the reality is that most of the Naruto generation doesn't seem that interested in the cultural underpinnings of anime or manga. The era when anime was a fringe hobby is over, with easy availability and the Internet giving anime more mass-market success in America than it has ever had before. However, one side-effect of this is that the new generation of otaku don't seem that interested in examining anime as anything beyond the latest hot, hip show. I don't believe they have much interest in the seminal works of Tezuka, which is analogous to a self-described cartoon fan not knowing who Walt Disney is or why one would care.
Nele Noppe on 18 Dec 07Something we, as researchers, do tend to lose sight of. Anime and manga are not fascinating in and of themselves for the vast majority of fans. In all likelyhood, even most of the Japanese Studies students for whose benefit we're trying to incorporate manga into classes are not interested in the why and how of manga, let alone the educational benefits manga might offer. They just want to have fun reading or watching.