# American Cartoons in Japan? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395 "2005-08-10T03:30:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/1 "2005-08-10T03:30:17Z")
Anyone who watches kids’ television in the U.S. knows that every third show on the air these days is a Japanese import: Yu-Gi-Oh, One Piece, Yu Yu Hakusho, Pokemon, Dragonball, etc. Is there any flow the other way? Do kids in Japan ever watch the Powerpuff Girls? Teen Titans? Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi? Samurai Jack? Fairly Odd Parents? What about more adult stuff? South Park? The Simpsons? Aqua Team Hunger Force? Even if it’s not mainstream, does any of this stuff trickle over in fanboy circles? ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/2 "2005-08-10T03:32:55Z")
I can only answer to my knowledge, but I will say that when I was there, anything Disney was incredibly popular, probably moreso than it is here (the merchandise is absolutely everywhere). I also saw several children’s programs brought over from the United States, including Winnie the Pooh (New Adventures). Out of what you listed, the only thing I can say for certain is that they do watch Powerpuff Girls at least. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/3 "2005-08-10T03:47:37Z")
And there are apparently “amecomi” (American Comic) fan clubs, like otaku over here. Some amecomi drawing-technique books: > **[Amecomi Illustration Technic - Anime Books](https://www.animebooks.com/amiltec.html)** > > Amecomi Illustration Technic - This Japanese perspective of Kids American Comic Illustration techniques book is filled with sketches of super heroes, heroines, villains, and etc. > > 190 pages. Japanese text. B&W. Softcover. Printed in Japan. > > ... [http://www.akadotretail.com/shop/shop\_showbook.php?id=4766109740](http://www.akadotretail.com/shop/shop_showbook.php?id=4766109740) ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/4 "2005-08-10T05:35:21Z")
> [@Netbrian](#): > > I can only answer to my knowledge, but I will say that when I was there, anything Disney was incredibly popular, probably moreso than it is here (the merchandise is absolutely everywhere). Hmm, never thought of it that way, but considering that Square-Enix made a game combining its popular Final Fantasy characters with Dinsey characters ([Kingdom Hearts](http://na.square-enix.com/games/kingdomhearts/)) that makes sense. The writer/artist of Rurouni Kenshin, Nobuhiro Watsuki is apparently a big X-Men fan. He’s borrowed character features from some of their characters to use in his own work (I don’t have a cite. All my Ruro-Ken manga are currently in boxes). ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/5 "2005-08-10T05:49:45Z")
I also understand that certain titles that hit popular genres or themes are big there, like the Powerpuff Girls. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/6 "2005-08-10T13:54:58Z")
Not only do they play in Japan, their presentation is _much more efficient!_ ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/7 "2005-08-10T14:01:26Z")
One of the top fan sites for [My Life as a Teenage Robot](http://teenageroblog.blogspot.com/) was made by a Japanese fan. [Here is the link](http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ez3k-msym/image/mltr/mltr.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/8 "2005-08-10T16:08:04Z")
I know they have the Simpsons. And they have South Park, thus that bit from FLCL. But as I understand it the show comes on in some out of they way way. Either late at night or on a remote channel, or both. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/9 "2005-08-10T16:35:40Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > I know they have the Simpsons. And they have South Park, … Depends on what you mean by “have”. I think the Simpsons is on the Fox Japan cable channel, but I never saw it anywhere else. And cable TV is far less common in Japan than in the US. I never saw South Park when in Japan (I lived there till early last year). Growing up in Japan, I saw some of the Disney animated movies, but I don’t recall seeing any other non-Japanese animation. Last couple years in Japan I had cable, and IIRC they had a Cartoon Network channel that showed some of the American shows. And Simpsons and King of the Hill on Fox. ---
**Author:** ![audreyayn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@audreyayn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audreyayn)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2005, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-cartoons-in-japan/316395/10 "2005-08-12T06:13:34Z")
One of my favorite Japanese voice actors does the voices of Kyle, Bugs Bunny and Rattrap. (That last one’s Canadian.) Not to mention Cory Matthews from Boy Meets World. I’ve seen Japanese-language dvds of everything, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. They get a LOT of our media (as does the rest of the world.) These may not be playing on TV, though, I’ve never been to Japan. As a random note, I’ve heard from friends (i.e. questionable sources) that the English dub of Pokemon ran in Japan right alongside the original for some time. Good for bilingual children, I suppose.