Manga and Anime have become such a dominant force in Amercian culture that there are many who believe and hope that perhaps the genre may create a better understanding of the two cultures. One person who would probably believe this would be Chiba Tetsuya, one of Japan's most famous manga artists.
Tetsuya who is 65 years old, has spent his entire life working in the manga industry as an artist. He has seen the rise of manga, from the largely Japanese fan base it had during the 60s and 70s to the dominant fans base it has garnered in the US since the 1980s. This month Tetsuya will be giving a speech at UNLV in Las Vegas Nevada in a series of lectures on manga and anime.
"I believe that anime and manga have qualities of hope, courage, perseverance -- themes that people in America can sympathize with," Tetsuya said through a translator.
Manga and anime, its animated counterpart , is an art form known for unique figures typically featuring large eyes. "The manga and anime that we create in Japan comes to America, and that people like it makes me very happy," Tetsuya said.
Tetsuya begin drawing manga cartoons when he was about 12 years old, and went on to produce some of the genre's most popular series. Tetsuya visited a university anime club on Thursday night, and was introduced as one of Japan's most popular manga artists. "Anime in Japan is very popular right now, as it is in America as well. I hope that through anime and manga our two cultures can understand one another," Tetsuya told the students. "That's the hope I have as I do my work now" he said.
The film Tetsuya is most known for is the 1968 epic "Ashita no Joe" or "Tomorrow's Joe." When he was younger, he often read Spiderman and Superman comics. He says reads Blondie and Dagwood, which he says gave him a window view of American culture. "What makes manga different, he said, is a wider variety of themes and characters that give it "something of a dreamlike quality."
The fact that anime has so many themes allowed for a lot of discussion at the OtakUNLV club anime club feature for the night.
Anime can now be seen everywhere from video rental stores to the mall. It is a haven for those who wish to escape reality television shows. In the last two years, manga has really taken off. Despite this manga still is hamstrung by the same perceptions that limit American graphics novels and comics. Their still is the persistent perception of comics only being read by young teenage males. Someone may be considered odd if they are older and seen reading comics. However, with films like Spirited Away making it to the box office, and if the rise of manga continues, this could change withing a few years.
