Kelts (2007) in his critical analysis of America’s fascination with Japanese pop culture quotes Federik Schodt, a renowned manga scholar’s, explanation of Japan’s embrace of manga reading as “…Japan’s far ‘more autistic, cramped, pressurized, and inward-looking lives’ may be at least partly accountable for the drive to pursue an obsession to its outer limits” (p. 162). This lay usage of the term “autistic” does not correctly capture the clinical use of the term. However, if one can forgive the improper usage of the term, Schodt may be onto something. …
