TY - JOUR
T1 - Fantasy can speak the truth
T2 - Focusing on the manga series, "Fruits Basket"
AU - O'Malley, Rebecka
AU - Bryce, Mio
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - This essay will discuss the educational capability and relevance of manga as popular media for interrogating problems faced by adolescents, and providing responses to issues that are just as valid as novels and films. The global popularity of manga has been growing, along with the sociocultural and commercial significance of manga, although there is still strong criticism of the medium as 'childish,' 'trivial' and potentially 'harmful.' One of the strengths of this medium is captivating storytelling and many manga, particularly "shōjo" (girl's) manga, contain psychological believability and a sense of realness in dealing with a number of serious issues that the readers may face. Such manga often feature fantasy and encourage the reader's emotional alignment with the characters, expressing the subjective 'truth' involved in their treatment of social issues. Using the very popular manga series, "Fruits Basket" by Natsuki Takaya, this paper will look at how effectively manga can employ fantasy to represent issues facing adolescents, focusing on interpersonal relationships, especially the leading characters' relationships with their mothers.
AB - This essay will discuss the educational capability and relevance of manga as popular media for interrogating problems faced by adolescents, and providing responses to issues that are just as valid as novels and films. The global popularity of manga has been growing, along with the sociocultural and commercial significance of manga, although there is still strong criticism of the medium as 'childish,' 'trivial' and potentially 'harmful.' One of the strengths of this medium is captivating storytelling and many manga, particularly "shōjo" (girl's) manga, contain psychological believability and a sense of realness in dealing with a number of serious issues that the readers may face. Such manga often feature fantasy and encourage the reader's emotional alignment with the characters, expressing the subjective 'truth' involved in their treatment of social issues. Using the very popular manga series, "Fruits Basket" by Natsuki Takaya, this paper will look at how effectively manga can employ fantasy to represent issues facing adolescents, focusing on interpersonal relationships, especially the leading characters' relationships with their mothers.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84866616574&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84866616574
SN - 1447-9494
VL - 18
SP - 81
EP - 90
JO - International Journal of Learning
JF - International Journal of Learning
IS - 9
ER -