MANGA

[mystmoon]

I really like manga, but not all feature adult acts.
In the UK at least, there are age ratings on the back of manga (so for example, Kingdom Hearts is All Ages as is Tokyo MewMew, Fullmetal Alchemist and Cardcaptor Sakura are Teen, and Ranma 1/2 and Hetalia are Older Teen. There are Mature titles but I don't know any) it's not foolproof, but it gives a guide to what the content is. Here the maturer manga is generally shrinkwrapped as well to stop kids leafing through them.
I think what you're refering to might be better classed as hentai (manga and anime p*rn) but I'm not an expert on that so don't neccessarily trust that!

[poohcarrot]

"Hentai" is Japanese for perv! If you're talking about the manga with strange sexual deviations in, then hentai seems like a good word to describe them.

[BaldJean]

I share Friede's dislike of mangas, but for different reasons. They cement an outdated ideology. Do you know that Japanese women have to speak with a subdued and extremely high-pitched voice to make them appear c hildlike? And chikldlike in every way; their opinion, like a child's, does not really count. This reactionary attitude towards women is supported by mangas. Strangely even female manga artists succumb to it, with perhaps the exception of Ryoko Yamagishi, who at least breaks out of this a bit; her female characters definitely look less childlike.
You may argue that Western comics transport a reactionary ideology too, with women being sex-symbols. But at least in Western comics there are lots of exceptions (by the way: male comic characters are usually sex-symbols too, with their broad shoulders).

[mystmoon]

I think you might be reading into this a bit, most cultures have repressed women and forced them to do unnatural things to be considered attractive (it still goes on in some shape and for, look at cosmetic surgery) and these things stick in cultural memory (consider how a lot of western female characters appear corsetted) I'm not an expert on all things japanese, but I would assume that manga girls (especially shojo girls) have some exaggerated attributes that would traditionally be considered attractive.

In other news, I've recently begun reading Genkaku Picasso, about this guy who is saved from the dead, at the price that he must help others with his ability to draw people's souls. It's a bit freaky (some souls look like they were drawn by a depressed Dali) but I'm really enjoying it so far!

[BaldJean]

You bet it is. When I was still married to a man (biggest mistake in my life) I used to work for a travel agency, and so we did a lot of trips into foreign countries, including Japan. My husband was told that I was a very self-assured woman, which was not meant as a compliment. It was criticising me because I had my own opinions.

[mystmoon]

I'm not going to defend the Japanese attitude to women, I have no experience in that area and I don't look for it in my manga.
However, I do enjoy manga, and I've never ound the female designs weird, or even that childlike in some cases, it's just the big eyes really, I tend to read for the story as well as the artwork anyway

[poohcarrot]

Do you know that Japanese women have to speak with a subdued and extremely high-pitched voice to make them appear c hildlike? And chikldlike in every way; their opinion, like a child's, does not really count.

That is so completely bollux that I'm not even going to bother defend it. You obviously know absolutely zero about Japan.

[BaldJean]

On the contrary. It is not bullox at all. And actually I know a lot about Japan. Tell my friend who has been living in Japan for the last 15 years that this is bullox; she will tell you a different story.

[poohcarrot]

I don't think you know the difference between a kimono and a yukata.

[BaldJean]

Actually I do.

[poohcarrot]

OK. You win. I'll bow down to your superior knowledge about Japan.

All Japanese women have to speak with a subdued and extremely high-pitched voice to make them appear childlike. And the opinion of ALL women is like a child's and does not really count.

I've only lived here for the past 16 years, and I'm a man, so what the hell do I know about anything?

[Beyond Birthday]

You are currently in Japan? I didn't know that. It must suck trying to find anything new in the english language (assuming you don't like reading books in the Japanese language).

[BaldJean]

OK. You win. I'll bow down to your superior knowledge about Japan.

All Japanese women have to speak with a subdued and extremely high-pitched voice to make them appear childlike. And the opinion of ALL women is like a child's and does not really count.

I've only lived here for the past 16 years, and I'm a man, so what the hell do I know about anything?

So you see the male perspective. Try a woman's one. Ask her what happens if she does not act like that. Of course there is no law that tells them to behave like that.
My friend has lived in Japan for 20 years now, and I trust her more than you. But maybe you should exchange opinions with her. She lives in Kyoto..

[mystmoon]

Can we discuss manga rather than argue over whether Japanese women are depressed? I don't know where else I should ask about the new Beyblade manga I found (it is much better than the anime though! More violent too )

[poohcarrot]

OK. You win. I'll bow down to your superior knowledge about Japan.

All Japanese women have to speak with a subdued and extremely high-pitched voice to make them appear childlike. And the opinion of ALL women is like a child's and does not really count.

I've only lived here for the past 16 years, and I'm a man, so what the hell do I know about anything?

So you see the male perspective. Try a woman's one. Ask her what happens if she does not act like that. Of course there is no law that tells them to behave like that.
My friend has lived in Japan for 20 years now, and I trust her more than you. But maybe you should exchange opinions with her. She lives in Kyoto..

I have a friend I have known for over 20 years. She is a lesbian.
I know more about lesbianism than you do.

You are currently in Japan? I didn't know that. It must suck trying to find anything new in the english language (assuming you don't like reading books in the Japanese language).

Everyday I get the Daily Yomiuri in English. I can get books from Amazon or if I go into Tokyo, there are lots of English book stores.