LogFAQs > #979864138

DoesntMatter posted...

but i dunno, 8 episodes in and i'm basically only still watching it because i don't like leaving things unfinished and because Mariko is incredibly gorgeous. i am really not into the whole big emphasis on all the rituals and etiquette and societal expectations and stuff. it wasn't really like that in history, was it? seems kinda overblown or flanderized or whatever. like, it makes me think of Worf and his whole hyper-focus on being a "proper" Klingon and doing all the things he's been taught Klingons are supposed to do, but then you get some exposure to actual Klingons and you realize that they mostly don't give a shit about all that, lol. and all the instances of seppuku and of people wanting to die and wanting to commit seppuku. i can't imagine that that was actually ever as widespread as a lot of popular media makes it out to be. a civilization wouldn't be able to survive if a large portion of its citizens were so eager to off themselves over the slightest of faux pas. it's ridiculous and ngl, kind of uncomfortable to sit through. i don't like thinking about that kind of thing.

Any extremely hierarchical society is going to be full of ritual and social expectations. Go read about some of the wild ass shit that went on in the Chinese Imperial Court.