The words "manga" and "anime" are now buzzwords among students of all ages, sometimes mentioned with scorn, sometimes with reverence, sometimes with envy. 

Both are products of Japan: manga (whimsical pictures) are Japanese comics and anime (short for animation) are Japanese cartoons such as Pokémon.  Although manga and anime are now popular worldwide and translated into various languages, most parents with recently anime/manga converted children dismiss them as kids' entertainment, due to the doe-eyed characters with exaggerated features.  However, behind the innocent characters lie complex narratives way beyond Bugs Bunny.

The first manga I remember picking up when I was a wee 4-year-old in Hong Kong was Fujiko F. Fujio’s Doraemon, loved by children and adults alike.  A robotic cat named Doraemon travels back in time from the 22^nd century to help out wimpy schoolboy Nobita with tools from the future, from flying gadgets to super-strength gloves. 

While the majority of episodes are comedies with moral lessons, environmental issues such as deforestation and pollution are also explored.  When I moved to Auckland in 1991, the lack of manga and anime was shocking.  I found myself stooping low and savouring badly dubbed episodes of Sailor Moon and Samurai Pizza Cats that were aired over and over again on TV. 

Over the years, as more Asian families started to settle in Auckland, the revival of my love of manga and anime began.  I begged my Asian friends for the latest comics.  The lucky ones who had returned from frequent trips to Hong Kong or have doting relatives and grandparents who sent them parcels each month. 

However, with the rise of the internet and a certain giant bookstore appearing in our lives in central Auckland back in 1999 I was lost within literally hundreds of translated graphic novels available.  Even better, the local libraries are now also stocking up on manga.  Manga are compelling due to the reader being able to watch a character develop and grow.  And the drawings are gorgeous to look at.

 It almost did not happen.  Moments after I decided draw a badminton comic which was beyond the series of one-line gags I have seen in print; I discovered Saki Kaori's Smash! - a badminton manga which completely blew me away. After I recovered from the shock, it ended up giving me the encouragement to interpret badminton in my own way.   In the distant future, robot badminton coaches such as MIN-16 are in charge of training up players.  Perhaps Doraemon has had a bigger influence on me than I thought.