History Main / ItCantBeHelped

* "Song of Love", the theme tune to the ''{{Pikmin}}'' series, has this as its premise: It's all about how the Pikmin go through Hell for their leader, Olimar, yet despite the fact that it's very likely they'll die ignobly, ''"We don't ask that you love us."'' The song's single actually ''outsold the game itself'' because of how it resonated with the {{Salaryman}} public.

Those interested in linguistics may want to compare this to the Russian word ''nicho'' (ничо), which literally translates to 'nothing' but is more often used as meaning 'there's nothing to be done about it." It has connotations of futility or extreme fatalism (but depending on context, it can also mean nonchalant dismissal as in 'nothing happened, really') and also bears some resemblance to the American English saying "Shit happens", although that has more [[ObligatorySwearing swearing]]. A Mexican version of this is named ''Ni modo'' (roughly translated as ''No way (to do this)''), but it carries more negative connotations than their Japanese and Russian counterparts, due to the severe ValuesDissonance not only between Mexico and the U.S. but also between other regions of the country. The Portuguese saying "Fazer o que?" ("What can I do?") has a pretty similar meaning, even carrying the negative connotations of its Japanese counterpart.

This is the source of many instances of ValuesDissonance in imported/translated Japanese works. Americans, to put it politely, are very familiar with complaining--the nation was founded with free speech in mind, and the ability to speak one's mind is highly valued and constantly taught. A key part of [[AmericanDream America's self identity is that it is populated with people who acted to make a better life for themselves rather than accept what they had]]. Britons have the concept of the StiffUpperLip, the idea of dismissing troubles and snarking irreverently about it. The Japanese, however, will have a {{Salaryman}} suffer in silence when his boss demands more hours and his wife screams at him because of a miscarriage, or a mother suffer in silence as she keeps her husband's affair with the neighbor a secret while the child asks where Daddy is. It's also a characteristic of the YamatoNadeshiko.

* Examined and defied in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}''. As a game that takes a harsh look at Japanese society, the game criticizes the mindset as not showing forbearance, but letting horrible people get away with horrible things if you choose to look the other way. [[spoiler:This is exemplified by the entire city of Tokyo representing the sin of Sloth. Even after they take down CorruptCorporateExecutive Masayoshi Shido, the Phantom Thieves are shocked to see people are still going to vote for him, because the people of Tokyo would rather be told what to do than think for themselves.]]

* The concept of gaman is central to the musical [Allegiance] starring Creator/GeorgeTakei and loosely based on his own experiences in an internment camp during world War ii. The Japanese inmates initially turn to gaman to help them survive the camps, but the concept is also deconstructed as some younger inmates try to take whatever agency and power they can get and even rebel against the camps guards.

* The concept of gaman is central to the musical [Allegiance] starring GeorgeTakei and loosely based on his own experiences in an internment camp during world War ii. The Japanese inmates initially turn to gaman to help them survive the camps, but the concept is also deconstructed as some younger inmates try to take whatever agency and power they can get and even rebel against the camps guards.

One attribute highly prized in Japanese society is that of "gaman", or "endurance". Gaman is the quality of enduring what seems unbearable with dignity and grace. The idea basically that is that if there's something unpleasant around you, [[TheStoic it's better to tough it out in an act of self-sacrifice rather than act immediately to change it]]. It's similar to Calvin's Dad's belief in the comic strip ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' that suffering builds character.

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:{{Music}}]]

[[AC:{{Theater}}]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:RealLife]]
* A phrase often quoted by Western reporters who visited the afflicted area after the Touhoku Earthquake of 2011. Along with ''gaman'', it was used to describe the lives of the disaster victims after the earthquake and tsunami, mostly on how they coped with the grief, the anxiety, freezing weather, and uncomfortable living circumstances. Was picked up on particularly because of the stark difference of how the victims reacted to the disaster compared to the more unfortunate victims of Haiti and Hurricane Katrina.

* ''Creator/HarryTurtledove'' has several characters - including non-Japanese - using the phrase in his ''{{Worldwar}}'' series.

Phrased as either "shou ga nai" (informal) or "shikata ga nai" (formal). Similar to the French phrase "C'est la vie" ("Such is life") and America's equivalents (e.g. "Shit happens", "You can't win", "It is what it is", "YouCantFightFate"), this phrase can be translated as simply weathering troubles and accepting that life can be harsh, but actually has a deeper definition to it.

* ''[[AsianSaga Shogun]]'' by James Clavell uses this phrase as a subtheme, although there it is mispelled as "Shigata ga nai". [[SelfDemonstratingArticle Shikata ga nai]].

Phrased as either "shou ga nai" (informal) or "shikata ga nai" (formal). Similar to the French phrase "C'est la vie" ("Such is life") and America's equivalents (e.g. "Shit happens", "You can't win", "It is what it is"), this phrase can be translated as simply weathering troubles and accepting that life can be harsh, but actually has a deeper definition to it.

One attribute highly prized in Japanese society is that of "gaman", or "endurance". Gaman is the quality of enduring what seems unbearable with dignity and grace. The idea basically that is that if there's something unpleasant around you, it's better to tough it out in an act of self-sacrifice rather than act immediately to change it. It's similar to Calvin's Dad's belief in the comic strip ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' that suffering builds character.

This is the source of many instances of ValuesDissonance in imported/translated Japanese works. Americans, to put it politely, are very familiar with complaining--the nation was founded with free speech in mind, and the ability to speak one's mind is highly valued and constantly taught. A key part of America's self identity is that it is populated with people who acted to make a better life for themselves rather than accept what they had. Britons have the concept of the StiffUpperLip, the idea of dismissing troubles and snarking irreverently about it. The Japanese, however, will have a {{Salaryman}} suffer in silence when his boss demands more hours and his wife screams at him because of a miscarriage, or a mother suffer in silence as she keeps her husband's affair with the neighbor a secret while the child asks where Daddy is.

Those interested in linguistics may want to compare this to the Russian word ''nicho'' (ничо), which literally translates to 'nothing' but is more often used as meaning 'there's nothing to be done about it." It has connotations of futility or extreme fatalism (but depending on context, it can also mean nonchalant dismissal as in 'nothing happened, really') and also bears some resemblance to the American English saying "Shit happens", although that has more [[ObligatorySwearing swearing]]. A Mexican version of this is named ''Ni modo'' (roughly translated as ''No way (to do this)''), but it carries more negative connotations than their Japanese and Russian counterparts, due to the severe ValuesDissonance not only between Mexico and the U.S. but also between other regions of the country. The Portuguese saying "Fazer o que?" ("What can I do?") has a pretty similar meaning, even carrying the negative connotations of its japanese counterpart.

Phrased as either "shou ga nai" (informal) or "shikata ga nai" (formal). Similar to the French phrase "C'est la vie" ("Such is life") and America's equivalents (e.g. "Shit happens", "You can't win"), this phrase can be translated as simply weathering troubles and accepting that life can be harsh, but actually has a deeper definition to it.

* ''KingCrimson'' has an instrumental titled "Shoganai" (later reworked into "The Power to Believe II").

* Used very frequently by Madara in ''Manga/NatsumeYuujinchou''.

* The concept of gaman is central to the musical [Allegiance] starring GeorgeTakei and loosely based on his own experiences in an internment camp during world War ii. The Japanese inmates initially turn to gaman to help them survive the camps, but the concept is also deconstructed as some younger inmates try to take whatever agency and power they can get and even rebel against the camps guards.

* As already explained, Mexicans has their own version of this, and unlike the Japanese, this is ''not'' portrayed as a good thing. Due to an unholy combination of ValuesDissonance (internal and external), CulturalCringe, CulturalPosturing, many problems with crime and corruption in many parts of the Mexican society and [[SelfDeprecation fatalism taken to the extreme]], Mexicans are normally taught to tolerate many bad things that can befall them, but when the Mexicans decide they have had ''enough'' of tolerating too much crap, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Iguala_mass_kidnapping the results are NOT pretty]].

* All the time on TheSopranos, in the form of "[But] What are you gonna do?"

Those interested in linguistics may want to compare this to the Russian word ''nicho'' (нечо), which literally translates to 'nothing' but is more often used as meaning 'there's nothing to be done about it." It has connotations of futility or extreme fatalism (but depending on context, it can also mean nonchalant dismissal as in 'nothing happened, really') and also bears some resemblance to the American English saying "Shit happens", although that has more [[ObligatorySwearing swearing]]. A Mexican version of this is named ''Ni modo'' (roughly translated as ''No way (to do this)''), but it carries more negative connotations than their Japanese and Russian counterparts, due to the severe ValuesDissonance not only between Mexico and the U.S. but also between other regions of the country. The Portuguese saying "Fazer o que?" ("What can I do?") has a pretty similar meaning, even carrying the negative connotations of its japanese counterpart.

Those interested in linguistics may want to compare this to the Russian word ''nichevo'' (нечего), which literally translates to 'nothing' but is more often used as meaning 'there's nothing to be done about it." It has connotations of futility or extreme fatalism (but depending on context, it can also mean nonchalant dismissal as in 'nothing happened, really') and also bears some resemblance to the American English saying "Shit happens", although that has more [[ObligatorySwearing swearing]]. A Mexican version of this is named ''Ni modo'' (roughly translated as ''No way (to do this)''), but it carries more negative connotations than their Japanese and Russian counterparts, due to the severe ValuesDissonance not only between Mexico and the U.S. but also between other regions of the country. The Portuguese saying "Fazer o que?" ("What can I do?") has a pretty similar meaning, even carrying the negative connotations of its japanese counterpart.

One attribute highly prized in Japanese society is that of "gaman", or "endurance". Gaman is the quality of enduring what seems unbearable with dignity and grace. The idea basically that is that if there's something unpleasant around you, it's better to tough it out in an act of self-sacrifice rather than act immediately to change it.

* Holon from ''RealDrive'' uses the phrase in reference to other androids of her model and type being used for sexual intercourse.

* As already explained, Mexicans has their own version of this, and unlike the Japanese, this is ''not'' portrayed as a good thing. Due to an unholy combination of ValuesDissonance (internal and external), CulturalCringe, CulturalPosturing, many problems with crime and corruption in many parts of the Mexican society and [[SelfDeprecation fatalism taken to the extreme]], Mexicans are normally taught to tolerate many bad things that can befall to them, but when the Mexicans decide they have enough of tolerating too much crap, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Iguala_mass_kidnapping the results are NOT pretty]].

Those interested in linguistics may want to compare this to the Russian word ''nichevo'' (нечего), which literally translates to 'nothing' but is more often used as meaning 'there's nothing to be done about it." It has connotations of futility or extreme fatalism (but depending on context, it can also mean nonchalant dismissal as in 'nothing happened, really') and also bears some resemblance to the American English saying "Shit happens", although that has more [[ObligatorySwearing swearing]]. A Mexican version of this is named ''Ni modo'' (roughly translated as ''No way (to do this)''), but it carries more negative connotations than their Japanese and Russian counterparts, due to the severe ValuesDissonance not only between Mexico and the U.S. but also between other regions of the country. The Portuguese saying "Fazer o que?" ("What can I do?") has a similar meaning but doesn't carry the negative connotations.

* In ''Anime/{{Persona 4}}'', Yukiko's buried resentment of Chie for not being able to save her from being trapped in her role at her family's inn is highlighted by Chie's careless comment that Yukiko will inherit the Amagi Inn and "it can't be helped." This prompts Shadow Yukiko to reject Chie as her "prince."