1 the Cool Japan Project and the Globalization of Anime
THE COOL JAPAN PROJECT AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF ANIME AND MANGA IN THE UNITED STATES by Joshua Michael Draper Honors Thesis Appalachian State University Submitted to the Department of Cultural, Gender, and Global Studies and The Honors College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts May, 2015 Approved by: Wei Xie, Ph.D., Thesis Director Alexandra Sterling-Hellenbrand, Ph.D., Second Reader Jeanne Dubino, Ph.D., Department Honors Director Leslie Sargent Jones, Ph.D., Director, The Honors College 1 The Cool Japan Project and the Globalization of Anime and Manga in the United States Abstract: This research paper will primarily discuss the impact that Japanese animation and manga have had on American popular culture and the subsequent cult following they developed. It will discuss what distinguishes Japanese animation from Western animation, how Japanese animation initially gained popularity among American audiences, and how it has subsequently impacted American popular culture. This paper will also focus on the subculture of otaku, a group of people known for their devoted following to Japanese animation and comic books. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relative popularity of Japanese animation and manga amongst American audiences as an example of globalization impacting the United States from another country. Keywords: anime, manga, soft power, Cool Japan, globalization 2 Introduction During the 1980s and 1990s, Japanese animation and comic books began coming overseas to the United States, where it soon gained popularity amongst a sizeable number of young Americans. Recognizing the economic potential of Japanese popular culture, in 2002, Douglas McGray, writing for Foreign Policy, wrote an article titled “Japan’s Gross National Cool”, highlighting Japan’s potential to be a global “soft power”, or a country that promotes itself through its cultural influence rather than by economic and military force.
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