Self-Introduction Response

1. How were you introduced to Asian popular culture?
I know this will sound cliche but it's also my honest response. I am not quite sure if I have been thoroughly "introduced" to Asian popular culture but as a young kid I use to watch this 1990s Japanese animation show, "Sailor Moon." I would say that this was my first time realizing another cultural perspective towards cartoons. What caught my attention was the sharp contrast of how Japanese animation presented their visuals in comparison to American animation, which I was more familiar with. All of a sudden I felt that American animation of the 1990s was bland and flat while "Sailor Moon" provided a more dimensional illustration. The show specifically brought me in contact with Japanese youth culture via the characters personal interests and dislikes. However, as an adult, my friends who have more interaction with Asian popular culture have taken on the role of educating and engaging me with the numerous aspects of Asian popular culture, beyond Japanese animation.

2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
Again, it appears that majority of my Asian popular culture exposure has been through the perspective of the American lens. Even the Asian popular culture that I might be exposed to is usually tied with the Asian-American hybrid background rather than coming directly from Asia. For instance, I became interested in how American 1950s rock'n'roll music was interpreted by non-Americans as I watched Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" and then with the revival of the 1960s girl groups mixed with punk, produced the "5,6,7,8s," which intrigued me even further. I suppose my interest with music has led me to be curious in how certain ideas and styles travel the world and are interpreted differently. Also as a film enthusiasts, I am drawn to films and have noticed that I am intrigued by the independent films that have emerged from the Asian film industries.

3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
For me, watching, listening, and engaging in Asian popular culture truly depends on the medium. For instance, I might not know the language that the specific cultural event is but depending on my own personal connection, language does not exist as a barrier. The major difference though that I will state is that I might have more of a background reference on an American popular culture than Asian popular culture, however, this does not act as an hindrance to me wanting to participate in the new experience. Personally, I am always looking for how individuals and groups of people create and utilize culture as a means of defining an aspect of who they are, so it is interesting to venture in a culture that I am not familiar with. Finally, the true difference is the crowd. When experiencing Asian popular culture the crowd and audience will be one that is already familiar with the culture or like me, trying out something new. For me this provides a different experience than when I attend American cultural events as I usually go with knowing some type of information and already have a hand on the context of the situation while in contrast, experiencing a new cultural event like Asian popular culture I end up wanting to be more of an observer.

4.What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
At this moment, I have not explored other cultural blogs or online sources but know that through this course that will all change.