Last year, one of our university anime club members told me about how he got into a heated argument with a representative of another club during the Clubs and Societies Fair. Apparently, the representative of the other club told him that there was no meaning in being a member of an anime club and that it was a silly thing to do. This, of course, led to an angry response from our member and the whole thing turned into an unsightly name calling competition.
After he told me about the incident, I promised to write an article about the use of anime in real life in response to the claims made by the other club representative. I admit it's a bit late but better late than never.
While I don't claim that anime or manga would have a life changing effect, I must stress that they can have a really positive effect on the life of the individual depending on how that individual uses them. The true power of anime and manga is that they are arts that can inspire people to improve.
History, Geography and Culture
Any self respecting anime and manga fan knows that the stories in those two mediums can (and do) take place in every imaginable place on this planet. This means that the cultural settings of those arts are as varied as the arts themselves. Only people who are not fans of anime or manga would make the mistake of thinking that all the stories in anime and manga take place in Japan. I've mentioned many of these titles in previous articles but I'll mention titles like Monster, Gunslinger Girl, Rsitorante Paradiso, WMT titles, Yugo the Negotiator, Otoyomegatari, Historie, Master Keaton, Black Lagoon, Michiko to Hacchin and Emma as examples here in addition to the countless titles that take place in Japan or neighbouring China (I'll talk about the significance of China in a later post). This unique feature alone opens the door to countless learning possibilities. A curious anime or manga fan would start reading about a particular culture/country because he/she was impressed by the anime/manga story that that takes place within that culture/country. He/she can then easily start a conversation with a another person person from said culture/country if they happen to meet such a person simply because they have read about said culture/country. There is even a high probability that the anime/manga fan will start learning the language of said culture/country and I don't need to stress how important the skill of mastering foreign languages is in today's world. In short, anime and manga help bring people from different backgrounds together.
New Skills and Knowledge
Just as the variety in anime/manga story settings encourages fans to learn about other countries and cultures, the huge variety in the story topics and themes also encourages fans to learn about many other things. The stories in anime and manga fall under every imaginable genre and cover every imaginable topic you can think of. This provides a golden opportunity for curious fans who enjoyed the theme in a certain title to pursue that theme further or learn more about it in real life. I can think of some very good examples which I will outline below.
There are a ton of sports related anime and manga tiles and some of them are of very high calibre like Bamboo Blade, Ashita no Joe, Hajime no Ippo, Yawara!, Happy!, Slam Dunk, Major, Taishou Yakyuu Musume and Evil Heart. These titles present the sports in an attractive and interesting manner and that could certainly encourage fans to pursue these sports in real life (if they are of the type who are not sports inclined). I don't think the importance of sports in daily life requires any justification.
Another interesting example is the unique place the art of cooking holds in the world of anime and manga. Only god knows how many anime and manga titles deal with the art of cooking, be it general or specific. From the ultimate authority in bread making, Yakitate Japan to the sweet romantic cooking story of Kitchen no Ohimesama to the ultimate saga in global cuisine, Oishinbo; there is a title for every imaginable form of cooking. Such titles can easily inspire fans to try out one form of cooking or another which is always a very useful skill to have (not to mention it's always satisfying and healthier to make your own food).
The final example I would like to mention is more specialised. I started reading the Hikari to Tomo ni manga for personal reasons. I have to admit that it's one of the most powerful and engaging stories that I have ever read and I would recommend it to anyone. I also have to say that this manga opened my eyes to a mental condition that I have often heard of in the news but never quite understood. I think you can learn more about autism from this manga than you would ever learn from a medical book. Even parents of autistic children around the world acknowledged that the manga gives a realistic depiction of the condition and what they had to go through to raise their children. A manga that promotes an understanding of a medical condition that is a mystery to most people can't be a bad thing now right?!
I can give other topic related examples but there isn't enough space here to go through all of them so I'll leave it at that.
Drawing
Anime and manga have influenced many fans lives in a more direct manner by inspiring them to pursue the arts of drawing, painting and sketching or graphics arts in general. Drawing lies at the heart of anime and manga and it's not an exaggeration to say that some of most beautiful works of art can be found in anime and manga. This beauty has left a deep impact on many anime/manga fans and led them to pursue drawing seriously and refine their skills in this field. Some of them have even managed to have their work published
in Japanese manga magazines.
Writing
Another aspect in which anime/manga help to improve a person is exemplified in this article and in all the articles in this blog. The passion for anime and manga can inspire people to write! I can not stress enough how much my writing skills have improved since I started this blog! Writing in this blog has trained me in writing in a well structured and attractive manner. That's why, to this day, I feel more comfortable communicating my ideas in writing than verbally and even some of my emails tend to look like detailed reports. I don't need to stress how important the skill of good writing is in modern society or where it can get you in terms of advancing your career (as many of the non anime fans know very well!).
Some Interesting Anime / Manga Applications
Over the years, the Japanese have found some very interesting applications of anime and manga which go beyond telling a good story. I have listed some of the recent ones below:
1) Using manga to summarise world and local news
2) Using manga as official company manuals
3) Using anime to teach citizens about the newly introduced jury system
4) Using manga to educate children about the work of the Japanese Foreign Ministry
5) Using manga to promote the Nuclear Non-Proliferation cause
6) Using anime to encourage Chinese tourists to visit Japan
7) Using manga to explain the 2008 G8 Summit in Hokkaido
8) Using anime/manga to promote safe travelling
9) Using anime to promote local tourism
I have to say that the P. A. Works videos are quite nice as one would expect from this new yet highly energetic animation studio. Well done P. A. Works!
10) Using anime to celebrate the UN 60th anniversary
OK, Robotech is not a pure anime as most fans know but it's still an amalgamation of 3 anime titles so it still counts even if the work was done by an American company.
11) Using manga to explain technical subjects
I'm not sure how good these books are but apparently they were written with direct input from a specialist in each of these subjects. I still prefer to use regular textbooks since I'm an old school type of guy.
12) Using anime to promote commercial products
I wish that the quality of animation in TV GONZO titles would be as good as the quality of that commercial (-_-;;)
13) Using manga to promote agricultural products and beverages
Apparently, the sales of the rice bags increased several fold because of this. The power of manga is truly amazing!!
14) Using manga to make fun of George Walker Bush and his good for nothing father!
This last one isn't really an application but I decided to include it anyway since it's quite funny. It really made my day when I read it (^_^)
I hope the benefits outlined above are enough to convince “non believers” that anime and manga can truly have a positive impact on one's life. I have to stress, however, that it depends on the person in the end and that the fan must make the effort to make the most out of his/her hobby or he/she will, otherwise, be missing out on a lot. The final wisdom of the day is:
“Anime and manga are what you make out of them”.
Postingan
