Manga Vs American Culture Essay

Manga is the Japanese correspondent to comic books in the West and has been able to gain a large international following in the past 20 years. However, it is still a niche culture in America. Many people do not understand manga and create false assumptions regarding the topic. People do not understand the cultural differences between America and Japan, and thus, assume that manga is peculiar. This ignorance has led the public to believe in ideas about manga that are incorrect, such as that it is only for children. Another assumption that society has about manga is that it, along with graphic novels, are not real literature. If people can understand that manga is not so different from traditional literature, then it may be accepted as a respected source that can help people enjoy reading. People are ignorant to the cultural separations, and it is important to understand the differences because only then, will society realize that manga is not so different to the literature of America.
The most common misconception about manga is that it is only for children and teens. This is largely due to the fact that anime
The people who are somewhat more familiar with manga attribute otakus with cosplayers, nerd culture, anime, and the outcasts in society. An otaku is generally described as someone who obsessed with anime, manga, video games, and Japanese culture. Having the label otaku is seen as a negative, and sometimes, embarrassing for the individual. Lucas Magnus, a writer for the website Ambivalence, or is it Ambiguity?, says that “they can’t get to enjoy their hobbies openly because of possible criticism, and most of these people claim to be from America” (Magnus). An opinion that society has is that being an otaku is weird and is a negative thing. It is true that some people even hide the fact that they like manga and anime in fear of being