Hi! My name is Ayanna Diaz. I grew up in Ewa Beach, one of the youngest, in a family of 7. I graduated James Campbell High School in 2021 and started attending West Oahu right after. If I were an artist's tool, I'd like the be a camera because it's able to see the world through different perspectives. Anyone can pick up a camera but only few can capture feelings through a lens. I want to keep viewing the world and seeing new perspectives.
This capstone examines the cultural exchange between Japanese and Western media, focusing on how manga and anime have influenced U.S. entertainment. It traces the historical relationship between early Western cartoons and post-1980s anime, showing mutual influence in style and storytelling. The rise of anime from the 1990s onward shaped a generation and shifted Western media aesthetics, music, and narratives. By analyzing adaptations, visual styles, and cross-cultural storytelling, the paper concludes that Japanese culture has become deeply embedded in Western media through shared media platforms.
The concept of creativity has come a long way. The Old Greeks would call those creative forces muses, other religions referred to them as God. Today people still mostly treat creativity as an aha moment outside the area of influence. However, just by looking at the creative process one can tell, that creativity and creative work is more than just that one "Aha-Moment" (insight). It is clear that generating ideas demands planning and preparation, identifying something of interest like a problem, an opportunity or a challenge, doing research. This then leads to thinking of a solution, allowing time to incubate and iterations before arriving at something “complete.” Students learn that hard work is what makes their ideas come to life and sticktuiveness is what helps them get better.
Ayanna brings research to real life with her web series exploring how Japanese culture flows through everyday Western media. 🎥🌸 Inspired by her capstone on the cultural exchange between anime, manga, and U.S. entertainment, Ayanna set out to document this influence firsthand—capturing interviews, events, and personal outings that reveal just how deeply Japanese aesthetics, storytelling, and style have taken root in the West. Her series is a thoughtful blend of academic insight and lived experience, highlighting how generations have grown up shaped by this vibrant cultural crossover.
Watch the story unfold in Japanese Culture in Western/US Media