About

The face of the people who sank all their money into the FX (Japanese: FXで有り金全部溶かす人の顔) refers to a series of parody illustrations inspired by a facial expression of desperation which appeared on a Japanese TV anime for a yonkoma manga Ai Mai Mi^[1] written by Choborau Nyopomi. Since 2013, this facial expression has become a sort of icon representing net trading on the Japanese web.

Origin

This facial expression is struck by Ponoka-senpai, a high school girl representing the dark side of this manga, in the ninth episode of the show's first season aired on March 1st, 2013. She made the face after Mai insisted that she wants to watch that face on online live streaming programs by people trading FX. Mi explains that senpai looks like she couldn't distinguish between Japanese hiragana characters "Nu" (ぬ) and "Ne" (ね).

Retail Foreign Exchange (FX) Trading

Since the early 2000s, foreign currency exchange^[2], commonly referred to as Forex or FX, has been a popular marketplace for Japanese individuals seeking high-risk, high-return opportunities in personal financial investment. With the emergence of numerous online FX marketplaces in the mid-2000s, the total volume of individuals trading foreign currencies on margin continued to grow steadily, and by 2006, the Financial Futures Association of Japan (FFAJ) had estimated that the total volume of individual trading makes up around 20% to 30% of Japan's foreign-currency exchange volume, or approximately ¥40 trillion ($391 billion USD). However, while FX trading is still considered a widespread practice of personal investment in Japan, its risk-prone nature has also led to the stigmatization of currency trading as a form of get-rich-quick-scheme, and as a result, Japanese FX investors who lament about their heavy losses have become a frequent target of online ridicule and mockeries, especially on 2channel and Nico Nico Douga (NND), where some users regularly make trades through its real-time streaming service.

Spread

By a large impact of Ponoka-senpai's glassy look, the 9th episode in the 1st season is the most popular episode in the anime. Shortly after the airing, her impressive facial expression became to a subject for parody among Japanese amatuer illustrators due to its ease of mimicking. More than 300 of illustrations tagged under the name "The face of the people who sank all their money into the FX" had been posted to pixiv^[4] and Nico Nico Seiga^[5] in its first year. And dozens of parody videos are posted to NND as well.^[6]

Besides, the presence of Ponoka-senapi's face isn't limited among fans and anime Otakus, nowadays it's widely known as the iconic look of miserable loser in FX trading.

Official Merchandise & Collaborating Campaign

Against a large backdrop of the online presence, Ponoka-senpai's glassy look is utilized in the official merchandising for the manga. By the official, her facial expression is named as "That Ponoka-senpai's Face", and T-Shirt, Sleep Shade and Wallet printing that face have been released since the middle of 2013.

On August 7th, 2014, DMM FX, a Japanese online FX trading service which has the world 2nd largest trading volume, launched a promoting campaign featuring Ai Mai Mi.^[7] And Ponoka-sempai's "Let's Begin FX!" T-shirt was provided as a special item for new customers during this campaign.

Notable Examples

Videos

Illustrations

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Search Interest

External References

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