Manga
It is a traditional art form of Japanese storytelling, or telling stories with a series of sequential images has been a part of Japanese culture long before Superman ever put on a cape. The earliest examples of pre-manga artwork that influenced the development of modern Japanese comics are commonly attributed to Toba Sojo, an 11th-century painter-priest with a whimsical sense of humor.
Manga has a long and strong tradition of poking fun at society and mocking the rich and powerful. Kibyoshi or "yellow cover books" satirized Japanese political figures and were very popular in the 18th century (whenever they weren’t banned by the authorities).
After Commodore Perry opened up Japan to the West in 1853, an influx of foreigners followed along with the introduction of European and American-style comics. In 1857, Charles Wirgman, a British journalist, published The Japan Punch, a magazine modeled after a popular British humor publication. George Bigot, a French art teacher, started Toba-e magazine in 1887.
http://manga.about.com/od/historyofmanga/a/mangahistory1.htm
Japanese Manga is no longer considered a pop culture. It has established a foothold in the mainstream entertainment media. You can find such evidence in media outlets such as movies, television and books. Today Japanese Manga is not lumped together in the same category such as cartoons and kid’s shows.
You have American cutesy cartoons such as Tom and Jerry and then there are adventure packed, often bloody animations such as Akira. Japanese Manga can be graphic and violent. And it can be cute and non violent. If you’ve watched enough Manga and have become a true fan than maybe you’ve felt that urge in your hands to pick up a pencil and draw. If that has happened then you are not alone. Japanese Manga has excited and thrilled a new generation of young talented artist and potential Manga masters.Japanese Manga has many different styles just like traditional paintings. Certain Manga characteristics have exaggerated physical proportions such as large heads, short legs and arms with a squat torso to bring everything together. This Manga drawing style is called “Chibi”. You can find examples of Chibi drawings from the popular animated series “Naruto”. And some are perfectly proportioned as if they were actual human beings.
Comment: I love manga and respect the art form; it is a well respected art form in the animation industries. If I could be a good manga illustrator I’d be very happy as a wana be designer, more and more people are growing a liking to manga and not just children anymore but grownups as well. The reason I have nothing on Anime is that anime is another word for manga.
Otaku
Otaku is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga and video games. Female otaku are occasionally referred to as fujoshi
It was used in the 1980s as a second person singular pronoun among hobbyist photographers. As it gained familiarity, the word was soon used by others to refer to hobbyist photographers. Since the photographers were seen as socially unskilful, reclusive, and obsessed with their hobby, otaku picked up those negative connotations and eventually was used to refer to any reclusive, obsessive hobbyist.
http://lowee-addiction.blogspot.com/2010/04/otaku_26.html
The term "otaku" seems to have been introduced to anime fans in the US and other countries via Studio Gainax's "Otaku no Video 1985," a self-parody film.
Otaku, meaning probably "venerable house," refers to someone who has a devotion to a subject or hobby (not necessarily anime) to the point of not leaving home. For instance, an otaku fan of a particular movie star could quite possibly know all of the films s/he has been in, their birth date, time of birth, shoe size, favorite toothpaste, etc. Generally speaking, calling someone an otaku in Japan is an insult, implying that their social skills have atrophied or never even developed, due to their manic involvement in their chosen fandom.
In America, the term is used to denote a zealous fan, usually of anime and/or manga. Due to its introduction to most people's vocabulary through its tongue-in-cheek use in Gainax's film, "otaku" tends to have a much less dire definition overseas.
When dealing with Japanese people, however, it may be best to keep in mind the modern Japanese image of an otaku -- Someone who only leaves their home to eat or shop, if at all, with an overwhelming and unhealthy obsession about something. It can as easily refer to a stalker or sociopath as it can to a harmless anime buff.
kewii
Japan is the king of cool. Unlike Cool Britannia or Hip America, though, Japanese cool is nothing if not cute, intensely cute, maddeningly cute, and even cloyingly cute.
The Japanese for cute - kawaii - is uttered so often and so reflexively by so many that it has become a mantra. See baby: "Cute!" See little dog: "Cute!" See almost any girl/woman under 30: "Cute!"
Long-known to Japan-watchers, kawaii has now gone international. From New York art-scene superstar Takashi Murakami's urban vinyl toys to Hello Kitty!, kawaii is now a serious life-style choice of adults throughout the civilized world.
http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=359&pID=1124#ixzz1KKocxUkF
It seems that cute is everywhere in the UK now.
"Over the last 10 years, the country's youngsters have started to embrace the whole spectrum of kawaii -- from the extremes of costume play down to the purchasing of accessories adorned with cute anime and manga characters."
The article gets commentary from Helen McCarthy the British-based expert on Japanese popular culture, anime, manga, book author (we really need to write up some sort of introduction to Helen as she's done a lot of stuff). Helen reports that over the last 10 years with the growth of the internet the kawaii culture has become more visible.
'"Kawaii has made inroads, but is not embedded yet," she said, adding that its influence can be seen in TV shows and subway posters'
"We (Britain) are still quite a masculine and patriarchal culture and we have never embraced the cute, soft side like France and Japan. We are not ready to go full-on cute yet and whether we ever will be is a mute point."
Source: Mainichi Daily News
http://www.otakunews.com/article.php?story=1724
Comment: I am not really into cute shit, if it was up to me I would banish the shit. Most people may like kewii but the real world out there is shitty and evil, not much cute we can talk about. The Japanese did start this shit and I think that today it is a huge market that earns millions billions
