When The Student Becomes The Teacher… | Anime, Manga, & The West

Japan dominates comics and animation today—but most people don’t know where anime’s foundations actually came from. This video explores the forgotten Western influence behind manga and anime, from Disney and the Fleischer brothers to their impact on creators like Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, and Akira Toriyama.

The story isn’t about imitation—it’s about focus. The West built the foundation, Japan studied it, refined it, and stayed committed to entertainment while the West lost its way. Understanding that history explains why manga outsells American comics and why anime has a global reach Western animation currently can’t match.