Vietnamese
children can be seen reading Japanese comic books, manga, in parks, cafes, at home, in school and even on the
backs of speeding motorbikes. Some question the educational value of these books, which tend be violent and often fixated on war and the end of the world.
Despite these concerns, the books remain wildly popular with Vietnamese youth. A recent survey suggests that while the books may often be gory, they can also be educational, instilling in
children a sense of morality and humanity.
One-hundred
students, 100 parents and 27 teachers of an elementary school and a junior secondary school in Ha Noi''s Ba Dinh District, and a number of librarians and book-sellers were asked to evaluate the overall effect of the books on children.
The results of the survey indicate the comics have both positive and negative effects on Ha Noi children but on the whole those surveyed believed the books were a good influence.
Sixty-five per cent of parents, 96 per cent of teachers and 100 per cent of librarians and book-sellers believe manga promote mental, moral and aesthetic learning while all students said they found them beneficial.
The comics were found to stimulate children, help them to develop their imaginative and creative powers, recognise good and evil, and foster their humanity and altruism.
Through the books, students said they learned about Japanese culture and customs, Egyptian history, world history, criminology, medicine, chemistry, sport, industry, psychology, new Japanese games and the universe.
Since many of these stories deal with wars and their aftermath, Vietnamese children learn to abhor war and its causes. They learn that wars are often the result of greed for power and wealth, disputes over interests, personal hostilities and selfishness. A regular theme in manga is that those who sow misfortune and commit cruel acts cannot escape from punishment.
One student said in order to avoid wars people must look to the good in themselves. When a dispute takes place they must do their best to avoid hatred and work together to solve it peacefully by talking.
Japanese comics also help kids acquire a sense of environmental protection and in a subtle but profound way, like in the book Doremon, teach them how to deal gently with other people.
But the survey also found that despite these book''s positive effects, manga also negatively
impacts the behaviour, language and learning of children.
Many parents and teachers have complained students draw pictures of war, violence, and strange and imaginary things.
Students have begun imitating the speaking and writing style of the books. They speak curtly, addressing nobody in particular and write terse sentences devoid of feeling or emotion. They use onomatopoetic words such as
bop,
chat and
bum, suggesting the sounds of fighting and war.
Even alone some children gesticulate, hit and strike the air just as the characters in the stories do. One-hundred per cent of secondary high school students believe the violence in Japanese comics has effected the behaviour of many of their classmates who use rude language and slang, exchange blows, disrupt their classes, draw strange things and read comics while in class.
Some students have stolen their parents'' money to buy Japanese comics and many students read manga while completely ignoring other types of writing.
Few parents, however, have taken a serious interest in their children''s reading. Seventy per cent of parents rarely accompany their children to bookstores and when they do, they usually let them choose the books they want. Only 28 per cent regularly ask their children what books they are reading.
Japanese comics are not going anywhere and they do represent a positive influence in children''s lives. Publishers should more carefully select books with less violence and more lessons. Parents need also to engage their children and know what they are reading in order to guide them tuse books not only as a means of recreation but also as a way to enrich their lives.