OCCIDENTALISM IN AN INDONESIAN VISUAL NOVEL : COFFEE TALK (2020)

Oleh :
Rifka Aulia Rahma - B0322067 - Fak. Ilmu Budaya

Rifka Aulia Rahma. B0322067. 2026. Occidentalism  in an Indonesian Visual Novel : Coffee Talk (2020). Thesis: English Department. Faculty of Cultural Sciences. Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta. Video games have evolved into cultural products able to shape cultural representations for a global audience. This study analyzes how Coffee Talk (2020) represents Western culture through its visual and narrative elements. Coffee Talk is a visual novel developed by the Indonesian studio Toge Productions. Although developed by a non-Western developer, the game uses Seattle as its setting and features characters from Western mythology. This study employs thematic content analysis to identify patterns of Western cultural representation within the game. The findings reveal three main themes consisting of setting, lifestyle, and society that relate to Western myths and popular discourses about the West. These findings are interpreted using Ian Buruma and Avishai Margalit’s theory of Occidentalism. This study concludes that Occidentalism in Coffee Talk is neither antagonistic nor idealizing, but occupies an intermediate position shaped not by ideological resistance, but by the internalization of a Western image naturalized through global popular discourse.