Before arriving in Japan I had heard of Anime, but had never really been interested in it. I had heard of animes such as Final Fantasy Advent Children or Ghost in the Shell, but I had never watched them. I knew that anime was a very popular in Japan, but I had no idea to what extent this media permeated the culture. Manga books are available in many convenience stores sitting on the same shelves as news magazines. Purchasing a manga in the morning is as natural in Japan as buying a newspaper is to us. People of all ages and genders read anime on the train during their morning commute; this showed how diverse the manga audience is in Japan. While anime and manga fans are a small population in America and most people cannot distinguish them from a cartoon in Japan many people enjoy this art form. Anime hasn’t become extremely popular in America, but with the success of Advent Children and Ghost in the Shell it could depending on the popularity of the property.
