Exploration of Japanese graphic novel (Manga) as a tool for cultural resistance

Manga is the collective name given to the graphic novels and comics created by Japanese artists and to the culture that derive from them. Manga culture, which includes but not limited to animations, cos-plays, accessories, movies and a particular life style associate with this culture is vast and infinite. Manga is also one of the most significant features of the contemporary Japanese culture. Its foundations are embedded in thousands years old traditional Japanese graphic arts and harsh sociological and political turmoil of the Japanese society in the twentieth century. Manga's current influence on the Japanese culture in closely related to the reforms and ordeals of the Japanese nation as a whole. One can argue that manga is one of the strongest global soft powers of Japan. Soft power is just the opposite of "hard" power, which is the military, politic and economic intimidation force and capacity of a county. Soft power is prestige and manipulation capability of an international actor's cultural values, such as art, literature, costumes, fashion and religion. For developing a soft power, it is crucial to understand how a successful soft power works, how its themes develop, what are those themes and how it communicates those themes successfully to other foreign cultures. Japanese manga is an important example to explore the qualities of such a succesfull soft power and its impact on the world for the benefit of its society.