Category: Ask John

Question: What is shoujo anime/manga? I have heard that most of the anime and manga series that I love are known as “shoujo” (Fushigi Yuugi, Card Captor Sakura,

Question: I’m an avid fan of manga and manhua, and I’ve realised that there are very few American and/or European professional manga artists. I have been working on

Question: How do US anime companies decide what anime to liscense and why are many US anime companies licensing old anime such as Aura Battler Dunbine?

Question: I have recently been looking up on a series called “City Hunter.” It seems that there are a bunch of episodes and a couple of OVAs and

Question: I was watching Samurai Deeper Kyo and I basically understood most of it until the very end. What happened between Kyo and Kyoshiro after they fought?

Question: What’s up with hentai? Why was it created? For viewers to become gay and rape their girlfriends? Or entertaintment to see if Card Capter Sakura or Rei

Question: I heard somewhere (possibly in your column) that the Japanese don’t generally have a lot of loyalty to anime titles and always want to see something new.

Question: What is Shin Megami Tensei Devil Children? Is it like Pokemon or somthing?

Question: In various anime and manga set in early Japan, female characters often have two distinctive circular markings on their foreheads. What is the origin of this, and

Question: Do you know when Bandai will bring Love Hina Again to America?

Question: Who is Koge-Donbo? Why are her works so popular?

Question: What do you think Spirited Away’s win at the Academy Awards will do for anime in America, Japan’s interest in anime in America and America’s interest in

Question: What is Engrish?

Question: What’s the difference between doujinshi and manga? I thought I knew, but then my friend told me that Haibane Renmei is a doujinshi, even though the artist

Question: Why are there no chubby chicks in anime? I mean, what, would anime end if there was a chubby chick(s)? Why do Japanese students wear uniforms? Specifically