Can Anime Truly Be Accepted By America?

It's a question that's frequently brought up by many people: Is anime really becoming a part of the American culture? Nowadays, anime and manga influences can be seen nearly everywhere you go. In card shops they don't just sell football and baseball cards anymore; now there's anime card games like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Inuyasha, Zatch Bell, and numerous other series to buy. Stores like Best Buy not only sell anime, but are now carrying manga as well. Anime can be seen everywhere, but how much is it being accepted by Americans?

Anime's main fan base tends to range from the age group of young teens to young adults. That still leaves numerous other age ranges being left out of the anime craze. Many older adults shun anime, reacting to it as if it were the Plague. I can name quite a few friends whose parents forbid them to watch anime or read manga and punish them severely if they catch them doing so. Art teachers also are big critics of anime and it's style of drawing. Show an anime style picture to an art teacher at school or college and they'll turn it down immediately, stressing to you that you should stay away from anime's style of drawing. Most anime fans have also encountered people in their lives who have hated anime and taunt those of us who do like it. When anime first came to America, it was a slow process creating the anime craze that affects so many of us now. But back then if you were an anime fan, you were considered a pathetic loser and would most likely get picked on by other kids. Nowadays, that's hardly a problem for anime fans. Anime and manga are everywhere, but can it ever truly be accepted into the American culture?

The thing about American culture is the fact that it has drawn from other cultures all over the world to create itself. Anime and manga are being drawn into American culture whether people like it or not. Even better, America is not only taking anime into it's culture, it's adding to it and making it unique to our culture. Seven Seas Entertainment is a perfect example of anime and manga style art being adapted to American culture. Seven Seas has a beautiful string of original American based manga and is even publishing popular webcomics. Even Tokyopop is publishing more American manga and even holds the Rising Stars of Manga contest to accomplish this. A lot of online artists who post their own manga often say that anime and manga has influenced them, but that they have created their own drawing style that suits them the best.

If you take a step back and look at how much anime is a part of American culture, you can't help but be amazed at how far it's come. Anime was almost virtually unknown when it first started out in America, but now it can be seen everywhere. Anime has truly come a long way and it only continues to grow in popularity throughout the years. Who knows how far anime will go in the American culture? As they say, the sky is the limit. But even if the anime craze does die down (heaven forbid that it does), it will forever be a part of the American culture and something that we can all look back at and smile about.