Japan to Sponsor International Manga Contest? 26
antifoidulus writes "According to Yahoo! news Japan is trying to boost its image abroad by promoting manga and anime, including possibly an international manga contest. They are also trying to double the number of people who eat Japanese food at least once a year to 1.2 billion(about 10x the population of Japan). While the article states that in the west the appeal of Japan is increasing, Japan is still having problems with its relations to fellow Asian countries such as China and South Korea."
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:2)
Given that US pop-culture is PC-riddled mix of psychological complexes that puts Japan as the most interesting culture-exporting country in the world.
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:2)
The number one country for cultural exports I presume would be India?
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:2)
Seriously - what kind of pop-culture and to what countries India sells?
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:2)
You're almost certainly American. Post-war America & Japan have one of curious those victor/defeated relationships where they have a shared fascination with each other's culture (number 1+2 economies also helps).
Your mutual fascination does not extend around the rest of the worl
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:3, Interesting)
If you read the Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood [wikipedia.org] you will see that they are increasingly being translated into English. I would not be suprised to start seeing some of these appear on screens in the US, or more likely t
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:2)
Actually, if you've watched any American cartoons, you've seen animation from India. Most of the gruntwork in the US cartoon industry is outsourced to India and Korea.
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:2)
Not sure about that last bit. That would likely be either India or the UK.
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:1)
By whom? In what way?
When it comes to comics/graphic novels/call it what you want, I don't actually know of any other country with as lively, large and varied market as Japan, so how is it overrated?
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:1)
Maybe after having grown up on American cartoons and comic books what the Japanese offer seems unique; like they say, the grass is always greener on the other side.
However, if you looks specifically at Japanese anime/manga it's the complete antithesis of variety. With some minor exceptions virtually every cartoon and comic book is d
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:2)
It's... just a country... with some fake tits. Granted, there's a lot to appreciate about American culture, but there's a lot to appreciate about most cultures.
Re:Let me be the first to say that... (Score:2)
that reminds me what to "get" today (Score:2)
i know its not totally legal, but look at the dvds and tshirts I have... I've definately spend £150 on anime in the last 3 years of loving it. All because of the internet, LANs and some Naruto AMV I watched that totally threw anime for me: its not just for kids.
Even the justice league's pretty complicated. Their technobable is far more realistic and believable than 24's "Jack, I've opened you a socket through to the DOD computer I hacked"...
Matt
Re:that reminds me what to "get" today (Score:2)
Even the justice league's pretty complicated. Their technobable is far more realistic and believable than 24's "Jack, I've opened you a socket through to the DOD computer I hacked"...
Thanks for that: my head just exploded.
If Jack shot laser beams out of his eyes and swung from building to building on a rope tied to a bauerang, would that make it more "realistic and believable" for you?
Just think of Chloe's computer skills as super powers, and enjoy the show.
Re:Manga is a really stupid way to attract others (Score:2)
* whistles innocently and hopes like hell nobody mentions that little fracas with all the heroin *
No! Really? (Score:3, Insightful)
No shit? Might that have something to do with the evil behavior of Japan back during the 1930's through 1940's? City named Nanjing ring a bell? Forcing large numbers of young Korean women to serve as sex slaves for the Imperial Japanese Army?
I'm something of a Japanophile, I'm working on a degree in East Asian Studies (focused on Japan), I'm learning the Japanese language, and I'll eventually be doing international law (again, focused on Japan). Point is I like Japan. But I can definately see how people from the nations Japan invaded during WWII would feel differently. They've got to get over it, just like the people in Europe had to get over their anti-German feelings, but their feelings are understandable.
Re:No! Really? (Score:4, Interesting)
Remember, though, that the Germans have done a far bigger sackcloth-and-ashes repentance routine since the war than have the Japanese. I gather they still officially deny what happened at Nanking, which is scarcely conducive to good relations. Then there was that business last year with the rather... questionable content of some of their high school history books. From what I see there's still a huge problem with the attitude of the Japanese themselves to the war... sure, they 'regret' it, so we hear whenever they almost but not quite apologise. But it sometimes seems like what they regret is that they lost.
Re:No! Really? (Score:2)
Those silly Japanese.... (Score:2)
Re:Those silly Japanese.... (Score:2)
Anime Translation (Score:2)