Not Tropeworthy: Kotatsu

I did so too. It's why I mentioned the three-day rule, you know?

It's been three-days and making Kotatsu a redirect to UsefulNotes.Japanese Architecture and adding the relevant information from the former's description to the latter are the 2 leading options by a big margin. I think this is ready to call.

I agree with this overall, but I'm also curious about the point ~eroock raised about the Campfire Character Exploration aspect...that might be worth kicking to TLP and seeing if enough examples can be found to create a solid trope page from, or at the very least building on CCE with that aspect.

If you find enough examples, you're allowed to put it on the TLP, or add it to the Salvage Yard.

How does this look?

• Kotatsu: A low table with an electric heater built into its underside, with a very thick quilted drape around it. These tables mainly exist because Japanese homes usually lack central heating and are very thinly insulated. People wanting to stay warm seat themselves on the floor under the table. The drape keeps the heat trapped underneath, and it travels through the inside of clothing to heat the sitters' bodies. If they're so inclined, they can scoot almost all the way under the table and use it as a makeshift heated bed, although there is a belief that falling asleep under the kotatsu makes you vulnerable to catching a cold. These tables commonly have a bowl of mikan^note known as satsumas in the West, a variety of mandarin orange that are in season during the winter, sitting on them.

Edited by Serac on Sep 2nd 2020 at 2:00:34 PM

erock's point about how a kotatsu is used as an equivalent to Campfire Character Exploration in Japanese works could be tropeable... or it could be "Campfire Character Exploration, but Japanese and with a kotatsu," similar to how Oba-san used to be "Ma'am Shock but Japanese."

Edited by ccorb on Sep 2nd 2020 at 2:46:01 PM

Should we mention the Campfire Character Exploration connection in the useful notes or nah?

x5 Sounds good. (Edit: I originally used the wrong amount of arrows here. I meant to point to Serac's proposal, not Berrenta calling the crowner.)

Tropes Are Flexible, and the description for Campfire Character Exploration says "Can also apply to indoor fires, like at an inn or a fireplace." "Campfire Character Exploration, but with a kotatsu" would be The Same, but More Specific.

Sure.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Sep 2nd 2020 at 2:17:41 PM

Add at the end of the scentence, "and in Japanese works, a kotatsu." Also transfer some examples from the current Kotatsu page that fit the definition there.

Edited by ccorb on Sep 2nd 2020 at 3:16:46 PM

Sounds good.

Bumping. Serac's suggestion looks good, we just need to include a few examples at the end of it.

Here are some examples from Kotatsu that could fit under Campfire Character Exploration:

• In Mahou Sensei Negima! Makie uses her gymnastics ribbons to grab snacks without getting up from the kotatsu.
• Cross Game: On New Year's Day, Kou and Aoba both fall asleep under the kotatsu leading to a Sleep Cute situation. Heartwarming since they are normally fighting with each other.

Edited by ccorb on Sep 20th 2020 at 7:01:31 AM

Well, since it seems as though everything's decided, I've added the applicable examples to Campfire Character Exploration, dewicked Kotatsu and made it a redirect, added Serac's description to the Useful Notes page, and added a link to this thread to Kotatsu's discussion page.

If nothing else needs to be done, I'd say this is finished.

Alright, closing.