You are probably an anime/manga fan and didn't even realize it. Read to find out if it's true.

Caught you by surprise, did I? It's not a click-bait headline though. I refuse to accept that none of you has ever watched Pokemon. Pokemon?! you say. That's a cartoon meant for kids! A Japanese cartoon mind you, and an anime if we're looking for the finer details.

A recent conversation with a friend made me realise how oblivious we are to foreign influences in our lives. Our clothing is western, our food Italian, our cars german (no I'm not biased - just picking out random comparisons here) and our cartoon was most likely Japanese. You have watched Dragon Ball Z, Inuyasha and Pokemon. Come fight me if you haven't. We have easily integrated foreign influences in our culture without blinking twice and yet we seem to have a hard time accepting Manga/Anime.

But they speak English! You once again raise your voice. Yes, they do, it's called dubbing. Fun fact: Ask Ketchum's original name is Satoshi named after his creator Satoshi Tajiri. Do you know the best part? All these famous animes *cough* cartoons *coughs* such as Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z were first based off from a Manga. That's right dear friends, our favourite childhood memories stem from the books you write off as too complicated or too different.

But different is what makes these series such a hit. They don't give you the generic stories, there's imagination and thought put into it (even if many of it stems from mythology). There is no stopping them when it comes to creativity and grandeur. The very thing that makes it possible to do this is also the factor that discredits its legitimacy as a proper medium for viewers. The animation aspect.

Let's just end this by saying that, just because it's a comic or a cartoon doesn't necessarily mean that it's meant for kids or that it cannot talk about serious issues. Some of the mangas and animes have best portrayed mental health and other issues of the human heart to superior accuracy than many 'live-action' shows.