If you've been anywhere near Japanese Twitter (X) or niche manga circles lately, you've probably seen it: a hole. A literal, rectangular hole in the ground. And what fills it? Not dirt, not water — but a perfectly packed grid of smiling, besuited ojisan (middle-aged uncles).
Beyond its literal and anime-specific meanings, the phrase has become an internet meme referencing the series, often used humorously in online discussions. ojisan de umeru ana english work
If you manage to find the English scanlation, read it with the following in mind: If you've been anywhere near Japanese Twitter (X)
Japan’s epidemic of loneliness—especially among middle-aged unmarried or divorced men—is another hole. The ojisan fills it not by healing but by occupying space. Friendship? Replaced by convenience store clerks who recognize his cigarette brand. Romance? Replaced by parasocial relationships with younger female characters in media (a trope the ojisan himself often embodies awkwardly). Family? Replaced by work, if he’s lucky. The “hole” is the absence of connection; the ojisan is the rubble shoved in so no one falls in. Not dirt, not water — but a perfectly