Jean's guide to Anime and Manga for the uninitiated
You've probably heard of Pokemon--you may know of Sailor Moon or Robotech--you might remember Speed Racer. But did you know that there is a huge amount and variety of anime and manga, with thousands of obsessed fans who live for the stuff?
Anime and manga are Japanese cartoons. 'Anime' refers to movies or TV shows, while 'manga' means printed comic books or graphic novels. Japanese animation has an easily recognizable style, and is considered art by many serious fans. Anime and manga
come in every genre imaginable, from action and science fiction to romance, history, and adaptations of classics. This is not 'just kid stuff'--it's meant for all ages. It is everywhere in Japan, and becoming more and more popular in the US, especially California. Many schools have an anime fan club, and a library that serves teens should have at least a little anime to satisfy local otaku (fans).
