Comics A High Art In Japan But some critics fear it's leading youth to ruin BY JOSEPH COLEMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS TOKYO - Teens spend long hours and stacks of cash on them. Devotees in outlandish costumes pay homage to them at conventions. Detractors say they warp minds. Fans say they're the wave of the future. The phenomenon at the centre of a debate about modern Japanese youth is so marginal in most countries that it's hardly worth a mention: comic books. But Japan's comics, or manga, are not to be trifled with. The business accounts for nearly 40 per cent of all the books and magazines published in Japan each year, with sales approaching the equivalent of $7 billion. And they're not just for kids. Dealing with everything from teen love to trade disputes, comics cater to children, teens, young adults - even middle-aged men, who are often seen reading racy editions on commuter trains. Highly detailed illustrations "Japan is the only nation in the world that has raised comics to this level of expression," says Frederik Schodt, an American who has written several books about Japanese comics. The best of Japan's comics and animation are graced with highly detailed and expressive illustrations, and some have found their way into Tokyo art galleries. The books and cartoons are increasingly popular in the United States and Europe. In fact, Toronto-based Japanese animation organization Anime North is sponsoring a convention Aug. 9, at the Michener Institute in the University of Toronto, with Disney animator Geri Bertolo as the guest of honor. Organizers expect about 500 people for the event, which has the support of seven other animation groups in Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa. Typically, Japanese manga and animation, or anime, depict a fantasyland inhabited by large-eyed, nymph-like characters. But they, can also stray into pornography and violence. While some Japanese worry young people are spending too much time and money on otherworldly images, proponents predict the country's comic books and animation styles will form the backbone of 2lst century world pop culture. The trend has already spawned its own social group - comics and cartoon devotees known as otaku - and some argue the new generation of fans has developed an advanced visual sense. "One thing they share is their appreciation for fine details" in computer games and cartoons, says writer Toshio Okada, who teaches a course on otaku culture at the University of Tokyo, Japan's most prestigious school. Okada predicts in a recent book that otaku culture will challenge Western pop culture. He also theorizes fans have different values than wider society - a rejection of absolute principles and a passion for childlike imagery. "Just as U.S. pop culture demonstrates the very positive image of freedom ... Japanese otaku culture demonstrates the idea of cute, and that's what's being exported overseas," Okada says. The new wave was on display at a recent comics convention in Tokyo. Thousands showed up to showcase home-made comics or to buy reams of books and toy-like replicas of cartoon props. True believers strolled around in elaborate - and expensive - costumes as their favorite characters. For some, it's all a bit much. Critics are linking the rise of comics, animation and video games to what they say is a growing listlessness and alienation among Japanese young people. Some link crimes to cartoons Takahiro Otsuki a conservative social critic, says materialism and obsession with childish hobbies has saddled the new generation' with "a shallow sense of belonging to family or any social groups." "You can't deny that the tendency to confuse fantasy and reality is becoming more obvious," he says. Some people have even linked hideous crimes to comics and cartoons. A junior high school student suspected in the May beheading of an 11-year-old boy in Kobe is a reported fan of violent videos, and critics say the crime is emblematic of today's "game generation" amorality. Indeed, at the convention in Tokyo, some of the fans didn't seem to appreciate the dark symbolism of their costumes. One group was dressed as World War II-era Japanese soldiers, and a young man skulked around the cavernous hall wearing a Nazi SS outfit. Atsuya Yano, 26, a self-confessed comics buff, says spending long hours each week immersed in fantasy illustrations may cut down on his contact with other people, but he doesn't think cartoons can really make someone fall into a fantasy world. "There are no people like that," he says outside a top comic book store in Tokyo. "Even people who have those tendencies maintain a minimum contact with reality." Toronto Star July 29, 1997