"We're nerdy kids in real life and we're Final Fantasy characters right now."

I think that two of some of my most favorite things to do is watch anime and listen to public radio. So, I was excited to hear when my local radio station said that they would be doing a broadcast about Japanese pop culture exports, as a part of their summer documentary series.

This was a fun little report! It mentions a lot about the country and lifestyle of Japan, how its technological boom led to the formation of a whole new culture, further western influences, and the culture that the country has produced and shared abroad.
A documentary about why Japan is cool!

Anime is mentioned prevalently throughout the report, they even interview con-goers. The most thought-provoking part of the documentary (to me) is where they compare the introduction and growth of anime and J-pop culture to the early days of rock and roll!

Click here to listen to the report, "Japan's Pop Power", in its entirety (51:30) on you RealPlayer, or just read the transcript.
Either way the website is very interesting and presents a great insight into many aspects of new, old, and classic (but mostly new) Japan.

Ha! Listen to John Biewen (non-otaku) ask about FLCL!