{"product_id":"fantastic-intimacy-how-final-fantasy-xiv-provides-social-belonging-in-japan-9781501789878","title":"Fantastic Intimacy: How Final Fantasy XIV Provides Social Belonging in Japan","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFantastic Intimacy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003etakes readers inside the vibrant world of Final Fantasy XIV to explore how Japanese gamers build meaningful social lives through fantasy.\u003c\/b\u003e Based on two years of ethnographic fieldwork both in-game and offline, Mattias van Ommen argues that for a growing number of players in Japan, online games have become vital spaces of emotional belonging, fulfilling roles once associated with schools and workplaces. Within these digital worlds, players forge what van Ommen calls fantastic intimacy: deep social relationships that emerge from shared engagement with the fantasy game-world yet profoundly shape players' lives beyond the game.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChallenging stereotypes of Japanese gamers as isolated or antisocial, \u003ci\u003eFantastic Intimacy\u003c\/i\u003e reveals a community that is diverse, expressive, and socially engaged. It shows how fantasy game-worlds enable people to overcome social divisions based on gender, occupation, and education and to experiment with new ways of being together. Blending rich ethnographic storytelling with in-depth cultural analysis, van Ommen offers new insights into the relationship between digital games, fantasy, intimacy, and the enduring human search for belonging.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Mattias Van Ommen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Cornell East Asia Series\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 246\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.1lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.69d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781501789878","brand":"Cornell East Asia Series","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48531961577609,"sku":"9781501789878","price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0636\/9240\/6921\/files\/img_a28a563d-9b00-4fa7-a22d-beec215b1e40.jpg?v=1791326874","url":"https:\/\/sonsanddaughtersbooks.com\/products\/fantastic-intimacy-how-final-fantasy-xiv-provides-social-belonging-in-japan-9781501789878","provider":"Sons and Daughters Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}