Manga Mad

DIRECTOR:

Ray Castle

PLOT:

An introduction to the pop culture history of comics and animation in Japan, particularly adult comics, and the obsessive fantasy world of comic & animation fans, called 'otaku', their media mecca, cybersex paradise, Akihabara Electric Town, and the world's largest comic market, Comiket. Comics (manga in Japanese) and animation (anime) are the biggest pop entertainment media in Japan. More people in Japan read comics than any other country. Comics account for 40% of all magazines & books sold in Japan. 60% of all cartoon animation broadcast around the world on TV is made in Japan. Comics in Japan are for adults, not only children. Politicians, doctors, office ladies and salarymen read them. Otaku are geeky adult males who mostly live with their parents who lack communication skills and don't date girls, preferring to reside in a comic/animation virtual reality world. The film reflects on the Japanese penchant for 'cuteness' exploring cultural psychological innuendos evident in comic/anime character craze and doll figure fetish. And stylized, sentimentally, in the 'Moe' character trend, which have a fairy tale erotic mythos and violent heroism themes.