Hello parents! This is just a basic overview about anime and manga. If you have more detailed questions, contact me. I'll steer you in the right direction.
OK, now let's get down to business. First of all, anime are cartoons. They are made in Japan and they are as diverse as regular american television. There is virtually every type of film genre found in anime form. Some of the more popular anime genres are, drama, comedy, dramatic comedy, romantic comedy and sci-fi. In Japan, cartoons are as frequent on television as show with actors in them are here. They air during dinner so the family can watch them together while they eat. They are pretty much common every day shows to the Japanese.
You may have heard people saying that anime is a sick and perverted type of cartoon. Well, those people are sadly mis-informed. I will admit that some anime is indeed perverted, but you have to make the choice to watch it. Luckily for U.S. parents, none of that "perverted" anime airs on tv, so you don't have to worry about that too much. There is however, very violent anime on the air in the united states with a lot of blood. These shows are on late at night on the "Adult Swim" program block. Unless your kids watch tv starting at 11:00 PM, you don't have to worry about them seeing any of this.
There are tons and tons of kid oriented anime on the air for younger audiences to watch. These are on kid's television networks, like the Kid's WB on saturday and sunday mornings. They are also on Cartoon Network during the afternoons, this program block is called "Toonami". It may be more action oriented, but it is ok for kids to watch. If you really don't trust anime, you can watch a few of the shows with your kids to ease your worries. This will also show your kids that you are interested in something that they are interested in as well.
Now for the second part of my parent's guide. This section is on manga. Manga is also created in Japan. It is a comic book basically. A very long comic book that is black and white. Out of anime and manga, this is the one you have to worry about more. Manga has something known as "fanservice" in a lot of it. "Fanservice" is when they show pantyshots, breasts, breast jiggles and other sexual inuendo. It is usually only for a brief frame in the comic, but a child can still keep looking at it for hours if they want to since it is printed on a page. It all depends on what you would like your kids to see or read.
Manga comes in all the same genres as anime does, seeing as most animes are created from a manga. If you are worried about what is in the mangas, look at a manga your child wants to buy before they get it. If the content is unsuitable to your tastes, then don't buy it for them. Help them look for one with less adult humor. Manga usually has a helpful rating on the back of the books. It tells you what age the manga is appropriate for.
There, I hope some of your fears are put to rest. Manga and anime really isn't as bad as many make it out to be. It is just a really great story telling method with many different ages that it appeals too. Happy watching and reading!
