They are men, expectations of readers , culture.
I don't think gender has anything to do with it. Saying it's a "guy thing" is a little like stereotyping in my opinion, communication break downs such as this happen in all sorts of relationships of all different genders, so I'd like to think that term is null and void, because it comes down to a personality thing more than anything else. ╮(￣▽￣)╭
That's true. I'm usually the first to complain when people say "girlie" to mean weak. :) The reason I brought it up as possibility is that the stereotypes do exist--and some men buy into it (especially older generations). There are certainly exceptions. Like most gender-role generalizations, I think it depends on the culture and peer-group too. Sometimes it is simply a matter of degree as to how each gender handles such cultural traits. For example, my dad is more "The strong, silent type" than my mom. My mom is not much for "silence", but she isn't as emotional as some other people either (or at least, not as directly emotional). I know this is anecdotal, but very often there is some amount of truth within generalizations, as long as we allow for exceptions.
It is also dangerous to stereotype cultures, but again, some generalizations are based on trends that really exist. For example, I have a friend from Columbia who greets me by kissing me on both cheeks. This is not a custom for most Americans. I am not saying every Colombian does it, or than no American does it, but it is something more Colombian than American. Does that make sense?
Oh, I forgot to say, my friend is a female. Her husband (also Colombian) shakes hands. It's sort of a gender-role thing within the culture. (Of course, there may be exceptions).
Thanks RB. I think you are right that personality ultimately controls how someone acts. I was just re-watching the TV "Heroes" (because they started a "Heroes Reborn" show and I forgot the first show). There is a Japanese male character, Hiro, who discovers he has a superpower that lets him transport himself. He gets to NY, and he starts jumping and smiling and shouting "I love NY!" (in English). It is almost like the giggling hand-clapping thing you see when some women do when they want to show appreciation. He was adorable. Of course, we are talking about fictional characters, but this doesn't match the image of Japanese men I often see in Manga, but it seems right for this guy. So, in fiction as in life, there is a lot of leeway.
Doh. that time I meant to reply to Reaity Bites. I'll stop and go back to work now. Sorry.
A conversation in another thread has me thinking about the roles culture and personality play in how characters express themselves. I have read elsewhere that the Japanese word for "like" is often translated as "love" in English, because that's what Americans would probably use in similar stories. (Sorry, I don't remember whom to credit). I have had German friends make fun of American RomComs and tell me no German would speak like that (most Americans don't either--those are movies). I've had American friends misunderstand teasing between Irish people who were actually good friends since childhood, because the "slagging" seemed too harsh to them (but I'm an American, and it just seemed funny to me). I've even argued with friends over whether Doctor Who's current companion, Clara, is being disrespectful when she refers to herself as his "carer" in witty banter (the actor currently playing The Doctor is much older than her). So it's clear that how people communicate is both a matter of who they are and where they come from.
So my question is this: the communication issue between Asami and Aki part of the way their culture works, or is it just that they are both being "men" and not talking things out? Asami seems particularly macho about this:
http://i1.mangapicgallery.com/r/newpiclink/you_re_my_loveprize_in_viewfinder/37/329e6a4f58a7d540e41247e225fa23f8.jpeg
Aki starts talking about how excited he is to track a target in a way that mirrors Asami's thoughts back when Asami first saw Aki, but Asami replies that if Aki is going to get all girlie about it, Aki had better take some good pictures. Asami understands exactly how Aki feels there--and Asami teases Aki in response. This is similar to the way Asami uses sarcasm such as "Oh, right, the MO" (when Asami came for Aki and Aki mentioned that Aki had sent the MO already) or "That's Right, you don't have that kind of value" when Aki tries to deny being Asami's lover (followed by sexual teasing until Aki admits he wants it, and then a bunch of hot sex--and then a high-handed attempt to protect Aki and keep Aki out of it by drugging him), or even "I would never tease such a good boy." when Asami catches Aki trying to comfort Asami.
So is this and Asami thing, a guy thing, a Japanese thing, or all of the above?