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Salaryman: Difference between revisions
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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]] 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
Prevalent in [[Cyberpunk]], this class of character is referred to there as a "sararyman", playing off [[Japanese Ranguage|the difficulty some Japanese have pronouncing the English "L"]]. This was a reaction in the [[The Eighties|late 1980's]] to the notion that [[Japan Takes Over the World|the Japanese were apparently taking over the world financially]], and Westerners were suddenly encountering these mid-level types in daily life. Salarymen also have quite the niche market in [[Boys Love]] works.
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* Ataru's [[Unnamed Parent|dad]] in ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'' is the typical Salaryman: working long hours and worrying about the mortgage, especially since his house is routinely destroyed.
* ''[[Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman]]'' is a parody of [[Sentai]] shows that focuses on a [[Five-Man Band]] of salarymen... who save the world.
* The protagonist of ''[[
* Konata from ''[[Lucky Star]]'' once wonders why drunk salarymen always have to carry a bottle of sake and have their tie around the head.
* The first time ''[[Karin]]'' Maaka uses her vampiric abilities, she does it on a salaryman in the park after school. Kenta Usui (her love interest) stumbles upon her on his way home, and thinks that she's [[Enjo Kosai|trying to put the moves on him]].
* An entertaining recurring character in ''[[Gantz Abridged]]'' is Joe Salaryman, father of the Salaryman family. Not to be confused with Niles Trustfundman.
* Shinshi in ''[[Patlabor]]'' was a salaryman before joining the SV2.
* After the [[Big Bad]] Yoshikage Kira switches bodies in the later part of ''[[Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure
* Albireo of [[.hack|.hack//AI_Buster]]. ''AI_Buster_2'' reveals that his eventual collapse at work was explained as overworking, rather than what actually happened ([[Mind Rape|Data Drain]]).
* The director Matsuan, his assistant Densuke, and the public-relations man Katchin, in ''[[Android Announcer Maico 2010]]''.
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* ''[[Planetes]]''' premise can be accurately described as Salarymen [[Recycled in Space|IN SPACE]]. Debris Section's [[Pointy-Haired Boss|manager and assistant manager]] moreso than the rest of the cast, as they only rarely go on actual jobs, and are much more aware of corporate politics than the rest of Debris Section.
** Only in the anime, though. Manga is much more [[Creator Provincialism|cosmopolitan]] and doesn't center on the corporate antics that closely.
* In ''[[
* ''[[Bludgeoning Angel
* ''[[
* There is actually an anime named Salaryman, a [[Sentai]]-like short story with 5 coloured masked fighters defending the peace. Puns with things like Superman, Ultraman.
* Hiroyuki Nitori, the Nitori siblings father, in ''[[Wandering Son]]'' is one of these. He appears to often go drinking after work, but nothing much is said about that.
* The main characters of ''[[Japan Inc]]''.
* Makoto, the main character of ''[[
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== Film ==
* Thomas A. "Neo" Anderson from ''[[The Matrix]]'', until he takes the [[Red Pill,
* Kazuhiro from ''[[Gung Ho]]''.
* Peter and his coworkers at Initech in ''[[Office Space]]''.
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== Live Action TV ==
* ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'': Hiro Nakamura and his friend Ando are typical salarymen living in Tokyo until Hiro discovers his superpowers. However, the trope is subverted when we discover that {{spoiler|1=Hiro's father is actually the CEO of the company he works for. Hiro is only working a menial job in the hope that he will overcome his [[The Ditz|scatterbrained]] personality and become a fitting heir to the company}}.
* In ''[[Kamen Rider Blade]]'', BOARD was effectively destroyed in episode one and all the Riders are fighting for themselves. In the Blade World shown in ''[[Kamen Rider Decade]]'', BOARD is still up and running and all the Riders are employees of BOARD. Tsukasa, the titular character, calls it "Kamen Rider... Salaryman!"
* In all the ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' continuities Usagi's father "Kenji-papa" works in journalism, in the manga and anime he's a magazine editor and seems to have enough spare time to see his family on a daily basis. However in ''[[Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon]]'' he barely appears, being a newspaper photographer with a very salaryman like lifestyle. The only time he's seen on screen is in the direct to DVD special act when he manages to make it to his daughter's wedding.
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* 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]].
* In the game ''[[Karoshi]]'' and its numerous sequels, you are a googly-eyed little 8-bit salaryman trying desperately to kill himself. The point in each level is to die in [[Ludicrous Gibs]] fashion at the hands of one of the conservatively placed deathtraps littering the vaguely office-themed and less-than-vaguely threatening environment. It's [[Better Than It Sounds]] (all the more considering how, in a hilarious inversion from [[Everything Trying to Kill You]], the world is trying to ''keep you alive for its own malicious amusement'').
* ''[[Kichiku Megane (
* The protagonist of the [[Wii Ware]] game ''Tomena Sanner''. With [[Le Parkour]] aspects.
* One of the zombies in ''[[
* The Unassuming Local Guy and Annoying Reveler enemies from ''[[Earthbound]]''
* The Businessman and Office Lady trainer classes in ''[[Pokémon]] Black and White'' are based on this.
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