amjamin

"The characters that we draw do not have any nationality. They are a work of unlimited imagination," professed Masami Suda, one of Japan's most prolific and famous animators and character designers. This, according to Suda, is a conscientious move away from the stereotype that everything from the east has to have an Oriental tinge to it. Suda is revered as sensei (teacher, master) of those colourful creations of the virtual world which have spread worldwide. In Japan, he said, these illustrated characters live beyond television screens and book leaves. "Anime and manga (loosely defined as animations and comic books) are an important part of Japanese life," the sensei said. "They live in the bloodstream of the people." Almost 40 per cent of magazines and books sold in Japan are manga, which have a market worth of over 448 billion yen (US$4.3 billion approximately). On a recent visit to Jamaica, Suda said he was impressed by the creative thoug...