AKICILJ: Japanese pop culture recommendations for Alex.

[rivka]

Alex is learning about Japan this week. We're going to be doing origami and reading stories and going to the museum to look at classical Japanese art and eating sushi and learning to write a few kanji and so on. But modern Japanese pop culture is so vibrant, and is such a massive international phenomenon, that I'd really like to expose Alex to some of that, rather than just the high and/or folk culture elements that kids' educational materials tend to include.

I know that there are people on my friends list who follow Japanese pop culture, and others whose teenage kids follow it. It would be awesome if you could link me to web-available resources like songs/music videos, cartoons, toys, clothes, etc. which are young-child appropriate (that's the part that makes just Googling this on my own tricky) and which would give Alex an idea of things that might be enjoyed by young Japanese girls.

(No tentacle porn please, kthxbai.)

Comments

[elusis.livejournal.com]

One more thought - I never got very far into Ranma 1/2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranma_%C2%BD) but it was intended for children. The Wiki article says teen girls were the biggest readers but readership went younger - how much younger, I'm not sure. It's been the early 90s since I watched some of the first episodes of the anime, so I don't remember much that would help me suggest whether it's suitable or not, but it might be worth a look.

Also: Sailor Moon. And I echo the mentions of Pokemon.

And any lesson on Japanese pop culture should include some Pocky.

[droewyn.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of breast flashes and accidental groping in Ranma 1/2. It's a gender-bending comedy in which the main character is a boy cursed to turn into a girl. It's much more aimed at teen and older.