To: Parents of Anime Club Members

From: Marcia Austin, Children’s Librarian

Date: August 2008

Re: Information about the Club

Hi Everyone,

The Huntington Branch Library offers 2 anime clubs year-round for our young visitors who have discovered this fast growing genre.

But for those of you who may not be familiar with ANIME and MANGA, allow me to bring you into the loop. These two terms refer mostly to Japanese animated films and graphic novels. However (and this is where Japanese culture kicks in), do not equate these with American cartoons and comic books. Since the Japanese written language deals more with characters rather than phonetic spelling, it is a natural extension that their books are also more visual than we are used to. Films are most often an offshoot of these “graphic novels”, covering as many subjects as American movies and tv shows. They may be a stand alone film or a progressive series.

Please be aware that while some anime and manga are intended as children’s material, there is much more on the market intended to reach teen and adult readers and film goers. There are many excellent storylines which are appropriate for adults, but may not be appreciated by a younger audience, just as there are adult books beyond the interest of youngsters and film ratings for families to make informed decisions.

Please also be aware that part of the purpose of the Teen Anime Club is to expose the members to a different culture, and enable them to practice tolerance for different ideas. As such, there are a few cultural differences that you or your child may not expect, such as children being taught more independence at a younger age than in the U.S., the importance of respect and honor (far beyond what we would consider adequate), the social position of women, and one of the most obvious – nudity. Your children will most likely be exposed to this last in two ways: when a storyline takes place in a public situation, there may be examples of “bathroom humor” (perhaps this can be equated with humor from the “Captain Underpants” series). The second way your child might be exposed to this is when the storyline takes place in private (in a home for example), where there might be scenes involving bathing or undressing. It is not unusual to bathe as a family or to use public baths. This is in no way intended to be sexual in nature; the Japanese just don’t see the human body as “dirty”. It has no more meaning than viewing the “Venus de Milo” or “David” – it just is part of the routine.

While I try to have some idea of the content of the anime we watch at our meetings, it is impossible to say that we will never come across an element that might make your child feel uncomfortable, because of the cultural differences. For the most part, we watch anime with a “13 and up” rating, and this USUALLY corresponds to PG/PG -13 movies or books published for the 6^th – 9^th grader in mind. But we also have many good titles which have a “15 or 16 and up” rating, which USUALLY corresponds to PG-13/R movies or books published for the 10^th-12^th grader in mind. It is not my intention to show or discuss anything blatantly or graphically sexual, but as the rating goes up, there will be more issues with language, violence, what we may consider “crude” humor, and perhaps some sensual experiences; just normal stuff for the high school teen.

Therefore, I will be offering two groups: one for high school students (9^th-12^th grade as of each September, or a high school graduate), and one for kids in grades 5 – 8 as of each September). Each group will meet at least once a month and we will try to have 2-3 joint events during the year. Our Youth Group will have occasional “lesson” in Japanese culture. Our Teen Group will be virtually self-sufficient, run by elected officers.

Please indicate on the attached form which group your child will be attending and return it in person or by mail. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Once I have the lists, I will contact you with the meeting times and dates.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Marcia Austin

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____________________________ will be attending the High School Group ___

____________________________will be attending the Youth Group ___

Parent’s Printed Name________________________Phone_____________________

Parent’s Signature____________________________ Date_____________________