1) Do you like anime more than live-action films? If yes (or no), why?
Yes and no. I probably watch a fair bit more anime than live action films, but that's as a result of there being a lot more anime availible that interests me thematically. Firstly I think American television has gone to crap, so I avoid it. Anime, being series usually have a lot more time to develope stories and characters and use multiple themes. It basically takes the place of my television watching, so I think of them differently. But technically no, I don't prefer one over the other. There are good series and movies, bad series and movies, and everything in between. I try not to think of things in terms of medium.
2) When you watch anime, does that encourage you to like Japan?
Not really. I think America and Japan share a sort of mutual facination in eachother's culture because to this day there's a large gulf of seperation. I've always been facinated with all sorts of cultures, Japan stands out to me for a lot of reasons, such a Samurai lore and artistic history, but it's not really as a result of anime. I was introduced to it through anime, the same way one can discover another culture through food or music. It progressed on it's own really.
3) Do you find anime characters look like Western people or Asians, or something else? Do you identify yourself with anime characters?
I never really thought about it much. I suppose one could say the races are a bit unclear unless otherwise noted, but I never really felt it mattered.
4) If there is any, what do you learn from anime?
Like I said, anime introduced me to a culture I previously knew nothing about. I developed an interest in it, which caused me to pursue other aspects of Japanese culture. I'm now a huge fan of Japanese film and art as well as anime and of course, video games. I didn't really learn much from anime directly, but it spurred me into learning things.
5) Have you ever talked to any Japanese people about anime, and found something different in your understanding of anime and theirs?
Absolutly. I've encountered a lot of racial predjudice in some instances. No offense of course, but I've been told (and seen first hand) Japan is somewhat less tolerant of foreigners than the US, and as a result of anime's worldwide popularity I've run into all sorts of purists ranting about America stealing their culture for selfish reasons and other rediculous nonsense. We didn't steal anime any more than you stole baseball. I see all sorts of comments about the artistic inferiority of the American people, when the truth is American cartoons have a whole different target audience than Japanese cartoons, it's it's almost never fair to compare the two.
Hope this helps. I'd love to read a copy off your writings on the subject. I've always wanted a comprehensive look into the way Japanese people view anime.
