A biblical action game. An angel in skinny jeans. A bizarre yet dead-serious exchange of words. And from it, a meme that echoed through a decade of Japanese internet culture. Here’s how a single line from an obscure trailer gave birth to one of the most enduring internet catchphrases in Japan.
- 🎮 The Game That Launched a Meme
- 📺 Viral Spark: The Trailer That Broke the Internet
- 🔥 Why Did This Line Hit So Hard?
- 👔 Creator Commentary: It Was All Part of the Plan (Sort of)
- 👥 User Reactions: From Laughter to Obsession
- 🏛️ Spin-Offs and Fan Events: When Memes Leave the Screen
- 📉 Meme Lifecycle: Rise, Dormancy, and Revival
- 📺 A Cultural Mirror: What the Meme Reflects About Japan’s Net Culture
- 🌍 Global Comparisons: Is There an English Equivalent?
- 📚 Fan Case Studies: From Joke to Identity
- 🧠 Analysis: What Makes This Meme Special?
- 🏁 Conclusion: Meme as Mantra
- 🔗 References & Sources
🎮 The Game That Launched a Meme
In 2010, a mysterious trailer appeared at E3 for a Japanese game called El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. It was a surreal, stylish third-person action title based loosely on the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Developed by Ignition Tokyo and led by former Devil May Cry artist Takeyasu Sawaki, it seemed unlike anything else on the market.
But the game’s real legacy wasn’t its gameplay or its religious themes. It was a short exchange of dialogue from the trailer that changed everything:
Lucifel: “Is your gear really okay?”
Enoch: “Don’t worry, it’s fine.“
In Japanese:
「そんな装備で大丈夫か？」
「大丈夫だ、問題ない。」
Simple. Serious. And instantly memeable.
📺 Viral Spark: The Trailer That Broke the Internet
The moment the trailer aired, Japanese netizens pounced.
- Niconico Douga, Japan’s answer to YouTube, exploded with parodies, remix videos, and reaction clips.
- Users subtitled the trailer with intentionally overdramatic fonts and flash effects, turning it into the meme equivalent of a Super Bowl commercial.
- Fan artists flooded Pixiv with stylized illustrations of Enoch (tight white pants, flowing cloak, abs of destiny).
- By the end of 2010, “大丈夫だ、問題ない” (“Daijoubu da, mondai nai”) had become Japan’s unofficial Internet Phrase of the Year.
And the game hadn’t even come out yet.
🔥 Why Did This Line Hit So Hard?
Several reasons:
- Ambiguous Heroism: Enoch says the line so confidently, despite wearing what looks like a crop top and sandals. It was so earnest, it looped back around to comedy.
- Repeatable Format: The dialogue became a template for endless parodies:
- “Are you really going out in that?”
- “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
- Cultural Fit: The line felt like a compressed anime trope — stoic hero, worried advisor, dramatic pause. Perfect for parody.
👔 Creator Commentary: It Was All Part of the Plan (Sort of)
In interviews, game director Takeyasu Sawaki explained that the trailer — and especially that line — was designed to catch the attention of 2ch (Japan’s largest anonymous forum) users.
“We wanted to create something that would be ‘remixed’ by the internet. Something with impact.”
He admitted the phrase was written specifically for its reusability. The gamble worked: it became more famous than the game itself.
Ironically, the meme helped El Shaddai become a minor hit in Japan and a cult classic abroad.
👥 User Reactions: From Laughter to Obsession
While the game was still a mystery, fans used the line as a way to express absurd confidence in everyday life.
- Forgot your umbrella? “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
- Entering a test unprepared? “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
- Wearing crocs to a wedding? “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
🗨️ One fan joked:
“That line has carried me through college, interviews, breakups, everything. I live by it now.”
This emotional attachment transformed the meme into something beyond parody — it became a philosophy.
🏛️ Spin-Offs and Fan Events: When Memes Leave the Screen
El Shaddai didn’t just stay on screens. It spilled into the real world:
- “El Shaddai Only” doujin events were held, featuring fan zines, cosplay, and original art based on the meme.
- T-shirts, mugs, and body pillows were sold with “大丈夫だ、問題ない” printed in bold.
- The developers launched a free asset archive called “El Shaddai Free Warehouse” where fans could download official meme-ready images.
Creator quote:
“If you want to use the meme for your school event, be my guest. Just use it in the best way possible.”
📉 Meme Lifecycle: Rise, Dormancy, and Revival
Like many memes, “大丈夫だ、問題ない” (“Don’t worry, it’s fine”) had its explosive moment in 2010–2011, riding on the wave of the trailer’s surreal charm. But what’s unusual is how it didn’t fully die out.
🔁 Key Revivals:
- 2021: Developer Takeyasu Sawaki re-released El Shaddai on Steam. The line made a comeback on Twitter, with fans quote-tweeting the announcement using “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
- 2023–2024: Educational and school presentations in Japan reportedly asked for permission to include the trailer. The creator responded with the meme itself, writing: “Don’t worry. Use it in the best possible way.”
These moments rekindled nostalgia while proving the meme still had social utility.
📺 A Cultural Mirror: What the Meme Reflects About Japan’s Net Culture
“Don’t worry, it’s fine” hit different in Japan for several reasons:
🧩 1. It’s a parody template
Much like “Yaranaika?” or “Gachimuchi Wrestling”, El Shaddai memes took on a life of their own through remix culture.
- Text: Usable in nearly any anxious scenario
- Visuals: Enoch’s absurd outfit invited exaggeration
- Audio: Easily spliced into MAD videos, AMVs, and NicoNico mashups
🧩 2. It blurs irony and sincerity
Enoch means what he says. But it’s too much. The gap between sincerity and absurdity makes it funny — and relatable.
It’s “cringe turned iconic,” much like Tommy Wiseau’s “Oh hi, Mark” — only in a Greek god outfit.
🌍 Global Comparisons: Is There an English Equivalent?
| Japanese Meme | Western Equivalent |
|---|---|
| “大丈夫だ、問題ない” (El Shaddai) | “I did not hit her… Oh hi Mark” (The Room) |
| “Yaranaika?” | “Let’s-a go!” (Mario as meme) |
| “Gachimuchi Wrestling” | “Epic Sax Guy” / “Chad” edits |
But none quite match El Shaddai’s:
- Intentional theatricality
- High production value
- Endorsement by the original creator
Most memes are accidental. El Shaddai was accidentally-on-purpose.
📚 Fan Case Studies: From Joke to Identity
🗨️ Case 1: The Fan Who Printed It on Their Graduation Cap
“Everyone else had motivational quotes. I had ‘Don’t worry, it’s fine.’”
“I got laughs, but also questions — and that led to conversations about Japanese games.”
🗨️ Case 2: The Teacher Who Used It in Class
“When students freak out about a test, I just show them the trailer.”
“It calms them down. Or confuses them. Either way, it helps.”
🧠 Analysis: What Makes This Meme Special?
Unlike short-lived catchphrases, “Don’t worry, it’s fine” became transmedia:
- It wasn’t just a joke — it was merch.
- It wasn’t just fan-made — it was officially distributed.
- It wasn’t ridiculed by its creators — it was embraced.
This symbiotic loop — creator + community — created sustainability.
🧩 Theory: A meme survives when its tone is flexible.
“大丈夫だ、問題ない” can be serious, ironic, defiant, or even tragic.
🏁 Conclusion: Meme as Mantra
From a short exchange in a forgotten trailer, El Shaddai’s meme gave birth to:
- Art
- Music videos
- Cosplay trends
- Graduation jokes
- Motivational posters
It became more than internet humor — it became a shared language. Something fans could say, wear, post, and live by.
And in an age of uncertainty, maybe we all need to hear:
“Don’t worry. It’s fine.”
