Comics Appeal To Every Age In Japan ‘Manga’ Account For 40 Percent Of Books, Magazines Published

Teens spend long hours and stacks of cash on them. Devotees in outlandish costumes pay homage to them at conventions. Detractors say they warp minds; fans say they’re the wave of the future.

The phenomenon at the center of a debate about modern Japanese youth is so marginal in most countries that it’s hardly worth a mention: comic books.

But Japan’s comics, or “manga,” are not to be trifled with. The business accounts for nearly 40 percent of all the books and magazines published in Japan each year, with sales approaching the equivalent of $7 billion.

And they’re not just for kids. Dealing with everything from teen love to trade disputes, comics cater to children, teens, young adults - and even middle-aged men, who are often seen reading racy editions on commuter trains.

The best of Japan’s comics and animation are graced with highly detailed and expressive illustrations, and some have found their way into Tokyo art galleries. The books and cartoons are increasingly popular in the United States and Europe.

Typically, Japanese manga and animation, or “anime,” depict a fantasyland inhabited by large-eyed, nymphlike characters. But they can also stray into pornography and violence.

While some Japanese worry that young people are spending too much time and money enveloped in otherworldly images, proponents predict the country’s comic books and animation styles will form the backbone of 21st-century world pop culture.

The trend has already spawned its own social group - comics and cartoon devotees known as “otaku” - and some argue the new generation of fans has developed an advanced visual sense.

“One thing they share is their appreciation for fine details” in computer games and cartoons, said writer Toshio Okada, who teaches a course on otaku culture at the University of Tokyo, Japan’s most prestigious school.

The new wave was on display at a recent comics convention in Tokyo. Thousands showed up to showcase homemade comics or to buy reams of books and toylike replicas of cartoon props. True believers strolled around in elaborate - and expensive - costumes as their favorite characters.

For some, it’s all a bit much.

Critics are linking the rise of comics, animation and video games to what they say is a growing listlessness and alienation among Japanese young people. At worst, they say, the drumbeat of unreal, violent images has loosened youngsters’ grip on reality.

Some people have even linked hideous crimes to comics and cartoons.

A junior high school student suspected in the May beheading of an 11-year-old boy in Kobe is a reported fan of violent videos, and critics say the crime is emblematic of today’s “game generation” amorality.

Atsuya Yano, 26, a self-confessed comics buff, said spending long hours each week immersed in fantasy illustrations may cut down on his contact with other people, but he doesn’t think cartoons can really make someone fall into a fantasy world.

“There are no people like that,” he said outside a top comic book store in Tokyo. “Even people who have those tendencies maintain a minimum contact with reality.”