Lucifer Ludenberg

English 10 B – Research Paper

10 May 2019
Japan
Japan has been known for their wild and very diverse culture. It’s culture can range from

things like their food, sports, manners, and even clothes. Another part of their culture are geishas

and samurai. Another part of their culture is also anime and manga, but what exactly is anime and

manga?
Anime is a Japanese style of animation that involves colorful and vibrant art with minimal

shading, similar to cartoons. Most living beings in anime have extremely exaggerated expressions.

Humanoid figures in anime often have large eyes, large heads, small mouths, and a small nose.

Anime is also a very stylized art style and often does not fit regular human body proportions or

anatomy.

Manga is also similar to anime, but instead of animation, it’s a comic. Manga is a Japanese

comic in the same style that Japanese anime animation is in. Since mangas are comics, they are

usually still-images and can sometimes have more detail than anime. Mangas can come in different

types of medium. Traditional manga is made and read on paper. Some other mangas are made and

read digitally, which can be a lot less time-consuming. Manga is different from regular comics by

how they are read. How America reads comics is by reading it left to right, however in manga, you

are meant to read it right to left. The “back cover” of a traditional manga book is actually the “front

cover.” Sometimes when a manga becomes very popular and well liked, it can be turned into an

actual anime!
Anime and manga both began around the 20th century. It’s popularity began growing very
steadily after that. The first ever Japanese anime movie was Momotaro: Sacred Sailors. It was

released on April 12, 1945.

Although anime and manga are apart of Japanese culture, it also has become a popular thing

in a lot of western countries, such as the United States. Some popular anime in the United States are

Pokemon, Naruto, or Attack on Titan. Popular anime like this has influenced western culture a lot.

There are even commercials for western products in the form of anime styled animation! There are

also conventions in the United States dedicated to people’s love of anime. One of the most popular

conventions is called Anime-Expo.

Works Cited
(1)SIBILSKY, CINDY. “Anime Magnetism.” American Theatre, vol. 36, no. 5, May 2019, p.
38. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=135944551&site=ehost-live.

Parrinello, Colette Weil. “Manga and Anime Mania.” Faces, vol. 34, no. 4, Jan. 2018, p. 34. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mih&AN=126852318&site=ehost-live.

“Anime” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam Webster, 2012. Accessed 10 May 2019

Zakka Films. THE ROOTS OF JAPANESE ANIME: UNTIL THE END OF WW II. 2008.

AOKI, DEB. “A New Golden Age for Western Manga.” Publishers Weekly, vol. 265, no. 23, June 2018, pp.
20–25. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=129964887&site=ehost-
live.