Growing up with Japanese Superheroes: Portraits of Children's Media Cultures from Malaysia

The last few decades have seen an increasing convergence and consolidation of major media corporations in terms of production and distribution of global media programs and artifacts. These global programs offer media experiences and understandings of different cultures that shape the views of children in making sense of different people, their cultures and their everyday lives. Japan has emerged as one of the global players in media content, and many of Japanese media artifacts enjoy immense popularity in many Asian countries, including Malaysia and Singapore. As a cultural super power in this region, well known for its drama, anime, manga and other media modes, these cultural products and social practices can serve as a child’s window to the world of Japan, shaping how they view reality and those who live in it. A study was designed to understand and document the perception and construction of children's perspectives on Japanese superheroes that will reveal the ways children understand their own media cultures, the difficulties and pleasures that they encounter in their desires to engage with the superhero narratives. Furthermore, the study provides insights on how Japanese media plays a huge role in our children’s lives, shaping their values and developing their awareness of the outside world. The purpose of this study was three-fold; not only were we interested in understanding the most liked Japanese superheroes by Malaysians, we also aimed to explore how and why children identify with these characters and whether these series might contribute to their social-cultural development, emotional skills, and ability to creatively solve problems. The study reveals that children from Malaysia identify with these characters and believe these series have helped them develop socially, emotionally, and cognitively