Why do we watch and Read it!

Japanese animation and comics, commonly known as anime and manga are becoming increasingly popular today. The word anime is an abbreviation of the word animation, in Japan; the word is used to refer to all types and forms of animation from all over the world. On the other hand the word anime outside of Japan usually refers to animation from Japan. Manga is loosely translated to mean comics, in Japan, but like animes, are referred to as comics who are usually made or drawn by a Japanese author. In past decades, anime and manga was produced solely for, an in Japan, with a distinct look-andfeel to not just the artwork but the storytelling, the themes, and the concepts. However in the past years viewers from not only Japan but all over the globe have been allured by these things referred to as anime and manga. Generations of viewers in the West are growing up with it and will soon pass it on to their children, and so on. There are many effects to this popularity, which fall under social, psychological and economic effects. To begin with there are numerous social effects of anime and manga. Firstly there will be an increased interest in art. Anime and manga art usually appeals to ones creativity and as a result people are encouraged to make their own character, and or mangas. Although this may be a good effect, as many art teachers may be flooded with students, they may be disappointed to learn that their students are mainly interested in drawing anime style cartoons. However an increased interest in art is a great opportunity to introduce students to other types and forms of art. Another effect is that, many western animators are producing art works which are themed after most animes and mangas, a recent example of this is Ben 10 and Avatar: The Last

Tori. K. C. G. Daway

Airbender. They have also adopted the term manga-ka; which is the Japanese term for comic artist or cartoonist and refers to the author of a manga who is usually Japanese. As a result of this the unique style of cartoons in America would have a drastic change and many animators may cease drawing like they used to, and instead draw anime themed characters in the spirit of the style, instead of drawing for the love of art. Another aspect also seen as art is cosplay, which was always popular in the west changed greatly with people dressing not only as popular Western and European characters, like Batman and Doctor Who, but also anime characters, like Naruto. Cosplay, closely related to roleplay is an activity thoroughly enjoyed by many adept anime and manga fans. These people many times feel a connection to the character and can relate to and make friends with others who share their love of the character. Furthermore, children and youth tend to role play without even knowing it; they act out scenes of what they have seen on television. Many youth who grow up watching anime react in a way they may have seen a character react. Moreover anime and manga additionally affect adults and children alike that watch or read them. In Japanese anime and manga, there is something for everyone, from shows and books aimed at innocent kids to the most perverted of people. They depict many things from occurrences in everyday life to scenes that could never happen in a million years. Viewers need anime and manga for different things, while some may use it to just relax after school or work, others may see it as an escape from reality and the stress of their everyday lives. Also many Children learn gender roles from anime and mangas Children, who grow up always seeing males as the heroes of animes, soon learn that the male is the head of the society and women should be withdrawn and are only items, dependent on males.

Tori. K. C. G. Daway

Also an economic effect to this fame is the otaku. An otaku refers to one who has an obsessive interest in anime and manga, which first appeared in the early 90s, they were generally seen as social misfits and were not accepted by most of the Japanese society, they were happy to shut themselves at home and indulge in hobbies, such as collecting and reading manga and watching anime, which made them socially inept. Yet over the years, the otaku became more accepted in Japan. Today, otakus are an important factor of Japan's economic growth. Behind this is the willingness of the otaku to spend great amounts of money on collections of the products they like. Thanks to anime and manga Japan has been receiving much fame and fortune from all around the world. Although it may not always be good, anime and manga is a worldwide phenomenon, enjoyed by many adoring fans, and otaku like me!