Justin and Justina, two (fictional) similarly-named and unusual New York City friends, comprise The New Leaf Journal’s dialogue duo. In today’s dialogue (their 50th regular dialogue), Justin makes the case to Justina that reports of Japan’s population decline are greatly exaggerated. What is his reasoning? The anime classrooms in new 2023 series look full.
(Justin and Justina are a fictional New Leaf Journal dialogue duo created by New Leaf Journal editor Nicholas A. Ferrell. Their dialogues cover their strange, sometimes random conversations (usually) in Brooklyn, New York. If you enjoy this dialogue, you can find many (over 50) more in our Justin and Justina Collection hub.)
(The following dialogue takes place in person. Justin and Justina are sitting on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade making small-talk.)
Justina: Did you read about Japan’s population decline? What’s going on there?
Justin: Oh man, what are they saying now?
Justina: …Why do you sound so skeptical?
Justin: I know the truth. But do tell, what are they saying?
Justina: “For the first time ever since such records began being kept in 1968, the number of Japanese citizens living in each and every one of Japan’s 47 prefectures dropped.” (Source.)
Justin: It’s interesting that they want you to believe this. What is the real agenda?
Justina: I know that I am going to regret asking, but why are you saying this is all a conspiracy?
Justin: Have you seen The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses?
Justina: The what?
Justin: The classrooms look full there. Those are middle schoolers, right?
Justina: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Justin: Then see My Clueless First Friend.
Justina: I have a clueless friend.
Justin: Trust me, not in that way.
Justina: Huh?
Justin: Anyway, this aired last season. It is set in an elementary school. You know what the elementary school is? Full of life!
Justina: Wait is this all anime?
Justin: Then let us take a look at the cultural festival arc in My Love Story With Yamada-kun at Lv999…
Justina: Are you really arguing that anime proves the population of Japan is not declining?
Justin: Justina!
Justina: What!?
Justin: 2D people are people too. They’re just like you and me.
Justina: They’re not.
Justin: I cannot believe what I am hearing. They eat potato chips, fall in love with tall and short people, change their hair styles, and sometimes have hair colors that exist in nature, even if those hair colors are not what you would expect. They are people. Cease your dimensional discrimination.
Justina: This is what I get for asking.
Justin: But we must acknowledge contravening evidence. They barely found enough girls for the judo club in Ippon Again! in the winter season.
Justina: I wouldn’t have joined.
Justin: And of course, all of these 2D people were born in the 2010s at the earliest, right? That’s assuming arguendo that they were not born when the original source material was published. Is my theory off-base?
Justina: Why are you asking me as if I am sympathetic to your theory? That’s not even the biggest problem here.
Justin: I agree, the biggest problem is your anti-2D discrimination.
Justina: …
Justin: Maybe the birth rate really is collapsing now. But there is hope. The spring season was all in on romances.