Ask John: Is Japan Discriminating Against American Comics and Animation?

Question:
American and European fans and many more have all accepted the culture and traditions of the Japanese as far as anime and manga go. But why is it so hard for an American publisher of a comic or a publisher of another country to get popularity in Japan? Does this mean Japanese readers are uptight and close minded enough not to give other countries a chance?

Answer:
Before trying to address your question with my personal theories, I want to stress that there is some difference between foreign works being published in Japan and foreign artists working in Japan. There are few foreign artists working in Japan partially due to the fact that the Japanese governmental customs agency rarely approves long term residency or employment visas for foreigners seeking jobs in Japan’s entertainment industries. Japan is a country roughly the size of California with nearly four times the population. Japan doesn’t want lots of foreigners moving into the country because the country is already crowded enough with its own native population. And since Japan is an island, resources are even more difficult to procure than they are in a landlocked country of equal size.

So while there are very practical reasons why few foreign artists live and work in Japan, these reasons have little relation to the reasons why the work of foreign artists isn’t always widely accepted in Japan. Before looking at Japanese culture, I’d like to point out our own Western, and particularly American culture. There’s no doubt that Japanese comics and animation have become popular and successful in America, but I’m hesitant to say that manga and anime have become “accepted” in America. The culture and traditions of anime and manga have been partially embraced by American fans, but imported Japanese pop art has not yet become a genuine mainstream American success relative to domestic American comic books. Within just the past few years there have been numerous successful American motion pictures based on American comics: X-Men, Hulk, Spiderman, Daredevil, Punisher, Elektra, Blade. Yet how many equally mainstream anime hits have there been? The Yu-Gi-Oh movie was critically cited as worst film of 2004. And it’s arguably not even purely authentic anime since it was produced specifically for American release and therefore wasn’t made with the same traditional production goals that characterize authentic anime. Although their sales are often superceded by imported manga, domestic comics are still more mainstream, more recognized, and more accepted in America than Japanese comics and animation. So although we say that Japan is narrow minded in its refusal to recognize foreign art, American society is likewise guilty.

Japan has a different culture from America. Japanese natives have different perceptions, tastes, and opinions than Americans and Europeans. Furthermore, as I’ve been heard to say before, there’s no such thing as a perfect country. One who criticizes Japan’s reluctance to adopt foreign entertainment styles too harshly may be just comparing Japanese culture to impossibly high expectations. Japanese society has always been characterized by a sense of ethnic solidity and cultural isolationism. Even today the overwhelming majority of people living in Japan are native Japanese, and Japanese racism and sexism are well documented sociological facts. But I don’t think that racism explains why foreign comics and animation aren’t massively popular in Japan. It’s natural human instinct to be attracted to forms of entertainment that seem familiar and comfortable. Manga and anime are created by Japanese natives for Japanese natives, and are imbued with the traditions, sensibilities and perceptions of native Japanese culture. Western comics and animation are designed for Westerners and may simply be more accessible and appealing to Westerners than Asians. The fact that Japanese manga and anime seem appealing and accessible to Americans doesn’t mean that American comics and animation seem appealing or accessible to Japanese. Although similar in fundamental construction, Japanese manga and anime are not interchangeable with American comics and cartoons, so, likewise, reactions to each will vary.

Typical American comics and animation emphasize a sense of unreality. Heroes are extroverted, individualistic superhumans. Cartoons feature talking animals and unrealistic settings. These elements reflect the principles of American culture: independence, individuality, autonomy, strength, and clear distinctions- especially between reality and fantasy and between youth and adulthood. Typical Japanese comics and animation emphasize exactly the opposite- a sense of reality: heroes are believable people; events occur in settings that resemble real life; no matter how fantastic, the story always remains one that readers and viewers can personally relate to and believe. These elements reflect the principles of Japanese culture: homogeneity, introspection, responsibility to society and self sacrifice. Westerners may be more able to comprehend the principles of Japanese society evident in manga and anime than are Japanese able to relate to the philosophy inherent in American comics and animation. Certainly there are instances of European and American comics and animation that are humble and low key, but what reason is there for an average Japanese consumer to adopt something foreign like that when a similar native piece of artwork is just as effective?

To make a final point, I need to refer to the fact that Japan is roughly the size of California. To Americans, it seems as though imported Japanese pop culture is widespread and steam rolling over domestic American popular culture when, in fact, imported Japanese art accounts for only a small percentage of America’s entertainment industry. Likewise, American pop culture fantasy like Spiderman, X-Men, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Simpsons, and Peanuts have captured a small portion of Japan’s entertainment market. Considering the difference in size and population between American and Japan, it wouldn’t surprise me to find that the degree of infiltration of foreign pop culture art in America and Japan is similar by ratio. It may seem as though imported art is big in America because America is a big country just as it may seem as though imported art is small in Japan because Japan is a relatively small country.

The fact that foreign art isn’t apparently in high demand in Japan shouldn’t be considered a fault. Japan has no obligation to approve of, accept, or enjoy foreign pop culture art. The American anime invasion is not a bilateral trade. It’s not a two lane highway; it’s a highway from Japan into America beside a narrow sidewalk from American into Japan. And there’s really no reason why Westerners should expect or demand circumstances to be otherwise. Originally manga and anime were never intended to be seen outside of Japan. Even today, Japanese natives are surprised that foreigners are interested in their forms of entertainment art. If we insist that Japan acknowledge and accept our art as we’ve embraced theirs, we are egotistically imposing our own sensibilities onto a culture that is not our own. Presumably Western comic and animation art isn’t very popular in Japan because average Japanese natives just don’t like it, have difficulty relating to it, or don’t find it as appealing as their own native art. We Westerners have no right to blame Japanese culture for not being like us and not thinking like us and not liking the same things we like.