Ask John: Why is Anime Fascinated with Britain?

Question:
I’m been fascinated with British-style characters in anime, from Eru-Chan from Upotte!! to Darjeeling from Girls Und Panzer to my favorite, Alice Cartelet from Kin-iro Mosaic. There’s also English tea-drinking in various schoolgirl anime. What’s does British characters hold a special place in anime and manga?

Answer:
Sometimes Japanese and American perspectives aren’t so wildly different. European countries including France (Rose of Versailles, Chevalier, Ikoku Meiro no Croisée) and Germany (Monster) have featured into manga and anime, but Britain seems to be the most popular of European references for anime and manga. The K-On girls visit London in their feature film. Hellsing and Victorian Romance Emma are both set in England. The adorable Alice and exuberant Karen from last year’s Kiniro Mosaic television series are British transfer students in Japan. Especially for Japanese viewers who all have comparable facial features, typically black hair, and a common culture, Britain is a fascinating departure that’s still accessible. Britain is universally associated with intelligence, artistry, refinement and dignity. Moreover, Britain speaks English, a language that all Japanese school-children are taught in public school. The British, like the Japanese, habitually drink tea. And Britain has a traditional monarchy, which gives the country yet another parallel to Japan that other English speaking nations don’t have. Among all of the English speaking countries, England is the only one that evinces a sense of long-standing historical tradition and a sense of reserved social decorum that Japanese citizens can easily relate to. Canada doesn’t have Britain’s lengthy history nor its traditional history of artistic depth, and America and Australia both lack the graceful social tact associated with Britain. So Japanese citizens respect and adore British culture for roughly the same reason that Americans find British culture fascinating. British culture evokes a sense of ancient Occidental nobility that’s more accessible to Americans and Japanese than any other European country.