My dad was a super nerd. He loved comic books as a child and spent every Saturday with me watching cartoons. I fell in love with animation and all the worlds it can create. I watched every X-men episode for years. I was watching the Batman movies way before most other kids my age. I used to pretend to be The Phantom back when other girls wanted to be a pretty princess. (If you get that reference I love you.)
When my family moved to South America there was a major issue with watching television. Most of the shows that were in English were Japanese cartoons, more commonly known as Anime. I watched these few shows religiously because they were all I had. I think Speed Racer was my gateway show, there was an episode on every night before bedtime. From there I was pretty much hooked. When I hit junior high and found that there was a whole world of anime and manga, the comics, I was excieted. I subscribed to the magazines and spent all my allowance on comics. Senior year I slowed down in my craze but I still keep up with important news.
What most Americans don't understand is that in Japan anime and manga are legitimate forms of entertainment. They are not created simply for the nerds or teenage boys. Business men read manga on the train every day. Housewives watch the shows during the day. This is because there is something for everyone out there. They make every kind of genre. I suggest everyone at least take a look to see if they can find something, because there is a premise for every personality out there.
