Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryuou
But it brings up an interesting cultural dynamic between Japan (and maybe other Asian countries) and what I would assume is most of the Western countries. And that is the dynamic between cute and sexy. Whereas being sexy is the major necessity in the west for attractiveness, it’s cuteness in Japan. And then for men it’s all about their face. Japan’s really superficial I guess. [/FONT][/COLOR]
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Asia and the West are equally superficial; so are cuteness and sexiness, skin whitening and tanning, etc. One good thing about the last dichotomy is that Asian women who protect themselves from the sun tend to look young for longer (and it's not just genetic, since tanned Asian Americans and Singaporeans often look a lot older than their counterparts in China/Japan/Korea).
On a completely different topic...
What is the demographic appeal of light novels such as Toradora and Suzumiya Haruhi in Japan?
According to what I've read, manga has a much wider demographic appeal than anime such that it is completely normal for businessmen to read "bishoujo" manga whereas someone who follows the same story in anime form would be labelled an "otaku".
Hence, the Suzumiya Haruhi anime is considered an icon of "otaku" culture but do the original novels have a much broader appeal? In other words, are they something the average teenager would read on his/her commute to school?