# Signifigance of Cacti in Anime? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signifigance-of-cacti-in-anime/128741 "2002-09-20T05:29:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signifigance-of-cacti-in-anime/128741/1 "2002-09-20T05:29:44Z")
Pardon me for posting, but I had a quick query…Do cacti have some sort of special significance in Japanese culture? In anime, at least, they seem to. Anything from an unusually long (And apparently intended to be poignant) shot of a cactus in an anime drama, to the occasional cactus-based super hero. In fact, in one movie I saw, I character mentions offhandedly that he’d heard that cacti were supposed to have magical qualities of some sort, but he doesn’t elaborate (probably because a genetically engineered cactus grabbed him by the neck at that point, but I digress). So, can anyone provide any insight into this odd little subject? Well, thanks for your time, Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signifigance-of-cacti-in-anime/128741/2 "2002-09-20T06:43:16Z")
No clue, but Final Fantasy also features a recurring cactus character (cactar, I think) as well. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signifigance-of-cacti-in-anime/128741/3 "2002-09-20T13:01:28Z")
Did the cacti merge with 4 other cacti piloted by efeminete boys to form a giant laser sword wieding robot? ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signifigance-of-cacti-in-anime/128741/4 "2002-09-20T14:36:14Z")
I doubt there’s any significance. I don’t believe there are any deserts (or naturally occuring cacti) in Japan. It’s meant to be atmospheric–just another occurence of the Japanese tendency to lift interesting images/symbolism/cultural artefacts in amusingly haphazard ways (I swear…if I see another christian reference in an anime I will scream…). ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signifigance-of-cacti-in-anime/128741/5 "2002-09-20T21:57:02Z")
_Shoujo Kakumei Utena_ has cacti used in fairly “traditional” cacti symbolic kinda ways - there’s a scene with a bunch of them around the predatory Akio on the ground and the wanna-be-predatory-but-vulnerable-and-falling-in-love Touga is holding one, except his is blooming. But that’s the kind of thing I’d expect to see in any highly symbolic work; it dosen’t seem particularly Japanese (a lot of the show is like that, however, like most good thoughtful art it dosen’t really belong to one particular culture.) ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signifigance-of-cacti-in-anime/128741/6 "2002-09-20T22:59:58Z")
“My God Nathu! They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen.” - Far Side ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signifigance-of-cacti-in-anime/128741/7 "2002-09-21T14:59:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slortar \* > \*\*It’s meant to be atmospheric–just another occurence of the Japanese tendency to lift interesting images/symbolism/cultural artefacts in amusingly haphazard ways \*\* Something Western media never does, of course. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signifigance-of-cacti-in-anime/128741/8 "2002-09-23T16:49:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamia \* > \*\* > > Something Western media never does, of course. \*\* _rereads post several dozen times_ Did I say they didn’t? It’s amazing how flexible some people are in reading subtext where none exists.