Shyness in anime and Japanese culture

So there's a girl who blushes at everything, feels self conscious about her uniform, has a crush on someone but is too afraid to talk, and when she hears a joke, she has a slightly embarassed look of flustered chagrin as her eyes squint and her cheeks raise, symbolized as ^^.  And she has a sweat drop on the back of her head.

Why?  In an age where modesty means nothing, why be shy at all?  A look at US voice actors in anime dubs will often have girls trying their hardest to imitate or act shy like their character, only to come off as overexaggerated.  And in the US, there's probably a lot less to be shy about.  Girls talk just like guys, know the same things, and can be just as outgoing.

>>1

Duh, it's anime. Anime doesn't conform to reality, though it's usually inspired by it.

It works upon idealized sterotypes of feminine and masculine behavior, exaggerated in some aspects and altered in others.

How else do you get the "violent girls" who blush and act all girlish at the slightest hint of romance?

Modern Japanese are no longer as emotionally repressed as stories would have you think, but the cultural stigma still exists to cause disfavor on those causing others inconvenience ("meiwaku") or making a scene. It's still important to be polite and deferential to social "betters" and others.

Americans also, unlike the popular stereotype, aren't taught to be tactless and loud, but the culture is individualistic to the point that it emphasizes making one's thoughts (not necessarily emotions) known, almost as something of a social defense mechanism. Ever see a reality show wher the contestants constantly say "I'm just saying..." or "These are just my thoughts..." or "I'm just going to get this on the table...".

It's a form of social expediency and opportunism, and, on the darker side, a way for individuals to avoid responsibility for their opinions and declarations. Japanese culture likes to give everyone a chance to speak, which boosts "equality", but also bogs down decision-making and gives unnecessary consideration to pointless or inconsequential ideas.