There are many books available that try to explain parts of Japanese culture with the stuffiness of old dusty books and professors who spend way too much time in the library. They barely touch on their subjects and are filled with either euro centric observations or lurid expose on what the Japanese are "really like" or what they "really mean" when dealing with a particular subject. This is not so with Frederik L Schodt's Dreamland Japan: Writings On Modern Manga published by Stone Bridge Press.

Instead of going into overblown speculation on the how and why of manga, Frederik Schodt seems to step away from the glass, allowing us to observe what is going on first hand. Mr. Schodt simply acts as a translator, throwing in his own comments as a friend who is along on the ride. He backs up every observation with quotes from actual editors and artists, rarely stepping out on his own limb. Here manga is pulled freshly from its roots with the cultural bits still attached, not washed out and trimmed up as it is presented in the United States for pre-packaged commercial consumption.

Every sticky question that comes up in fan discussion is right from the start addressed in the first few chapters; from the seeming European looking designs of characters, where the big eyes and style originate from, the fluctuating attitudes of sex and violence in Japanese entertainment, the true meaning of the word "otaku" and its full origins, to the not very flattering portrayals of other races in the not so distant past. Mr. Schodt does not pass judgment or gloss over the more painful parts of Japanese culture and history. He shows it to us balanced, seeking the reader's understanding only.

Most of "Dreamland Japan" is filled with general information such as the various "phone books" available (the monthly and weekly magazines that run up to 200+ pages printed on cheap newsprint), information on being a manga artist, going to Comiket, fashions in manga, and genres. However the most interesting pieces of information come from Mr. Schodt's interviews with other manga artists. As he states in the beginning of his book, there are no long treaties on Sailor Moon, Ranma 1/2, Dragonball Z or any other popular titles. Instead he chooses to show us obscure artists such as King Terry; creator of the shocking Heta-Uma or bad-good style, Ryoko Yamagishi; who turns the half mythical Prince Shotoku of early Japanese history into an elegant homosexual with supernatural powers, and Shingo Iguchi, the creator of the surreal dunce cap toting character "Z-chan". In these interviews a sample is pulled from the deepest well of manga, showing us unique gems that would probably never see the light of publishing here in the United States.

No book would be complete though without a whole chapter dedicated to the man who started all of manga, as we know it today. He is Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Astroboy, Princess Knight and Blackjack. If you know nothing about Osamu Tezuka other than the commonly discussed footnotes and from the interview with Fred Ladd on Akadot, this will show in detail why Osamu Tezuka deserved the title "the God of Comics" in Japan. Going from his life during wartime that sealed his lifelong philosophy for peace and the respect of all living things, to his energy and humor that lasted right up until his death, the chapter is itself a mini-book on Osamu Tezuka's career and his heart. Mr. Schodt again speaks from experience; he was Mr. Tezuka's translator on many occasions for conventions, seeing firsthand the all too human but compassionate man behind the myth.

There is also a section in Dreamland Japan on manga in the English-speaking world, covering the creation of companies like Viz and Studio Proteus. A brief glimpse of American fandom is given at the end, showing sadly the date of the book. (A screen cap is given of the now infamous Anipike at its old soyokaze.biosci.ohio-state.edu address, with a pre-Trixie Turnpike logo.)

Dreamland Japan is a book that can easily read over and over again, catching something new each time to ponder on and discover. Thankfully so, since the book's 359 pages is packed to the gills with huge amounts of information that will require subsequent readings to absorb it all. There are very few books that can truly be said to be a requirement for serious discussion of a topic. For manga, Dreamland Japan is it.