive [[Backstory]] doesn't need to be crammed into elementary and middle school. That, plus high school kids don't constantly worry about getting fired. Using him in this way isn't exceptionally common, as these types of stories sell better with younger high school protagonists and supporting cast, even if the [[Moe Moe|target audience is older]].

* The original backstory for Skullomania from ''[[Street Fighter]] EX'' said that he was a [[Salaryman]] who suffered a nervous breakdown, but recovers after dressing in a costume for a childrens' party at his boss's behest, and ends up quitting to become a ''[[Kamen Rider]]''-like [[Superhero]].